Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
How crazy is this???
I want to introduce you to a new "bloggie" friend of mine. Her name is Courtney. I found her blog several months ago when I was searching for reviews of a book. Her blog came up in the search results since she had done a post about it at some point. I opened her blog to check it out and found that she has two kids. . .named Ethan and Karis. How crazy it that?? I'm obviously not surprised when I see others with the name Ethan, as it has become pretty popular, but to have an Ethan and a Karis, I thought was so crazy! Her Karis is the older of the two. It actually gets a bit crazier when you find out that Courtney and her husband are expecting their third baby, a boy. . .and they've decided on the name Levi!! It was also neat to find out that she has her teaching degree, among a couple other commonalities.
I wanted to ask all of you praying ladies (I don't know of any guys that read this, but if you're out there, you can go ahead and pray, too) to say a quick prayer for Courtney. She and her family just found out they are going to be moving in the next week, which we all know is no small task when you have two small children, are expecting your third, and it's the week before Christmas. They are also hosting her family for Christmas Eve. On top of all of this, her brother passed away just after Thanksgiving. Pray that God fills her with His strength and joy as she goes through this Christmas season.
I wanted to ask all of you praying ladies (I don't know of any guys that read this, but if you're out there, you can go ahead and pray, too) to say a quick prayer for Courtney. She and her family just found out they are going to be moving in the next week, which we all know is no small task when you have two small children, are expecting your third, and it's the week before Christmas. They are also hosting her family for Christmas Eve. On top of all of this, her brother passed away just after Thanksgiving. Pray that God fills her with His strength and joy as she goes through this Christmas season.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Christmas Cookies
We've been doing a lot of baking here in the Hunter house. I LOVE Christmas cookies, and unfortunately for my waistline, I have a really hard time keeping my hand out of the cookie jar these days. Here are the ones that have become our "must have" Christmas cookies:
Frosted Orange Drop Cookies, Sugar and Spice Cookies (a chewy gingersnap-type cookie), Peanut Butter Reindeers, Chocolate Crinkles, Butterballs, and Vanilla Cookie Cut-Outs.
Frosted Orange Drop Cookies, Sugar and Spice Cookies (a chewy gingersnap-type cookie), Peanut Butter Reindeers, Chocolate Crinkles, Butterballs, and Vanilla Cookie Cut-Outs.
What cookies do you make every year??
Monday, December 14, 2009
Why I'm blogging again
I had a friend tell me recently about her friend who had her blog printed off in a bound book. It was one of the things that encouraged me to actually start blogging again. I don't have time or space to put together physical scrapbooks and I don't really have the money to do a bunch of digital scrapbooking. I think it would be neat to print my blog at some point...maybe every year or two as a combo journal and scrapbook. It would be something nice to look over down the road and pass on to the kids someday if they are interested. I'd like for them to know the "tidbits, treasures, and toils" that have made our family what it is.
I also got okay with the fact that it's okay to not be known. I think when I first started blogging, part of my motivation was to have lots of people read my blog and know me. We all kind of want to be a little "famous" don't we? Even if it is in our own little world? I thought it would be fun to be known for my writing, or maybe my baking, or maybe some parenting idea I had...that I could gain some higher level of "significance" through blogging. {That might be a "stay-at-home mom do load after load of laundry, dishes, vaccuum 42 times a week, answer 780 pointless questions a day, get interrupted at least 4 times every conversation you have with your husband, lock yourself in your bedroom while talking on the phone, make 21 meals and dish out 42 snacks every week, pay bills, monitor bank accounts, clip coupons, push the "car" cart through the grocery store while no one rides in it without any type of recognition" kind of hang up, I suppose}
But, I didn't just want to be known by people. I wanted people to know why I was doing the things that I do, in order to validate my thoughts and actions in some way. {For example} A couple months ago I wanted to tell you about why we were sending our kids to public school because I didn't want anyone to think we were doing it because we couldn't handle the homeschooling. I mean, I really couldn't handle it if someone thought I was a wimp! I needed people know why we were doing it. That started bothering me.
When I quit blogging for a while, though, I was reminded that it didn't change what I did or why I did it, just because no one knew what was going on with me or in my head. I still did the same things for the same reasons and I didn't loose any sleep (well, I did loose sleep, but that was because of Levi!) because people didn't know what was going on. I know people will think whatever they want about my actions, and my blog writing is probably not going to change anything. I reminded myself that I am known intimately by the only One that matters. With all that in mind, I was able to tell you about why we are not homeschooling more as a clear my mind, if you're struggling with this same decision you're not alone kind of post.
So I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else, or if you can relate. I do want ya'll know what's going on with us, but not because I need you to feed my need for significance. I just figure maybe you want to know, just like I like to know what's going on with you guys. It's fun to have "conversation" through comments, get new ideas from each other, and participate in the "you're not alone" club together.
I also got okay with the fact that it's okay to not be known. I think when I first started blogging, part of my motivation was to have lots of people read my blog and know me. We all kind of want to be a little "famous" don't we? Even if it is in our own little world? I thought it would be fun to be known for my writing, or maybe my baking, or maybe some parenting idea I had...that I could gain some higher level of "significance" through blogging. {That might be a "stay-at-home mom do load after load of laundry, dishes, vaccuum 42 times a week, answer 780 pointless questions a day, get interrupted at least 4 times every conversation you have with your husband, lock yourself in your bedroom while talking on the phone, make 21 meals and dish out 42 snacks every week, pay bills, monitor bank accounts, clip coupons, push the "car" cart through the grocery store while no one rides in it without any type of recognition" kind of hang up, I suppose}
But, I didn't just want to be known by people. I wanted people to know why I was doing the things that I do, in order to validate my thoughts and actions in some way. {For example} A couple months ago I wanted to tell you about why we were sending our kids to public school because I didn't want anyone to think we were doing it because we couldn't handle the homeschooling. I mean, I really couldn't handle it if someone thought I was a wimp! I needed people know why we were doing it. That started bothering me.
When I quit blogging for a while, though, I was reminded that it didn't change what I did or why I did it, just because no one knew what was going on with me or in my head. I still did the same things for the same reasons and I didn't loose any sleep (well, I did loose sleep, but that was because of Levi!) because people didn't know what was going on. I know people will think whatever they want about my actions, and my blog writing is probably not going to change anything. I reminded myself that I am known intimately by the only One that matters. With all that in mind, I was able to tell you about why we are not homeschooling more as a clear my mind, if you're struggling with this same decision you're not alone kind of post.
So I don't know if that makes sense to anyone else, or if you can relate. I do want ya'll know what's going on with us, but not because I need you to feed my need for significance. I just figure maybe you want to know, just like I like to know what's going on with you guys. It's fun to have "conversation" through comments, get new ideas from each other, and participate in the "you're not alone" club together.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What's been on my mind
There have been two things that have been on my mind a lot over the past year. I thought I'd share a little bit of the journey they have taken me on. Here are the questions I was asking:
Would I be a better mom if I homeschooled our kids? I know this doesn't have to be an issue of being a better mom, but that's part of what it became for me. For some reason, in the past year, I managed to convince myself that homeschooling moms are better moms than those of us who send our kids to public school. They are more organized. They prioritize better. They are obeying Deuteronomy 6 more fully. They spend more time with their kids. They must be more patient. They are protecting their children from worldly influence.
It surprised me when I fell into this line of thinking because I never imagined I would want to homeschool. I've always been of the mindset that public schools need strong Christian families in them, and really felt a calling to make every effort to be one of those families. And, to be honest, I had once thought that homeschooling moms shelter and cater to their kids too much and don't send their kids to school because they can't let go. Thing is, my oldest is now away from home for more than 8 hours a day and I hate it. I also have quite a few friends who are homeschooling, and I've looked deeper at how it honors what God calls us to in Deuteronomy and can really knit a family together.
By the end of last school year my heart was aching to homeschool our kids. I did a "practice day". I looked at different curriculums. I was trying to figure out how I could really make it work in our family. I thought, "Maybe God is calling me to do this thing that I never wanted to do". I spent the summer trying to determine if I wanted to homeschool because I thought it would give me the image of being an amazing mom, because I just couldn't let go of my babies, or because God was, in fact, calling me to it.
Would having more kids make me a better mom? Again, I know this doesn't have to be an issue of being a better mom, but at some point, I also convinced myself that moms with more kids are better moms. They can handle more. They trust God more. They are more willing to sacrifice. It just seems like there is a certain "status" attached to parents of large families - just look at our fascination with TV shows like John & Kate, 18 Kids and Counting, Table for 12, etc. (Alright, I know that John and Kate have fallen apart, and maybe I'm the only one fascinated with how amazing it seems for these parents to be able to do what they do...)
This has actually been something I've struggled with since right after Mark and I decided we were done having kids. This was not an easy decision for either of us. I went back and forth about whether birth control (horomonal or permanent) was Biblical. We wondered where we should draw the line between trusting God to provide for us if we left it up to Him and testing God to provide if we knew full well that another baby would make it difficult to even put food on the table and clothes on our backs, especially when He had already given us FOUR amazing kids!
At the beginning of July I went back to Exodus 14:14, stilled my mind on these two things and asked (or maybe I should say begged) God to fight for my heart/mind on them and give me clarity. When I gave up, He gave me answers and peace.
I became confident that God's place for our kids is in the public school. At the end of July, while Mark was away at Cross-Country camp, I sat on the couch trying to read a book to Ethan and Karis...while Natalie forced herself on to my lap pushing the book and kids away and Levi scaled the entertainment center. I paused for a short moment to keep control and clearly felt God say to me, "Let this be one of the reasons I want you to trust me and put your kids in school." It's not that I can't handle the chaos, but I'm very aware that I have two high maintenance younger ones, and it wouldn't be fair to either "set" of kids to try to make homeschooling work in our home right now. He continues to give me reasons to maintain my peace about this decision. Both kids were "Principal's Pick" for the first month of the school year...a testament to their quiet dilligence and desire to be good examples. Ethan has done multiple assignments where he has written about being thankful for his Bible, that Christmas means we can celebrate the birth of Jesus, and giving to the poor. He has also taken Bible to school again this year as part of his "All about me" presentation.
I realized that sending our kids to school was not the easy way out and that I was sacrificing, just in a way that was different than homeschooling moms are. I have to give up control every day. I want to keep our kids home now. It hurts, most days, to watch them walk up the street to that bus stop. I have to trust that God will protect their hearts and minds when I can't be there to do it. Mark and I have work extra hard to make good use of the time we do have together and be sure that as much as possible is spent helping our kids grow in their faith and gain the tools that will help them make wise choices each day.
I became sure that we were not in a position to ask God for another baby. When you get pregnant as easily as we do, not being on strict birth control of some kind equals asking God for another baby. We are blessed to have 4 children, and I know that God did not create all of us to be like the Duggars. Every family has a different sized quiver for reasons that only God knows. He gives us what we need to make the decision that works for our family. We decided the most responsible thing for us to do was prayerfully take permanent action, knowing that if God desired to give us another baby, He would find His way and provide what we needed.
I learned that it is okay to grieve the fact I will never (barring some miracle) give birth again and that there is a good chance we will never be "baby parents" again. I know there are some who long for the end of this season: the changes of pregnancy, the pain of giving birth, having multiple babies in diapers, always being sure you have a change of clothes on hand when you leave the house, getting a workout simply going grocery shopping, trying to decipher baby babble before it becomes a tantrum, lowering angelic sleeping babies into cribs, having a house full of noise and messes. I LOVE this season. There is always going to be a part of me that will long to experience the miracle of a baby again. I've struggled to picture myself on the other side of it. But as allow myself to grieve (yes, I seriously get nauseous and cry) the ending of it, I am beginning to look forward to what the next season holds.
Would I be a better mom if I homeschooled our kids? I know this doesn't have to be an issue of being a better mom, but that's part of what it became for me. For some reason, in the past year, I managed to convince myself that homeschooling moms are better moms than those of us who send our kids to public school. They are more organized. They prioritize better. They are obeying Deuteronomy 6 more fully. They spend more time with their kids. They must be more patient. They are protecting their children from worldly influence.
It surprised me when I fell into this line of thinking because I never imagined I would want to homeschool. I've always been of the mindset that public schools need strong Christian families in them, and really felt a calling to make every effort to be one of those families. And, to be honest, I had once thought that homeschooling moms shelter and cater to their kids too much and don't send their kids to school because they can't let go. Thing is, my oldest is now away from home for more than 8 hours a day and I hate it. I also have quite a few friends who are homeschooling, and I've looked deeper at how it honors what God calls us to in Deuteronomy and can really knit a family together.
By the end of last school year my heart was aching to homeschool our kids. I did a "practice day". I looked at different curriculums. I was trying to figure out how I could really make it work in our family. I thought, "Maybe God is calling me to do this thing that I never wanted to do". I spent the summer trying to determine if I wanted to homeschool because I thought it would give me the image of being an amazing mom, because I just couldn't let go of my babies, or because God was, in fact, calling me to it.
Would having more kids make me a better mom? Again, I know this doesn't have to be an issue of being a better mom, but at some point, I also convinced myself that moms with more kids are better moms. They can handle more. They trust God more. They are more willing to sacrifice. It just seems like there is a certain "status" attached to parents of large families - just look at our fascination with TV shows like John & Kate, 18 Kids and Counting, Table for 12, etc. (Alright, I know that John and Kate have fallen apart, and maybe I'm the only one fascinated with how amazing it seems for these parents to be able to do what they do...)
This has actually been something I've struggled with since right after Mark and I decided we were done having kids. This was not an easy decision for either of us. I went back and forth about whether birth control (horomonal or permanent) was Biblical. We wondered where we should draw the line between trusting God to provide for us if we left it up to Him and testing God to provide if we knew full well that another baby would make it difficult to even put food on the table and clothes on our backs, especially when He had already given us FOUR amazing kids!
At the beginning of July I went back to Exodus 14:14, stilled my mind on these two things and asked (or maybe I should say begged) God to fight for my heart/mind on them and give me clarity. When I gave up, He gave me answers and peace.
I became confident that God's place for our kids is in the public school. At the end of July, while Mark was away at Cross-Country camp, I sat on the couch trying to read a book to Ethan and Karis...while Natalie forced herself on to my lap pushing the book and kids away and Levi scaled the entertainment center. I paused for a short moment to keep control and clearly felt God say to me, "Let this be one of the reasons I want you to trust me and put your kids in school." It's not that I can't handle the chaos, but I'm very aware that I have two high maintenance younger ones, and it wouldn't be fair to either "set" of kids to try to make homeschooling work in our home right now. He continues to give me reasons to maintain my peace about this decision. Both kids were "Principal's Pick" for the first month of the school year...a testament to their quiet dilligence and desire to be good examples. Ethan has done multiple assignments where he has written about being thankful for his Bible, that Christmas means we can celebrate the birth of Jesus, and giving to the poor. He has also taken Bible to school again this year as part of his "All about me" presentation.
I realized that sending our kids to school was not the easy way out and that I was sacrificing, just in a way that was different than homeschooling moms are. I have to give up control every day. I want to keep our kids home now. It hurts, most days, to watch them walk up the street to that bus stop. I have to trust that God will protect their hearts and minds when I can't be there to do it. Mark and I have work extra hard to make good use of the time we do have together and be sure that as much as possible is spent helping our kids grow in their faith and gain the tools that will help them make wise choices each day.
I became sure that we were not in a position to ask God for another baby. When you get pregnant as easily as we do, not being on strict birth control of some kind equals asking God for another baby. We are blessed to have 4 children, and I know that God did not create all of us to be like the Duggars. Every family has a different sized quiver for reasons that only God knows. He gives us what we need to make the decision that works for our family. We decided the most responsible thing for us to do was prayerfully take permanent action, knowing that if God desired to give us another baby, He would find His way and provide what we needed.
I learned that it is okay to grieve the fact I will never (barring some miracle) give birth again and that there is a good chance we will never be "baby parents" again. I know there are some who long for the end of this season: the changes of pregnancy, the pain of giving birth, having multiple babies in diapers, always being sure you have a change of clothes on hand when you leave the house, getting a workout simply going grocery shopping, trying to decipher baby babble before it becomes a tantrum, lowering angelic sleeping babies into cribs, having a house full of noise and messes. I LOVE this season. There is always going to be a part of me that will long to experience the miracle of a baby again. I've struggled to picture myself on the other side of it. But as allow myself to grieve (yes, I seriously get nauseous and cry) the ending of it, I am beginning to look forward to what the next season holds.
Well, maybe I should have split that into two posts! Hopefully I didn't loose you halfway through it. I know these are two things that many moms struggle with, so I hope in some way it has encouraged you that you are not alone...or given you the push to seek God's peace for these decisions in your own life.
Back from Sabbatical
Well, I think I'm ready to start blogging again. For the most part, I just got way too busy with school starting, Mark coaching CC, Ethan and Karis playing soccer on two different teams, having 36 History students, and everything else that is included in the life of a mom/wife. When I had 15 minutes of free time, I just wasn't interested in spending it blogging! Life has calmed down considerably, and even with Christmas approaching, I do have a little bit of spare time on my hands here and there.
To get back into the groove of blogging, I'm just going to post a few pictures of the kids from this fall. Baby steps, right? 
So, anyway, I hope you'll all start reading again. I'll feel like my efforts are so much more worth it if someone out there is reading :O). I'll be back to tomorrow with a post about what I've been learning lately. All of those teasers about deep thoughts in my (long) past posts are finally coming to fruition!
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