It's My Party...

...and I can cry if I want to. Today I turn 30.years.old. And that is not as exciting as turning 10! ;) I just can't imagine my 40th or 50th birthday being dreaded as much as I dread today.

30. I don't really know why I'm dreading it as much as I am, but here are some honest things I've been thinking:

• an adventurous life is out of the question
• i have more responsibilities than freedoms
• i am old
• i have some wrinkles and even age spots
• my life won't be as exciting as it has been the last 30 years
• i'm not even pregnant
• i haven't done anything brag-worthy in the last year (some friends of mine have set goals to accomplish before they turn 30 - do a pull-up, run a marathon, etc)
• my husband is out of town...for another birthday
• i am still grieving
• i'm buying my own birthday cake
• i'm not young anymore

So, it's not a day that I've been looking forward to. I think I blew off the whole 30-year-goal thing because I was pregnant. I can't possibly run a mile, do a pull-up or skydive when I'm pregnant. But that excuse is gone, and I'm mourning that too.

Since the birthday isn't so exciting, I thought my 30th year could be. So I'm starting a list of things I've never done. Not a "bucket-list" but more like something to prove that I'm not boring, that my life isn't over, that I'm still an exciting person, that I God can still do great things in my life - through me and for me. Here we go...

1. Go to a comedy club
2. Do a mud-run
3. Take a boot-camp class
4. Get a tattoo??
5. Take a weekend "class" from my church
6. Try accupuncture
7. Speak up for myself more
8. Learn how to bake really good bread from scratch (no bread machine)
9. Use my gift of hospitality regularly (invite people over at least once a month - possibly once a week - for dinner, playdates, coffee, etc)
10. And More!

I'm having a hard time thinking of exciting things to add to my list - things that aren't so expensive and that will be likely to be accomplished, although challenging. So please help me by offering any suggestions. I'm glad to be trying some new things in this next year...and I'm possibly excited. ;)

Reflections On Psalm 127

When we were in San Diego I had a lot of non-distracted time to read (and I really enjoyed that time). ;) One of the Psalms that hit me in a new way (as it did my husband) was Psalm 127.

Psalm 127

¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

² In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

⁵ Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

We have always loved vs 3-5. It holds such meaning for us as parents. We want our children to be strong arrows that we eventually send out into the enemy's camp. We pray that God blesses our quiver and that He gives us the strength we need when it's time for us to let them go and fight for Christ.

But the first 2 verses I thought were always talking about building a city and what that requires. But as my husband and I were looking at the entire Psalm, we thought it might be talking about parenting and building your home. It's amazing how this Psalm has changed my perspective.

¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

No matter what we do to protect our children or how we work to raise them, it is ultimately in God's hands. And we need to hand over that control to God. He will build up our children and He will protect them. It's totally up to God no matter what we do to try and hold on. God's got this. He's got our kids. He loves them and He wants us to hand them over to His will. That doesn't mean we don't do anything, but we need to realize that God loves them more than we do, which is hard for me to grasp.

² In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

This verse took on another parent-meaning. It goes so many ways - parents worrying more than praying - for our children's health/future/character/walk with God, dad being gone all the time to work to support the family, mom trying to be all (seamstress, gardener, maid, laundress, cook, baker, shopper, chauffeur, crafty, frugal, Proverbs 31 wife and mother, secretary, entertainment director, friend, full-time job outside the home, hostess, blogger, book-reader, spiritual adviser, accountant, referee, etc) and becoming ineffective in her parenting. That last one is more me than anything else. I spend too much time trying to measure up to my own unrealistic expectations when my ultimate desire is to have my children know Jesus Christ, love and serve Him. But God grants sleep to those He loves. I don't need to be all of those things all the time. I need to be a lover of Jesus, a wife and a mother.

So, maybe this verse is about building a city. Or maybe it's about building a family and a home. This Psalm has been a great encouragement to me and it needs to go somewhere where I'll see it everyday. To remind me to refocus on who God is and that He will care for me and my children. My study Bible states it like this: "A good harvest is not the achievement of endless toil but the result of God's blessings." And I think that's such a blessing for a mother to know!


P.S. When I read this article on self-doubt as a homeschool mom over at Heart of the Matter Psalm 127 came right to my mind.

Hearts at Home North Central Conference

In November I (along with several other women from my church) will be heading to Rochester, MN to Hearts at Home. I'm really excited to spend time with my dear friend, Emily, during this weekend of refreshment and learning.

This conference was started by Jill Savage. She's written some great books on motherhood and the Christian woman. I really enjoy reading her blog and am excited to hear her speak at the conference. I can't wait to hear Dr. Kevin Leman, as he's one of my favorite authors for parenting and marriage/sex. But he's mainly known for his books on Birth Order. It's all very interesting and I can't wait to hear more.

There's also breakouts in the afternoon and there are a lot to choose from. This conference is for all stages of motherhood and the breakouts help you get info for your stage of motherhood.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the Friday night of the conference is girls night out. Sounds wonderful to me!! Go Fish will be there with all their musical talent (funny to think I saw them at a park in Sioux Center, IA when they were first getting started). If you get a chance to go, it's a great conference and I'm really looking forward to it!!


Some of my favorite books by Dr. Kevin Leman:

Sheet Music - "This book will expand and challenge your thinking, help you start your marriage off right, or go from humdrum to exciting if you’re already married."




First Time Mom - "He describes the traits that characterize firstborn children and educates new moms (and dads!) on the essentials of parenting, offering practical tips on what to expect and how to adjust in your new role."


The Birth Order Book - "Dr. Leman will offer readers a fascinating look at how birth order affects personality, marriage and relationships, parenting style, career, and children."

Wednesday Weigh-In 9/16

After watching The Biggest Loser last night I was inspired to fight against my self-will and get out of bed to Shred. I didn't want to, but my 22-month-old kept wandering in our room at 6am until I got out of bed at 6:30am. ;) That's some great accountability. Thanks, son!

Here are my stats and next week I expect some results from my week of Shredding!

starting weight: 155.2
current weight: 155.4
loss: +.2 lb
original starting weight: 166.4
cumulative weight loss: 11 lb


My Thoughts on The Biggest Loser
*spoiler alert*



First of all, I was surprised at all the swearing. And not just swearing but swearing at people. I didn't like that at.all. If I was on the show, I would tell them that I don't mind the yelling, but I would appreciate it if they didn't use horrible language. It just sounded abusive.

There are some heavy people on this episode but for the most part they seemed ready to work. And it's pretty cool to see Bob and Jillian work together. We'll have to see if there are any major arguments between them as the season rolls along. They have different strategies, although last night there was a lot of yelling from both of them.

Daniel - It's great to have him back. I hope he can be an inspiration to all the contestants of what you can do with hard work.

Shay - That girl just makes me sad. And mad. I was disappointed to see her walk out of the gym but I think it was a huge mental/emotional breakthrough for her when she walked back in without being coaxed. Good call, Jillian.

Julio - If he keeps flopping on the ground like a fish, he will not be my favorite contestant. I couldn't believe Jillian calling him "dead father" when he'd fall on the ground. But he said he appreciated her honesty and needs that reality check.

Alexandra - I thought she was such a cute girl and I was sad to see her go. I thought she worked pretty hard and most of all, she had a great attitude. Seems like she's done well at home with a 60lb loss!! And I can't wait to see who her crush is!! Oh, the drama. ;)

Abby - Nothing made me cry more than hearing Abby's story. And then when she was weighing in and she said she had to do it for herself because there was no one else to do it for. It just broke my heart. I pray for her.

Final Thoughts:

• I can't believe that two people were already in the hospital after the first challenge. And Tracy is still there! I hope she's ok, they didn't really talk about what was wrong with her or if they thought she'd even make it to the show.
• I could never do this job. I wouldn't be a great motivator because I'd get caught up in all the feelings. I can't yell at people when they're sad and crying. I know that both Bob and Jillian have a heart for these people and the time to talk and work through their hurts will come. It was just really hard to watch.
• I will not be watching this with my little people because of the language. Yes, there were some bleeps - well, a lot of bleeps, but some words weren't bleeped and they should have been. I thought it sounded more like verbal abuse than encouraging, inspirational words. I understand that there needs to be some yelling because people were quitting, but they need to cut the swearing.
• I will remember my tissues next week and try not to use my sleeve for my snotty nose and watery eyes.

Homeschool vs. Private Christian vs. Public

We already know that I'll be starting preschool with my oldest (3 years) this fall at home. We would love to send him to preschool but for 2 mornings a week, it's just not worth the cost. And I think we'll have fun at home learning together.

I went to a Christian school and am glad for the biblical foundation I received as a child, although I didn't realize how important that was until I was out of the house and on my own. I took my Christian high school totally for granted but I think most high school students do.

I feel a little guilt over homeschooling. I don't want families that we minister to to think that we are looking down on them and think they're horrible for sending their children to the public school.

Jon Acuff writes on his blog, Stuff Christians Like (Christian satire), about the stereotypes of home school, public school, and private Christian schools. It's a great article and I appreciated the honesty/humor from all views. I've seen examples of all the stereotypes and I've seen families defy the stereotypes.

Let me hear some feedback about why you chose private, public or home. Have you defied the stereotypes of your school choice?


* My husband and I really enjoy Jon Acuff's sense of humor and realize it's not for everyone.

Feeling Exhausted?

I read this post yesterday from Sarah Markley at The Best Days of My Life. I cried. I feel like that today (most days, as of late). Tired of disciplining. I need some refreshment for my spirit. I need refreshment with my husband.

Thank you, Sarah, for putting it into perspective. God is so almighty, caring, and tender. And He never gives up on us.

Birthday Girl

On July 2nd I celebrated my 29th birthday. Even though I'm not too excited about being 29, I had a great day. My husband watched the kids so I could sleep in. The boys napped in the afternoon so I could watch a movie at home. My husband mopped the kitchen floor. And then I got an hour and a half to shower, shave and get ready for my hot date. ;)

My husband borrowed a Toyota Solaris convertible and took me out for some great Thai food. It was delicious. Since we had the babysitter for a while longer, we cruised around in the convertible with the top down enjoying the beautiful evening.


About turning 29...I feel like 30 is looming. I have really enjoyed my 20's and God has done some amazing things in my life during those years (not that God will stop working in my life at 30). I was married in my 20's, my profession of nurse changed to youth secretary to mother. And the process required a huge reliance on God and a complete surrender of myself. I feel like I'm still young and that the possibilities of life are sitting on my doorstep. But 30 feels more like true adult-hood. It's kind of scary to feel like the responsibility is real. That I'm not a naive 20-something. It seems kind of dumb when I say it out loud, but it's how I feel...no matter how irrational.

I'm thinking that for my 30th, instead of black (which is usually reserved for the big 5-0) I will celebrate with color and excitement for the future God has for me and my family. I will focus on praising my Creator for the years of my past and the years of my future. I will not dread the "increased" responsibility of "true adulthood" but embrace the challenges that God has for me.

You might have to remind me of this next year. ;)

The "Do Do Do" Verses

(Yes, that is crayon on my wall. Thank you, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!)

My son is realizing that when he disobeys mom and dad that he is sinning. We will say to him, "I will only tell you one time. When you do not do as mom says, you are disobeying. You will get a spanking for disobeying mom or dad." He does pretty well most of the time, but lately we've noticed that he really feels remorse for his sin (not all the time, he is only 3 years old). He will tell us, "I don't want to disobey. I want to obey mom."

That really has made me look at Romans 7:14-20 a lot more seriously. I always called it the "Do Do Do" verses because it can get a little confusing. But reading it as a mom who has a little boy that is now struggling with his sins, I see it in a fresh way.

Romans 7:14-20

(14) We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

(15) I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

(16) And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

(17) As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

(18) I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

(19) For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

(20) Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

I know that he wants to do good, but he can't. And neither can I. I struggle with things that I know are wrong and I continue to do them. And it is the sin living in me. I can only, daily, surrender myself to the Lord. I can only ask for His grace and forgiveness when I inevitably screw up. Now, I don't read these verses and see a license to sin, I read them as an encouragement to submit myself to the Lord. That I need the Lord to carry out the good that I desire to do. That I need to rely on Him to do good and to obey.

I have a feeling that my children will lead me to ponder Scripture in different ways. Thanks to my son for clearing up the "Do Do Do" verses for me. ;)

Praying for Alex

I have been struggling with how to pray for baby Alex. He's not even a year old and has a heart defect that will require a heart transplant. He's been in the hospital since before Christmas 2008 and he, and his family, are still waiting for a heart.

Now, at first I thought this was simple: pray for healing and a heart for baby Alex. But every time I pray for him, I get sad. A new heart for Alex means a death of another baby. There are parents out there that will have to lose their young child and have to decide to donate organs. Another has to die for this one to live. It's vexing to me. It makes me terribly sad.

I'm just thankful that my God is a powerful all-knowing God who "in all things works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). I'm glad to know that I don't have to make the choice of who lives and who dies.

So I've just been praying for God's will on little Alex and I pray that if tragedy comes to another family that they are willing to give hope to other families by way of organ donation.


For more information on organ donation:

• OrganDoner.Gov: access to US government organ and tissue donation and transplantation
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
• Donate Life America
• Iowa Donor Network

Linky Dinks

Here's the second edition of Linky Dinks: where I let you know what I've been reading in the blogosphere. (I've been reading a lot more than this list, but these are some favorites.) Again, my thoughts are in italics.

Prayer Journaling
~ Homespun Heart (Wednesday, 4/22/09)
I received the Legacy Prayer Journal from my MIL for Christmas but haven't gotten organized enough to gather pictures and get it printed out. After reading this article, I have the pictures gathered and am hoping to pick up a book today so our family can get started.

Chicken Empenadas. Ole.
~ Short Stop
This looks like a pretty simple recipe and as compared to the caloric value of the original at On the Border (1090 calories!!) I think it's a winner!!

Ruffles and Rick-Rack
~ Keeping Up With the Joneses
Makes me wish I had some girls. I doubt my boys would appreciate how cute these jeans turned out.

Linky Dinks

Ok. I decided that I'm going to start keeping track of great articles that I've been reading and pass them along to you. My comments are in italics. Enjoy!

An Open Letter To the People In the Fashion Industry Who Design Clothes for Grown Women
~ Rocks In My Dryer (Friday, 4/17/09)
SO. TRUE. I completely agree with her on this topic. The cami. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. You can check out more what I have to say about this in her comment section.

Sing Over Me
~ Vintage Mommy (Monday, 4/20/09)
I'd like to see if the library has this cd to check it out. Oh, and I love the verse from Zephaniah that she quotes. Would be beautiful for a nursery.

Baked Shredded Beef Taquitos
~ For the Love of Cooking (Wednesday, 4/15/09)
Mmmmm! This looks so yummy. I have some shredded beef in the freezer and thought I'd make BBQ beef sandwiches, but I'm changing my menu so we can have these. Yumm-O!

I'm NOT Going to Introduce Myself

...I've changed my mind.

*Updated: No one really took any guesses to my "questionnaire" (except for Linda) so I'm just going to post the answers. (Previously posted on 3/26/09.)

This idea came from Linda at Ivory Blossom. I thought this was a wonderful idea. So, can you introduce me?

1. Do I have any brothers or sisters?
Yes, I'm the oldest of three girls
2. What is my favorite sport to WATCH?
soccer & college basketball
3. What is my ancestry? (this one is tricky)
I'm half Dutch and my dad is adopted so I don't know what the rest of me is. ;)
4. What would I order at MacDonald's?
An ice cream cone and fries. There's something about dipping that hot salty french fry into ice cold sweet cream. Yumm-O!
5. Do I play any instrument? (what instrument?)
I played violin from 4th-8th grade; played bells and chimes in high school, but I took piano from 1st grade through 8th grade...so out of all of them it's mostly the piano.
6. Have I ever had any pets? (what animal?)
I guess my first pet was a poodle named Snuggles. And we had a cat named Sibbey (she was my favorite).
7. What's my most-hated household chore?
Mopping: just when you get it clean, someone spills.
8. Have I ever lived abroad?
Nope. I went to China with my husband's family for 10 days but that's my only "overseas" trip.
9. How long have I been a Christian?
I was blessed to have grown-up in a Christian household. I made Profession of Faith when I was a junior in high school. But it wasn't until after I got married that I really turned my life over to the Lord. Mostly I needed to let go of my control-issues. I have a wonderful husband who enabled me to do that. So, I guess I've always been a "Christian" but I've been a true believer and follower for 6 years.
10. What's my favorite dessert?
Cheesecake or Chocolate Brownies

Play along and give Linda some love by linking to her site.

Not Eating Out

I am in withdrawal! I'll admit it. I want to grab something at a fast food place SO BAD!! I want to sit at a Mexican restaurant and enjoy eating chips and salsa and then my favorite chicken tacos. I want to go out to eat and NOT cook!!

We did go out for my son's birthday to Valentino's for pizza and pasta buffet. But that's NOT fun with your kids. My husband and I didn't really even get to eat. And when we pay Grandpa pays for a buffet we want to get our money's worth. So that was kind of a disappointment. But what can I really expect when I'm eating with a 3-year-old and a 16-month-old at a birthday party buffet?

Today I had a meeting at church at 10. It was pretty brief, but the kids were fighting and crying almost the entire time. We left church at 10:45 and I knew we needed to get home for lunch (we usually eat between 10:30-11:15a). I wanted to just grab some tacos from Taco John's or a cheeseburger from McDonald's. But I resisted the temptation and drove straight home. Where I am now...with the baby in bed without lunch because he was crying continuously and with the "big boy" complaining at my feet that he's hungry while we wait for the oven to heat up for some homemade pizza bites and anticipate 15 minutes of them cooking in the oven. Urgh!! I wish we stopped for tacos! Who's idea was it to do "No Spend March" anyway?! ;)

Missed You

Oh, how I've missed this blog. And I've missed all of your blogs. We've been running from one event/place/thing/people to another and we're pooped. We have another busy week and really we don't settle down until after March 28th. So, until then, my posts will be weekly, at best. Unless I get some uninterrupted time during the day to write a bunch to post daily. That would be nice.

I've been making some really yummy food over here and am working on finding fabric for curtains in my kitchen (and soon my living room). So, hopefully, I'll get on the ball and get back in the game. I can't wait to read what you've all been up to.

And We're Back!

Our family just returned from a trip to Arkansas to visit some "old" friends. We had a really nice time with them, catching up and encouraging each other. I have to admit that it was hard being away from the computer...especially since I've been blogging so frequently. But it was such a joy being with close friends. I just wish they lived closer so we could hang out more often.

Our boys handled the trip pretty well. The younger one slept a lot and was in his own little world, but the older one was harder. He just asked to be out of his seat and wanted to go play. I felt bad for him. I can at list shift my weight around, but in those car seats, they can't really move. At lease they were safe.

This week I will be in full-bore cleaning mode because my mother-in-law is coming to watch the kids next weekend. My husband and I are going to a youth pastors and wives overnighter. It should be a good time of encouragement and laughter. We've gone several times before and it's a lot of fun. It's also nice to hear about how people's ministries are going and learn from others what works and what doesn't. For a "newer" ministry couple like us, it's nice to hear encouraging words from more "experienced" youth workers. It's always a great time of refreshment for us. My husband found a hotel in an adjacent town that will give ministry people a free night. So we're going down a night early and taking some time for ourselves and our marriage. So glad to have such a healthy and fun student ministries district.

Hope you all had a great weekend and I will be purusing the blogosphere this afternoon and evening finding out what you've all been up to.

Stuff Christians Like - #478

Stuff Christians Like is a Christian satire blog by Jon. He's really funny and shares some truths about our Christian culture in a quirky way. His recent post, #478 Sitting Next to Sick People at Church, is so funny and true! Here are his tips (in bold) to dealing with sickies at church followed by my commentary:

"1. Wave to them during the meet and greet."
I agree with this one whole-heartedly, but it's hard for me because I don't want to look unfriendly. And I'm an affectionate person. I enjoy a good handshake and a greeting.
My husband's sister-in-law was visiting several weeks ago and as soon as we sat down after shaking hands, she put on the hand sanitizer. First, I was thinking, that's kind of rude. And then I thought, I really want some of that! She said that her church has stopped shaking hands for the winter because of all the sickies. I think it will take me a while to get used to the wave greeting.

"2. Don't buy the 'it's just allergies' excuse."
It is winter and there aren't really an plants alive in our neck of the woods. But maybe it's the dust from all the artificiall greens. ;) I think that allergies are real and I think that I get them. But face it, it's cold and flu season and germs are running rampant. I'd like to say that my cold symptoms are an allergy (from dry furnace air, from the dust trapped inside our house for 9 cold months) but reality is...it's just a cold.

"3. Bring them Kleenex."
This actually sounds friendly. I have to say that I've never really seen anyone wipe their wet noses on their sleeves, but I have heard people trying with all their might not to blow their nose. There they are, so uncomfortable, sniffling away. I've done this many times because I don't want to draw any attention to myself by blowing my nose. As I give out this next bit of advice I'm really talking to myself: BLOW YOUR NOSE! You will feel better! And if you're uncomfortable with blowing your nose in public, excuse yourself. If you're one of the people trapped in the middle of the row, you will draw attention to yourself when you blow your nose, but remember it's only for a second. Sniffling through the whole service is a constant distraction, I know because I've been one, just ask my mom.

"4. If they bring their sick kids just give up."
I am very guilty of this. I don't want to take my littles to Sunday School when they're sick to avoid getting other people's littles sick. So I haul them into the service. It never works out. They can't sit still, they don't feel well, and instead of infecting their friend, their infecting the friend's parents. It's a vicous cycle. That's why I didn't go to church yesterday. I was home with my youngest son and his dripping nose.

The article is really funny, especially how he talks about his kids coughing right into his mouth. That is so true! You can check it out his commentary here.

Sending our Love

We missed the Christmas card cut-off. Last year we at least had an excuse with a newborn (and we didn't even send out birth announcements - oops!). But this year, there's no excuse except that I was not prepared for the months prior to Christmas to go by so fast. I didn't expect that two littles would be as busy as it is. And so here we are in late January. What to do?

A Valentine's Card!!

That's my solution. I ordered 4x6 pictures of our family from Shutterfly (pre-ordered a package for $.10 a picture) and am in the process of writing a letter. This could go many ways:

• Humorous - Our family tends to lean towards the humorous side for most things. I haven't thought of any ingenious ways to give an overview in a fun way...but I'm still thinking and I have a little time before our prints will arrive.

• Yearly Overview by Month - This can get a little tricky since we haven't sent out a card in two years...so I'm trying to decide if I need to include 2007's major information by month as well. We'll have to see how much paper it takes up. And do people really care? I don't know. I guess I like reading people's Christmas cards, so maybe people will care about the "excitement" of our lives.

• An Acrostic Poem - Personally, I think this is a little overdone and not too original but maybe an acrostic on: We're Lazy, Always Late, A Valentine's Card?, Who Cares?

• A Little Blurb Written In First Person By Each Family Member - I guess this could be funny since our kids really don't have much to say...except for our older son...but he might not be understandable. And I don't know how accurate the husband will be (he tends to lean way to the funny side of things and his might not make much sense either). I'll have to think about it.

• From the Point of View of an Object In Our Home - Some people write their letters from their pet's point of view. Well, we don't have a pet, so I might use the fridge or the couch. That could be interesting.

How did you write your Christmas letter this year? Any creative ideas?

Date Night

at a friend's "30th" birthday party

Date night has become very important to my marriage. I notice it mostly when we haven't had one for a while. We are more rammy with each other and tend to become selfish and inward focused. It's always hard to get a date night in over the holidays because it's so busy and money is tight. Now that we've gotten back into the swing of things, date night has become regular again.

Thursdays are my husbands day off. We usually reserve Thursday nights for our date night. My husband is in charge of finding a sitter (which is so nice!). He can usually find a parent of a middle-schooler or high-schooler that will volunteer (for free) to watch our kids since he spends a lot of time with their kids. It's really nice that we don't have to worry about that. All I know, is that my husband is in charge of the sitter and that has been a huge blessing! We'll tell the sitter to arrive at 6p but we don't get out of the house until 6:30ish because we're visiting or the boys are finishing dinner, etc. And we are home by 10p. It works out really nice.

We usually don't spend a lot of money when we go out, but I do love to go out to eat on our dates. We have a few "tricks" to save money at restaurants:

Subway - split a $5 Footlong, no chips, water
Fazoli's - split a baked spaghetti, split a *FREE side salad with the use of our Super Savings cards
El Azteca - free chips and salsa before the meal, split and entree or order ala carte
Taco John's - split a combo meal
Applebee's - split a burger meal

There are probably more, but those are places we frequent the most.

Here are some of the things that we do after we eat:

disc golf *free (when it's warm)
drive around and talk
walk through the mall without our wallets
go to a dollar movie
walk through Target or WalMart and pick up items we need
stop by Target for a bag of popcorn then get a Redbox movie and go home early

Again, there are probably more, but that's all I can think of.

Our date night started when we had our first son. Before kids you spend a lot of time together because there are no big distractions at home. After kids, you need to make your marriage a priorty over the kids which is so hard to do. Our oldest was born almost 6 weeks early. I had been in the hospital for almost 3 weeks before he was born. So, while he was still in the ICU, my husband took me out for dinner. We were only gone for an hour or so, but it was the start to putting our marriage first. It was hard leaving our little man in the hospital, but my husband knew that I needed to get out of there for a while. Since then, it's become our norm. Thursday night is date night. We don't go to any sporting events, we don't hang out with students, we don't double date, we take time for ourselves. To reconnect and to work on our marriage.

Do you have a regular date night? If so, what do you do? Any frugal tips?

Stranger Danger

My husband and I packed up both boys so that the youngest one could see the eye doctor after surgery. While we were waiting we visited with this couple in the waiting room. They seemed like nice people. I tend to be more private and on the shy side but my husband (even though he's an introvert too) tends to send out the "talk-to-me-I'm-a-nice-guy" vibe. Our boys were waiting with us and the older one was getting a little antsy. The gentleman told my son that he would give him a quarter if he would say his name. And my son (almost 3) went right over to him for the money. YIKES!! I was embarrassed at my lack of parenting skills and scared that my son would just go over to a stranger. I want to teach him about strangers, but I'm not sure he can comprehend it right now and I don't want to scare him...but I kind of do. Since my husband works at church, we're around people a lot. My son has never had stranger anxiety because of that...and now I wish he did. I really don't want anything to happen to him.

So, I'm asking for some suggestions on how to talk to your toddlers about strangers or if you know of any good books to read.

Thanks!

Say Good-bye to Handmade Toys

Yep. And I don't like it one bit. It makes me sad to think that there will be no more handmade toys sold because of the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. It's great in theory: no more lead-laden toys from China. They have to be tested by a third party before they can be sold. But this isn't just for China...it's for everyone making and selling handmade toys and clothes. This includes my husband's cousin's husband (that sounded way more confusing that it really is). He makes wooden toys and it would be too expensive ($4000 per individual item) to have testing done on them, so it's likely that he won't be making toys anymore.

Here are a few posts by other bloggers about this topic:

Heard In the Slammer: "I Used To Make Homemade Toys."
We Need Your Help to Save Handmade Toys
Handmade Toys Alli

I don't want my kids ingesting lead, but I want them to be able to play with handmade toys too. There has to be a better way. Please consider writing to your congress persons and senators to add an amendment to this law. I'm not one for writing to government officials, but I will do it this time. There are even sample letters if you're not sure what you're supposed to say. Follow the instructions on Cool Mom Picks. (You can add the button to your webpage/blog as well.)

Thanks! I'll get off my soapbox now.