planting chums giveaway - and those pesky allergies

i love this

My daughter, Hannah, is hosting an amazing give-away. And I mean amazing. Wait. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  Let me just state that this bracelet is stunning. And, if I wasn't Hannah's mother I'd be right there signing up to win it.

Planting Chums is her new title for her week 4 project.  I love the new name.  This is the week 1 of 4 that I wrote about below.  You remember, the post about coffee?  Mmmmm...coffee...I'm firing up the Keurig as I write.  :)  I'd love for you to join in.  There's an adorable journal, fabulous prints, and some earrings made by the same designer Marchese Creations  who created that FABULOUS bracelet. I think I might just need to "send my kids" over to the site for some new mother's day ideas. ;)

And don't you just love the new button?  When I came home from my Bible study (The Truth Project) last night she was so excited to show this to me.  I think it's beautiful...and inviting! Would you leave me a comment if you peek at her blog? I'd love to hear from you. :)

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My allergies are terrible right now.  I never had them until five springs ago.  I'm allergic to the pollen from trees, specifically birch trees.  Honestly, as much as I love spring I also dread spring.  None of the meds really help, so this year I'm trying to move forward through the season with natural remedies and prayer.  I'd love if you'd say even a quick prayer for me.  I've been praying that every day my body gets a little better and that I'm winning against the allergies. I have to carry an Epi-pen because when my allergies are in full bloom (Camden that was a pun for you) I can't eat any produce from trees.  It's because they are all related, kind of like distant relatives.

So....if you see a post come through at, let's say, 3am...now you know why.  I was up sneezing!  And then writing.  Thanks for your prayers.  And, if you know of any remedies or tricks that you know of I'd love to see them!  

the birch tree - my nemesis

Blessings on your Sunday!  And remember to click over to Hannah's Blog so you can enter Planting Chums.

Week 1 of 4....food loves

WOW.  One favorite food?  When I have so, so many?  I could list ice cream, or bulgogi (curious?), or strawberry shortcake, or chicken with artichokes, or CHOCOLATE.  All favorites.  Sigh...how to choose?

But then, I got thinking, also spurred on by Hannah over at Aspire, about my coffee.  Sure some could say that I was all in it for the caffeine, but for me, the coffee has a deeper meaning.  So, now with that intro, I will boldly state that coffee...specifically coffee at Startbucks, or Caribou, or Dunn Brothers...is probably my favorite food.  I mean, beverage.  Want to know why?  Well, I'll write about it anyways.....:)

I didn't start out as much of a coffee drinker.  Even when I was in college studying architecture and interior design, when I was up late creating scale models, I just didn't reach for coffee.  Specialty coffee was a newer phenomenon back then (notice I didn't say WAY back then).  There was a coffee house in the student union building.  So I'd get a mocha now and then...but SERIOUSLY...I was terrified to even order.  There were so many choices, too many, and it was just weird.  Too bad there wasn't wikipedia WAY, I mean back then.

So I got married, had Hannah (who came up with this fun idea), Chloe (my aspiring pastry chef...and man, is she good), and Grace.  Then we moved to San Diego for a while.  And let me tell you that Starbucks is EVERYWHERE out there.  And they had drive-thrus.  Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but when you are the mother of three young children a drive-thru can make or break the deal.  Especially when you used to live in Minnesota (which, by the way, is the current state of residence).  So I'd find my little green mini-van slipping through the Starbucks drive-thru.  And I became hooked.

ahhh...the drive-thru

Well, now by the time we moved home several Starbucks and Caribous began to get the idea that a drive-thru was a great idea.  I don't know how having a drive-thru when it's -22 degrees helped business.  Are you kidding me?  It's AWESOME.  Anyways, I learned to love my little treats.

But there's still something deeper.

Money was tight.  There weren't many luxuries that I could buy, and my husband, Todd, always wiggled in room for me to get a latte once in a while.  Then he got sick.  By this time we had Caleb (our 5th baby).   Caleb was six weeks old when we noticed something wasn't right.  And then it took another 5 weeks for Todd to finally have surgery, find out it WAS cancer and then begin treatment.  Well, the day he had surgery I was at the hospital alone except for baby Caleb.  I still don't know why I was there alone.  I cannot believe no one came with.  However, I've started to believe that it was critical that I was there alone.  I wept and poured my heart out to the Lord.  If there had been others I probably would have hid the rawness, the aches, the pain and the fear.

Ok...coffee connection?

When I came down the elevator after saying goodbye as they led him off to surgery I started to pray.  And I prayed and prayed and prayed.  I remember praying this quick, 2 second silly prayer, "and please Lord, let them have REAL coffee...like Caribou."  I'm not sure why that came out in my prayers, but it did.  Perhaps it was comfort, or security that I was wanting.  Well, I get off the elevator and I walk to the food area, and I see a sign that states:

Methodist Hospital PROUDLY serves Caribou Coffee.

I was blown away.  My coffee mattered.  My little, itty-bitty prayer mattered.  It put into focus what a caring God we serve.  Not only can He move mountains, but he loves me, and you, so much that those little details, the little quirks about ourselves, matter to Him.  And, how I love Him.

The four years since this date have been full of joys and struggles.  There have been really devastatingly hard times.  Our financial picture became trashed due to almost a year of lost work.  The economy crashed.  Pain.  And still joy.  My Elijah.  And Samuel.  And the amazing blessings of my five older children: Hannah, Chloe, Grace, Brennan and Caleb.  That we are still cancer free.  We have a home.  Amazing friends.

I still get my coffee.  The kids have discovered that without it it's like my kryptonite. So if they see me stressed, or anxiety-ridden, they'll tell me, "why don't you go get a cup of coffee mom?  We'll tidy up and watch the little ones."  Tidy up?  (my other trigger point) and Get coffee?  They've got me figured out.

I know coffee isn't all that I need.  The Lord is truly the number one.  There have been times where I've fasted from coffee.  But, I'll tell you the truth, that for me, coffee is comfort, relaxing and a fave food of mine.  And deep, deep in my mind I'll never forget the blessing of the dreary December 19th when I saw the Caribou sign  in the hospital lobby.

I can't wait to hear about all your favorite foods!  Link up.  Join in.  :)  

(oh, one last thing...one year I received $65 of coffee gift cards for my birthday.  Then this year I got a Keurig coffee maker which can brew Caribou coffee.   I think it's safe to say that my secret is figured out)

  

coffee

the light bulb conspiracy

I know.  I know.  That's a pretty cliche title.  But, secretly,  I think it's true.  Why in the world do all the light bulbs die at the same time?

In our house almost all of our light bulbs have burned out.  In a week.  I'll walk in the kitchen, flip on the light, and pop another bulb in our light fizzles out.  The hall light is out.  Two in the family room. One in the upstairs hallway.  And now, four out of five on our chandelier.  (one that I secretly hope to replace...soon) Pretty soon there will be no light over our dining room table. We'll have to eat by candlelight. :)

1 out of 5

We have no light bulbs.  Every time I go to Target I think to myself not to forget light bulbs.  And then, lo and behold, I come home, empty my bags, and discover that once again I did not buy those elusive light bulbs.  I should write a note.  Or stop telling myself, "don't forget."  After all, our brains don't understand the negative so all my  brain is hearing is, "forget, forget, forget."  Maybe I'm trying to secretly see how few light bulbs we can really get by on. Maybe?

It's a great analogy for my kids about how we, as the Lord's followers, are lights.  Is my kitchen dark?  Nope.  I can still see around, can still read a book, and still prepare dinner.  All with one 60 watt lightbulb shining in it's globe.  Where there is light...there is no darkness.(think 1 John 1:6)  Beyond that, it truly illustrates the idea of "two or three being gathered together" with much more power than me just chatting about it.  Think about it.  With one light, there is no darkness. But, with two or three or more the darkness is overwhelmed!

light in the darkness

Maybe I've forgot those lightbulbs so that I can remind myself of the truth.  Even as bloggers we can be light on this online community.  It's easy to overlook the power of our words, and to think that "we're just blogging."  Seriously...we need to reclaim this territory.  We need to be lights in this online world.  That's power.

Now, I promise you that I'll be getting some lightbulbs.  Soon.  I can't chop onions in the dark.  When I do, I'll post some after pictures for you.  Just to show the light.

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Ok.  Now, you know I can hardly just do a post without a little bit of randomness.  Hmmm...maybe I should switch my catch phrase to, "beautiful, connected, random, life."  Ha ha ha.  That's probably more the truth about me.  It must be the seven kids. ;)

Anyways, we now have caterpillars in cocoons.  That's a step in the right direction.  It was intriguing to watch the caterpillar go through the last step of cementing itself in the cocoon.  That, my blogging friends, is already on my list of potential blog posts.  Let me just state that it didn't look TOO comfortable for that bug. Hmmm...what are we fighting against?  See the post coming?

waiting

Finally, my daughter Hannah is hosting a fun blog post series called 4.  It looks like tons of fun, and I know that I'm going to participate.  Her whole intent is to forge friendships via this blogging community, and to foster new friendships.  Could I slightly, and not so subtly nudge you over there? Click on her cute button and it will take you to her site.



Have a great Tuesday!