Thirty For 30

September 7, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 4 Comments

We’ve never been very good at playing with our kids. Matt and I are both pretty task-oriented and both always manage to have quite a bit going on. We love our kids and enjoy being around them, especially as they have gotten older and we can have actual conversations with them. But to sit down and play games or with toys….not so much.

We have discussed this shortcoming of ours many times over the years. We have gone in spurts of doing well. But our default is to retire to the computer…or the smart phone….or the television….or a book…and live parallel lives rather than integrated lives.

So this weekend, after another discussion of this nature, I was praying about this and felt like the Lord gave me an idea: Thirty For 30 – thirty minutes of interactive, fun play a day for 30 days…to see what it does to our relationships, our hearts, our home.

It’s a simple plan but a huge one. We started last night with a trip to the park where Matt played tag with the big girls and I pushed small chicks on swings. Tonight it was a tearful game of Skip Bo (who knew that was possible?!). I look forward to what the Lord will do in the next thirty days. I’m praying it will be something great for our family.

What about you? What do you do to make family fun a priority in this crazy world of raising kids?

A simple list on a Tuesday night….

September 6, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

….because I can’t keep up with all His endless gifts….

1341. a quiet Monday morning

1342. momentary grace

1343. leftovers again

1344. an at-home copier

1345. home study completed!

1346. singing love songs to my Savior as I scrub the kitchen counter

1347. dossier in the mail!

1348. surviving the craziest day of the week

1349. music on the Victrola

1350. tears on a Friday

1351. two hours at Mahner Farms

1352. pregnant goats

1353. rubber chairs

1354. talks about Hawaii, chickens, and kids with bad teeth

1355. run that are hard

1356. days that just don’t go right

1357. glorious weather

1358. Monday morning run that rocked

1359. dreams that lead us to at least think and pray

1360. trail hikes, the Kansas River, & catching frogs

1361. open windows with church bell hymns ringing through

How Great Thou Art

Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

REFRAIN:
Then sings my soul my savior God to thee
How great thou art
How great thou art
Then sings my soul my savior God to thee
How great thou art how great thou art

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze (Refrain)

And when I think that God, his Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin (Refrain)

When Christ shall come With shout of acclamation
To take me home What joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim my God how great thou art (Refrain)

*photos from the weekend

**song lyrics prompted by church bells today

Week in Review and Some Random Thoughts

September 2, 2011September 3, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

Friday night. End of a long week. Not bad. Just long.

On Monday I was feeling an incredible need for a break, a day off from school, something different in our routine. Then it hit me that we are in our fifth week of school, so no wonder I’m feeling it! Thank goodness for Labor Day!

It’s hard dealing with the attitudes that come up. Even now, laying in bed typing while they get ready for bed. The sass. The bickering. It’s exhausting. I don’t know what to do with it. I keep praying.

I envy my husband’s ability to fall asleep. And makes me somewhat jealous. I’m pretty sure I could stay awake for three days and not fall asleep as quickly as he does.

Activities are pretty well in full swing, except for a few more things that get added in next week. Learning how to most efficiently manage all the dropping off and picking up this year has been a little more challenging. With only two in ballet, two doing other activities, and some new activities thrown in for some….it’s quite the juggling act. And in years past, I’ve always gotten groceries during ballet classes. But this year that just doesn’t look like it’s going to work and that really threw me for a loop. I think we’ve finally got a workable system. The next couple of weeks will be a good test.

One of my big things this year (and I think I’ve already mentioned it) is handing over more of the housekeeping responsibilities to the girls. This is imperative if we’re going to do all the things they want to do/we think are important for them to do and do school and me keep any shred of sanity that I may still have. It’s been a challenge. There are so many things that it would be so much easier to just go do myself, but I keep pushing them to do it and keep doing it until it’s done right because I know it will be worth it in a few months when they get it down. If this plan is successful, maybe next year I’ll be brave enough to hand over the cooking too.

I changed out Emma’s grammar program this week. Which reminds me, I’ve had good intentions of doing a “back to school” post with what planning and prep look like here as well as what we are using this year. I know pretty much everyone is already back to school, but maybe I can do that next week.

Anyway, I have been faithfully devoted to Rod & Staff grammar for as long as Grace has been using it; so, several years. And both of the older girls have struggled through it quite a bit (the younger two not having been in it long enough to really struggle), but it’s simple in concept and very thorough, so I’ve stubbornly stuck with it. But every day is drama and Emma was really, really struggling so I prayed about it and put out a question on Facebook and a request on our home school e-loop and came up with Shurley Grammar for her. We are only one week in, so it’s hard to say, but it seems to be huge improvement. It’s very teacher-directed, which I’m not typically a fan of, but if it works for her, then it’s worth more involvement on my part. As I was praying about switching and trying to figure out what to do, I had an epiphany of sorts. It occurred to me that Emma does much better when something is read aloud to her. I began to think of the subjects she enjoys and does well in, and they are all read aloud. It was an incredible moment for me. I even looked back at her standardized tests and confirmed that she does well with “listening”. Which is a little interesting when you live real life with her, because half the time it doesn’t seem like she’s listening at all, but apparently she is.

We went and visited what we have dubbed “Mahner Farms” today. It was a wonderful, two hour break from life and the only two hours of the day (up until 7:30) when I didn’t feel like crying.

Tonight was date night. Oh, what a glorious gift. Things have been hectic here the past few weeks. Obviously, my life is full with school and stuff for the girls. Matt recently hired a couple more guys and that has drastically changed his role at work (in a good way), but it has applied more pressure to him to sell jobs and use his time a little differently. It’s been an interesting transition period for both of us and it’s affected our communication and such. It was good to sit on the patio tonight and talk about those issues and the other little details of family life that need to be hashed out.

I think that’s it for me. Getting up early to run 7 miles in the morning. We deviated a bit from our running program this week. We both needed a little break.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
Sara

Counterfeit Gods – My Take Away

September 1, 2011September 1, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

So, summer is drawing to a close and it’s time for me to start going back over some of our summer lists to see what was accomplished. One of the things I did was read Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. This the second book of Keller’s that our Sunday school class has read and discussed. He’s a good author, pretty easy to read. Not necessarily a favorite author, but he makes good points and has wise insight into the Word.

Keller begins in his introduction explaining what an idol is and how idolatry has permeated our society, even though most of us don’t realize it. He begins on page xi with the question, “What is the cause of this ‘strange melancholy’ that permeates our society?” Then he quotes Alexis de Tocqueville by saying, “It comes from taking some ‘incomplete joy of this world’ and building your entire life on it. That is the definition of idolatry.”

On page xiv he says, “The human heart takes good things like a successful career, love, material possessions, even family, and turns them into ultimate things. Our hearts deify them as the center of our lives, because, we think, they can give us significance and security, safety and fulfillment, if we attain them.”

“An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, ‘If i have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.'” (p, xviii)

“Idols give us a sense of being in control, and we can locate them by looking at our nightmares. What do we fear the most? … We can locate idols by looking at our most unyielding emotions. What makes us uncontrollably angry, anxious, or despondent? What racks us with a guilt we can’t shake? … What many people call ‘psychological problems’ are simply issues of idolatry. Perfectionism, workaholism, chronic indecisiveness, the need to control the lives of others – all of these stem from making good things into idols that then drive us into the ground as we try to appease them. Idols dominate our lives.” (pp xxii-xxiii)

Keller goes on to discuss the empty promises of money, sex, and power, followed by a chapter on the hidden idols of our lives.

I found the Epilogue to be the section that perhaps spoke to me the most. Keller says things like, “‘Your religion is what you do with your solitude.’ In other words, the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention….One or two daydreams are not an indication of idolatry. Ask rather, what do you habitually think about to get joy and comfort in the privacy of your heart?” (p. 168)

Counterfeit Gods was a good book that challenged me to think about some things in my life that I had simply come to accept. It caused me to re-evaluate some things that had, without me realizing it, risen to idol status and helped me turn my focus back to the only One who can truly satisfy.

One Step Closer

August 31, 2011August 30, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

After four months of waiting and three more months of gathering, I had the amazing privilege of mailing a very-prayed-over stack of papers to Colorado today.

Which means that we are one step closer to bringing this beautiful girl home.

My heart is full with hope and wonder and joy and fear tonight and I’m trusting and leaning hard on Him every step of the way.

~ Sara

Trusting All Our Time to Him

August 30, 2011August 30, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

On Friday we will be a month into school and I try to implement schedules and structure and in keeping with the laws of the universe, that which is in order presses hard into chaos. I try to contain it all, fit all the necessary into the moments we have and the moments never seem to be enough.

And in a gift Ann writes words that speak from my screen; words that reach somewhere deep and touch my heart. She writes,

“What if I woke to now and refused to hurry because I didn’t want to refuse God? What if I didn’t discount this moment, but counted it for what it is – God here?

It is only the present moment alone that holds the possibility of coming into the presence of God. Look around, breathe deep, enter into this one moment – now could be an altar. This time could be a tabernacle.”

And I breathe deep. This time, this day, it is not mine. It belongs to Him, the One who gives all things and gives only good gifts. And His plan for my day may not be my own and I have to learn to see the interruptions of each day as the Savior saw them, not as obstacles but as opportunities. Opportunities to show love, live grace, extend kindness. And it’s always easier said than done because we live in a world driven by schedules and deadlines and to do lists.

So as I leave to go out on the second trip for something that should have been done in one and as I look at our list again and see how some things are suffering because there aren’t enough moments in each day and say again this moment is an altar, time is a tabernacle and give it over to the One who made time and orders my days and has a plan for all things.

And as we enter into a new day, a day fresh with opportunities but already running not-quite-on-time, I lay myself down. I lay down the idol of my schedule and my pride in being productive and offer it all back to Him and trust Him that what matters will be done and He knows my heart and how He made me and what is important. And I trust Him to give good gifts even in this. For it is all He can do.

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ~ Matthew 7:11

~ Sara

Washed Clean

August 29, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 1 Comment

Last night we watched and we cheered and we cried as fifty-eight believers made public their faith and dying to death, rose to new life. Young and old, new believers and those who had been walking with the Lord for decades, those who were stepping out in simple obedience and the one who gave up everything to follow Christ, led into the water by a pastor, friend, mentor. And our youngest, led by her daddy in that first step of obedience to Christ’s commands, that first example He set for us. Washed by the water, made new by the Spirit.

And we rejoice and give thanks for new life, eternal life, life abundant. And for His unending grace.

1334. bike helmets

1335. a persevering five year old

1336. open weekends

1337. borrowed computer cords

1338. allergies and puffs with lotion

1339. fifty-eight believers proclaiming their faith

1340. our youngest “raised to new life”

This challenge was posted by a cousin of mine on Facebook last night….

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

What would you be left with? May your day, your week, your life be filled with thankfulness.

For His Glory ~

~ Sara

Make Your Own Granite Cleaning Wipes (or Baby Wipes)

August 23, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 4 Comments

Back when my girls were all in diapers, some wonderful soul introduced me to home made baby wipes. They were fabulous and a major budget-saver. Well, we’ve been diaper-free around here for nearly 3 years but I held on to that wonderful Rubbermaid bowl and lid because I knew it would come in handy again someday.

Today was that day.

I have been making my own granite cleaner for about a year and half and just keep it in a spray bottle. However, one of my goals for school and life this year is to hand off as much of the house keeping as I possibly can to the girls and when it comes to cleaning, they can get a little trigger-happy and use a lot more of a spray than necessary.

Enter the home made granite cleaning wipe!

Here’s how:

First you have to find a lidded container that will hold the equivalent of half a roll of paper towels and about 3 cups of liquid. This can be the hardest part. Mine is a round, 10 cup Rubbermaid container, but use whatever works for you.
After that, take a large roll of paper towels and cut in half width-wise with a very sharp knife (you will end up with what looks like two giant rolls of toilet paper). Be careful, the only stitches I’ve ever had came from doing this back in my baby wipe-making days.
Pull the cardboard core out of each half. Put one half away for your next batch of wipes.
In your container mix this recipe:

2 cups water
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tsp pure castile soap (peppermint, etc.)
3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
20 drops tea tree oil
20 drops lavender or lemongrass essential oil

Set the half-roll of paper towels in the liquid. Press lid on and allow to absorb for a few hours.
Once the towels are fully saturated, pull the first towel out from the center (where the cardboard core once was) and voila! you’ve got yourself a granite wipe! 🙂

When I posted this on Facebook earlier, I had a couple of requests for the baby wipe recipe as well. The steps are the same as above, with the ingredients being as follows:

2 cups water
2 tablespoons baby wash
2 tablespoons Avon Skin So Soft bath oil or other gentle oil (I have seen suggestions of baby oil, olive oil, vitamin E…etc.)

Both projects are super-simple and work great. Enjoy!

***Granite recipe from TipNut.com.

What’s Been Going Down…Six Weeks (or so) In Review

August 20, 2011 / Sara Vincent / Leave a comment

I’ve said it many times in the past few months, but this was one wild and crazy summer. Honestly. Not even exaggerating. I’m not sure how long it’s actually been since I’ve done a Week in Review post, but I know it’s been quite a while, so let’s see if I can sum up the past month and a half or so.

We are nearly finished gathering the items needed for our dossier. All we are waiting on now is the completed home study, followed by some quality time at the copy center, then everything will be on its way to the adoption agency. In my perfect world, that will be by the end of this next week. Lord willing.

I also have the application ready for our I600. Again, waiting on the completed home study before I can submit that also.

We received word from the adoption agency that we could travel to Haiti as early as December for our first required visit. This is extremely exciting and news we weren’t expecting. We will probably still wait until after the first of the year for a couple of different reasons, but we’re thrilled to know things are moving faster than expected.

We have Amania’s house on the market. We are praying fervently for a buyer to come along. Hopefully we’ll have good news to that end here soon!

Matt and I celebrated our 12 anniversary in July. We got out of town for a couple days and just enjoyed being together. I am so thankful to be married to my husband. I am always amazed at how God made someone so perfectly suited for me and that He loved me enough 13 years ago to make sure we met. God’s ways truly are so much higher than our ways!

The girls and I, in the midst of everything else, tried to spend as much quality time as possible at the local pool. Summer isn’t summer, in my opinion, without significant amounts of time spent by the water. Thanks to four or five weeks of near- or above-100 degree temperatures, the water finally got warm enough that I would get in. I always enjoy how the girls gather and marvel at the sight of me going off a diving board or down a water slide. Kind of how I imagine one would gather and marvel at the sight of an unexpected space shuttle launch.

The girls spent one of the last weeks of our “official” summer at their favorite day camp. All but Ellie were old enough to go this year and a great time was had by all. I used a couple of the days to do some fun things with Ellie and a couple of the other days to do a lot of the preparation I needed to for the upcoming school year.

After debating it in my head for quite some time, we finally cancelled cable in early July. I rarely watch television and the kids need to watch it less. Plus, we are often so busy and/or trying to spend time outside during the nice months that I just didn’t see the point of paying so much money for television we weren’t watching. So, after going back and forth with the guy at the cable company, I finally got it turned off. I never thought I would miss it, but I’ll be honest….I miss it. I always figured we would get it turned back on in October or November when KU basketball starts back up. Now I’m thinking we might get it turned on sooner. As rarely as I watch television, it is nice to at least have some options when Matt and I do want to watch it. And as for the girls watching it, it really comes down to us managing their time better as parents. In the first few weeks of being without cable, when it was 110 degrees outside everyday, I found we were simply replacing television time with more movies or computer time. So, turning off the cable has been good and somewhat of a learning experience, but I’m definitely ready to turn it back on.

I think that just about gets us up to date. I love summer and the freedom it brings, but being three weeks into school already, I am also thankful for the seasons of order and routine. It is good to see the blessings in both.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend, my friends!
~ Sara

Building Confidence

August 17, 2011 / Sara Vincent / 1 Comment

Three years ago, I bought my first DSLR camera, a Nikon D60. We had a massive yard sale and I earned enough to pay cash. It’s been a love/hate relationship ever since. When I got a good picture I got an awesome picture. But when I didn’t get a good picture I got a horrible picture. And I never knew what I was going to get.

When I first got the camera a friend told me to read the manual, cover to cover. I tried, but not being versed in photo-jargon, it might as well have been written in Greek, so I quit. Another friend taught be about aperture and light and that made a huge difference in my end results. I learned about white balance to eliminate the weird yellow hue I kept getting and I learned about using filters in Photoshop. I was able to more consistently get a good shot, especially outside. And the ones that didn’t turn out great I could usually edit to make them look better. Inside, however, I still felt lost.

This summer I decided I was fed up with getting so-so pictures and checked out three books from our local library and added them to my Summer Reading List. Then, my brother-in-law approached me about needing to buy a DSLR for a class he’s taking this fall and would I be interested in selling mine and upgrading? Because I still felt clueless about so many things, I only wanted to take a small step up in cameras to one that had an internal motor that would work with my 50 mm lens, as the D60 did not have that capability. So, I stepped up to the D80 and added its manual to my reading list.

After reading the manual (all the way through this time!) and those three books, I feel so much more confident about my picture taking. I’m excited to start shooting again and to purposely try some low-light, indoor photography. I finally figured out how to shoot in manual mode and am learning when shutter speed should take priority over aperture and vise-versa.

The first book I read was Digital SLR Cameras and Photography for Dummies by David Busch. I’m not a fan of the For Dummies books, but when you’re feeling like one they do seem to help a lot! 😉 I’ll be honest….it was boring and very textbook-like (with some humor thrown in), but it was helpful and I took away some good information.

The second book was Understanding Composition by Steve Mulligan. This book was a big improvement over the first one as far as readability. It was interesting and helpful, but I most enjoyed looking at the pictures the author had of Kansas. He has some great shots of the Konza Prairie and other places I’ve never seen in my home state.

The last book was Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. This was, by far, my favorite and understandably so since getting the correct exposure has been my problem all along. I’m really excited to try some of the exercises he put in the book and this is the book that honestly gave me the courage to try shooting in manual mode.

**Update: I typed this a couple of weeks ago and it’s been sitting in my drafts folder ever since. In that time, I’ve had the privilege of shooting some candids for a friend’s high school reunion, which gave me an excellent opportunity to work on those low-light indoor elements. As I work through the pictures I can see that I still have a lot to learn, but I can also see the benefits of the time I took to learn more about my camera and how to make it do what I want it to do.