Thankful - Day 28: Family Fun

Forgive me, I don't quite know how this works. I'm not sure when I stop posting what I am thankful for. :) 

We had a lovely Thanksgiving in Bellingham with my family. The kids of course had a blast with one another and with the giant turkey inflatable and hat courtesy of my Uncle Bob. 

We missed Graham a lot but I know he was able to bring some extra cheer to his patients at work. I'm thankful he works so hard to provide for our family and does so without complaining, even when it means working on holidays. I think the best memory for me this year will be remembering the oldest three cousins' first attempt at a slumber party in the bunk beds made by Grandpa. It took 2+ hours of giggling and antics and tattle tailing before we finally removed one of them until sleep took over. I was awoken in the middle of the night to Gideon crying. He sobbed "Where's Emma?" when I came in and my heart skipped a beat when I realized her sleeping bag on the floor was indeed empty with blankets strewn about. I found her a few minutes later, fast asleep, two feet deep under one of the beds... Oh the next morning, all three kids awoke in a different bed than we put them down in. :)

So thankful for the joy my family brings!

Thankful - Day 27: Thanksgiving Feast

Today I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to visit Isla's preschool classroom for the first time for her Thanksgiving Feast. The kids performed a song for us complete with hand motions and stomping. I love that we've reached the song-and-dance-put-a-show-on-for-the-parents age! So adorable. Isla just loves her class and it was fun to get a little behind the scenes glimpse today!

Thankful - Day 26: Notes of Encouragement

I am oh so very thankful for the two very timely notes of encouragement I received today. I attempted to take on far too much and unfortunately it showed both in my blood pressure and my parenting. Because of it, I was feeling overall a bit down and inadequate and so the notes really hit home. The first one came from my husband in the form of a dry erase marker on the bathroom mirror. Since time is in short supply, we've resorted to mirror-writing to each other (you can do it while you brush your teeth - bingo!) to try and keep the romance alive. Today's note reminded me that sometimes God gives us more than we can handle on our own but it's NEVER more than He is able to handle and to lead us through. We (obviously) have a lot going on right now-new baby, little sleep, a third round of colds, job interviews, short patience and three little people who require lots of care and attention. In it all, I have been so quick to forget that I serve a mighty God who is waiting to lighten my load if I will only just give it up and let Him! The second note of encouragement came in the mail, totally unexpected but it brought me instantly to tears. There is nothing quite like a hand-written, snail mail card sent from states away to communicate I am thinking about you and I care about you. It's not any secret that this transition to three kids has been world-rocking for me. So often I'm finding myself beating me up for my failures and feeling selfish and guilty when my deepest desire is to just be alone. This note validated the thoughts I have been wrestling with to the core. It reminded me that though it may not feel like it, I really am pulling off the whole three kid thing. I so needed to hear that from a third party. I hope I don't come across sad and all woe is me in my writing. I have made a commitment with myself to speak and write honestly. When things are rough, I want to give myself the grace and liberty to say it. I don't have it all together. Hiding the challenges feels dishonest and goes against everything I hope to be fostering in myself and in my relationships with those around me. The reality is that this life is hard and beautiful and amazing and stretching and we are wading through a lot right now, slowly figuring things out, other times barely treading water. Of course I wouldn't trade it because in it all there is so much growth and depth but those things do not develop without struggle and hardship. And that's ok and normal. But still it's so good to hear others remind us of this fact which is why I appreciate those in my life who rally and say "Yes! This is hard but you're doing it! And you're doing a good job." So today I am grateful for the hard because it truly is my desire to grow. But I'm also super grateful for the cheerleaders who provide encouragement as I go.

Thankful - Day 25: Hadley

Today we are so thankful for the safe and healthy arrival of our kids' newest playmate (and Jack's future wife?) Hadley Welch. We were thrilled to get to visit the proud parents and meet Hadley in her first couple hours of life. She's much tinier than all my kids and totally perfect! Much love to the Welchs as they become a family of four!

Thankful - Day 24: Uncle Ben

Today Jack finally got to meet his Uncle Ben who is home from WSU for Thanksgiving. As you can see, he's a complete natural with his nephew (and nieces!) My girls were pretty thrilled to get to see Ben again, particularly Emma who has been making sure we pray for him at EVERY meal, nap and bedtime. It's adorable! All through our gathering, she kept calling across the room and waving "Hi Uncle Ben!" I'm so thankful for my family and I think my kids are too.

Thankful - Day 23: Gingerbread

Today I am thankful for my in-laws who took the girls for the morning and introduced them to the wonders of building gingerbread houses. The girls had a ball and came home with these five beauties. Their mother, who seems to be on a simple sugar craze, keeps eyeing them in hopes that some of the icing will give way so she can snack on some of the decor. ;) 

Thankful - Day 22: 4 Hours

Today I am thankful for the 4 hour stretch of sleep last night that made me a new woman. And for positive changes. And family time. For birthday parties. And a husband who took his daughter on a date. And who has picked up running and successfully completed day 2 of our training plan. For new running gloves. And for friends who bring meals. For clean vacuum filters. And clean floors. And the anticipation of an evening of fellowship. It's been a good day! :)

Thankful - Day 21: Same Team

I'm coming up a bit empty today in trying to find my "thankful." I woke up on the wrong side of the bed after night number who knows what of far too little sleep. Even a family breakfast date to Starbucks didn't quite pull me out of my "funk." (Maybe that's because of the tantruming and whining that was occurring?) Upon returning home, Graham went to shower for his interview and I was tending to one of the kids when another had a little accident that involved poop smearing on the door and carpet. Then at lunch a child who shall remain unnamed decided it was a good idea to pour her full glass of milk into her already-full cup of water. I'm sure you get the point. I finally scooped up Jack and ran to my bed and surrendered to the tears that I could no longer swallow. This transition to three young kids has been incredibly hard and it's taking it's toll but thankfully I stopped today and realized Graham and I are on the same team. We've been like ships passing in the wind lately and with the sleep deprivation and shortened tempers, it's been easy to forget that. But today I am reminded that we are indeed striving for the same goal and for that I am grateful. 

Go team Crozier!

Thankful - Day 20: Daughter Date

Today I got to spend some good quality time alone with the eldest. Our relationship has been a bit rocky since Jack's arrival and so I knew some one on one time was needed pronto! And what girl doesn't love a good high tea? I took her to my local favorite, Elizabeth and Alexander's in Bothell Country Village. We enjoyed watching the chickens and rooster that were sitting in the bush outside our window when we arrived. Isla named them (one was Laura) and then we turned our attention to the workmen outside repairing the telephone pole. This sparked a conversation about heights and then fears and I learned my daughter is afraid of husky dogs which she told me without a moments hesitation. She is also apparently afraid of "unkind cats." Then we changed gears to the positives and she shared she is excited for me to turn 30 because then I can be more like dad. I asked her what dad did that she wanted me to do and she said "run." Wait, I'm confused. All this time I thought I was the one running. Anyway, even though the rest of our day was pretty much a total disaster, I'm grateful for the chance to spend some focused, face-to-face time with my firstborn. Lately I feel like there just isn't enough of me to go around so I'm hopeful that our little date today communicated that, despite the craziness and chaos that is our current day-to-day, she is still important to me and I love her so.

Thankful - Day 19: Job Progress

Today I am thankful for news that, following a brief phone interview yesterday, Graham has been invited for not one but TWO in-person interviews tomorrow and Thursday. After submitting many applications and scoring a handful of phone interviews with non-medical people in various HRs, he was thrilled to finally get past HR to someone with some real medical knowledge and hiring power yesterday. This person has major networking power and also happens to work for his dream employer. There are now a few different appealing opportunities on the horizon so we're excited to see what lies ahead. God is faithful and we are trusting His leading and timing.

Thankful - Day 18: Cake

We have a silly tradition of eating only black and orange foods on Halloween night. It's fun for kids and admittedly for adults (or at least me) too. This year I decided to host a second annual dessert night for our MOPS steering team using black and orange as the theme. Basically I just wanted an excuse to hang out with the awesome women. I didn't exactly get it organized by Halloween and my dessert was more brown than black (shoot me) but it was fun all the same. How the cake came to be is quite the story. I blame sleep deprivation. Or hormones. Because everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. First I mixed up the baking soda and baking powder measurements. Then I forgot to add the cocoa powder to the batter and didn't realize it until I was pouring it all into the pans and thought Hmm. I always thought chocolate cake was brown. Then I burnt the first batch of the salted caramel sauce that was to go in between each of the 6 tiers and so had to remake it. Then a few minutes after assembling the tower-o-cake, I opened the fridge to discover the top three layers had literally slid off onto the shelf. I madly attempted to force the crumbling pieces back together by hand, recreating as close to a "cake-like" shape that I could possibly conjour up. I put it back in the refrigerator and returned to check on it every 5 minutes, repositioning  the Leaning Tower of Pisa for the next hour until the caramel sauce had finally set. The finished product was a sight to behold! Here, it might be easier to visualize with a picture:

Yes, yes, a thing of beauty for sure. I almost tossed the whole darn thing in the sink but then I stopped as it occurred to me how the cake was a perfect example of my beautiful mess (not to mention my expert baking skills). Our entire MOPS theme for the year is about embracing our mess and being real when we don't have it all together. I really, really wanted to dispose of the thing, hide my failure and create something a bit more impressive but, totally out of character, I kept it. And posted picture of it everywhere. And even served it to guests!

I slathered it with some frosting (it's amazing what a little frosting can do) and it almost looked OK in the end. My guests were gracious and laughed with me over the drama of it all as we enjoyed thick wedges of the stuff (I gotta say, it still tasted pretty good!) Not to get too cheesy on you but I was struck by how much the cake represents my own life: it may look more or less put together on the outside but inside, it's a 6-tiered landslide of a sticky caramel cake crumbles.

 So...all this to say, I'm extremely grateful for these lovely MOPS women in my life who are helping me learn to be real and who accept me in my crazy mess. So that's my thankfulness for today.

Anyone want the cake recipe? Just kidding!

Thankful - Day 17: Friends

Tonight we had a bittersweet send off of sorts for our dear friends the Leverkuhns. We are excited for the new adventure that awaits as they move out of state but we are totally bummed at the same time. They, all with the Welchs, were one of the very first couple friends we made at Bethany and we've journeyed through the last 5+ years together as we've begun to grow our families. We've enjoyed many-a dinner party, games nights, long weekends in the summer vacationing together, birthday celebrations etc. etc. Us three adult couples were able to gather around (with the kids running around wildly in the background) and pray together tonight as we prepared to say our goodbyes. It was a sweet moment to pause and think over the friendship between our families and the incredible pleasure it's been to do "real life" together. We sure are going to miss them but wish them the very best!

Thankful - Day 16: My Best Friend

This guy gave me the most incredible gift today: a morning completely "off" to go out to breakfast with some girlfriends I've been pining for time with for a while now. After a loooong three days of me parenting solo, this outing was so needed. It was a last minute idea for me to leave Jack behind (first time ever) but all went great. I thoroughly enjoyed drinking three mugs of HOT coffee, cradling my mug with both hands (I never seem to have both available anymore...) I don't know that most men would attempt to leave the house their first time alone with three kids but Graham is a brave fellow and ventured out to Molbaks to enjoy the Christmas decor. And did I mention his also took apart and fixed the garbage disposal while I was away? They were gone when I returned from my breakfast so I was even able to sneak in a quick stroller-less run before I returned to my regular duties. The morning was totally rejuvenating and I almost felt like me again!

Thankful - Day 15: Moses

I was busy feeding Jack when my eldest disappeared. She reappeared a while later fielding Jack's laundry basket, now empty except for a blanket surrounding one of his stuffed butterfly toys. I didn't think much of it until lunch time when I overheard her asking Emma if she wanted to be Miriam. She proceeded to instruct Emma that her job was to watch the baby in the basket as she put it in the river to float. Someone has been paying attention at preschool and I just love it! I'm so thankful for my sponge of a child who soaks in scripture and Bible stories and then, in her creativity, reenacts it. Priceless.

Thankful - Day 14: Meals

Today's post is gonna be short and sweet: I am so very, very thankful for all of you who have brought our family meals since Jack's arrival. God bless you all! You're saving my bacon over and over again. How I shall one day cook with three kiddos is still a complete mystery to me. Until that time comes, I'm savoring every last bit of everyone else's culinary gifts!

Thankful - Day 13: Tash

Today I am overflowing with thankfulness for my dear sister-in-law Tash who came over this morning and cleaned my house. Yes, you read that right. She came and scrubbed my toilets, mopped my floors, and emptied my trash. AMAZING! And so very humbling. This freed me up to run out really quick during preschool to get a little quality time with this little pig-tailed cutie pie. It's day one of Graham's three in a row stretch of 12 hour shifts so being able to kick it off with a clean house calms me to no end! This gift of cleaning couldn't be more perfectly timed, falling on a day where I received a whole new list of to-dos from the Dr to better care for my kids. They are small things really, but in this phase and stage, they feel horribly overwhelming. So thanks Tash for the pick me up today!!! It spoke volumes to me!

Thankful - Day 12: Running Shoes

Yessss. I held back as long as I could but I guess 30 days was my max. When the sun peaked out this afternoon, I just couldn't help myself and I had to dust off my running shoes. I think I owe part of my inspiration to that muffin top I eluded to yesterday. I may be able to zip a couple pairs of pants (that we're too big for me before anyway) but they certainly aren't comfortable. Or pretty. I have the tendency to grow rather down about it all (the physical changes of pregnancy have always been the hardest for me) but instead I'm going to take action and do something. So today I am thankful I can still run! Three babies won't stop me, or so I hope. I made it 2.5 miles and I jiggled in places one shouldn't jiggle but it felt amazing to be out in the crisp fall sun. And, if I may be so bold as to put this on such a public place as the World Wide Web (for accountability purposes of course...), I'm happy to announce I will soon have a buddy training alongside me. Drum roll please....Graham plans to give running a go!!! I am beyond thrilled and can't wait to this together. This is huge people. HUGE!

Thankful - Day 11: PANTS!

Today's thankful was easy. I tried on a pair of pants....and they zipped!! That makes two pairs of pants now that zip. I may also be sporting a major muffin top, but I have pants that zip! There is much to be thankful for.

Thankful - Day 10: A Book

Today's thankful was a bit harder to come by. It was my first day alone with the kids in which I also had to cook dinner. On top of that, it is Sunday and so I made my first attempt at getting us all dressed and to church on time (which I was unsuccessful at, by the way). I felt stressed, behind and on edge almost all day. But I did manage one pocket of relaxation during nap time that involved snuggling up with my little man and this good book. I only made it one chapter before I drifted off briefly myself (the nap was interrupted by a little person needing to show me her greeting card was too big to fit in the envelope she'd found...) but the moment was golden and I am thankful for it!

Thankful - Day 9: Quiet Night

Today I am thankful for a much-needed quiet night at home with Graham. It was really hard for us to say no to yet another Crozier family gathering tonight but we've been out past our curfew for too many nights in a row and we are feeling it. Our adorable son is keeping me up the majority of the night and so tonight we had to make the responsible call and stay home in hopes of catching up on some rest. The girls were in bed by the stroke of 7 PM and all has been quiet since. Graham and I have enjoyed the quiet house and a few other indulgences like dark chocolate, red wine and a card game. Absolutely lovely if I do say so myself.

But today's thankfulness is multifaceted. How could I not also be incredibly thankful for the Welch family who spur of the moment offered to swing by and take the girls to the Museum of Flight today so I could rest and try to catch up on life and heal from this wretched illness. Did I mention that Rachel is over 37 weeks pregnant? We have very good friends, I tell you what!

Thankful - Day 8: My Mom

Oh my how I love this woman! Today we were so blessed to have her come by 3 hours earlier than planned and wow how she saved the day! Let's just say I was still in my pjs, unshowered x 2 days, drowning in laundry and still needing to bake two batches of cookies for Graham's grandpa's memorial service this afternoon only 90 minutes before we needed to leave...

My mom stepped in and picked up Isla from preschool, fed my kids lunch, and totally took over with the cookies so I could go get ready. Then she stayed back to watch the girls and I'm pretty sure she folded all my laundry while I've been away. I have felt so overwhelmed this week with illness and all that we have going on so was SO THANKFUL to have her swoop in and save the day today as she so often does. Love you Mom!

Thankful - Day 7: Family Dinner

Today I'm thankful for a lovely dinner out (sans the 3 older grand kids) in celebration of my brother-in-law's birthday and my father-in-law's retirement. I realized this was probably our first (almost) childless dinner together since we had Isla over 4 years ago. The meal was remarkably quiet, we were able to hear what was going on in each other's lives, and no one spilled their milk!! And Uncle Scott got to meet and hold Jack for the first time. I'm so grateful to have married into such a wonderful family who never ceases to make me laugh!

Thankful - Day 6: Coffee for a Friend

Today I am thankful for the chance to bring coffee to a friend who needed a little extra loving today. She is constantly caring for our family and I was finally able to get to do something in return. I couldn't have thought of a better way to spend my morning! 

Thankful - Day 5: Beautiful Mess

Flash from the past photo! 

I cracked up when I came across this picture of Isla having a heyday with my panty liners last night. I was going through old photos to pick out a few that highlighted "my story" and my journey into motherhood to share with my MOPS table this morning. This was one was a definite keeper because so perfectly represents the messiness of parenting but it's pretty hard to deny the fact that there is beauty and joy here too. 

Today I am so thankful for the group of ladies at my MOPS table who shared their stories and allowed me to vulnerable and share mine. I can't wait to get to know this great bunch of women better!     

Thankful - Day 4: New Battery

Today's thankful was easy to identify. Let's just say my always-reliable, first car Honda Civic has been troublesome as of late. I've lost track now but I think in the last 2 months, it's died 6 or 7 times. This has become a bit problematic as we never quite know if our trip will be one way or not. We brought the car into the shop on a few different occasions to address the issue but of course they were never able to replicate the problem. Each time I asked if per chance the battery they put in last November might be faulty but was always told it was testing "just fine" (sort of hard to believe when it dies at random...) Anyway, after an exciting Friday night which included a 8 PM run to Graham's work to jump the Honda so he could get home, we brought the car to the shop again. This time, after a little prodding, they finally performed "one last test" and wouldn't you know it, the battery had sulfurized and needed to be replaced. Completely under warranty. Hallelujah! And we are back to having two working cars again. My trusty wheels are still going strong!

Halloween 2013

 As per tradition, Halloween once again fell on one of Graham's 12 hour work days so I wasn't really planning to do anything with the kids. And I was actually feeling mostly OK with that. But then the Welchs extended an invitation to have me join them at Bothell Country Village (and their offer included help wrangling the girls!) so we decided to go for it. Isla literally decided seconds before we left what she was going to be (a ballerina) though she'd told me before she was going to be a princess. She kept getting the two confused so I guess we'll just say she was a Princess Ballerina! Emma was a bird but we still aren't 100% what species (I think a Toucan?) She loved her costume and said "Tweet Tweet!" as soon as I put it on her. And Jack of course was a Jack-O-Lantern. :) So much cuteness all around! Isla figured out the whole trick or treating thing right away and Emma got the hang of it pretty quickly too though she never did ask to eat any candy (phew!) Isla, on the other hand had one Dum-Dum and was WIRED for two hours straight. Fun times!

Carving Pumpkins

 I had great visions of carving pumpkins together as a family this year while sipping warm apple cider. Graham and I laughed because in the end, it was just the two of us left in the kitchen carving the pumpkins while the kids, who had long since moved on to other activities, ran around the living room. But I did manage to get both girls in on the scooping of the pumpkin guts and of course they were all over the cider too which was also all over the floor! Emma requested a monkey pumpkin (Graham turned him into a vampire!) and Isla asked for a kitty. Fun memories!

 

 

 

Pumpkin Patch at Swans Trail Farm

 Late last month, Graham accompanied the girls on Isla's preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch. Jack and I were planning to go to but my postpartum body was communicating otherwise so I tearfully agreed to stay home and rest. I made Graham promise he'd document the morning for me in my absence. I am told much fun was had and the girls came home with a prized pumpkin each.

 

 

 

Thankful - Day 3: My Baby Boy

It's a waterproof mascara kind of day. I think most of us have them. Those days when you wake up and just know the flood gates are going to open and you are going to lose it. I've spent the last 5 days wiping runny noses, dodging sneezes and trying my hardest to keep the baby and I spared from the illness the older two kids are carrying. 

FAIL!

I fell victim and now I'm feeling under the weather and achy and therefore a bit more fragile than usual. I stayed home from church to keep the germs to myself and so have spent the morning perusing through pictures. I landed in the file filled with photos following Jack's birth and was hit with this overwhelming feeling of gratitude and awe when I arrived at this picture. I don't often focus on pictures of myself but the look of love captured in this shot grips me every time I see it. So I'm re-posting it today as a part of my thankful series.

THANK YOU LORD FOR THIS PRECIOUS BABY BOY!

Thankful - Day 2: Cooking

I am thankful today for the ability to cook and create in the kitchen! I love that what was once flour and yeast and milk can come together and make delicious things like homemade Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread (ok so I cheated a little and let the bread machine do the kneading part but who has time to brush their hair let alone make yeast dough from scratch with a newborn?!) 

After a few weeks out of my element (read: not cooking), I felt the urge to do something domestic in the kitchen and so Emma and I whipped up a couple loaves of this bread yesterday (recipe found here:

 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cinnamon-swirl-bread-for-the-bread-machine/. Noteworthy alteration: I added a handful of raisins to the walnut, brown sugar and cinnamon mixture to make it Cinnamon Raisin Bread).

I'd been craving cinnamon raisin bread for a couple days but then in planning a breakfast for my parents who were going to be in town this weekend, I came across my Pear and Gruyere Strata recipe that calls for cinnamon raisin bread as an ingredient, so it was a win-win decision to try it out. The strata recipe originally comes from Cooking Light Magazine with a couple minor adaptions made by me. Enjoy one recipe or both!

Pear and Gruyère Strata

• 4 cups sliced peeled Anjou or Concorde pear
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 12 slices cinnamon swirl bread, cut in half diagonally
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

1. Combine pear, butter, and 1 Tbsp sugar in a large bowl; toss gently. Arrange half of bread in an 7 x 11-in glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon pear mixture evenly over bread; top with cheese. Arrange remaining bread over cheese.

2. Combine the remaining 5 Tbsp granulated sugar, milk, eggs, and cinnamon, stirring with a whisk. Pour milk mixture over bread, pressing down to submerge. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over bread. Bake, uncovered, for 55 min or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Drizzle with syrup.

• Yield: 8 servings