I’m not dead. I’ll be back soon.

Until then, here are some words of wisdom that help put the last few months into perspective. {Note: Nothing bad has happened – just mind numbingly busy/preoccupied with 2 kiddos under 4.}

Sometimes God calms the storm. Other times, he calms the sailor.

And sometimes he makes us swim.

Just like everyone else, we’re doing some major belt tightening around here. In our minds, being frugal and saving now will lead to greener pastures a little ways down the road and {hopefully} a smoother drive to get there.

I have always been what you might call CHEAP – almost to a fault. I can honestly look at just about anything and say “I’m not paying that! That’s ridiculous!” As I’ve gotten older however (and not grown out of these tendencies), my mother, among others, has given me some sage advice… more than once.

Some things just cost money. Period.

Imagine the shock waves that statement sent through my cheap frugal system! Sometimes you just have to pay what someone wants for something because it’s worth it? Well, that just seems silly.

However………

You know how sometimes your mom is right?

……..

Nuts. This is one of those times.

There are a few things in our marriage that have been worth every red cent we had to pay for them and we would pay it again tomorrow if we had to.

Without further ado…

A Good Mattress



This is ours – a Sealy Posturepedic Palomino.  We bought it when we bought our first house in Denver and now almost six years later we’re still in love with it.  Buying a good mattress was pretty much just how you’d think it would be.  We went to the store and laid on every mattress there.  Then we went home and hemmed and hawed.  Then we went back the next day and laid on them all again.  We wanted to go home and hem and haw more but forced ourselves to make a decision then and there.  We’ve never regretted it.  A good mattress is worth its weight in gold.

A Good Camera



This is ours – a Nikon d80.  We bought the body only and a Tamron 28-75 lens from Adorama.  Later I added a Nikon 1.8mm fixed lens with my birthday money.  If you own a good camera, you’re shaking your head in vigorous agreement right now.  It’s amazing.  There’s no comparison.  We were lucky that we could swing it when our kids were young because the quality of pictures I am capable of capturing of them now just makes my heart sing.

An Exersaucer

Jack – July 2007



Anna – January 2010



oh. my. word. As soon as Jack was old enough (around four months, when they can hold up their heads), we bought our exersaucer.  I probably would have paid any amount of money to regain the use of two hands AT ONCE while I made dinner.  This beauty easily bought us 30 minute stretches of peace at a time.  It has faithfully worked it’s magic with Anna too.

Coolaroo Shades



We don’t have air conditioning.  We do have 15 feet of sliding glass door plus 8 more feet of kitchen window on the back side of our house.  Our backyard faces south.  The sun moves from east to west throughout the day.  Is the picture becoming clear?  We get morning sun, we get noon-time sun and we get evening sun beating into our kitchen and den (it’s one big open space).  All. the. time.

Before these shades, 3:00pm in our den meant 90 degrees easily in the summer and we spend the majority of our time here.  Not good.  After these shades, 3:00pm now means about 75 degrees.  Still warm but definitely manageable.  We put up three shades in a line so we wouldn’t have to fight with the shade and the actual sliding door. Now we can have the two shades on either side of the door down all the time and we have a choice to go up or down with the one that covers the door opening.

Also, you can see outside from inside and vica versa and they trap 85% of UV rays from coming through the glass.  Not too shabby.

So there you have it.  The four best things we’ve spent money on, to date.  I wanted to make a top five list but for the life of me I can’t remember what the fifth thing is.  If it comes to me, I’ll update this post I suppose.

What are the best things you’ve ever spent money on?

We are extraordinarily lucky to live in a veritable bread basket of fresh fruit and vegetables in our area. The Farmer’s Markets this time of year are full to the brim with some of the most beautiful produce you’ll ever see. The artichokes are bigger than your hands, the cucumbers are delicious and you could easily lose track of all the different lettuce varieties available. The most bountiful food by far, though, is the strawberry.

People take strawberries very seriously around here. There are roadside stands every 500 feet practically and even a festival or five every year. With nature’s bounty staring me in the face at every turn, I thought it would be fun to try out some new recipes this summer showcasing strawberries.

First up… I hate to be predictable, but…. STRAWBERRY JAM!

{The Cast of Characters}

3 lbs. Fresh Strawberries, coarsely chopped and 2 cups of Sugar

Along with….

1 box (1 3/4 oz) Regular Powdered Pectin and 1/2 teaspoon Butter.

This recipes makes about 9-10 half pints of jam.

In a large pot, combine the strawberries, pectin and butter.

Heat on HIGH, stirring CONSTANTLY until the mixture comes to a strong boil.

Add the sugar all at one time and return to a boil. Let boil one minute – again stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and skim off the foam from the top of the mixture.

Meanwhile… sterilize your jars by submerging them in a pot of simmering water. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and fill them with jam while the jars are still hot. Also, you’ll want to place the lids in the water for a few minutes to loosen the seal and to sterilize them.

{NOTE: If you have hard water like we do, adding a few tablespoons of white vinegar will help keep hard water buildup off the jars.}

Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headroom. Wipe the jar rims and attach the lids.

Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes (don’t start timing until the water comes back to a boil).

Cool the jars on wire racks or a towel for 12-24 hours.

Enjoy – you won’t be disappointed!

This last week or so has offered a fine start to our summer of fun. We’re fully embracing the carefree spirit of summer and can’t wait to see what fun and adventure we can cook up over the next few months. Lazy days have fully entrenched themselves around here!

What’s the best way to start a summer off right? Well, with a BEACH DAY of course! Carpinteria is by far our favorite beach destination in the area. The undertoe is pretty strong {read: unsafe for swimming} at almost all the beaches near us except for a small stretch in Ventura and in Carpinteria. The thing that makes “Carp” the clear choice though is the town itself. The beach is wide and clean but being able to make a day of it by strolling the streets of the town and grabbing a bite to eat at one of many great restaurants is a true pleasure.

Despite it being slightly overcast, we had a great time! Aunt Michelle, Brianne, Jordan and four of his thirteen year old friends came with us and it was wonderful being able to spend part of the day with them.

I have to say that watching thirteen year old boys in their natural habitat is a funny/weird/awkward thing. It seems to me that Jack’s age now and that 12/13 preteen time are our closest chances as parents to physically see a child growing {in mind and body}.

• They’re gangly and entirely disproportionate.
• They’re caught between thinking they should be with the big kids and wanting to stay with the little kids.
• Everyday is a new barrage of emotions and experiences {often several times a day!} that they have to figure out how to adapt to.

It’s no small wonder why they’re all mostly raving lunatics!

A few weeks ago I spotted a mini popsicle mold in the $1 bin at Target. They’re just the right size for small hands and small appetites. So far, I’ve only filled them with apple juice but they’re such a big hit that I’m going on the prowl for more “diverse” recipes. I’m sure Family Fun will have a great idea or twelve.

*************************************

{Baby Update}

Anna’s first tooth has arrived! Her right bottom front tooth has broken the surface with next to no grumpiness on her part. We feel very lucky to have had a great track record with our children and teeth so far. I haven’t been able to get a picture of her new tooth yet because every time I try, she purses her mouth closed and turns her head from side to side. I’m convinced that hating to have your parents near your face is an inate behavior present in all of God’s children.

It’s hard to believe she’s 9 1/2 months old already!

Happy Father’s Day to a wonderful husband and father and to our wonderful fathers!