Posts Tagged ‘Windham Familia’
A life changing letter
Posted on: August 2, 2010
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
In June our family started sponsoring a girl, Momita, from India through Compassion International. There were two motivating factors for sponsorship: 1) to help a child in need; 2) to teach our children. For the last two months, I’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on the latter. We talk to Julia a lot about Momita. We explain that Momita doesn’t live with her family {she’s at a boarding school}, that she doesn’t have the luxuries we have, that she doesn’t get to eat “bananies” {bananas} everyday, that she needs our prayers.
I’ve written to Momita twice. Just this last week, I received my first letter back. There was nothing profound in the letter. Momita’s writing is exactly what you’d expect from a young girl. Everything was short and to the point. In her letter she asked us to pray for her. And that touched me. It made me realize just how important our sponsorship is to her. Aside from monetary benefits, knowing that a family is praying for her means a lot to her. But what really rocked me to my core {and quite nearly made me cry} was when she signed the letter:
“Your loving daughter, Momita”
I don’t know Momita. I’m not certain I could pick her out in a crowd {for sure not if I didn’t have her picture in hand}. I don’t know all the things she likes or dislikes. But standing in the driveway last week reading her letter I realized: I am the mother to three girls. I don’t have words to explain just what that has meant to me; just how much her letter has changed me and my attitude toward supporting her. I’m no longer supporting a girl from India. I’m supporting my daughter who lives in India.
For Momita’s protection and privacy, I won’t share her photo with you online {but if you’re ever at my house I will gladly show you!}. However, I thought I’d pass along pictures of her city:
Momita’s village is comprised of mostly Buddhist and there have been many conflicts between them and Christians. There weren’t many photos of homes in her village, mostly just temples and caves that are tourist attractions. It’s amazing being able to see the area Momita lives in; it allows me to feel even more attached to her.
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
Five years ago today, Jonathan and I committed our lives to one another. It has been an amazing whirlwind adventure. In five years we have lived in three different homes {not included the ones we lived with “in transition”}, we have had two dogs and most importantly, two beautiful daughters. Jonathan, I love you. You make me laugh, you make me smile. I am truly blessed to be your wife.
July has been one crazy month. We started off with a visit from my brother and his family. After that, Jonathan has pretty much worked 50-70 hours a week preparing for the launch on West Music’s website. He and his teammates did an excellent job and I commend him for all his hard work and effort. He has earned himself a much needed break.
For the last week, we’ve had some friends staying with us as they move into a new home {which is actually behind our house – sort of}. They are some dear friends, and while it’s stressful at times to have four kids and two moms in a tiny kitchen, it’s been a lot of fun. Our girls could get use to having playmates instantly at hand. Julia especially. From the moment she wakes up she’s asking “Go play with my friends? My friends not sleep. Go play with them.” Good thing they like her, otherwise I think she’d wear them out! Hannah has been really taking off with her walking – literally. I have to watch her with hawk eyes or she’ll be halfway down the block before I know what’s happen. Keeps me on my toes!
As for me, I’m glad the month is drawing to an end. With Jon’s crazy schedule, it means I’ve had a crazy schedule. But God has been really gracious, especially being able to end the month with our anniversary and less than one week till our anniversary trip. I can’t wait. Makes me kinda giddy just thinking about it.
- In: Life
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Julia has hit an amazing point in life. She’s more out-going, more inquisitive, more talkative, more capable of engaging with me.
She’s also demanding {quite literally} her independence. She’s talking back, she’s telling me “no”, and becoming more possessive of her things. At times it’s overwhelming and more than I care to deal with.
But I caught myself this last week overlooking the not-crazy-2 times. In the middle of the living room, Julia was dancing and laughing. And I found myself not paying attention. I was in Sarahworld, not mamaworld. And it hit me: I need to focus on the amazing parts of Julia not just the parts that need “fixing”.
It seems easy enough, but it really does require that much more. When Julia isn’t acting out, I can get things done. When she’s behaving, I can clean, cook, run errands {and well, check Twitter}. Yet, this last weekend, while Jon was putting in overtime {which means I was putting in overtime} I tried focusing on the amazing parts of my children. And it was good.
I decided to make a goal for myself this week: Stop being just “mom” and focus on playing with my children. Get overly excited with them and for them. Enjoy the parts of being a mom that aren’t all work but are play.
- In: Life
- 6 Comments
Last year we celebrated Christmas in July as a family {you know, because I’m obsessed with Christmas}. This year, we’ve taken it a step further and celebrated with our church. Well, the church might not have known we were celebrating, but I did.
Our house church meets on Sunday mornings. Before the actual meeting, we have a time of fellowship over coffee and muffins/bread. Today was our family’s turn to provide the food. So, I made pumpkin bread with a cream cheese glaze and gave all the kids a “stocking” with goodies.
The kids were pretty pleased with their stocking {or at least the treats inside}. We didn’t sing any carols, because Jon wasn’t around this morning {been working crazy busy hours for a site launch}. But, I have been playing Christmas carols around the house and we’re having roasted chicken and all the fixins’ for dinner. Yum-O!
- In: Life
- 10 Comments
I really, really love television. I’m a little concerned that you can’t say that and be a Christian. But nevertheless it’s true. There is something nice in ending a long, hard day with mindless tv {like “I didn’t know I was pregnant” – seriously, how can you not know?!}
But I think what I love more than having television is not having television. We just got cable last night for the first time in over a year*. The last time we had cable, we got it while my brother lived with us – as a way to make our home a place where he would invite friends over and watch football games. We had it for about 9 months. Until that point, we’d been without it for 2.5 years.
Sounds strange to go so long without cable. Especially for a self declared telephilia like me. But what I love about being without cable is that it makes you not need cable. I’ve been content the last year without it; was content the 2.5 years before that. And now that it’s installed and at my finger tips? I have no overwhelming desire to watch it. Don’t get me wrong, I will watch it {after all I hear there’s a You’ve Got Mail marathon on WE}, but I don’t feel some attachment to it like I did years ago. Not having cable has shown me I don’t need cable and quite frankly has made me love it all the more because it’s become a treat and not a necessity.
*If you’re wondering why we got cable; Jonathan’s grandmother is moving in with us soon and enjoys her “shows”. I have a post all about the family change coming soon{ish}.
For more TILT visit Jill at Diaper Diaries.
Confessions of a bad Southern mama
Posted on: July 16, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
I don’t drink sweet tea.
{But, I do drink my sacrilegious unsweet tea from a mason jar, so that counts for something, right??}
I’ve never really enjoyed sweet tea, but always want to. Add in my lack of a true Southern accent and I feel as though I’ve slighted my Southern heritage. But, I’m working to remedy my drinking ways. This week I made our normal two batches of tea {unsweet for me, sweet for Jon and the girls} and I’m drinking my tea half and half. Verdict? I’m not in love, but it’s growing on me.
Au revoir, or, Good-bye Paris
Posted on: July 15, 2010
- In: Life
- 17 Comments
In my heart of hearts, God had been asking me for months to be okay with “letting go” of our anniversary trip to Paris. Through all the planning and saving, I safe guarded my heart from putting my hope in a Parisian trip. Know what? We aren’t going. Instead we started planning for a different trip; Ireland. Guess what? We aren’t going there either. So we planned to go to Toronto. Guess what? {Oh you guessed it!} We aren’t going.
Slowly all of our plans fell apart. One night, while nearly in tears, I told Jonathan, “I don’t really care where we go, so long as it’s just you and me.” As each new plan failed I was losing hope of ever getting time away with Jon. Then Tuesday night, something “major” happened. Julia knocked off my wedding bouquet from on top of my dresser. The delicate flowers I had painstakingly preserved for nearly 5 years were shattered. Thankfully {for her} I was 1) in total shock that is happened, 2) Jonathan was coming home in minutes. As he walked in the door I literally ran out it.
As I was running through our neighborhood I wondered, “Why do I care so much about those roses? I’m not a sentimental person in that way. What’s so upsetting about those roses?”. And it hit me. My wedding bouquet is a reminder of that life. The life before kids. The life of just Sarah and Jon. The life where we could afford to visit Paris. Where our only daily concerns were what to eat for dinner. Where it was just us. The life that seems better.
By the time I got home, I wasn’t ready to go back inside, so decided to mow the lawn. As I reached the backyard, Julia came running outside yelling “Mama!” She was thrilled beyond words to see me {even though I’d been gone less than 30 minutes}. She jumped up and down and waved to me simply beaming.
And it hit me. This life is better. Not the before-kids life. Not the jet setting life. This messy, poop-filled, lack of sleep life is better. Jon and I would not be who we are without the Windhamettes. Our relationship would not be what it is without them. Those roses were gone the moment I found out I was pregnant. They were replaced with less glamourous cloth diapers and sippy cups. And while I deeply cherish my time with Jon, I think it’s only been made sweeter and more precious because of the Windhamettes.
So now, as we have finally settled on a weekend trip and have loving people caring for our girls {Thanks Abdos!!} we are thrilled to be getting time away, time alone. Not because we want what we had, but to make what we have even better.
Mouth watering Poppy Seed Chicken
Posted on: July 13, 2010
- In: Life
- 11 Comments
My dear readers, you are in for a special treat. I’ve decided to share my all time favorite family recipe with you: Poppy Seed Chicken. {You know it’s a fabulous recipe when it’s featured in Southern Living.} My recipe varies slightly from SL so if you want the exact “mama’s way” recipe, you’ll need to follow theirs. Otherwise, I’ll give you mine.
What you need:
2-3 cups chicken, cut up
1 can cream of chicken {or cream of mushroom}
1 8 oz sour cream
1/2 roll Ritz crackers
2-3 tablespoons poppy seeds
Boil chicken until complete. I typically use boneless, skinless chicken breast, but finding cheap-ish free range chicken breast just isn’t easy. So, this go round I opted for a variation of bone-in breast and thighs that are free-range. If you do that, you’ll need to boil, then peel off the skin and de-bone.
Mix together chicken, cream soup, poppy seeds and sour cream:
Wanna know a secret? I use two cans of cream soup – one cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom. Why? Helps make the dish go further.
Wanna know an even crazier secret? This time I used plain yogurt instead of sour cream:
I had everything ready to go for making dinner, opened the refrigerator to grab the sour cream and…. we had no sour cream. Perfect. I went out on a limb and tossed in plain yogurt {since I have always heard you could substitute it for sour cream}. In the end, it had a slightly different taste, but if you had never had poppy seed chicken before, I doubt you’d notice the difference.
Put your mix in a cooking dish and spread with chopped up Ritz crackers and poppy seeds.
Here’s the end result:
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Our standard poppy seed dish is served with potatoes, veggies and bread. You can make the dish ahead of time {morning of or night before} and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. It’s an easy dish that is a wonderfully yummy comfort food!
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
About two months ago, while I was visiting with my neighbor-friend Rachel, I realized: Sometimes a man’s job is better left to a woman. We were hanging out in her backyard with all our kiddos when she said she was planning to mow later that day. Being the non-mower in my marriage I thought that seemed a little odd, until Rachel said why: She wanted to do things that would normally be her husband’s task in order to free him up to spend more time with the family.
Sometimes a man’s job is better left to a woman:
Since having that conversation with Rachel, I’ve started to look for ways to “free up” Jonathan. I have even gone so far as to clean out the garage {which is notoriously man’s land in our family} because I knew Jon wasn’t going to have the time to do it – but would stay up late just to get it finished. Aside from wanting to bless Jon, I admit, it is always pretty nice having him come home from work saying things like “Wow, the yard looks great!”, which is great motivation for this wifey-mama.
What are man jobs that you do?
Why I stopped blogging
Posted on: July 7, 2010
- In: Life
- 4 Comments
Yes, all the sisters ARE matchy-matchy. Clearly, not my doing.
My brother and sister-in-law came into town for nearly a week with their two girls, Katie {7} and Madeline {3}. My blogging has taken a backseat to loving on my nieces and catching up with my brother {because, let’s face it, I talk to my SIL way more than I talk to him}. Our girls stayed up far past their bedtimes, ate too much sugar and had a blast. The 4th was amazing – went to the Iowa City Jazz Festival, watching the Coralville fireworks and took the girls to a carnival. Jon and I even milked a date out of the whole situation and went to see Karate Kid.
There was one terribly sad thing that happen, but I have a post tomorrow to tell you all about it. Bring some tissues.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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