Monthly Archives: February 2012

When Life Throws You Lemons

Posted on by

7

Most of us say “ALL things happen for a reason”. I believe it. I just don’t necessarily like that theory when it applies to my life. If I don’t know what that reason is, then I don’t want it to apply.

Friday evening I was crocheting a quick light blue infinity scarf. I wanted it to go for the outfit I was going to wear on Saturday for the Adoption Orientation our agency was holding. I was excited! We were literally days away from getting approved! March 1st was the date. Around March 1st our homestudy file would have been approved. Our new matching social worker would call us. We’d get to submit our file on various children’s cases and then we’d adopt.

As I was crocheting my scarf, I received an email from the person who was working on our file telling us she was sorry. I hope that meant for something in our favor but it wasn’t. She stated that because my husband lived out of state while he was station in North Carolina that we’d have to get a special clearance… blah blah blah. It made sense. Then I continued reading… this would hold our approval… I read some more… possibly another one to three months. Stab, right in the heart. *begin the tears* my husband sees me cry, I toss him the phone, he reads the email, looks at me… gosh.

How much longer, God?

This month has been a hard one to say the least. Aside from the adoption being held up- this month marks a year of my husband returning from Afghanistan. Also meaning that it’s been a whole year without getting pregnant. A year when every month I’d avoid any alcoholic drink  during the ’2 week wait’, when I’d avoid roller coasters, when I thought each symptom meant pregnancy. And now this new year where adoption has been held up.

I guess I’ve learned a thing or two through all this grit. Want to know? I’ve learned that I’m NOT in CONTROL. True story.

After crying for a few minutes Friday night I realized a thing or two. Here’s the plus side on the delay- We have up to three months to find a new place to move, I have more than three months to focus on me, weight loss, savings, building up my business, I have up to three months to enjoy my husband more- one on one, and maybe that’s why God made things happen that way. Although I don’t like the delay, I’ve realized that I don’t have to wallow in it.

I did get to use my crocheted infinity blue scarf on Saturday. Instead of sitting on my couch crying because I didn’t get to go to the Adoption Orientation with my outfit I had in mind, my husband and I decided to explore the unknown territory of Santa Monica and the pier. We enjoyed our day, enjoyed a new vegan restaurant, and even visited my cousin and his wife.

Live to embrace the good in mishaps, delays, grit, failures, and mistakes-when we to learn to see the good from the bad, life tends to be a whole lot brighter!

 

 

Eat This: Homemade Hummus

Posted on by

0

Hummus.

Yes, I bet your mouth is already drooling at the simple sight of the word. So delicious, so healthy, so fresh, so smooth, and dare I say… EASY to make.

A few weeks ago I bought me one of the greatest tools for the kitchen- a food processor. We bought the Ninja and boy oh boy, I’ve used that thing everyday since it’s been in my kitchen.

I don’t like to buy the store hummus for many reasons- it’s not always so fresh, the taste is either bland or too over-powering, and even though labels say one thing, I don’t always trust them. I love buying the hummus from my local farmers market but because I haven’t had the time to go on Thursday’s, I have been hummus-less for a while.

We got the stuff we needed and voila- we made some yummy stuff!

Here’s the recipe-

Cilantro Avocado Hummus

Ingredients List-

Hummus

Hummus

1 can of garbanzo beans (or you can easily make your own)

2 TBSP of Tahini (add more or less to taste)

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 TSP of cumin

Lemon juice (fresh squeezed preferred)

1/4 cup of cilantro (more adds more spice!)

1/2 avocado

Instructions-

Throw it all in your food processor or blender and blend until smooth or the consistency you like your hummus.

Enjoy with veggies- raw carrots are my fave, whole wheat breads, as sandwich spreads and more!

Put it in a bowl and enjoy to your hearts content!

The Story About The Yellow Yarn and Faith

Posted on by

0

20120214-084835.jpg

I was compelled to buy the yellow yarn. The more I browsed for different colors, the more I looked over at that bulk yellow yarn. I didn’t have a specific project in mind, I just wanted more yarn. I left the store with two more things I was sure I didn’t need: yellow yarn and longer knitting needles.

After going about my day; finishing chores, taking care of the little one I sit, cooking, baking, and reading I took a look at that yarn that sat on my dining room table and I started knitting. I casted on over 150 stitches. This yarn was going to become a baby blanket.

The first few rows of the blanket seemed the easiest- simple knit stitching over and over again.

As I saw the yarn manifest into more of a blanket my heart slowly began to realize the mess I’d gotten myself into. I have no intention on giving this blanket away, so why was I knitting it?

Between cramping hands making purls and knits I cried. One day my child will be wrapped in this blanket.

I questioned why I would put myself through this over and over but the more I’d question, the more I found myself praying for my child that will one day find comfort in this blanket.

“A step of faith” someone told me. This is what it was all about; stepping out in faith knowing that God will bless us with a child, whether it’s a baby or a ten year old.

Oftentimes stepping out in faith means taking a step towards discomforting and unknown territories. Faith tends to lead us into cracks and crevices we normally wouldn’t walk into.

So I continue to knit this blanket, while it makes me uncomfortable; physically and emotionally. I know that it will have a purpose (now or later) but it will serve as a reminder that sometimes faith means discomfort and in discomfort we find growth.

What discomforting areas has faith brought you to? What have you learned as you journey on?

How Pinterest Made Me ‘Hip’

Posted on by

2

Before Pinterest I was simply a dull, uncreative housewife. I cleaned my home, cooked meals, washed clothes, and decorated it just perfectly (or so I thought). I later discovered what the whole Pinterest Rave was all about. Finally, my eyes were opened and realized I could actually be a creative being!

Last week I tried one of my ‘pins’ and created a wonderful yarn wreath! It was too easy and quite fun to make. I think I only spent less than $10 dollars to create it $6 for the wreath and $3 for the pink yarn. I had some left over yarn that I mixed in and voila, a cute Valentine’s Day wreath!

Yarn wreath, wreath, yarn, pinterest,

Thanks to Pinterest I have also been a hero to my home by saving us LOADS of money! I started making my own laundry detergent and fabric softener, do you get the LOADS part now? haha.

So now I make home decor, laundry detergent, I knit, crochet, and make out of the ordinary dinners! I admit, I do feel like a hybrid of Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart- only cuter, shorter, and fluffier, of course ;-)

I would hear about Pinterest being this ‘time consuming’ site where one would pin things on a pin board and apparently too addicting. They were right, sort of. It could be time consuming if you allow it to but the rewards are great. I was once an ordinary housewife but now I am this hands on ‘homemaker’!

Do you have Pinterest? Have you done from Pinterest? Share your stories!

{end} victimization

Posted on by

6

She told me to stop being a victim. Words from a stranger. Words that pierced my heart. Words that took effect after I hung up the phone. Words from the mouth of a woman who has no chance to ever conceive because cancer took over her body.

“You’re not a victim” she said. “We are blessed, we have all our limbs. Others have it worse, they’re hands and legs are missing- we are physically whole”.

She continued by saying that we get hung up on what we see and what we want. This woman spoke truth and wisdom. “Don’t worry, you’ll be blessed greatly and just maybe He has called you to be a mother of multitudes”. Mother of multitudes. I’ve heard that prophesied over my life years ago. A stranger speaking powerful, piercing words into my life- that’s how life is sometimes.

I didn’t think I was victimizing myself. I mean, I was just mourning my ability to conceive. But here’s the thing- I can’t really feel sorry for myself. It doesn’t do any good. Feeling sorry for your situation doesn’t get you anywhere, instead you end up stuck in the middle of a puddle of your own tears and self-pity.

It’s hard not to victimize oneself, especially if you don’t think you’re doing it in the first place. Guess what? I’m not the only infertile woman in my town, state, nation, and nonetheless in the history of mankind. Infertile woman have roamed the earth for years not necessarily crying out tears of “woe is me”.

This weekend brought a mess of emotions I thought I had overcome. I attended a Military wives infertility group. I met women struggling in different areas to conceive. All of them have tried to conceive for much longer than I have. They spoke of medications and treatments they all have attempted, heartbreaking stories of their miscarriages, and the hope they all have to one day get pregnant.

I came home heavy- hearted. I wondered if I had thrown in the towel too early. Many women have been on fertility treatments for years and I only gave it two months. I wondered what was wrong with me. Am I weak hearted? Am I a wuss for not taking the risks and side effects like a champ? The list went on. I’m still not sure what to do. I simply have to wait. I am waiting for God to lead to me the right answer. That might take a while but I don’t mind. He knows the beginning and end to my life, so He can take His ‘time’.

Meanwhile, I must move on. I am not a victim to infertility. I am not to feel sorry for myself. I am okay! It’s simply not in His plans for me to conceive and I need I accept that.

Are you playing the lead role victim in your life? Do you wallow in your own sorrow when things don’t go your way? How do you plan on fixing it?