Prizes! Winner!

Thanks to all of you who entered the haiku challenge! How fun to get so many entries! I am not a haiku expert by any means, nor do I write it on a regular basis. So in order to be completely fair, I cheated. (And if you need a quotable quote, feel free to take that one, ha ha) Here is what I mean: I cheated wherein I printed out your comments, cut out each haiku and drew one as the winner instead of just picking my favorite.

The winner will receive 2 of my favorite things! A one-pot size sample of Seattle's Best Vanilla Bean coffee, and a tube of the best lip balm ever. This stuff is great - all natural & handmade by my friend Ashley who also makes goat's milk soap from goats they own and milk themselves. The name of her company is Kid Acres, how cute is that? She made this particular flavor (tastes like orange creamsicle, but has no sweetener) at my request, and I always keep a few extra tubes around for gifts. She is not selling her products online yet, but I hope to talk her into it in the near future. Seriously, she makes really great stuff.

So, drumroll please...The winner is...

SARAH GWIN! and here is her haiku:

Two-year-old dressed self
(Not worried about matching)
Fourteen times today

Sarah, email me your address and your prize is on it's way! Congratulations and thank you again to all who participated!!

before and after

It's haircut week at the Muth house. Here is Aaron, before (after breakfast - milk is a great volumizing hair product, apparently) and after (clean and shorn). *sigh*

He's growing up, and I am feeling older by the minute. I about had a heart attack when I realized today that there are only 13 weeks until I'm full term with our second. That is not very long.

last call!

If anyone still wants to enter the haiku challenge, be sure to do so before midnight on Thursday! I'll announce the winner (and the prize, of course) on Friday morning!

she said it!

Sometimes when I get the "AFA action alerts" in my email, I'm very glad to be informed. Other times, I just roll my eyes. Today, I got one about Subway's essay contest and it was one of the latter type of reactions. Then I read this. My thoughts, exactly. But more eloquent. And from the voice of experience, so even better.

What are your thoughts?

Works of God Monday

This Memorial Day, I am choosing to praise God for the amazing sacrifice of the men & women in our armed forces who have given their lives to protect our freedoms. I am thankful that God is at work in the world and that He calls people to serve Him in a variety of ways. THANK YOU armed forces!! And thank you, families of the servicemen & women for the gigantic sacrifice you make every day.

God is at work in the world, but also in our family! We've been blessed immensely with a job for Michael in construction - something that we never expected but something that has been a great asset and learning experience for him. And, despite the struggling economy, we have seen no setback in hours, and a busy summer is planned for his little company (the boss plus 2 employees). This October will mark 5 years with a great Christian boss and it has been such a huge blessing for us. God has also been providing side jobs for Michael lately, which has been another unexpected source of income. It looks very possible to meet our goal of being debt free very soon! Woo Hoo!

It's your turn!! Let's encourage one another in the Lord! First, blog about how God has been at work in your life this week - it can be a physical provision, a spiritual lesson learned, an opportunity to share with others, anything that was an evidence of God at work in you. Then, follow these directions:

If you've never used Mister Linky before, simply type your name in the top box, or a short description of the work that God has done, and then in the second box, paste the link from your specific "Works of God Monday" post. PLEASE make sure the link is to a specific post on your blog that is a personal testimony of how God has been at work in your life in the past week. Feel free to use the image from the top of this post if you like. Just right click the image and choose "save image as" then upload it into your post. Please contact me if you have any questions, and spread the word to your blogging friends!

If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your works of God testimony in the comment section!

haiku, anyone?

pained by this kicking
well deserved, but not from you
dear child within, quit.

Anyone ever written haiku? It's pretty simple, just a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern in the lines. I think I had to write some in high school - or maybe in college. I can't remember.

Will you write one for me in the comment section? Pretty please?

I'll pick a winner, really I will. There might even be a prize. Think of it as a "Happy Memorial Day Weekend" activity. A vacation for your brain. It won't even cost you any gas money. Unless, perish the thought, you are reading this blog while driving.

all wishes granted

You'll never guess what I came across today. Oh, yes. My very own baby naming genie...and he can be yours, too.

Of course, some of the suggestions are laughable (Sheldon Brendon Muth? I don't think so...)

welcome to the third trimester

Muth child #2 welcomed me into our third trimester together with a swift kick to the ribcage. "Good morning, dear mother!" I think that today, anyway, the baby is in the head-down position.

I read yesterday that my uterus is the size of a soccer ball this week. What a lovely thought. Actually it was quite comforting - no wonder my belly feels so huge! I wonder how big it gets by the end of pregnancy if it's already that big. Yikes.

Aaron is welcoming the third trimester, too, but with a nasty bout of allergies or a random cold. We are both still in jammies this morning and he's been hanging out on the couch with his Cheerios and water. Poor little guy.

this post

this post made me weepy today, no surprises there. I've been thinking through possible changes for our family with the coming little one, and when I ran across this article by a mommy of 12, well, my pregnancy hormones just served to increase the tear supply!

here is a little excerpt:

Overnight he has had to become the Big Boy, the Older Brother, the Independent One. His life is one of different prepositions than before: he sits next to me instead of on me, he walks beside me instead of riding in my arms. He accepts love from siblings and Daddy more readily than before, and these have all worked their will inside him, transforming him from baby to little man.

Aaronisms

I always thought "kiss it and make it all better" was a concept introduced by moms to their kiddos. However, I have had to rethink this.

Aaron has been coming to me lately when he has banged his fingers or toes and holding them out and saying, "momma? kiss?" and when I do he says "all better!" and gets this gigantic smile on his face.

I have no idea where he picked up this little habit, nor do I really care, because I think it's absolutely adorable. I'm really enjoying watching him grow, especially through this age where he's learning new things daily and talking in much more fluid sentences. He is quite the talker.

On the down side, his diction is a little questionable. There are a few words he says that sound like other words. When we are in public, I have to quickly say it back to him to avoid the misconception that we teach our child to curse or say things that are quite inappropriate. It is sometimes a tad embarrassing, but overall we just laugh and enjoy this funny little man and this fun little stage.

He's rarely without his hat these days, even when he's decked out in his pj's. It's the first thing he asks for (after daddy) when he wakes up and the last thing to put away before bed. He loves his daddy so much and wants to wear a hat like "daddy's hat" - he's started asking for "Broncos hat" and I really need to wash the thing, it's getting pretty dirty.

My mom says that each stage is more fun than the last, and I'm starting to agree with her. I'm really enjoying my toddler (even as I look forward to another newborn). What is/was your favorite stage in childhood, or is it different with each kiddo?

Works of God Monday

Does God care about little things? I would submit that He does! The Bible says that He knows how many hairs are on our heads, and that He provides for all our needs. He even surprises us with little blessings.

This week was a busy, busy week. I am beginning to long for the end of May in hopes that the summer slows down a little bit and we can take some deep breaths before baby #2 arrives! In all the scurrying about, I kept forgetting to bring my "fridge list" to the grocery store - I usually write down the things that I am almost out of or completely out of on a pad on the fridge. (my other items I type out when I do menu planning) I went to the grocery store TWICE this week, which is unusual, and both times did an ok job of remembering what I needed to buy - EXCEPT I kept forgetting to buy Lawry's seasoned salt, which at our house is a seasoning that we just don't care to run out of.

Yesterday I decided to stop by the store and buy a paper in the afternoon, and I decided to grab a canister of Lawry's, too. It "just so happened" to be on sale - BOGO! I was delighted and was praising the Lord for His little blessing, even as I was forgetful and absentminded!

It's your turn!! Let's encourage one another in the Lord! First, blog about how God has been at work in your life this week - it can be a physical provision, a spiritual lesson learned, an opportunity to share with others, anything that was an evidence of God at work in you. Then, follow these directions:

If you've never used Mister Linky before, simply type your name in the top box, or a short description of the work that God has done, and then in the second box, paste the link from your specific "Works of God Monday" post. PLEASE make sure the link is to a specific post on your blog that is a personal testimony of how God has been at work in your life in the past week. Feel free to use the image from the top of this post if you like. Just right click the image and choose "save image as" then upload it into your post. Please contact me if you have any questions, and spread the word to your blogging friends!

If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your works of God testimony in the comment section!

God's Plan

It’s good for me to have a little wake up call every once in awhile. On Tuesday, I wrote a blog post about what happens when God works and it is different from what I wanted or expected. I got a great question from Amanda, basically, “What do you mean when you say that God has a plan for me?” It is such a privilege to be able to have a shot at answering your question, Amanda. Thanks again for asking it. I had a great time (and a brain-stretching time) trying to condense everything.

Speaking of condensing, I didn't do a very good job with that. I came up with just over 3 pages in Word. So I decided that instead of typing all of that out here, I would just link to the document.

So here it is! I hope it helps. (I pray it is accurate - please, study it out for yourself!!) Please comment with discernment and in love, keeping in mind that the readers all have different backgrounds, and that we are all at different places in our walks with the Lord. You can contact me personally here

Happy Saturday, Everyone!

it's coming...

So for all who are wondering when I'm going to post an answer to Tuesday's question, it's coming. It's a long answer. And I'm still working on it. Please be patient!!

While you're waiting, head to Dunkin' Donuts for a free iced coffee. And McDonald's for an almost-free dinner. If you can resist the urge to buy fries, that is.

Muth baby #2 is coming, too, right on schedule so far. Monday was an appointment with the world's fastest doctor, and there was great news - my blood pressure was fabulous (90/60) and he's checking to see how we can get the most accurate readout for my 28 week blood glucose test with a diabetes-like finger prick. Looks like I'm going to squeak by without lab work, hallelujah!

Tuesday was my first prenatal visit with our midwife, and I was much encouraged to talk with her and experience a different kind of care. My heart longs for a home birth, so right now we are praying even more fervently that God would make His plan for this birth known to us. I am confident that He will. We appreciate your prayers for us, too!

If you haven't yet, vote on your best guess on the gender of baby #2. The only clue-like info I've got is that the doc counted 148 beats per minute on the doppler, and the midwife counted 156 on the fetoscope while baby was moving around fiestily. My medical records indicate that Aaron's heartbeat was 149 at this point in the pregnancy. Happy Voting!

for the grandmas

Some photos of the recent events
Aaron relaxing on the big ball,
Us at the junior high youth activity (we fit in well, obviously)
Aaron, a vvvvery big boy, coloring
and
putting the crayons back
(he's quite particular)

When God is at Work

What do you do when God WORKS and you don't really like it? I'm one hundred percent certain that it means the problem is with me and my thinking, and not with God and His working.

Here's just one example:

For the past couple of months some of our closest friends here have been considering what God would have them do about moving. Not across town or even to another town nearby. No. Across the country. Pretty much as far away from Michigan as you can get and still be in the US. God has definitely been working to show them each step in this process, and it's not like it's a done deal - they are still praying, and I am still in complete and total denial. Friends like this just don't happen every day. I have to be honest. I. don't. want. them. to. move. But God might, and I need to be okay with that.

So here is where the practical part of my theology, my view of God, is supposed to kick in, and I'm supposed to start asking the right kind of questions.

What do I know to be true about God? He is Sovereign, He has a plan, it is for our good, it will give Him glory, He wants us to trust Him, He loves us, He knows what is best. He has promised to lead us, never leave us, give grace, give wisdom, provide, and the list goes on. (I'm already reassured, how about you?)

What do I know to be true about myself? I do not know best, I am not perfect, am not eternally minded, have no idea what God's long-term plans are, cannot be trusted, have a heart that is sinful and selfish. I am helpless, without wisdom, weak, needy.

Sounds like the perfect fit. As long as I trust Him. And guess what? There are more things God is doing that, at first look, are "uncomfortable" for me. But He is at work in my heart, too. He gives more grace, more strength for me to trust Him in every situation, every day. I cannot handle the daunting task of yielding my will, of trusting, but God can. He is working - in our friends, in this specific situation, and in my heart.

I am learning. Slowly, but richly - beyond knowing in my head. I am growing in grace. I am growing in the knowledge of my Lord and Savior, a knowledge that comes by experience, by tasting to see that the Lord is GOOD. And I am learning to praise Him, to bless His name, His works, at all times.

works of God Monday

I can't wait to share what God is doing in my life, but I can't at the moment. I'm feeling ill and have about ten million things to get done, so will post my works of God testimony either later today or later this week, depending on how this day goes.

For now, it's YOUR turn!! Let's encourage one another in the Lord! First, blog about what God has been doing in your life this week - it can be a physical provision, a spiritual lesson learned, an opportunity to share with others, anything that was an evidence of God at work in you. Then, follow these directions:

If you've never used Mister Linky before, simply type your name in the top box, or a short description of the work that God has done, and then in the second box, paste the link from your specific "Works of God Monday" post. PLEASE make sure the link is to a specific post on your blog that is a personal testimony of how God has been at work in your life in the past week. Feel free to use the image from the top of this post if you like. Just right click the image and choose "save image as" then upload it into your post. Please contact me if you have any questions, and spread the word to your blogging friends!

for moms (or really, anyone)

I am subscribed to Joy in the Journey in my Google Reader and have really enjoyed reading about this missionary family (I do not know them) and the things that God has done in their lives. Today, there is an especially good post about dealing with guilt.

Joy is writing from a mom's perspective, and it is true that we as moms deal with it, but I think even on a more basic level, women deal with it. A lot. The "coulda-shoulda-woulda's," as I have heard them called, can really feed a destructive pattern of thinking that will take away our joy and leave us feeling defeated. (which of course, Satan really loves) But enough from me. Go read the post!

this joy is mine

Behold, one of Michael's favorite memories. He remembers mom reading to him and his siblings. And he remembers this book. (Which actually is saying a lot. He doesn't remember a whole lot of specifics from his childhood like this)

Around the time Aaron was born, Mom & Mary gathered up all the children's books with his name in them and sent them to us. What a treasure that box was! There are at least 20 Little Golden Books that say "This book belongs to Michael Muth" and that alone is enough to bring a smile to my face

We've been reading books right before nap times with Aaron, and just recently have begun to read the Little Golden Books mom sent so long ago. Today at naptime, Aaron said "Read book!? Timmy?" and was really excited when I grabbed it off the shelf. I am thrilled that I get to be a part of the tradition and read to our little boy from his daddy's childhood books.

I do have to admit I get a little choked up when I read the last page, "Timmy is a big boy. You are big too! Timmy can do lots of things. So can you."

Wednesdays are Crazy Days

Does everyone have a day of the week that is an automatic no for extras? I can do errands, watch peoples' kids, get hair cuts, set up doctor visits and cook up a storm any day of the week.

Except Wednesdays. We.Are.Always.Busy.On.Wednesday.

It has made life much better since I started saying "no" to Wednesday extras. For us, it means that Michael comes home early from work in order to finish up the final touches on Wednesday night's youth group events, go over his message, and still have enough time to eat dinner, get a shower, and all of us be out the door at 5:30 to pick up the kids we take with us. During the day I finish up the mundane parts of the Wednesday program - the papers we send home with the kids, the agendas for the workers for the following weeks, adding up the points, updating the youth group blog (on occasion) and making dinner MUCH earlier.

And, Something Unexpected always happens on Wednesday of all days. Of course I try to be flexible and work through it. But saying no has been the best decision for us this year. It has made such a difference.

What day of the week is your busiest? What makes it that way? And, of course most importantly, what is your "go to" dinner for those Crazy Days?

Works of God Monday

Here are just some of the works of God on behalf of the Muth family this past week. (I couldn't possibly pick just one, so I decided to go with a short list of a few...)

1. The birth of a new niece, Kiersten Joy! Congrats to Tim & Sarah Valiante and big brother Micah. We are so excited for you all, and grateful to God for the miracle of life, and a safe delivery.

2. God provided TWO free window air conditioning units for us via Freecycle. Do I need to go into detail about what a blessing that will be to my big pregnant self this summer? (I didn't think that would be necessary.) Talk about a happy hallelujah moment.

3. Through the wonder and excitement of garage sales, God provided a replacement door for our outside back entrance for $35. For those of you not familiar with home renovation supplies, that is a significant savings. As an added blessing, it was just what we had been looking for.

4. When I was pregnant with Aaron, I bought a crib bumper at a garage sale and re-covered it but I could still see the old design peeking through, plus it wasn't quite long enough to go all the way around the crib, so I planned to recover it again with chocolate brown corduroy and lengthen it, too. Also on the list of things to do before the baby is born was buy more crib sheets (we just have 2 total that fit our mattresses) and another waterproof pad or two. This weekend God provided a like-new bumper in the perfect shade of green, three more crib sheets and a waterproof pad for $12. Woo HOO!

Now it's YOUR turn!! Let's encourage one another in the Lord! First, blog about what God has been doing in your life this week - it can be a physical provision, a spiritual lesson learned, an opportunity to share with others, anything that was an evidence of God at work in you. Then, follow these directions:

If you've never used Mister Linky before, simply type your name in the top box, or a short description of the work that God has done, and then in the second box, paste the link from your specific "Works of God Monday" post. PLEASE make sure the link is to a specific post on your blog that is a personal testimony of how God has been at work in your life in the past week. Feel free to use the image from the top of this post if you like. Just right click the image and choose "save image as" then upload it into your post. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and spread the word to your blogging friends!

appreciated

I found this link for an adorable teacher appreciation gift over at MomAdvice, and applauded! Out loud, for no one to hear but me. Hurray, any teacher could use this!! And it isn't apple-y or scented or something to use in the tub or another candle! (again, this is one of those things I'm linking in order to find later)

And for all you parents of currently school aged children, check out this idea that blessed a teacher friend of mine. You've got just enough time to organize for the year-end teacher appreciation! You could do the same idea with a summery flowerpot with construction paper or silk flowers and the gift cards attached to the stems.

and no, the photo is not related. But these two are, and aren't they cute?

faux pas

Thank you, Mrs. Marsteller. You, teacher of secondary level English, have continued to make me aware of grammatical hilarity, even beyond your years as my instructor. For that (and other things) I will be forever indebted.

Last Friday, calling for work, I heard:

Hi, you've reached the voice mail of _____. Your call is important to me, and I'm sorry I was unable to answer. Please be sure to leave me your name and number and I'd be happy to return it. (name? the number? I was laughing so hard I could barely leave a message)

And last month, on the way to the OB office we passed a florist. The sign said this:

THINK SPRING BOKAY $9.95 (are you SERIOUS?!)