I ran a half marathon!

Probably the craziest goal I set for 2015 was to run a half marathon. I mean really, isn't that something people do in their twenties?  Certainly not when they're approaching...ahem...forty!  The way I see it, I can't change careers.  I am a mom for life.  I can't buy a sports car.  I can't afford it and where would I put the kids?  So, instead, I set out to run 13.1 continuous miles.  I didn't tell anyone this, but had my sights set on 9:30 or faster miles.  I thought it would be nice to run somewhere new, so David planned a route for me from our house to the Back Bay and around the 10-mile Back Bay loop.  I was a little nervous even though I had printed directions and my cell phone that I would get lost.  (I have the worst sense of direction ever!)  Sure, enough, I took a few wrong turns and had to back-track.  I even had to call David once cause I missed a turn and ran into the marina.  In the end, I did make it and ran the whole way, though it was much harder than I expected.  The last two miles were especially difficult because I just wanted to be done running, but I set my mind on hymns and praise songs and those carried me through those last miles!

It took a little bit of work to calculate my time because of a little GPS glitch when I ran into the marina, but David says I finished the 13.1 miles in 2:01 moving time, or 9:14 miles!  Yay!  Better than I hoped for, helped by the pancake-flat terrain at the Back Bay!

I did learn a very important lesson from running my first half marathon. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  I didn't, and the recovery was miserable.  I had three vomiting sessions and severe digestive issues for a full 24 hours!  I had to take a bath, then a nap, and nearly missed taking Mary to a Build-A-Bear birthday party.  So, if you have your sights set on that half marathon, drink yo' water!! I will not be defeated.  I want to train and run the same route with proper hydration and not get sick!

Goals for 2015

This year, I will be turning 40.  Even though 50 is probably the new middle-age, I still think of 40 as being middle-aged.  As I approach 40, I notice that I'm perpetually tired, no exhausted is more like it. I forget things a lot, like entire conversations, just ask my husband about it.  I also lose my keys and my phone all the time.  My muscles ache and creak and seem to prefer the state of rest over motion.  2 Corinthians 4:16-17 has become more meaningful to me: So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.  It's getting harder and harder to set goals when the new year approaches because I just don't have the mojo I used to.  So, it is only by the grace of God that I hope to accomplish the following goals in 2015! 

1. Run a half marathon.  I recently started a training plan that should get me to half marathon distance in another eleven weeks! The tricky part for me is pacing myself slow enough on my long runs to avoid injury.  I'd ideally like to average 10 minute miles, which I think is doable given my 10-K pace is just under 9 minute miles.
2. Potty train Matthew.  Matthew and I made an agreement that he would try again in January.
3. Paint the interior.  No, I'm not going to paint the interior; I want to pay someone else to do it.  The builders used flat paint when they painted our walls, not ideal for our family.  
4. Read through the One-Year Bible.  I'm convinced that the best thing I can do as a mom is to draw strength and encouragement from the Word every day.
5. Pray specifically for my children's salvation each day.  When I had a miscarriage, I was very comforted with the thought of my unborn child being ushered into the presence of God.  This made me want to pray more earnestly and fervently for each of my living children to be saved!
6. Make more of an effort to reach out to the younger ladies at church.  I am not going to use the big "D" word 'cause that's too formal, official, and should be reserved for women of more noble character than myself. But, I do want to make myself more available and approachable to the younger ladies at church.
7. Read If I am a Christian, Why am I Depressed by Robert Somerville.  The author's wife, Mary, came to speak to the ladies at our church this past year, and I bought this book there.  I could relate with much of what Mary related about Bob's experience with depression.
8. Help out in the evenings more so that David can have more meaningful devotions with the kids.  After a day of feeding, napping, and homeschooling the kids, I'm usually ready for a break when David comes home.  My desire for a break, though, is preventing David from having meaningful devotions with the kids.  He's doing them consistently, but the time could be more meaningful if I wasn't so lazy!
9. Make Marquis Old-Fashioned Cream Pie.  I like to bake.  I like to try new recipes.  This is one I found in Better Homes and Gardens and saved (old-school method: I tore the page out and have it waiting on my dresser!)
10. Come up with a plan to teach California state history.  Mary will officially be a fourth grader in the 2015-16 school year, which means it's time to teach her California state history.  I am looking forward to this, since I know so little about California state history myself and it seems like there are lots of local hands-on activities.
11. Watch at least one of Mary's soccer games.  This is seriously the hardest thing I do as a mom, so I try not to do it very often.  More often than not, I stay home with the other kids or take Maggie to her games.
12. Have another baby.  PSYCH!!!!  Five is enough!

2014 Goals Assessment

Way back in December 2013, I set 12 goals for 2014.  Here's a recap of the crazy-ambitious goals I set for 2014 along with an assessment of where I am in completing them!

Run a 5K--I ran the New Year's Hustle and finished with a time of 26:20!  You can read my post here.

Make Danish pastries--Well, the girls and I really tried to make these, but they were a big fail.  We did NOT attempt them a second time!

Complete the chronological Bible reading plan--Since mostly giving up caffeine and sugar, I've been able to get up earlier and read my Bible more regularly, so I feel like the spirit behind this goal has been accomplished.  That said, I did not finish the chronological reading plan that I started.  Instead, I bought a one-year Bible and have been working my way through that.

Put together a 2013 photo book--Yippee, I conquered this one!

Potty train Matthew and Jonathan--This actually has not been the nightmarish experience that I was expecting, but I'm still only halfway there.  Jonathan has the potty-business down, well, at least during the day.  Matthew, on the other hand, has no interest in using the toilet yet.  He just does his business in his undies and continues playing.  We both got frustrated with this state of affairs and reverted to diapers.  

Get caught up on my periodical backlog--Check.

Open our home to someone from church at least once per month--Hmmm...well, I didn't really keep track, but I think we did this!  

Learn how to crochet--I did work really hard at this for a while but, eventually, I gave up:(

Build a unit for the laundry room to organize jackets, shoes, and bags--Well, this totally snowballed into an expensive entryway project requiring an experienced carpenter, but it is completed!  You can read about it here.

Learn computer programming in JavaScript faster than Mary--I think it's accurate to say that I learned JavaScript faster than Mary, but I am nowhere close to being proficient at JavaScript.

Read Life Skills for Kids--Ah, I'm going to add this book to my unfinished reads book.

Find out David's answers to Pastor Peter's 39 questions--This one was super-fun and was accomplished quickly and easily!

So, now that my 2014 goals assessment is complete, I'm ready to start thinking about what goals I would like to set for 2015!  

My First 10K!

 

Before I knew I was pregnant, I made a new running goal for myself: Run a 10K!  I found this training plan online and completed one week of training.  On Father's Day, I was shocked to find out I was pregnant with Baby #6.  That's when the intense mental debate began.  I really didn't know whether it was wise to continue with the training plan or not.  After a little bit of googling about running and pregnancy, I was somewhat relieved to find that the general consensus seems to be that running during pregnancy is actually fine if you were already running prior to your pregnancy.  Some recent studies have even concluded that exercise actually benefits the fetus.  I was inspired by a few blogs written by women who continued to run through pregnancy but still had some doubts/concerns going through my head, like, "What if the baby doesn't get enough oxygen if I push myself too hard?" or "What if I get dehydrated and that harms the baby?" When I brought the decision up to David, he simply said, "There's no reason you can't train for a 10K just because you're pregnant!"  Granted, he's actually never been pregnant and hasn't himself experienced the dramatic changes your body goes through during the first trimester with nausea, exhaustion, and hormones raging out of control, but he HAS lived with me through this four times.  I know I would have thrown in the towel if he wasn't there encouraging me.  When I woke up feeling sick and tired and running seemed like the last thing I really wanted to do, he would encourage me to just get out there, insisting, "Running always makes you feel better."  Often I ran the first mile or so wishing that he could feel the way I felt but always came back glad that I got my run in!

Thanks to him, I was able to complete this goal today, though I'm not sure if it really counts because I didn't even enter an official race.  You'll have to take my word for it that I really did it!  David just mapped out a 6.2 mile course for me, and I took his fancy and expensive GPS watch with me, so I could know how much I had completed at any point in time and, most importantly, when I had reached the finish line!  David and the kids even came to cheer me on at the finish (with donuts in hand)!

So why not just enter an official race?  Lots of reasons!

1. Money--You can call me cheap if you want, but I just didn't want to shell out any money for an entrance fee. 
2. Fear of failure--I didn't want to bring shame upon the Mobley name!
3. Time--To actually enter a race means driving somewhere and allowing time for registration and stretching and everything.  Nah, I'll pass.
4. Competition--I'm pretty competitive, so I was also concerned that the competitive spirit would get the better of me, and I would push myself more than I ought while pregnant.
5. Bathrooms--Okay, please don't laugh, but I wanted to run somewhere that I KNEW would have facilities if I needed to use them.  If you're laughing, you have never been pregnant.  

My goal was to complete the race in 60 minutes, averaging roughly 10 minute miles.  Surprisingly, I beat that goal and completed the course in 55:44, just under 9 minutes a mile.  The run was definitely more difficult than I anticipated.  I was mentally prepared for mile 4 to be the most difficult.  For some crazy reason, I had it in my head that miles 5 and 6 would be easier once I got through mile 4.  Ha!  I pushed through mile 4 but then hit a gradual incline making mile 5 feel pretty tough.  The last 1.2 miles of the course, I really had to fight a mental battle with myself to just keep running.  And, then, at last David's watch showed 6.2 miles.  I made it!  I have never been so glad to come to the end of a run!

Although I wasn't actually looking around for motivational documentaries, I happened to watch two in the past two weeks that I found incredibly inspiring.  The first was Run for Your Life, a documentary about Fred Lebow, the creator of the New York City Marathon.  Later in his life, Fred Lebow battled brain cancer, a battle which he ultimately lost.  During his battle with brain cancer, he accomplished one of his life goals and ran his own marathon!  If he can get out there and run 26 miles with brain cancer, certainly I can get my pregnant body out there to run 6!  The second was Town of Runners, a documentary about a town in Ethiopia, which is the home of many Olympic runners.  The girls in this movie emphasize their belief that success comes from hard work.  During mile 5, I realized that my run was supposed to be hard and that I shouldn't quit just because it feels hard.  These girls encouraged me to keep going even though it was hard!

I realize that running 6.2 miles is really no phenomenal accomplishment.  Recently, I have met some pretty awesome runners, marathoners, ultra-marathoners, and competitors at the national level.  I will never be that caliber a runner!  Yet, I still thank God for the health He has given me that enables me to run and for enabling me to accomplish this fitness goal, however meager it may be in comparison!  I thank God for my husband who makes time for me to run, handling breakfast for the family solo three days a week with nary a complaint!

So, now what?  My next goal is to be able to run from my house to Quail Hill and back, a 10-mile loop.  I developed a plan to accomplish this goal in seven weeks time, provided the pregnancy continues to allow me run.  After that, I plan to do a reverse training plan and taper my long runs down to 4 miles over twelve weeks, again assuming that my body continues to cooperate with running!  This is what the next seven weeks will look like for me (ideally):

Week	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT	SUN
1	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	7.0 m	off
2	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	7.5 m	off
3	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	8.0 m	off
4	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	8.5 m	off
5	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	9.0 m	off
6	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	9.5 m	off
7	30 min cross	4 m	30 min cross	3 m	stretch	10.0 m	off

Back Into the Running World

I know it's been a REALLY long time since I posted anything to this blog. I thought I was about to disappear from the blogosphere entirely until a fellow blogging friend, Sharon, stirred up that competitive spirit in me. She issued a 30-post challenge. I love the thrill of the competition, so I'll be posting more frequently again.

One of my goals for 2014 was to run a 5K. Thanks to the couch25k plan and a really supportive husband, I did it on January 18...almost four months ago!  Since it's been hard for me to get back into running since the birth of Matthew and Jonathan in 2011, my goal was really just to run the whole race.   But, in the back of my mind, I thought it would be really awesome if I could run 9 minute miles.  I tried not to tell anyone that part, though, to avoid bringing shame to the Mobley name.  I was really, really nervous about the race because I was recovering from a cold and was still congested. Plus, it was the first race I was ever in without David by my side.  I even tried to back out of the race the night before, but my running coach insisted I go even if I had to walk the entire way.

I am so glad that I went through with it.  It was definitely a positive experience.  There was no pushing or pulling.  The other runners seemed to be normal runners like me, not the super-fit, super-fast type. The course, although not scenic at all, was perfectly flat. I definitely won the prize for the best cheering squad with David and five kids encouraging me to the finish. Mary even ran the last little way on the sidelines with me! Crossing the finish line, I felt such an incredible satisfaction that I met my goal: I ran the entire race.  Later on, I learned that I even beat my goal of nine-minute miles with a time of 26:20.

So, now what's next? Well, although I'm competitive, I'm not really a race-lover, so I don't have another race scheduled. I would really like to work towards running a half marathon some day.  Realistically, that probably wouldn't happen for another five years, but I'm still trying to stick with a training plan that I found online, which includes two shorter runs, two cross-train workouts, and one distance run.  If I can ever find a triple jogging stroller for a decent price, I also want to help Mary and Maggie train to run a 5K.

Goals For 2014

It's that time of year again--new year, new goals.  Here's my list for 2014:

Run a 5K.  

Sound familiar?  Yep, one of my goals from 2013 that I failed to complete!  I hope to accomplish this goal by running in the New Year's Hustle on January 18.  After seeing David and Mary's amazing performances in their races this past December, I fear that people may accuse me of being fast by association or something. Nope, I am the slowpoke of the family. I just hope to run the entire race and still be breathing after I cross the finish line.

Make Danish pastries.

I love, love, love to bake.  Recently, we made croissants for the first time for a history project.  (I love it when education and food intersect!) They were a lot of work but so worth it.  To make Danish pastries, you start with croissant dough (yum) but add a filling in the middle (double yum).  Maybe a special treat for Valentine's Day?

Complete the chronological Bible reading plan.

I have always been one to read through the books of the Bible in order, but I feel like it's sometimes hard for me to put together the order of events from start to finish.  As I was praying about what to read during my devotional time, I came across this reading plan, which, ideally, I would finish in March. But, seriously, I'm a mom, so I am hoping to finish by the end of April.

Put together a 2013 photo book.

I know this one sounds familiar, too, right?  If I don't include it on my goals list, it won't get done.

Potty train Matthew and Jonathan.

I know I've really been dragging my feet on this one.  I have had the underwear in the drawer for at least six months but have not even let either twin put it on yet.  Not only have I never potty trained a boy, but I have never potty trained twins!  I have visions of two little boys running around the house squirting each other for fun. Gross. On top of that there are three other siblings to use as targets. Double gross. Alas, I know I can't avoid the issue much longer, so I will at least try to potty train these little guys this summer.  

Get caught up on my periodical backlog.

I have pretty much a year's worth of BHG, LHJ, Costco, and AAA magazines to read.  I really enjoy reading them, so I don't know why I haven't.  I hope to get caught up in 2014!

Open our home to someone from church at least once per month.

It is really, really difficult for me to invite people over to our home.  I'm a crummy hostess.  My house is usually messy.  To say my cooking is sub-par is being extremely generous. My kids aren't used to having people over, so they get over-excited and really, really loud and act like they have never heard of "manners" before! Nonetheless, David and I have been convicted that God wants us to fellowship more with the other members of our church family, so no more excuses! 

Learn how to crochet.

I really enjoy doing crafts with my kids.  Mary especially is interested in different crafts she can do with her hands, like weaving potholders, knitting hats, and embroidering towels.  I would like to teach her to crochet, but first I have to learn!  I think I'm just going to get some supplies at the craft store and follow this tutorial.

Build a unit for the laundry room to organize jackets, shoes, and bags.

That was pretty funny, right?  Me, build something?  When David told me how long it would take for him to get to this project, I told him that I could just build it myself.  Suddenly, it moved up in the list of priorities, ha, ha.  Well, I have a design, but I can't figure out how to paste it here, so you'll have to take my word for it that it's an ingenious use of space:)

Learn computer programming in JavaScript faster than Mary.

In December, the Khan Academy had a greeting card project to encourage kids to code during the Hour of Code. Mary really enjoyed learning to code and is eager to learn more.  I signed up for an account at the Khan Academy and am just hoping to keep one step ahead. 

       
Read Life Skills for Kids.
I came across this book when browsing through the Rainbow Resource curriculum catalog this past summer and am really looking forward to reading it, but I have to finish two other books first.

Find out David's answers to Pastor Peter's 39 questions.

Recently, our church had a Christmas party for the couples/families affinity group.  At this party, we teamed up with another couple to find out how much we knew about our spouses.  Each individual chose 15 numbers between 1 and 39 and then answered those specific questions (of a list of 39) on a piece of paper.  Then, we traded papers with the spouse of the opposite sex and tried to answer the way our spouse did. Point values were assigned to each question and awarded for each correct answer. Although David and I have a wonderful marriage, I'm pretty sure we were in the running for the lowest scoring couple with a combined score of 23.  From my calculations, the highest possible score was 65. I plan to find out the answers to all 39 questions in 2014!

Of course, all of this is secondary to keeping my kids alive, fed, and cleansed enough to be socially acceptable! Happy New Year!

October's Goal: Learn to Make a New Dessert

My goal for the month of October was really vague--learn to make a new dessert. Cake pops are everywhere these days, so I figured it was time I learn how to make them. Plus, I thought Mary and Maggie would have a lot of fun making cake pops. I opted for the easy route and used boxed cake mix and canned frosting. I know, can I really say that I "made" them???  Anyways, I had trouble following the recipe for "easy cake pops" because Albertson's didn't have lollipop sticks or candy melts.  I subbed popsicle craft sticks for the lollipop sticks and dolci frutta for the candy melts. I also didn't buy enough dolci frutta, so I ended up using the remaining frosting for some of the cake pops. They came out looking more mushroom-shaped than round and there were a few casualties, but they received rave reviews!  Next time, I will skip the cake mix and frosting and use lollipop sticks and candy melts.  October's goal is complete!

Update on 2013 Goals

Just when I was feeling pretty accomplished in the goal achievement department, I fell behind!  My goal for July was to revamp our Christmas devotions.  It's now almost the end of August and my progress is still hovering at zero percent!  Why did I let this happen???  No good reason!

Lame Excuse #1: I was too busy deep-cleaning the house.

Lame Excuse #2: I was too busy shoveling road base and transporting retaining wall caps and pavers.

Lame Excuse #3: I was too busy feeding Josiah, who has yet to realize the benefits of sleeping at night.

Lame Excuse #4: I was too busy playing Scrabble with Mary.

Lame Excuse #5: I was too busy playing Imaginets with Maggie.

Lame Excuse #6: I was too busy cleaning up after my two tornadoes.

Lame Excuse #7: I was too busy planning our school year.

Lame Excuse #8: I was too busy watching Call the Midwife.

Lame Excuse #9: I was too busy comparing the Vitamix to the Blendtec.

Lame Excuse #10: I forgot.

My goal for August was to go through The Child's First Catechism with Mary and Maggie.  We started going through the questions and answers at the beginning of the summer but somehow ran out of steam.  I am ready to pick it up again this week!  

I was feeling pretty crummy about my progress, but then I noticed that my goal for September was to transfer Matthew and Jonathan to toddler beds.  YAY!  This goal, which I totally forgot about, has been completed for some time now!  The transition has not exactly been smooth sailing, but I think we finally have things figured out.  Nighttime usually goes really well, but naptime is tricky.  Left to themselves, the boys will talk to each other for a long time, like two hours, and then eventually fall asleep.  Then, they wake up groggy and famished and really, really grumpy!  So, I have found that it works best if I bring a book I am reading into their room and read silently until they fall asleep.  Whatever works, right?  

Update on 2013 Goals

Well, it's time for a confession.  I fell behind in meeting the goals I set back in December.  The goal I set for April was to plan our backyard landscape. I really don't know what I was thinking!  In April, I pretty much just tried to keep my head above water, but I did have lots of time to think about the backyard.  Every time I even thought about it, I got completely overwhelmed, so I suggested to David that we just pour concrete everywhere!  This idea was quickly vetoed!  So, we had two companies come out to give us estimates.  Both companies came up with the same solution, one would have cost $15,000 and the other $20,000!  YIKES!  I think we'll do it ourselves, thank you very much!  So, we have a rough plan, which is still awaiting approval from our homeowner's association. 

On the image below created in painstaking detail by David, the dark grey areas represent existing concrete, and the light grey areas represent where we will put pavers of some sort.  The green areas are raised beds for vegetables.  The blue areas are in ground planters.  Inbetween the raised beds, I am hoping for an area of plants that attract hummingbirds and an area of plants that attract butterflies.  All the kids' play equipment is going to go on the side of the house with grape vines and citrus trees behind it.  The only other plants we are 100 percent sure about are Western Redbud and Bougainvillea, both of which are attractive and drought tolerant:)  We also hope to invest in a patio table, a bbq, and a retractable awning for shade.  I think this is going to be a BIG summer project!


My goal for May was not so lofty: begin to teach Mary and Maggie how to play the piano. I started last week.  So, now I can declare my goals for April and May complete! 

Baby Josiah Is Here!

On Monday of this week, we welcomed our fifth child into the world.  His conception was a complete surprise and miracle, which you can read about here.  In light of this, we chose to name him Josiah, which means "God has healed."  Josiah was born on Monday, March 25, 2013, at 1:04 pm weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 21 inches long.  Certainly, he is the heavyweight of the Mobleys, weighing almost as much as Matthew and Jonathan combined at birth!

I always like to chronicle the birth of our children, so if you'd rather not read the gory details, you should stop reading this post now!  I was particularly excited about this birth experience because I was finally going to be able to deliver a baby at home!  I've always been a strong supporter of natural childbirth, simply because I believe God designed the birth process, and we don't ordinarily need to interfere with God's perfect design.  Women have been giving birth naturally for years, but the idea that birth is a medical emergency requiring medication and tools and monitors, etc. is a relatively recent concept.  These convictions are what led us to pursue a home birth.  (I will write another post at a later date about the benefits of a home birth from my perspective.)

And now for the gory details:
Palm Sunday marked the tenth day past my official due date, so many people at church wanted to know when, if ever, the baby would be evicted from the womb.  Good question.  At 42 weeks (Thursday), the midwives would have to try to induce labor, by breaking my water. On Sunday, I was content to wait a few more days.  Monday morning, I was not!  I woke up feeling incredibly uncomfortable after a not very restful night's sleep.  I think my first words to David that morning were, "I (sob) don't (sob) think (sob) I (sob) can (sob) make (sob) it (sob) until (sob) Thursday."  And, David, who knows me so well after almost twelve years of marriage said, "Well, let's just see what the midwife says at your appointment today, okay?"  We didn't even make it to that appointment.  I started to feel more pressure than normal just after breakfast, so I adjusted our schedule of Easter week activities and made resurrection rolls with Mary and Maggie, anticipating that I might be busy with a newborn later on.  By the time the rolls were out of the oven, I was sure that I was in real labor.  David's parents, who have been visiting for two and a half weeks eagerly waiting on this baby, arrived and took all the kids outside to pace up and down the cul-de-sac.  David paged the midwife on call and began to fill the birthing tub.

Mary and Josiah

The birth team arrived at about 10:30 am and found me already in the tub probably looking too comfortable.  The warm water had actually slowed down the contractions, so I got out and moved around a bit.  This got things moving again, and I really wanted to get back in the tub, but they encouraged me to keep moving and changing positions.  I walked.  I stood, leaning on the exercise ball.  I laid on my side.  I squatted.  I showered.  I vomited.  (I have to say that vomiting during labor is really unpleasant.  Your body is pushing up and down all at once!)  Finally, I got into the tub again with David sitting behind me.  Up until this point, I was apparently uncommunicative, so no one else even knew that I was continuing to have contractions.  I was praying a lot, silently, asking God to help me relax with each contraction and not to resist.  I was thanking him for the baby about to be born.  I was asking him for strength.  In the tub, I leaned against David and squeezed his hands every time I began to feel a contraction coming on.

Maggie and Josiah

I felt some really strong contractions, like I seriously thought my back was going to break.  I looked at the midwife and told her, "It feels like it's so out of control!"  She was so awesome and confidently assured me that I was safe and that I didn't need to be afraid.  Instantly, I knew it was time to push, so the labor assistant called for Mary and Maggie to come in.  They came in quickly, sat on our bed, and witnessed Josiah's birth.  I gave a really strong push (accompanied by really loud groans) and Josiah's head was out.  I rested.  I gave another really strong push (again accompanied by really loud groans) and he was born.  I cannot even describe the mixture of emotions at that point.  I was so happy to finally meet my baby boy.  I was thankful that God answered my prayers.  I also felt a big sense of relief that it was over and that my almost nine and a half baby was out of my body!

After spending a good bit of time cuddling with Josiah, who was not at all happy about being born, I moved from the tub to the bed and delivered the placenta.  Afterwards, the midwife quickly repaired two small tears and gave me a shot of pitocin in the leg because I had experienced excessive blood loss.
After cuddling with Josiah again for a good bit of time, the labor assistant helped me to take a shower, while the midwife examined Josiah and the placenta.  Josiah was born at 1:04 pm, and the birth team left our home around 2:30 pm.  We spent the rest of the day together as a family celebrating Josiah's birth in the comfort of our own home without the intrusion of  even well-meaning doctors and nurses.  And, my March goal is now complete!

Our midwife, Brooke, labor assistant, Ashlee, and Josiah

June's Goal: Complete photo albums for 2011 and 2012

Okay, so I was totally the student who started the project on the day it was assigned. So, I guess it's not surprising that it's the beginning of March and I have completed my goal for the month of June! Actually, I just got started going through the photos when David went gallivanting through Europe and couldn't stop until I finished. Many thanks to David for keeping the kids entertained while I worked on laying out the 2011 photos! This time around, I ordered the albums from Costco. We are pretty happy with the final product, although the binding did end up cutting off some of the photos. If we end up ordering our 2013 album through Costco, I'll just avoid the page layouts with lots of pictures to circumvent this problem. (In case you are wondering, we generally make one photo album for each year.)  The annual photo album is always one of those projects that I totally love once I get started, but getting started is a little difficult for me because it is such a huge task.  I am so glad that we are caught up, and I really plan to make every effort not to get this far behind again!

February's Goal: Watch David Install Ceiling Fans

Only nine days into February and I've already completed my goal for the month!  Yep, I sat on my bum and watched David install ceiling fans!  He did an excellent job, which one would expect since this is our third home and, hence, third set of fans.  Now we have ceiling fans in each of the three bedrooms and in the living room.  If I had my say in the matter, we'd also have fans in the kitchen and dining room, but the house was just not designed with that in mind.  What were they thinking, really?  They installed a sprinkler in the center of the dining room and a recessed light in the center of the kitchen.  I did take a picture of David hard at work, but it really didn't turn out, so you'll just have to take me at my word that this goal has really and truly been met:)  At some point in the future, I plan to post pictures of our house, so maybe you'll catch a glimpse of the finished product then!

January's Goal: Make a Blanket and Pillowcase

My goal for the month of January was to make a blanket and a pillowcase. This project was actually organized by our church. We are sending blankets, pillowcases and shoe money to an orphanage in Kenya, called Beloved International. As you may recall from when I made bibs for the boys out of old cloth diapers, sewing is not my strong suit, but I was really excited about this project.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to make something to help someone in need and also to expose the girls to the art of sewing.

Stephen and Jane Njoroge are the parents of this orphanage, which consists of their four biological children (two of which have the awesome names, Mary and Margaret) and fourteen adoptees.  You can read about all the children here.  Just reading the stories of each of the adopted children brought tears to my eyes.  There is so much sexual immorality that most of the children never knew who their father was. Most lost their mother to AIDS.  They lived in poverty.  They suffered sexual abuse.  One sibling group was even abandoned by their own father.  My heart breaks for the others like them in Kenya, who have not yet been adopted and are still suffering from abuse, neglect and poverty.  I thank God that he has given Stephen and Jane a heart for these children and is working through them to shine the light of the Gospel in the darkness.

We were asked to make a blanket for eleven year old Mary, one of the Njoroge children.  On Saturday, Mary, Maggie and I set out for Michael's with coupon and shopping list in hand.   We spent a good 15 minutes looking for the fabric in Michael's only to find out that Michael's doesn't even sell fabric!  There was a JoAnn's close by, so we went there, sadly without a coupon (a smartphone would have been helpful in this situation!)  After a lot of searching, we picked out two purplish flannel patterns and waited in line to have them cut.  My plan was just to do one pattern on one side and the other on the other side, but there wasn't enough of one of the patterns to do that, so we adjusted the plan a little.  (The girls were kind of tired of looking at fabric by this point.)  We also picked up some fabric paint and stencils and planned on painting Mary's name on white fabric for the middle of the blanket.

Well, I did try the fabric paint and it looked great, until I added some hearts around Mary's name and then it got wet and bled.  Forget the fabric paint idea.  Then, I came up with a plan to make somewhat of a quilt style blanket and stitch Mary's name in the center.  Once the top and bottom pieces were completed, I sewed three edges together and suddenly realized I didn't know how to do the last edge.  I thought hand-stitching would take me forever, and I just don't have very much patience for such things, so I ended up folding it over twice and sewing with the machine.  Voila!  My first ever blanket!

Now, the pillowcase was supposed to be a much simpler project.  Except that I had plenty of fabric, but not enough in the right dimensions.  I opted just to go out to JoAnn's for more fabric.  Guess what?  It was gone.  So, we drove all the way to a store in Orange to get the fabric (with coupon in hand, although by this time the fabric was on sale, so we couldn't use the coupon).  I ended up stitching Mary's name on white fabric and then sewed that on to the purple fabric.  I didn't want all of edges of the material to be exposed, though, so I used interlocking fell seams all around.  And voila!  My first ever pillowcase! 

My friend, Mandi, a.k.a. the crafty diva, used to say that everyone is creative because God is the Creator.  I have to say that I really think she is right.  Although this project turned out to be more difficult than I initially thought, I really enjoyed the creative process!  Please join me in praying for Mary and this orphanage as they seek to bring the light of Christ to the darkness in Kenya.  I owe my husband a big thank you for keeping the boys away from my sewing machine during this process!  That probably was just as difficult as making the blanket and pillowcase!