Five cool things:

ONE – Once again, Facebook has blessed me.  Or, I should say, God used the people using Facebook to bless me!  See, I teach Bible as part of a release time program at my son’s public school.  It’s a pretty cool gig.  I pick the kids up right after lunch, escort them off campus, teach them some Bible, then take them back to class and pick up the next class.  Our organization has “chapels” right next door to all of the public schools in town!  Anyway, the high school teachers came to our recent meeting to tell us about the need to purchase a bunch of new study Bibles for the high school students who have been seeking.  They cost $8 each, and we need to buy them in cases of 24 to get that price.  They had an immediate need for 30 Bibles, so of course they needed 2 boxes.

Well, I hopped onto Facebook the next morning and shared the need.  Right away, my Facebook friends started committing to partner with me to purchase Bibles!!  Two days later, I had checks, cash, and commitments to purchase exactly 30 Bibles!  Then, I shared the need at church and received even more cash and checks!  I can’t even tell you how blessed I was!!  Isn’t God amazing?  {sigh}  I just had to share.

TWO – I organized my recipes.  Yeah. I know.  BIG job.  First, I got rid of ALL of the cookbooks that I never used.  I made a copy of any recipes out of those cookbooks that I did use (um. just one.) and ended up with a HUGE box to take to Goodwill.  Next, I went through the two folders filled to the brim with recipes that I DO use on a regular basis.

It was a total mess.  Most of my recipes have been torn out of magazines or printed off the internet.  I love them.  I hated the mess.  I’ve been putting this off FOR.EV.ER.  Seriously.

My wonderful friend Pamela, who has a super fun Etsy store with awesome printables, had the PERFECT solution for my problem.  Now, my recipes look like this:

Pam’s printable has pretty dividers for each section of my binder.

No, it’s not perfect, but it is ABSOLUTELY perfect for me!  I love my new recipe book!  I feel peace!!  It’s crazy!  I totally recommend it!

THREE – I’ve been using Avocado Oil on my face instead of lotion lately.  I know, it’s a total granola mama thing to do.  Whatever.  SO, I tried it, and I LOVE the way it feels for the first couple of hours!  Only problem is that it dries my face out!  Can you believe that??  Maybe I’m in the newbie phase of using avocado oil on my face and this tightness will go away??  Anyone have any ideas?

FOUR – LEGO sent my son a letter! Grant gets the free LEGO magazine and he just pours over it whenever it comes.  He often builds something and then asks me to take a picture and send it in to the magazine.  I finally did it!  Imagine our surprise when we received a letter in the mail thanking him for his submission!  Another reason to love LEGO!

FIVE – I’m a total faker.  I was asked to donate some baked goods to a fundraiser cake walk. I told the gal, “I’m not much of a baker.” Lie.  Truth is that I don’t bake cookies or cakes because I’m the one who eats them.  I only bake breads (and biscotti), but she wanted cakes, etc.  I tried to say no, but the gal’s super sweet smile wouldn’t let me. I agreed to do it for a good cause. However, the baked goods were due today and I was way too pooped to bake anything last night. Solution?  Safeway. They had pudding rings on sale for $2.99.  Aw, yeah. SO, in true faker fashion, I popped over to the Dollar Store, grabbed some silver plates, curly ribbon and cellophane basket bags.  I took the cakes out of the store packaging and faked that I baked it. Know what? I’m totally okay with that.  That is where we get the phrase “faker the baker”, just in case you were wondering . . . (And, yes, I do use that phrase on a fairly regular basis.)

There ya go! The Friday Five!

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
The Friday 5: Jan 27 – FB blessings, pretty recipe book, Faker the Baker and more! is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

I’m picturing in my head the day we dressed Grant in a t-shirt that I made for him that said “Big Brother” and we took Mitch’s parents out to lunch.  We pulled Grant’s sweatshirt off of him to reveal our big news.  It was fun and cute and exciting.

I’m remembering Mother’s Day 2005, just weeks after our announcement.  Both of our families were at our house celebrating and pampering the moms and sitting around talking.  The subject of our new baby came up and I just froze up and choked up and teared up.  I had to tell everyone that I thought I might be having a miscarriage.  I experienced fresh grief in the midst of my profound joy at BEING a mom and looking at my sweet little boy who meant the world to me.

In the doctor’s office the next day, the kind physician’s assistant told us her stories of miscarriage and assured us that these things just happened, and we don’t know why, but God had a plan.  And I KNEW that, and I CLUNG to that as my only real lifeline.

God had a plan.

My precious Cole was his plan, and I will forever be grateful for God’s PERFECT plan.  His PERFECT timing.  I have marveled at that over and over and over as I have raised my boys.

And yet, today I feel like a mother of three.  I think about our little baby and what he or she might have been like.  I confess, I always think of our little baby as a boy.  What would he have looked like?  What would his personality have been like?

I look at my two precious boys and delight in their very different personalities.  I can’t believe that  they are so incredibly gorgeous. I’m surprised at how Grant looks exactly like Mitch and Cole looks so much like his uncle and neither one looks like me!    Would our third child have looked like me?

I feel a loss today.  For me, it feels like the loss of a dream.  I didn’t know our baby.  I didn’t have much of a chance to fall in love with him the way I feel such profound love for my boys.  And yet, he’s missing.  There is a hole in there, right between the boys.

Most of the time, I can approach our miscarriage with matter of fact directness.  I ate lunch with Grant a couple of weeks ago and he mentioned to his friends at the table that he had another brother that died in my tummy.  I didn’t feel a lurch in my heart.  It was just a fact, and I explained the facts to the boys who were curious.  I didn’t feel dread or pain or longing.

But today, I hurt.

I kind of hate hurting, because if we had not lost that baby, logistically we would not have Cole.  And, I would never ever in a million years give up Cole.  God’s plan is perfect.

And so, today my head is in the clouds and I hurt and I don’t want to hurt because I don’t want to diminish the joy of being my boys’ mom.  I want to go hug my boys and feel JOY at being their mama.  I want to look into Cole’s sweet little face and KNOW that he is my blessing, my gift, my Delight, and my “I love you” from God.

Today, instead of hurting, I’m going to choose to focus on God’s PERFECT plan.  I’m going to choose to find my joy.

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
A Mother of Three is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

This is my youngest and his best friend in the whole wide world.  They were on the same soccer team together this fall (a force to be reckoned with) and now they get to be on the same basketball team.  It’s a lot of fun to watch the two of them interact.  They are almost like brothers, since they spend so much time together at church (on Sundays and Wednesdays) and school and on Tuesdays when I teach Bible.  They are totally goofy together and count on one another for security in new or scary situations.  When they see one another, they immediately run to one another and latch on in relief.  It’s adorable.

Connor is just a couple months older than Cole and his mom and I have been good friends for years.  We told them we were pregnant with Cole (they were some of the first to know) and they looked at one another and confided that they were pregnant with Connor, too!  It was a fun day!

I’m so happy my son has such a true friend!

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
Little Boys and Basketball is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

1.  I must say that I am so incredibly thankful for OhLife.  Remember I told you about it last week?  Well, I just typed “1.” and sat here for a good 3 minutes trying to think of something to start my list off with.  WHAT did I do this week?  Am I really that boring?  Then, I remembered that I could go back to OhLife and re-read my past posts to jog my memory.  YAY!  I have my brain back!  Yes, OhLife is awesome.

2.  I’ve been thinking a lot about tithing (giving money to God).  Our very young youth pastor preached an incredible sermon last Sunday about tithing and he shared some statistics about our church and the giving that goes on.  The stats are nothing new and they are not surprising, and they are certainly not unique to our church, but essentially less than half of our “giving units” (married couples, singles, families) ever give anything.  He didn’t elaborate much, but I know from listening to online sermons (one of my favorite things to do while hanging out at home) that of those less than half that give, an even smaller percentage gives more than $100 a YEAR, which leaves a tiny fraction of the giving population who gives a tithe amount (10% of income) to the church.  Why does the church need money? Well, to keep the lights on, for one thing.  Plus, there is the paying of the pastors and staff, not to mention the incredible outreach our church does (children’s programs, family nights, food baskets, etc).  Like I said, my church is not unique.  LOTS of churches are doing Kingdom work.  What is frustrating to me is how many people come to church on Sunday and take and take (dropping their kids off in our incredible kids’ program, attending adult electives, etc) and never give back so that more people can be reached.

In short:  I wanted to share an idea that my husband and I have been doing for a few years now.  We give automatically through automatic payments we have set up through our bank’s online bill-pay.  We take our tithe amount off the top of the budget and give it RIGHT AWAY, because it was never ours and we don’t want to count on it as part of our budget. EVERYTHING that has been entrusted to us by God IS God’s, not ours.  The amazing thing is that when we are faithful in giving, God blesses us, just like he says he will.  The bills get paid, the debt get paid off, the envelopes are filled.

I’m excited and challenged to give more to the Kingdom in 2012.  It’s definitely a step of faith, but I just know that God will come through for us if we are willing to give him our first fruits! I’m excited!!

3.  I’m feeling organic again.  This doesn’t happen terribly often, but every once in a while I get the organic bug.  I change little things in our diet to introduce more natural foods.  Not that I feel like I feed my family unnatural food.  I guess I just like to be weird every once in a while and do something new.  I’ve gotten into the habit of making my own feta cheese, my own yogurt, hummus from scratch, soaked beans of all kinds, my own pita bread, bagels, and pretty much everything baked (although I do love those Safeway bakers who provide my son’s sandwich bread).  I do this because I enjoy it, not because I have weirdly strong convictions on the subject.

This month, I’m trying to use my little stash of coconut oil more often (trying to get into the habit of subbing it for veggie oil – in my biscotti) and I just bought my first Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.  My hysterical (in real life) friend Ashley did a blog post about getting back to her pre-preganancy (absolutely gorgeous) self and she sited the miracle powers of Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with “the mother”, whatever that means).  I bought some.  HONESTLY, I’ve only had a couple of teaspoons, and I’d rather drink straight from the spoon rather than mixing in water. I don’t know if that is the right thing to do to get my “I’ve-gained-10-lbs-since-October” weight off, but hey, it’s something.  (And, no, I’m not kidding about the 10 lbs.  And, no, I haven’t been running, but all that changes on MONDAY.  Promise. Stalk me. Hold me accountable. I need to lose this muffin top.)

If you want a FREE $10 credit (off a $10 purchase, so you only pay shipping) to Vitacost, the online store where I bought my vinegar (plus they have vitamins and grains and all kind of granola-girl-type stuff), click on my referral link!  I get $10 when you claim your $10, so we both win! I’m saving up, because my friend (IRL) Alysun did a blog post about her favorite things, which included Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and some salt thingies that I’d like to buy next.  Because we are weird like that.  I really like my IRL (in real life) friends!

By the way, since I’m feeling organic, I’ll be making cheese and yogurt and hummus and pitas and bagels and bread this week. Because I’m inspired.

4 – I love my friends!!  Here’s the deal:  I’m one of those people who is a natural introvert (I like peace and quiet and solitude and don’t-talk-to-me-because-I-might-clam-up-or-say-something-stupid), HOWEVER, I know that God calls us to be in the world, so I know that I have to fight my natural tendencies to RUN to my car right after ladies Bible study (although I haven’t quite conquered that one, yet) and actually develop friendships with other women.  That being said, I’m so grateful for those friendships that have developed over the years that are REAL and natural and imperfect and raw and trustworthy.  I long for those friendships, yet they are few and far between (to my chagrin).

My friend Chauntel visited me this week! I love her. Truly.  We had our first babies within months of one another (Brooklyn was born in April and Grant was born in July 2003) and we shared a fence in our little neighborhood in Newberg, Oregon (home of the George Fox Bruins- hooyah).  We attended the Thursday morning mom’s group at the hospital (a lifesaver for this freaked out new mama) and had a little Bible Study at Chauntel’s house (which actually started as a result of a candle party at my house!).  Chauntel (and our friend Sarah) and I are the kind of friends that you can catch up with in seconds after months or even years of not seeing one another.  She’s a sticky friend.  I’m never letting her go.  I wish she lived next door, and I wish I made SEEING HER a priority.  And, I wish I could develop this kind of friendship with more women. But, I’m nervous and scared.  And, I really need to get over that.

I write this to remind myself and encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and make DEEP friends.  I still feel like I’m lost and alone most of the time here in my hometown, and yet, I just KNOW that there are ladies I can count on to help me and support me if I called on them.  I WANT to call on them more often.  I need to, because I need to share my heart more often.  I need to step out of my comfort zone and develop these friendships.

5 – Date nights rock. Seriously.  I went on a date with my hubby last night and it was SO much fun to spend time in relaxing conversation with my husband with NO distractions or interruptions.  Except for the time the pizza arrived.  And then the movie started.  And we watched Bella and Edward and Jacob and laughed kinda hysterically at the weird movie (although, yes, I’m embarrassed to admit that I did read the books and actually enjoyed them and I did see this same movie before Christmas with some friends . . . I’ve grown up since then. Don’t judge.)  Ahem.  Yes, the date was fun.  Plus, it was a great reminder that I need to have more eye-to-eye conversations with my hubby.  By the way, if you are ever in the McMinnville area, try 3rd St. Pizza and the Moonlight Theater.  VERY fun date night.  Thanks Groupon!

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
The Friday Five (Saturday Edition): On Tithing, Organic, and Friendship – January 13th is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

1. In 2012, I am going to Work Smarter, Not Harder!  Let me explain:  There are some things that a woman has to do all by herself and some things she can delegate.  For example, I am the only one who can be the mama who loves and cuddles my kids.  I am the only Kelleigh who can be a wife to Mitch.  I am the only one who can write my thoughts down on my blog.  Get the picture?  But, someone else can clean my bathrooms, thus freeing up time to play with my kids and make memories with them before it’s too late.  Someone else can score, fold, glue, and laminate the cash envelopes I cut out so that my evenings are free to enjoy time with my husband.  It is hard to let go of some of those tasks that I have clung to for so long, but the relief I feel is immeasurable!  I feel like I have a little more control of my life!  {sigh}

2- I’m also going to try really, really hard not to be so cheap.  For example:  I’ve been wanting to corral my bagged up dry goods in my pantry for quite some time.  I’ve been coveting a set of clear, square canisters for a few years now, always asking for them for Christmas.  Well, another Christmas went by with no canisters, so I finally went to the store and bought them myself.  A whopping $36 later, I now have a pretty, clean, and organized pantry.  Makes me wonder why I was being so cheap!!  I’ll still be smart about money, but I do want to allow myself a little grace.

3 – I’ve discovered Oh Life.  It’s an online diary that emails you at the end of each day and asks, “So, how was your day today?”  You reply back with your answer (I tell about my day) and they keep a record for you on their website!  I think this is going to be very valuable to me as I try to keep a better record of the everyday life of my family.

4 – Which brings me to the next thing on my mind: scrapping.  I’m excited about a new blog called Tell Your Story Every Day.  It just started, but it is already motivating me to get back to scrapping and telling about the little things in the life of our family.  Some months go by when we are SO busy that I forget to take any pictures or record any words, and yet so much happened.  It’s quite a shame!  I urge each of you to read this first post from the blog and consider telling your story, too!

5 – I have discovered Biscotti.  I’ve made it twice now, not really, but kinda, but not really very much, following a recipe.  I’m almost out, so I’ll make it again soon and post a recipe (or at least a kinda recipe that you can sorta follow or not).

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
The Friday Five: January 6th is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

Yesterday, I was thinking about 2011, otherwise known as the year that flew by, and decided I’d do a super-quick recap just to record that SOMETHING(S) happened, even though I don’t have many digital layouts to show for it.  It’s sad when I go back to my pictures to see what happened and there are 10 pictures for the entire month.  And, they are dumb and blurry.  UGH.  Must remedy.  Thank goodness for my blog, my purse calendar and Facebook to fill in the details!

January:

• We finally decorated Cole’s bedroom with “new” furniture, painted pieces, a lamp and a more grown up feel.  We spent less than $25, and it finally feels like a big boy room.  He even keeps it clean sometimes!
• Family Math night at Grant’s school.  Always fun!
• Broke our microwave and had to pay through the nose for a new one that would fit the space. Grr. No more built-in microwaves!
• I opened up my Etsy shop on January 28th and sold 4 envelope sets in 3 days. I discovered that I should have done this sooner!

February:

• My mom visited my brother and his wife up in Tacoma, so we took a little trip up and spent some time with them.  Had a blast!!
• I stood up and spoke at my church introducing Bible in 90 Days.  We began reading at the end of the month (Feb 27).
• Mitch hunted quite a bit!
• We spent the day at a camp near the coast.  Mitch worked on an Ornithology project while the boys played a lot of ping-pong and I read a book.  It was actually quite relaxing, plus we enjoyed the beauty of the snow!
• We went to a Blazer game – box seats and catered dinner!  I love that stuff!

March:

• My computer died at the end of February, so I HAD to buy a new (refurbished), gorgeous, sleek Powerbook Pro!  LOVE it, still.
• Family Literacy Night at Grant’s school.  We love it!
• Jog-a-thon at Grant’s school.  This time I was actually dressed appropriately (in running clothes rather than jeans and Crocs)!
• Mitch’s Tillamook trip with GFU.
• Grant competed in that Awana games thing.  I’m pretty sure they won.  He thought it was fun!
• Sports Camp with our church during Spring Break.  Grant did soccer and had fun!  I stayed home with Cole.
• Mitch and I went to The Benson in Portland to celebrate our Anniversary (Nov 22) and his birthday (March 25).  I bought a Groupon, which was awesome.  This is the same hotel we stayed at on our wedding night!  The room was gorgeous, too!  We walked around downtown, ate at the food carts, then walked some more!  The next day, we were heading out of town when we saw Manu Ginobli (basketball player for the Spurs, I think) buying coffee.  Mitch jumped out and got a picture with him!  People on Facebook thought they looked like brothers!  I think they might be the same height and both have big noses.  My man is MUCH more handsome, though.
• My parents came to visit.  OH, how I wish they lived closer!!  We love their visits!
• I sewed a bunch of little clutches. So cute!

April:

• We attended our church’s marriage seminar. For some reason, we love that kind of thing! 
• Grant started his soccer games for the Spring Soccer league.  Mitch stepped in as coach after the first couple of games when it became clear that he needed to!  Mitch is such a great coach. Truly gifted!  Grant keeps improving every new season, and he is definitely the best on the team.  It is such a treat to watch him play (and score!).
• Grant ran in the Dragon Run again, and is unofficially the fastest 7 year old in Dallas.  Unofficially.
• Mitch went to Malheur with the GFU class.
• I went to Women’s Retreat.

May:

• Grant had his walking field trip around Dallas.
• I took a cheese making class (and have made Feta cheese 2 times now!).
• We started the New Testament in our B90 challenge.
• Mitch went on Cole’s field trip to the Dairy.
• I flew to Texas, hopped in my parents’ car to caravan with my brother’s family and my sister’s family to Kansas.  Watched my baby brother get married. Drove back to Texas and flew back to Oregon.  It was a really fun time!
• Cole had his last day of school.
• We went on a hike to the Valley of the Giants.
• Finished B90!!

June:

• Grant had his last soccer game of the season.
• Grant had his last day of school.
• We took the boys to the Drive-In to see Kung Fu Panda 2.  LOVED it! (Own it on BlueRay, now!)
• Celebrated Cole’s 5th birthday!
• Celebrated Father’s Day by getting up in front of my church to talk about my Dad.  Major hit!
• Had Vacation Bible School at church.  Always tons of fun!  I got to be Grant’s teacher this time!
• The boys started Track and Field.
• Processed 40 lbs. of strawberries. Or, maybe it was 30 lbs.  I don’t know.  It was a lot!
• Celebrated MY birthday by going wine tasting with Mitch!  It was such a lovely day!
• Took the boys to see Cars 2 at the Drive in with Mitch’s whole family (parents and brother’s fam).  What a wonderful memory!
• VBS picnic, BBQ at Mitch’s supervisor’s house and Rotary Induction banquet happened Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.  Yeah, we were busy!
• Mitch went rafting with some buddies and had a great time.

July:

• I enjoyed lots of garage sales this month!!  In fact, there is still evidence of my garage sale addiction out in the garage!
• Celebrated 4th of July!  We always have a good time with friends.
• We celebrated Grant’s 8th birthday with a slumber party. I was pretty nuts, but they had a lot of fun!
• Mitch and I started Bible in 90 Days again!  We sure do love a challenge!
• We took the boys to the Library events at the park each week.  A couple of times, the boys opted for crawdad fishing instead.  We did a LOT of crawdad fishing in July and August.
• Had a couple of play-dates.
• The boys continued with track practice, and had a track meet in the middle of the month.
• Enjoyed a visit by my brother and his family.
• Mitch’s brother and his family left for Jordan (the whole other country) for 2 years.
• My parents and youngest sisters came for a visit.  We did a lot of BBQs, lots of relaxing, and lots of laughing.
• The boys attended Hoop Camp.  Cole got a ton of ribbons and is pretty sure he is an incredible basketball player.  Grant is pretty sure he won’t be going in 2012.  Apparently his personality is a lot like Mitch’s:  He has to be the best, or he doesn’t want to do it.  He does not enjoy basketball at this point in his life. SO sad for this mama!
• The boys got to go to the new water park at Evergreen Aviation with Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Dad and the aunts.  Mom, Grandma and I went shopping!
• Summerfest.  OY!  Always a good time.  Always super busy and tiring for Mitch.

August:

• Cole went to VBS at EBC.  Grant went on day 2.  Not really his thing.
• We went camping at Trask River Campground (one of our favorites), however, apparently Mitch had walking pneumonia.  Whoops!  We still had a great time, even if we did pop the big air mattress and freeze.
• The boys attended soccer camp.  LOVED it, of course!
• Mitch had his 20 year high school reunion, and it ended up being SO much fun!!  The boys still talk about it!
• Grant went to Kid’s Camp, which was his first overnight camping experience without mom and dad.  UGH.  It still makes my heart hurt!!  BUT, he did have an amazing time and is SO excited to go in 2012.
• I actually finished one of my garage sale projects: reupholstering two chairs.
• I was featured at The Daily Digi again!  Always a good thing!
• We ate LOTS of smoothies since I discovered that I could fit a mason jar on my blender!!  Good thing, because I also processed 80 lbs. of peaches!! 

September:

• The boys started school!  We like our boys’ teachers, which is always a good thing.
• I started teaching Bible at my son’s public school!  It’s a time release thing that requires parent approval, and it actually happens OFF campus (next door), but it’s also amazing and incredibly rare.  I feel honored to be teaching these kids about Jesus!
• Mitch and I met Angela from Frugal Living NW at the Micheal W. Smith/Amy Grant “Friends” concert up in Portland.  Really fun!
• We went yurting with my brother and his wife.  It rained the whole time, but we still had fun because we stayed in a yurt!  HA!  On the way home, we stopped by the Tillamook Cheese Factory (of course) for some cheese and ice cream, then we stopped at a salmon ladder to watch the salmon run upstream!  It was CRAZY.
• Speaking of salmon – Mitch caught some on his annual fishing trip.
• My brother and his family hosted their youngest son’s birthday party at our house!
• We painted the house!

October:  (this is where my blogging REALLY slacked off!)

• We finished B90 for the second time this year!
• We went to Vegas for a convention and took the boys.  We decided that we don’t really like Vegas: too expensive, too dirty, no place to sit, etc.  BUT, we actually did make some fun memories while there.  We lost our oldest son, watched Don Henley (Eagles) in concert, got up close to Mater and Lightin’ McQueen, stayed at Caesar’s Palace and spent a lot of time at Paris.  Watched the water show at the Bellagio a couple of times.  WALKED a lot.  Hung out by the gorgeous pool at Caesar’s (favorite day).  Saw the lions at MGM, toured the M&M store (too expensive), ate escargot, and the boys enjoyed the first airplane ride that they remember!  Okay, okay.  Looking back, it was awfully fun!
• I processed 250lbs of apples (mostly applesauce, but some dried and some apple pie filling).
• I went to Women of Faith.  It was a lot of fun!  We saw Mandisa perform and Selah and Andy Williams, plus all the regular ladies.
• We picked up our giant pumpkin from my grandparent’s house and went to the pumpkin patch a couple of times.  Grant got to go with Cole’s class, and Mitch went with Grant’s class.
• Mitch and I got to go to the Journey concert.  EEEEK!  I still can’t believe that one!!  Let me say it again. We got to go to a Journey concert!  Eeek!  Read more about that here.
• The boys started soccer and I discovered that Cole is an amazing soccer player, just like his brother and his dad!  My boys dominated.
• We went to movie night at Grant’s school.
• I volunteered at both boys’ Harvest Parties and we went to Harvest Town at church!

November:

• Mitch had his Fall Planning Conference.
• Grant had a TON of days off from school due to budget cuts.  I went a little crazy.
• Mitch and I celebrated 14 years of marriage!
• We went to California for Thanksgiving with my older sister’s family and had such a wonderful time!  I can’t wait to see them again this summer.

December:

• We went to movie night at Grant’s school.
• We had Mitch’s office retreat at the coast.
• The boys performed in the Christmas play at church.  Cole was ADORABLE as a little lamb.  He had two lines: “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a sacrifice!  What about you, Baa Baa?”  So cute!!  Grant decided that he is too cool for Christmas plays.  HA!  Poor child had to wear one of those white choir shirt thingies that look terribly girly!  PLUS, he didn’t bother to learn any of the songs, so he stood up there with his hair all tweaked out singing “Watermellon”.  I cracked up!
• We had a visit from my little sister who is going to school in Oklahoma.  It was such a treat to be able to spend some time with her!  She helped us pick out our Christmas tree!
• We went up to my other sister’s house in Washington to spend time with more family!  Grant decided that he is too cool to sit on Santa’s lap.  Again. I crack up!
• We had a couple of Christmas parties: Bible, small group, Cole’s class.
• And then, school was out and we just relaxed!!  We ended up going up to Mitch’s parents’ house and spent the night on Christmas Eve.  We spent all day on Christmas Day at their house and left on Monday.  It was really very relaxing!
• We went to a New Year’s Eve party at a friend’s house where we played games and talked with 3 other couples and TONS of kids.  The kids were so excited that they got to stay up past midnight! 

AND THAT was our 2011.

I’m sure I forgot some things, but WHEW, it’s nice to have that all summed up!

Now, I can move on to 2012!

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
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Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
2011 in Review is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

Isn’t that just incredible?  I mean, you think you love the person you are going to marry more than any other person/thing on the entire planet on the day that you stand before your friends and family in a gorgeous white dress (the skinniest you will ever be).  You can’t imagine loving anyone more.  And then, you find out your lover is human and imperfect.  Once you get over that (and mature a little), you learn to love his faults (while gritting your teeth) and you figure out how well you compliment one another.  He is so much better at some things than I am, and I am better at others.

Life, over fourteen years of marriage, is full of ups and downs, highs and lows.  You ride the roller coaster together, unwilling to let go of one another’s hand.  Clinging to his hand, actually.  Because getting off the ride is not an option . . . it will only result in destruction (and lots of tears and perhaps a bloody mess).

Then, one day, not suddenly, but gradually, you feel a different hand in your own – the Heavenly Father’s hand. You look across and see your husband holding that hand as well.  The roller coaster isn’t so scary with a third person in the seat with you, with his arms around both of your shoulders drawing you together.  In fact, it is more exciting than scary.

This is our story!  Oh, how I love my husband.  I can’t imagine going through life without him.

I recently listened to a wonderful sermon preached on marriage.  The pastor quoted some statistics that really got me thinking.  Most divorces occur in the first 7 years of marriage.  In fact, according to the dude, years 5-7 are the worst.  Why do you think there is something called “the 7 year itch”?  The first 5-7 years of marriage are the most difficult years, as you are learning about one another, facing challenges and obstacles together (or apart?) and learning more about how the other person deals with strain. The interesting thing is that those who get divorced in the first 7 years of marriage usually remarry . . . and then they have to go through the terrible first 5-7 years of marriage all over again.

As I thought back to our first 7 years of marriage, there were certainly ups and downs.  We had a lot of fun in our pre-kid days, living lots of adventures together.  I loved those days, but they were not easy, that’s for sure.  We both grew up considerably as we learned how to treat one another.

Then, our first child was born at year 6 and I became a stay at home mom (a huge transition), and at the same time my husband switched careers.  It was HARD. It’s still difficult to think about those days, because it brings back the stressful and anxious feelings.  I had NO idea what I was doing with this sweet, precious bundle of boy that I loved with every fiber of my being.  I didn’t have any family close by to give me 10 minutes away from him so I could unwind and relax a little, and my husband was working long hours, often out of state for weeks at a time.  I experienced postpartum depression with a smile on my face and a freaked out look in my often teary eyes.  Of course, no one knew about this except my husband who, bless his heart, was also trying to hold it together as he tried to soothe his wife while experiencing the stress of a new job.

Those years of baby, miscarriage, anxiety, another baby and starting a new business (and the unbelievable stress associated with that) were the worst.  Those were our years 6 through 9.  We like to mess with statistics.  Of course, you never would have known how much we were struggling, because we are quite private people (with a blog! Yeah, I know!).  We smiled a lot.  Everything was just fine.  It was great.  Life was good.  If you say it often enough, you begin to believe it, right?  (Side note: I do believe very strongly that smiling is better than frowning and that there is power in positive thinking and that no one likes a whiner.  Imagine how much worse things would have been if I had complained to everyone I knew!  Yikes!  My marriage would NOT have survived that.)

BUT, we got through it.  We focused on God, which is something we should have worked harder on in our pre-kid days, right?

And then, for some reason, in year 10 or so, God decided to bless us by giving us back those often elusive wedding day feelings of bliss.  Oh, it’s true that those feelings came and went over the years, but I’m believing that they are here to stay.

My husband loves me.  He really, really, truly loves me.  I can’t imagine life without him.  I can’t imagine giving up all that we have fought for over the years.  I can’t imagine wasting those memories on divorce.  LIFE has happened with my husband by my side.  Children have been born to us: our precious boys who complete our family in amazing ways.

If your marriage is struggling, CLING to your husband.  CLING to God and seek him together.  Work through this time and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Marriage is not easy, but it is so worth it.  It takes hard work, but it is so rewarding.

(Layout credits: Photos by Kellie Parry Photography, Time Well Spent by Elise’s Pieces)

Happy Anniversary month, my dear Mitchell Grant.  I’d do it all over again.

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
14 years of Marriage: Time Well Spent is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

I have a dream that one day I will be the kind of mom who has a decorating bin for each season of the year: Snowflakes and snowmen for January and February, shamrocks and leprechauns for March, flowers and bunnies for April and May, etc.

I am not that mom.  However, I really would love to be that mom.

I have a ton of great ideas!  Really, I do!

The problem lies in the execution of these great ideas.  It just doesn’t happen.

Until today.

Today The Krazy Coupon Lady linked to this pretty photo from A Place for Us:

I read the tutorial to make those paper flowers and I thought, “Hey!  I have paper bags! I can do that!”

And I did.

And it took me about 10 minutes to do 3 big flowers.

And it was totally fun and got my creative juices flowing!!

I came up with this:

Ah!  There is SOMETHING on my entry wall!  So much better than the nothing I had there after giving the chalkboard to my friend!  It looks much better in her house. 

This is a dresser that I picked up at a garage sale about 12 years ago for $40 and painted.  I had great intentions of taking the bat signal hardware off and replacing it with something cooler, but that has never happened.  Oh, well!  It needs to be repainted now anyway, so ONE DAY when I have the motivation, I will paint this dresser and switch the hardware.  For now, it works for me, and it holds a ton of STUFF.

I bought the vase at a garage sale for 10¢ (it’s chipped) and the wooden tray was $1 (it needs to be painted).  The pretty little picture of the fall tree was handmade by my youngest. Both boys donated their pumpkin patch loot: the Indian corn and the little gourds.

Then, I saw that Frugal Living NW linked to this Thankful Tree from Simply Vintage Girl, and I love the idea!

I think I’ll look through my stash of paper and start punching!  Wouldn’t little thankful notes look cute on my little branches?  I think I need more branches, though.  I’ll be on the lookout!!

Ah, yes.  There’s nothing like recycling the pumpkin decor and taking it into the Thanksgiving season!

Who knows? Maybe I am closer to being that mom than I think!

Did you switch out your decor today?  How do you transition into the Holiday season??

OH, and have you started listening to Christmas carols, yet?  I certainly have!!  LOVE IT!

A sincere thank you to my current sponsors!
International Family Services - Adoption Services

Keeping Life Creative - unique art prints on Etsy

JeniLu Scraps - handmade wristlets, bags & wallets on Etsy

Bluebird Chic - hand sewn camera straps on Etsy

Visit my new Etsy shop to purchase cash envelopes!
Paper Bag Flowers! is a post from: Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs