Zivah Finds Her Voice

Util

Util (you'-tl) adj. 1. the epitomy of being useful and practical 2. describing one who greatly values the useful and practical things of life

It is a word that a friend of mine came up with. When I registered for a step stool for my wedding, she bought it for me, because, who else would register for a step stool but me?

Which brings me to squash.

I never used to like squash. Even though my mother swore it was 'just like candy,' I never could agree. Something about the texture of a chunk of squash just made me gag.

Fast forward twenty years. Enter butternut squash soup. I discovered a recipe that is easy, good, and in the process of pureeing, changes the texture. I also found out that winter squash is one of those vegetables that 'keeps,' meaning that if I store it in a cool place, it won't rot for months. How fantastic is that? AND (I am so proud of myself) I was able to puree some leftover squash, freeze it in ice cube trays, and fed Zivah her first bit of veggies today with a cube of it.

So I have put squash on my highly honored 'util' list along with onisies, step stools, and boots.

The Joy of Christmas

One of the days that I went shopping, I took Finley along with me, hoping that she could help me pick out some of the gifts we were giving that year. Of course, at the ripe old age of four, she didn't understand the concepts of budgeting or appropriateness, so I found myself saying repeatedly: 'That costs too much,' or '[So-and-so] wouldn't really want a [random item, like a curtain rod], Sweetie.'

She finally picked out a few items that were do-able. For Chris she found a little frog on a key chain that said 'ribbit' and shone an LED when you pressed a button. Of course, when we got home, she immediately tried to tell Chris what she got him, but I managed to quiet her in time. I let her wrap it, and made sure to let Chris know, lest he throw out what looked like a small wad of wrapping paper.

A few days later, when I wasn't around, she let the cat out of the bag. Apparently, she didn't realize she had ruined a surprise, as was evident Christmas morning.

This was (by far) my favorite moment of the holiday: Finley handing Chris his wad of a present, jumping up and down and laughing with the excitement of giving...

Z5

Zivah is just over 5 months old. At her doctors appointment a few weeks ago, she weighed in at 15 pounds. She doesn't laugh much yet, but smiles easily. She has gotten better at reaching out and taking a hold of things, including my hair and her left foot.

In order to keep her from waking me up several times a night, I've started feeding her rice cereal in the evenings. That's helped a bit, but I have to say that the stuff coming out her other end isn't as pleasant.

Here are a few of my favorite recent shots of the kids.

Decorating for Christmas

We don't have a Christmas tree in our house. We have a Christmas catctus. Well, we have two of them. One is the blooming sort (which I have messed up this year by leaving in the kitchen where the lights are on too much to put it into the blooming mood), and the other is our five foot cactus that spends its summers on the front porch.

The first year I decorated the cactus was the year before we were married. I strung white lights on it, draped it in red tinsel, and the only ornaments on it were red and white striped candy-canes. I cut out a cardboard star and spray it with metallic paint, and stuck it to the tallest 'branch' with a piece of wire. I loved it. It was simple. It was me.

Six years later, I have lost control. Gone are the classy white lights. Last year, my husband insisted on colored lights. Gone are the simple candy canes. Now the cactus is covered with countless hand-painted or hand-strung ornaments the kids have made. Some of them are downright ugly.

But, hey. I'm a mom, and letting my kids make a mess of our cactus is part of the joy of Christmas.

Letting Go

Sometimes you have to let go of something in order to free your hand up for what you really need.

I have attended the same church for the 10+ years I've been in Nashville. I've watched it grow from a group of about 100 meeting in what seemed like a cavernous gymnasium to another renovated gym where not every one can find a seat on a Sunday. Ten years ago, it wasn't hard to learn every one's names. Now, I don't know the names of 80% of the people there. I am what I would consider an extremely loyal sort, and don't like change a whole lot. That said, it was difficult for me to consider a change of venue after struggling for months to attend the church where we no longer were sure we belonged.

God had been talking to me about the importance of family and cultivating the relationships that were close at hand. A desire was brewing to find community closer to home. And God was also talking to me about not desire things of the past but turning my heart to the things meant for the current season.

I had visited the church that one of my brothers and his family had recently started attending, and finding that another of my good friends went there as well, we decided to give it a whirl as a family. The first miracle came when Joe just wandered into the nursery without a sign of anxiety. We found our seats next to my brother and his family, and as I sat in the service, the morning sunshine streamed through the high, arched windows of the former convent, one of my favorite hymns was strummed out on an acoustic guitar, and I was overwhelmed by peace.

Ice Cream

We have a serious ice cream habit at our house.
I think we buy about 3 cartons a week.

I used to get on Chris' case about the amount of ice cream we consume, and even suggested we cut back a bit.

Then I discovered Chocolate Almond Indulgence by Private Selections. (You can buy it at Kroger.) It contains chocolate covered almond bits in chocolate ice cream. Yum.

I haven't been suggesting the cutbacks anymore. Thankfully, we practice self-control and restrain ourselves by serving our ice cream up in small bowls, and eating it with smaller spoons, no more than once a day.

Judgement

I really like those courtroom shows like 'The People's Court' and 'Judy Judy'. Perhaps a little too much. There is something about judges having authority to tell people like it is and the people having to keep their mouths shut and listen. I have noticed, however, that rarely do you see someone walk out of the courtroom with a change of heart.

'Judge not, lest you be judged.'

I had a little insight into this the other day... Looking at the life of Jesus in the gospels, you do see him speak in judgement of someone a few times. I got to thinking about that, and it dawned on me that there were only certain circumstances in which he did.

First, he 'judges' those that were judging others. Most obvious are the self-righteous, religious teachers. Nearly every encounter with the Pharisees and Sadducees he ends up calling them something nasty as they try to point out some fault or another. He doesn't talk very nicely to them, either. He is a bit more gentle with people like Martha (Mary ought to be doing so and so), because he knows their hearts are open to his correction. This is more along the lines of 'speaking the truth with love'.

The only instance I can think of where Jesus just loses it and points the condemning finger, as it were, was in the temple when he knocks over the money changers tables. I guess he didn't have so much grace for those that purposefully take advantage of others.