The peonies -the best- are getting ready to bloom.  I love the buds almost as much as the flowers.  Little green strawberries are hidden by the delicate white petals.  Our front-step planter is filled with FLOWERS rather than spruce tips and dogwood branches.

This year we've found new-found freedom while working in the yard thanks to the addition of a trampoline in the back of the yard and a gate that keeps them out of the neighboring yards.

A short distance from the trampline is a little clearing in the middle of a big jumble of volunteer trees and plants called "the hideout".  And did I mention the gate that keeps them in our yard?  Huge peace of mind!

And the biggest sign of new life around here...

I'm almost 19 weeks pregnant with a baby girl- or so the ultrasound seems to indicate.  For some reason I'm having trouble believing it.  Wachholz Child #4 is expected to make an appearance in mid-October.  Praise the Lord and give me strength!

I've heard this saying- and its variations- a lot.  How true.  I think back a month... Hawaii seems like years ago, but what has happened in the meantime?  Time is flying, yet each day seems to last forever.  And what is filling that time?

Sometimes I think back to my first blog, started in 2007, lasting only a couple of months.  Sometimes I wish that I would have kept at it consistently.  It would be a trip to look back over my life and times back then, and how different they are from now!

I waiver back and forth in this whole blogging thing.  Why am I doing it?  To sell something?  To keep friends and family up-to-date?  To give others ideas or instruction?

I think I'm finally figuring it out.  I want a record for myself.  To see where I've been, where I (think) I'm going, remember the little things that slip my mind.  Mainly for myself and my family.  But if anyone else wants to know, that's great too.

I'm back!  I've been back for a few days, but I'm only beginning to feel recovered.  My first trip to Hawaii was a success.

I am naturally someone who is constantly seeking to apply life lessons I've gained.  My brain has been processing like crazy, figuring out the positives from my Hawaii trip and how I can bring them to my every day life. 

There are several lessons I learned.

1.  Vacations to beautiful places only reinforce the beauty of my every-day life.  I am not a well-travelled person by the standards of many people.  On doing some research on travel before the trip, I came across message boards and blog comments of people who have been around the world, taken trips to Asia "over 100 times", and fly every week.  I have only been out of the United States once, and that was on foot into Tijuana.  I've only taken about ten other trips by airplane in my 33 years.  I consider myself a travel novice.

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting when we arrived in Honolulu.  From our hotel room on the 36th floor, one block from Waikiki Beach, I watched the sunset on the first night.  I had heard that the sunsets in Hawaii were amazing.  It is true.  But I also learned that EVERY DAY I watch a beautiful sunrise over the nature center behind our back yard, painting the sky with even more color than I was witnessing in Hawaii. 

On a drive through the island and up to the North Shore, I actually kept thinking I was in Northern California.  I don't live there anymore, but it was my home for nine years of my life.  Although Oahu was much warmer, the scenery was so familiar.  It reminded me of the blessing I had in living in such a beautiful place for a period in my life.

The last main area where beauty in my daily life became apparent was in seeing and being around my children again.  After only four and a half days of being apart, my appreciation and patience for my three loves has grown dramatically.  Just to hold them in my arms gives me a renewed sense of wonder that God has entrusted these lives to ME, and I love them dearly.

Which leads me to my next lesson.

2.  Vacations with your spouse and without your children are vitally important.  I'm sure that we've all heard this before.  This is just the first time I've experienced it. 

You would imagine that everything would seem "perfect" when away with your chosen one in a tropical place.  We found that although most moments were almost magical, we had a couple of less-than-ideal situations that arose concerning our relationship.  They were difficult.  But you know what?  When we were forced to be together and not able to avoid the issue by choosing different activities or areas of our house, we were able to come through the conflict to a place of deeper understanding and love.  We realized what a blessing it was to actually have time and energy to hash things out and face them.  The burden of day-to-day life can make that really difficult, at least for us.

I believe that I can say for both of us that our trip was a milestone in our marriage.  It strengthened our connection through trials, and reminded us of the importance of fighting for us. 

As I said before, it also gave us a reprieve from the demands of parenting so that we could come back to our children strengthened and as better parents.

3.  I have more courage than I thought I did.  In the past, I've felt like I'm not the most brave or adventurous person.  I was once talking to a close friend about how I didn't want to try bungee-jumping or sky diving.  I am not compelled to travel the world or try exotic foods.  It makes me feel like I'm not a very fun or interesting person.  She pointed out that I am brave in other ways, like having moved so many times.  She thought that took a lot of courage.  More recently, when expressing the same kinds of feelings to someone else, they responded that homeschooling is a huge step outside the norm and they considered it very adventurous.

Thinking of myself as having the courage to move or try homeschooling makes me feel more brave.  But I am glad that I went ahead and took this trip.  It was something that I wouldn't have had the courage to do in the past, and I took the plunge.  It makes me feel more normal, whatever that is!

For me, these were very valuable lessons.  There are other smaller lessons, like having a self-serve yogurt place a block away is AWESOME! Walking barefoot in the sand is a great way to exfoliate your feet.  Going to bed at 7pm can be such a treat.  But the three points above are lessons that have enhanced the way I look at things and, I think, have even changed my life.

YAY!!!! Right?  At this point in time, I am in the throes of organizing my household in preparation with being gone.  Oh, yes, the children are staying home.  Did I mention this is the first trip I've taken with Aaron for more than one night away from the kids?  That's six and almost-a-half years since we've ventured out on our own {together}.  

I've also never been on a plane for more than four hours.  In fact, as recently as one year ago I would have stated that I would never get on a plane again in my life.  {I know, pretty ridiculous, but that's how extreme my fear was.}  Thanks to a dedicated and incredible therapist, my stomach is not COMPLETELY twisted in knots at the prospect of about 13 hours on an airplane.

I realized that it's been a long time since I've gone to a completely new geographic region- at least more than an hour from my home location.  I wonder a little bit about venturing so far from home, because I AM a homebody.

Not to mention that I'm still nursing my two-and-a-half year old.  He is down for a nap right now, although not yet asleep, after one of the most precious nursing sessions I have ever had.  I held him, covered with "gwin-gwin" {blanky} and "monkey-boy" {named after his sister's prize lovey} held in one hand while he ran his fingers through my hair and smiled every once in a while.  I sang to him, something that passed away long ago while he was still a wee one.  Hymns are my favorite; Jesus Loves Me, How Great Thou Art, Abide with Me, Beautiful Savior, Amazing Grace... amazed that the words come back to me after all these years from grade school memory work at my Lutheran school.  As it was happening, I felt like Mary, storing up the sights and sounds in my heart, treasuring the special time that I've had with my beloved children.  Will these be the last times?  Will it end, possibly for the last time in my life?

Despite all this, God has placed it in my heart that I need to go on this trip.  I need to renew my body, mind, and spirit and re-connect with my precious husband.  Although I have some anxiety that is natural to this situation, I have been surprisingly {for me!} at peace about the whole thing.  God answers prayers!  The most amazing answers in my life have often been ones that may not be visible to the human eye, but that have made changes to my heart and my soul.  I am so thankful.

Today or tomorrow I will also be putting up some resources that I've made for the caregivers of the children whose parents are going away for a bit.  They are pretty comprehensive.  {Maybe a little too much.  It just might be possible that I'm going overboard with some control issues. :) }  Stay tuned!

Since I'm usually the photographer, it's also pretty funny for me to see myself in so many photos.  I hadn't realized that I've had so many hairstyles! 

It's time for me to slow down for a minute and reflect on the past year.  A lot has happened.

• Officially went into "remission" from depression for the first time in, oh, about 15 years

• Started a blog

• Learned more about how to be in a more Godly marriage, and celebrated 10 years of marriage

• Persevered through the discovery of my son's food allergies beginning with all the symptoms that go with it, to the diagnosis and treatment, and his rapid improvement of afore-mentioned symptoms

• Watched the same son {with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss} go from vocally expressing everything by saying "Ng, ng, ng," to telling us things like, "No, Ezra not go to bed!"

• Decided to take our daughter from a private Lutheran school to enrollment in our local public school, to the decision to homeschool

• Also enrolled our son in pre-school, then decided to keep him home and homeschool

• Found friends and supports in unexpected places and times; re-connecting with some, deepening relationships with others, and learning how to BE a better friend and support to others

• Found out that a close relative and one of my best friends has metastasized breast cancer.  Learning how to handle this kind of news as one of God's children and the impact it has on my daily life

• Got to know my cousins in a much more involved and connected way

• Joined a life group with our church and made family friends for life

• Learned how quickly and completely God answers prayers that I have offered up over the future of our family

• Provided a haven for a family member experiencing monumental and life altering changes

• Visited long time friends who moved a day's drive away after having been geographically separated for several years

• Had a bomb of a summer sale, and not like "the BOMB" but more like "it bombed."

• Planted a new garden and spent many beautiful days working outside, enjoying the period of life where my kids can play and help and constant vigil does not have to be kept for grass, chalk, or dog dropping eating

• Loved my husband for the sacrifices he makes in supporting his family

• Watched my first-born daughter become a caring, conscientious big sister who loves and looks out for her brothers {most of the time}

• Re-discovered the joy of entertaining, cooking, giving, celebrating

• Lived a second year renting my parent's beautiful home, across the street from family, with awesome neighbors

• Lost 15 pounds, changing long-held dietary habits

• Experienced peace from the Lord in a depth that was completely new and profound

In all these things, there is so much more that could be said.  It has been an amazing year, full of good and bad, but one that makes my heart full and thankful.  I look ahead with anticipation and great expectation because of the greatness of my God and His Power to 2012.

We had just taken the kids to the dentist {no cavities!  good job brushing!  yay!} and when we got home I kept having one word go through my mind:  NOURISH.  Before I forgot, as I wondered about this, I had several key points that popped into my head that are part of nourishing and nourishment.  I wrote them all down on one of my chalkboards as a reminder.

1.  God's Word

2.  Meditation

3.  Order

4.  Nutrition

5.  Exercise

6.  Routine {different from order for me}

7.  Relaxation

Shortly after writing it down, I started my Bible study.  I am using a Beth Moore study called "Living Beyond Yourself", and it explores the fruits of the Spirit.  This week is joy, and the verse of the day is this:

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  Psalm 16:11

I wrote it on a notecard and have been trying to figure out a way to have it on me in a way that I can see it, e.g. tying it on as a necklace, upside down, so I can look it easily and so that it "gets in my way" as I go about my daily business.  The bold part is my doing because that is the phrase that I am holding on to. 

The first part of receiving nourishment, for me, is to hear God's Word and store it in my heart.  More than any of the other steps for me.  Because I will only experience God's joy when I am in HIS PRESENCE.  And part of being in the presence of another is not just talking to them but LISTENING to them.

As I go forward each day, my top priority is to be in the presence of my ALMIGHTY, ALL-POWERFUL, EVER-PRESENT God.  Only HE can provide me with what my soul craves and needs to be nourished.

Click on an image if you want to download the full-size document.  You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open them.  Happy December!

I recently did a card for a family that had moved this year, are expecting their second child, and wanted to send greetings to family and friends.  When I have Leann's photos to work with- as I did this time- I know that I'll have excellent images to start with.  I also knew from the mom's descriptions of her aesthetic preferences that we were already on the same wave length.

Here is the card that we worked together to make.  I must say, I'm pretty excited about it! 

It's a 5"x5" inch trifold card.

outside spread- back, middle, and front {in that order}

inside spread- left to right

To downoad and read these files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.  It also helps to have paper cutters, holes punches, and a variety of string and twine!

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