Cute !

This is our new eat in kitchen space.

(with the leaf in!)

Pretty cute all dressed up

with my mom's tablecloth.

This is the picture ad when I found it.
I would say it is a very unique Retro 1950's Dinette set.

I like it!

(Thanks honey for indulging me!)

It totally makes the kitchen.
We have eaten at it several times and had a family game night too!

:)


Funny story that goes with it.

I was looking on craigslist for an inexpensive or free retro little table and chairs for the kitchen. Many reasons, breakfast and lunch crumbs having a lot to do with it, plus we have the space in the kitchen. I found a table on craigslist at a local resale shop. So we went to look at it, but this resale store was closed, so we looked through the gate door. I saw this little set and liked it, better than the table we came to look at. Two days later we went to check out some retro white vinyl chairs. Which we bought and were headed back to this store to get the first table, because it was cheaper, having no matching chairs. When we got to the store, we looked and sat down at this table and then were talking with the owner. We asked her if she would consider trading us the chairs we had just bought and bringing down the price on the dinette set. She walked out to our van and looked at the chairs and to my surprise she agreed.

Now I have this sweet little set in my kitchen!

... and I may have a new favorite little shop too.

:)

But, how much retro can one house stand?

;)

Adventures in Living ...

Seriously.

Tonight, as we sat on our couch waayyy later than usual (11:30) eating some ice cream, several things were explained.

That funny smell in the house. Maybe musty, but maybe an animal lived here before?
(This is a no pets no exceptions rental.)

The boys room smelling like crib sheets needed to be changed, because maybe a diaper leaked.
only, it doesn't really help.

The little pieces of insulation on the ground in the basement, right around the base of the stack.
The fireplace area smelling like maybe a bird was caught in the chimmney the other day.

That funny smell in the house.

All explained by this:

A little brown mouse poking his head out from under our loveseat and totally freaking Chris and then me out.

Oh, I'm sure in a few weeks we would have figured this out. Like when we turned on the furnace.

Because when he disappeared...

IT was into the furnace return.

They have a nest in there. I'm sure of it. I keep smelling it.

YUK.

Mouse traps tomorrow.

Carpet cleaning this week...

More bleach in the drains. Just because.

Thank God most things in the basement are in Rubbermaid tubs.

YUK.

Well, better explained than not explained. :)

The dust is beginning to settle ...

Who knew it would settle all over the children?

(see my fireplace with the earthbox plants in front of it!)

Small and Medium are

having the time of their lives.

So cute and sooooo dusty.

Seriously, we went outside one day last week when it was perfect weather outside. Hubby and I planted some FREE Yucca's I found on craigslist and the boys played in the dirt. Waaaay too much fun.

The boys had baths 4 times in 2 days. :)

Oh I got my "Can" on...

and it ain't no Dalton Butt. (ha ha) ~ inside family joke.

This is the beauty I canned yesterday...

5 jars of low sugar Peach Jam

5 jars of Peach Jam

2 Jars of peaches in syrup (for topping biscuits)
this is what we started with...

This is what how beautiful they were

(before I put in them into hot syrup to hot pack them into

the jars ... they shrank down, a lot.)

Pits. I think we may try to plant them, It's science.



This juice we save along with the skins to make peach honey...

Mashing some for jam...

It is always fun to can. :)

Tall and I worked from about 1 until 5.

Not a bad haul for a busy afternoon.

:)

I do still cook ...

Here I am marinating some of my bi-color cherry tomatoes...

this is Shish-ka-bob

fresh brussel sprouts, banana peppers and sweet snack peppers from my garden

and some yummy mushrooms, just cause.

This is the meat...
Stew beef, marinated overnight and then

skewered with onion and bbq -ed.
mmm.

This is what the basket was full of...

We cleaned it all up ...

me, hubby and Tall.

Seriously, the boys declined to eat it.

well, medium declined, small was napping.

oops. :)

there was pineapple too, but tall and I ate it all, quickly.

(so we didn't accidently send hubby into anaphalactic shock)

so, I really am still cooking, especially fresh things from my garden.

Just haven't had time to post.

Still unpacking. :)

Some days they are just soooooo cute!

Small.

so small, so sweet.

That's WILD

12 jars of

Yummy

Wild Plum Jam

Isn't it gorgeous!

so to recap:

If you take this:

and Pit them

by slicing off the skin and

the tiny

tiny

tiny

bit of fleshy pulp attached to said skin ...

and add sugar

and lots and lots of hard work

separating the pits and skins from

the tiny amount of pulp and juice you actually get ..

cooking it down, adding some sure-jel, canning it.

It is totally worth all effort expended!

The color is Captivating!

The flavor is Fabulous!

I will hoard it over the next year,

allowing the family

to eat it exclusively

on Homemade Biscuits!

and we won't make it next year.

Wild Plum that is...

simply because we

no longer own the property

that has the silly tree.

But it has been fun.

and educational and exciting for the children.

:)

and me.

Next time,

we make Apricot or Peach

or something like that.

.

BLT Dinner Calling ...

Small started it all with a Bread Call.

Medium caught the call on a napkin.

Mommy joined in with the Lettuce.

Tall had the bacon phone (of course).

and a confused daddy tried to answer the water glass.

not so much.

until he tried the new and improved

(see post below)

Tomato phone ..

:)

Rent - a - Cat ( I mean rabbit)

Tyler is our rabbit who acts like a cat or vice versa.

He looks like a white cat with orange markings, but he feels like a rabbit.

He likes to sit at the sliding glass door and chirp at the goldfinches and bravely run away if you happen to open the door.

(and sir robin ran away) ahem.

He is not going to be traveling to our next home with us.

He must be a Rent - a - Cat for the next 12 - 24 months.

perhaps even longer, depending on how long before we find a more, permanent home for us Clausen people. Which will depend upon housing markets and the like.

Please be praying about our little situation.

Medium is in tears over it all. (a teary "we're not gonna move if Tyler cannot go with us")

Tall is very sad but gets the bigger picture of cat rental and all that. (Did I mention she has catbox duty, so that would (temporarily) go away for her, yeah, that makes it easier!)

Small won't really get it.

Parentals units ; sad , but adjusting. I mean, he can come back when we buy again. :)

anyway, it is one for the prayer list. and quickly too... we need to move in 28 days.

oh man, I better start packing. organizing and packing. and planning. and packing.

oh carp.

:)

Um, did I mention...

YEAH !!

In this market, that is good, except for owing $$ at closing.

UGH!!

Now, onto looking for our next house.

and many thanks to all for praying over the last 25 months!

gardening update ...

Raised Beds:

Tomatoes; 12 plants, already snacking on bi-color cherry. Several large green tomatoes.

Bush Sugar Peas; I uprooted them, they were all dried aned withery. Snacked on plenty, have a better planting plan for next year.

Turnips; Have eated them twice, waiting on the last few to get B I G, will replant soon for fall crop.

Beets: Very small, tops eaten up by rabbits, even with row cover. Different plan for fall.

Strawberries; 4 plants, putting out fruit again this year. :) LIKE.

Brussel Sprouts: 5 plants, growing well.

Honeydew Melon: 5 plants, growing well.

Bush Cucumber: 3 plants, moving along, have picked 5 small fruits.

Blueberry bushes: 2 dwarf potted; growing well. 3 inground; growing.

Blackberry: 1 growing along.


Earthboxes:

Bush Beans: 2 Earthboxes: over 6 pounds. they seem to have stopped producing and leaves are demolished by Japanese beetles. Replanting for more harvest. Earthbox Win.

Corn: has bugs. ew. and very few ears. Earthbox fail.

Eggplant: 2 plants in self watering buckets; 1 has 5 new fruits growing, the other is still smallish.
next year; start seeds 2 weeks earlier. Also, self watering for overwinter this year. :)

Banana Peppers: 2 plants in same pot, doing well, a few small fruits. Start seeds earlier next year.

Indeterminate Tomatoes: 4 boxes = 8 plants on deck;. growing fabulously. possibly have as much green fruit right now, as I had all last season! Go Earthboxes!

Mr Stripey Tomato plant = just aquired, growing!

Peppers: 2 tiny Doux deEspagne, start seeds earlier next year. 1 Sweet Red bell, covered in fruits. 1 sweet Orange bell, just aquired, growing.

Thats all for now, besides some lovely Sage.

Pictures later!

Precious Fingers, precious toes, why you're in Heaven; No-one knows...

well, that isn't entirely true.


His ways are not our ways.


I really don't know how to write or not write this post.



Wednesday July 7th and someone is missing.



This is the day we should have been having our little one.

Welcoming our precious 4th child into our family here on earth.


But we aren't.



AAAAARRRRRGGH !





Seriously, our baby was due July 1oth. We would have picked a date for a C-section and this would have been it. 7 - 7 - 2010.



I cannot get past this sadness, this lacking.



I drove home from the hospital 7 months ago with empty arms. weeping and mourning.



My heart continues to mourn.



Most days I want to post something and cannot. I have started many posts since December and not finished them or posted them.



Thinking about the little one we don't have with us is torturous.



Thinking there will not be another is inconceivable. Pun intended.



Why is unanswerable.



How is it that I begged them NOT to destroy my tube and they cauterized it closed?
(yeah, they say saving my life; blah, blah. As a mom, what about my babies' life? why couldn't we save it?)



How is it that our healthcare pays for the death of the unborn, but NOT InVitro to help the inconceivable be conceived.



How can it be that Death is the end of our fertility, our blessing(s)?



Most days, I simply try to smile and have fun with our children. Pressing this ache far far below the surface ... intangible to most, out of reach to all.

It surfaces. I try not to dwell in it. I push it aside, I move along with the next moment.

It simply does not go away. ever.

Ten fingers, ten toes, I should be counting them today, yet I cannot, until I meet you in heaven.

Precious Cadence Selah,

Today we were supposed to meet you face to face. We all wanted you here.

We all miss you.

Love, Mommy & Daddy, big sister & brothers.

Miraculous conception = we believe You for it Lord.

:)

A river runs through it ... so we sail

Today, we had a deluge and then a break. The sun came out immediately following a torrential downpour. I thought it was a great opportunity for the children to "play" in the river that always runs through our yard during heavy rain. They grabbed sandals and small's plastic boats and headed for about 10 minutes before it began to rain again.

Fun was had by all.

Small ran window to window yelling about rain and boats.

Running with the boats

the beginning of our yard and the river

the middle of the yard


Tall, very intent

Feet IN!

Wild Plum Tree(s) in a pool of water

Medium setting in his boat

Medium showing me his boat and a flower or leaf

One of the many "races"

Tall "putting in"

Great summer fun.

25 Days to go ... Except Not.

Well, 25 days is when we would be expecting Cadence to make an appearance. He arrived in Heaven several months ago instead.

Jeremiah 29:11 "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"

That has been one of my favorite scriptures since I got saved.

I do not pretend to understand, instead my heart is overwhelmed (and sick) by hope deferred.

That part about not harming you isn't true in this particular case, though I understand how I have a future. (because I lived through an ectopic pregnancy)

Tough stuff, every. single. day.

Medium celebrates his 7th birthday in a few days and asked me in the car how come his birthday was last in our family. We talked about how Cadence's birthday would have been after his, and technically is in December waaay after his. Then he asked how come God did not let Cadence be born. A Question I have no answer for. ever.

so, sigh, 25 days. Except Not.

First 2 pounds of the year...

Not weight loss... Veggie Gain! I picked 2 pounds of Green & Purple beans today.

Here is some of what is happening in our containers/garden.

Swiss Chard

very tender

A sweet baby bell pepper.

Baby maters.

This tomato is beginning to ripen.

Remember how I said I was going to start a tomato plant from a cutting last fall? Well this is the plant, it is about 5 feet tall, very leggy from the base up to the top 2 feet, then lovely leaves, stems, blossoms and this beauty. It got awful leggy this winter under only a poor little spot grow light. Later this summer, I will buy two flourescent long lamps and stands.

and now for the awesomeness of today ...

Two lovely pounds of green and purple beans.

I harvested them today and we will eat them tonight!

(They filled the white plastic colander, I had to pour them out to get the pic)

We actually harvested some snap peas last week, enough for a few handfuls of fresh raw peas for every one of us to snack on. I did not take pictures, but it was about half the white plastic colander full.

Sorry for the lack of posting, spring slipped away from me, between planting and painting, it is the busiest season of my year. Not to mention all the melancholy feeling over the last few months, there is simply too much to process and it keeps me from posting.

Today would be exactly one month until baby Cadence would make his appearance.

It is a bit torturous for me/us.

Well, off to solve the Japanese Beetle and Mole problems out in our yard. Soapy water bucket, here they come. (Well, not the moles, that would be ridiculous).

Stems Plein Air

Day 1

Day 1