In the Spirit...

of continuing to postpone other tasks on my list (which I am learning to make shorter)... I am blogging.  Hah!
   I've been wanting to get on here and log a few thoughts for the weeks I have been absent, but alas, my physical limits and lack of time management have won over.  I am trying to mentally prepare myself to do light regular blogging, but it hasn't happened yet.
    The first week that I missed, I was writing Joe's birth story, which is still not completed (stuck again at 8cm, of course!!).  If you do ever want to read it, I will put a censored version in my notes on facebook.  It will be finished soon, maybe even tonight... :-)
   The next week or two, no specific excuses, just the normal business of life.
    So, this blog is going to be mainly pictures- Joe's been doing a lot of new things lately, and I am fully enjoying being a mom!

Here is my friend Ruth with Joe and I at the Phoenix Zoo.  Giraffes are Joe's favorite creatures right now, due to having a giraffe snuggly his Great- Uncle Doug and Aunt JoJo gave him when he was born.  Joe and I have been working out with Stroller Strides 3x/ week, twice weekly at the zoo.  Alas, no weight loss for Mommy, just muscle toning.  Mommy is finally resigning herself to cutting calories!

The latest thing we've done is have Joe's first haircut.  Daddy was a great role- model, and by the time it was Joe's turn, he was super calm and eager to sit on the stool all by himself.  I am SO proud (and even found myself boasting shamelessly to random people) that he sat very still the entire time- only once leaning over to make sure his shoes still existed under the giant drape.

 I didn't think I was going to be the kind of mom who saved a lock of his hair, but I was compelled to save it in a little baggy, to go along with his certificate.  Here's the proud Daddy, son (enjoying his first reeses pieces), and our barber, Mark.
 

 The other activity we just started (today, I am ashamed to say), is a Jesse Tree for Advent.  Aunt Marla gave Joe this Advent calendar, and I printed, colored, and pasted the symbols onto fun paper.  This morning we took today's symbol ornament out of its pocket, placed it in the tree, and read a little devotional.  Joe did quite well with it.  He loves the little tree which is virtually indestructible, and which is his very own!

Here it is at the end of the day...  (smile)
 

         And, for our Finland and Buffalo friends, here are some pictures of us at the Phoenix Children's Museum for a little "snow drama"- a mimed multi- sensory drama of snow for toddlers (since there is nothing even close to that here in Phoenix!!).

Here is Joe with his little girlfriend Abbie- they see each other at Stroller Strides, and we met she and her mom Merrily at swim lessons this summer. We love them!

Here's Merrily, Abbie, and Joe, enjoying the batting "snow"!

     Last but not least, here's a picture of our new fridge in the middle of the kitchen after having a plumbing emergency of the main drain backing up and soaking 1/3 of the house today!  Now I'm off to disinfect the linoleum!

  In the midst of the chaos, I am incredibly grateful this year for so many things- Joe, Rod, family, and friends here and everywhere we have gone!  I am more thankful than I have ever been for the Hope of Christ this Christmas- the life that He gives to those who ask, and the faith to endure the incredibly hard things many of my dear friends are experiencing.
              My heart and prayers are with them... and these verses have comforted me that despite present pain and loss, He is with us, and that He has ultimately overcome (and us with Him!).  Praise be to the God who loved us so much to send His Son to save us now and for all eternity with Him!

But now, this is what the Lord says- 

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers, 

they will not sweep over you.  

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;

 the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God, 

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:1-3a

Busyness...

    This past week has been incredibly busy... and I don't know about you, but I think that sometimes it gets out of hand, and then I don't enjoy life as much.  It's been busy with recruitment dinners for KS Via Christi that Rod hosted, Stroller Strides, church, meeting with my mentor, being with friends, catching up with dear friends and family, being a mommy and wife, and the usual household management (about $295 saved this week off of groceries, pet food, some clothing, and Christmas gifts!)  I stretched myself just thin enough that I found myself not being as patient as I should, not as kind, not as attentive to Joe and Rod's needs as my own.  I didn't enjoy this week as much as I could have.  And it's my own fault.  But, how to change?  How to live life more fully?
    My dear friend Jenn sent me a book a while back titled "Breathe- Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life".  I started reading it this morning to supplement my quiet times (and help me stay motivated, because for whatever reason, I need it!).  The author (Keri Wyatt Kent) quotes Thomas Kelly from A Testament of Devotion:

    We have hints that there is a way of life vastly richer and deeper than all this hurried existence, a life of unhurried serenity and peace and power.  If only we could slip over into that Center!

We have seen and known some people who seem to have found this deep Center of living, where the fretful calls of life are integrated, where no as well as yes can be said with confidence. 

  I think we all know what I'm talking about- each of us wants to be that amazingly calm person who never seems to be ruffled, who takes life as it comes- especially the minor stuff that normally seems to throw us over the edge- coffee spilling, a fussy child, waiting in line too long.   Not to mention, the type of person that takes in the really serious things in life and integrates them into our lives- our faith and relationships- instead of letting them destroy us.
    I've observed and participated in some small way with some of these major circumstances- my friend Jenn's brother was killed in Iraq a little over a year ago, my friend A has breast cancer, our friends J and K lost their baby Ewan after only a few battled weeks of life.  It's easy to get caught up in the daily routines of our lives, but these big tragedies really highlight where our hearts are at.  Where we put our hope, our faith.
    I can't and won't pretend that I know what it's like to grapple with this kind of grief, loss, and anguish.  But I've thought about it a lot.  My heart has and is grieving with my dear friends.  And I wonder how I would deal with it.  Would I completely fall apart and hurt the ones that I love in an attempt to cope (blame, frustration, anger etc), or would I respond in faith and rely on those around me to help carry us through?
    One small lesson I've learned about myself:  If I'm not reading the Bible and therefore listening to the Holy Spirit breathe His life and truth into me, then I haven't got a chance against the trials of life (and the tactics of Satan).  And, as I confessed above, this is a challenging discipline for me.  For me, the best time to do this is in the morning, before I do anything else except for get my coffee.  I am easily distracted by the dishes, laundry, facebook, toys on the floor, not to mention the warmth of my bed! However, I have to be really careful that I'm not gauging my spiritual wellness and health solely on this practice, but rather on the truth of who I am and who God Is.
    The other thing I've learned is that if I practice gratitude, it grounds me in reality and hope.  So, every morning (altho' I think I need to start doing it at night to review the day and end on a  good note) I write out 5 Things I'm Grateful For.  I know it's simplistic, but I need that, and it helps me to see what God is doing and the big and small gifts He's given me.
    As a realist (and a NICU nurse), I know that this life is hard, and that it's really only a matter of time before some tragedy strikes me and my family.  It would be pretty arrogant to think that nothing should happen to us.  The question is, how will we cope, what will be our response?
    The good news is that this is not a surprise to God- in fact, all the tragedy of our lives is in some way related to the longstanding fact that our relationship with God is broken by sin.  The world is not as He created it, which causes all sorts of brokenness, and circumstances that we instinctively know are not as they should be.  This is why we need Jesus!  Here are a couple of verses that have been resounding with me lately:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke (teaching) upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.       Jesus, in Matthew 11:28, 29

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.    Jesus, in John 3:16, 17

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.  Psalm 68:19, 20 

  I long to take my burdens (major and minor) to this God who loves me so completely in spite of myself, that he sent His Son to fully compensate for my sin, allowing me the opportunity to have full relationship with the Creator of the Universe.  Not just in heaven when I leave this body, but also now.  I have nothing to lose with trusting Him, and everything to gain!  I want to be able to "integrate" life's struggles when they come (as they surely will)- to be, and to remain "Centered".

Come, Lord Jesus, Come...

Rod and I getting blown about in the Alps a few weeks ago.
We don't want circumstances to blow us off the edge of a life well- lived!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

• A good deal
• Cool, sunny days
• The smell of my son's hair, and for that matter, my husband's scent too!
• The sound of laughter and wine glasses clinking

  Those are just a few of them... to get you warmed up!
 I had wanted to write here last week, and I actually did start writing, but then I got really way too serious about what I was writing, and I learned a blogging lesson (one of many I will learn, I'm sure!)- don't be too serious!  Although a blog feels like a diary or journal, it's not.  I'll just keep that post as a draft for myself.  So, here's the less- intense version in the form of a little report on great deals, recipes, highlights and lows of the week:  

   So last week felt pretty busy with catching up on life after being in Zurich with Rod the previous week.  I cannot even tell you how wonderful it felt to see our 16 month old son again after 8 days!  And how fortunate I feel to have such amazing "parents- in- law" that we can totally trust them with our precious child just so we can get time together.  Joe had a wonderful time with them!  Rod and I struggled all week with waking at 3am and falling asleep as soon as Joe was in bed.  Thankfully, we finally had a full night's rest last night. Because of the general fatigue, and fighting Joe's cold, he and I stayed home from Stroller Strides and Bible study and just rested and caught up on laundry, etc.  Over the weekend, we experienced the Marena Ritz Carlton for the first time for a meeting that Rod presented at.  Now I am afraid that my hotel standards were ruined by the exceptional service, room, and food!  Argh!!  I am SO proud of my husband for winning a hard- earned award for his research presentation.  

  I've been on a major coupon/ sale kick the last month (inspired by my amazing sister, Grace!), and I've saved a lot of money.  However, I am still learning NOT to buy the items I already have extras of or the items that turn out to not be such a great deal once I'm at the store.  My method has been to inventory my own stuff, review http://www.moneysavingmom.com, then the weekly ads, then clip coupons (both the newspaper inserts and online).  I grab a blank sheet of paper, and write out my specific list for each store, and the price that the items should be with the sale and often, the coupons needed to stack the savings.  I also plan my menu at this time.   It actually doesn't take me long.  I then paperclip the coupons for each particular store (I keep it to Walgreens, Safeway, Target, CVS, Petsmart, and Walmart- the stores I normally frequent) under an identifying post- it.  This keeps me from flipping through all my coupons, and stressing out at the register with a long line and a fussing child.  The savings last week amounted to about $100!!  I am proud of myself, and even my husband was impressed.  Good times!!  I think I am actually starting to experience an adrenaline high from this activity!  

    A few more of my favorite things:

• Hanging out with my friend Ruth here in Phoenix- talking about the books we're reading, and pretty much everything under the sun!
• Reading- recently finished the Harry Potter series, and am now reading the Stieg Larsson Trilogy (very different than anything I've ever read before, and definitely read with a filter in place- it's pretty graphic and intense!).
• Snuggling with Joe, reading to him, playing games, and teaching him new words- I LOVE this discovery and interactive phase we're in right now!!
• Having a fresh camaraderie with Rod- it was really refreshing to have a whole week together, and now we're really reaping the benefits, and trying to maintain them.  
• My awesome babysitter, Marina, who does anything I ask her to do around the house and loves on Joe in Spanish!
• The fact that Macy's exchanged my new boots after they got a horrible rub mark on them somehow in Zurich.  

A few of my not- so- favorite things:

• My friend Adrienne having breast cancer and getting her second round of chemo this week.
• My sister having to go back to work this week, and put her little girlies in day care.
• Missing church and Bible study.
• Joe burnt his fingers very badly on my flat- iron while exploring the counter now newly within his reach!  He cried for several hours off and on, and I couldn't do anything to make the pain better except for give him Tylenol and put him to bed eventually.  When he woke up, he was apparently just fine, but my Mommy heart is still aching from causing my little guy pain.  
• Hitting my husband's truck with my car when backing out of the driveway in a hurry (the third time I have damaged my husband's truck accidentally!).  Fortunately, Rod was super- gracious about it.  I've got a lot to learn from him in this area!

    I'm gonna close with this recipe that has been requested several times by mommy friends eager to up their children's veggie and fiber intake:

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

1/4 c. canola oil                                                                       1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg                                                                                        3/4 c. applesauce

1 c. grated carrots                                                                   1 c. grated zucchini

1 c. all- purpose whole wheat flour 
(I substitute 1/4 c. flax meal or wheat germ for 1/4 c.)

3/4 c. all purpose flour                                                            2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon                                                                       1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt                                                                                ( I also add a handful of raisins)

Spoon into paper- lined muffin pan, 2/3 full each (I also make madelines, which are just the right size for Joe).  Bake 18- 20 minutes (make sure they are not over- baked!), or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Joe and I will eat these for breakfast.  I usually make a double batch and freeze a week's worth each bag to thaw when we want.  

    Enjoy!!

    

    

A new adventure...

blogging!  So, I am very excited to launch my very first blog (hopefully it will be good!).  Please forgive me as I learn how everything works, and if you have any constructive criticism, I am eager to hear it!
    I am writing this first post from the charming city of Zurich, not because it's glamorous but because of the simple fact I am without my 16 month old son Joseph (and setting this page up required a bit more time and energy than I usually have when I am with him).  My husband Rod has a microsurgery course here, and we took the opportunity to spend some time alone together for the first time since Joe's birth.  So far it has been lovely- nice snuggling in peace and quiet under a down comforter, great food and wine, beautiful sights around every corner.  Of course, we both miss Joe terribly, but it was past time for some marriage respite for us.
    Back to the pertinent subject... blogging... I hope this space will be a forum for sharing my journey through this season of my life.  A place for documenting deeper ponderings, silly and pleasurable everyday events, yummy recipes, fun pictures, sharing great deals, and any other favorite things!
    So, the title of my blog is multi- dimensional for me.  When my Grandpa Mattson was introduced to his future son- in- law he told my mom that my dad was nice, he just needed to be sure to stop and smell the roses in his life.  I am my father's daughter (as my dad likes to say), and I have a tendency to miss the roses in my naturally task- focused approach to life.  So, for me, this is a good reminder, to take pause and notice the small and large gifts God gives me daily and enjoy them.  Another reason for this title is the reference to my name, Sharon.  Biblically, there are a few references to (the rose of) "Sharon" (Song of Solomon 2:1)... a loose tie, but for me meaningful, since my dad spoke to me often of the importance of the meaning of my name from birth. I believe that I am part of the Bride of Christ, the "rose of Sharon" for my Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.  The third dimension is from the quote on the side of my page from Lilias Trotter.  I long to be that wild rosecalyx- to live my life with joyous abandonment, open to richly experiencing the new life God has given me, for His glory.
   A few facts about me beyond what I've shared above...

• I am thirty- something, and it does really matter- I'm a grown- up, and it's somehow less glamorous than I thought it would be.  (ex. severe SI joint pain and tightness right after this birthday to help me realize I am getting older!)
• I am married to an amazing man, Rod.  He is a man of few words (yep, that strong quiet mysterious type!), kind, generous, deeply caring, faithful and loyal to a fault, an adventurer at heart, a wonderful father to our son Joe, very self- disciplined, and a neurosurgeon (you'll be hearing more about that later, I am sure).  
• I have a darling son, Joseph Andrew.  He is 16 months old, and full of personality and action!  I don't think he ever stops moving and attempting to speak or otherwise make noise.  The only time he does stop is when he collapses gratefully into bed!  He has beautiful red/ auburn hair with curls (I am slightly jealous, I have to admit), and will share his smile with anyone!
• I love my church, and I have to say that my church is spread all over the world- Phoenix, Bethlehem PA, Helsinki Finland, Richmond VA, Kansas City MO, Manhattan KS.  I have encountered fellowship in these places and more, and have to say it is such a pleasure to my heart!
• I am the oldest of five children, widely acknowledged to be "the bossy one".  Let's just say I know how to delegate!  I am incredibly blessed by both my genetic family and my "in- law" family!  I am a Neonatal ICU nurse, now taking a break from working to be home with Joe and Rod.  I love my profession, and am very passionate about helping babies and their families through the most difficult times of their lives (both living and dying).  You'll hear more about that too, I am sure.  
• I love to cook, garden, decorate, dream, read, arrange flowers, scrapbook, ride my road bike, tickle my son, hang out with my lovely family and friends.

And, I guess that I love to share words, since I've shared so many!  That's all for now, but I look forward to sharing this journey with you...