Here is the dress I sewed as a gift to Calla, my niece, for her 2nd birthday. The round pocket is for all her little trinkets.  I love the Amy Butler fabrics in this dress, and would’ve loved to make one for myself…except that it might be a little overboard for auntie and niece to matchy match.

Calla and my youngest, Judah, both celebrated their birthdays this past week. Judah knew something special was going on for him to have full access to chocolate icing, but I’m not sure he understood the significance of “turning two.”

He received a tricycle from Grandma and Grandpa for the occasion, and now feels ready to keep up with his brothers more than ever!

Our festivities concluded with the much-anticipated silent auction event for Oak Grove. The fundraiser was a great success and blessing to us as well as for those who attended. (My painting sold for $300 to a lovely family, who decided to redecorate based on the painting!) Calla came to the event as well, and wore the dress I made her.

Now I’m ready to slow down a bit this week, and do a little nesting…

Despite the nagging suspicions that I was carrying a girl, our ultrasound today confirmed that we are in fact having another boy. Boy number 4. And, very likely, child number last. The other three were with Grandma and Grandpa today, so Troy and I had a great time to bond over the news. We talked a long time today about God’s sovereignty and our relief in knowing that He knows what is for our best. It’s one thing to pray it and say it, and another to respond with faith in all circumstances. Perhaps there is a false perception that the difficult work of the first year of a child’s life is somehow lessened if the experience is switched up a bit through having the opposite gender. But alas, raising a child is work–hard work–regardless of the clothes, decor, and experience. Nevertheless, I can’t think of a better investment than parenting, even if it doesn’t always pay upfront. Both Troy and I are humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to raise four sons, and we pray daily that we might be faithful parents, and that the Lord would be gracious to grow them each to be men of God.

Oak Grove Classical Academy is slowly coming into full view. It has been quite a journey, but we are all so excited to see the doors open Fall 2008. In order to raise funds for school equipment, furniture, and supplies, the board is putting on a silent auction this Friday night. With live jazz by one of our board members, and swanky hors d’oeuvres, this event is set to be a night of fun for a very good cause. For all you locals, please contact me for information to attend!

I finished a painting this week to donate to the silent auction. “Tea Rose” is one of my favorite floral paintings I’ve done–I’m almost a little sad to let it go since I have a perfect place to hang it in my home. Nevertheless, I will put it up for auction this Friday, and pray it will sell for a good, hefty price! Here are some pictures of the initial and final stages of the painting:

I purchased a potted gardenia tree a month or two ago, and was dismayed to find that upon arrival at our home, it began to turn yellow and drop its blooms. Further investigation on the internet informed me that gardenias are tempermental if not raised in ideal climate or conditions. Bloom-dropping is the most common unfavorable occurrence. After harvesting a dozen dropped blooms from the base of my gardenia, I surrendered to the realization that I had a finicky shrub on my hands with no hope for milky-silky perfumery.

Imagine my surprise when I returned home yesterday from a fishing trip with the boys to find a perfect bloom on my plant! The fragrance is intoxicating, as is its pristine delicacy. Now that she is in bloom, I dare not move her from her east-facing spot under the arbor. There, she receives bright morning light, that gives way to warm, but shaded and indirect sunlight throughout the afternoon. She seems to enjoy the warm, mild nights here, thriving in warmth, but intolerant of our harsh desert sun and heat. The gardenia is among my favorite flowers, and this one has won her way back into my favor! Now that I have found the perfect spot for her to go ahead and be herself…and, with our relationship in harmonic order…I take back those nasty thoughts of disposal, return, and neglect that I once had towards her. We’ve reconciled; and now, I’m just so pleased that it’s worth the wait when she takes her time.

We watch television a couple times a month, and when we do, it is usually an episode of Globe Trekker on PBS. (We do not get cable, thank goodness, or I may be tempted to obsess over the Food Network.) Last night, I drooled over the scenic scapes of volcanoes in El Salvador, while discovering what it takes for me to receive the unblemished bananas that sit uneaten on my countertop. Perhaps our favorite episode was the tour through the travels of David Livingstone in Zambia and Malawi. No matter the country, the culture, or the globe trekker, this show always delivers. Many broadcasts can teach you details and intriguing facts about another culture, but for a program to lure you to live and eat among the locals, and experience the country beyond the sealed and saran-wrapped packaging of tourism…well, that a beguiling piece of television.

My husband and I have always wanted to travel the world and discover and share among all the ethnicities the Lord has created. He has spent time in Mexico, Scotland, England, Ecuador, Spain, and Africa. Both of us, married, have traveled to China, Korea, Chile, and India. Two of our kids have seen Mexico, Chile, England, Canada, and India. And now, several years since our last trip abroad as a family, we find ourselves preparing for baby number 4, occupied with the mundane but necessary tasks of life, and sneaking in an episode of Globe Trekker whenever possible. If you’ve traveled outside the U.S. you know that it changes you–it takes you outside of your egocentricities, and gives you a broader view of living, a truer view of man, and a deeper view of God. My husband and I so desperately want that for our children, as we continue to long for it in our own lives. This is not the season…but, so as to not lose all taste for the way it really is “out there,” we whet our appetites with Globe Trekker, and look to the day when our party of six will step foot on land abroad.

My pregnant tastebuds have been craving Korean lately. Finding my options for authentic Korean cuisine limited in our city, I’ve begun to tackle the re-creation of some of my favorites. I have a cookbook, yes, but all those who know me know that I can’t cook that way. Instead, I learn by tasting. So, if anyone knows of a sweet elderly Korean woman who’d like to adopt me for dinner, please let me know.

I started first with kimchi last week. Many years ago, I spent a weekend visiting my dear friend Tara in Seoul, on my way home from a summer in China. There, we shared a pot of kimchi chigae while rain drizzled continuously outside the little restaurant. No stew has tasted the same since. Unfortunately, excellent kimchi chigae is difficult to duplicate, as the more fermented the cabbage the better the stew. I’ve already assaulted my refrigerator (and my husband) with the pungent aromas of garlic, ginger, chile, and fish sauce–the bouquet most commonly used to make kimchi. I’m not sure how full fermentation would be received by all those I live with. I made both cucumber and napa cabbage kimchi, since you might as well stink it up all at the same time. From there, I went on to make chapchae, a dish made of clear and chewy, sweet potato vermicelli noodles. Unlike kimchi, chapchae is easily palatable and is usually pleasing to all. It’s so simple and delicious–you must try it…and work your way to the edge.

Vegetable Chapchae

1 pkg chapchae noodles (sweet potato starch vermicelli)
big pinch of slivers of fresh ginger
a couple of scallions, thinly sliced
handful of shredded or julienned carrots
big handful of spinach leaves
5-6 shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
a drizzle of cooking oil
soy sauce to taste
a bit of sugar
a drip of sesame oil
salt and pepper, a shake here and there

Boil the noodles for several minutes, or until chewy; drain, and set aside. In large wok or nonstick pan, heat a drizzle of cooking oil over med-high heat. Add pinch of ginger and scallions; saute a minute. Add carrots, mushrooms, and gently toss while cooking until carrots are soft. Add spinach, and when wilted, add noodles. Combine gently, and season with soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, and finally sesame oil. Taste as you go, and adjust as needed. Serve warm or cold.

An iridescent, embroidered dupioni silk tea cozy and matching reversible coasters was made for my friend, Anna, who celebrated a birthday this week. Her home is decorated traditionally with a bent towards unfussy glamour. With golds, deep reds, and a splash of blue and white porcelain, Anna’s decor provides the perfect backdrop for an elegant tea party. Already a gracious host, Anna, now armed with tea cozy and coasters, is all set.

Anyone who has ever had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with someone knows that the enemy often presents the most challenging of circumstances to detract from the truth of salvation.

Today I had a young lady that I’ve recently met, over to the house, for the express purpose of sharing the hope we have in Christ. Not long after we began talking, I was summoned upstairs by the cries of my almost two-year old son, who revealed that he had been in my make-up bag due to his camouflaged visage. Perhaps the horror on my countenance reminded him that he knew better, because he immediately began telling himself, “No! No!” As I traced the smears of cream foundation on my bedroom door and carpet (not to mention the shredded sponge applicator strewn like crumbs) back to the scene of the crime, I thought to myself, My precious opportunity to share is slipping away! Lord, I prayed, You are the one that draws men to Yourself, and You do the work of salvation…Let me not worry.

He who would see to it that the name of the Lord be kept silent ultimately failed in his attempts to foil a fruitful conversation. The Lord knew exactly what this young lady needed to hear. While attending to my soiled carpet and my soiled and disobedient child, the Lord brought comfort and a clear presentation of the Gospel to my guest through the tender compassion of my husband, who had come downstairs to make coffee. I returned to my guest to find that she had felt safety to weep, eagerness to listen, and willingness to consider. I had prayed and spent much time preparing for my time with this guest; yet, in the end, God orchestrated the right words, the right timing, and even the right distractions.

When you trust that the work of salvation is of the Lord, there is no fear in letting someone go without “praying the prayer.” Let it marinate. The truth soaks in and the Spirit does the softening of the heart. Let us be faithful to share the whole of the Gospel, and let the Lord bring the harvest. Every soul that turns to Him is by His glory and to His glory–nothing, not even toddlers and cosmetics, can hinder His use of an available messenger to deliver a transforming message.

There’s nothing quite as delicious as experiencing the prosaic duties of living through a child’s eyes of novelty and wonder. A warm sinkful of lavender scented suds that magically dissolve the dinner scraps off each plate, unlimited use of scrubbing tools, and the satisfaction of affecting change (even if only in a handful of dishes): from that vantage point, I’d beg to do dishes as well! A six-year old’s helping hands can sometimes delay, but you couldn’t ask for more enthusiasm or perspective on routine.

For Mother’s Day, my husband purchased a set of apothecary jars I had been eying for months at Costco. Pretty glass things for the home are luxuries saved only for special occasions these days. Providentially, my husband confidently waited until the last minute to purchase my gift, and found that Costco had lowered the price of the set from $68 to $25! He was rather pleased with himself. Here are the jars displaying little vignettes of some of my favorite things…