cityscapes to corn fields

we spent the weekend visiting my family in iowa. a country holiday does my heart good. reminds me of my roots: my deep love for corn fields, stars that outshine the city lights, and country music playing on the radio. I love the cityscape, but wide open spaces are pretty near heaven. family. it doesn't get much better than that. i am blessed to be soooooo close to my parents and siblings.they are some of the greatest stories of my life. they love. and love. and love. i've had people ask me what the secret to having a "close-knit" family is.faith. truth. being real. unconditional love. freedom to express yourself.the fact that my mom stayed home full time and homeschooled us... helped too! my parents came down to our level a lot - always open to being part of our lives. we were there for each other. baseball games, recitals, theater productions, etc. always trumped any social event that was outside of family. it was just that way. still is. family is the music of my life. it proves for great dancing! they know me better than anyone.they laugh, cry, and celebrate with me. they call it like it is. and it is good! my wish is that i can bless their lives as they have blessed mine. love you, family! and we missed you this weekend, dad! get better and we'll see you soon. also missed my other sister and her little family. michigan is for the birds.

Have a muffin with your NFP

So we made these muffins the other day... lovely for gluten-free!
Erin McKenna rocked our world with her little recipe.

I should say though, if you are used to box muffin mixes, then you probably need not apply to this
recipe right away. These are NOT super sweet. But I like them that way - the blueberries
were so VIBRANT! And we used honey instead of agave - so so subtle! Earthy muffins!

I had to hold my kids back. They would have eaten their weight in these had I let them.

So there's this little article of sorts that is an absolute riot!
And by riot I mean: I laughed so hard my husband thought I was losing it.
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You can check it out HERE >>> and keep clicking the arrows at the bottom
of the page... they add more to it every day to my great entertainment!!!
(an IUSENFP & 1FLESH production)
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For those reading who are like, "NF...what?!" Don't worry. I know - it's strange and expected of me
because I am Catholic, right? WRONG. There are soooooo many Catholics out there who don't even know
the teachings on this stuff. It's crazy, people. Crazy I tell you.
And it's NOT just for Catholics.

But yea, we are people of the chart.
Charts are for men and women who want a radically free sex life!

"How's that possible?! Don't you abstain and all... all the time or something?!"

I know that is what's going through your head! I know you have half a dozen wild questions
dying to be answered. But all I can say right now is that understanding your body and your
fertility is empowering. Having your spouse understand it too... now that's just AWESOME.

I think most men are probably just really familiar with three other little letters: PMS. Haha.

I mean - I've ran into women who don't even know when they ovulate each month.
They are the ones that seem to buy into the the contraception lie most easily.
Doctors make the woman's cycle out to be such a "big mystery" - something to be afraid of...

When the truth is... you can KNOW your body, it's rhythm, and seriously be able to plan
WITH GOD the timing of children for your family. More info HERE.

And if you are good at it... your abstinence days should only total about 8. EIGHT. 10 tops.

I would like to quote my husband on this matter. It blows me away at HOW GOOD GOD'S DESIGN
for sex and marriage is. This is in regards to phase 2 (the time of ovulation)(abstinence):

"It makes me feel like we are newly married again!"

Whaaaaaaaaat?! It's soooo so so true. Emphasis on the "true" part.
It's like those times of abstinence bring us back to our dating days,
when we were saving sex for marriage. Builds up the anticipation -
helps us to focus on other ways to LOVE each other.

Women go on and on sometimes about THEIR BODY - THEIR RIGHTS.
And it's true - it is YOUR body - you do have rights...

But are we stopping to think about what that really means as we stand before God?
What does HE want for your body? I have a hard time imagining that He wants us to
use hormones and other unnatural means and barriers to have OUR RIGHTS.

God's order is so natural - so pure - so life giving.
With no side effects (physical or spiritual) other than GRACE!
The world is not your friend. I think that doctors and pharmaceutical companies
see us as MONEY - they are not looking out for the good of our WHOLE person.

Ok, stepping off my little soapbox now. You guys know how much I love to talk about NFP.
Stay tuned - I'm sure I'll talk about it again... in oh... 5 seconds... Haha.

Funny story: My dad told me that NFP stood for "National Fire Protection" when I was
a little girl. I bought it. But now I know!

NFP is "Natural Family Planning" - and maybe you should eat a muffin and go watch
that funny little article I linked up above!

Dress My Momma Body

I love clothes. It's no secret. And what I love even more than clothes is NEW clothes.
Dangerous, I know. It doesn't have to be BRAND NEW though - thank goodness!
Just new to me.

Oh motherhood has had its way with my body.
I've been to super-preggo and back again. Twice.



And all I want... is to feel cute in the clothes I am wearing without breaking the bank.

If you opened my closet you would find an array of clothes from size 4 to 12.
It may seem excessive, but we plan on having more children - so I know that my body
is going to continue fluctuating in size for many more years to come.

A budget lifesaver.
Here are my tips and tricks, ladies and gentlemen.

This season I have had to go out and buy an entire new Spring/Summer
wardrobe for my body that is smaller than it's been in a long time.
I haven't seen size 4 since 6th grade.
__________________________________________________________________________
::: so here is my game plan when it comes to dressing my ever-changing momma body :::
Thrift Stores FIRST (NO shame! Honestly, some of my FAVORITE clothes have been thrifted.)
Coupons/Sales SECOND
Full Price/Brand New THIRD

And I am ALWAYS open to gifts and hand-me-downs!
__________________________________________________________________________

I spent $20.00 on all my shirts. Ok H&M had a killer sale going on AND I had
$5.00 OFF coupons! But that's what I'm talking about - PLAN to shop!
Some were gifted & some came from Goodwill.



$60.00 on dress clothes. Dressy clothes are a little more difficult for me to find.
I'm picky and want to be fashionable AND modest... so difficult sometimes!

A sweet sale at Old Navy landed me the blue stripes for $10,
and I nabbed that great coral dress from Marshalls for $20.00 (wedding attire!).
Dark stripes are from Target - everything else... Gap and Ann Taylor from Goodwill!

Ok and the shoes?! I'm in love with them!
A sale at Wet Seal got me the brown ones for $7 and I found the black ones,
like new, from another thrift store for $5.


$12.00 on shorts. Yea. This is probably my favorite deal! I literally walked into Goodwill
one night and BAM! They had my sizes, in the colors I wanted, for CHEAP.

These are Eddie Bauer, Old Navy, Gap, and Vera Wang, ok?! I would have spent 5X's that amount
picking them up BRAND NEW. But hey... they are new to me AND because I don't know how long I'll
be at this size (more babies in the near future hopefully!)... it feels better to not spend
a ton of money.



So there you have it...
A whole new Spring/Summer wardrobe for less than $100?
Yes, please!

Thoughts?

eye has not seen

I was 22 years old, laying in the emergency room, waiting to be taken into surgery. Unbearable cramping stole my breath away. They couldn't find the baby. My husband held my hand as the doctor made the call - the call to wait and see.They told me that I wasn't supposed to be able to get pregnant; that people with my condition were incapable of carrying babies to full term. We were told to prepare ourselves to say goodbye to our little one. Week after week went by. I cried an ocean. This was not the blissful picture of motherhood I had conjured up in my mind. I screamed at God. I beat my fists against the walls and nearly suffocated myself with sobbing. This wasn't fair. My body, my deformed uterus, was going to steal the life of our helpless baby. I was not ready to send my child to Heaven. It took me 9 months to fully surrender.At 38 weeks, against all odds, we said hello to Isaiah. Our miracle baby. He made it. God worked wonders behind the scenes. Somehow - slowly - knitting my uterus into a perfect order. When we found out we were expecting just 6 months after Isaiah, the greatness of God's work was revealed. My womb was completely healed. There was no medical explanation. A lot of shrugging shoulders. Many guesses. Hands. So many hands touched me and my womb as lips prayed. Prayers from the hearts of humble men and women reached the throne of God and He answered. Why? Why answer my prayer? I don't know. But I am thankful He did. I know that this season of my life taught me to trust God more deeply - to surrender - to believe in HIS plan - to embrace eternity with my whole heart. I ran to Him like I've never run before. In my abandonment, confusion, and helplessness... HE LOVED me. I write again because the Spring, the third trimester of my first pregnancy, was so emotional. My heart remembers. And it wants to PRAISE GOD once again for the two, beautiful gifts He gave me and my husband. He didn't have to. But He did. And I love Him again and again and again for it. We hope to have as many children as God will send us! Hoping that their little souls and ours will be a symphony for Him. Life. I think I took it for granted before I became a mother for the first time. Never again. Every day is a gift. Sing. I will sing to that. “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Bedroom Facelift / DIY Canopy

We FINALLY got around to giving our bedroom a facelift!
When we moved in, it was painted a lovely shade of FLAT white.
You know what that means?! EVERY time we even just grazed the wall, it left a mark.

::: BEFORE :::




::: AFTER :::

Small touches add so much for me.
New lamp for nightstand + Marshalls
Decorative boxes + Paper Source
Layered accessory dishes for dresser + vintage school tray / dishes from our wedding



Our master bath was feeling left out. So we gave it a new coat of paint!
It went well with the shower curtain and decor we already had! SCORE.



::: DIY CANOPY :::

When I was around 5 or 6 years old, I remember walking into my grandma's friend's house
and seeing her beautiful canopy bed. I made a mental note that day: "MUST sleep in canopy bed."

We used FOUR small, white hooks from The Home Depot to hold up the canopy.
(as evenly placed at the four corners of the bed as possible)



I am actually NOT very talented with the sewing machine. A weakness that I'm too lazy to correct.
So HomeGoods, anyone?! I found a great deal on a king-size DUVET (we have a queen-size bed)!
I knew that it needed to be BIGGER than the bed if I wanted it to drape.

PERKS of buying the duvet - already sewed! NO HEMMING. Pattern on BOTH sides. PERFECT shape.
I snatched it up for $40.00. I seriously don't think I could buy as much fabric as needed -
in a pattern/color I LIKE... for that amount. I think I'm winning!?



NO SEWING, remember?! I simply wrapped a chunk near the corner of the fabric around the hook
and secured the loop created with a small safety pin. It's tight. Not going anywhere.

And that means... when I get tired of the canopy,
I have a brand-spanking-new GORGEOUS duvet that I can use for something else!





We went with a lovely shade called "Dried August Grass" for our walls.
It totally has tan/gray/greenish hues in it. We were married in August.
It felt serendipitous.

The back story on why Jesus hangs above our bed HERE!






I know that material items and changes cannot create the happiness found in our home.
These walls, even if flat white, are witnesses of daily miracles that you can't pick up
at the department store.

But here we are!
Fresh paint, canopy over the bed, beautiful babies singing along...
and life is good. So very good.

Puddle Hunters

I wish I could bottle up the magic of days like these. God knew that I needed sons. They are so good for my child-like soul. They crave and create the wild adventure that my feminine heart is so captured by. I knew that having children would bring abundant amounts of joy into our lives, but I wasn't prepared for this. I didn't know that there would be days filled with so much laughter that my cheeks would hurt as I climbed into bed at night. I didn't know that I would cry at every milestone and beg God to let time slow down so that I could have more moments with them. I am an accomplished woman because of my children. All other success in life pales in comparison. I would trade it all for these moments. They are my crown of glory. They are my wildest dreams - come to life. I take great delight in making their little wishes comes true. I have been wooed with every "I wuv you, momma" - "You're boo-ti-ful, momma" - "Tank you, momma." Little hands have graced my cheeks with their grasp, and I am theirs. Gone. Sold. Helplessly wrapped around their fingers for all the time we have together this side of heaven. They are the puddle hunters of my heart. And these are the best days of my life.

Bumming It REQUIRED

One time we lived in a trailer down by a lake.
NO JOKE.

So the story is - we were moving from Ohio to Illinois and didn't want to rent a place we
had never seen with our own eyes. The best option was to stay in my parent's summer "trabin"
(that's 1/2 trailer 1/2 cabin) with no plumbing for a couple weeks until we found a place to live.

Two weeks. I lasted two weeks of playing "gypsies"
with my husband and our 3 month old, Isaiah, at the time.
I went running to my grandma's house.

I like to think I should have been born in a different time era, but the truth is
I am sooo so so thankful for running water and an indoor toilet.

I've never done well "flying by the seat of my pants."
I am a rockstar, type A personality and I crave order.

My motto this week has been: "It's ok to bum it. It's ok to bum it."

Sometimes I just wake up and feel moved to do something big-ish...
Like rearrange our entire bedroom AND master bathroom, spackle,
paint, throw up a DIY canopy... ya know?

I can handle camping in the living room,
but my house exploded. Laundry piled up. Dishes have gone undone.
"It's ok to bum it. It's ok to bum it."

But dinner made it to the table. Even if it was a plain-jane salad and leftovers!

Children were bathed.

And we've been having a pretty good time along the way...
making time to play!!! "It's ok to bum it. It's ok to bum it."

WHAT I WORE at it's finest.

I know you are AAAAACHING to get this look.
Adidas pants with a Wal-Mart hoodie. EASY. COMFY.
Apply favorite, random accessories - glasses, scarf, hat... haha seriously.
Getting "ready" has been optional this week.
Remember? "It's ok to bum it."

Awkward family photo, anyone?!
I thought it would be cute to lay in the grass with them, but it was a total FAIL.
I'm embarrassed.


Stay tuned! BEFORE AND AFTER bedroom facelift coming next week!
Can't wait to share our little updates that make a big difference!