Entrusted

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time.  Lack of time has kept me from getting the words down, as I've wanted to be responsible with this subject and address every angle and point of view.  Then reality slapped me in the face and I realized that desire was unrealistic.  So, as a disclaimer, I definitely won't touch on everything.  Nowhere near to everything.  Just so you know where I'm coming from, my Biblical convictions are foundational, and you can read a little more about them in a post my husband wrote on his blog.  This, however, is simply a post full of ramblings from my heart...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a 3-year-old daughter and a 6-month-old daughter.  They are sleeping now and I just went into check on them.  Sometimes I like to just stand in their rooms and listen to their rhythmic breathing as my eyes adjust to the darkness and I see their small forms laying peacefully in bed.  It's almost 1:00am and I know that in about six hours our day will start again.  I am exhausted, but content with my time spent with them today.  It was nothing special.  In fact, we left the house only once to get the mail at the end of the driveway.  And we did it in our socks and flip flops because we couldn't find our shoes.  It was definitely a teaching moment for Abigail about this particular fashion faux pas.

I smile as I catch myself say that our day was nothing special, because that's far from the truth.  Our time eating, potty training, reading books, cuddling, counting, playing word games, playing, laughing, and talking was precious.  I am blessed to have been able to be with my girls all day and wouldn't trade it for anything.  How grateful I am for the time spent together!

When I have a chance to steal away, I am able to step back from the busyness of my life and see it in light of eternity.  Having an eternal perspective changes so much in the present.  And sometimes I imagine meeting God face to face when my time on earth is done.  What will I tell him I did with the life he gave me?  I want to be able to tell him that, by his grace, I was able to fulfill the role he created me for and was a good steward of the lives he entrusted to me.  I'm not saying that nothing else is important, but how could I tell the one who created me that I didn't live out my calling as a wife and mother to its full potential?  Sure, I believe he's called me to other things as well, but in no way do I want any of those to trump this primary role.  What kind of excuse would I try to come up with as to why I put something in its place or made it just as important?  I think any excuse I could come up with now would seem so incredibly lame when face to face with God. 

I've been told countless times by wise women that have gone before me that these moments go by so quickly.  It's not what they say that gets me, but the look in their eyes.  A bittersweet longing for days past.  Sometimes I can tell they drift into their memories for a split second.  And it seems that they always want to say more, but can't seem to find the words to explain the immense joy of raising a child.  But I can see it in their eyes, pleading with me not to take it for granted, to cherish the mundane, and to be present in body and mind with my babies.  And that I shall do.

What I'm Reading...

"The church becomes irrelevant when it becomes purely a human creation.  We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God." (Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit)

Recipe: Creamy White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

After a few months of hemming and hawing, I gave in and joined Pinterest.  My caution had everything to do with the look of awe and wonder (almost a glazed over look) from my friends that recommended it.  Conversations usually went like this:

Friend: "Ooooooh, I saw this really cute ____ on Pinterest.  I so want to make it!  There are sooooo many good ideas on there!  I'm spending way too much time on there!"

*** Friend's husband standing next to her rolls his eyes

Me: "Nice.  I can tell how excited you are about this.  I'm slightly scared of your enthusiasm."

Alas, I drank the Pinterest punch, and am rather glad I did :)  Within a mere 48 hours, I've planned about 10 new recipes, 8 crafts to do with Abigail, 8 crafts to do by myself, 25 ways to redecorate my house, 5 ways to make a doghouse for Jackson...oh, and read oodles of quotes that seem even more quotable because they are written out in a pretty font.  With all that being said, here's my first recipe I made from Pinterest (originally from kraft.com):

Creamy White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, divided
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes.  Beat cream cheese, milk, and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil.  Mix half with the chicken mixture.

Spread half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of a 13x9 baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture.  Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice.  Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover.  Bake 25 min. or until heated through.  Sprinkle with remaining basil.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Big Brother Jackson

Big Brother Jackson, here.  Yes, that's right.  I now have two little sisters.  If you've been around our home lately, some of you may have heard Mommy complain about me, yell at me, or shut me in the bathroom.  All very commonplace things in the Schoolfield household.  So commonplace, in fact, that Abigail also complains about me, yells at me, and shuts me in the bathroom. 

So, I thought I'd give you an update on how I'm doing with two little sisters.  In all honesty, I love having them around and am usually excited to say good morning to them in their rooms when they wake up.  Some may remember my affections towards Abigail the first week of her life.

So when news came that Mommy and Daddy were having another baby, I was happy.  The more people, the merrier.  That's my life motto.  I looooooove people!  Here's a picture of Mommy telling us that she and Daddy were going to hospital for a couple days.  I think she has a weird expression on her face because she was having a contraction.  I may have been listening to Mommy or trying to steal a few pieces of cereal from Abigail.  I don't remember.

And when Claire was brought home from the hospital, I was busting at the seams to introduce myself to her.  For some reason, Daddy found it necessary to hold my scruff pretty tightly.

I think I got to lick her pinky.

Overall, I am still the same friendly dog and am so incredibly gentle with my sisters.  Not so much the rug or doorframe, but all I have is love and kisses for my sisters.  The biggest change for me is that I have become an emotional eater and have to eat super expensive dog food so that my stomach won't get upset.  It's just my little way of reminding Mommy and Daddy that I'm important too.  Important enough to shell out a pretty penny for my food every month or so :)  That's my way of sticking it to the man.  Oh, and this too.

That's what they get for not making their bed.

Wordless Wednesday

A Season of Firsts

This past holiday season was marked by a slew of things that we did for the first time.  Rather than an elaborate post on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought I'd highlight the holiday season with our "firsts."

We hosted Thanksgiving for the first time, and I made my first turkey.  Little did I know that it takes a few days for a frozen turkey to defrost.  I bought mine the day before Thanksgiving and had to do a quick thaw in the cooler.  Lesson learned.

Matt carved his first turkey.  Look at that intense concentration :)

Our friends played our XBox 360 (Thanks, Dad!) for the first time...

...and fell asleep after a big Thanksgiving lunch.  Sorry, Kahleel, just had to put this one in :)

Christmas brought about Abigail's first Christmas program at preschool.  This was about the time that Matt and I realized we had become those parents armed with a camera and video camera.

We hosted Christmas for the first time and were blessed to be able to celebrate with Matt's entire family.

Claire celebrated her first Christmas and was given a thorough tutorial by her sister and cousins as to how to open presents.

And lastly, we made our first gingerbread house.  Yum!

Wordless Wednesday