Christmas in FLA 2010

Ellie took this picture!




My Dad with Buddy.





My Grandma with Ellie.







Ellie sitting with Georgia in my parents backyard. She loves this dog.



My Mom and Ellie.



Ellie, completely zoned out watching a movie. I never thought we would own a dvd player for the van. Eighteen hours on road, it was nice.



Buddy, not quite as interested in the movies.


This is the great family picture Clay got! I am so happy to have this. This is in my Grandma Pat;s backyard. I remember as a little girl helping to clear this, there were so many trees and a crazy area of bamboo. It is a really big, great backyard.


This is Ellie "posing" for the camera. :)


Buddy, really happy with his stick. :)

Hopefully more pictures to come!

Being Faithful With What You Have

I have read so many great and inspiring stories about living debt free, pinching every penny to pay in full for your home or pay it off as soon as possible. These couples did a good thing in being able to do this. However, every one's needs and circumstances are different and usually by the time I finished their story I felt unfaithful in our finances, and not encouraged but discouraged. I felt discouraged because I know our budget and how many areas I cut back, and still I am not able to pay extra on our mortgage. We do not use cell phones. We have an Internet phone that is $35 a year for unlimited local and long distance; we have a prepaid cell phone for emergencies like when the power goes out and we can not use the Internet. I shop at thrift stores, a lot. Most of our furniture has been given to us. I cook and prepare our meals. We had a vegetable garden last year and plan to have one this year. I use cloth diapers for our babies. I write these things to give an idea of ways we try to be frugal. But maybe you are asking, "Brooke, couldn't you pay just a little bit extra on your mortgage?" My honest answer would be "no we can not."

There are three reasons why, in our present circumstances, we will not own our home earlier than later: I want to stay home and take of our children, I want to purchase good, nutritious food, and we want to give to God's church. You do not know how many times I have tried to work and rework our budget, and how merciless I have been to myself because we do not pay extra on our mortgage. I have come to believe, with my husband's guidance, that if it does take us the 30 years to pay off this home we can still be faithful Christians that have served God well with what we were given. Like everything else that can become an idol in our lives -- paying off your home early has the potential as well.

Not in any way do I want to bash the couples that have done this or are trying to do this. Maybe, and I'd like to think so, they were completely faithful in their efforts. If we could fulfill these three goals listed earlier and still be able to pay extra, we would in a heart beat. But we are not going to compromise on those three points. If I am not going to stay home with my children and take care of them what would be the point in even having them while paying someone else to keep them for 8-9 hours a day? My children will remember me being with them more than nice clothes or whatever else a second income could bring in. Second, good food in this house is priority. And it doesn't even look half as healthy as I would like! Kraft mac-n-cheese three for a $1 is no temptation for me. Good, simple food is an investment and savings down the road. Lastly, giving to His Kingdom is wonderful and you always get back more than you gave. You just might not know it at the time. Maybe you are thinking, "But you could give more to His Kingdom later if you owned your home faster." That is true, but there is no guarantee that we will even be here in ten years to do so. We are living now and now is when we are going to give. These three areas mean more to us than "financial freedom".

This humble, poorly written post is for those trying to live faithfully, having babies to God's glory, living in a small house, working hard all week long to feel like you are just making it. You might not have your three to six months income saved like Dave Ramsey suggests (which is wise advice) but it doesn't mean you are irresponsible and unfaithful. I hate to use this phrase because I hear it so often, but "modern Christianity" sets these "faithful" check lists that aren't really necessary. We homeschool our kids, check. We own our home at age 28, check. My wife bakes all our bread, check. And the list can go on. All of these are good to do, but not all of us can do them at the same rate as our neighbor. That is okay. Be faithful with what you have, be encouraged with what you can do financially instead of being discouraged by what you can not, and serve Him faithfully with the knowledge and resources He has given you presently.

Different Season of Life

Right now I have a 3 1/2 year old and 1 1/2 year old. I am not pregnant, yet. :) I have a good amount of energy and health right now. But that could all change, and soon. If God blesses us with another little one around the house, based off of my last two pregnancies I will not have a lot of energy and the yuckiness will try to take over. This contrast hit me the other day when I was thinking about all the lovely expecting gals at church and how I would like to make each and everyone one a yummy lasagna. (I have not hit the casserole stage of life yet, but we do like our homemade lasagna). It occurred to me that this needs to be a season of serving for me. Why? Because I can. I know what it is like to lay on a couch, big and pregnant, exhausted, feeling like life will always be this way. Fortunately it isn't. God remembers us and gives us a beautiful reward for all our hard work and longsuffering. :) Our season's change, and our needs and abilities change. In some months I could be the one receiving a casserole from a friend. Have you thought about this? What season are you in? If you are in a season where it seems like you are constantly receiving, take heart and enjoy it with thanksgiving! I know for me it is hard to receive the help that I need sometimes, but I think that is what God was trying to teach me, to just receive. So, this was my little epiphany the other day --- "Get busy on those baby blankets and lasagnas Brooke...your season may be changing soon!" :) Have a blessed day. Oh! Hopefully pictures from our FLA trip will be up soon. It was so fun!!

Family Life

My blog has been super boring but the Little Yellow House has not. :) We have been busy busy around here and it has been good. If I could remember/learn how to post pictures this blog would be much more interesting. The things that intimidate me are hilarious, are they not? :)

God has blessed Clay with one photography job after the other which has been a blessing. I am so proud of him and how hard he works for us. He has also been getting all kinds of great WW2 stuff from the library for him and I. We read these two comic books (I know...weird) about a man that was in a concentration camp. They were so good! And then we watched The Hiding Place and The Pianist. Both great movies about Europe at that time. The Pianist, in my girlie opinion, was a little graphic and violent. But over all an incredible story. I finished a small biography about Corrie ten Boom and Clay just finished Night. Clay LOVES the public library system, he cracks me up at how excited he gets when things come in. I am thankful for him.

Ellie is more beautiful and full of personality everyday. :) She is merging from toddler to little girl, her face and fingers are growing more thin and elegant. And her interest in toys and activities is changing. She is a sweetie!!

Athanasius is walking like a pro now, and loving it! He is different than Eleanor. Eleanor loves people and enjoys doing everything with Mommy, Athanasius will go off by himself and play all by himself perfectly content. Clay and I have to make an effort to include him at times because he is so happy by himself. So I guess God thought it would be interesting to give us two opposites. :) Athan loves going outside and playing in the sand box. He rearranges Daddy's books and my mixing bowls...they are two great kids!

And me? I am in the middle several projects...of course. :) When they will be completed I haven't the foggiest idea. But I enjoy it, and it blesses me. I made yogurt for the first time and loved it! It seems to get better and better each time. I am learning life is a process and it is okay that it has taken us four or five weeks to paint our kitchen.

As a household He is teaching us to be thankful. As I write this I can barely move my neck because it is messed up, again. I was just at the chiropractor's last week. But I know that God loves me and bearing His cross many times means suffering. And without suffering I probably wouldn't love God or try to keep His commandments. So I have had to thank God for my neck hurting and throbbing, and you know what? It doesn't hurt quite as bad when my attitude is in check. But sometimes I am having to check it minute by minute...we are weak creatures aren't we?

I have been wanting to post for awhile and this what I came up with. :) Have a restful evening!

Good Words Friday

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars sculptured in palace style...

Psalm 144
A Psalm of king David

Good Words Friday

"It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense; it would be with out meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure."

-Albert Einstein

This was found in a Dan Winters photography book that we really enjoy. Clayton has learned a lot about lighting and portraiture photography from Winters style. Some of his work is a little out there, but for the most part we appreciate his simple and classy approach.

Ellie Speaks~

Ellie: "Mommy, how much longer until I will be a mommy?"

Me: "Well...I was 20 when I became a Mommy so you have about 17 more years to go." :)

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Ellie: "When I am a Mommy I am going to kill cows and horses so I can feed my kids."

We asked her if she wanted to be a farmer but she said no.

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Ellie: "Buddy (Athanasius) when you become a man I am going to marry you, when you grow up."

I love it! The simplicity of a three year old...

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Ellie: "Mom, I drew a Beaded Mexican Dragon, do you like it?"

(youtube...the poor man's cable :)