baby faces

rosy cheeks
one cocked eyebrow
staring off into distant places
eager anticipation
wide eyes
distracted gazing
the prairie dog fists
buried nose
head scratching
eyes rolling
finger chewing
singing and sucking
eyes darting
shirt grabbing
little leg stretching
silent sleeping
furrowed brow
finger holding
delicate red eyelashes drooping

Some of Raymond's most adorable and endearing moments happen while nursing. So even if I did have new batteries for my camera, you wouldn't get to see them. Although I wish you could. He is so darling.

HOPE

This is Jeremy. I decided to high-jack Carly's blog. I recently have been learning a lot about hope. I am taking an institute class about the sermons on the Atonement found in the Book of Mormon. We just finished reading Jacob's sermon on the Atonement in 2 Nephi 6-10. Jacob quotes Isaiah to teach members of the House of Israel about hope. The people of Nephi were at a dark point. They had just separated from the Lamanites. I think I forget sometimes that at this point they were very small groups. They were still just a big family. The family was servered. Then one side of the family started physically attacking the other side. Then Jacob began to see many of his family start to waiver in their commitment to the Lord. He quotes to them from Isaiah teaching that those who "wait for the Lord shall not be ashamed." He teaches them that they are a covenant people and that even though they will break that covenant the Lord has not forgetten it nor them. He is full of mercy and will deliver the House of Israel and fulfill all the promises He had to them.

I have learned that as we increase our knowledge of Jesus Christ our hope will increase. When we feel despair it is because we are not remebering what Christ has done and who He is. My favorite verses from these chapters are several that state "Do not hang down your heads for we are not cast off forever." I have a testimony that Christ and His Atonement and our covenants are our source of hope, for we are of the House of Israel. There is a great new site on lds.org completely devoted to hope. I think everyone should go there and see it. This is the link.

Autumn

I fall into fall
dripping from the summer sun
ready for the crunch
of raked leaves
a kaleidoscope of reds
and muddy prints
after a chilly downpour
turning to snow

Little Man Fashion Show

(Gotta love the five point harness high chair.)

The fall chill has set in around these parts, particularly in the mornings and evenings. Little Raymond always seems to have cold fingers and toes. It is time for some warmer clothes. Since it seems like the only warm attire I have for him his size is PJs, it was time to do a little shopping. After some hunting around Cedar City and the internet, I came upon this little store with some ridiculously cheap baby clothes. He now owns his first pair of jeans. And a new Sunday outfit. Oh so cute.

I'm not so sure about the little insignia on the tie... we'll have to see about making one myself. Anyone seen a good baby tie tutorial?

He was tired of the fashion show, poor guy. I just can't get enough of him, however.

Practical Question: Food Storage

cSo I've been seriously thinking about our progress on having a three month supply of food storage. I have no doubt that we need to have at least a three month's supply... the question is more how to go about it. When we got married, we were given as gifts a few starter kit boxes number 10 cans of beans and rice, oats and wheat. We have a growing number of such cans. As well as a shelf of canned foods courtesy Jeremy's mom (thank you! We love your canned food!). All this is mostly considered to be part of our longer term storage (although we do eat regularly from home canned goodness... we just can't help it).

Anyhow, long story short, we started (oh, 8 months ago or so) to designate a certain (small) amount of our monthly food budget towards a three months supply. I tend to buy things at random, and so we have a growing shelf of random "everyday" foods. You know, bisquick, peanut butter, cans of corn, etc. Nothing organized or systematic. Just food.

On Monday for Family Home Evening we decided to inventory said shelf of foods. I was disheartened to discover that although we have started relatively recently, food was already going bad. It about broke my heart to throw some things away. (Confession, a few things I just have not been willing to get rid of despite the expired date... do think that's dangerous? I put them on the "eat now" shelf.) I also was reminded that the food we have there is random. And so far away from being a three month supply. So. Far. Away.

I've been following a blog with all kinds of food storage motivation and direction giving. I've been following it long enough that I've decided it's time to really act. I've particularly been pondering on how to get started on the three month supply. And yet it's all so overwhelming. You know?

But we've got to start somewhere, right? I'm trying their method of outlining rotatable menus of all nonperishable and then creating a master shopping list of what I would need. You know, just how many boxes of spaghetti do I need to buy? I've been working on my menus since Monday. They still are a bit sparse (fact: we eat a decent amount of perishable foods around here). And every time I think about working on it... somehow something else seems more important (aka I'm putting it off).

So, I know this is a HUGE topic (whole blogs, books, and websites are devoted to it)... I'm just wondering if you have any ideas for where to start. You know, to make this a little more systematic. Should I keep on with what I'm attempting? Or have you found an easier way? I'm ok if there isn't an easier way. Not all commandments are easy. But I'd like to simplify things if I can. Any words of advice?

Your Turn

So I was thinking this morning that I want to know a wee bit more about YOU. Tell me,

1. What is the first thing that made you smile this morning?
2. What is one of your favorite features/personality quarks/characteristics (about yourself)?
3. If you could go to any foreign/exotic place (all expenses paid), where would you go?


As for me...

1. The first thing that made me smile this morning was waking up to the sounds of baby singing (aka cooing) rather than crying coming from the monitor by my bed.
2. I'm not going to lie, I really love being a redhead.

3. I would love a roadtrip up and down the east coast--starting in Maine and hitting such delightful spots as Northern New York, Rhode Island, Boston, Baltimore, DC, and of course ending in Virginia. I would like a somewhat roomier car (than my hatchback) and to stay in Mariotts along the way, please. Could there be anything lovlier than New England in the fall?So tell me, what about you?

Shmorgisbord

I have been trying to start a new post all week. I have so many different things floating around in my head, I haven't been able to pin one down into a full post. So here's a smattering of things from the Christiansen household...

• Tomorrow is our 1 year anniversary. I'm a happy, happy girl. I can't believe it's been a year... and I can't believe it's only been a year. You know what I mean?
• I made whole wheat bread this week. As in, I ground the wheat myself. My inlaws gave us a wheat grinder for Christmas last year and I've been wanting to bust it out for, oh, almost 9 months. Such fun we had! The bread turned out tasty and filling.
  
• Speaking of food, I've officially taken on the oh-so-wifely duty of packing Mr. Christiansen's lunch every day. I'm determined to help him gain back all the weight he's lost since we got married (almost 15 lbs, folks. Too much.). I'm not going to lie, it's been fun.
• Oh yeah, and more on food: my new favorite recipe is for homemade wheat thins. I sure do LOVE crackers. But they've gotten so dang expensive of late... that I can just about never justify buying them. But making them? Well, I can eat the whole batch pretty quick, so I shouldn't make them too often either. But it sure is fun!
• I've decided to get more organized in my house cleaning duties. I love a clean house. Oh how I love it! But get so tired and frustrated with all the picking up that I've had a hard time doing any actual cleaning (beyond the dishes). So, I've made myself a schedule. I have a few "daily" chores and then have divided my weekly chores up. It makes it so much more doable when it's just one or two little things a day (rather than the whole stinkin' apartment in one sweaty, dusty morning). I'll report back in a few weeks to tell you how it's come along.
• Just so you know: I've flossed every single day for two weeks now. It's quite the accomplishment.
• I've been rereading my mission journals (for those who don't know, I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Honduras). I had such spunk! Such pizazz! Such enthusiasm and commitment and excitement for life! I'm determined to rekindle some of that beautiful, cheerful optimism that exuded from my letters and emails home. It makes me oh so happy to remember the wonderful people and places of that time in my life.
  
• I would just like to report that I have woken up in my own bed now for a week and a half. We are slowly but surely moving forward in our attempts at scedulted sleep in this house. Oh so happy.
• It's almost fall! I can feel it in the air. A slight something in the breeze (despite the 80 and 90 degree weather). It's cooler in the morning when we go for our walks. Little RayJ has to be bundled up of he gets too cold. I can't wait to bundle myself up! I love sweaters and fall colors and crisp breezes.

ps. Don't be surprised of one if these here bullet points gets turned into a full-blown post sometime soon. Otherwise I've just used up everything I've planned on blogging about in one fowl swoop!

12 weeks, 4 days (part II)... updated

Have I mentioned that he is this close to rolling over? Back to front, folks. That's tough stuff.

It's official. Today he rolled over for the first time. I think we're going to have a mover on our hands!

ps: Joy, have I told you how much I LOVE this blanket? It's big enough to keep this mama warm during a night on the couch. And foldable enough to be the perfect place for all his daily kicking!

Twelve weeks, 4 days

Oh how I love this face.