Juice

When Bert makes juice everyone agrees it is the best. It is the sugary powder mix plus more sugar. Iced Tea is so thick you can't see through it. Usually the juice tastes like liquid Jello.

Yesterday:

Bob asks " Hey Bert did you make the juice?"

Bert answered "Yes I did, and it is good too:"

Bob answered "So it tastes like diabetes?!!"

Leaving

We had two kids move out, home for good, in the last 2 days. Which has got me thinking about what do you leave behind? There are books and articles and sermons about Leaving a legacy, and making a great impact. Anthony left today and while he has been here since before us and has been friends with the guys here, but he is the one who from my perspective had the most love/hate relationship with everyone in the house. He is 13 and has some annoying tendencies, and can be really cool and you see the pure kid in him. He has to act tough and tries to compensate for being the youngest, but as he left today I think everyone was a little sad. There were secret handshakes, and words of wisdom. "Don't smoke POT, or Ill come and beat you up!!!", "call to check in with us" "take care and be good".

In thinking about what I would say to him, I choose " take care of your mother and don't do anything to hurt her." I figured it would cover lots of things : putting others first, loving his mom, and hopefully thinking about making good choices."

I am not sure what Darren choose, but they went to Wawa or somewhere for breakfast, on the drive to drop him off.

What would you say, if you could leave someone one sentence ?

toys, Toys, TOYS

this week i have been in charge of sorting, separating and rotating some of Brody's toys from the "secret stash" in his closet. Maybe it is because he is a boy and all his toys have small parts, or that each set is not related to the next, but I was overwhelmed at first. The job got done, but I decided that if our children(none on the way) ever get to the point of needing to rotate toys and i have to worry about storing them, I think it will be a sign that WE HAVE TOO MANY and it might be time to donate or trash some.

It could be I am fooling myself, maybe all those Barbie pieces I had were just as frustrating to my mom, but maybe they could all be thrown in to one container.

Do people with kids feel overwhelmed by the volume? can toys push you out of your own house? How do you weed out the not needed toys without feeling guilty?

our weekend away

We went to D.C, in September and stayed with cousin Jess. Walked hundreds of miles, she was an excellent tour guide! And we learned some too.

Our weekend away in October was a visit to central Pa. Hershey Chocolate world tour, the Antique Automobile museum, and Gettysburg. I was wonderful and relaxing and quite the learning experience.

boys antics

So here is just a few strange things that we have had to deal with lately.

climbing out on the front roof from a bedroom window to have a cig,

climbing the neighbors pine trees for a cig,

breaking the bathroom window just playing catch,

the boys toilet was flushed today and started leaking in to the kitchen,

we had a kid run away for the night and had to file a police report and they picked him up in philly 18 hours later,

we have been told we are too young to be married, and are just in the job for the money,

which is totally an angry judgement.

because we all know how much Darren and Kate and angry, mean, and vindictive people.

hahaha

so when one of them said jokingly that dinner was bad for the 3rd night in a row, as he took huge bites and tried to take it back, I(kate) whipped an asparagus at him, but sadly missed by a few inches.

Not supposed to stoop to their level, but it felt good and would have been really funny if it had hit him.

oops

Kate's Birthday

I worked that day, but arrived to a beautiful card that Brody made for me with a Fire truck on it. Darren got flowers and wine and cheese and yummy dessert for me when I got home. We got the night off so we could take a wine tasting class and then went out to dinner at a Cuban restaurant. It was wonderful! I felt very loved. Here are some pictures from the vineyard we went to.

Our house

This is our house. The crazyness!!

click the title link to see more pictures

Brody-isms

Brody and I were practicing letters by looking at the keyboard on the computer and he asked, what the ambulance button did. It took me a minute to figure out what he was referring to, then i realized it was the plus sign. But to a boy who loves all kinds of trucks he knows what the ambulance cross is.

pretty brilliant!

better nose piercing picture

A poop story_ not for the squeemish

So Brody has been potty trained since just after turning 2, but recently has been having #2 accidents. The teacher at school suggested he wear diapers for a little bit. The Dr on monday recommended 7 days of laxative. The deal was try and get it in the potty before school and he doesn't have to wear the diaper to school. Legos were confiscated until it happens, and candy was promised. So after 2 days of laxative and no poop out at all, Mom, Dad, and I were worried we were going to have a blow out at any moment. So yesterday after school I made him do the customary sit on the potty and try (3 times a day) and he got some out, not a ton but definitely triumphant. Mom came home and he got to pick out a candy, then she went to take a nap. A little bit later Brody and I are playing and he does the potty dance real quick then grabs his butt, and says " i have to go potty" so we run to the down stairs bathroom. I was also carrying Landry. I set her on the floor between my feet hoping to prevent her from tipping over. I help him get on the toilet seat and dump a small turd in the potty, and yuck get some poo on my hand, just as Landry tips over and bumps her face on the floor and starts screaming. So i wash my hands real well and pick her up to console her as fast as i can. She calms down, and i put her in the exer-saucer just to make sure she is safe and out of the way. Go back to Brody who has gotten more poop in the potty, and we clean the little bit from the underwear incident off his leg and wipe him. I send him to go get clean underwear on and flush the toilet. I run up to the kitchen to get cleaner for the potty seat, and come back to the toilet being full. There is no off valve on the wall to shut of the water so i open the top to try and intercept it there and accidentally bump the flush arm. SOOO the toilet overflows on to 3/4 of the floor and a little in the bathroom. I am just standing on the bathroom bare foot repeating " this is not happening" as Brody(still naked butt) is asking what is wrong and can he come see. So i grab the dirty towels from the laundry room and luckily the water stops and the toilet goes back to as if nothing has happened. All gets cleaned, fortunately no chunks escaped and the clorox was already in hand. Jen asked why i had not called to wake her up and, i really thought she might of heard and it all happened so fast. And on top of it all i was tired and hoping to get him to nap early so i could rest too. DIDN'T happen.

hahahahahaha

changes

new stuff from the neck up.

One year

We made it . . . WE have been married for one year. Unfortunately we were working on the 8th so this past weekend the 15th&16th we got to get away. 

We went to the beach, Atlantic City specifically. It was great very relaxing, rode the ferris wheel under the stars, and got to enjoy each other!! 

Here we are just down from our hotel, on the sand.

The new job

We applied for this house parent job. I had seen an
add on craigslist back in november and thought we would be good at
that. I like to cook for people and Darren is great with boys. But we
had just moved in and were getting settled. Then Darren had been doing
training to become a manager at TJ's and not hearing about what was
happening and when. He was frustrated one day and was looking for jobs
on craigslist and found CSF (Community Service Foundation). He called
Rev (coordinator- full name Reverdy-not a man of the cloth) They did a
phone interview and he liked Darren, he sent us a bunch of questions
about who we were and why we wanted to get in to this. In a week we
had our first in person interview. In good Kate and Darren tradition I
was nervous and thinking about all of the angles and not sure, and
trying to plan every possible scenario, Darren had no worries he was
totally excited and feeling ever more drawn to it the more he talked
to Rev. I prayed about it, talked about my feelings, wrestled with
staying in a comfortable life and or moving and commuting and living
in a very different situation. But came around on my own, and realized
that this is an amazing opportunity and why not do it. We live
basically for free, just have our own fun and car expenses, and get to
affect some teenagers who could really use some stable loving people
in their lives. We knew it would not always be easy and might not want
to do it for ever, but if we never tried we would never find out if we
are meant to be parents to many or not. So interview one was them
explaining the program to us and getting to know the different fascets
of the organization. Then it was telling us about being house parents
and what that involved. Interview three was Rev coming to our house to
meet with us and see what we were like, how we kept house, our
relationship and problem solving, strengths or differences. We had to
fill out questions and he was checking to see if we had the stuff to
handle it when the kids were giving us trouble and making us crazy. WE
PASSED. Then the plan was to move in on July 18th and take over then.
Between the 9th and then Darren was to do as much training as possible
and I could go to as much as possible. Then the house parents in the
house were having personal problem and ended moving out early. So they
had a relief worker in there for a week and we moved in on July 16th.
We have a 4 bedroom house in Doylestown, Pa. There are 6 boys in the
house(boys because it is Darren's job primarily) They are 2 to a room.
They are not related and have come to the program through various
reasons. Drug addictions, abuse or violence. They are in hardcore
rehab and then come to us when they have been successfull and instead
of just throwing them back into home or their neighborhood, they come
and live a semi normal life and get used to more freedoms. They are
not allowed to smoke and are not supposed to swear and lights out is
at 10, which are the rules that get broken the most. I hate that
anyone smokes but considering that they have come so far from drugs
and are just going to smoke when they get out we are making sure they
know it is not healthy and are fighting for more important things.
Darren is amazing at talking to them and making them think. Our plan
is to get respect from them and change their hearts, make them think
about their choices and that way when they get out they will make
better choices because they care about themselves. Two have had deep
converstations and cried with Darren, they are sharing their burdens
with him which is amazing! They give us trouble at times and think it
is all about them, and they need to have the last word. We are trained
in de-escalation techniques to try and keep the conflicts from
happening. It is totally hands off and I am rarely home with them, Dad
was worried about my safety but there is not any risk.
We are doing good, we are meant to work together he is great and I
have parenting skills to set rules and know when they are crossing
boundaries. We can have people visit and have our own master bedroom,
walk-in closet and bathroom. The kids have a living room and we have
one that they are not allowed in. anyway its all good, we are shooting
to make it a year, but if we stay for 2 years we will have all of our
debt payed off. We might even have some money saved up to buy a boat.
Then the plan is to move back to Santa Barbara or Ventura harbor and
live on the boat. Also Darren gets to go to grad school for basically
free. He can get a masters in counseling and restorative
practices(IIRP-International Institute of Restorative Practices),
through a sister organization. Then get an awesome job! We knew there
was reasons for not going to Eastern and then this fell in our laps.
God is helping us, and it is good. LIving on the edge of comfort is
where you can be truly vulnerable and fully rely on Him.

Darren's New Truck

Darren need a truck to get to the new job, and for training, because I use the Jetta for driving kids. So why not get a cool old truck, that we can learn how to work on, and drive, and take to car shows.  1968 GMC pickup welcome to the family. It has a 350 engine so it has some power, and is nice and throaty sounding! 

http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=1484486710&k=RZB6Q5P444VM5D1DSBZ4TQ

Camping and Memorial Day

We camped at French Creek, brought the bikes and rode around the countryside. On memorial day i was just sitting on the couch and all of the sudden heard marching band music, and there was a parade on the street, (i had forgotten about that possibility). We also had a bbq in  the South Ardmore park. 

Kate's New Job

So working retail does not feed my soul, and so if you have talked to me since January I have been looking for a new job and have gone up and down with waves of motivation. But it was all in good(God's) timing for me to find this job which fits quite well and is what I was really looking for. 

I am back to nannying, which is going really great. The kids are different from any other ones I have watched before. Brody an almost 4 year old boy, and Landry is currently 15 weeks old. I work from 7:30am- 3:30 pm and still have most of my afternoons to got the the store, workout, see my husband, get some sunshine, or relax. The family is very open to me taking the kids to the zoo or a park or on some other adventures. I had interviewed for another job that didn't want me to do any of that with the kids, which makes for a long and boring week. So this is great they are fun, and listen for the most part, 4y/o boys can be crazy, which was reinforced for me this week! But they are easy to love and a new fun experience in the span of things I will have lots of practice parenting before i have my own kids.  

Travels.

Erik has been in virginia for 3 years and I have not been to visit him since I helped him move there. So Mom and Dad Holmberg, Sam and us all met there for Easter. Darren and I opted to go to the sunrise service our church (www.circleofhope.net) was holding in Philadelphia up on a hill in Fairmount park. Then we drove straight down to Virginal Beach for brunch. We hung out with the family, walked on the boardwalk, and on Monday Erik, Kristina, Darren and I went to Jamestown. To see the pictures follow this link and then click on the photo to view the whole album. http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=1484486710&k=R21XQ6SYRX6M5D1DSBZ4TQ

For Mothers day weekend, we drove up to Boston and Amesbury Ma. for Grandma Holmberg's 85th birthday party and some more Holmberg family time. Cousin Jessica came and picked us up and we drove up to Boston. Darren and I stayed at Marcy's house and went to Harvard, and walked around Boston, we got cannolis, and a drink at the Black Rose Irish bar. Grandma's party was  lovely, it was a beautiful day on the river and lots of family came to celebrate how wonderful she is! http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=1484486710&k=RYB2Q3RZPW6M5D1DSBZ4TQ

Ryan came to visit, which was a much needed dose of California for us. And because everyone has different interests, we went to a couple of skate parks, art exhibits, record stores, and saw some cool street art and murals. Of course we got cheese steaks and Darren and Ryan went to Eastern State Penitentiary. Darren and Ryan got to spend some quality time together and caught up on all the little parts of life. Thanks again for coming Ryan!!  http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=1484486710&k=Z5164WPSPY6OUCBDU16YPQT

New Things

Darren and I got married 10.5 months ago and are enjoying it very much. We have made a nice life in the Philadelphia suburbs, and some good friends too. It has been a while since we blogged but in an attempt to share life with everyone who we don't see on a regular basis, this is my effort to be better at blogging. My 10.5 month resolution is to blog more! So lets see if in the next few posts I can catch up. The short version:

We got road bikes.

We went to Virginia for Easter.

We went to Massachusets for Mothers Day. 

We went camping. 

Kate left City Sports and got a new job.

Darrens brother Ryan came to visit and we discovered more of Philly.

We are working on our golf game. 

We bought Darren a new truck.

We are moving in to a new job/house/phase of life. 

xoxo Kate

comida

Ok, fasting is not easy, it makes you uncomfortable, and helps you remember to think about God.  Darren put an apple in his mouth, and then remembered to spit it out. Currently he is napping and probably dreaming about food, I am still awake. . . God is giving me strength, and it is probably good I am not working so I can lay around and not have to worry about energy. 

Feast is tonight! 

The fast

So Darren had the idea that together as a cell group we should fast for 24 hours. Last week it was decided and it started tonight 7pm e.s.t. and tomorrow at cell we will break our fast and feast together. It will be tough for all of us, maybe some more than other, we are doing it in solidarity together!!! The rule is you can have a smoothie, but your water consumption has to be twice what the smoothie was (8oz smoothie= 16 oz H2O)and milkshakes don't count. It will be tough waking up and wanting breakfast, or for Darren having free food in the break room at work. We can do it and we will pray that our friends do not grow faint and are able to make it the whole way with us.

Tonight I(Kate) was doing laundry at my cousins house so I rushed home in time to cook dinner and we finished chewing and swallowed at 6:59pm.  I am still a bit hungary and if you know me I have a need for dessert, so that is what sounds good, especially since i bought ice cream sandwiches today. BUT they will be waiting for tomorrow . . .

I'll keep you posted, maybe we will get some productive reading,praying and paperwork done in our down time tomorrow since we will not be spending time eating. 

Chao for now! (pun intended)

Advice

Does any one have any living green, or frugal money blogs that they would recommend? I found a couple but they are not always the greatest?

Consumerism

Why is it that I hate to work retail because all I do is watch people spend money on stupid things all day, when I can think of so many better places to use it?  BUT when the opportunity to go shopping at my favorite stores arises I get so excited and happy to go do it? 

Why can't I fight the urge and use my money for good things and not more clothes and shoes?

Lent or New Years Resolution?

Yesterday at church we talked about lent and what it means. Jesus in the dessert being tempted for 40 days and 40 nights. As a part of the religious holiday we might choose to give something up for lent, in order to think more about Jesus and the fasting and depravation that went on. 

All growing up I never gave anything up, I figured I did things in moderation anyway and that it was  more of a catholic holiday. But I don't think that is true anymore. I think it is okay to start at any point in the 40 days. It is a great chance to practice some self control and focus more on our walks with God. We can fast and pray anytime of the year, but something about lent makes a greater connection with everyone else in the world that is participating at the same time. 

I might also suggest that lent is another chance at New Years Resolutions. It is rare to hear a success story of a resolution, but it does happen. Maybe we feel guilty of not succeeding and so the second time around we try harder. Maybe it is a greater motivation to be focusing on God and that is awesome. 

I don't mean to offend anyone so please don't take this post as any sort of attack.

I would love to hear your success stories or opinions!

our christmas tree

As small as it is, it was a great christmas tree, held all the ornaments, and was very festive in our little house. The picture was taken by Darren's Dad who gifted the tree and some starter ornaments to us. (thanks)

selling myself,

We will be in california from jan 6-18th, Does anyone want a massage while we are in california? or do you know anyone that wants one? just let me know.

thanks!~kate