I have heard that it only takes 3 weeks or 21 days to develop a habit. When I went on bedrest I didn’t realize exactly what that would mean for our family. During that time a couple bad habits developed in particular–too much TV watching and no cooking at home. I am so so so thankful for all the people that brought us delicious food, but now I am so out of practice I am finding it difficult to come up with ideas.

Actually the journey to little cooking began earlier in the year. I would often lament that we had all this great, organic produce but little time to make it. Since we were commuting to our farm if I didn’t plan ahead and bring items home to cook then I was out of luck, plus there was just the time and energy constraints of commuting, farming, Proeun working full time, being pregnant, and trying to keep the children grounded.

Now we are in our quiet season and it feels so nice. We still have some winter produce around now I just need to get my act together and start cooking. Luckily winter is my favorite time to eat.

This week we made, “3 Pepper White Chili” and “Roasted Almonds”. The chili used our homegrown dried beans, Hutterite Soup Beans, peppers, onions and garlic grown by one of the other farmers.  

Roasted Almonds are another favorite snack to have around the house. Sorry I wasn’t thinking enough to get pictures but here are the recipes. I will keep you posted on our quest to cook more at home.

3 Pepper White Chili

2-3 cups cooked white beans (I love great northerns if you don’t have homegrown!)

1 lb ground turkey or hamburger browned and seasoned with salt and a dash of sugar

1 bell pepper
1 poblano pepper
1-2 jalapeno pepper
1 medium onion
3 tsp chicken style seasoning or broth cube (optional)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cloves garlic

I like to cook the beans in a crock pot overnight. No need to soak, just add 1 1/2 cups beans and about 8 cups water, turn it on high and in the morning perfectly cooked beans.

Then I brown the meat and add the other ingredients in the morning (sometimes I remove excess water to make a thick chili). Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8.

 Roasted Almonds

4 cups raw, whole almonds
2 TBSP water
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Dissolve salt in water and mix with almonds. Pour on a cook sheet so they are about one level and roast in oven for 2 hours. Cool and enjoy!

I have had a lot of time for contemplation lately. One thing that I have noticed is just how well the children play together. Of course they have their arguments including foot stomping, yelling, screaming and occasionally hitting. But for the most part it seems like there is a sense of mutual respect and dare I say it love between all of them.

Avril and Mavis especially love to be together and are playing together more often then not. But lately Two has been joining it. I was actually able to sneak up on them and snap a picture of them before they noticed and began posing.

I grew up planning to “plan” my children. I would have 2 and I would space them perfectly and then I would be done. This just seemed the norm. I conveniently forgot how I begged my parents for another sibling and how much I loved babies. There were several women in our church who had 3 children but they either admitted the 3rd was an “accident” or everyone thought they were crazy to want 3.

Now I am expecting my 4th with no plans to take up “planning” or stopping. Sometimes I feel a little crazy. But when I see the joy they have playing together and I imagine them continuing this close relationship into adulthood I feel very happy for the decisions we made.

My most special memories are catching them giving each other a spontaneous hug or a kiss on the cheek, just because at that moment they were overwhelmed with love for each other and had to show it physically.

I can’t wait to introduce them to their new little sister. Any day now hopefully I am approaching 39 weeks. After beginning bedrest nearly 6 weeks ago it seems like an eternity to still be pregnant.

If there is one thing that signals the end of the growing season it’s pumpkins.

And we have plenty of them. Last weekend Proeun harvested our pumpkins and brought them home–well most of them, at least as many as he could fit in the car.

The kids were duly impressed and have pumpkin carving on the mind.

I am officially off bedrest now, though it seems that labor has started and stopped at least twice right now it seems no where on the horizon. So this weekend we took the children to the thrift store for costumes. Now they are really looking forward to the end of October.

I am just looking forward to the baby. I have gotten my hopes up a couple times but now am trying not to think about it beyond making the home as comfortable as possible and being ready. I had a prenatal today and the midwife said the children seem much calmer now that “mommy is back.” I even started a new project–a sweater for the baby now that I can sit up long enough to knit comfortably.

Yes this is a month of ends and beginnings. I was helping pack boxes for our CSA today and thinking how much I would miss our fields and the vegetables and the excitement of packing our boxes to share with customers. I am sad really. But as soon as the baby comes I will have plenty to keep me busy and joyful till next year.

Well I am almost done with bedrest and I can’t believe it. Three weeks ago yesterday I went into the hospital for early labor and began this journey. I remember thinking discontentedly, “if I could just fast forward my life 3 weeks I would be happy,” knowing in my head that life is already too short and at the end I would probably give anything for 3 weeks. Now I see that the time has flown by but I have learned a few things along the way like,

1. how to ask for and receive help gracefully (sort of). Special thanks to my mom, dad, sister, aunt, grandma and grandpa and Angela next door for all your help and encouragement.
2. how to accept my physical limitations. It’s not easy seeing my hard earned cleanliness spiral downward, again special thanks to mom and grandma for the occasionaly tune up in orderliness.
3. Chaos is OK sometimes. When the children have been in the house with me for the better part of 3 weeks things can get really crazy sometimes. Sometimes I just have to let them run around the house screaming and chasing each other.
4. Relaxation is wonderful.

I am actually really thankful for this opportunity to wind down and refocus before the appearance of baby #4. Perhaps the Lord knew that it would just be too difficult for me to say no and slow down on my own so He encouraged me by necessity. Going into next week I eagerly anticipate the arrival or our baby with a rejuvenated spirit.

Plus I have had plenty of time to read, here are just a few of my favorites

1.Cheaper by the Dozen, Frank B. Gilbreth
2. Playful Parenting, Lawrence Cohen
3. Table for Eight:Raising a large family in a small-family world Meagan Francis
4. A Biblical Home Education Ruth Beechick
5. The Little Boy Down the Road Doug Phillips
6. Teach a child to Read with Children’s Books, Mark B. Thogmartine, Mary Gallagher
7. Already Gone Ken Hamm and Britt Beamer

I haven’t completed all of them but have made good starts on all of them, still waiting is a biography of John Calvin and A Handbook for Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock. Oh and to ensure that I keep reading I ordered Honey for a Women’s Heart by Gladys Hunt to go with her book of almost he same title for children to ensure that there will continue to be plenty of quality reading for everyone. I feel like I don’t have the time to reasearch very many books and it is so disappointing to spend time with a book that wasn’t worth it. All in all I would have to say bedrest has been a good experience–for the most part.

Thursday morning I woke up feeling very tired and with alot of lower back pain. It was packing day and I figured I would feel better by later in the afternoon. However it progressed and I decided to go to the hospital to see if I was in labor, at just 33 1/2 weeks. Long story short, they treated me for pre-term labor and were able to successfully stop it or at least slow it to where they felt comfortable sending me home 2 days later.

So now I am home on bedrest and will hopefully be able to keep this baby happy and healthy in me for another 3 weeks or so, till it is full term. My main jobs now are eating lots (around the clock as my midwife said), drinking lots of water and herbal teas, and resting as much as possible. So I will be taking a break from blogging for awhile while we figure out how our family routine will look over the next couple of weeks.

It was a hard weekend for the children with mommy being gone unexpectedly, then bed and nap times went out the window plus when they would come visit me it was all about being quiet, so they are literally bursting at the seams.

On the positive side our little drama unfolded at about the best time it could, after CSA day and on a weekend we didn’t have to pick for the larger CSA. Plus it is already giving me an opportunity to relax, and plan some homeschool activities. So I will be back probably in a couple weeks. If anything eventful happens I will let you know.

These are just a few of the things I have been thinking about lately–a few. Pictures have not been on the list so sorry no pictures for today’s entry.

I am winding down the preserving, calling it quits if you will. Yesterday I canned over 40 pounds of pears, using the same method I did with the peaches except I used a vegetable peeler to remove the skin, didn’t blanch it and added a tsp of vitamin C powder to each jar to stop it from discoloring.

It took me all yesterday afternoon and evening. All the while I was thinking about pulling out my baby clothes and small cloth diaper covers from the attic. Oh and rearranging the children’s room, buying some extra stacking drawers for on top of the dresser that already holds 3 children’s clothes.

My bookshelves need attention again, they seem to gather so much non-book stuff and I really am getting more organized with other non-book shelves so I can free up my devotion to books.

Then today we were at the farm and looking at the field of pumpkins. See even though it sounds like I am so busy I couldn’t possibly be enjoying myself I love the fall. To me fall is all about home. After a busy and adventurous summer the cool weather encourages us to stay home, cook, eat, cuddle and organize for the coming winter. I am so thankful I live somewhere with seasons! By next spring we will have “cabin fever,” but right now I am so thankful for our little “cabin” and the things that are bringing us home.

Labor day is here and almost gone. The unofficial end of summer. Now my mind is turning to things like canning, homeschooling, sweaters and a new baby.

This weekend we made the trek north again for one of the last times this season, it was good to get in the country where it is so quiet at night that you can hear the raccoons talking at night. There was much to be done to prepare for closing out the summer and planning for hunting season–my husband’s favorite weekend to spend with his brothers and father.

it frosted our first night there. What a change, it seems like last week we had the air conditioning on and it was 80 degrees. I discovered much to my chagrin as I was packing for this trip that Two had outgrown his pants, Mavis her coat and that I had yet to buy enough long sleeved shirts for Mavis. Avril and Two are both in need of “mud” shoes that fit and Mavis boots. I was wholly unprepared for this drastic change in weather. Mom said it looks like time for another trip to the thrift store.

There is still much to do to prepare for the baby and finish up the farming. Honestly at the end of the long weekend this is a bit how I felt. Our nephew Matthew and Hiro catching a quick nap on the way home after and adventure filled weekend.

We have been a co-sleeping family from the very beggining. Well the 2nd night after our oldest son was born. He spent his first night in intensive care due to a slightly premature birth. Everything worked out OK and by the 2nd night he was with us. I remember I just wanted to touch him. I couldn’t sleep if he was awake and I couldn’t sleep if he was asleep so I brought him into the hospital bed with me and had him sleep on my chest. I remember feeling like I had to hide it from the nurses.

Our next 2 children were born at home so the family bed was an easy transition. I remember how pleasant and easy it was to add a new member to our family and how easily they fit into our lifestyle.

Our bed is getting a little crowded though.  With baby number 4 on the way we began looking for options. In our 2 bedroom house with 3 soon to be 4 children of both sexes we decided on bunk beds with a twin up and double down. The day we picked it up was very exciting for the children.

Avril and Mavis really enjoyed building their bed.

Mavis helps Avril put on the finishing touches. Avril took her job very seriously. Two kept himself aloof until the top mattress went on. During the day the top mattress is a definite favorite.

Unless mommy is sharing the bed.

Honestly I am not too enthused about the sleeping situation, nothing new for us of course, but I love our old bed. We did invest a little more in the bottom mattress though knowing that me and my pregnant belly would probably be sharing it with the children. Eventually we realize that mommy can not sleep next to everyone. Avril and Two were planning on sharing the top, mommy, daddy and Mavis on the bottom but alas the “boy” sheets are on the top and “girl” on the bottom so you know how it goes. Proeun gets the old family bed to himself, unless I can sneak away during the night. Though one night I tried that and one by one they all came back in. So for now I guess this is the sleeping arrangement. Two is very proud that he sleeps on the top on by himself, but not so proud to turn down Avril or Mavis is they ask to sleep with him.

Good, solid friends are such a grounding force in a life. I am so fortunate to have Jenelle, my best friend since 3rd grade, when we started attending school together, before that we had weekly meetings at Sabbath School but it wasn’t until school came around that we really bonded.

Proeun has several, one from 3rd grade and a couple from a bit later. But when friends are there that you keep your whole life it grounds the individual. The need for companionship and understanding is met and so there is less need for things like “popularity” which means very little anyway.

This week Jenelle was in town visiting her parents, she has since moved away with her husband. The visit was extra special as it was an opportunity for me to meet Emma for the first time. Life stages are important and it is so nice when a good friend joins you. Emma is awaiting siblings but had a good time borrowing my 3 children and Avril got lots of practice in with a baby sister. Though Emma wasn’t always sure what to do with the attention. Avril is a slight 32 pounds and Emma over 20 so we were a little nervous with the holding and carrying. Oh well.

You know you have a good friend when you can sit and talk for hours about nothing in particular. Also it is not so important to clean your house. Late last night we set the time for the visit as this morning. I was tired and looking at my house thinking what should I clean first, then I remembered, this is Jenelle, she’ll understand.

Today the heat wave that has settled over the Twin Cities for nigh unto a week is beginning to lessen. By next week predictions of early fall weather are coming. It’s not a moment too soon for me. This heat has been incredibly tough. We have one window air conditioner in our living/dining area and it has been working overtime. But really if you aren’t sitting right in front of it you don’t feel the effects.

This has been  particularly difficult with cooking. I am so burned out from working in the fields and during pregrancy I often have a hard time cooking. I am only half joking when I saw my cravings are for something someone else has cooked. Add to that the intense heat of the kitchen as soon as I turn anything on and you see why mac and cheese, chips and crackers have been the order of the week.

Finally yesterday I hit on a winning solution that I didn’t feel guilty about.

Soybeans (edamme), sweet corn, carrots and cucumbers from our field accompanied with fried eggs from our chickens and lots of ranch dressing–for me my favorite is “goddess” dressing from Trader Joe’s. I only had to boil one pot of water and I cooked the corn first in it then took that out and added the soybeans. I cooked rice at the same time. From Mavis’ hair you get an idea how intense it has been.

Here Mavis is chowing down on her favorite, soybeans. Two loved the corn and eggs and Avril liked the cucumbers (my favorite too). Today it’s more of the same, maybe with a few tomatoes thrown in. I really wish we could figure out how to grow lettuce that didn’t turn bitter in the heat. I guess that is a good project for the off season.