Eastern Washington Vs. Southwest Virginia

At this time last year, approximately 80 inches of snow had fallen in Spokane and there was still about 4-5 feet still on the ground. Roofs collapsed, roads had snow on them all winter, some piles were one story high, and kids had numerous snow days. It was rediculous! There was more snow in Spokane last winter than there ever has been on record. On the other hand, Roanoke (and the surrounding areas) had one snow storm which dropped about an inch. If I recall correctly, it was mostly gone the next day. Scroll down for pictures of last year's comparisons.

According to my sources, the Newport, WA area (about 40 miles north of Spokane) has had about 12 inches of snow total this winter. There may have been less in Spokane. A typical winter has at least 30 inches total for the winter. So far we have had anywhere between 20-30 inches in southwest Virginia! That's in just two storms! The theory is that I am the one bringing the bad weather to Virginia. If you knew all the bad weather patterns that have taken place in Roanoke while I was here since I started visiting three years ago, you would think so too! I don't have pictures of this year's snow falls...just imagine none in Spokane and 10 inches in Virginia!

On a completely unrelated topic, Will threw his back out today. It was feeling sore all morning then as he was getting ready to go to work, he twinged it somehow and there it went! His back goes out every couple of years but it has always been his lower back, affecting his ability to walk. This time it is in the middle of his back and his arm movements are affected. The muscles seem to tighten up to the point where it feels like he can't breathe well. He can't lift a single thing and has a difficult time getting up and down. Has this happened to any of you or do you know someone who this has happened to? What did you do? We have been putting a heating pad on it and he is just resting as much as possible but gets up to walk around every now and then so he doesn't get too stiff. It seems to help when pressure is put on his back. I have been hugging him all day and squeezing my arms around him where the pain is. It takes almost all the pain away while the pressure is there. I don't know what else we can do to put pressure like that on it all the time. It would probably help though. Thankfully Isaiah has been a gem while I have been taking care of his daddy. Please pray that Will's back gets better quickly. He needs to get back to work. Thank you very much!

To all of you east coasters, enjoy the snow!

The view off my front porch in Spokane. Note the height of the snow bank next to my car. This was in December, only the beginning of the dumping of the snow!



Blacksburg with the biggest snow accumulation for the winter of 2008-2009

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

I love the Sound of Music! It's one of my favorite movies but neither of the DVD players in our computers work so we can't watch it. In honor of that wonderful movie that I have been dying to watch, here are a few of my favorite things:

• The silence that comes with a fresh blanket of snow
• The sound of my adorable son cooing
• The smell of lilacs in spring
• Finishing a good book
• Swimming on a hot summer day
• Camping
• The refreshment that I feel after finishing a good devotion
• Watching my son adore his daddy, and vice-versa
• Hearing my brother's contagious belly laugh
• Watching my husband dance (you've never seen anything like it, that's for sure!)
• Going to football games
• Going for walks on crisp autumn days
• Playing with kittens

Well, that's more than a few but there are just too many things to choose from! What are some of YOUR favorite things?

Bean and Rice Taco Casserole

I tried a recipe based very loosely on a lovely meal we received while still recuperating after the baby was born. I kind of just experimented with things that I liked based off of what I thought was in that delicious casserole.

Bean and Rice Taco Casserole
1 cup red kidney beans, cooked
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup water
1/2 packet taco seasoning
shredded monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese
salsa
2-4 tortillas (haven't tried it with whole wheat yet but I'm sure they would be perfect and go great with how healthy this meal is!)
12-16 oz corn, optional (we made corn as a side but we both end up mixing it together and it's really good, so it may just as good, if not better, to add it right on in with the rest of it!)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together rice, beans, water, and taco seasoning. Simmer on low until water is gone, stirring occassionally to avoid burning. Mix in corn, if desired. Cover bottom of casserole dish with 1 tortilla (add more if needed to cover bottom). Spoon in and smooth out a layer of bean & rice mixture, a layer of salsa, then cheese and another tortilla if desired (we only use a tortilla on the bottom and one near the top...we're on a budget!). Repeat layers once. Add one more layer of beans & rice, cover with tortilla, then add a layer of salsa covered with cheese. Cover and place in oven for 20-25 minutes, removing cover for the last 5 minutes to allow for cheese to melt.

It has turned into one of our favorite meals! One casserole makes enough for a couple meals. Enjoy!

Always learning and ever changing.

Despite the numerous life changing events I have experienced in the past year, one thing has stayed the same. I am always learning and forever growing. I have chosen to change the name of my blog from Will and Irene to Always Learning, Ever Growing because that is one thing that is constant in my life, despite the new challenges I may encounter. Every new experience is a chance for God to teach me something. Whether it's moving across the country, losing a job, getting too busy and overwhelmed, or having a baby, it is always something I must learn to handle and it shapes the way I view the world and how I may confront a similar situation in the future.

Many of the things I have faced in this last year have been, much to my disappointment, without relying on God as I should have. A very valuable lesson I have learned is that I cannot do it on my own. Have you heard the saying, "God does not give you more than you can handle?" The truth is, there is not a situation that God can not handle so when we face challenges, we must rely on Him. This is a lesson that I know God has been trying to teach me my whole life but I have never been able to maintain (due to laziness mostly) a strong relationship with Him, especially through the hard times.

Having a baby, however, has changed that. I have always known that I needed to rely on Him but, like I said, was too lazy to keep that relationship that was so important, alive. The weeks following Isaiah's birth were the most difficult I have ever experienced. I cried every day. I was lonely. I was exhausted. All things that I knew a women goes through after having a baby. I just kept pushing through, knowing that it would get better because most women get better, but still not doing devotions because I "knew" I was too tired to stay awake. My house was a mess, I was a mess, my spiritual life was a mess. I couldn't even make dinner most nights! I remember a few major breakdowns that left me balling to my husband about the house being a disaster and me not having the energy to do anything about it and how my relationship with God was in shambles. I recognized that there was a problem but I still didn't do anything about it!

A few weeks ago, I realized that I needed to do something about it. I wasn't too tired to stay awake for devotions, I was just being lazy! I really could get the housework done, I was just being lazy! I could make a good, well-rounded supper every night, I was just being lazy! I realized that I needed to make a decision right then and there to get myself up and just do it. I asked God to help me, that was the only thing that I knew to do. Once I asked Him for help, He made it clear to me what I had to do next. Will and I cleaned the house thoroughly, we chose a book to study together (The Westminster Shorter Catechism study book) for family devotions, I made a list of daily chores to get accomplished, and we chose a time during the day for our personal devotions. Since then, the house has stayed clean because we do small chores daily and weekly so that we don't end up having to do everything at once. I have made a menu for the next two weeks so that I am not wondering all day what I should make and then end up making something super unhealthy just because I can't think of anything else. So far that has worked really well! Tonight we are having sloppy lentils, a recipe I found while browsing one of my favorite blogs. I also try to get at least one important thing done each day. Yesterday it was completing the menu, today it was to make my own baby wipes. I try to have time to work on my crafts a little each day as well, but it is not a priority since I have dubbed Saturdays to be my craft days. I have also added exercise to be an important part of my day. I have never been very good about getting the exercise I needed and just told myself that I got enough chasing toddlers around all day at work. The truth was, I was being lazy. Adding it as a part of my daily routine will make it much easier since I don't have to "find extra time" to do it.

I can honestly say that this may be the beginning of a brand new life for me! Everything I experienced last year (and I guess you could say in my whole life as well) has taught me how I can better glorify and serve the Lord in all that I do. I have spent my life learning and growing but now I am finally learning and growing in the most important area--in God, my Father, Creator, Healer, Lord, and Friend. Life is much happier when you are doing what you know you were created to do, which is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

This is a very long post, but I promise, I'm almost done. Hang in there! I am still in the beginning phases of this new life and I know that it will not continue to be this easy. I know there will be days that I will just not want to do anything. However, those will be the days I need it even more! Please pray that I will continue to feel God's gentle encouragement and that I will do what's right even when it's hard. When times get tough I know that I can just look at the beautiful little person that God has created for Will and me to care for and know that I have a very important job to do. Thank you for your prayers and all that you do for me!

And now there are three!

Isaiah was born November 4, 2009 and weighed 8lb 14 oz and was 20 3/4 inches. He is the love of our lives and we can't believe how great it feels to be parents! He now weighs around 12lbs and has turned into a cute little person rather than a wrinkly little newborn. He smiles, laughs and coos on a regular basis. He can hold his head up almost completely on his own with a few wobbles here and there and can bear weight on his legs when we stand him up. His favorite thing to do (besides being in Mommy's arms, of course) is to get his diaper changed. His least favorite things to do are getting put in his car seat and being laid down on the bed to get his clothes changed. It's strange, we could change his clothes anywhere else in the house and he would be fine but once we lay him on the bed, he wails. Funny how babies work, huh? He has a very love/hate relationship with his baths. They're terrible in the first instant, wonderful in the middle, and torture at the end. He loves to be sung to by Daddy and his current favorite songs are Old McDonald and anything from Pirates of Penzeance. There's nothing like watching Isaiah screaming one minute then as soon as Daddy starts bellowing "I Am a Pirate King," for him to stop, stare, maybe smile, and try to coo along. He loves the toys that hang down over his bouncy seat. He talks to them and smiles at them as if they are friends. In fact, that's what he's doing at this very moment. He sleeps really well at night. He started sleeping 7 and a half hours about 2 weeks ago and it has been the most spectacular 2 weeks since he was born! He is so laid back that the amount of sleep he gets at night has absolutely no correlation with the amount he gets during the day. He is a very happy and content baby, except when it comes to being away from home. He's a major home-body and seems to get quite fussy when he is not at home. He must get that from his Mommy and Daddy. We like to be home. Especially Daddy.

I will certainly post more updates on our growing boy now that we have settled into a really good routine. I'll try not to let as much time elapse before the next post. That's all for now!