How to Remove a Tough Stain

A while back, my mom found a stain on her linen couch and - having a linen couch myself - I got so sad for her because I didn't think it would come out. She didn't seem too upset. She just walked into the laundry room, brought back a bar of soap and a wet paper towel and gently rubbed the stain and as soon as the dampness dried it was all gone. 

Come to find out this is a remedy that my grandmother used all the time...Ivory soap. It gets everything out. And I mean everything. I have used it to get out red wine, blood, grass stains, strawberries and blackberries to name the toughest of stains. It is truly amazing. And so cheap. I also make my own laundry detergent and instead of Fels Naptha, I use Ivory in my mixture.

P.S. I actually just cleaned a lot of blood out of David, Ezra and my own clothes last night after little man had a mean run-in with a friend's coffee table. After a few hours in the ER and 3 stitches everyone is doing just fine.

top photo c/o Ivory

Ezra's Favorite Book

Ezra loves to read books, and it is one of my favorite things to do with him. A couple of months ago, he started turning the pages when we read. It is so adorable, it makes my heart hurt a little.

For Christmas we got him Trains Go by Steve Light. It is adorable and just has different sounds trains make. His favorite is the mountain train that goes "Trip Trap Fuff Puff." Every time he sees the picture he starts going, "Fuf! Fuf! Fuf!" The illustrations are my favorite part, though. Each picture is such a work of art.

There is also a Trucks Go version that looks just as cute!

What are your kids' favorite books? I'm always looking for great new ones!

Parenthood

no, not the tv show...although, isn't it great? lately, david and i have been talking a lot about parenthood, what we would do in certain situations, how we are going to handle questions and issues that will come up with being a transracial family (we have lots and lots of discussions about this...like playing out scenarios 15 years into the future).

but the overarching theme of our discussions are how we want to raise our children to love our God more than anything. we are so thankful that in their own adoption into this very temporary ytterberg family, they will see the greater story of how we are all adopted - through Christ - into inheritance with Christ as sons of God (ephesians 1:4-6). and more than just knowing that, we would so desperately want our children to grow up with a heart for others and a desire to follow Christ in whatever he might call them to do in their lives.

so that brings us to secret church a few weeks ago, and david [platt - not husband david] said something that has stuck in my brain ever since.

"God gives children to families for his glory. The goal of biblical parenting is NOT to help your children get a great education, be a great athlete, go great dates, have a great career or make great money. the goal of biblical parenting is to help your children love a great God."

and then he said this...

"Don't forget. God commands your children to leave you in order to follow Him." (matt. 10:37)

and that has just been rolling around in my brain and my heart for weeks. his point being that God is to be first in all of our lives and our allegiance to Him supersedes that of family, friends, circumstance or convention. and at the end of the day, God has called our children's allegiance to Himself and not to us. so we can play that role of supporter, encourager, teacher in our child's life or we can be the ones they leave behind to follow Christ in obedience. it's just stuck there in my heart. i'm so thankful that God would deem to bless us with the task of raising a child to love Him. it's such a great responsibility but will be full of such great reward.

(if you've even made it this far) what are some of your favorite things about parenting? favorite conversations, songs, books, etc.

Baby Names

so david and i have been having the baby name conversation lately. we've had our favorites picked out for a while, but narrowing down - really just the boy name - has been more difficult. it makes me think of one of my favorite gilmore girls scenes when lane finds out she's pregnant.

RORY: you are way ahead of a lot of people as far as parenting skills go, like Britney. Britney Spears does not know which end of a baby goes up. And Courtney Love? She's no June Cleaver.

LANE: yeah, i bet i could be a better mother than Courtney Love.

RORY: my sock drawer could be a better mother. but, yes, of course you would be. and Michael Jackson - you know not to name a child "Blanket."

LANE: i do know that. do not name your baby after an inanimate object.

RORY: see? way ahead of the pack.

LANE: yeah. hey...I wonder if, um, Blanket ever met Tom and Katie's baby, Pillow.

RORY: yeah, that would be a perfect play date.

LANE: yeah, when it's nap time they would be totally set.

RORY: and then they could invite Gwyneth's Apple over afterward for a little snack.

LANE: Banjo, Rachel Griffith's baby, could play for them.

RORY: and then they could all jump in Mia Farrow's Satchel and make fun of, uh...what's his face?

LANE: oh, Pilot Inspektor Lee.

RORY: yeah.

...stupid celebrities.


also, i think this book looks so cute.

Calling All Parents

dear parents,

my friend laura and i are throwing around the idea of (me) writing and (her) illustrating a series of children's books. i don't want to give too much away on the world wide web of what our premise is but just think fun, whimsical children's books. what i need to know from you is: what are some awesome lessons you would like your children to learn/read about?

we are throwing around the idea of two different series: one being and adventerous spirit with a great imagination and the other being really proper and manner-focused (but in a fun whimsy way).

so feel free to give me ideas on either (even if you're not a parent). we need all the ideas we can get. and we will maybe thank you in the acknowledgements. :)

(just picture it, this is what our author/illustrator picture could look like...go ahead. picture it.)

we are hoping something like this would be fun and pay enough to allow us to do things we love. for me that would be more serious writing. for laura - well, laura just wants to play. ha!

Glory Baby

glory baby you slipped away as fast as we could say baby…baby..
you were growing, what happened dear?
you disappeared on us baby…baby..
heaven will hold you before we do
heaven will keep you safe until we’re home with you…
until we’re home with you…

miss you everyday
miss you in every way
but we know there’s a
day when we will hold you
we will hold you
you’ll kiss our tears away
when we’re home to stay
can’t wait for the day when we will see you
we will see you
but baby let sweet Jesus hold you
‘till mom and dad can hold you…
you’ll just have heaven before we do
you’ll just have heaven before we do

sweet little babies, it’s hard to
understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
we are hurting
but there is healing
and we know we’re stronger people through the growing
and in knowing-
that all things work together for our good
and God works His purposes just like He said He would…
just like He said He would…

i can’t imagine heaven’s lullabies
and what they must sound like
but I will rest in knowing, heaven is your home
and it’s all you’ll ever know…all you’ll ever know…

for sweet baby wilson we didn't get to meet...