And The Winner Is...

Debbi Weeks!!

A BIG "Thank you!" to all who participated. This was really fun.

The person with the most entries was Robbin with 9.

There were 9 people with one entry.

There were 6 people with 6 entries.

There was 1 person with 5 entries.

But the overall winner of the LARGE BAR PAN was none other than Debbi Weeks.

In Honor of Black Friday

I've never been a Black Friday shopper but, I know some people swear by the sales. Anyhoo, I'm about ready to close down the Pampered Chef giveway. So in honor of Black Friday, I thought I'd give anyone who didn't already get to enter their name into the drawing, a chance to do so. There's actually a decent number of people/entries entered already so if you want a good chance to win the amazing, large bar pan, simply order something online or leave a comment. Here's a link detailing all the rules. I'll choose a winner next Wednesday.

http://dauphinfamily.blogspot.com/2010/11/want-to-be-pampered.html

Happy Shopping!

The Fashion Police

Sadly enough, I am probably one of the worst dressers around. I've really been this way for most of my life. I know, as a woman, that I am supposed to care about fashion but I never really have. In fact, I tend to think that most trendy things are cute AFTER they're no longer "in". That's how behind the times I am most of the time. Every year I survey my closet and find odds and ends from all over the place. I still have a pair of running shorts from my sophomore year in high school. And I don't want to tell you how long I've had some of my shoes. I have even less fashion sense with shoes. And I don't ever buy new ones (except running shoes). It's bad.

And it's only gotten worse since I've become a mom. You'd think I was in mourning or something but, my daily uniform usually consists of something black. Here's the reason behind the madness: I've discovered that black is the best color to wear because it shows the least amount of stains. Even if I want to wear a semi-cute shirt, I know it's just going to get spit-up on, pooped on, colored on or peed on within the first hour of being worn. And if A,B,C or D hasn't happened yet, then E. fill in the blank with something very messy, is bound to be headed my way at any time. Why struggle with the mess when I can just rub it right in and no one will have to know?

This dress was given to me by my fashionable and generous sister-in-law at least five years ago. I still wear it and love it so much!!

But seriously, one of the things that gets me about clothes is how much they cost and how little I want to spend on them. I usually just acquire clothes. I hardly ever buy them. I'm not sure how this started but I think people who are around me often, who love me and want what's best for me, usually see my fashion sense and decide I need some help. So I receive a lot of hand-me downs from others. And really, since I'm so behind the times anyway, it always seems like great stuff to me!! However, when I do go to buy clothes, I usually try to stick with what's classic and practical simply because they last longer.

Today though, I really tried. I had two $10 off coupons to Kohl's and they were having a grand opening sale. My mom, bless her dear heart, met me at the mall and watched my three boys (all 4 and under and one of them ended up puking on her watch) in the play area while I went to try and find some deals. I promised myself that I wouldn't just buy practical but would buy some fun, cute stuff too. The good news is that I spent only $16.31 on 7 long-sleeved tees (all different colors). The bad news is that I didn't find anything girly or cute. Just simple and plain. Utter failure!!

But I really, really tried. I put on several sweaters, cardigans, flowery shirts and the like and I did not care for any of them!! I either looked pregnant in the flowing shirts (which I have looked plenty in the last four years and don't care to look when I'm really not) or I looked like I was trying to be a teenager again. And some of the fashions just plain confused me. One sweater I tried on was cute but it didn't have sleeves!! What is the point of a sweater if it does not have sleeves?!! I felt stupid just putting it on let alone wearing it in public. And I was not about to spend $30 on looking stupid! Give me my jeans and my tees please and my Cal Poly sweatshirts!! Go Mustangs!

So I settled for the plain and practical. And you know, I'm just fine with it. I think plain and practical fit me. I don't have to feel bad about the money spent but can feel good that these pieces will get me through many more years to come (with various hand-me-downs here and there of course). If I had a lot more money I'd maybe care more about my wardrobe. But, I probably still wouldn't much. It's just not me. In this area, I'm downright simple and stubborn about it. Is that even possible?!!

But, here's the deal. If you see me on the street, wearing something from last decade, please don't call the fashion police. First of all, I probably don't know the major fashion faux pas I'm committing and secondly, even if I did know, I probably wouldn't care!!

Longing

More and more I've been finding my littlest one, Joshua, so content just watching his big brothers while they're playing outside. I can tell that he wants to be a part of what they're doing so badly. I take him out to crawl around for bits of time here and there but he just puts everything in his mouth so he can't be out there for too too long. Soon enough he'll be running around the yard...but until then, he gets a front row seat to see what's unfolding on the front lawn. For me, I just love watching him watch them. So precious.

What's Been Going On

It has been quite a month here at the Dauphin household. August is always crazy for us because we have so many birthdays and anniversaries floating around but this year was particularly busy. I haven't been posting all that often because I've literally been running from one event to the next but have been having a fabulous time doing so though. Here are a few highlights to catch you all up on where we've been.

August 2nd- Auntie Sarah's birthday and family party
August 6-8th- Church camping trip at Plaskett Creek
August 9th- Mom and Dad Georgatos' 35th Wedding Anniversary Celebration and Dinner
August 10th- Steve's first day back to work full-time for meetings
August 12th- Steve's 30th Birthday and Isaac's 4th Birthday; Isaac's neighborhood birthday party; Grandma and Grandpa Dauphin's 37th Anniversary
August 14th- Season Opener Forty-Niner Game against the Broncos; Steve and I went with my brother and his wife, Theodora
August 15th- Steve's 30th Birthday Party
August 17th- Steve's first day of school
August 18th- My Dad's birthday and mini party at the park
August 22nd- My 10 year high school reunion

So there you have it. I've got all sorts of things to post about but I've just been too plain tired to do it. I'll catch up this week. Things are starting to slow down now as we head into the fall. Autumn is my FAVORITE time of year so I can't wait for it to come. August you were full of fun but September, I'm ready for a bit of Indian Summer (just a bit), the start of football season here at the school, sweaters at night, homemade soup, the anticipation of the holidays and to welcoming routine back into our lives. After this last month, bring it on.

Four

My precious firstborn son turned four last week. I'll post more about his actual birthday later but I just can't believe that he's four. Not that four is sooo old or anything but, his birth marked such a life change for us and I can't believe that it's been four years since then.

Here is a glimpse of our life right before Isaac was born. Some of you who are close to us already know this story. Some of you don't. I don't tell you this story to try and say how lucky we are but how faithful, gracious and merciful God is. Every year on Isaac's birthday (and Steve's as well; they share a birthday) I remember God's amazing faithfulness to our family.


Isaac blowing out his candles this year

In the fall of 2004 Steve had just graduated with his degree in Mathematics from Cal Poly and he began working at our church in the youth group as the youth intern. He was challenged to work harder than he ever had in his life and was considering how God wanted to use that experience. When we found out we were pregnant in December, we really started praying about direction for our family because Steve's internship was up in August which is when Isaac was due. We planned to stay in San Luis Obispo and did absolutely everything we could to stay there. June hit and we were in the home stretch but Steve still didn't have a job (although he had been looking diligently for months) and I was 8 months pregnant. Every opportunity that we thought would work out didn't at the last minute. We were anxious, but we just kept waiting and searching. Steve actively pursued different jobs and kept getting "no." We were discouraged.

Then in July, both of our old cars were totaled within 48 hours of each other. One happened on the Cuesta Grade (a very dangerous road) at midnight and it was a hit and run. Miraculously none of us were hurt. Remember I was nearly 8 months pregnant. Truthfully, we all should've been killed in that accident. We believe the other driver was drunk because he sideswiped us going over 80 mph and sped off. The other accident occured on our way to pick up our rental car; someone was careless and smashed the driver's side in. Now what were we going to do without cars? What was God doing? Didn't He know that our son was going to be born any time? And Steve still didn't have a job.

Steve interviewed at his old high school and we were coming back from that interview when we were in the first accident. We thought the job was a long shot. Steve didn't have ANY teaching experience yet, although he went into the Math major with the idea that he'd be a Math teacher because he loves Math and he loves kids. His degree is in Math but they wanted a Physics and Math teacher. My husband is incredibly brilliant so it's not that he couldn't teach Physics it's just not his specialty like Math is. Truthfully, teaching was the worst option to us because it meant we had to move and we did not want to move whatsoever. But when they offered him the job and we looked at the fact that I was 36 weeks pregnant and it was our only option, we decided we better take it.

We started packing feverishly and we tied up loose ends at our jobs. My doctor told me that I wasn't to pack my house but what else was I supposed to do? Two weeks before we moved, someone from our church gave us their Volvo station wagon. They handed the deed over to us and it was ours free and clear. We got the car just in time. Our rental car was due back the next day. I joked with Steve that the baby could come on his birthday, which was the weekend we were supposed to move. I'll never joke like that again.

We went in for my last doctor's appointment in SLO on the Thursday before we were supposed to move. Everything was fine but Isaac's heartbeat was up very high. She quickly checked his position and discovered that in the last week he had flipped to footling breech. I was 38 weeks and he had flipped. This isn't common. He had been head down for weeks and then he flipped right at the end. The doctor felt like it was best to get him out since he probably wouldn't turn back that late and we were moving. She didn't want me to go into labor and have him be footling breech which is the most dangerous type of breech because the umbilical cord can prolapse. She wanted him out the next day...the next day was Steve's birthday.

So, the next morning, on the day we were supposed to move and on Steve's 26th birthday, we got up early and headed to the hospital where Isaac was born via c-section. Our friends and family moved our stuff up to our new home and three days later, we got in the car with our newborn and moved. We named our baby Isaac because it means laughter. After all of the craziness (and I just gave you the highlights) when we found out that Isaac had turned breech, we simply laughed. There was nothing else to do but laugh and acknowledge that we knew God would provide for us yet again.


My apartment the night before Isaac was born

Looking back, although our move here was very hard, we are SO blessed to be here. We have three boys now and a wonderful community surrounding us. We couldn't have foreseen all that God was going to provide but He was so good. I'll never forget being wheeled out of the hospital to my new volvo (new to me) to make the drive up to this unknown place with a brand new baby boy in my arms. So many changes. So much to learn. So many opportunities for God to show up. And He did in mighty ways. Praise Him.

As for Isaac now, he's a joy. I'll always look at him and remember all that God brought us through and taught us, just because Isaac was on his way. Isaac's birth will always be a milestone in our marriage and in our lives as a time that God stretched us and strengthened us. May we never forget. He's our own little Ebenezer.

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer saying, 'Thus far has the Lord helped us.'" 1 Samuel 7:12

Perspective

It's been quite a week for me. I came home from our anniversary weekend away so rested and recharged. I felt ready to tackle a bunch of summer chores, enjoy the beginning of my husband's three weeks off from work and put the finishing touches on my training for the Wharf to Wharf 10K Run (which is today actually). Then Tuesday night I started getting the chills, Wednesday I felt pretty bad. Thursday it just got worse and when I finally acquiesced and took my temperature, it was 103. Since I'm still nursing the baby, I try to avoid any sort of medicine but in this case, I knew I had to do something. I called my OB's office to see what is okay to take while nursing and they said Tylenol. That helped bring the fever down temporarily and when it was down, I felt a bit better. But then the major cold symptoms started and I couldn't breathe through my nose or stop coughing. And the fever, well it's been going since Tuesday night and still hasn't broken (without medicine).

Okay, so this gives you a little picture. Definitely NOT how I thought my week was going to go. As I got closer to the weekend and I wasn't getting better, my hopes of still running today began to fade. I could hardly walk to the bathroom without having a coughing fit, how could I think I could run in my condition? But I went to the doctor anyway on Friday just to make sure there wasn't anything else I could do. I don't have a primary care doctor and we just switched insurances so I just saw the urgent care doctor. She was nice enough. But she literally laughed in my face when I asked if I could still run if I was feeling better come Sunday. I had to ask. I've only been training for this race for months and have run hundreds of miles in the process. I've also wanted to run this particular race since I was in high school and all of the years that we've lived up here so far I've either been pregnant or just had a baby and I couldn't do it. This was the first year it worked out. So, I couldn't just give up without a bit of a fight. Although deep down, I knew I wouldn't make it even if I tried.

So what does all this moping have to do with anything? Well, this last week has gotten me to think about a lot of things. Mostly because I have been sitting around doing nothing and just watching life go by. First of all, I really take my good health for granted. How easily we can get sidelined. And really, my bad case of the flu is nothing compared to people who are REALLY sick. You know, like those people who are battling terminal cancer, injuries from accidents or any life threatening disease. These people are sick all the time and there doesn't seem to be an end. I felt so overwhelmed when I wasn't feeling better after five days. Five days! What's wrong with me? I have the discipline and tenacity to push my body to train for a measly 10K but I don't have the discipline to train my heart to deal with adversity that I don't choose or desire! When pushed even a little in this area, I cave. Where is my tenacity then? Where is my perspective?

Also, nothing is concrete. I plan to do many things but often, other events get in the way and that's okay. I can order my life as best as I please but, I can't change what actually happens. Other thoughts assailed me...Do I think much of the shut-ins, the elderly or the infirm? I am still going crazy that I haven't been outside and it's not been very long at all. What about the people who never go outside for years? Truly, this wasn't a huge trial or anything but rather a time God carved out for me to just think about things a bit and get a perspective adjustment. Unfortunately, I need them often.

My husband is always trying to encourage me to be positive, think the best and to be joyful regardless my circumstances. I usually tend to be much more pessimistic (I would say "realistic" ha ha). This last week I really tried to heed his continual advice to me and remember that these things are small because really, they are. In the grand scheme of things, I'll be moving around just fine in a few days and I can always run another race. Yet I also had to remember that it's all right for me to be disappointed as long as that disappointment is balanced with good perspective. I shed a few tears when the race started this morning. But that was it and then I finished helping the boys get ready for church. I noticed this time that having a different perspective also helped me to be genuinely happy when my running buddy called me to let me know how it all went and what her time was. She had her best time yet of 52 minutes! I was really proud of her and know that if I could've been there, I would've been right on her heels. Maybe next year!

Boys and Girls

Nearly overnight I've watched my oldest, Isaac, turn from baby/toddler into little boy. He always says things like, "When I get big I'll get married..." or "When I'm 29 I'll..." which is the age of his Daddy and currently everything associated with getting big will occur when he's 29. There have been so many things going on lately that have pointed out the obvious but where I've really seen it is in how he's relating to other children. Here's an example.

He has a little friend named Perle who lives next door and she is a year older than him. Her elusive older brother comes by to play at times and when he does Isaac stares at him in boyish wonder and delight. Any chance he gets to play with him is simply amazing and he talks about it for hours afterward. But most afternoons, when he's not running errands with his Dad, he's outside playing with Perle. They have the most imaginative play (initiated mostly by Perle) and they've caught numerous frogs, played for hours with cars in the mud and when Lucan, the older brother, shows up, there are some water gun fights. The reason I've gotten a kick out of watching them is that Isaac's budding social skills, or lack thereof, have seriously cracked me up.

I'm telling you, little boys are really just little men. Even Isaac knows this. He told his Daddy this the other night by the way, when Steve was on his way out to a church meeting..."But can't I go too Daddy? I'm a man!". Surely he thinks he is since he can carry a gun now. Nevermind it's a nerf gun. But anyway, back to the story. Nearly every afternoon Isaac stands at the gate and watches for Perle. He doesn't go over to her house, even though I urge him to do so to see if she's home. Nope...he just watches. And then after awhile he starts calling out her name almost in chant..."Perle. Perle." The chant then gets progressively louder. "Perle! Perle!" As if she can hear him from inside. At this point I usually tell him to just go see if she's home. But time slips by and he's still waiting. Some afternoons he doesn't get to play with her because he just can't get the courage up to go and ask if she's around. As much as I want to help him, I've decided to let him figure it out and not do it for him.

Watching him has given me time to ponder. Does this boy/girl dance ever end? I don't think so. I believe it starts now and keeps on going right into matrimony (not necessarily Isaac and Perle...but boys and girls in general). How adorable is it when a man is so awestruck by a woman that all he can do is just wait to get a little glimpse of her. I'm not saying Isaac's in love with Perle, he's too young for that, it's just that he knows she's different from him. He knows she's a girl and it intrigues him even at his little age of nearly four. Any expert who truly believes that boys and girls are conditioned by their parents to be certain ways are just plain crazy. They must not have children of their own because if they did, they'd see the obvious right in front of them. Plain and simple, boys and girls are different and they know it themselves all the way down to their toes. It's just innate.

I seem to recall one instance last autumn where Perle was frolicking around like a princess picking beautiful fall leaves. She bunched them quite nicely and even though they were dead, they shone radiantly orange and yellow. She laid them skillfully on my porch with a sigh and went on her way. Isaac tried to present me with some leaves and I must say, his effort was good but the leaves he found were simply dead. No sprightly beauty. They were deader than a doornail all shriveled and torn. I laughed aloud when he handed them to me and I kissed him hard upon his cheek. But what is he to know? He's a boy. To him they were the most beautiful leaves he'd ever seen. You see my point. Boys and girls are quite different.

Caleb still hasn't reached this point yet where he's starting to notice that boys are different than girls. To him Perle is really "Girl" both the noun and pronoun. He doesn't even have her name right yet. Isaac constantly corrects him like a good, honest, older brother should. Even though it's painful to watch my children figure out the world sometimes amidst the owies and various hurt feelings, the sweetness of watching Isaac learn to relate to others, especially little girls (he doesn't have any sisters) has been totally priceless for me. I'm just glad that they've been in my front yard and that I've been able to eavesdrop a bit. I'm sure later, when Isaac's older, I won't get the chance to do so. And at that age, Mom eavesdropping simply will be horrible. But for now, it's all music to my ears.

Kids Grow Up FAST These Days

So the other day Isaac and I had a funny little conversation.

Isaac: Mom, when I'm four I'll be really big.

Me: Yeah you will. You'll be in the big kids' class at school.

Isaac: Yeah. But Mom. When I get four, I can drive.

Me: Really? (acting very astonished)

Isaac: Yep. Four year olds are soooo big. They can drive like Daddy.

Wow! I didn't get the memo that the driving age had been lowered so much that even my four year old will be behind the wheel soon. Kids sure do grow up fast these days don't they!!

Old But New

Ummmm...I am loving this blogging thing can you tell? I'm thinking in blog posts now. I've been amazed at how much I've missed writing (I used to be a Writer/Editor for a non-profit before my children came--don't judge me too harshly though if I make errors!!). It's like a part of me has been lying dormant for years now and has just been given an outlet. The words just keep coming. Who cares if no one reads it...I can still write, to someone about something--anything. This is a place for me to post encouraging words from amazing Christians and inspiring writers. It's also a new way for me to get all of my words out during the day. And believe me, I do have a lot of words that need a place to go. I can hardly talk on the phone anymore, and I shouldn't be doing it much anyway, due to very lively children and my oldest no longer taking a nap. Although he does have a rest time, I'm usually frantically doing other things and trying to get some reading time in. I used to journal a lot before I had children but found that it just takes so long to sit and write things down now. I can type much faster. Anyway, forgive my ramblings but I really should've done this a long time ago--not necessarily for anyone but myself. It feels like trying a forgotten recipe again, finding then wearing an old dress, rereading a favorite book, being enlived by classical music or like reliving a childhood memory--old but new. It just feels good. It's fun to dust off old passions and breathe new life into them. It's almost like discovering them for the first time.