19 posts tagged “tasha”
We have been having a lot of fun lately. I know you all have been wowed by my new found love of baking everday things. LL, I tried a new tortilla recipe which was better than the 1st, much softer and definitey a keeper. Can't wait til you can taste them fresh off my griddle.
My latest delve into all things homemade was with pizza dough. I was a little scared after I made the dough and realized that I hadn't thought about the fact that I don't own a pizza pan. I never claimed to be brilliant, just poor desirous to learn how to do things the old-fashioned way. Then I heard from James that Mariah's mom used to make homemade pizza dough that never quite turned out. I waited and wondered if my yeast was going to let me down. I resisted the urge to go give it another squeeze to see if it was doing its yeasty thing. But, alas it rose and we marveled at its leavened goodness.
But the best part was the company in the kitchen:
One of the really cool things about Idaho is that there are A LOT of really fun things to do that fall under my two favorite catagories: a) cheap or free, and b) close, like within 30 minutes from our house. When Carly was here we went with the Buck's to Eagle Island state park, which is like 5 minutes from the Buck's house. Lucky Buck's.
And then last week, when my hands were elbow deep in tortilla dough, my new friend Laura Greif called and asked if we wanted to goto Sandy Point Beach in Boise with them that afternoon. They are pretty spontaneous, and as much as I would have liked to drop everything and hit the beach, my life just isn't like that anymore. So, we settled on the next day, as spontaneous as I could get.
Whille we were there, she mentioned that she wanted to come over and give my kids art lessons and asked if I was interested. What she doesn't know is that these are the kind of things we homeschoolers usually have to pay for or find some helpless victim to reel in who feels sorry for us and agrees to share the talents. Well, it isn't that bad, but of course I was interested. So, when I got a call at 9:00pm last night from my new spontaneous friend who asked if she could come over this morning and start those lessons, even though I haven't been feeling well and did a brief mental scan of the state of my house, I said heck yeah come on over.
And then, she even did a Kindermusik time with the babies, who absolutely loved it. It was a rare treat for them to have something specifically directed towards their age group. Jonah especially enjoyed it. He kept saying after every song, "Oh, that was a good one. Can we sing another one?" It was really cool for them. Thank God for spontaneous friend's who love to serve moms with no artistic or musical talent. (Not me of course, but you other loser mom's who can't draw or carry a tune. How can you call yourselves homeschooler's?.)
And last but not least, one of my six favorite things is a sweet baby with big brown eyes named Jess:
Okay, I'm done. I took like 30 more. I just can't help it. She is so darn cute. Am I right, people? Yeah, I know.
"When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel sooooooo bad." See, I told you I was musically inclined. I carried that "so".
~Tash
Have you ever had those times when God seems to be pressing upon your heart a particular theme in His Word?
Psalm 103:15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and its gone, and its place knows it no more.
See, it seems like not so long ago when I was dealing with this:
and wondering when this was going to happen:
Because I really wanted to hold my baby and know what she was like, and then it happened:
But now, six months of her little life have passed in the blink of an eye, and she looks like this:
And one day I will turn around and she will be 14 and as beautiful as her sister next to her:
Right now, we Hussey's are flourishing, but one day the wind will come and blow across our field and we will be gone. Maybe that is why we should all celebrate half-birthdays.
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
I love to cook. Not simply for the sake of cooking. For me, it always centers around the people I am cooking for. I am by no means gourmet in style or skill. Jordyn has coined a term for my cooking, "Tashanized." I usually will take the structure of a recipe or two and well, "Tashanize" them, I guess. Or, I will have an idea brewing in my head and I will put it all together and make my family the guniea pigs. Rarely, do I get a negative response from them. Thankfully, I don't have picky kids. From a young age my kids eat things like green olives, feta cheese, roasted red bell peppers, you get the drift. James, over the years, has come to me with many different things that he would love to try. It ususally starts like this, " You know what I would like you to make for me...." It isn't like I make it the next day or anything, but it will eventually make its way into my repertoire. I love that he and they know that they can come to me with these simple requests and that I will soon warm their bellies and hearts with something I have created with my own hands. For the Hussey's, food is not simply functional. It is a way to draw near to each other and God. It anchors memories.
I have a daughter that understands all of these things, and in her own right, has learned to bless those around her with her culinary talents. Julienne Nicole is a kindred for sure. Last night we were fed to the breaking point with a homemade, from scratch, devil's food cake with homemade chocolate fudge frosting. It was so good, that even though Jake's stomach started hurting he couldn't bear to miss a bite of its chocolaty goodness. It was so good that even after James had devoured his already huge piece, he went back for a little more with an extra scoop of frosting that was still left in the mixing bowl. As we sat down around the table to enjoy Julienne's labor of love, I thought about how God has given me a daughter who will "Juliennize" recipes and make her own children and husband come to her with their special requests. I thought of how people around her will love to gather at her table because they will know that it is more than just a meal to nourish their bodies but one meant to nourish their souls too.
It is good to be understood, especially over a piece of devil's food chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting created by the hands of a kindred.
You are a rare treasure, Julienne.
I am quite enamoured with this daughter of mine. I think I may be a tad bit in awe of her being my sixth child. But, all things considered, can you blame me? Look at this girl.
your red-headed 1/4 filipino two year-old sneaks into the pantry to find a snack and opts to eat the sinigang powder over the peanut butter. She may not look it, but here's the proof:
Wisdom, you ask? What wisdom? Surely there isn't any wisdom in having six children without stability. These are, believe it or not, the exact issues that we have wrestled with. But, we choose (or more rightly, James chooses) not to lean on our own understanding when it comes to being wise.
Me, I like my own understanding. I think I understand plenty. One thing I understand, better than most, if not all the people reading this post, is pregnancy. I understand that it is hard, it takes a toll, I am not that nice, I lay on the couch and ignore people for at least two months. That kind of thing. I understand giving birth. With or without an epidural, with or without a doctor's care. In the end, they all come out the same way. Well, at least mine do.
So, the thought of another during the dripping NC heat that made me less nice than I normally am during pregnancy, was not welcome. In fact, the majority of the time, the way I have understood things is, "Oh, no", but probably not those exact words.
James just doesn't understand the things that I do. As much as I have tried to manipulate appeal to my husband throughout the years to lean on my understanding (I have a lot of good arguments; you might have used a few yourself over the years) he just hasn't been swayed. And, I personally think I am a pretty good appealer. Just ask my Mom. Did you know she is moving out here this year? I'm working on Carly next, but that is another story.
Nope, James just doesn't understand. He has told me that he fears God more than he fears unstable circumstances, and even more terrifying, more than dwelling with me through another 9 months of pregnancy.
For the past five months I have been enjoying the wisdom bourne out of my husband's wise and proper fear. Jessica is without a doubt the easiest, most content, happy baby that we have experienced. She is a joy, truly. She rarely cries. She is content to the point that we rarely know if an atomic bomb has exploded in her diaper until we pick her up and discover it for ourselves. She has fallen easily and happily into the finisher of the Hussey Half Dozen. We will see how long that title lasts.
When I hold my sixth child in my arms I thank my gracious Father who put a husband over me who understands much more than I do. He hasn't leaned on his own understanding, and thankfully, mine either.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
~Tash
So, Jonah can get himself dressed. Usually, because there are so many extra hands, he doesn't have to. And, now I sort of remember why. Because this is how he looked when he had the freedom to dress himself this morning:
Truth is real and steady. It is something that doesn't change despite the way life's circumstances threaten to knock you flat on your face with the weight of their magnitude. It doesn't change when we wrestle with it. It doesn't cower and hide when we ask hard questions. To use a Kathy Allio-ism, "It is what it is."
There are things that I have lived through. Things that have brought me to my knees, things that have made me on my face begging for mercy. They have been real, they have been painful. And, then there are things to which I cannot speak to, because I have not experienced them, no not even skimmed the surface. I pray with fear and trembling that I will never be on my face after such tragedy. Because, I fear my faith is so frail that I would never be able to lift my face to Truth again.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. *
This is Truth. Reconciling it through faith is hard. There is no bones about it. There is no easy answer for this or any other thing that happens that is terrible in our eyes. But, the truth is that Truth doesn't change. Because God doesn't change, nor His Word which tells that He is good, and that what He does is good, for our good. Pray with me for this family and pray that you never have to learn about His goodness in this way. I for one, fear the Lord that is good beyond understanding.
http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/
~Tash
* Just for the record: I don't think that we should go around holding out Romans 8:28 to those that are suffering. It comes off as trite and pious in the moment. (Although, it doesn not negate the Truth of the Word.) I am simply examining Truth in light of a tragedy that is far removed from my personal life or those that I love.
Jonah turned four on Sunday, 5-18. We had a great birthay weekend and lived vicariously through a boy to whom everything in life is exciting and new. On Saturday, we went to the Boise Zoo with the Buck's. Jonah loves animals and due to his avid interest in all things Diego, knows a lot of the correct names for specifc animals, such as the"red eyed tree frog". Although it was hot, 95, we were rejoicing in our first really hot day here in Idaho because there was NO humidity. (Sorry NC'ers but, yuck!) After the zoo, Jonah requested to eat out at his favorite restaurant, "Old McDonald's" for "pickle cheeseburgers" and fries. Gotta love the dollar menu.
After church on Sunday, we headed over to the Buck's for Jonah's "party". The kid's all enjoyed jumping on the trampoline, having a water balloon fight that resulted in the grown-ups whoopin' up on the kid's, and playing in the kiddy pool. I made dirt cake with worms, which was perfect for a 4 year old boy.
I am so thankful for the four years that Jonah has been a part of our family. The girls and I were talking about how different life would be if we didn't have "the babies". It would be pretty easy, but much less fun. The joy that all of his funny sayings, millions of hugs and kisses, sweet smiles, telling all of us how pretty and handsome we are, are a gift from God. I pray there will be many more birthdays to come.
~Tash
It is true. The Hussey's have been gardening. What initially started out as a small project has "bloomed". (That's gardener speak for: turned into a huge project that has darn near broke my husband's back.) I did a lot of research and decided that I was going to use the Square Foot Gardening method. Well, anyone that knows me well, knows that I am not the greatest planner. We went to a nursery JUST to get peat moss and vermiculite because I was not done planning what I would plant in our two modest 4x4 plots. I am not sure how we walked out with 18 corn, basil, oregano, thyme, 12 tomato plants, 4 yellow and 8 red bell pepper, 2 red onion, pumpkin, 4 sugar baby watermelon, 4 acorn squash, 8 butternut squash, 2 zucchini, jalapeno, 4 crookneck squash, arugala, lettuce, artichoke, 4 honeydew melons, 4 eggplant, 4 cabbage, 4 cucumber, 4 pickling cucumber, 12 spinach, 1 petite pepper, 5 strawberries, 4 cabbage, 2 bags of pole bean seeds, 1 bag of carrot seeds, and two bags of mesculin (mixed greens) seeds. It is like they put something in the air, or possibly had subliminal messages pouring out of their speakers. Or, maybe it was the heat in the greenhouse that did me in. But, we added two more 4x8 plots to accomodate it all and that is AFTER I returned 9 corn and gave Mariah 2 cuc's, 4 tomato's, and 4 crooknech squash.
James, I'm sure, has his own tale to tell about all of this work and his wife's crazy ideas since he was the one breaking his back. But, I am very thankful and excited. God willing, with all this sowing we will be able to do some heavy reaping. I can't wait to eat the fruit of our labor.
