What I'm Learning

I wanted to share some things I'm learning right now. I can't say its anything profound, but its what God is teaching me right now. 

First of all, I am learning to wait on His timing. So many things I want right now. I want to to be done with school, and now it seems like it may be longer than I thought before. I want to be done and move on with my life. I don't feel like a college student. I mean I am married, and settled into life. Its hard sometimes still being a student. Another thing is kids. I love kids and I can't wait to start a family. But on those, and other things, right now God is saying wait. I have to say I don't wait well. I have never been patient. And for God to say wait on these things and just trust is hard. Its hard because right now it feels like my life is so up in the air and its hard to just put my trust in God and know that He has everything under control. Its hard to trust Him and know that His timing is best and that I need to just relax and go with His plan. 

Another thing I'm learning right now is that my identity has to be in Christ. I've been struggling with who am I. Am I a wife, a student or what? But I was talking to Isaiah and he was saying that it doesn't matter, because I am who I am, and my identity is in Christ. I am His, the rest of my identity does not matter as much. That really made me think. All my life my identity had been wrapped up in my school, or my relationship, but that is wrong. My identity needs to be in my God. 

Finally, God's shown me what a support system I have. Since my miscarriage so many people have come up beside me and talked to me. Most of my life I've been very closed off. Its how I was raised. Its like you can't let them see you fall. But I realized that its ok. Most people understand and are there to help. Its ok to let others see you struggle. And maybe it will help them when they have a struggle. 

So that's my life. Or what I'm learning in my life. Its a wonderfuf life and I am so glad that God is still teaching me and growing me, even though that growing process is not always easy. 

Recipe Monday - Guest Post

I love The Type A Housewife and I asked her to write a guest post for my blog. She sent me this amazing recipe. I can't wait to try it..........

"Since Katie was kind enough to write a guest post for my blog, The Type A Housewife, I decided to return the favor and write a post for Kady Did. And because I love doing cooking posts, I thought it would be fitting to write one here!

My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is plain--I love roasting them in the oven and eating them just like that. It's a shame that so many casserole and dessert recipes add so much sugar to sweet potatoes when they just don't need it.

Seeking to make a sugar-free dessert involving sweet potatoes, I knew the key was to roast the potatoes long enough that they started to caramelize and soften. I added a Fuji apple for a little more natural sweetness and used the mixture as a filling for wontons. Rather than deep-frying the wontons, I decided to pan fry them using cooking spray. I served them with Apple Cider Dipping Sauce, although the chai syrup I made for my poached pear recipe would be fantastic with these too.

Sweet Potato and Apple Wontons

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 large Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 tbsp. water
1-14 oz. package of wonton wrappers
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
a dash of nutmeg (you can put in more if you like--I'm not a big nutmeg fan)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork and bake for about 40 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool.

While potatoes are cooling, add water and apple to medium saucepan, cover, and heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until apple pieces are tender.

Scoop insides of potato into medium bowl and add apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until well combined.

Add a heaping tablespoon of filling to each wonton. Wet edges of wontons to seal.

Heat a liberal amount of cooking spray in large skillet over medium heat. Add wontons and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.

If time is a factor and you can't make the dipping sauce or chai syrup, these would also be great dusted with some cinnamon sugar or drizzled with maple syrup. Yum!"

First Giveaway - Petunia Blooms

I am so excited. I am doing my first blog giveaway. I have been wanting to do one for a while and now I am. I am hosting a giveaway from Petunia Blooms. I have posted one of her blooms on my Things I Love post. I wear her blooms, or her bows, in my hair almost every day. I am so excited.

She has recently posted quite a few new items to her shop.

The zippered pouches are perfect as a clutch when you do not want to carry your whole purse, or to put those little things like chapstick and lotion that get lost in your purse in.

The blooms are her signature item. You can get them as a clip, or with a hair clip. I love to put mine in with a hair clip. 

Jacky, the owner, and creator of all the items, has offered a discount to my readers of 10% of your entire order. Just put in KADYDID when you order.

And, now the giveaway. Jacky knows my favorite color is blue and she has offered two beautiful blue blooms as a giveaway to one of you. I have to admit, I'm jealous. They are beautiful and I wish I could keep them. But I am giving them to you. 

Aren't they so pretty? Jacky will let you decide if you want them as a hair clip, or a pen (which is really neat). The giveaway ends April 8. Make sure your email is visible in your blogger profile, or in your comment. Also, make sure each entry is in a different comment to count. 

To Enter:

Mandatory First Entry: (this must be done before any other entries)

1. Visit Petunia Blooms and tell me what your favorite item from her store is in a comment. 

Extra Entries:

2. Buy something from Petunia Blooms and tell me what you bought. 2 entries

3. Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect. 1 entry.

4. Follow my blog via Networked Blogs on facebook. 1 entry

5. Vote for my blog on "On The Fence". 1 entry

Enjoy. 

The Day We Lost Faith

This is hardest post to write so far, and probably one of the hardest of my life. I was debating about writing it at all. I tend to be a more private person, and come from a private family. Isaiah and I were talking one day, and he said I should. He thought it would help give me closure. Another blogger I was reading wrote about going through the same thing and I was encouraged by her bravery. Also, when I was going through it reading about other women going through similar things really encouraged and strengthened me. I hope me writing about this encourages and helps someone else.

Before I start, I want to say that I write this not to get sympathy, but to share my testimony and hopefully to help women who are, or will go through it, or maybe already have.

A few months ago I was not feeling well. I was trying to figure out why I was so sick all the time, and what was going on. I was throwing up every night, and super nauseas all day. I was so exhausted all the time too. I was wondering if I was pregnant, but kept putting that thought away. It seemed almost silly. The tiredness would not leave and I could not figure out what was going on.

Finally, one night while Isaiah was at class, I took the test. It was positive. I was pregnant. I was shocked, we had planned to wait a few years before kids. It seemed to throw my life in a tail spin. But I was excited at the same time. I love kids. I am studying to be a teacher. As a teenager I taught and worked with kids. I absolutely love kids and have always dreamed of the day I would have them.

That night I told Isaiah, who was so excited. I was still scared and worried, but the many he found out he was all smiles. He started planning when and how to tell our parents that night. He was so happy. He started talking to my stomach (a weird thing I must say) and kissing the baby goodnight (yes another odd thing). He was so happy.

I was starting to get really excited. I was looking at nursery decorations and planning things. I was praying a lot and had a peace. I was getting very excited. I couldn't wait to tell our friends and family.

Then every pregnant woman's worst fear happened. Later on, I was sitting in class and started cramping some. I was not sure if this was normal, it was my first time. I then found out I had started bleeding. I went home and could tell something was wrong. I knew what was happening. I was having a miscarriage.

I called Isaiah at work and told him. Then I called my mom and talked to her. My mom and I are best friends. We talk everyday. But that was a very hard phone call. We had not told anyone yet that we were pregnancy.

My mom understood. She has been through it. She talked to me. Isaiah came home. We were both so sad. My mom came down later that day (she lives 3 hours away) and spent time, just letting me cry. Isaiah's parents came the next day. We were so thankful for family. Our pastor and his wife really helped us through too. We are so thankful for everyone who supported and helped us.

My mom suggested naming the baby we lost, and then having some kind of ceremony to help us settle things. So we did. We named the baby we lost, Faith Elise Tamblingson, and put the things we already had for the baby in a box, such as the pregnancy test and a little Bible Isaiah's mom had gotten the baby, and us.

We did not tell many people, but we told a few. The major response we got was that everyone knows someone who has had a miscarriage or has had a miscarriage themselves. Its a pretty common, though still very painful, thing.

I will say that God really used the miscarriage to teach us a lot. God used it in a mighty way to show His love and His strength. He was so present the entire time. His love was so real to us.

For those of you who are or will go through it, (though I would never want that for anyone else) here are some things that really helped me. First was that, it is a death. It means you will go through grief. Its really hard. Don't expect just to get over it. It takes time, months later I still struggle.

There are many blogs and websites that help women cope with miscarriage. One I found was women sharing their story of stillbirth, miscarriage and lost babies. It helped me so much. It really helped me to know that other women went through it.

Also, something my mother said which really helped was that having a miscarriage is not shameful. I felt almost like I had to be ashamed, but there is nothing shameful in it. Don't be afraid to tell someone and talk it through.

Another thing is that your body is going through a lot. I couldn't get out of bed for a couple days. You should plan to be in bed for at least 3 days. I pushed myself too soon. I am one of those people that wants everyone to think I'm doing ok so I pushed hard to get back into classes and be normal. But I wish I would have rested more. Also, get to a doctor. I didn't right away and I wish I would have.

I would very much suggest naming the baby and having some kind of ceremony. Some people do it just the two of them, some do it as a family. I know it sounds weird, and before I had a miscarriage I do not know what I would have thought, but now I am so glad we did. It really helped us cope.

As a wife, I was not sure how to help Isaiah. A big thing for him was to be able to go off alone and work through the grief his own way. The father grieves and struggles too, I think they get forgotten sometimes. As the mother of the baby, don't forget them.

A few suggestions for those who are trying to help someone going through a miscarriage. Be supportive. Just be there for them. Isaiah and I grieved in different ways, but we were both so thankful for the family and friends who were there for us. They talked to us, prayed for us and just listened as we talked. Another thing is  to remember that it is a death, and they are grieving. Don't expect them to be ok or back to normal right away. It takes time. Finally, the mother will be going through a lot physically. It took me about two weeks before I felt ok again. So help the mother with younger kids, housework or food. A big help was someone bringing or getting Isaiah and I food. So if you know someone who is going through it, just please be there for them.

If you are having a miscarriage, talk to someone. Share your struggles. Let people help and take care of you. I am always here for you too. If you, as a mother going through a miscarriage, or someone trying to help someone going through a miscarriage, please email me. Also, if a father going through it wants someone to talk to, Isaiah would love to help too. We would love to pray for you, and do what we can.

As I said before, I do not write this to get sympathy, or to look like a martyr, but to hopefully help someone. I pray this really helps someone going through it in writing about the day we lost Faith.

Pen Pals

All my life I've wanted to have a real pen pal. I've had a few people who I've actually mailed letters to, but not a real pen pal. It was girls who I would see sometimes. I don't think it counts. But I've always wanted to have a real pen pal, like someone I've never met and could talk to. But I never could figure out how to. But guess what? I have found a way, and I wanted to share it.

A blog I follow, Fit, Fierce and Fabulous, is hosting a pen pal contact. She is taking emails with people and will set you up with a pen pal. This pen pal will be through real mail, not e-mail. I know, who real mails anymore? But that is exciting to me. I really like old-fashioned letters. When I had ish pen pals before I was terrible about replying, but I'm hoping to be better now.

Are you interested in getting a pen pal? Go to Pen Pals and follow directions. Basically you send her email with some basic information, such as your email, real address and some facts about you.

Her blog is really interesting. She does a lot of giveaways, and talk about her life in a long distance relationship. She loves food (we have that in common!). Its fun to read.

I hope you check it out, and sign up. The more people who sign up, the better you will get matched with someone you are similar to.

Have you had a pen pal? Someone you talked to through real mail that you never met? I would love to hear your story.

Us Weekend

My dear Isaiah and my schedule has been pretty crazy lately. With Isaiah and I both going to school and Isaiah working we hardly see each other during the week. Our weekends have been busy with all kinds of events. We hadn't had just us time in a while. 

We had a weekend free so I was planning a surprise weekend getaway for us. That night, Isaiah told me not to plan something for this weekend. I got worried. That typically means he is planning something. I was worried. I got hi to tell me what we were doing, and turns out he was planning a weekend getaway too. We ended up getting a place in Orlando for the weekend. 

Its been so nice to getaway. We have no homework, no work, and no housework. It feels so strange. I'm honestly not sure how to handle it. Its really nice to not have something that has to be done.

We slept in, and relaxed. Isaiah made a great breakfast. This afternoon we are going to roam the resort. Not sure what we are going to do, but its nice to just go with the flow and relax. 

Tonight Isaiah's brother and wife are coming to spend the night here (we have a three bedroom apartment). It will be fun. They got married 4 months after we did and they were in our wedding. It should be a fun tonight.

Since we have been married we have realized that we have to take time to spend time together. Its necessary. In order to keep our relationship strong we have to make sure that we don't just live together, we keep our relationship growing. We try to have lunch together once a week. But lately our relationship has been put on the back burner because of how busy we have been. So it was time to spend a weekend working on it.

So that is what we are doing. I will admit that I am missing our cats. It was weird waking up and they are not walking on us. Whenever they hear us waking up they come in and starting cuddling and they were not there. I miss them.

I'm always up for ideas on how to take us time or how to build our relationship. Do you have any suggestions? What do you and your darling do to make time for each other?

Giving Blood

Today I did something, I gave blood. I have given before once, and I've wanted to give since then. I always feel like I'm helping someone out when I do. My school was having a blood drive so I stopped by the blood mobile and gave. Its hard for people to get blood out of me because my veins are like almost invisible. Today they had to use a blood pressure cuff, instead of a tourniquet to find my vein. Thankfully though, they were able to stick me and draw blood first time.

I looked up some information about donating blood and was really interesting. You can find out information at the American Red Cross if you are interested. Here are a few facts:

	Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood
	More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day
	One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood
	Total blood transfusions in a given year: 14 million (2001)
	The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints
	The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days The demand for blood transfusions is growing faster than donations Less than 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood Less than 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood People with O- type blood are universal donors. Their blood can be given to people of all blood types. Only 7% of people in the U.S. have O- blood type Type O- blood is often used in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known, and with newborns who need blood.

A lot of people are freaked out by blood or are scared. Its really not bad at all. There is nothing to be worried about. As Christians we are to help people, with no thought to personal gain. This is a good way to give unselfishly, especially when you do not have a money, like us.

What are your thoughts about blood donating? Have you done it? Are you scared to do it?

Things I Am Loving

I like seeing people's blog posts on what they are loving (or wanting) right now. I haven't done one yet, but I thought today was a good day. I'm not sure but it feels like a fun post, and something unlike anything I've done.

This pretty flower is from Petunia Blooms. I have quite a few of the flowers. I love them for my hair with alligator clips, but you can also get them as pins. They add  fun, cute flair to your outfit. It also helps that my best friend makes them. 

I love creative hair pins. These are from Nomsa. So super cute.

I love these necklaces from The Vintage Pearl. They personalize the necklaces with your names or whatever you want. So cute.

I met Laurel through her blog Create. Her shop, Laurelleecreativity has so many creative cute ideas! 

I love this dining set from Target. I love the black wood, and have dreamed of a dining room set in black wood. Its so pretty. 

We have a sofa, but its not my style. I love this sleeper sofa from CSN Stores. You could do a lot with throw pillows for it.

I love Vera Bradley, and this is my favorite purse and colors right now. Its so pretty.

So here are some of my favorite things. Hope it gave you some fun ideas. What are some things you are loving right now?

Makeover

So I made a blog makeover. I didn't do much, but I am trying out a new look. I hope you like it. It was time for a little bit of change. Sometimes I like to mix things up a little. Its not perfect, but its getting there. The header needs help but it was my first time trying to figure out. Its one of those things that down the road I will probably do much better and look back and be ashamed at this one, but its a start. Please let me know how you like it.

Taking Time to Rest

On Sunday I somehow put my back out. It was BAD! Sunday night I could not roll over without help from Isaiah. So Isaiah told me I was to rest my back and not get work done around the house. I'm on spring break so I didn't have homework (or want to do homework on my spring break) so I stayed in bed and rested. It was weird. I don't rest well. At all.

Something I realized while I was resting was that women do not rest well. I have never met a woman who just rests well. I think about the women I know and its rare to see them just sit and relax. They are always going, going, going. My mother is a prime example. She never just sits down with the family and does something. She is always cooking or cleaning or something.

But we women need to rest. Its not a want. Its a need. Even Jesus took time to rest. He would go off on His own and rest and pray. He is able to take time to rest but yet we as wives can't?

Isaiah has been helping me realize that taking time to rest and do something I enjoy (like blogging) is not selfish. Its not wrong. Its what I need to do. It makes me relax and be happier, and that makes my family (cats included) less stressed. Humans need time to do things they enjoy, that is not work for them. Its how we are made.

God set up a Sabbath day of rest for us. He knew that we needed a day free from work to relax and worship Him. For us, our Sundays are so busy that it is almost stressful. So we try to make sure to take some time during the week to rest and spend time together. When we do, our stress level is down and our marriage is just better.

Think about Mary and Martha. Martha was so busy fixing her home and preparing the food that she missed out on resting and spending time with Jesus. She was rebuked. Her sister Mary rested at Jesus' feet and spent time listening to Him and she was praised. I don't want to be a Martha. I don't want to get so caught up in taking care of the home that my relationship with God is hurt.

I also don't want to spend so much time being a homemaker that I can't be a good wife. I have spent evenings when I could be with my husband cleaning and doing laundry.

I know the feeling as a homemaker. There is always more to be done. No matter how much time you spend doing laundry there will always be more. And its not like a regular job where you can leave it at work. Its always right in front of you. Staring you in the face. Taunting you. But sometimes you have to just say no.

So take time to rest. Take time to spend with your Savior and your family. And take time to do something you enjoy. Its really ok to do. I promise.

Mentoring

Something that has always been near to my heart has been mentoring, both doing and receiving. Mentoring is laid out in the Bible clearly, not as a suggestion, but as a commandment for women and I think its something very much lost in most churches today.

So many times we stay in our little groups of people who are like us, such as the youth staying together and the young married couples staying together. We all stay with people who are like us. We say hi to the older and younger people, and even talk. But who do we get close to? Naturally we, especially us women, get close to those who are going through the same things we are at this stage of life, and that is natural. 

I'm not saying its bad or it should never be like that. I have a few good friends who are young married wives like me, and we share stuff we are going through. Its a good thing to do. I am saying that so many times we miss out on the opportunity to be in a mentoring relationship like is laid out in Titus 3:3-5.

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

This talks about the older women teaching the younger to be good Christians. Notice it does not say the older wives only teach the younger wives. It says for older women to teach younger women. I think it means for us to start mentoring girls at a young age to do these things. Even before they are married we could be teaching them how to be sober (this does not mean just not drinking alcohol, but also means having a quiet spirit or demeanor or showing self-control), love their husbands etc. Before girls are ready to be married how about we teach them how to be good wives? What a change that could bring?

I have known so many girls who did not prepare for marriage, or taught about being a good wife, until they were engaged, or even married. What if an older women started mentoring the younger women before them? What a change that could bring in marriages!

I look around at some of the older women in the church and respect them so much. There are two in particular that I have gotten to know pretty well and as I watch them I respect them more and more. I watch how they are with their husband and its how I want to be with my husband. Their children are respectful and kind and most importantly obviously love the Lord. But most of all I can see their relationship with Christ. Its evident in all they do. I would love to learn from them. I could learn so much from them.

So I guess this is something to think about. Look around the women you know. Is there an older woman you really respect that you could learn from? Is there a  younger woman who you could help teach these things? Lets start something. Lets start living this Scripture out. I think it could change some things. 

He's Still God

February has been a very rough month for us, and I'm not ready to tell everything that happened but I can say that it has been a life changing month for Isaiah and I. I am so thankful its over now and hopefully life will be a little easier for a while, but I can say that my faith has grown so much through everything that has happened. I have felt His grace first hand and it has kept me going.

I don't have a strong faith. I tend to be more wavering. Isaiah though has a very strong faith. God is still God no matter what we go through. He has never questioned God as to why something happens the way it does or why God would do this to us, but I have to admit that I do. I question and wonder and my faith falters sometimes. I wonder how a God who loves me could put me through this, but this month God has really been showing me that even when I do not understand why He does something, He is still God, and what He does is best. I cannot tell you why still, but I know it.

I wish I could tell anyone who is going through something right now why they are. I wish I could tell you why we have been going through all we went through this month, but I can't. I have no clue. I just know that my loving Father will never put me through something just to hurt me. He has a bigger plan I can see and I can rest in that knowledge. I can't see what He can see, and I may never see it, but I can have peace knowing that whatever I'm going through its for good in my life.

That gives you peace but it does not make the intense pain go away. It does not mean that as a Christian you will never hurt or never cry. God's plan can hurt and I have to say I do struggle with wondering why He makes me go through these things. Why can't He teach us what we are supposed to learn without hurting us? I don't fully have an answer to that. I can just say that I can never know His plan, I can just know Him.

This month has brought my faith to a whole new level. I can say that I come out of this terrible month with a much bigger faith than I went into it. That is something good that comes out of our trials. They grow us. They bring us closer to God. But they are not fun.

This month has been very rough. But God has made Himself known. I have felt His love in such a great way that its indescribable. My faith in His plan and His wisdom is so much greater. I cannot tell you why we went through what we went through, but I can say that my God is still God.