An Announcement!!

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Well, I am so sorry that I have been away from the blogging world for so long!! It has been a crazy last few weeks!! The kids and I were out of town for a couple of weeks visiting my family in Ohio, and we had a blast! We did so many things that we haven't done before, especially Maddy! But that will be more in a later post!!
The reason I have been so AWOL lately is because the day before we left for Ohio we found out that we are expecting Baby #3!! We were surprised and excited!! And it was crazy to find out right before our big trip!

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We tried for a year to get pregnant with Judah and then finally had to resort to fertility drugs. So we didn't think we could get pregnant on our own! So when we found out that we did, we were elated!
About a week into our trip to Ohio, I started getting sick. More of just the all-day nausea. I had it pretty bad with Maddy, but really not at all with Judah. Soooo, I have pretty much been a bum since then. I also started getting some severe pains that I had with Judah as well, and am waiting to find out at my first appointment what they think they are (if they are different from last time.) It's been hard, I won't lie. I feel like I'm either nauseous, having pain, or just tired and weak and don't feel like doing anything.
I'm used to being busy, running around the house, and being able to do everything myself. It has been difficult to not be able to cook (which I LOVE and miss), really clean my house, and stay on top of things. Everyone keeps telling me it's OK and I'm allowed to rest and not be on top of things. But that doesn't make it easier to look at my dirty house and know that I can't clean it right then.
So enough of the sob story. I will get through it! Hopefully at the end of the first trimester, things will be better! I am due around February 28! I can't believe that we will have 3 kids in no time! So with that said, please forgive me if I'm not around blogging as much as I used to. I will try when I can, but you might just have to wait for my second trimester!! Hope you all are doing well!

Tragedy: A Special Time to Point our Kids to God

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Click here for the video of the fire
Click here to read news article
Although many of you have heard via Facebook, not all of you have heard that our church, Calvary Chapel of Enid, Oklahoma burned down this past Thursday. It was an old building, and there were some renovations being done to it with a torch, and once the fire started, it was out of control within minutes. They are counting it a total loss, with only some things that could be recovered. The building will have to be demolished, and we will have to build somewhere else, or purchase another building.
Although this is sad news, and devastated many people in our congregation, we still serve a God who is in control!! The cool thing about all this is that I have gotten to talk to my 4 year old daughter, Maddy, about some pretty important things lately. Luckily, this is a tragedy without the loss of life, so even though we are sad that we lost our church building, our church body is still intact!! Our Pastor gave a beautiful message on Sunday, when we met at another location as we were hosted by another gracious church, reminding us that the church body is fine, strong, alive, and well!! Our building got destroyed, but the church is fine!!
Throughout the course of us finding out about the church, driving by the burning church as they were trying to put out the fire (it took hours and hours to put the fire out), and getting phone calls, Maddy was right there, taking it all in. It's interesting how a 4 year old's mind works. You can see the wheels in their head turning. I have to admit that the wheels in my head might have started turning in a negative way in lieu of what happened. But I found it strengthening my faith to have to simplify things and talk to Maddy about it all in simple, easy-to-understand terms. It was really encouraging to talk to her about how God is in control, that the fire didn't take Him by surprise, that the actual church is the people and not the building, and that God is going to take care of us and provide for us.
I know that people face real tragedy with loss of life and things much more grievous than a building burning down. But this is what we are dealing with now, and it was neat to be able to give perspective and hope to a 4 year old who was shaken by her first real encounter with something tragic and real to her.
Maddy was concerned about where we were gonna get extra money for a new building, if the "bench" that all the kids sat on was still there, if her class got burned, if the toys in her new class would be different, and more questions. It's definitely interesting to go through things with young children, because your concerns get minimized to a very simple level, and you have to help them learn how to think with a godly perspective and to help them understand what is going on and how to cope with it. It's a huge, daunting responsibility, but awesome as well! It helps you, as an adult, to think through the situation in a healthy, positive way. It really helped me to think positive and look towards God instead of worrying and being negative about it!!
This is just another example of how motherhood is a ministry. We have the privilege of getting down on our kids levels and showing them how to walk through life, but not only that, we get to share with them how they're not alone!! We can teach them how to have hope and faith at a very young age. And those moments remind us how much our roles count!! Keep pressing on and show your kids that God is on our side, and how that fits into their daily lives!!

God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:1-3, 10.

Urban Momma: 100 Posts and 1 Year Old!!!

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I can't believe it's already been a year since I have joined the blogging world!! I have really enjoyed it, even though I don't always have time or energy enough to keep up with it how I would like!! Last March I did my first post, and since then have worked all the way up to 100 posts this month!! I hope I am inspiring stay at home moms out there (or working moms, want-to-be moms, home cooks, homemakers, etc.) to cook well, be a little more organized, to be intentional about their families and spiritual lives, and to seek to be better at what they do.
I can't help but notice lately at the gym, as the sweat is pouring off of me and I'm dying during my sprint, the sign (at the YMCA) that says,

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men;" Colossians 3:23

It really makes you think about doing things differently, not half-heartedly and dragging through the day, but really intentionally seeking to serve God through everything we do. I would like you to check out this blog post on inspiredtoaction.com if you get the chance:

How To Be a More Patient Mom in Just 24 Hours

It is a great, short blog post that gives great insight and tips for tired, stressed-out moms.

I hope to get back to my usual, more frequent blogging soon. I have been so busy working out, cleaning house, gardening (more on this later!!), and getting settled in our house that blogging has taken a backseat these days. But I have so much I have been wanting to share here, so hopefully it will be here soon!! I want to thank all my readers for your encouragement and for being a part of my life, especially through the move and everything!! Your comments and feedback mean a lot!!

If you would like, feel free to comment on what types of posts you have liked or would like to see more of on this blog!!

Happy 1 year Urban Momma!!!!

Getting Settled

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Finally, we have internet!! For anyone who missed what is going on with us, we just got our own little house (to rent) and moved out of Tad's parent's house after 2 months. We feel like official Oklahoma residents now!! It is so nice to be in our own place, to have our own space again, and to get into our own routines. It has been great to spend more time with the kids, explore our new neighborhood, and to get into my new kitchen (which I love, by the way!!) and get cooking again!! I have so many recipes to share with you in the coming weeks, including some freezer cooking!!

As soon as I get things a little bit more settled, I'll also post pictures of our new place, room by room, so you can get a feel for our little home!! I'm so glad to be back to blogging, checking up on your blogs, and sharing my favorite recipes with you all!!

Just in case you were wondering, here are some new blogs I love that you can check out if you have some time:

This Italian Family

Little Health Junkie

Provision Farm

Mom's Crazy Cooking

I should be back to normal blogging as soon as possible!! I miss it, and hope to hear from you all soon!! Goodnight!!

Service Announcement

Just a little note: Sorry I haven't been up on my blog lately. We moved into our house this week and we don't have our Internet hooked up yet. As soon as we get it hooked up, I will be back to blogging again!! I can't wait to add more about homemaking now that we are in our own place again!! Hopefully Urban Momma will be up and running again soon!!

Stephanie

Hello, Oklahoma!!!

Tad's family

Well, we're here in Oklahoma!!! It was a crazy last couple weeks, but we made it!! Our last couple weeks were filled with people visiting, getting together with our Chicago friends, and our kids being really sick!! Our last 2 nights we got to stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel to use up Tad's comp nights that he gets with the Four Seasons. We got a double connected suite to share with Tad's 4 siblings. It was awesome!! Definitely a Christmas to remember!!
Though we will miss Chicago, our friends, our church, and our awesome city, we are excited to be here in Oklahoma. We are hoping it will be better for family life, and an added bonus to be near so much family!!
So with the start of the new year and the beginning of a new chapter in our lives comes the launch of Urban Momma...Gone Country!!! I hope to continue blogging about cooking, family life, updating pictures, and doing book reviews, but also adding posts concerning big family life (living with Tad's family), country living, life outside the city, and some new additions to the site, coming soon!!
I am looking forward to blogging about our life change from the big city to the big, wide open country!!
Happy New Year!!!

The Big Move To...

OKLAHOMA where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!!!

(Downtown Enid, OK)

So, for those of you who haven't already heard, we are moving to Oklahoma on or around December 26.

Why???

1. We are ready to leave Chicago.
2. Tad is ready to be done working for the Four Seasons. There are many reasons.
3. Most of our friends have moved away.
4. We have no family to be close to and to help with our kids.
5. Tad's family lives in Oklahoma!!
6. It's hard to raise kids in an expensive city where you can only afford a small apartment.
7. With Maddy's high energy, she needs some land to run around on! And a dog to take care of!!
8. We are hoping for a change, opportunities to get involved in ministry, and more opportunity to grow spiritually.
9. We are hoping to eliminate some debt with a lower standard of living, fewer expenses, and cheaper everything!!
10. More stability in a job where Tad doesn't work overnights, and can have more opportunities to get involved in ministry, a small group, and have a regular work schedule.
11. Warmer weather!!
12. City living is hard for raising a family. There are great opportunities for kids, and we have loved our time here, but there are many things that kids miss out on that we want our kids to have (a yard, pets, a bigger place that we can afford for them to run around in, a quieter street to ride bikes and play with other kids, etc.)

While there are more reasons, or more details regarding these reasons, this is the list in a nutshell! Our plan is to have Tad work through Christmas day, which is the last busy day of the season at the hotel. We have a moving truck rented and will probably have 4 of Tad's siblings come help us drive down with all of our stuff. We will live with Tad's family for a little while as we get settled, find a place of our own, and while Tad starts his new job.

(Tad's family's house)

I know that a lot of you knew about this opportunity for us, and others may just be hearing about it now! We are excited, nervous, and in the process of working out all the details. This plan has been in the works now for over a year, and we are finally in the last leg of our planning! We have sought counsel, prayed about this, thought about this, and feel like this move is best for our family. Tad has a job lined up, so this takes care of some concern for right when we get down there. It will be so nice for us to have family around, people to help with the kids, and for Tad to be around as his siblings grow up (there are 6 kids still at home with Charity (7) being the youngest.)
Maddy has so much energy that she just loves our time in Oklahoma. A big backyard to run around in. Lots of aunts and uncles to play with. Grandma and Pops to spoil her!!
I am really looking forward to meeting new people, getting involved in a church where we can grow as a family, serve, and be in small group, being in an area that is more supportive of homeschooling, hopefully having a house with more space for my kids to run around in, and a yard to get some energy out, planting a garden, being near family and family get-togethers, and seeing my husband and kids thrive to be near family! And of course, living closer to Pioneer Woman!!
We would love your prayer for these things:
1. Ease of nerves (especially for me) for a big move. I have only had a big move once, to Chicago, for school.
2. Wrapping up all the odds and ends here in Chicago, and lining up everything in Oklahoma.
3. Wisdom in finding a place of our own, timing, and getting a place that will adequately fit our family.
4. Smooth transition to living with Tad's family, our time there to be pleasant and productive.
5. That the kids would transition well, sleeping arrangements, different environment, realizing this is permanent and not vacation.
6. Wisdom for Tad and I as we make decisions regarding which church to go to, activities to be involved in, meeting new friends.
7. Tad's new job, that he would enjoy it, that it would provide for us, that he would finally have a regular schedule.
8. For our family unit, that we would remain close, and make decisions that are best for our family.
9. That God would direct us into what ministries he would have us be a part of, start, or if we need to not be involved in ministry right away and focus on our relationship with Him.
10. Safety as we travel/move with our car, a moving truck, and possibly Tad's sister's truck.

Thanks for taking the time to read through this, be a part of this with us, and to hopefully keep us in prayer as we continue to get ready for this move. I pray that this is what the Lord would have for us, and that He would be guiding us, even though scary and unknown, into His will and plan for our family. May we be faithful in what He is calling us to.