8 Years

06/14/2011

Happy Anniversary, Jason. You are my best friend, my biggest encourager, my rock. You make me laugh and feel loved like no one else. I think we’re a great team. Like peanut butter and jelly, you and me. I’m so glad to be by your side on this crazy adventure! I’ll forever be your wifey and you’ll always be my right hand man.

All photos by Beth Rose Photography bethrose.com

(One more photo and “8 Things We’ve Learned in 8 Year” here.)

A funny story about how we celebrated our anniversary will be coming tomorrow.


2 Comments | Art, Family, Family: Jason, Family: Me | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Modern Wood Fence — Finished

06/13/2011

I was going to do a little photo tutorial on building wooden fence gates but Jason had to go and build these while I was at work. I’m really not upset but you’ll have to go somewhere else if you’re looking for a step by step.

Let’s just celebrate together that the gates are done!

Our weedy yard is on the other side of the fence along with our fruit trees, ugly black compost bin and our vegetable garden (behind the compost).

The gate pictured above is so tall that from the inside we couldn’t reach over to unlatch it. The solution was to add a pulley chain to the gate latch. I got all handyman on it and went to hardware store myself to buy chain and eye hooks. See what I did here?

But then I got all woman on it and used a paperclip to attach the chain to the latch because… it worked. And it was easy.

I realize the paperclips are not really a great long term solution. Did I mention this is not a step by step tutorial? I’m pretty proud of myself, though. Just pull to open. I think Jason will be pleasantly surprised when he gets home. I hope the paperclips last that long…

This section of fence separates our patio from our driveway. (Once, a long, long time ago this was all just one big concrete parking slab.)

 

This path leads through the gate into the yard (where the compost bin, fruits and veggies live).

 

2 Comments | Art, Art: gardening, Art: modern design, Art: modern wood fence | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Phone Photo Friday

06/10/2011

Double Feature: Our black raspberry bush has been doing great this year! I’m getting a handful like this everyday. Perhaps I should thank the cicadas for keeping the birds busy and full…

Leave a Comment » | Art, Art: gardening, Art: God's creation, Art: Phone Photo Friday | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Foster Parenting: Myths, Facts and Resources

06/09/2011

The Dave Thomas Foundation has a great little article called Myths & Realities about foster parenting. Here are a few of them:

Myth: Foster care adoption may cost less than private infant or international adoption, but it’s still expensive.

Reality: Foster care adoption normally costs little or nothing. Click here for more information on how much it costs to adopt.

Myth: A biological parent can come to take an adopted child back.

Reality: This is a fear for two-thirds of the people considering adoption. However, biological parents have no way to gain back custody of the child or children once their parental rights are terminated.

Myth: Children enter foster care because they committed a crime.

Reality: This belief is held by 45 percent of Americans, but actually, children enter U.S. foster care through no fault of their own. Usually, they are victims of neglect, abandonment, or abuse.

——————————————————————————————————-

I thought it might also be valuable to share with you some of my favorite resources. When we were first considering this adventure, reading other’s personal accounts was invalueble to me. (And still is encouraging.) Here are some of my favorite blogs of families that have fostered or adopted kids:

• Proverbs 30:8 – K&D’s blog was what got me thinking more seriously about fostering. They have fostered several kids so far and are in the process of adopting two precious little boys.

• Foster Parenting Podcast – like a big nerd I listened to EVERY podcast from the past 4 years. (hey, i’m at my desk all day!) This couple has fostered more kids than I can keep track of and so far has adopted 2 sweet little girls. Tons of wisdom and perspective to share.

• Rage Against the Minivan – clever, raw, realistic portrayal of a family with 2 biological daughters, 1 son adopted through foster care and 1 son adopted from Haiti

• Ordinary Hero – mostly about international adoption (especially Ethiopia) but great fundraising opportunities for adoptive families

• The Anderson Crew – one of my favorite blogs already for the creative, crafty, photographic goodness but this family recently adopted a little girl from Ethiopia

• Faith Star Lite – a family in the process of adopting a little girl through foster care

• Adding Members – a family with 1 biological daughter, 1 daughter adopted through foster care and are currently still fostering children with hopes to adopt more due to infertility

• As for Me and My House – a family with a sweet testimony of adopting a baby girl through the foster care system with hopes to foster more. Written from the perspective of the oldest sister, which makes it extra sweet and interesting

1 Comment | Family, Family: Foster Parenting | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Free Marriage Advice: 8 Things We’ve Learned in 8 Years

06/08/2011

(Photo above is by Beth Rose Photography. Hopefully I’ll have a bunch more to share from this shoot soon!)

As our 8th wedding anniversary approaches (it’s Tuesday!) I thought I’d share some nuggets of marriage goodness Jason and I have gathered the past few years. In our opinion, we have a pretty awesome marriage. We’re not marriage experts but you get what you pay for! Here we go:

1. Share a sink
Now, if your master bathroom already has two sinks you might as well use them. But Jason and I always thought it was pretty silly when some couples go through a lot of trouble to make sure they each have their own sink. We also have one relatively small closet. It’s about sharing. It’s about moderation. These are important values to us.

2. Turn off the car radio
Actually, it rarely gets turned on in the first place when we’re together. It’s not a “rule” but just something that we’ve gotten in the habit of. Jason and I have had most of our best discussions in the car. The uninterrupted alone time is precious and perfect for debating, dreaming and digging into important issues.

3. Do home repairs together
Not only do DIY projects save money and increase our skills, they force us to work together as a team. Sometimes we get frustrated, grumpy, tired but we’re able to encourage each other, brainstorm and troubleshoot, and ultimately celebrate our finished project together.

4. Don’t let each other get away with crap
We have chosen to lovingly, gently hold each other accountable. It’s been a process learning the “lovingly, gently” part of this and even more so, how to receive the constructive criticism without defensiveness. It’s one of the greatest gifts we have given each other. No one cares more about your personal success than your spouse.

The next 4 are things we were told before we got married so we can’t take any credit for these ideas:

5. Go on date nights
I think it was my parents that suggested this. Even though we don’t have kids yet, date nights have proven to be worth the extra commitment on our budget sheet. Sometimes we really just need some time away together that doesn’t involve work (dishes, cooking, tiling, gardening, etc.). We always come back home feeling more in love.

6. Pray together / pray for each other
“Couples that pray together, stay together” is the old saying and apparently it’s statistically true, too. I can’t say we’re great at making time to pray together but praying for each other is a huge priority in our house. It means so much to me when I catch Jason praying over me at night (when he thinks I’m sleeping). And I know it blesses him knowing that I get up early most mornings and spend time praying for him in his studio.

7. Be the first to say you’re sorry
Because being right and holding your ground really isn’t worth it.

8. Don’t quit your marriage
Way to end on a high note, huh? Seriously, I think all marriage couples have times—fights, incidents, rough patches—that make us want to just walk out the door and never look back. Humans are selfish by nature. We want what we want, when we want it. We’ve never allowed divorce or separation to be an option worth considering. It’s just out of the question for us. We have to make a choice to resist selfishness everyday and to put each other above ourselves. That is love.

4 Comments | Family, Family: Jason, Family: Me | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Full of Hot Air

06/07/2011

Over Memorial Day weekend I went with Jason down to the Hot Air Balloon festival in Decatur, Alabama. Jason was playing with Guy Penrod so the guys got the VIP treatment in an air conditioned RV (it really wasn’t very fancy) while the wives and kids wandered around in the heat and enjoyed all the arts and crafts, bouncy houses and greasy food. The highlight of the day—besides the concert, of course—was when all the hot air balloon suddenly started popping up out of the ground. At least that’s what it looked like.

This first one was my favorite.

Up it goes…

I wonder who sponsored that one?

Thanks Decatur! The balloons were lovely.

The night ended with fireworks—which I LOOOVE—a cheese pizza and a long drive home. Thankfully Jason let me sleep because I was beat.

1 Comment | Art, Art: modern design, Art: music, Family, Family: Jason | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Cicada Invasion!

06/06/2011

Run for your lives!

Seriously, we have a bizarre and fascinating, also annoying and disgusting, phenomenon going on in Nashville right now. Every 13 years by Divine clockwork, hundreds, thousands, millions? of cicadas (Magicicadas to be exact) emerge from the ground, sing, mate, lay eggs and die. All in the span of 4-6 weeks. We’re about 3 weeks into the madness right now. It’s not just a few cicadas here and there; it’s ear-piercing loud at 3pm. It’s crunchy steps through the parking lot. It’s swatting and yelping every time we’re outside. It’s cleaning splatters off the windshield several times a day. They don’t call it an invasion for nothing.

This guy (or girl) is one of the many that likes hanging out on our bamboo. Smile!

The whole event is really quite strange and I’m glad it’s almost over. Thankfully, the bugs are pretty harmless. They don’t bite. They don’t prey on other creatures. They don’t eat crops or plants. They drink the sap from trees and blades of grass. The only harm they do is cutting slits into small tree branches when the females lay their eggs. But in the grand scheme of things, this is actually a benefit — this process prunes trees and aerates the ground, so I’m told. Here’s our newly planted pear tree. Can you see the cicadas?

How about now? Can you see them?

Oh, there they are. And… this is when Lucy and I got creeped out and ran for the house. She’s OK with them until they squawk. Then she gets freaked out. And boy to they squawk. And chirp. And buzz.

The posters below (and a few others) are designed by Anderson Design Group to commemorate this crazy occasion. Anyone need a birthday gift idea for me? They’re available at CicadaInvasion.com.

If you haven’t had enough yet, check out this video I shot through the window of the conference room at work last week. My office is on the 4th floor so it’s right in the tree tops. The cicadas are so loud that I can hear them from my desk which is through a cubicle wall, a hallway, an office and a thick glass window. In the video you can hear them pinging and ponging off the window. They’re pretty clumsy.

2 Comments | Art, Art: gardening, Art: God's creation, Art: graphic design, Other | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Phone Photo Friday

06/03/2011

Leave a Comment » | Art, Art: kids room, Art: Phone Photo Friday | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Preparing for Foster Kids: Technical Safety Precautions & General Household To Do List

06/02/2011

Here’s the part of preparing our home for foster kids that’s not as much fun to talk about or photograph as designing the bedroom. We have a checklist of things that need to be done in our home before an inspection. These requirements differ from state to state and agency to agency, I’m sure, but here are some of the things we had to buy/do:

• outlet covers on all of our electrical outlets
• cleaning supplies and chemicals stored in a locked cabinet
• all medications (including vitamins) stored in a locked box
• smoke detectors in various locations throughout the house
• carbon monoxide detector installed
• minimum 2.5 lb. fire extinguisher rated for class B and C
• hot water heater set lower than 120 degrees
• matches and knives inaccessible to children
• landline telephone available (we decided to sign up for Vonage for $15/month)
• flashlights in working order and accessible (we got a nightlight/emergency light/ flashlight)
• bedroom for child with proper clothing storage
• bedroom for child has a window
• separate bed and mattress for each child
• infant crib in compliance with government safety standards
• area rugs secured to floors; mirrors and wall hangings secured to walls
• internet adult sites inaccessible to children (we use Safe Eyes to block these sites)
• pets are up to date on all required vaccinations
• automobiles in safe operating condition
• vehicles equipped with child safety seats for infants/young children and booster seats for older children

So that’s only about half of the list, but it covers most of the main requirements. I was looking for this information online out of curiosity before we started the process so maybe someone else out there will benefit from seeing our list. We added to this list our personal list of projects to get done around the house before we welcome foster kids into our home:

• buy furniture (crib, bed, dresser, rugs) for the kids room
• hang book ledges (pictured above—I did this all myself! I’m very proud.)
• decorate kids room
• paint the kids room
• paint the rest of the house… or at least the master bedroom, living room, kitchen and hallway
• finish the fence blog post coming soon!
• close up all the gaps along the bottom of the fence so Lucy can’t wander away
• remove the dangerously sharp fireplace hearth  Booyah!
• get the electricity fixed in 2/3 of the house (this is a new development as of yesterday … stupid old wiring! Right now have 4.5 rooms without electricity … the kids room, my cloffice, both bathrooms and the ceiling light in the kitchen.)
• get a new vehicle – The Silver Bullet. Yay!
• build a new patio table we got a great deal on an already built one
• finish drywall and trim in Jason’s studio aux room
• finish drywall and paint in the laundry room
• clean out studio aux room and closet
• clean out our bedroom closet and dresser and give clothes to charity
• clean out cupboards
• clean and organize pantry

Ok, so most of the things on our personal list have nothing to do with preparing our house for kids EXCEPT that we want to have all of these things checked off our to do list so that once we have kids we can just relax and have fun in the evenings and on the weekends. Sounds like a nice dream, right?

4 Comments | Art, Art: interior design, Family, Family: Foster Parenting | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

Summer Days (Daze?)

06/01/2011

It’s been a busy past few days and I don’t have time to write any of the posts I have in my mind to write. For now, here’s a picture of where Jason and I have been eating a lot of our meals lately:

And an update on recent goings-on:

• We’re 2/3 of the way through our foster parent certification. Paperwork is done. Classes are done. We’re waiting for the home study writer to contact us to set up home study interviews. We’ve been waiting for 2 weeks and it’s been a relief, actually. It kind of feels like the calm before a storm. Not that we’re dreading it but we’re just savoring the (potentially) last few weeks of just the two of us.

• But, of course we’re staying busy! We have the kids room almost all the way finished. There are just a few pieces of art left to hang on the walls. When it’s all done I’ll do a proper photo tour. And we’ve been painting. Now seemed like a good time to paint the rest of the house. So far we have the living room (and the kids room) done. The kitchen, master bedroom and hallway are next in line. The project to do list that’s taped on the wall of our hallway is almost done.

• Our new van has one tire that’s mysteriously worn much more than the other 3. We’ve been planning to replace all 4 tires soon. After an almost-blow-out last night (we have a rubber flapper), now is the time to replace all four. We were hoping we could wait a few months but ack! Oh well.

• Have you heard about the cicada invasion in the middle Tennessee area? It’s a 13-year cycle. I’ll post more about that later in case you’re curious…

Leave a Comment » | Art, Art: God's creation, Art: modern design | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by mahlbrandt

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »