People always say that it sounds incredibly hard and busy. We understand it is a bit busier than usual, but really, how we approach it makes all the difference. We try very hard to look at our priorities and make room only for the things we won't compromise on, faith, family, fun and structure. We withdraw from everything else during those times to protect our family. We don't schedule dinners, parties, classes, or kickball or extra circular activities. We take the things we usually do and replace then with travel. So during the week, we don't do anything else. Whenever we are home, spending time together as a married couple and family is our top priority. That's probably why people think we are so busy, because we are either traveling or hiding for months, and then in the spring, we come out to play.
Paul and I both feel called to our family, our marriage and to our ministries. We in no way want one of these aspects of our life to allow the other to suffer. And we deeply believe that if God has called to us these aspects of our life, then if we seek him continuously and ask for his guidance he will provide a way. So we pray and talk and schedule and find a way for each of these aspects of our heart and lives to empower the other, not destroy it. We want healthy rhythms and routine for the kids. We want and need time together to keep our marriage strong. We see how our whole family flourishes in our regular life schedule of slower paced living.
I have learned how to prepare for this season of our lives each year. On New Year's we open our schedule and we look over the next six months. We discuss priorities, time as a family, what we will cut out of the schedule and what we need to keep to stay healthy. We discuss sitters, schedules, merchandise, food, family chores, the whole bit. So I have learned how to prepare the house. Get things in order. I have learned to love friends through emails and phone calls while being in the airport since I don't see much of them. I have learned to make lists of financial items that need to be taken care of during the week when I am home. I have not mastered the birthday thing and remembering and sending cards. I am horrible at that, and not sure its in my DNA to be that girl that will send you a card to arrive on your actual birthday. That just seems way too hard. I have though learned how to organize multiple sitters and a network of people to take care of the kids. (And this is just all the house/family stuff, I didn't list all the business arrangements that need to take place, writing and preparing speeches, and ordering and organizing merchandise to sell. Preparation in of itself is a part time job.)
The last two years I have needed to include food preparation into this list which is an enormous task. I can't leave money for the sitter to buy pizza or McDonald's I can't let Paul make the kids PB&J for lunch. I need lists of the "DO NOT EAT" foods. Lists of the "APPROPRIATE SNACKS". Most of the time, I need all the food prepared so that our friends and family watching the kids feel comfortable and confident in their ability to love them and take care of them. I want to bless them as much of a stress free weekend as I can. So that now includes lists and lists of food, days of cooking and freezing food, and organizing the menu and vitamins that each kid takes. Then I think about myself. What am I going to eat? I usually take some hard boiled eggs, Larabars, apples and almonds and scones. I am happy to eat salad for the weekend and know that usually in the green room are veggies and fruit.
But on Thursday what I wasn't expecting and totally forgot was that Paul was now on our diet. It was Thursday morning and Little and I came home from dropping the boys off at school. We were going to paint nails, read books and play a game while we waited for the new stove to arrive. (which it didn't and we are hoping comes Monday!) But then my mind drifted to the fact that Paul was going to be leaving for his Chicago weekend gig at 5am the next morning. He would be gone all weekend. Then it hit me, what's he going to eat? Oh shoot! So I looked at Little and we struck a deal. Cook one thing for Daddy and do one thing for her. What was tricky about this is that Paul may be on our all natural diet, but me and the kids can be fine eating snacks and bird like food for a few days. We are happy being granola, seed, nut and fruit and veggie people. Paul needs meat. Paul need substance. How the heck am I supposed to do that? So I did the only thing that made sense to me. I prepared food that he could take, but if he gave me the look of, "am I really supposed to eat that?" then I had it already prepared for the kids. To me it felt like a win/win.
So this is what I sent with Paul to help fill in his gaps of meals, and hopefully when in a pinch, make a meal in and of itself. My goal was that he wouldn't hate the diet so much that he wouldn't want to do it anymore. The challenge was great, but I have already heard from him that he is doing well, and every time he eats the food I prepared for him, he knows how much I love and support him. And that's the goal right? Take care of our loved ones. Support them in their dreams and dedication to being the best they can be? He wants to eat healthy, take care of himself for me and the kids, rid himself of some chronic issues. How can I not do everything in my power to help him in that. I can either be apart of his downfall, or his success. I am his wife. I want him to succeed.
So I sent him with:
I made our coffee cake which I get from thespunkycoconut.com. Its really delicious and sent Paul with three HUGE pieces, one for each morning he was gone.
Paul has eaten Larabars before and I believe his response was, "It tastes like chalk. I can't believe you eat this." Welcome to the diet! So I splurged and bought a bunch of different kinds of bars for him to try. His homework was if he didn't like it, put the rest of the bar in a baggie and bring it home so the kids could eat for a snack, they are too expensive to throw away, seriously. And if he liked it, he needed to keep the wrapper so I knew which ones to get him next time he traveled out of town. And yes you will see Enjoy Life candy bars in there. I figured, he would be watching everyone else eating oreo's in the green room, if he felt like something sweet, then he had something on hand.
Hard boiled eggs are a great snack in this house. One splurge item we use is smoked salt. It it just to die for and we can't eggs any other way. We are adding it to pop corn and roasted veggies, its just too good not to. We get ours from here. It takes our usually every day very plain food, to a whole new wonderful place of goodness.
I found this box of a cookie mix, so I decided to cook them up and had Paul try them. He loved them, which is a huge test in this house. So I sent him with some, ate quite a few myself and then each kid got two in their lunch the next day. Yes, cause I ate that many if you must know. The cookie mix was Pure Elizabeth. Don't remember where it came from, but I will keep my eye out for it now.
I was a little surprised that Paul wanted to take the Quinoa and bean salad with walnuts in it. I thought this was pushing his limits, but he actually really likes it, and its ALL protein So I am hoping this big batch will help with the hunger over the weekend.
These scones are really very British and not sweet at all. But they work great dipped in coffee or slathered with a nut butter or jam. So that is what I sent with Paul, scones for a lunch with a can of our homemade strawberry/apple jam made this past fall.
Here is the jam and the cashew ranch dressing that I sent with him. I figured, most of the time salad is your only option, so I wanted him to have dressing that he enjoys.
I am not gonna lie, I never thought I would see the day that meat and potato man would take a suitcase of granola, hippy, authentic real food with him. He had bamboo silverware and everything. He was so happy to have food to eat, and I was so happy that was willing to pack a whole other suitcase of food.
Weekend one is a success! Now in two weeks we will both be gone, so I guess its back to the kitchen to start preparing food for five people, two who will be gone and three that will have sitters. I should start now so I will be done in time.
But in true confession, every minute in the kitchen is worth it. It is worth it that my husband is happier with himself and his body and his attitude. It is worth it for my sons ability to have friends, and interact in a healthy way with others. That he has stayed of meds because of the food he eats. The absence of my depression makes every moment in the kitchen worth it. To pursue our dreams. To use our God given gifts to bless others. To have joy in our home. You will probably find my body dead in the kitchen when I go, but yes it is worth. every. single. second. for the life we have. The good things are absolutely worth the work.
Love it! I hear ya, and agree that it is worth it for all of those reasons.
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