the vogeltanz family

All those summers in the sun came back to bite me yesterday. With my reddish hair and fair skin I’ve always jokingly said I was a “poster child for skin cancer” and while that comment used to get a laugh or two, it’s not so funny today.

Last week I went to the dermatologist to get a few moles checked out. I left the office without one of my moles and it took a little trip to the lab. I got a call last night from the dermatologist, a good friend of ours, that the mole came back with some good news and some bad.

The bad news: the mole is Melanoma In Situ which simply means it is melanoma cancer that has effected the top layer of the skin.

The good news: It was caught early. PRAISE JESUS moment!  I will have to go back to the docotor next week and have a little more skin removed around where the mole to make sure it is all gone.

The news rattled me a little. It just makes you pause and get perspective. When you hear your name and the dirty little “c” word in the same sentence it feels like a punch to the stomach. And to think, it was just a little mole that I might have ignored for another year or two! Thank God it was just a bad mole that we caught early and not something more serious. Grateful for his protection in my life today.

So what’s the practical application? I feel a little vulnerable today and I think it is probably a good thing. While we aren’t called to live in fear, we do need to be wise with our bodies, our holy temples, so that our lives can bring much glory to God. So wear sunscreen…get checked…care for your bodies inside + out. It’s the only one we have.

Now I need to stand on my soap box and yell at you readers:

HAVE YOU GONE TO THE DERMATOLOGIST RECENTLY?

YOU SHOULD.

What is it with boys and technology? Nash LOVES (maybe obsessed would be a better word?)  the remote, the radio, the DVD player, the TV, the camera, the ipod, our phones, and especially our computers. Here he is trying to teach Evyn about technology by showing her how to use his “laptop”. It was so funny to watch him explain to her how to use it and push the buttons. He was so serious about teaching her!

"Do it like this baby doll..."

"I teach you!"

I borrowed this cool idea called “six” from Debra Parker’s blog. FYI: Amazing story unfolding on their blog and in their lives as they wait for their son to be cleared to come home from Haiti. They were one of the families who were in the adoption process when the earthquake hit and are in the middle of a frustrating battle to get one stinkin’ piece of paper signed so they can come home. It breaks my heart! Her husband is in Haiti now literally living + sleeping on the Embassy floor and fighting  to bring home their son. Read their blog. God is amazing and is going to receive much glory from their story! (***UPDATE: Debra’s husband and son are in air! They are flying home today! PRAISE GOD!!!!!)

She is an awesome blogger. Very funny + transparent + creative. She often does a post called Six where she has 6 pictures of things that made her happy, representations of her week, or just random stuff. I love it. Copying is the greatest form of flattery, right?  Hope that’s okay Debra! Praying for you and your family!

1. My burlap Tom’s Shoes. Love them. They are starting to stink, but I will wear them anyway.
2. 2 teeth have officially come through.
3. watching Nash play in the dirt makes me happy. the smell of mud reminds me of my childhood.
4. evyn’s tongue…she loves that thing.
5. A good egg. I heart cage free, grain fed chickens who make beautiful eggs. (Even if they do cost $4)
6. way too much medicine for the ear infection that will not go away. On day 7 people!

I’m at a crossroads.

We watched the documentary film called Food, Inc this week. My world was rocked. Basically, the movie poses the question, “where does our food come from”. It wasn’t that all the information was new to me. I already knew chickens are overfed and overcrowded in chicken coops around america. I know most of our food is genetically modified. But the movie hit a nerve and I can’t shake it. After chewing on the film for a few days (ha, no pun intended. okay, maybe it was.) I think, at the core, what bothers me is that it’s not just one industry that seems to be messed up…like beef industry or the chicken industry and I can just say, I’ll never eat ____ again. It’s that ALL commercial food industry is messed up in one way or another. We aren’t eating good food. It’s all connected. It’s all messed up. Whether it’s how the animals are treated, fed, or slaughtered or how our veggies are grown and covered in pesticides, or how the FDA isn’t really regulating the way they should, or how the workers who process the food are poorly treated. (FYI, the movie didn’t come across as a political propaganda film. It actually blamed both parties.) It all seems pretty messy and honestly, too big for me do anything about it. This leaves me perplexed and not sure what my next move is…let alone what my next meal is. Needless to say, I haven’t had much of an appetite the past few days.

So here is my question. What do I do? How + what do I change in my every day life…everyday eating…every day cooking…every day grocery shopping. I think the answer is to move to a remote island commune and grow our own food. BUT, unfortunately that isn’t a feasible option. So the next logical answer is to go completely organic and work towards supporting local farmers. I love this idea, but my budget does not. The day after the movie I went to the grocery to do a little test. I happened to have a random gift card to the grocery store and figured this was as good a time as any to use it. I wanted to see what shopping for “organic” + “minimally processed food” was like. I just picked up some of the stuff we eat during an average week and choose the organic options. I didn’t end up with much. I spent about $40 from my gift card and only got this much stuff:

Eggs alone were $4. Chicken nuggets $7. Crazy. We live on a budget, so going all organic at this point in our lives isn’t really an option. BUT, I want my kids to eat good food. I want to eat good food. I know eating well now will mean being healthier later. So where is the middle ground? Although we are generally an all of nothing kind of family, I think the answer for us is figure out what our “nonnegotiable” are. In other words, what are the items that I will ONLY buy organic. Milk, for example, is an easy one. We have been buying organic milk for the past several years. We don’t even hesitate at the store. What other items need to be added to that list? After seeing the film, I think eggs and meat are going on the top of the list.

So now my question for YOU…

If you shop for organic foods what are your nonnegotiable? In other words, what are the items that you will only buy organic? Where do you get deals on organic foods, how do you work it into your budget?

Chime in, I need some help here.

Nash + Dr. Denmark | July '08

Happy 112th Birthday Dr. Leila Denmark!

Today is the 112th birthday of one of my heroes, Dr. Denmark. You read that right…112 years young! When I was pregnant for Nash I began researching and reading books on how to do this parenting thing. I was confused and frustrated with all the different schools of thought on how to care for your newborn…they all seemed to contradict one another and I didn’t have a peace about following any of their suggested routines. Living in Georgia I began hearing other moms mention stories about Dr. Denmark who practiced medicine here for over 75 years and saw more than 250,000 children! I was intrigued. After reading all the articles, books and resources I could get my hands on about Dr. Denmark I was confident that this was the parenting path for my family. Nash thrived on Dr. Denmark’s wisdom and feeding/sleeping routine…as did Bryson and I! Even now with baby Evyn we are beginning to implement her schedule and it is already improving her sleep routine, eating, and overall schedule. It has given us such a peace and a freedom in knowing how to care for our precious kids and keep them healthy, well fed & rested, and strong.  I know her ways are not for everyone, but we LOVE Dr. Denmark. Without her wisdom and methods, I’m sure I would be a crazy mama!

Meeting Dr. Denmark!

“THE MUSH”

In honor of Dr. Denmark’s birthday I wanted to share her “mush” recipie that I feed to my babies. It’s super easy to make and healthy + hardy. Evyn gobbles it up!

• 3 TBSP protein (I use Black Eyed Peas)
• 3 TBSP Banana
• 2 TBSP fruit (I use unsweetened applesauce)
• 3 TBSP Rice Cereal
• 3 TBSP veggie (added at lunch and dinner only)

Evyn eats this mush 3 meals a day (adding in veggies at lunch and dinner). I make 21 containers of “the base” (black eyed peas, applesauce, and bananas) each week and freeze it so that meal time is a breeze.

yum-o

[The book I recommend if you are interested in learning about Dr. Denmark's method is "Dr.Denmark Said It" by Madia Bowman. Also, check out this local article about her 112th Birthday!]

For the past year I have loved and worn this necklace every day as a reminder to pray for our daughter who was some 7,000 miles away.

necklace (Junk Posse on Etsy)

evyn liked the necklace from the day we met.

Now that she is in our arms I am retiring the necklace to her hope chest so she can have it when she is older. For my birthday Nash and Evyn (and their amazing dad) got me a new necklace to replace it:

opening my gift from the kids

The necklace has 2 of the sweetest charms that look like wax seals with an N for Nash and an E for Evyn. I just adore these simple little charms and will wear them proudly! Thanks kids, I love it!

my new necklace.

Let’s face it, Nash didn’t really even grow hair until after his 1st birthday, but finally at 2.5 years old it was time to call in the professionals and get the boy a haircut. His hair was getting out of control and far too many strangers had referred to him in public as a “girl” (really people? He is soooo boy!) so I held back my tears and we made the first visit to the barber (okay, it was totally a salon.) Since this was his first cut, we splurged and went to a special kids salon in Atlanta. It was a great experience! Cool seats, play room while you wait, movies playing at each haircut station, fast + excellent stylist, and even a treasure treat at the end of the cut! Nash did great! I was so proud of my little, handsome man!

Check out some pictures of our experience…

Brushing out his hair and getting ready for the cut. It was long when it was brushed out!

spritz...

the super fun airplane seat!

the first clip!

fully engaged in the movie...I don't think he even noticed he was getting his hair cut!

swoosh...

What a fun haircut experience! How come grown-ups don't get to watch movies during our haircuts?

Proud of his new doo! (I kept the style shaggy, but I promise the stylist cut a 1/2 inch off!!)

Relaxing after a long day...

I love siblings! It has been awesome to watch Nash transition into his role as big brother. He has really surprised me with the way he loves and adores Evyn. It’s amazing to see what a big guy he is now that there is a new little person in the house. I think it is such an amazing blessing to grow up with siblings. So grateful that Nash has a sister to love and Evyn has a brother to adore. Reminded today of God’s perfect goodness in our lives.

Nash always loves holding Evyn

and giving her lots of sqeezin'

and being just plain silly!

evyn working out...

sweet + silly girl!

My brother, Seth, is an amazing artist with a big heart. This week he released 20 one-of-a-kind original paintings to help fund Haiti Earthquake Relief. 100% of the proceeds are being donated to Cure International and Friends of Ft. Liberte. Both are Christian organizations on the ground in Haiti bringing hope and help to the Haitian people affected by the earthquake. So, if you are looking for an amazing piece of artwork and want to help Haiti, check out his website:

BuyArtHelpHaiti.com

That’s just a tiny snap shot of some of the wonderful experiences my life has brought me so far. From growing up in an amazing family…to unbelievable fun days in college…to meeting the love of my life and growing our family…to serving amazing ministires…and to seeing and loving the world. If this is just the beginning…I can not wait to see what is next!

We had Evyn’s initial Doctors appointment this past week. She seems to be a healthy girl and weighed in at 19lbs launching her into the 90th percentile. She fits right in as a Vogeltanz! Evyn has had some wheezing since we met her, so the doc put her on a breathing treatment and it seems to have helped a lot already. We went back to the doctor again this week to catch Evyn up on her shots. Oh how I hate holding down a baby to get shots!

In the waiting room...no clue what is ahead. dum-de-dum-dum-dum!

The post shots sad face. Oh, so so sad!

showing off her bandaids. tough girl!

This video just made my day! It’s the sweetest video of my friend Stacey’s 4-year-old son telling a story to his baby brother, Owen. It’s one of those priceless moments that you are sooo happy to have a video camera near by. Check it out!

Friends of Ft. Liberte organization are dear friends of mine. They are a small not for profit ministry that is connected to a church in Ft. Liberte Haiti and have been working to improve the area for 30+ years. I have traveled to Haiti many times with them…working in a make shift clinic, building an orphange, restoring a school, and bring joy and hope to a community. Those trips radically changed my life as a High School and college student and have helped refine me into the woman I am today. It was there that I learned that God loves the poor and the opressed…the widow and the orphan…and He has not forgotten them. It was there that I learned that joy and happiness isnt based on materials and things…it is firmly based on the Everlasting. My friends are sending a team this week to Haiti to bring medical supplies. They are in urgent need of funds to purchase the basic supplies including guaze, tylenol, neosporan, baby formula, etc. I can vouch that absolutely 100% of all money given will be sent to care for those hurting in Haiti. If you have been thinking about giving and just didnt know where to give, visit Friends of Ft. Liberte’s blog and give to them. They are a small organization of people just like you and me but do great work.

READ THE FRIENDS OF FT.LIBERTE BLOG

GIVE HERE

3 great things to report:

1. evyn (i love how her name looks with all lowercase letters!) slept all night without waking up! A full beautiful 12 hours. And when she woke up she didn’t immediately scream but instead just laid and coooood and talked to herself.
2. At nap time today I had to lay her in her crib awake while I ran to take care of an emergency in Nash’s room. When I got back a few minutes later, she had put herself to sleep! No fussing or crying…just went right to sleep!
3. I felt her first little tooth start to break through her bottom gum! No wonder she has been chewing on everything like crazy!

So all that to say, I think we are beginning to get into our groove and find our rhythm around here! Here are few more pictures from our week. (**Note. Okay, so I am blogging a lot! I admit, I’m a bit bored when the kids are napping and housework doesn’t interest me right now…so blogging is filling that void this weekend. I need to find a good book to read or get inspired to organize my home.)

out on the town...

showing off her sitting up skills!

Having a ball...

these leg warmers crack me up!

Yum-o!

I’m not sure where my love (okay, obsession!) with the big head bows on baby girls started. Maybe when I first saw sweet Lucy Lane’s Gotcha video (that girl can rock the big bows! adorable!! And a beautiful family inside and out!) or maybe it was when I ventured into the baby girl clothing section of some of my favorite little boutique shops in town for the first time as I dreamed about bringing home my daughter. Either way, one thing is for sure: dressing a girl is WAY more fun than dressing boy (not that Nash doesn’t have some pretty rad clothes thanks to his amazing Mimi!). But the bows are just the icing on the cake! I’m not a fashionista by any means, but I think the bows really top off an outfit and make it complete! Evyn happily (well, she hasn’t complained yet!)  wears them every day which is a good thing because she easily has 30 or more in her collection. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about where I get all her bows, so here is the scoop. A few are splurges from little boutiques in town but they can get expensive so I try to steer clear of those. Evyn’s Mimi made a lot of the cute bands + bows this summer out of fabric, buttons, and other little treasures she found. But my latest and greatestest finds are just from Walmart or Target. I purchased some generic stretching head bands from the hair care aisle (they come in every color of the rainbow) then just clip on different coordinating bows with alligator clips that can be found most anywhere. So far this to be the cheapest and most versitile option. Etsy.com has tons of shops selling cute bows and head gear so check that option out as well!

Here are some pictures of sweet Evyn rocking out a variety of head gear…

pre-made headband topped off with a homemade bow and button

the fabric flower headband look...

one of my favorite bows...neutral & classic.

the very first item I purchased for Evyn. This headband is from the sale rack at Anthropology and I stared at it for months dreaming about our little girl. Love it on her. Simple and cute!

stretchy headband with a bow clipped on

Usually I would say "go big or go home"...but this bow was just a little too big for now!

Have a great weekend blog world friends!

-EV

True confessions of a first-time-second-time mom. I say “first time second time” because although I have already carried the torch of being a first time mom, having two kids is a whole new game! I feel like a first time mom all over again!

Like it or not, I’m one of those moms who loves (and thrives on!) a schedule and a routine. I believe in letting our little people cry it out and learn to soothe themselves from a young age. I follow the advice and old-school methods of 110 year old pediatrician Dr. Lelia Denmark. By the end of our second week home when Nash was born, he was already sleeping through the night ..a happy, healthy, well- loved, well-fed and well-rested baby. It’s the only way I know how to parent and it works for our family (and a lot of other like minded families I know and love!). BUT when adopting a 6 month old all the rules change and it’s a whole new game!

When it comes to bonding, attaching, and learning about our newest addition, we are not letting her cry it out and giving a lot of grace as she adjusts to her new time zone, her new home, the new sights, smells, noises, parents, brother…well everything is new for her! And it feels like everything is new for me too as I learn to parent her in these days! Over time we will slide into our Denmark routine, but for now we are just taking it one day at a time.

So, it’s not always giggles and smiles at the V-tanz house! While there have been many wonderful moments, there have been hard days too. If I’m honest, i’s been a little harder than I thought to find our rhythm as a family of 4. I think I had forgotten how much work babies are!

Thankfully, Nash has been awesome and really gracious towards his sister. This is a huge answer to prayer. I can not imagine how crazy I would be if he was throwing tantrums and having a tough time welcoming home his little sister. Instead he has been SO happy and joyful each day about his new buddy and simply adores her. He’s my little helper!

Bryson has done well. He just finished his first week back to work…and I am so happy when he comes through the door each day at 5! He adores his baby girl in a way that is very different than the way he attached to Nash. I think it just has to do with daddy-daughter thing. It’s really sweet to watch.

Evyn is doing well but we are still learning each other. It’s been a process to figure out how she likes to be held and rocked to sleep. We’ve transitioned her to solids + bottles but I swear this girl would drink a bottle every hour of the day if I let her! She only knows how to comfort herself if she has a bottle. Hoping she will fall in love with her thumb or a binky, but no luck so far.

I’ve actually had a tough time adjusting. The past 9 months have been full-on for me as I planned and prepared for both Passion2010 and the arrival of our daughter. Then all at once it happened…and it is over. I’m back to being a stay at home mom and learning the ropes all over again. Whew, exhausting! And man…the laundry! It never stops! I recently heard the saying “A clean house is a wasted life”…that might become my motto because there is no way I can keep the house clean right now. So, just as I am giving miss Evyn grace as she adjusts, I’m going to extend that same grace to myself. It’s going to take time to figure this 2 kid thing out (FYI, I really want 4 or 6 kids…so I’ve GOT to figure out the 2 kid thing or I will never make it to 6!!). How to get them in and out of the car at the grocery store, how to get them fed, bathed, and down for naps at the same time, how to keep up with the laundry, how to save the best of myself each day for my husband and not just give him what’s leftover. Like I said, it’s a process and it will take time.

Here is what I know for sure: Scripture says that God promises us grace and strength. So I am holding on to that truth and trusting God to fill me today and in the days to come. I love my family and I would not want to be on any other journey…even on the hard days.

Beautiful Chaos-

EV

Finally have a picture of all 4 of us together. (Thanks to Scot Wade Photography who snapped this picture at Passion2010 for us!)

@ Passion2010

This one was the other shot, but BV is making a funny face, oh well! i love the colors in it though!

Passion2010

And last but not least, Here is a picture of my friend Mike Ash who helped me bring the Go Center at Passion2010 to life! Could not have done it without him…the most awesome redneck in the WORLD! Seriously, this guy can do anything and has an amazing heart!

Passion2010

Nash and Evyn are getting along really well. Praise God!! Nash has easily fallen into his role as “big brother” and keeps a close eye on lil’ miss Evyn to make sure she is “happy” at all times. He has made it is his job to make sure her bib is always dry (she’s a drooler these days…teeth?) and when it’s not he promptly removes the “yucky” one, drops it in the laundry room and replaces it with a new one from the bib drawer. Too cute! Evyn is the first thing he asks about in the morning and he always knows where she is. The best is when he says “come on baby” and motions for her to follow him like she can walk or crawl. The hard part is getting a decent picture of these two together. I think I am going to have to call in for professional to do the job because I can not get a single good picture of them together. But nonetheless, here are a few pictures of my little people this week…

funny face.

He prefers to be on THIS side of the camera…

mama + evyn

one of many attempts to get them in a picture together.

my two little people...

Here are a few pictures I just came across from our journey the past few weeks and from the home front while we were away…

Last family story time before saying goodbye and flying to meet Evyn.

Checking out the first batch of pictures we sent from Ethiopia of Evyn.

Making a banner to welcome home sister!

Introducing Nash to Evyn for the first time...

Such excitement!

My big helper...