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Dazzling Lime Print 5x7 folded card

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A bit of an update

So I really haven't been on here in a while and figured I probably should post some sort of an update.  Maybe next time I'll actually take the time to put up a video/pictures, too.  Things have been pretty crazy around here.  Here are just a few things that have been taking up the Martins' time:

• We started the dreaded potty-training with Verity.  It has gone...so-so.  Some days are good and some are not.  Some days I feel like a model parent and some days I feel like pulling my hair out. And yes, our life basically revolves around the bathroom right now.  Worst.  Stage.  Ever.
• Felicity has started solid foods.  She'll eat basically anything and seems to enjoy it all.  I've been trying to make most of her food from scratch; we did for the first few months with Verity but convenience won out and we switched to jarred after a while.  I'm hoping Felicity won't have some of the texture issues that Verity does because everything isn't pureed so smooth.  We'll see though.  
• We painted the girls' rooms and the living room and are enjoying our home MUCH more as a result.  It's so nice to have some bright colors in our home and now I can start hanging things up in those rooms as well.  The colors in here before weren't horrible, but they did nothing for the floors and were sort of dark for the size of the rooms, so it has been a nice change of pace.  Joe has been enjoying doing some work outside.  He cleaned out the garage last weekend and cut down some branches that were hanging over the roof.  We now have plenty of wood for any fires we might like to have in our fireplace this fall/winter, which is nice since it is expensive to buy.  
• The church plant we are involved in, Redemption City Church, started having regular services last month.  We have been keeping busy serving in the nursery and as greeters, and Joe is also an usher.  We also have community group (like small group) and life groups (which are men/women-only) on rotating weeks.  It has been nice to be able to gather as a large body to worship and hear the Word preached again.  I have really missed our church and the people down in Louisville and am glad to have a chance to get involved with a like-minded group of people here in Grand Rapids.
• I have been trying to cut out a lot of the processed foods our family eats and have been reading up on healthy eating as far as organic produce, antibiotics and hormones in meat and dairy, and so forth.  It has been extremely eye-opening, but daunting (and a little more expensive) as well.  We have been able to save money in some ways though, by making things like our own seasoning packets (way cheaper and no additives), baking mixes, and things like apple sauce.  I found some recipes for "cream-of" soup substitutes that I would like to try.  Once we have a deep freeze I want to start doing more homemade pizza crusts, muffins, etc. that can be made, frozen, and used as needed.  Homemade stuff tends to taste so much better and I like knowing what's in the food that I'm feeding the girls.  I also want to have a garden next year so we can make our own sauces and salsa and some other things.  

Well, that wasn't as brief as promised, but I was on a roll.  Until next time.