Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

A Quick Peek Into A Family Tradition

June 3rd, 2011
This past weekend my sister-in-law got married and that meant there was lots of
family in town for the wedding. It was fun to catch up with so many people from bryan’s extended family on both his mom and dads side.
One of the events from the weekend was a very traditional Armenian BBQ with Bryan’s mom’s family – which meant lamb kabobs, along with LOTS of other food, and of course lots of vodka. It also meant Bryan’s grandpa and great uncle telling stories, papa quoting Limericks in German and plenty of funny and meaningful advice for the bride and groom. It was an experience to say the least.
I didn’t take many pictures during wedding week, but this was one event that
I’m glad I got a chance to pull my camera out for, even if I didn’t get that many pictures.
Heres a little peek into this family tradition…
Here’s Thaddeus having fun with his great uncle Geoff:
Here’s Blake and Papa working on the kabobs
Here’s the guys grilling and generally enjoying life
And the boys scolding the girls and saying that it was a boys only time
Thaddeus wanted to get in on the drinking action with the boys – here he is blowing bubbles in his milk
Here’s the beautiful bride – this pictures my favorite
Papa gave a great toast filled with funny stories and great advice
And we’ll end with the adorable couple listening to the toast
Fun times were definitely had by all.
Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Wedding Toast for Raul and Tamara

June 1st, 2011

This past weekend my dear sister-in-law, Tamara, married the wonderful Raul Fernandez. Bryan and I were hoping for them to get together before the two of them even took notice of each other. They are a wonderful couple and it’s been so fun to watch there relationship develop and now to celebrate their marriage with them. Bryan and I both had the honor of standing up with them as they pledged their lives to one another and I had the extra honor of being asked to give a toast. As I’ve posted all my other wedding toasts here I thought would share this one with you all as well. Here it is:

In a quiet forest a beautiful girl walked a path alone. She loved her path, loved the quiet woods around her, loved where she had been and the unknown that stretched before her.

But, she was lonely. Sometimes she thought about going off the path, venturing out on her own, to find a friend, a partner – someone who she could walk with, someone who could help her up when she tripped, someone who would make the dark valleys a little brighter, and the high peaks a little less daunting. But, in the end she never wandered, she always came back to Trusting that the maker of the path knew what lay ahead and knew what was best for her. 

One day her path crossed with the path of a boy. It wasn’t the first time her path had crossed paths with a boy, but nothing ever really clicked with those other boys and their paths soon diverged. To all outward appearances, and even to the girl herself, this time seemed basically the same… at least at first.
 
The day the boy met the girl the boy said “hi” and the girl said “hello”. And they pretty much continued on their way. But, the girl knew that the boy’s path had not wondered far from her own. Sometimes she could hear him singing, sometimes she would sing back to him. They were sweet songs, but short and really not much to mention.
 
Then one day their paths crossed again. This time they took notice of one another. This time they stood a while and talked. This time they shared a simple first kiss. They looked out on each path which stretched before them and they could see that their paths would remain close and crossing for at least some time to come.

The boy reached out for the girls hand. The girl drew close and smiled. And on they continued along their paths, each holding the others hand. Sometimes their paths stretched further apart and they had to reach out to keep holding hands. Other times their paths crossed very close and they could whisper to one another in tones only young lovers use. 

One day the boy said, “will you?” and the girl said “yes”. Now their paths were so close they were almost indistinguishable…almost.
 
A short time past and then the boy said, “I do” and the girl said “I do”. On that day their separate paths became one path. And they walked on holding hands.
 
Now the boy would always have someone to help him up when he fell, and the girl would always have someone to help her over the boulders that they might sometimes find in their way. The boy and the girl would have each other to brighten the dark valleys, and make the high peaks seem less daunting. They could walk forward into the unknown trusting that the maker of the path, the one who brought them together, would guide them each step of the way ahead. 

Tamara and Raul, may you walk hand in hand wherever the future takes you. May you lift each other up without judgement when you fall. May you help each other over the hurdles that may stand in your way. May you make the dark valleys brighter for each other and the high peaks less challenging to climb. When the path before you twists and turns out of view, and fog covers each step of the way, may you hold each others hands a little tighter and walk forward bravely, trusting that God walks beside you and will lead you safely onward. 

And now, would you all raise your glasses with me in celebration of a boy finding a girl, in joy of God leading two people together, and in expectation of a love that will reach far into the future. To Tamara and Raul! We love you! 

Rejoicing in the journey –
Bethany

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Thaddeus is One Now!

September 28th, 2010

Sunday was my son’s first birthday. I’ve been looking forward to this day since he was first born! SERIOUSLY.

The early baby stage was so hard for me, and even though I’m sure 1 has its own challenges, 1 means he’s closer to being able to communicate and that makes me really excited! With as much as I have been anticipating this day, and with as SLOW as the past year has seemed to me, I was really surprised by how emotional I ended up being. By the end of the day I just felt so sad. I have no desire to go back or prolong the baby stage, but as I lay in bed nursing my beautiful little baby I was struck (perhaps for the first time) with the FULL realization that this season is limited. During much of the past year I felt like he would NEVER grow up and now I realize he’s actually growing up rather quickly and before I know it he won’t want to nurse or cuddle or fall asleep by my side. Before I know it he will be big and independent and although there is a part of me that wants that, there is also a part of me that felt a little pain in my heart at the thought. It’s amazing how conflicting the emotions of motherhood can be at times.

Anyway, we had a really nice day and a very nice little birthday brunch for Thaddeus. We tried to keep it small and just had 4 other families there, but with everyone’s kids it ended up being a pretty good size group. Bryan and I made this wonderful homemade doughnut recipe (I used unrefined cane sugar instead of honey for the babies). I also made an egg and spinach dish and baked oatmeal. Our friends brought fruits and walnuts picked from the tree in their backyard. We eat and the kids played and then Thad opened his presents, which were each so perfect. After that everyone joined us in praying a liturgy that Bryan and I wrote when Thad was born – we made a few tweaks to it so that it fit more with the 1st birthday occasion.

Here is a little video showing random little bits of the day:

Here is a picture of me and my little man on his 1st birthday:

IMG_7116

If you have kids what did you do for their first birthday and how did you feel about them turning 1?

Do any of you know what you did for YOUR 1st birthday?

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Scenes From My Life: Making Ice Cream

July 25th, 2010

I come from a long line of foodies. I was lucky enough to be raised around good food. My mom enjoys cooking and when it comes to good homecooked nourishing meals it’s hard to beat some of her classics, but my dad LOVES cooking. He doesn’t just cook, he perfects. He”ll pick a recipe and make it over and over, making little changes along the way until he goes it just right. He’ll learn about the chemistry behind what he’s making so that he can really understand why things combine the way they do and use that knowledge to make things taste better. I grew up with my dad reading cook books for fun and taking cooking classes in France for vacations and making friends with chefs at his favorite restaurants.

 But, the family love for food goes even farther back than my dad. It extends to my grandparents and extended family as well. One of my favorite food memories from my childhood is making Creme de Menthe ice cream with my grandma. She was always very secretive about her ice cream recipe and it was always so special when she made it.

This weekend I was at my parents house with my cousin (who is more like a little sister to me) and my aunt and we decided my dad needed to give us a cooking lesson on ice cream. Of course, the only choice for what kind of ice cream to make was Creme de Menthe. So, we made three kinds of Creme de Menthe ice cream. We made my grandma’s recipe first of course. And then we decided to play. Grandma’s recipe isn’t a custard based recipe so we decided to adapt it into a custard based ice cream. Then my cousin and I said we wanted to know how to make it without an ice cream maker so my dad showed us how to make a Creme de Menthe gelato without an ice cream maker. THEN since we had egg whites left over from making the custard we decided to make a Chocolate Creme de Menthe mouse. Oh, yay! It was a VERY good day! Here are a few pictures from our cooking extravaganza.

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Video 50 0 02 17-21

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Video 58 0 00 25-26

Video 77 0 02 31-07

Video 68 0 01 14-23 (2)
Video 77 0 00 00-07
Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

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Psychological Warfare: Parenting a Toddler

July 19th, 2010

Today I’m sharing with you a guest post from my dear friend, Jane. My husband jokes that I get more excited to see Jane than anyone else – and it’s kind of true. Jane just has this grace about her that is compelling. She’s inspiring and yet down to earth, creative and fun and playful. She puts people at ease and is a joy to be around. I’m happy to share just a little tiny piece of Jane with you today.


Photo 153Nobody told me as I was becoming a mother that I was about to enter the battle of a lifetime.  So maybe  phrases such as ‘psychological warfare’ and ‘battle’ are a bit dramatic, but honestly sometimes they feel like an understatement when I am in the middle of it. Toddlers have a way of getting into our hearts and under our skin so easily. I don’t know how they do it so well. Sometimes it feels like they compare notes on the playground or stay up late reading blogs on how to torture and woo their mommies.

Let me just start by saying that I LOVE being the mother to my two beautiful daughters; the oldest, Sofia, is 2 years and the youngest, Mia, is 6 months. I feel a deep sense of purpose and I DO enjoy the adventure of the intense highs and lows of parenting. Nurturing came so naturally and was such a rich time for both my husband and I. I have so many strong memories with both of our girls during the time when they were little that could last me a lifetime.

But then it all changed.Photo 168

My oldest, Sofia, changed. Her needs and the way she needed me changed. My role as her mom changed. The way we interact changed. I am learning how to be her mother to teach and correct her, as well as provide love and care. And to appreciate it all.

Toddlers are smart. They are cunning. They run our emotions around and around and around.

Psychological warfare, according to Webster: Actions intended to reduce an opponent’s morale. Here are some everyday examples:

  1. The tantrum hug. This is an incredibly effective tactic of Sofia’s. After I’ve said ‘No’ or have done any kind of discipline, she leaps into my arms and gives me a bear hug while crying/screaming. This swings my emotions around in circles from feeling anger/fear/concern to compassion/warmth/love. It is the most confusing. It does help us both calm down…
  2. ‘Sama’. This means ‘i’ll do it all by myself in Czech’. It’s Sofia’s life motto at the moment. Which means not only that she thinks she can do everything by herself, but that I have to choose 100 times a day:  to either let her = peace+mess+time or not let her = war+faster+cleaner.
  3. Mealtimes. Oh mealtimes. Sofia has always been an all-star eater. She has happily eaten everything I’ve offered her. Well, recently she has experimented with saying ‘No’, pushing away her food, throwing it on the floor, using it as lotion, spitting it out. This has become very stressful for me. I never know when we sit down how she will choose to react. This DEFINITELY affects my mealtime morale.
  4. Learning new things and being ridiculously cute. Toddlers have this tactic perfected. They are learning so much so fast and they know very well the reaction that they will elicit from their parents. Sofia knows that I can hardly say ‘No’ to her as she is singing the ABC’s (only to ‘G’) in her sweet little voice. Or since she has learned ‘Peese’, how can I not give her a cookie? She has also learned that it is much more beneficial to learn people’s names….because then THEY are more likely to give her anything she wants, even after mommy has said ‘No’.
  5. Running to daddy. My husband has beautiful relationships with our daughters. At the highest moment of tension between my toddler and I, inevitably, daddy walks in the door and she leaps into his arms. Any other moment of the day and this would absolutely warm my heart, but in this instance, it hurts.
  6. The hug/wipe your nose on my leg move. I noticed that I was getting an above average amount of bear hugs from my little one and felt like the happiest mama in the world. Then later in the day I notice my pants have been used as a hanky over and over and over!

Photo 166I could go on and on….we all have our own stories. If your toddler is getting the best of you and your morale is down, take heart. Let me encourage with you a few tips…

(Have I already mentioned that I am NOT an expert? Just consumed by this topic at the moment and was invited to share)

Weapons? Arm yourself.

  1. Hold your baby/toddler when they are asleep. There is something deeply calming and disarming. I feel like my toddler and I have had extensive reconciliation times as she is sleeping in my arms.
  2. Remember the nurturing times. Remember that things will change. Remember that you are not alone.  Remember.
  3. Laugh ALOT. Play. Giggle alongside of your toddler. Get on all fours and listen to her giggle. Discover what she thinks is funny and see the humor in it. Laughter dissolves tension wonderfully.
  4. Patience. I’m not sure exactly when to get this quickly when it is most needed, except from God. This weapon alone is a reason for faith in God, because patience as a human resource is SO limited….and is exhausted SO quickly by a toddler. The patient kind of love really only comes from God. Believe me. I’ve tried to find it everywhere else. Ask Him for it.
  5. Don’t take things so seriously. I love having a clean, vacuumed, mopped floor. But I am slowly letting it become less important. It is very hard. With a toddler + food and toddler + toys and toddler + play doh, it is just impossible. I could really go crazy if I got upset every time I found a crayon bit somewhere. Take safety, health and love seriously. Maybe pick one or two things to really capitalize on and hold loosely to the rest. Let everything else be negotiable.
  6. Talk with your toddler. I have found that so many of Sofia’s meltdowns come when she simply can’t communicate what she wants or needs. The more I let her feel heard, the more questions I ask, the more I repeat what I think she is saying (it’s such a mixture of Czech and English, it’s hard to pull something recognizable out!), the more open she is to my instructions, discipline, and the worst word of all, ‘NO’.
  7. Soak in ALL the love your toddler gives. The hugs, the kisses, the cuddles and the tackles.
  8. TRY to have perspective that everything will continue to change, including us. We are learning and growing as parents and as people, and this is an incubator for growth. Hard, but good growth. Our toddlers will change and the battles will look different….enjoy the journey!
IMG_6166Jane Hasik is an American expat living in Prague with her Czech husband, Martin and two lovely little girls, Sofia, 2 years, and Mia, 6 months. She loves having her red table full of good friends, food and conversation and enjoys being in the middle of a project of any kind. She loves being a beginner at many things and is an expert at nothing!

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