Living Green : Cob Houses

Cob is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive . It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been revived in recent years by the natural building and sustainability movements.











Seth and I have recently fallen in love with Cob houses. The idea of making your home literally right out of the earth is so incredible. And you make it with your own hands and feet! As you can see from these pictures that it doesn't have to be a dirty 'dirt' house:) But it is a true art form! Your house can literally be your canvas! how amazing.

How much sugar do you (think you) eat?

I found a few sites today on sugar...I was stunned! (I shouldn't have been.)

Make sure you know what you are eating. As a new mom, I am constantly
thinking about how my husband and I are going to raise Elina. This is a
bid thing. We have chosen to not allow her to consume sugar for...a long
 time. :)  Looking at these sites today only more solidified this feeling.
We are living in a continually growing nation. I don't going in numbers,
but weight.The U.S.weighs in at #9, with 74.1% of those over 15 years
old considered overweight.Just walk down the street, and you can see
it! No doubt in my mind that sugar play a MAJOR role in this. So As a
mother I will not allow Elina to harm her body in this way.

I have posted one of the sites in my sites list on the right. I challenge you
to take a look at the site, and see just what you are allowing into your body.


HOW SWEET IS BREAKFAST?
THE SUGAR CONTENT OF READY TO EAT CEREALS
                                                                               Total Sugar
Product                            Manufacturer    (% dry weight)
Sugar Smacks                     Kellogg                      56.0
Apple Jacks                        Kellogg                       54.6
Froot Loops                       Kellogg                       48.0
Sugar Corn Pops               Kellogg                       46.0
Super Sugar Crisp            General Foods         46.0
Crazy Cow (chocolate)  General Mills            45.6
Corny Snaps                       Kellogg                       45.5
Frosted Rice Krinkles    General Foods          44.0
Frankenberry                    General Mills            43.7
CookieCrisp, Vanilla      RalstonPurina           43.5
Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries Quaker Oats       43.3
Cocoa Krispies                  Kellogg                        43.0
Cocoa Pebbles                  General Foods          42.6
Fruity Pebbles                  General Foods          42.5
Lucky Charms                   General Mills             42.2
CookieCrisp, Chocolate  RalstonPurina         41.0
Sugar Frosted Flakes       Kellogg                       41.0
Quisp                                      Quaker Oats              40.7
Crazy Cow (strawberry)  General Mills          40.1
CookieCrisp, Oatmeal      RalstonPurina         40.1
Cap'n Crunch                      Quaker Oats               40.0
Count Chocula                   General Mills             39.5
AlphaBits                             General Foods          38.0
Honey Comb                      General Foods           37.2
Frosted Rice                      Kellogg                          37.0
Trix                                        General Mills             35.9
Cocoa Puffs                        General Mills              33.3
Cap'n Crunch, Peanut butter Quaker Oats     32.2
Post Raisin Bran              General Foods           30.4
Golden Grahams             General Mills              30.0
Cracklin' Bran                   Kellogg                         29.0
Raisin Bran                        Kellogg                         29.0
C.W. Post, Raisin             General Foods           29.0
C.W. Post                            General Foods           28.7
Frosted MiniWheats      Kellogg                         26.0
Country Crisp                   General Foods          22.0
Life, Cinnamon Flavor   Quaker Oats              21.0
100% Bran                          Nabisco                      21.0
AllBran                                Kellogg                        19.0
Fortified Oat Flakes       General Foods          18.5
Life                                       Quaker Oats               16.0
Team                                     Nabisco                     14.1
GrapeNuts Flakes           General Foods         13.3
40% Bran Flakes             General Foods         13.0
Buc Wheat                         General Mills           12.2
Product 19                         Kellogg                       9.9
Concentrate                      Kellogg                       9.3
Total                                    General Mills            8.3
Wheaties                            General Mills            8.2
Rice Krispies                    Kellogg                        7.8
GrapeNuts                         General Foods         7.0
Special K                            Kellogg                        5.4
Corn Flakes                       Kellogg                        5.3
Post Toasties                    General Foods          5.0
Kix                                       General Mills              4.8
Rice Chex                          RalstonPurina           4.4
Corn Chex                         RalstonPurina           4.0
Wheat Chex                      RalstonPurina           3.5
Cheerios                            General Mills              3.0
Shredded Wheat            Nabisco                        0.6
Puffed Wheat                   Quaker Oats                0.5
Puffed Rice                       Quaker Oats                0.1

6 months later...

Fall pictures of Elina =)


Oh my, It has been so long. No one is reading this anymore I'm sure. It is good to write. In the quiet times, when Elina is sleeping...I like to let out my thoughts.


Elina is 6months now...WOW. She is just starting to sit up on her own! She rolls over as well. She has a large personality and and a smile to go with it!

I have been making a lot of life changes...

#1) Making God #1!! I always try to keep up reading my Bible and praying but, I am finding that instead of focusing on God and then everything else, I kept trying to fit God into everything else. Not really working. So, I am just really spending time listening to my papa, and learning how to truly love him.

#2) NO SUGAR!! I have felt this for a while, but not really acted on it. I would always give in to my flesh just wanting the a drink of soda or some candy. Seth and I have made a decision for Elina to not consume any sugar. How can we expect her to follow if we are not also doing the same? It is not good for you anyways! So why would I want that in my body? Plus I'm finding that water=sooo good!

#3) Building relationships. Relationships are so important! They are the people who give you life everyday! I have found that I need to stop and look at who (and How) I spend my time with. Is it someone that feeds me? (by this I mean someone who you can talk about the Lord with, and encourages you in your walk with Him) Or is it someone that breaks me down? If they feed me I want to spend more time with them! Because someone who makes me want to be closer to God is going to also help my #1 goal(refer to my #1 at top :)) If someone does not bring life, I am not going to stop hanging out with them, because they most likely need to be fed also...But I most likely going to limit my time. I need to be with GOD! If 2 want to be with God then they can be and talk about him...It makes it much harder when 1 of them does not want to. (hope this makes sense)

#4) Re-evaluate how I live my life. Kind of a blend of the other 3 plus much more. Am I really listening to the convictions the God has put on my heart? Am I doing something simply because it is 'fun' or because 'everyone else does it'? WAKE UP!!! we are NOT living in a Christian nation any more! Just because other people do it that does not make it right! We are not to live with other people as our standard. God gave us the standard, it is his son, and The Bible. That is what we are to live by. I need to DIE to myself DAILY!!! Not once a week on Sunday when I realize what I have been doing or thinking is wrong but DAILY, before it even happens. Stop giving into my flesh and start giving my all to my Father!

I know that God has given me my own convictions. These convictions may not be the same ones that you have. That is fine. I will not ever look down upon someone or judge someone because they are doing something I wouldn't do. I will NEVER be disappointed in someone. Because it is not your choice to disappoint me, It's MY choice to be disappointed by you. (Seth and I tell each other this and Elina also all the time)
So please do not read any of this in anger, but know that this is for me. If it reaches you, it is out of love. So in closing this is my Goal...I will Live for Christ, I will not eat Sugar, I will feed into others, I will not 'celebrate' Halloween, I will continue to walk and exercise daily, I will always put God first then My husband, I will always love EVERYONE, I will play and dance with Elina, I will only be a phone call away to anyone who needs an ear, and I will dance.
Thank you Caylan, for helping me come to this next step in my life. Whether you realize it or not, you give me life.

Elina Clarice Steiling

Here she is.
6 lb 13oz
19 inches long
Sorry i'm tired. I'll write more later:)

What next...?

So Life tends to always feel crazy and out of control, and somehow God takes all the peices to make his own crazy beautiful masterpeice.

Seth and I have been looking for a job for him for months now. (As some of you know we will be finishing out our year here at Western and we will not be returning next year. The job is just too overwhelming and to demanding to try and raise our little Elina. And also I'm not working next year.) Just when it seemed that we were never going to hear from any of the applications, we heard back from one. Unfortunately it happened to be the one job that Seth really had no interest in at all, more than that he was even just dreading the interview because he knew he wouldn't like the job. Then last minute (today, and his interview was tomorrow) they called him and said that he needed to bring 3 business letters of recommendation. Well our current boss (who is also pregnant) is very sick with a bad cold so Seth knew he couldn't ask her. And he felt so awful asking anyone to write such an important document so last minute. I then told him that I would stand behind any decision he would make. As I said this to him he was checking his e-mail and had received a letter from an advertising company in Tigard. They had found his résumé on monster.com and were so impressed that they wanted him to contact them. I then turned to Seth and asked him for a few minutes of his time. We then prayed and I asked God to provide a job that Seth would love, and that he would not loath going to work everyday. So then Seth went to their website and liked what the company had to offer. Seth called and they asked that he come for an interview TOMORROW!!! Now I know that this doesn’t mean that he has the job, but it is just so wonderful to finally start to see some fruit come out of the last few months. God is so good! Be patient, and ask for the desires of your heart! It may take time, and effort, but God always keeps His promises.

Be Blessed!

-Evie

Head down Elina.

Today was overwhelming. Elina decided that she really didn’t want to turn on her own, so I had to have an external version. Praise God, after two attempts and one success she is now headed in the right direction! I have to admit this whole procedure has really worn me out. It has also made me realize how close this whole thing is! She has less than 3 weeks to go, and I don’t feel prepared. I know in His timing that the Lord will continue to ready me, but I just get a little scared. I’m sure the meds that they used added to that a bit as well. Ha, I haven’t taken so much as a Tylenol in the past 9 months and then I get this shot of something that really took me out. Not sleepy, but jittery and sick and completely worn out at the same time. It’s like waking up at 3 in the morning and drinking 12 shots off coffee! Your heart is racing and feels as though at any moment the walls could cave in on you. The whole process was not very much fun. But she turned, and no matter what pain I had gone through and what affects that stuff was having on me I knew in an instant that she was worth it all! Maybe God is just trying to give me a small glimpse of what it will be like when I am in labor. I guess that will be something when I am going through all the pain of childbirth that I can think about and remember why I am doing this. Elina is so precious and sweet; I can not wait to just hold her in my arms.

Sorry it seems like this blog is me still processing this whole thing. I guess what I really wanted to say is, she has turned!

God is good.

Be Blessed.

-Evie

4 weeks left...

I know that everyone keeps telling me that I need belly pics…well I finally got some! Yay. Well I don’t have them yet, but Caylan took some for me. Seth shot a couple also, but they were very on the fly and not very professional at all. I can’t wait to see how the others turn out. I will post some when I get them.

This picture was taken by Seth a month ago, so my belly is much bigger now. :)

Life has been pretty CRAZY lately! Sorry I haven’t written in so long. Other than the occasional desire to ‘bend’ the rules’ by the students, and tiredness that never seems to fade, the job is going good. I really enjoy the kids! It’s all the cooking and cleaning that gets me. I feel like I’m always cleaning at home too! I know I’m pregnant so I should just get used to it, but I’m not about to pop out 21 high schoolers. I think 1 baby will be a little easier.
The pregnancy is going so well. I do get tired easily and a lot, but I know it will all be worth it. We did however find out that our little Elina is breech. So please pray! I only have one more week for her to turn on her own or I will have to go to the hospital and have her turned…YIKES! I have only heard that it really hurts and you can’t move for like a week afterward because it wears you out so much. So please pray for me and Elina! We need it so much. Other than not wanting to turn she is great. She is very healthy. I get heartburn a lot. Someone told me that heartburn is a sign that the baby has long hair. Which would make complete sense, I was born with tons! I got an ultrasound about 3 days ago and you could see her hair in the picture. It was cute although she did refuse to give us any type of profile. She is just too big for that. At least that is what the nurse told me.
So that is kind of an idea of how we are doing. Good, but tired. Only 4 weeks until little Elina is here, so please keep us in your prayers!