Reigning in Life

I've moved

2011-07-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

In case you've been wondering, I'm blogging at http://threetenpennys.wordpress.com/ now.

Happy 1st Birthday Elias

2011-07-10T21:03:00.004-05:00

May 29th, Elias turned one! We celebrated with a cookout and monster themed party. Elias loved playing with all his little friends and eating his chocolate cupcake. He crashed about halfway through but that gave me time to rest and enjoy a nice summer days with friends.

Project: Simplify

2011-03-14T11:47:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year for Spring cleaning! Each week, Simple Mom reveals a "hot spot" to declutter and gives helpful advice to help organize the space. Join me in simplifying our lives.

Christmas Cards

2011-03-11T08:53:00.006-06:00

Ok, so if you're like me, you absolutely LOVE getting Christmas cards each year. I love seeing pictures of my friends and their sweet babies. I especially treasure that rare letter that tells all the exciting news of the last year. Each year, I hang the cards around my patio door frame. Well this year, I had so many I had them around the door, on the refrigerator, and even taped to my cabinets! LOVE it!!! Well, the thing is I keep them hanging until March, yes March. I figure I don't get most of them until right around Christmas, and I want lots of time to enjoy them. I would leave them longer but that would only lead to even more teasing from my sweet hubby!

So, the question is what do YOU do with your yearly Christmas cards?

This year, I'm doing something new. It's not an original idea, but one I read off a website or another blog. Honestly, I can't remember. I gathered all my cards and each day, I take one card and pray specifically for that family. I think this is a wonderful idea, and it allows me to bless those who bless me. Needless to say, I'm SUPER excited about it and can't wait to see how the Lord works in their lives this year! Afterwards, I cut out the pictures of family and close friends and hang in frames on my refrigerator. It helps us feel like we're always surrounded by loved ones even if we're 900 miles away.

9 Months

2011-03-01T16:47:00.006-06:00

Today my sweet boy is 9 months old! He weighs 23.5lbs (91st percentile) and is 30 inches long (94th percentile). At this stage, he is so much fun. He loves to play with his toys, play peek a boo, and imitate faces. He gives hugs and kisses and cuddles on the couch with dad. He scoots around on the floor and pulls up but he has yet to go from lying down to sitting. He still loves baby food and hates anything with texture- especially the puffs! He is very social and always has something to say to the people in the grocery store and his little friends. He waves bye to dad when he goes to work or to sleep. He's developed a pretty great sleep routing with naps at 10am and 1pm. Bedtime is at 6:30 and he wakes around 7:30am and happily plays in his crib until mama decides to get up. He is a pretty content little boy, but definitely throws his share of tantrums. We love him so much. He is a true blessing and adds so much Love and Happiness to our lives.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2011-02-28T18:55:00.011-06:00

I love my birthdays and every year I like to do it up. This year was no exception. Saturday, Elliott and I went and bought a charm for my bracelet. I picked the luggage because I love to travel. Then, we then raided our giftcard stash and made a trip to Caribou Coffee for a yummy apple cider and then to Best Buy where we got The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. For anyone who appreciates classics, it was a great movie. The afternoon was fun and spontaneous. :)

Saturday night we were invited over to our dear friends house for dinner and games. They made the day even more special with homemade spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate cake, tulips, and champagne. We put the babies to bed and spent the evening playing Power Grid and laughing. It was such a great night! I also got LOTS of fun cards, a subscription to Netflix, and some yummy cheesecake brownies. Now, if I could only get Elias and I well it would be perfect! :)

And of course it's tradition... isn't he cute? :)

Painfree and Dancing

2011-02-20T10:05:00.003-06:00

FAI or femoroacetabular impingement and a torn labrum. Big fancy words for bones rubbing and torn cartilage. That's why my left hip hurts so bad. The doctors do think the cartilage tore during child birth. Ten pound babies do that you know. :) But mostly, it's just how I'm made. The head of my femur sits deep into my hip socket; so, every time I flex my hip, it hits bone.

So what do we do about it? Surgery, but Mayo won't do surgery without first trying alternative methods. On the 9th I got a cortisone shot and started PT. I was really sore the first couple of days, but I've now been pain free for a week! It's really a strange sensation. I keep waiting for my hip to hurt. I've also notice how much I compensate for the pain. I'm really trying to use my left side more. I've been dancing around and being silly all week. Elliott just laughs and tells me I'm going to break something. :)

I don't know how long the shot will work, but the next step is surgery. Nothing major. Thanks so my sister's encouragement, I finally went to the md and found out the problem before there was any bone damage. Thankfully I won't have to have a replacement just a hip arthroscopy. They'll go in, repair the cartilage, and shave down the bone so it doesn't rub. Recovery is longer than a replacement (9-12 months), but I don't have to worry about my replacement wearing out in 10-15 years which would be a pain considering I'm only 27.

It's a lot to think about considering our plans to leave for the mission field and our 9 month old and any future babies, but I trust the Lord knows best and His timing will be perfect. I've seen His work before and how beautifully everything came together. I'm thankful for a God who cares about the details of our lives.

Keeping Busy

2011-02-18T18:41:00.006-06:00

E has been working a lot of evening/night shifts this month so I've been keeping myself busy with little projects. Last night, I decided to replace the bathroom faucet and add knobs to the drawers. I figure it's nothing major but will help when we want to sell next year. I found the faucet on sale for $50, and drawer knobs run anywhere around $1-$5 a piece. It was a pretty easy job. The directions are written well. I only ran into a couple of snares. The pop up drain was a little difficult to figure out, but after watching a DIY video on the internet, I got it working. The other was with the water lines. I forgot to get them...so last night it was all put together pretty, but had no water connected. This morning, I promptly made a trip to the local home improvement store and we now have water hooked up to our sink! Oh, the other thing I didn't count on was how disgusting it was when I unhooked the pipes - YUCK!

Here's the completed project! What do you think?

The old faucet...

The kitchen sink is next...

And just for fun...

Toys!

2011-02-16T18:52:00.003-06:00

This morning, I sat Elias on his bottom and gave him 2 toys to play with while I put my contacts in and brushed my teeth. This is what I found when I came back. I think he figured out where I keep the toys.

Last Will and Testament

2011-02-11T13:42:00.002-06:00

Sorry to talk about such a somber topic, but this is something I've been contemplating since my pregnancy. Most people think they'll live until they're 80 and don't plan to address this issue. I hope that is the case; however, I've lived long enough to know people die everyday. Before, I figured I'd die, and be buried in the back forty with all our dear family pets. My sisters could sort through my junk, and Elliott would remarry and have another family. Simple. No Big Deal.

Throw a baby in the mix and it suddenly becomes much more serious. Technically, all the other plans can still happen. But in the tragic event that both Elliott and I die, what will happen to our sweet little boy? State custody is NOT an option. This is a hard topic to discuss. No one wants to think about dying or their children being left without parents. And there are so many details to think about. We have to think about how we want him raised? Who would not be burdened by him? Will he be included in family functions? etc. etc. We finally made some decisions and have drafted up a couple of wills with the help of legalzoom.com. I feel much better knowing my child will be taken care of.

Have you and your spouse had this discussion?

Packers WIN the SuperBowl!

2011-02-10T22:32:00.003-06:00

Believe it or not, Elliott is a LONG time Packer fan. I know it's kind of funny for a TN boy, but he's been a fan ever since Reggie White. Besides that, it's kind of fun to pick on the MN fans here. (hehehe!) Needless to say, we were a little excited about the game. We got all dressed up. I made Rotel and wings. We were super pumped to watch the game, AND then we realized they weren't streaming it... Boo! We had our little party and watched The Other Guys. Every so often we wish we got a channel or two.

Movies in Review

2011-02-03T18:43:00.006-06:00

While in AZ, I had to the opportunity to see a couple of movies. Watching movies is one of my favorite things to do, especially in the theater. I picture myself in the roaring 20s when everyone put on their glitz and glam and walked the red carpet to see the latest picture. Now, you all know I'm anything but glitz and glam, but I do feel special every time I go.
ECLIPSE Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner One Thumb Up! Overall, I was a little disappointed. I personally think the books were much better, but I read them over a year ago so maybe I'm just over it. It's definitely a must see for all of you who read the books and want to see the story played out. I will see Breaking Dawn, but I want be paying to see it in the theater.

THE KILLERS Starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl Two Thumbs Up!!! This was a fun movie for me because it had the romantic comedy and action all in one. I think it could work for a date night, but my hubby hates these movies. It was perfect for a call night-just me, some ice cream, and a little Ashton Kutcher. :)
THE KINGS SPEECH Starring Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi Two Thumbs Up!!! Loved this movie. It had royalty charm, historical facts, and great actors. Definitely a movie I enjoyed watching with my hubby and would actually pay to see it again in the theater.

Swimming in JANUARY!!!

2011-01-15T09:39:00.004-06:00

As you can see we are enjoying the beautiful weather here in AZ! The other day, ET got home early so we decided to take Elias swimming for the first time. It was probably more fun for us than him, but he didn't cry and even splashed a few times. Elliott dunked him under and he did just fine. Of course, I couldn't dunk him. It just feels so wrong to put your baby under water. Does anyone else understand this? I hope to go a few more times before we leave. Got to prepare him for the 2011 Kumpf Beach vacation! :)

Elias' First Kiss

2011-01-14T11:54:00.003-06:00

My sweet boy has been introduced into the world of LOVE :) While at the park the other day, my friend's 11month old little girl Ella crawled right up into Elias' lap, put her arms around his neck and started smacking him all over! He didn't know what to think at first, but he literally embraced the situation and hugged her right back. So there they sat for a good 5 minutes. It was really cute!!!

New Year Words

2011-01-12T08:22:00.004-06:00

I'm not usually one to make resolutions, because I know that I won't keep up with them. However, my Bible study leader challenged us to think of 3 guiding words that represent our goals but are general enough to guide our choices without locking ourselves into a certain behavior, like "lose 10 pounds." She writes about her words and experience doing this here.

So far only one word has come to mind - RESPOND. Webster defines it as "quick to respond or react appropriately. This is applicable to me in so many ways.

1) God. I hope to be more attentive to His voice and respond quickly and fervently.

2) Elliott. When Elliott speaks to me, I find that I try to read into what he is "really saying" and am quick to assume the negative. More often than not, I snap back with something ugly that I don't really mean. I don't understand why I do this. Elliott has a good heart and we love each other very much. I hope to respond with more appropriately with RESPECT and LOVE.

3) Loved Ones. This has really been on my heart. I am so not good about getting back to friends. I don't like to talk on the phone, and now that I'm a mom, it's difficult to find time to write or send cards. I have started to see the effects of this as I loose touch with so many dear friends. Many times when a person comes to mind, I pray for them. However, I'm afraid that some of these people will never know how much they mean to me. I hope to respond more often to phone calls, texts, and FB messages. And when a person is on my heart, I hope to let them know I'm thinking about and praying for them.

How about you guys? What are some words that represent your goals for the year?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISSA!

2011-01-09T11:34:00.002-06:00

Wishing my eldest sister Melissa a very HAPPY and BLESSED 3_th birthday!!!

You are a FABULOUS sister. You've always been there for me whether it be for prayer, DQ runs in Mildred, advice about boys, or going with me to tell dad I had a wreck. :) You are STRONG. Raising four kids by yourself isn't easy, but you strive to do your best by making the most of what you have. Although they can be crazy, I LOVE your babies and can't imagine life without them. You are SMART. I know your heart for teaching and I believe your students are pretty darn lucky. You keep FAMILY close. I appreciate you always making an effort to visit us every year. It means a lot to me. You are BEAUTIFUL. Of course, you are a Kumpf. :) You encourage me to stand up for what is right, not to hold grudges, and to be a good mom. I love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Thawing Out...

2011-01-08T20:20:00.003-06:00

Well, the Tenpennys have escaped the MN tundra to the warmth of Phoenix, AZ! E is doing a 4 week rotation at the Children's hospital while E2 and I are enjoying the sites. We took 3.5 days to drive the 1600 miles. Most people think we're crazy to attempt this with a 7 month old, but we LOVE to road trip it and enjoy the journey by stopping at fun places. Unfortunately many of the sites we tried to stop were closed because of the new year. The ones we did enjoy included a mom and pops cafe and antique store in middle of nowhere Tonganoxie, Kansas, dinner at the historic El Rancho in Gallup, NM, a night at the 1920s Hotel Monte Vista in Flagstaff, AZ, and of course the breathtaking Grand Canyon. The snow and ice made it extra exciting. The plateaus of NM and AZ are quite stunning. I've seen them several times before, but I think the snow highlighted them just perfectly.

I'm dreaming of a WHITE Christmas...35 inches and all!

2011-01-07T09:07:00.005-06:00

Elias' first Christmas was a special time for our little family. Elliott had to work, so we spent our holiday in snowy Minnesota. Christmas Eve, we ate a Turkey dinner with some of our closest friends here in Rochester. Not only did we enjoy the wonderful food, but we got to have a friendly but competitive rematch of Ticket to Ride. It was so much fun! Our friends have two sweet little girls, one 4 days younger than Elias. They had a wonderful time playing and chatting about all the excitement. Christmas morning we patiently waited for Elliott to wake up which ended up being around 11am (He worked until 3am). We immediately opened up stockings and presents. Elias was so funny to watch. Once he realized there were toys under the paper, he'd lunge forward as his daddy opened the presents. So far his favorite is definitely the Fisherprice bucket of blocks! He loves the bucket :) I surprised Elliott with a signed F.W. Boreham book which he LOVED. And I got a beautiful locket. I made Christmas breakfast- cinnamon pecan waffles, sausages, and oranges. It was so yummy, we ate leftovers all day. Elliott went back to work that evening, so Elias and I spent the evening with some of my sweet friends whose husbands were also working on Christmas. We missed our family in TN, but it was a very sweet and laid back Christmas. I can't wait until next year!!!

Sharing Special Memories with Shutterfly

2010-12-02T14:42:00.003-06:00

Have you ever lost ALL your photos when your computer crashed? Well I have and it was so sad to loose my precious memories. So my husband and I found Shutterfly. It's an online business that allows you to store all your precious family photos and to share them with friends and family. My family LOVES it! We even have our own site so we can share photos and print whichever ones we want. Not only is it great for storing photos, they site has great ideas for personal gifts. Need some Christmas ideas? I used Shutterfly to make several gifts this year. Here are a few examples - calendars, puzzles, notebooks, a mouse pad. I used photos to make it extra special and the recipients LOVED it!

Announcing the birth of our first baby was very special time. I trusted Shutterfly to make my announcements. The ease of Shutterfly's website and the quality of their product made the overall experience wonderful. I can't wait to use them for my Christmas cards. Here are a few examples I love - 1, 2, and 3. They are doing a promotion for bloggers for 50 FREE Christmas cards. I ordered Elias' announcements from them and was very happy. Now, I'm looking forward to making some CUTE cards!

My Parents' Bed

2010-09-25T09:34:00.005-05:00

Do you remember crawling in your parents' bed on Saturday mornings? What about racing to their bed for nap time? How about when your dad was out of town, did your mama let you sleep ALL night with her? Mine did :) What is it about our parents' bed that is so appealing as a young child?

I love my parents' bed. It's real tall so you feel like a princess when you're in it. It's comfy, not necessarily physically, but emotionally because it's a safe place and if you use mom's pillow it has the familiar scent of her perfume. The bed is our family center. We've spend lots of time there folding clothes, jumping with the kids, changing diapers, having family discussions, napping, wrapping presents, deciding what to wear, etc, etc.

I think the gene has been passed on.

Everyday of the week we get up and have to be somewhere - NOT on Saturdays. We still get up at our normal time, but then crawl back into bed with Mama. My son LOVES it and will sleep for hours. I LOVE the snuggle time.

I hope this is the beginning of LOTS of fun memories with our family.

10, 11, 12...

2010-09-22T20:40:00.003-05:00

The newest cousins meet :)

Spoiled with LOVE

2010-09-22T20:32:00.004-05:00

In case you were worried, Elias is a LOVED little boy.

BopBop and Gammaw
(My Parents)

Grammie and Papa
(Elliott's Parents)

Dinner Date with the Hubby

2010-09-17T12:45:00.004-05:00

Elliott came home from work and told me that Dr B, his consultant and mentor, offered to watch E2 so we could go out. My first response was "Why do you want to leave our baby with people I don't know?" This comes from the surprisingly overprotective mother that I'm trying NOT to be. E reassured me and we took him up on the offer. We drove out to his house which involved a gravel road and REALLY big hill. (We're still not sure how his family gets home in the winter!) It was such a great drive and reminded me of going home to my parents'. We ate dinner at the cute little place called The Rainbow Cafe. We ordered the cheese plate which included "slightly pungent" cheese, candied pecans, blueberries, and bread. For dinner we ate the Bison steak and sirloin. It was fun to be with my sweetheart. However, it's hard to talk about things other than the baby even when you try. Dr B and his kids were incredibly nice and loved have E2. They even offered to keep him again some time. I'm still somewhat surprised/grateful that a consultant would take a real interest in the life of a resident to offer to babysit on his day off. I'm glad E is able to work with such a great guy.

Pat-A-Cake

2010-09-04T10:50:00.002-05:00

The One (or Three) Year Bible

2010-09-01T18:13:00.003-05:00

I LOVE reading the Bible. To me it's like the ultimate novel. There is poetry, inspiration, adventure, romance, humor, and best of all - a Hero who saves the day. I've read most of it. Some parts more than once, but I've never completed it.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, I went yardsaling every weekend. One of my best finds was this One Year Bible. It retails around $20 and I paid 50 cents! I decided I'd like to read it to E2. I read a little everyday before nap time. Slowly but surely we're making our way through it. We just finished the first month and it only took 3 months! Guess it'll be The Three Year Bible!

3 Months Old

2010-08-29T17:06:00.003-05:00

I can't believe how very fast my sweet boy is growing up.
I'm officially OLD for saying that.

I LOVE him more than I knew was possible.
Being a mommy is SO hard, but EVEN MORE wonderful!
He celebrated today by getting in a fight in the church nursery.
(Hard to see, but his left eyebrow is red and bruised.)

Bum Genius, Fuzzi Bunz, and Flips

2010-08-21T13:46:00.005-05:00

Today marks 6 weeks of cloth diapering. So far it has been a good experience. I have a variety of diapers including Bum Genius One-Size and All-in-One, Fuzzi Bunz, and the Flip system. At one point, I thought I like the Fuzzi Bunz the best, but have come to appreciate them all for their individual perks.

First are the Bum Genius One-Size. These snap up the front allowing it to grow with baby from 8-35+ pounds. This diaper has velcro which is nice to precisely adjust the fit to the waist of the baby. The insert slides in the pocket from the back of the diaper. And after use, you just pull out the insert, attach the velcro, and throw it in the pail. This diaper costs $17.95. The Bum Genius All in One is specifically sized and the insert is sewn in. This diaper most resembles a regular diaper and is least confusing for non-cloth diapering people. I like the Bum Genius because the velcro allows me to get a better fit on my little guy, however, it does wear in the wash quickly.

Second are the Fuzzi Bunz. The Fuzzi Bunz I have are also one size ranging from 5-35+ pounds. These adjust by the elastic in the waist and legs which make it much less bulky - a perk! When you order the diaper for $19.95, you also get extra elastic and two inserts. The inserts slides into the pocket from the back of the diaper. I like these inserts best because they are thicker and seem more absorbent. Snaps are used to close this diaper. These are good because they don't wear in the wash, but it does make it more difficult for non-cloth diapering people. I also find it hard to always get a perfect fit. I do like the softness of the fleece interior and larger pocket which makes inserting the inserts much easier. I use these when we go out and at night

The third system I have is the Flips system. It consists of a separate lining and insert. The lining has front snaps to adjust the waist as well as the length growing with the baby from 8-35+pounds. The insert lies in the lining. Instead of throwing the whole diaper in the laundry after it's used, you just replace the insert. You can buy a liner and insert for $19.95 and then buy extra inserts for $4.95 a piece. These are good diapers for older babies. Currently, my sweet boy is messing his diapers way too often to really appreciate them.

Overall, the cloth diapering is pretty easy. I was kind of nervous to start but am thankful we went this route. I have 24 diapers. I wash them every 3rd day in a cold and warm cycle and then hang them to dry in the sun. We have been blessed to receive most our diapers as gifts. I personally have bought 5 diapers, 2 flips inserts, and received 3 free diapers with coupons on my purchases. I only spent $107.95. I know I have saved money which was our main reason to use cloth. We also know on the mission field we won't be able to go to a store and pick up some pampers!

Operation Downsize

2010-08-16T21:54:00.002-05:00

While pregnant, I gained 35lbs and was the biggest I'd ever been. This was ok because I was incubating a precious little gift. But now he's almost 3 months old. I've lost most the pregnancy weight, but I'm now proportioned completely different. After going through my closet and getting stuck in a couple of things, (Yes, STUCK! At one point, I thought I was going to have to wait for ET to get home and cut me out of a shirt!) I'm motivated to quit Pepsi and ice cream and really try to lose some of this extra HAPPY weight. One because I don't like being this size. Two because we can't afford to buy a new wardrobe! So tomorrow, Operation Downsize begins. Wish me luck.

A Little Wisdom from the Prairie

2010-08-12T19:07:00.006-05:00

Every night I watch an episode of Little House on the Prairie as I rock my little boy to sleep. Last night I was feeling discouraged and defeated. Well, leave it to the Ingalls family to speak to the heart. This is for all you husbands, fathers, wives, and moms who sacrifice yourself for your family. Hope you all are encouraged.

Caroline: "When your Pa and I were first married, it was a very difficult time for me. I'd been teaching and I felt as if I was doing my students some good and myself some good. I missed that after I was married. I loved your Pa, but I wasn't always happy. And when you're young and first married, well you expect to be happy all the time. I still wanted to teach, but I couldn't and live with your Pa. There just wasn't a school close enough. And I doubt if he would have let me anyway. It's one of the first things that's hard to get used to. When you're first married, your life just isn't totally your own anymore. You can't do everything you want to. It's not just the womenfolk either. I'm sure there are things your Pa would like to have done, places I know he would want to see. But neither one of us would change a thing because if we did there wouldn't be a Mary, a Laura, and a Kerri, and a Grace, and an Albert. I know how you're feeling. Believe me. But don't worry; you'll be a teacher."

Laura: "How?"

Caroline: "Oh Laura! A mother is all things - a cook, a dressmaker, a disciplinarian, a nurse, and above all a teacher. And I know that when your children are ready to graduate from your family, they'll be as ready to face the world as you are."

Olmsted County Fair

2010-08-11T12:14:00.005-05:00

I don't know about you guys, but the county fair is a big deal in the Kumpf family. Every year we'd save up can money so we could go to the Wilson County fair. Of course we loved the rides, but it wasn't just about that. We'd enter baked goods, sewing projects, and artwork we'd done through the year, and we'd usually win! I loved watching the talent shows, demolition derby, tractor pull, looking at all the exhibits, walking through Fiddlers Grove, and just spending good time with family and friends. You all might be surprised, but I even clogged at the fair. Yes clogged!

Well, it's fair time here in MN so we took our little guy to his first fair last Friday. Being a 2 month old, he slept through most of it, but we had fun anyway. We ate fair food, checked out all the animals, looked at the exhibits, and had good family time.
Elliott didn't grow up going to the fair so he doesn't get as excited as I do. However, this may have changed this year all because of the "all you can drink MILK station!"

Watch Me Grow

2010-08-05T16:23:00.003-05:00

1 week

2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

6 weeks

2 months

A Birth Story - Read at Your Own Descretion

2010-08-04T17:44:00.009-05:00

May 27, 2010
It's Thursday; five days before my due date. I'm so hot, uncomfortable, and extremely anxious to meet my little boy. Both Elliott and I have our fingers crossed today will be the day. All week, I've been telling everyone my water would break today because there's a full moon tonight; while Elliott is also hoping to get out of his overnight call tomorrow. Tonight, I keep noticing that my underwear is damp and change several times. I had only one accident my whole pregnancy and excitedly tell Elliott I think my water is leaking. We ignore it and go to bed.
May 28, 2010 3:30am
I wake up for one of my usual bathroom runs. As soon as I walk into the bathroom, I feel a gush of wetness. I look down. Both me and the floor are soaked. OMG! I try not to get too excited because I know I still have a long road ahead. I take a shower and finish packing my bag. Then, I wake Elliott up and let him know. I wasn't having any contractions so I lie back down. We spend the morning cuddling, talking, and sleeping. It is a very special time. These are the last few hours that it will just be the two of us.
8:30am
We head to the hospital stopping for biscuits on the way. Hey, I don't know if they'll let me eat. :) Once there, they put me in triage where they perform a "fern" test. This test confirms whether the amniotic sac has ruptured. Well, I fail it. Then they do an ultrasound to see how much fluid I have. The resident confirms that there is still lots of fluid around the baby. She also points out that "there's lots of baby in there!" Two things I do not want to hear at the time. I feel completely stupid. I know my water broke. One because my bathroom floor was soaked. Two because I used the bathroom after it happened so I know it wasn't urine. The midwife decides to let me lie flat for an hour and then redo the fern test. Well this time I pass. I am relieved.
11:00am
I'm admitted to the hospital, but still haven't had any contractions. Elliott and I know there is a 24 hour time line before my risk for infection increases. So we spend the afternoon walking the halls and stairs.
6:30pm
I still have not had any painful or regular contractions. I know that next step is to start pitocin, a drug that induces contractions. They midwife is willing to put it off until the 24 hour mark, but we decide to go ahead and start the medicine. This will leave me plenty of time to have the baby before they want to do a C-section.

The time line gets a little foggy from this point. Throughout the night they increase the pitocin until I can feel regular contractions. I labor all night with Elliott's help. He has music going, helps me change positions, gets me cheerios and bananas when I am hungry then holds my vomit bucket, and encourages me when I want to give up. I was able to move around from the rocking chair, to the birthing ball and chair, and back to bed. All these positions helped me manage the pain. At 8 cm, my progression stops. I begin to get really frustrated and lose focus of the pain. The nurse gives me some IV fentanyl (pain medicine). It gives me a much needed break. At this point the midwife realizes I have a second amniotic sac, and she ruptures it. From this point I progress the rest of the way. The baby is facing upward and gives me terrible back labor. I hurt, but more than that I am exhausted from being up over 24 hours. The nurse gives me another 50mcg of pain medicine. Unfortunately, it is more than I can handle. I am unresponsive for 2 hours. The baby's HR decreases and poor Elliott is scared to death. Obviously, I don't remember any of this.

May 29, 2010 6:45am
Shift change. A new midwife comes on duty. She immediately boluses me with IV fluid and begins internal monitoring of the baby to assure an accurate HR. I remember coming to sitting on the birthing chair with Elliott behind me. I ask him what he was doing back there. He laughs and says he is keeping me from falling over! Fortunately, the baby flips and the back pain disappears. I get back in the bed and begin pushing. The nurse puts up a mirror to help me push more effectively and so I can watch my baby be born. I push for 3 hours!
9:49am
Elias Keaton Tenpenny is born!!! :) The nurse immediately hands him to me. I am overwhelmed with love, joy, and relief. I don't think I'll ever forget that funny little face looking up at me as we finally meet and quickly realize we are a perfect match.

Overall, it was a fabulous experience. I LOVED delivering with midwives, but being at the hospital "just in case." I'm so glad I didn't have to get an epidural and hope to completely avoid pitocin and fentanyl with my future babies. I do think it's interesting that I had "2-3" amniotic sacs. Who knows maybe I'll have twins next time! Mom you will HAVE to move to MN! I LOVE being a mom and can't wait to have a house full of children.

Baby Announcement

2010-07-31T12:50:00.003-05:00

ANNOUNCING
Elias Keaton Tenpenny
Born May 29, 2010 at 9:49am
10lbs 3 oz and 21.25 inches

Maternity Pictures

2010-07-31T12:36:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

A Bed for Baby

2010-04-17T09:24:00.006-05:00

Since I've opted out of the a premade themed nursery, I decided making the crib skirt would work best. I used Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little people for inspiration. However, I decided to make the skirt one panel instead of two, and then I had to adjust the length and add buttons to go around the lovely brackets. Overall, I love it - very clean lined and simple.

Do you see someone peeking through the bars?

Froggy is waiting patiently for his new buddy! :)

(No worries; my DH has already told me he won't be able to stay once baby is here.)

Cuties :)

2010-04-15T11:42:00.002-05:00

Mary Addyson and Kallen on Easter

Diaper Bag Bonanza

2010-04-13T19:05:00.008-05:00

With so many new babies in my life, I've been quite busy making diaper bags for those near and dear to my heart. I used a pattern out of Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones and let all the girls choose their favorite fabrics. The interior features a divider and 4 large elastic pockets. The exterior has 2 small side pockets great for small essentials like a cell phone or pacifier. Overall, they turned out really cute and the girls loved them.

Rachel and Kallen's Bag

Molly and Mary Addyson's Bag

Dovota and John's Bag

Sneak Preview

2010-04-10T19:01:00.001-05:00

TN you'll always be HOME SWEET HOME to me

2010-04-10T12:28:00.021-05:00

After my first plane's computer system malfunctioned and the second plane was struck by lightning, the third plane finally got me to Nashville where my mom was waiting for me grinning ear to ear. I was immediately overwhelmed by the sense of being home and teared up. It does my soul good to be in TN where I'm surrounded by family, love, and all things familiar. Here are some things that made this trip especially special.

Chic-Fil-A
The farm
March Madness and cookies with Mom
Opening the gates in ankle deep mud - thanks Nathaniel!
Beautiful Baby showers
Pregnant Girlfriends
Mary Addyson and Kallen
Cousin day at the Park
Having maternity pictures taken
Sakura
My moodiness
Side trip to Memphis to see some fabulous girls
Gigi's cupcakes AND Julia's bakery in one day
Issac, Eliza, Napa - NO GUYS it's Elias!!!

Cracker Barrel with my SBS girls

Rachel, Dovota, and I all preggers :)
Grammie, Me, Aunt B
All the Kumpf girls
Andi, Molly and MA, Rachel and Kallen, Me, Melissa, Mom, Michelle

Cousin Day at the Park

The Newest Cousins - Mary Addyson and Kallen

The Nursery in Progress

2010-03-07T08:17:00.003-06:00

Saturday E and I put together the crib for the nursery. It was such a fun and exciting time and we got to work together and think about our son that will soon be lying in this bed. Elias is already such a blessing to E and me and we are so excited to meet him in just 12 more weeks!!!

I still have a ways to go, but I think this is a nice start to the nursery.

Birthday Blessings

2010-03-07T08:12:00.003-06:00

Celebrating my 27th birthday and what a BLESSED birthday it is!

A new niece and nephew
Special time with a WONDERFUL husband in Chicago
An ice cream sundae party with girlfriends
An hour long prenatal massage
An 11 day trip to TN to see family and friends
Maternity pictures to document this special time with Elias
A shopping spree at the Sassy Scrapper
A crib for my sweet son
Cupcakes sent from a dear friend

A Sign of Spring to Come

2010-03-07T08:07:00.003-06:00

Yes folks, that is part of our landscaping.
We haven't seen it in a few months!

24 weeks, 5 days

2010-02-19T09:20:00.002-06:00

A Niece and a Nephew

2010-02-19T09:13:00.003-06:00

What an exciting week!!!

Tuesday, February 16th Mary Addyson Redmon was born 7lbs, 13oz to my fabulous sister Molly and her husband David.

Friday, February 19th Kallen William Kumpf was born 7lbs, 6oz to my wonderful sister Rachel.

If there is one thing you all know about me, it's that I absolutely ADORE my nieces and nephews. I'm SO excited to be going to TN in 3 weeks to hold the new babies and spoil all 11 of my little blessings!

Aid for Haiti

2010-01-25T10:06:00.004-06:00

On January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced a 7.0 earthquake 10 miles out of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital and the home to 2 million people.

Haiti has become special to E's and my own heart as we have served the people over the last two years. We have made contact with many of our friends. All are safe and alive, but are quickly wearing down as they sacrifice all their money, time, and energy to feed and care for their own families and communities. According to our good friend Guyteau, many are wounded and after two weeks of no medical attention, they are quickly becoming infected. They are unable to get food and clean water. He pleads for prayer, food, and medicine.

Today, Aid for Haiti is sending a 6 man team - 2 MDs, 1 PT, 1 Paramedic, and 2 EMT/Firefighters. The team flies into the Dominican Republic where they will stock up on rice and other supplies. They will cross the border on Tuesday and drive to Christian Aid Ministries to sort out the hundreds of pounds of donated food, medicine, and supplies. Wednesday morning, they will set up clinic in Port-au-Prince and spend the next 7-10 days ministering physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

Over the last 2 weeks, we have seen our faithful God open and close door and provide thousands of dollars of medicine, water filters, supplies, as well as, monetary donations to help buy food and assist with the logistics of the work in Haiti. Although E and I are unable to go on this trip, we are grateful the Lord has opened the door for a team to go and serve those so dear to our hearts. We are thankful for those of you who have prayed for and donated to Aid for Haiti and the people of Haiti.

This week we ask you to pray for the team working in Haiti, the loved ones they leave at home, for grace, peace, and healing for the Haitians, and ultimately for our God to glorified in ALL we do.

Check out the Aid for Haiti website at www.aidforhaiti.org.

Elias

2010-01-15T11:55:00.002-06:00

Hi! My name is Elias Tenpenny. I am 20 weeks old and am growing VERY BIG! (94th percentile) My mom and dad love me very much. I like when they talk to me, read the Bible, and eat chocolate! I especially like to go to church because I dance during the music; apparently I get that from mom. My dad finally got to feel me move the other night and we were all very happy. :)

What a Blessing!

2009-12-28T09:19:00.002-06:00

16 weeks

Our First Blizzard

2009-12-28T09:00:00.005-06:00

Having lived in TN for almost all of our 26 years, Elliott and I were less than adequately prepared for our first blizzard. In one night, 14-16 inches of snow buried us in 3-6 ft drifts, the most snow to fall at once in 5 years. The great thing is they know what they are doing up here. We were really only snowed in for a day before the snow/salt trucks came through. And even though there is snow everywhere, the roads are safe to drive on.

What we learned from this blizzard:

the difference between snow and blowing snow
snow boots aren't just for shoveling
how to shovel and salt the driveway
to shovel the driveway AFTER the snow plow comes through
what a snow brush is and why it's important
the snow doesn't melt after a couple of hours
neighbors with snow blowers are a blessing
you have to get out when it's 5 degrees or you'll be stuck in the house for a LONG time
hot cocoa, space heaters, and fleece are wonderful things

Healthcare

2009-11-27T03:00:00.002-06:00

Note to family and friends: NEVER and I mean NEVER get sick in a foreign country - INCLUDING California!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T03:01:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL my family and friends! I miss you and wish I could be home enjoying all the family traditions. However, I am very thankful for the ladies the Lord has surrounded me with. They cooked a wonderful southern Thanksgiving meal complete with turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet tea, and pecan pie. It's definitely not home, but I am surrounded by people who care about me and for that I'm grateful.

Elliott, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank you for being such a WONDERFUL and caring husband. I love you so much and can't wait to come home to you and stay.

Nosy or Nice

2009-11-09T05:39:00.002-06:00

True Story

One afternoon E is sleeping after a night of work when the doorbell rings. Deciding to ignore it, he turns his head and closes his eyes. The visitor then tries knocking on the door. Again he attempts to ignore it. Next thing he knows he hears someone in the house yelling his name. YES IN THE HOUSE! He yells from the bedroom that he is trying to sleep. Turns out E had left the garage door open and the neighbor noticed it. Apparently he was worried and decided to go in our house and check on E.

Now what do you think? Is that being a little nosy or a lot nice?

Requesting your Prayers

2009-11-07T01:48:00.003-06:00

Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just not 100%, and I don't really want to be sick out here in CA away from E and my MD. If things get worse, I'll probably go home. Please pray that the Lord will heal my body or give me the faith and wisdom to accept His will and to know when to go home. Also, pray that E would find peace in the Lord when He isn't able to be with me and make it all better.

A Perfect Sunday

2009-11-02T01:37:00.005-06:00

First thing, I'd wake up next to my husband cuddling for just a minute before getting up. I'd eat breakfast (including biscuits) with his family. For worship, I'd go to Believer's Chapel to hear truth and surround myself with fellow believers. Then I'd drive slow down Hwy 96 toward home admiring all the colors of fall. After arriving at the big house, I'd fill my belly with pork roast, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, beans, and rolls made especially by my mom all while sitting between two benches one cheek on each as all 13 of us squeeze around the dinner table. During lunch, I'd laugh and tell stories real loud as I compete with all the other voices at the table, especially Molly :). Then I'd spend the whole afternoon playing outside with the kids, fourwheeling through the fields with my brother, or walking in the back pasture to admire the new baby calves as they chase each other on there very unsure wobbly legs. I'd end the day in my PJs cuddled on the couch with E watching football or old movies.

I'm dreaming of a perfect Sunday.

Love is ...

2009-10-30T07:21:00.007-05:00

the encouraging email from mom on a bad day

a gentle hug and whisper that everything is going to be alright

a brave husband who chooses to lead despite his wife's antagonism

the special shared secret between friends

the husband of 50 years weeping over his dying wife

the phone call from a nephew asking when he can come to MN to visit

the friend who keeps calling despite not being called back

the roommate who keeps me fed

the threatening message from the brother about being home for Christmas

a man's hard work to provide for his family

an innocent man hanging on the cross for my sin

(Ways I've been or seen love this week.)

Settling In

2009-10-22T23:56:00.002-05:00

I'm starting to get into the swing of things and feeling a little more normal. Tonight is my 3rd night of work so I've adjusted to the time change and my body is a little more rested. Work is going well. My coworkers are glad to have me back, and it's is really nice to be doing the job I love - nursing. I do miss my husband as always and of course there's still a little of that homesickness for TN. For some reason at this stage in my life I can only have one of these things at a time. Either I have my husband with no job in MN, work in CA, or go to TN with no job or husband. I think maybe the Lord wants me to be content with Him. Truely there is no one/nothing here on earth that is able to love or comfort us like our Lord and Savior. Maybe I needed a little reminder to find my joy in the Lord and not in man or things.

Being Content

2009-10-20T22:54:00.003-05:00

I'm currentely struggling with being content. I'm back in California working nights. And although I'm grateful for the job, it's really the last place I want to be. MN isn't much better. With no job, I find myself being lazy and getting bored real quick. My heart longs for TN. I miss our family, friends, and just the overall beauty and familiarity of the landscape. I miss home.

How Do I Look Now?

2009-10-01T10:21:00.004-05:00

Before

After

Three little changes make a world of difference.

Shudders
Painted Door
New House Numbers

Home Sweet Home

2009-09-30T15:23:00.006-05:00

I've been home for a little over a week now and am loving every minute of it. I've been doing a lot/little of resting, watching movies, cleaning, cooking, unpacking, laundry, socializing, working on the house, and being a loving wife. It's so nice that I'm not convinced I want to go back in just 2 weeks! I went to my first Side By Side meeting in Rochester. It was so nice to be surrounded by a group of Christian girls. I think it will be a while before I'm completely comfortable, but I already have a few friends I know I can really trust. That is valuable when you live so far from family.

The weather has started to cool down and is really quite nice on sunny days - great fall weather. However when the wind/thunder storms pass through, the wind chill drops 50 degrees. If you are sitting upstairs during the storm, it sounds like the house is going to blow over. It's crazy! Here I figure the wind starts clear over in Wyoming, builds up, and doesn't stop until it hits my house! You Tennesseans be thankful for the hills. :)

Elliott is doing well. Staying busy with work. We try to get out on his days off - weather permitting. Life can get a little monotonous when all you do is go to work. We tried a new restaurant downtown this week, Victoria's, and Italian place with a really long menu. The food was good and price affordable. Elliott actually flies Sunday to Boston for a EM conference. I think it'll do him some good to get out of town for a little while (although I will miss him.)

Well, I promise to be better about posting. I leave you with a few pictures from our adventures in CA. Love you guys :):):)

Hot Air Balloon Ride over Napa Valley
Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco

Inspiration Point - Yosemite
Big Sequoia - Mariposa Grove
Lake Tahoe

From WONDERFUL to ANNOYING in 2.3 seconds

2009-08-24T09:22:00.004-05:00

For those of you who have never worked night shift you might not understand. However, there are a few things that are normally wonderful and helpful, but when you're trying to sleep during the day, they quickly become VERY annoying.

Garbage Trucks - And of course the garbage cans are right out my window!
Children - Usually a love of mine, but screaming children are terrible when you're trying to sleep.
Lawnmowers/Hedge Trimmers - All I can say is OMG how long does it take to trim a bush, REALLY?!

I've woken up several times comsumed with rage. Thus far, I've been able to control myself and not tell anyone off. Only four more weeks, hope I can keep my record!

P.S. 12 days before Elliott comes! :)

My Countdown

2009-08-14T16:08:00.002-05:00

3 weeks down.

5 weeks until I go home.

3 weeks until I see Elliott!

Working Hard to Earn a Dollar

2009-08-08T06:17:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! I finally got a day off and am enjoying my evening sitting in my PJs watching HGTV. Just wanted to update you guys. I'm living in a 2 bedroom apartment in Yuba City, CA. It's a quaint little town not far from many tourist sites - San Francisco, wine country, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Yosemite, the redwoods, and Sacramento. I do hope to see some of these great places while here. The local hospital is decent size. I have been working night shift, 48-60 hours in the ICU each week. The people here are wonderfully nice and the work is easy compared to what I'm used to in Memphis. I probably will come back, but must go home at the end of this 8 weeks to see my dear husband. I do miss him and the simplicy of my home life. I love being a nurse and caring for my patients, but if it's one or the other, I had rather be wife and homemaker for Elliott. He is a very loving husband and it's my joy to love, support, and make his life comfortable at home. I am grateful for this job opportunity and will take full advantage of it knowing it's only for a season. So, no worrying about me. The Lord has truly blessed me with good friends, easy work, great pay, and a very encouraging husband. Please continue to pray for Elliott as he manages the home and works hard at the hospital. Love you guys.

Back to Work for Me

2009-07-22T13:01:00.004-05:00

So my bags are packed and I fly out for Sacramento, California tomorrow morning. I have accepted an 8 week travel assignment in the ICU. I'm really very nervous and hate the idea of leaving my sweet husband and new home. However, with absolutely no nursing jobs available locally, I feel it is a great opportunity to go make some money. It also helps that a friend from Memphis will be accompanying me and especially that ET will fly out to visit on his week off in September. Please be praying for both ET and me as we try to live excellently these next couple of months. Truth is we are so much better together and being apart is going to make even the simple things harder.

Today I Will Assume Beach Position

2009-07-11T10:13:00.003-05:00

P.S Don't laugh. All great Kumpfs stick their tongues out when they're concentrating. :)

An Afternoon of Sewing

2009-07-10T18:34:00.007-05:00

I actually got motivated to sew on Thursday and this is what I made.

It's just a cute little floor blanket so a certain little one can have lots of "tummy time." I hope the mom and him like it!

Who am I?

2009-07-06T22:41:00.002-05:00

When you think of yourself, what is it that defines you?

Who is Sarah Rebecca Tenpenny?

I am a child of God, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and nurse.

I love to decorate, craft, read, learn, travel, serve, shop, sing, dance, and most of all, rock and spoil babies.

My favorite places to be are on the farm walking through the fields, watching newborn calves chase each other or hiking the mountains of Haiti with the children following my every step stroking my arm or hair along the way.

So what happens when you find yourself in a place where you no longer are any of the things you have come to define yourself as? When you lose your purpose in life?

No job, no family or friends, no husband (at home), no babies to rock or spoil. No extra money to shop, travel, buy books to read, or crafts to make. 807 miles from the farm; several more from Haiti. No reason to sing or dance.

When everything else is gone, what is left?

A Child of God.

God is steadfast and never changing. He will never leave me nor forsake me. He has created me, loved me, and forgiven me. I am His. He makes me Sarah.

There are many days I forget truth, days I lose sight of the goal. I never understood how He could create such a tender heart that LOVES even yearns for certain people and places, yet He has called me away from all I want, all I've dreamed of. Some days, I just want to run away. Run to the familiar, to what's comfortable.

Then He gently reminds me, and I remember.

I remember the sacrifice Jesus made. I remember my identity in Christ.
I remember my purpose - to glorify the Lord!

July 4th Fireworks

2009-07-05T22:07:00.010-05:00

I love fireworks so I was super excited to see what Rochester had to offer. We called up a couple of friends, piled in the car, and headed downtown. Having never been here before, we weren't quite sure what we were doing; so, we followed the crowd - never good. We placed our blankets on the ground avoiding as much goose poop as possible and sat down ready for the show. Well, we definitely weren't going to miss anything. The first few fireworks went off and we felt them vibrate in our chests! We were so close that we had to look straight up to see. As if we needed anything else to make us laugh, the neighbor decided to shout "WHOO!" after every firework so who else would pipe in but Elliott. Imagine four of us lying in goose poop, with our heads straight back yelling "Whoo!" every few seconds. The evening ended with a cop going crazy on us which caused several more laughs on the drive back to the house. Overall, the night was wonderful - great company, exciting fireworks, and lots of laughs.

Not Kneehigh, but WAISTHIGH by 4th of July

2009-07-04T10:01:00.002-05:00

This is for my mom.
The corn is waist-high by 4th of July.
Happy 4th!
Love you! :)

Photos of Transition

2009-07-03T10:21:00.013-05:00

My dear SBS girls,
thank you for getting me through the last three years.
You all were God sent and blessed me tremendously.
I love you girls!!!

Saying Goodbye to the St Francis crew. :(
I made some REALLY good friends while working there.
Love you guys!

Elliott graduates Medical School!
I'm so proud of all your hard work.
Love you!

Elliott and his mentors Dr. and Mrs. Vanmiddlesworth.
They both mean a great deal to us and
we appreciate all you have done for Elliott.
Thank you.

Our First House!!!

It's real folks! Elliott is a resident a Mayo Clinic,
the Disney World of Hospitals.
It's a really cool place and we're excited we get to be a part of it.

The Mayo brothers and the Tenpennys.

This Week's Project

2009-07-03T10:03:00.003-05:00

Many of you know my aversion to white walls. So with most of the upstairs being white you can imagine my despair. This week I decided to do something about it. I had decided to wait to decide which walls to paint, which color to use, and mostly so I'd have something to do next week, but I couldn't stand it any longer. After a quick trip to Lowes, a drive thru at the Caribou Coffee (YUM!), and a long drive home. (which means I pick a road and turn where ever I decide until I find my way home. Helps me learn the roads and I get to see beautiful countryside. :) ) I got started immediately. Elliott had no idea so he went to work with it white and came home with it being June Moon. We really like it and think it goes great with my old kitchen stuff.

So what do you think?

Before

After

Saturday Date Night

2009-06-27T14:26:00.004-05:00

Red Box Movie Rental - $1.07
Tombstone Pizza - $3.33
2 Cans of Diet Pepsi - $0.50
Chocolate Chip Cookies - $2.97
Snuggling on the couch with Husband - PRICELESS!

Elliott's 1st Day of Work

2009-06-27T09:10:00.004-05:00

Today is ET's first day as an Emergency Medicine M.D. We double-checked everything and I sent him off ready for a day of hard work.

Scrubs
White Coat
Name Badge
Stethoscope
Pager
Cell Phone
Trauma Scissors
Ink Pens
Medical Reference Book
Pager #2 IDK?
Phone #2 Again, IDK?
Double Knotted drawstring to hold up all his accessories
Prayed together
Oh his lunch! I forgot to send his lunch.

Oops! So he wasn't 100% ready.

4 Knives, 4 Forks, and a Spoon

2009-06-26T16:28:00.002-05:00

Thursday night, the Mayo Emergency Dept held a welcoming dinner for the new residents. The event was held at the Foundation House, home of Dr. Will Mayo. Being a rather fancy occasion, we dressed up in a suit and little black dress. When we first arrived we were served hor d'oeuvres and wine as we mingled amongst the incredible book and art collections of the Dr. Mayo including a hand signed book sent from Ernest Hemingway and an original alabaster jar from 2000 BC. We soon were led to the dining hall where we enjoyed a delicious four course meal. Yes, we used all nine pieces of silverware. During dinner, the new residents and their wives were presented and welcomed into the EM family. The evening ended with a tour of the home. Overall, it was a great evening. We met several attendings, residents, and their spouses all whom were very kind. I really think his class is going to work well together and have a lot of fun along the way.

Dr. Tenpenny is Published!

2009-06-25T12:25:00.004-05:00

Today in the mail, we received a copy of Endocrine Practice with Elliott's research article. The article pertains to the endemic goiters and iodine deficiency we see in Haiti. Elliott, Caleb, and Philip started this project about 15 months ago and have already seen great results from their work. Congratulations guys!!!

It's been awhile

2009-06-25T11:56:00.003-05:00

Hello to all my readers. I'm so sorry I've been away for so long. Life has been crazy with graduation, moving, and visiting family in TN. We are now in MN getting settled and really starting to like it. Weather is beautiful and everyone is so incredibly friendly. For example, my neighbor saw me mowing our crazy thick grass and came over to mow it for me with his bigger lawn mower then offered to snow blow for us this winter. Then today, the mail lady got out of her truck and brought the mail to my door to apoligize for one of the envelopes getting bent. Can you believe that?

Elliott officially started this week with orientaion and ATLS. He got his name badge with a great picture of him in his suit and it reads "Dr. Elliott Tenpenny!" All of his fellow residents seem to get along well and most of them don't have a chip on their shoulders. A rather good thing. :) They really like Elliott and his southern accent.

I have spent the week cleaning, organizing, doing yard work, cooking, reading, scrapbooking, grocery shopping, and decorating. I love being home to cook dinner every night and not being grumpy and tired all the time from work, but I really think I'm going to get bored if I don't find at least a part time job soon. I'm going to a job fair at Mayo tomorrow so hopefully we'll have some luck.

Last weekend we went to two cookouts. The first was with a group of people who do mission work in Haiti, even met a couple of Haitians who live here in Rochester. (If they can survive the winter, I certainly can!) They were all so very nice and it was great to make some connections for future work in our beloved Haiti. The second cookout was for the EM residents. It was nice to meet the residents and their wives. Two of the wives invited me on a bike ride. Hesitantly, I accepted. Monday my new friends picked me up and we drove south 45 minutes to this great bike trail that meandered through farms and along a river. VERY BEAUTIFUL. We rode 11.5 miles to a quaint little town where we ate lunch and had some ice cream. Then we rode back... I'm not kidding, I think I about died. For all of you who teased us about how cold we were going to be, it was 98 degrees that day and the last 2 miles were straight up hill! :( Anyway, I had lots of fun, drank lots of gatorade, and recovered by the next day. Maybe my new friends will get me into shape. :)

true

2009-05-22T17:40:00.002-05:00

Paul Farmer

2009-05-22T01:32:00.005-05:00

Many have given great praise for Paul Farmer, the physician that has done great things in the mountains of Haiti. I want to bring to light an analysis of the man done by the author of the previous book in the last post. I believe it is needed to fully understand this man.

"Significantly, in his extensive writings on Haiti, Farmer also never addressed thw wholesale slaughter of it merchant class by Dessalines or the century of internecine feuding between independence and the U.S. occupation of the early twentieth century as having in any way further helped impoverish the country. For Farmer, and Aristide's other apologists, it was as if no Haitian history transpired between the departure of the French and the arrival of the americans in 1915 strange for a man with such deep experience in Haiti. It was as if then as now the Haitian were little more that pawns of the larger world powers with no ability to analyze and no responsibility for the events that swirled around them. Once, when asked to address a group of intellectuals in the Haitian capital interested in his work, Farmer look out onto the audience and declaimed.. "Where are these people?". One of those in attendance, the very eminent and self made Haitian sociologist Laennec Hurbon questioned "Would he go to Harvard and say "where are the people?" I guess he feels safe talking to us like that because we are Haitians." The stark flaw in Farmer's analysis of Haiti seemed to be very similar to that of his close friend Aristide in that viewed people as either vistims, to be helped and protected, or victimizers, to be denounced and is Aristide's view, killed. When one extended the analysis to the level that Aristide took it - that hi himself was above all , the symbol for all the victimized downtrodden of Haiti and that any attack against him even if it came for that same disenfranchised sector, represented and assault on all the suffering of Haiti - the leap to a pernicious megalomania was not far off. Of course Farmer had devoted his life to helping not destroying the poor of haiti but in their writings and public pronouncements I found this urge toward absolutes, with themselves as the great leaders, was something that Aristide and Farmer pointedly shared."

Speaking of the events of the Aristide administration:

"As for Farmer I could not explain or credit his willful ignorance of the events that were transpiring around the country with regards to those that he had devoted his life to protecting and helping - that is, the poorest of the poor - and how their victimization en masse by a criminal government served only to exacerbate the problems of instability, poverty, incompetence and corruption that made his presence in Haiti so necessary in the first place. His insistence that his own slice of Haiti - where thousands had benefited from a state of the art hospital run by advocates of the regime, when the Aristide government savvily brought in improvement projects to confirm the existing views of the doctor and his staff - represented the entire country, represented something I found smacking not a little of colonial arrogance, despite its progressive trappings."

"Very much like Aristide, Farmer's over-romanticization of the "loyal" poor meant the individuals of modest means who had become educated to the point where they could actually challenge his analysis of their plight... were utterly worthless traitors to the cause of lower-class solidarity he had built up in his mind. It was utterly intolerable to him that products of Haiti's peasant heartland... would dare voice and opinion that challenged his own. The idea that somehow the poor, such as those who lived in Cite Soleil and Hinch, were somehow less worthy as human beings because they dared criticize his hero (Aristide) was a repugnant one to me and one that I could not help but voice my opposition to."

Notes From the Last Testament

2009-05-22T01:18:00.005-05:00

I want to pass on a great book I just finished reading. This book is the best explanation of the past regime of Aristide in the country of Haiti that I have found. The violent abuses perpetrated are well detailed here. The greatest accomplishment of the book is honesty. Unlike others who try to blame everyone but the ones directly responsible for the atrocities that happened there (see the book "damming the flood" by an author that has visited Haiti twice and purports to be an expert, this author lived in Haiti throughout these years and writes of what he saw with his own eyes. No one escapes blame, whether it be the upper class of Haiti, the president, the UN, CARICOM, the US or whoever. This is not the type of thing you will ever hear in the mainstream press as most have a very manufactured view of the history of Haiti (i.e. its completly the rich white americans fault)

Im sure not many of you are as interested in this subject as I am but if you ever want to learn more about it or if you ever hear the falsehoods being perpetuated by the american left about this country, read this book for a fresh dose of truth.

In the authors own words (who I have been able to converse with through email recently):

"I knew as I was writing Notes that telling the full, unvarnished truth about what happened in Haiti between 1994 and 2004 would anger many powerful people and leave very few - including the U.S. government, the Fanmi Lavalas party, the Haitian elite, CARICOM and others - unscathed in its criticism for the roles they all played in Haiti's sad descent. But given the suffering that I saw everyday in Haiti, it seemed like the least that I could do. So many I knew in Haiti sacrificed so much more."

True Spirituality

2009-05-22T01:07:00.006-05:00

What is the true Christian life? what is true spirituality? Please think upon these things (fromt he book to the right):

1. The true christian life, true spirituality, does no just mean that we have been born again. It must begin there, but it means much more that that. It does not mean only that we are going to be in heaven. It does mean that, but it means much more then that. The true Christian life, true spirituality in the present life, means more than being justified and knowing that I am going to heaven

2. It is not just a desire to get rid of taboos in order to live an easier and looser life. Out desire must be for a deeper life. And when I begin to think of this, the Bible presents to me the whole of the Ten Commandments and the whole of the law of Love.

3. True spirituality, the true Christian life, is not just outward but it is inward- it is not to covet against either God or man.

4. But it is even more than this: it is positive- positive in inward reality and then positive in outward results. The inward thing is to be positive and not just negative; and the sweeping out of the inward positive reality, there is to be a positive manifestation externally. It is not just that we are dead to certain things, but we are to love God, we are to be alive to Him , we are to be in communion with him, in this present moment in history. And we are to love men, to be alive to men and men and to be in communication on a true personal level with men, in this present moment in history.

2009-05-20T22:56:00.003-05:00

To come to grips with the following is what allows true freedom.

Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it. - E. Lutzer

Painting/Last Day of School/Disney

2009-05-20T15:22:00.005-05:00

As a going away gift, the St. Francis girls spent the day painting pottery for my new house. Not only was it a day full of fun and food, I get to take three beautiful flower pots to my new house to remember my dear friends by. All of these girls are special to my heart. I cherish each and everyone of them and hope they always know how much I love them and will miss them.

Hard to believe it but Elliott had his last day of medical school last Friday. YIPPEE!!! I just can't believe how the fours years have gone by so fast. I know he is looking forward to what's to come as he closes this chapter of his life.

Yes, we're finally home from our vacation to Disney. We spent 8 days with his parents, his sister and her friend. We had lots of fun as always and enjoyed the little break from the stress here at home. Now we're back full swing trying to close on the house, pack, work, graduate, and move 800 miles away all in the next 10 days! Should be fun :)

SBS Yard Sale

2009-04-29T08:41:00.005-05:00

Since so many of us SBS girls are moving and would like to move as little as possible, we decided to have a group yard sale. So last Saturday morning we woke up early and spent the day at AO's house selling all our old treasures. Not only was it fun hanging out with friends all morning, we actually had a VERY successful sale and ended up selling $725!

Nine Special Reasons I Drive to Middle TN

2009-04-21T21:28:00.002-05:00

My Latest Crafts

2009-04-19T14:37:00.006-05:00

So, I haven't been able to post my latest projects because they were ALL gifts! Now I have given them all to their rightful owners and can let you all see.

It was my sweet niece's 1st birthday so she received this pretty dress to celebrate the occasion.
One of my friends is having a little girl, so I made her own nappy bag to use as her diaper bag along with a changing pad to change little Lily.
Another dear friend is having a little one, but wanted something a little different. So, here is the diaper bag I made her. It's quite a bit bigger and has a magnetic strap to keep it closed. She picked orange and brown because they aren't finding out the sex of the baby. What a fun surprise!!!
I forgot to take a picture of my other project - a blanket for my nephew. He is a sweety and asked me to sew him something for his birthday. So I made him a baseball quilt to wrap in on car rides or when he's watching movies. He really was quite proud of it.

Our First House

2009-04-17T15:12:00.009-05:00

Last minute, Elliott and I decided to pack up our stuff and go to Minnesota to look for houses. We left on Saturday around noon, stopped in Iowa City for the night, then drove the rest of the way through a blizzard Sunday morning. We finally arrived to breezy Rochester after 14 hours of travel. Sunday night we sorted through 150 house listings, narrowing it down to 26 houses. Monday we met Nita, our God sent realtor. Nina narrowed the list down even more according to area and resale possibilities. By, 2pm we had seen every house on the list. By 4pm, we narrowed it down to 3 houses. By 7pm, we put in an offer. By 9pm, we had agreed on a price! It really was an easy process. Elliott has been wonderful taking care of all the paperwork just telling me where to sign. The inspection stuff went through this week. Now, we just have to hand over a bunch of money and we'll have a home to call our own. We're so excited and feel very blessed to have this opportunity!

Ready for the Cold

2009-03-31T14:00:00.002-05:00

So I was sorting out and packing the other day and found these.
Who knew we had them?
I think that they will come in handy the next few years.
What do you think? Aren't we cute?

Caduceus Ball

2009-03-31T13:50:00.008-05:00

Pretty Hair: Check

Cute Shoes: Check

Handsome Date: Check

Good Friends: Check

Good Food: Check

Dancing: Check

= FUN NIGHT!

Heading Off

2009-03-22T15:29:00.003-05:00

Its official, Mayo Clinic will be the next destination. Also, yes its true, I will be moving to the frigid north and into an igloo. I have been extremely blessed by God throughout this entire medical education process which is now in its eighth year (8 of 11).
While looking through a composite picture of our class of 150 on the first day of medical school it hit me, only 125 made it through to match this week. Looking at the faces I saw many that have fallen away, some to join other classes, some to illness, and still many more to leave the dream of becoming a physician all together. These individuals were as smart and most times smarter then me. So why now are some of us preparing to embark on this journey and some not? There are many answers, for some there is no answer at all, for myself there is Christ. He is the reason I began this path and the only reason I am still standing at this point. How humbling it is to understand that I have been given the chance to not only become a physician but blessed to train at one of the top hospitals in the world. If the truth is "to live is Christ and to die is gain", and if the next few years don't kill me, I will live with the desire to follow his path and stand back in awestruck amazement as I could never have anticipated, or even dreamed what has unfolded up to this point or what is awaiting us in the future.

Rochester, MN

2009-03-22T08:12:00.011-05:00

Except for missing EVERYONE, I really think this is going to be a neat experience.

Quick Facts about Rochester:

The WHOLE reason for going: Mayo Clinic
Start Date: June 22, 2009
Things to Do: Theater, Museums, 400 Restaurants, Water Activities, 75 miles from Minneapolis, Play in Snow
County Population: 139,747 in 2007
Distance from Murfreesboro, TN: 794.64 miles
Weather :

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Annual
Max °F	19.9	26.2	38.7	54.8	67.7	76.6	80.1	77.5	69.2	56.9	38.7	24.5	52.6
Mean °F	11.8	18.4	30.6	44.7	56.9	66.1	70.1	67.7	58.9	47.0	31.2	17.3	43.4
Min °F	3.7	10.6	22.6	34.6	46.1	55.6	60.1	58.0	48.7	37.1	23.7	10.1	34.2

Match Day - The Letter Spells Mayo Clinic

2009-03-22T08:04:00.003-05:00

Presenting the letter we've been waiting for for OH SO LONG!
It's official! Elliott will be a resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN!!!

Match Day is Promising

2009-03-16T15:09:00.004-05:00

So for all of you who have been waiting - WE MATCHED!

We find out where on Thursday.

Until then, we're enjoying a visit from my sister and her four kids. :)

My Birthday Weekend

2009-03-12T21:20:00.004-05:00

The last weekend of February, I celebrated my 26th birthday! We were able to go to Murfreesboro and spend a wonderful weekend with family and friends. Friday night, I met my sisters and mom to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. That night was full of laughs as we told stories, dropped tickets and ate until we were about to bust. Saturday morning, Granny took ET, his mom, and me to Cracker Barrel. I got my favorite steak biscuits and hashbrown casserole. Saturday night I met my girl friends for facials and dinner at Demos'. We were all very beautiful after our FREE facials. That night it snowed several inches. So Sunday morning, we went out to mom's for fun in the snow with all my brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. We played until the snow melted and then went in for hot chocolate. Mom made my favorite pork roast for dinner and chocolate cake AND chocolate delight for dessert. It was all YUMMY! The best part of the day was getting to meet my new niece for the first time.

I love these girls - Rachel, Kim, me, Emily, Gena, and Dovota

Some of the Kumpf clan - Andi, Molly, Melissa, me and my brother Nathaniel

Piled in the cow trough waiting to "sled"

How we sled on Kumpf mountain. He isn't as careful with his sisters in there as he is with the kids. IT'S LOTS OF FUN!Our dog wanted to play too! :)Introducing McKenna Lea Kumpf!
I made her the little hat for her birthday present. I think it's pretty cute myself.

What? My husband is DEAD?

2009-03-12T21:06:00.003-05:00

With the changes in the economy, ET and I have decided to change the company who manages our investments. Our broker calls me the other day to inform me that when he typed in ET's social security number into the database, the system said ET was deceased! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I reassured him that in fact my husband is alive and well as evidenced by the daily sock deposit next to the bed. :) Don't worry. ET called the SS office and they have reassured us that the system records him alive and well. We got a good giggle out of it!

PS Match Day is 1 week away!

Lord Protect My Heart From Forming Grudges

2009-03-02T10:55:00.005-06:00

Have you ever felt like you just don't fit in anywhere?

Often times, I've been teased by people I work with about my beliefs. They ask in a laughing manner if I'm Amish because no one thinks or acts like me. Most days, I don't mind because I know truth; however, it can be a very lonesome place when no one understands your love for the Lord and how it is part of everything in my life.

Now it seems that the opposite has occurred. My conservative friends have decided that I'm not modest enough.

I don't know what to say other than my feelings are hurt.

And The Winner Is...

2009-02-26T12:10:00.004-06:00

I have an exciting announcement! Fabric.com contacted me last week and has awarded me and one of my readers a gift certificate. So I wrote the 5 names of those who commented on my two sewing blogs on pieces of paper and had Jessica, my sweet co-worker, draw a name.
So the winner of the gift certificate is...

LILI!!!

Buttercups, Birthdays, and Rank Lists

2009-02-25T07:44:00.002-06:00

The buttercups in front of my house are blooming. They are special because my mom gave them to me to help it feel like home. I always get excited to see them peek out because that means spring is coming, a wonderful thing for someone who dislikes the cold!

Saturday is my 26th birthday! I always like birthday time, mostly because it's the only time I get to eat all the dessert I want and not feel bad :) (Notice the cupcake background) I'm looking forward to going the the Boro this weekend and spending time with friends and family. So far, the plans are a girl movie, Marble Slab, breakfast with Granny, dinner, facials, and of course, Sunday lunch with the fam. My sister Rachel is insuring that I have my favorite dessert to celebrate - fudge brownies with Turtle Tracks ice cream, chocolate delight, and/or chocolate cake with cookies n cream ice cream. YUM! YUM! My mouth is watering already! :)

Well, today is the day! After many months of applications, traveling, interviews, and LOTS of praying, we finally completed a rank list. It took a lot of researching and talking, but we delved through all the details and made one decision at a time. It's amazing because we are completely at peace about our choices. Don't ask because we're not telling anyone how we ranked anything, but I will tell you that the list could take us any where! It's really exciting having no idea about where we might end up. This is good because there won't be much disappointment when we find out. We really just trust and pray that the Lord will send us where ever He wants us and where ever we can glorify Him the most.

C'est Finit!

2009-02-17T14:17:00.003-06:00

I finished my Nappy bag designed by Amy Butler. It's suppose to be a stylish and fun diaper bag. One of my good friends is having a little girl, and I wanted to do something special for her. So I decided to make her a Nappy Bag. But first I wanted to do a practice round. Voila! I love the bright colors! I'm keeping this one for me to keep my crocheting things in. As you can see there are several pockets, even one for your cell phone! The pattern comes with a design for a changing pad; however I won't need that for my bag but will include it in my friends gift. Happy Sewing!!!

Haiti Articles

2009-02-17T09:31:00.002-06:00

The work we're doing in Haiti is getting a little recognition. Here is an article that has been printed on the work.

DNJ - Murfreesboro TN
http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902170315

Another nice article was written in the UT Alumni Magazine too. Unfortunately, I'm unable to upload it.

Sewing away...

2009-02-14T14:48:00.010-06:00

A new JoAnn's opened near us last week; so two of my closest Memphis friends and I went and spend a couple of hours inspecting and admiring all the different fabric. We came across this adorable fabric that I just could not pass up.

So we matched it up with this really cute green/white polka dot flannel.

And I made this the next day.

The sewing isn't perfect, and I did have to rip a few things out and redo them. The biggest fluke of all was when I ironed the fusible batting to my ironing board : ) Any ideas for getting it off? Please let me know. Overall, it was a lot of fun, and I really like the outcome.

My next project:

With this great fabric!

The Long Awaited Post - Haiti Jan 09

2009-02-10T11:25:00.016-06:00

I know we're not very good about showing pictures of our Haiti trips, and if we do, it's forever after we get back. Here is my effort to do better. The trip went wonderful with only a few glitches. The crew consisted of Papa Rudolph, Gin, Micheal, Caleb, Anna, Jacob, ET, and myself. We met up with Jeriah, Lamar, and our Haitian friends and headed out to Patmos, the village we are treating for the iodine deficiency. We did three days of clinic including a day that Jacob, Papa, and I hiked to nearby schools to collect urine samples and dose the children with the iodine. We finished up with a 2 day clinic in Karfou a town outside of Port Au Prince. At times during the trip things can become mentally, emotionally, and physically grueling; however, the Lord always reveals Himself and His will encouraging us as we press on joyously serving the One and Only God.

Packing the truck that will carry all the meds, our luggage, and 13 people.

I loved going to the school. It was so much fun trying to get the kids to swallow pills then pee in a cup. They were very disciplined and did a wonderful job!

Patients come from far away and wait for a long time to receive treatment. Elliott did a great job capturing the beauty of the people.

ET working hard on a little girl.

Anna and the pharmacy

All the kids get wormer. They don't like it, but if they eat it they get candy!

These 5 month twins girls waited while their mama was treated for diptheria. The mom was so sick the husband went to buy a coffin from town. Praise God for His divine timing. Now the babies will have a mama to raise them.

Proof our treatment is working! Her goiter is getting smaller.
The ladies from LBC provided a polaroid camera and film so we could take pictures of families. They absolutely loved it and some even cried when I handed them the photo.

In the mornings, I would help the ladies shell the pwa congo (beans). They mixed them with rice for lunch.
ET conquered the mountain once again.

And I leave you with a sweet video of the school kids singing to us to thank us for the treatment.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-31T10:02:00.001-06:00

1. I am one of seven children, and no we're not Catholic or Mormon.
2. The first words my husband said to me the day we met were, "I'm glad I put pants on!"
3. I've done mission work in the States, Nepal, Peru, and Haiti.
4. I believe we are saved by grace through faith alone.
5. My left side of ribs sticks out farther than the right side. And my sternum is crooked. I think my eldest brother has the same problem
6. I hope to have four babies then adopt some. If I can't have babies, I'm ok with adopting.
7. On that note, I would like to have them naturally. I would do a c-section if medically necessary, but I think being induced is the unwisest decision because it almost always ends up in c-section.
8. I love basketball and really, really miss playing it. Thought about joining a league.
9. I ran a half marathon. Been there, done that, probably won't do it again.
10. I have lived in Memphis for three years, but I am moving in June.
11. In my ideal world, I would work one day a week and stay home the rest so I could sew, crochet, scrapbook, cook supper, visit friends, get more involved in church, volunteer, etc. I just don't feel like I have very much time working 3-4 12 hour shifts a week.
12. For my next vacation, I would like to go to the Riveria Maya in Mexico. Please Elliott!!! :)
13. My favorite food - a fat juicy hamburger!
14. My husband loves me a lot, even all my quirks. I never knew someone could love me that much.
15. I like to watch TV sometimes, but there's not much on worth watching. Don't think we're ever have cable and will just watch movies the rest of our lives.
16. Some day I hope to have 100 acres, 2 black labs, some cows, ducks, a pond, a civil war looking house, a tree lined driveway that we can put lights on at Christmas, a house full of children, and family close by.
17. I like antiquing and finding great treasures, but the only people in my life who really appreciate it as much a me is my mom and sister Rachel.
18. I love girl nights.
19. Since being with my husband, we been to Disney 6 times and are going back this summer. Needless to say we LOVE going!
20. I don't like the idea of denominations. I think God sees us as His or not. I really don't think we'll be seated in Heaven according to whether we're Baptist, Pentacostal, Mennonite, etc. I appreciate the differences in each ones convictions, but don't think we should put our own convictions on others or allow minor issues such as wearing veils, a sip of wine here and there, dancing in church, types of music, etc divide us in our one true mission - to glorify Him. I think that we allow these things to divide us when we should unite as one like the Bible says. Then we could bring great change to the world. Maybe it's a ploy from Satan to make us weaker, who knows.
21. I really do love being a nurse, just don't like all the politics.
22. I have been blessed with wonderful girl friends and dread the idea of having to make new friends wherever we move.
23. I love watching football. My husband laughs when he comes home to me laying on the cough watching a game all by myself.
24. I love color! I love wearing color! (I hate wearing black or white!) I love painting my house with different colors! (I had to break ET in slowly, but look forward to using bolder colors in my next home!) ET has always told me I bring color to his life :)
25. I think we'll end up on the mission field. And as much as I look forward to it, I dread the idea of not being close to my family because I really do love them a whole lot!