Growing in Grace

Doe- a -Deer

2012-01-28T22:42:00.000-08:00

It feels like yesterday that my bubs was this small ( 2 months old here). I can still sit in that same rocking chair and hold him in my lap, but it recently occurred to me that he won't always fit on my lap, or want to for that matter!

Tonight he asked me to rock him in this chair and sing him "Doe-a-Deer" from the sound of music. He heard it on a kids Pandora station and LOVES the song. I was in heaven tonight as my snuggly sick boy (103 temp for the 3rd day in a row, poor baby) laid so still in my arms and sang along with me. I will always cherish these sweet moments with my boys. I love you Bubba!

DIY- Framed Pin Board

2012-01-28T21:15:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to get this done since the summer, but you know how it goes! Well it sure is nice to finally have a pin board in our home, I have always wanted one since I need visual reminders to keep me on track in life... I put this in our laundry room and it was super easy to make.

My mom snagged this huge ugly framed art from a thrift store really cheap for me to paint black. I went to Target and bought two packages of the cork board with the adhesive backing and stuck it over the art, and there you have it!

PS the photo calendar is from Great Uncle Brian- who makes these for the cousins. Thanks Uncle B!

Monster Cookies

2012-01-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

My mom used to make a version of these when we were kids and we just LOVED them! These cookies are a combination of all the best cookie ingredients combined. They are big and full of yummy stuff...hence the name Monster :). I used an oatmeal cookie recipe that I got from school as the base for this recipe and then added all the yummy stuff.

Monster Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup each: mini chocolate chips, peanut butter, m&m’s, roasted salted peanuts

preheat oven to 350

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

Stir butter mixture into flour mixture. Stir in oats and remaining ingredients until combined.

Chill dough 15 min.

Scoop dough onto cookie sheet using an ice cream scooper and bake 20-25 min or until edges turn golden.

Rainy Day Fun!

2012-01-23T20:57:00.000-08:00

We had a fun day today despite the rain...I let Weston get completely drenched and freezing, but he had a blast splashing in our flooded back yard. I also brought out some toys I saved from the boys birthday parties for a day such as this and they were thrilled to play with something new!

Sicilian Stew

2012-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is a really yummy comfort food dish, and the leftovers taste even better the next day...love that!

Sicilian Stew

1 package seasoned chicken sausage casings removed

2 cups broccoli florets

1 can white beans

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

4 small potatoes diced

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 small onion chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1- 2 jars finishing sauce or marinara sauce ( I used a Provencal sauce from Fresh and easy)

serve over rice or pasta

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and potato. cook until potato browns slightly and onions are soft about 10 min over med-high heat stirring often. Add garlic and rosemary and cook 5 min. Add sausage and cook until almost cooked through, breaking up the sausage as you stir. Add remaining ingredients and cover and simmer about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are soft and sausage is cooked through.

Gabe's 1st cut

2012-01-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

As much as it kills me to cut the boys hair for the first time ( it's like the beginning of the end of their babyhood!) it has to be done. And as you can see this poor baby needed a cut badly! Here are the before and after pics. He did great sitting still as long as there was a cookie in his mouth :)

Before

After

I just love this little squishy face!

Chillin with Papa

2012-01-16T11:37:00.001-08:00

Andrew, Gabe & I were away this weekend for the high school winter camp and Weston got to stay home and have a special weekend with Papa! They had so much fun & Weston enjoyed the special attention and fun activites...park, MacDonalds, Ice cream truck, long walks and baseball! Thanks Papa for loving our sweet boy this weekend! He loves you so much!

2012-01-16T11:34:00.001-08:00

The Recipe "Project"

2012-01-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

One of my New Year's "projects" ( I am not saying "resolutions" this year because the word is much too scary for this stage of my life!") is to go through all of my saved recipes over the years and remake them to decide if they are worthy to keep or to toss...and then to create a family cookbook for us! I have always dreamed of a cookbook in which every recipe is something that I would love to make! A go-to cook book in which every recipe is tried and true and perfect for us. So I thought I would share with you all since I am going to be snapping pics and writing out the recipes on the computer anyways... here goes!

Berry Clafouti

This is perfect for brunch or dessert and you can put anything you like into it! It is a cross between a custard/crepe...very yummy and comes together in a snap.

( Thank you Martha Stewart for this recipe, I have made it with cranberries and blueberries and both are wonderful)

1 T. unsalted butter, to butter baking dish

1/2 cup plus 2 T. granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 T all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

1 cup chilled heavy cream

3/4 cup whole milk

2 tsp finely grated orange zest

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries or blueberries

Garnish: powdered sugar for brunch or ice cream for dessert

preheat oven to 400. Butter a 1 quart baking dish, sprinkle 2 T granulated sugar over bottom. Sift remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the flour and the salt into a large bowl. Gradually whisk in eggs, 3/4 cup cream, the milk and zest.
Scatter berries into dish, pour batter over top. Bake until puffed, slightly set, and brown around edges, 32 to 34 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 15 min. It will sink.
Whisk remaining 1/4 cup cream until soft peaks form. Dust clafouti with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream

The Costco Sandwich

2012-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Whenever I shop at Costco, I never leave without these items in my cart: a couple rotisserie chickens and the rosemary olive oil bread. The chickens are amazing and the price is unbeatable and the bread is just so yummy and fresh! I use the chickens for a handful of recipes and pop the bread in the freezer ( the package come with two big loaves) until the perfect meal requires it.

Today I thought I would make a sandwich with my fav Costco deals since I am always hungry and tired after an adventure there!

Simply slice the yummy bread, spread with your favorite dijon mustard, add some crisp lettuce and some shredded chicken still warm from the store and your treat is complete!

Mmmmmmm :)

Big Bear for the New Year

2012-01-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

My parents were so kind to take us to Big Bear for the New Year! We stayed 3 nights in a mountain house and had a blast! The weather was perfect. We enjoyed the slopes, went on walks looking at all the interesting homes and just hung out in the cabin together. Everyone enjoyed getting out of the valley for a few days!

The house next to ours, isn't it cute?!

This guy was so happy the whole way there. He was so excited to see snow for the first time! He had only seen it on TV before.

Weston's first snow man- "Frosty" of course!

My dad thought it would be fun to let the boys play with snow inside the house!

Hooking up the WIFI...can't have vacation with out it :)

Grace

2012-01-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

"Amazing Grace , how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me..."

These are my favorite words to my favorite song, that I now sing to my boys on a regular basis when they are upset and when mommy needs to take a breath :)

Since coming to our church, Grace Community Church, I have come to understand what true Grace is, and it is amazing. It is also amazing to see how little grace there is in the world and why the world is in such desperate need of a true understanding of God's grace.

I am giving our blog a new title- Growing in Grace- as a prayer that this year and every year to come would show us as a family growing in grace because of the grace that has been given to us by the Lord. As Christians we should be the ultimate grace givers because we understand the sacrifice that Christ made for us when we least deserved it. But I fear that we look so much like the world in this area: how often do we lose patience, groan at other drivers on the road, fight for the best places in line, judge without knowing the whole story, get defensive and forget to love? These are the little things in life that would make us shine, stand out in a dark world... but we are so busy and tired that we kill our witness opportunities with our bad attitudes!

As for me I am tired of doing this and I am praying that the Lord would grow and change me to be more like Him! Join me in this fight against selfishness and gracelessness and to God be the glory!

Our little Christmas

2012-01-04T14:20:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas despite all the sickness that entered our home for the holidays! The kids have been healthy all year, so it just figures that they would get hit hard right now. But we got lots of cute pics and probably only a mommy can tell by looking into their eyes that they were sick :) Fevers, coughs and LONG sleepless nights didn't affect the kiddos excitement however!

It was a good reminder to me that no matter how hard we try to make things picture perfect...it's not going to happen this side of heaven and that's ok. This life makes us long for eternity with Christ when he returns!

We have so enjoyed spending an extended time with my family. What a blessing!

Christmas Eve morning brunch

Weston was SO excited to wear his Christmas tie...even though we didn't go anywhere :)

Cousin Ryder

This kid LOVES to eat these days and consumes more than his brother and cousin combined!

Silly Grandpa!

I made a fun and different dinner Christmas night: Brussel Sprout and wild rice salad, Chipotle Cranberry sweet potatoes, and Halibut baked in parchment paper.

Big bear getaway

2011-12-29T18:13:00.000-08:00

We are spending a few days with family in the snow...see you in the new year!

2011-12-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T21:01:00.001-08:00

Thanking the Lord tonight for His incarnation, the Word became flesh, so that we have a Great High Priest who intercedes for us! Happy Birthday Jesus is what we are saying these days! We have loved the simplicity of the Christmas story as we are teaching Weston what Christmas is all about... a love story that a child can understand and one that most grown men don't accept. We pray that our boys will always be in wonder at truth of Christmas, and that the Truth would change their hearts to love and obey Jesus Christ, God became man. I am thankful this Christmas for getting back to the basics of this wonderful story, HIStory! Merry Christmas and happy new year!

Helping Grandpa

2011-12-24T20:23:00.001-08:00

Weston has loved helping grandpa do things around the house...here they are making a new air filter!

Hangin in our Jams

2011-12-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Here's my sweet sick boys still in their pjs ( & so was mommy!) in the middle of the day playing so sweetly. Yes, Weston is sick now too but we are actually enjoying the down time and a few Christmas cookies are always a good way to ease the pain :)
My fav recipes to follow!

O what fun! - revised

2011-12-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Lest we get too comfortable and relaxed, this holiday season needed a little drama I guess!

Gabe came down with a sudden case of croup which warranted a trip to the ER last night due to breathing difficulty in the middle of the night~ everyone is tired but doing great :) Gabe was given a steroid shot for his lungs and by passed a full waiting room of people since he was having trouble breathing. He is sooo much better today. Please pray for this coming week as our family comes into town and that no one else catches it. We are thanking the Lord for good care at the hospital and that this is the only sickness that we have dealt with this year!

O what fun!

2011-12-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

This holiday season has been remarkably calm with the perfect amount of busy and we have so enjoyed all the "Christmasy" things with the boys! One Sunday night after evening service there was a fun time of music, cookies and a family photo op...see pic above and then the pics below were a fun little day trip to Dland with my friend Hilary and her boys as well as a sweet Highschool student Kariann who came along to help us with all the kiddos! Despite Weston's face, he had a blast with his friend Jacob and Jackson.

PS I'm known as a Disneyland hater, its kinda true... but I have to say that they do a fabulous job transforming the place into a beautiful Christmas wonderland! My favorite were all the real poinsettias everywhere!! ( and of course the giant tree)

A better "breaded" fish

2011-12-15T14:33:00.001-08:00

Our family loves fish. I tried a new method making a breaded fish and it was easier, healthier and still tasted great! I served it with the greens and garlic stir fry and some steamed organic red potatoes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

rinse and pat dry your white fish fillets ( i used tilapia for this recipe) and place in a greased roasting pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small skillet combine 1 pat butter, 1 T Panko bread crumbs/per fillet as well as 1 tsp dried parsley and 1 tsp spice mix of your choice.

Toast bread crumbs over med. heat until butter melts and crumbs are golden. Top each fillet with the bread crumb mixture and bake for 10 min or until done and fish flakes easily with fork. And you are done! no messy 3 step breading process! yay

Greens and Garlic stir fry

2011-12-14T20:24:00.001-08:00

This is super easy and super healthy!

Chop up 3 celery sticks, 1 bunch spinach and 1/2 head green cabbage. Heat 2 T olive oil in pan and add 2 cloves minced garlic. Throw in the greens and sauté until spinach is wilted and cabbage is tender. Season with S & P. Add leftover brown rice to the mix or even chicken to make this a main dish.

It has a nice crunch and the simple flavors are great. I used this as a side for our dinner tonight!

Our Christmas Tree Adventure

2011-12-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

I love my husband :) He is "Mr. Christmas"! He loves Christmas ALOT...one of the many reasons I love this man. He loves everything about Christmas so he makes celebrating this time of year so fun. No Mr. Scrooge in this house!

Well, this year is extra special in that we get to celebrate Christmas for the first time in our own house! Which means...that we can finally get a Christmas tree for the first time since we have been married. It never made sense to invest in a tree that we would be leaving half of December alone in the house. Plus we have never had room for one until now anyway. So Mr. Christmas decided to make this tree getting thing a fun big deal since it is our first time.

He surprised us by getting train tickets for the family to ride a vintage train to a cut-ur-own tree lot in Fillmore! What a fabulous day! The train was decked out with lights and ornaments inside, it served snacks and hot cocoa, and even Santa came by to every kid handing out candy canes which the boys loved. The ride was so beautiful as we traveled through fields and mountains. Weston LOVED running around the trees and was fascinated by them "falling off"

( he meant falling down) when people cut them down.

Thanks Daddy for this fun surprise and such a fun memory together!

Gabe lovin the train ride

Look at this guy posing in the trees :) Can you tell he is trouble?!

It has been fun to decorate the house as well and I found this fun idea on Pinterest to display cards. They used a big frame, but I had this old window that I got for $5...I like mine better! :) So easy to make. Just attach twine to the back of a frame or whatever and clothes pin the cards.

A few friends and I got together to make these Christmas banners. We all chose different sayings. It was so fun! Easy as well. All you need is some burlap, stencils, fabric paint and ribbon.

The front room decorated for Christmas. we love the smell of a cut tree. Weston and Gabe think it is so fun to be in here now. They can barely keep their hands off the ornaments or out of the fireplace :) Weston says "No touch mommy's deco-asions" and Gabe says "uh oh" when he gets near the fireplace. They want the tree lights to be on all day and I gladly agree! If you look closely you can see Gabe scooting around on the floor.

We have also been having fun teaching Weston about Christmas this year since he can grasp a bit more than last year. Although half the time he thinks baby Jesus is baby David

(he really likes David and his sheep)...so funny!

Thanksgiving in Manteca

2011-12-09T14:18:00.001-08:00

Of course we had so much fun and of course the time just flew by! It is so much fun to get these cousins together- they play so well with eachother. It is fun for us girls too, we fit in a couple little shopping trips and the boys ( men) loved the football!

Nanni outfitted the kids in matching PJ's- thanks nanni!

Love this pic of papa watching his grandkids playing in the yard in their pajamas...love vacation!

Weston snacking from Auntie's garden

This kid is intense about his tee- ball :)

The meal was held for the first time at Nanni's house and we did it in the garage that was transformed to a fun and cozy dining room!

When you came in, you had to write on the wall with chalk what you were thankful for...I put my "boys"

Jon the Turkey master! This turkey was smoked and had the most amazing flavor- very different!

Feeling Chatty

2011-12-05T20:19:00.001-08:00

Weston delights us every day these days with new and funny things he is saying! It is amazing when your kids become verbal and you get a peek into their minds and how they work and what they think about the world around them.

Tonight Weston said his clearest and longest sentences to date...Andrew and I both about fell over!

Daddy: " You have chocolate all over your face!"

Weston: " Ya I have chocolate on my mouth...know why?"

Daddy: "why"

Weston: "because I had cookie this morning!" ( he meant evening)

He actually said all those words clearly! So weird and fun :)

...Just had to share

Celebrating Gabe

2011-12-04T13:50:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun celebrating our peanut! We had a sweet day with him on his actual bday opening a few presents and cards, then Papa Ray came into town as well as my sis, cousin Ryder, and Omie and Grandpa! We had a small bday party for him on that Saturday evening.

(In the pic above daddy is giving Gabe bday kisses before work...I have such handsome boys!)

here Gabe is having his birthday eggs, one of his favs

Opening presents with mommy and Daddy that night

Papa going with the boys on their weekly Saturday walk for donuts in the morning...rain or shine!

Lucky me getting kisses from my nephew!

my sis and dad chillin' with Gabe before the little party

We did a green apple theme

The "Caramel Apple Cafe" with 3 kinds of caramel apples, apple shaped cupcakes, and of course the little man's bday cake! We also had apple cider

Gabe eating his special bday dinner: his fav were the mini meat loaves with mashed potatoes

Gabe was very calm about his cake, carefully scraping and eating off the sprinkles and once those were gone, he was done :)

Presents!

Omie showing Gabe his new elmo book from Auntie Leah that makes him laugh every time!

Weston liked Gabe's birthday presents too

Isn't she a beautiful mommy?! I love you sister!

Grandpa with his 3 grandsons at his feet, so FUN!

Getting stronger!

2011-11-29T23:50:00.000-08:00

I heard lots of giggling going on during nap time, so I went to check on Gabe & this is what I found :) So proud of himself! This is the first time he has pulled himself up. Momma is proud too as our little guy is slowly making milestones at his own pace. He finally crawled on his birthday & since then is getting more and more confident everyday. He's small for his age at 18 lbs & seems so much like a little baby to us, which we like :) but the doctors are anxious for a little more from him! As of yesterday he is now speed crawling, pulling up and saying "uh oh". Keep it up kiddo!

Cactus-Ow!

2011-11-25T17:30:00.001-08:00

On our way to my parents house from the Phoenix airport, Weston pointed out the window and said " look at dat!" pointing at a cactus. I explained to him what a cactus was and to not touch them since they will give you a boo boo. For the rest of the week Weston called them

" Cactus- Ow". So cute!

We had a wonderful time with Nanni and my parents while Andrew had a quiet house for a very busy work week. My dad took us on rides in the side car, we relaxed, the boys played with all the toys and gadgets, went shopping, attempted to go out to eat :) and much more! Thanks mom and dad for a wonderful time! Weston still talks about going back to Omie and Grandpa's house!

We had fun looking at horses in the beautiful Arabian horse stables

This guy did this all on his own, he was in heaven

This was Weston's fav activity- using the vacuum with Grandpa in the garage

Easy appetizer

2011-11-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

My mom in law gave me these sweet little glasses for my bday & there are endless possibilities!

I layered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Drizzle a little balsamic dressing and ur done! Perfect to make ahead and fun individual servings. The guys just shot these straight in their mouths :) & the girls used little teaspoons.

On our way!

2011-11-18T16:12:00.001-08:00

A little pit stop at Bravo Farms on our way to Manteca for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-18T16:11:00.001-08:00

Parmesan Truffle Spaghetti Squash with fresh basil

2011-11-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

This turned out super yummy!

Half one squash and take out seeds. Pierce with fork & place cut side up in baking dish with one inch water. Sprinkle flesh with salt pepper garlic salt and drizzle with truffle oil or olive oil. Roast for 1 hour or until soft.

Cool squash & remove flesh with a fork to make the squash "noodles" the fun part! Return squash to baking dish with more salt and pepper to taste as well as another drizzle of truffle oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup fresh shaved Parmesan and 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil as well as 1/2 cup milk. Bake for 20-30 min or until cheese is melted and heated through.

You can find truffle oil at any specialty grocery store. A small bottle goes a long way. I like black truffle oil. It's a bit stronger so you need less for the awesome taste it adds. I'm cheap!

This would make a fun & interesting side at Thanksgiving for a change :) (maybe instead of the green bean casserole??!)

Happy Birthday Baby Gabe!

2011-11-09T13:35:00.001-08:00

A year ago today at 7:02 pm we welcomed this sweet boy into our arms. He was a little dude at 5 lbs 11 oz but he was strong and healthy. We waited 7 hours in the hospital triage room for our turn to get this guy out 2 weeks ahead of schedule for precautionary reasons. 1 hour before the c-section his little heart rate plummeted and an emergency situation almost happened, but the timing was perfect. As the doctor was just washing his hands from last delivery we were whisked into the OR and baby Gabe was out in 5 min perfectly fine! Although the pregnancy and delivery with Gabe were a little less than perfect, this past year has been almost that. He has been an "easy" baby ( if there really is such a thing!) and is turning into a sweet little boy before our eyes.

We pray for our boys that they would love the Lord as their Saviour and source of strength and hope all their life and that they would not only be loving brothers but also brothers in Christ!

Happy Birthday my darling boy- we love you SO much!

The Baby Boy Blues

2011-11-08T14:34:00.001-08:00

Today I'm singing the baby boy blues because tomorrow my baby boy turns 1!! I can't believe it is his birthday already! I will post some new born pics and favs of the year tomorrow but today I thought I would share the sweetness of our little one year old. He brings joy to our home every day with his cute smile and joyful spirit. The year has flown because there were never any moments that I wished would go by more quickly. He sleeps well, eats well and the kid has never even had a fever! He absolutely ADORES Weston and the two of them can be heard chatting to each other in the morning when they wake up! Gabriel you have captured our hearts and we can't wait to celebrate you tomorrow!

Love this weather!

2011-11-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Crock Pot Refried Beans

2011-11-03T11:55:00.001-07:00

I love restaurant refried beans but cringe at the thought of what they put in them to make them taste so good :) I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and have made it a few times, a few different ways. Yummy and easy and it has no added fat!

1 onion peeled and halved

3 cups dried pinto beans

2 T minced garlic

5 tsp salt

1 3/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cumin

9 cups water

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 8 hours. Puree to desired consistency and adjust spices to taste. ( the recipe included some spicy peppers as well, but I left those out to be kid friendly)

Before serving I sprinkled a mexican blend cheese on top and heated in the oven. Tasted just like the restaurant!

This makes a ton of beans so I have some in the freezer as well for later.

Weston the breakdancer

2011-11-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

Getting Spoiled

2011-10-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

Dropped the babes off in Manteca last night with the family, enjoyed this dessert, caramel pumpkin blondies...yum! & now we are on our way to our first HS staff retreat at Camp Nelson. Looking forward to this special weekend & I will be snagging this recipe as well & I'll try & get permission to share it :)

Underwood Farms

2011-10-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun here! This was one of those mommy moments for me...the kind I dreamed about having when I was a little girl looking forward to the future :) It brought me so much joy to see my kiddos having a blast at this sweet place! I am SO grateful for the gift of my family, one I don't deserve, but am ever so thankful for.

Look how proud he is "driving" this thing

First pony ride and he loved it!

Weston kept trying to eat the pumpkins!

...And kiss the pumpkins

He won't share his toys with his brother, but he will with the scarecrow!

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti with Toasted Almonds

2011-10-22T19:19:00.001-07:00

I love almonds- love them. And I found this Cooking Light recipe for Tuscan Almond Biscotti and thought I would try it but add pumpkin pie spice to make it a bit more fall-ish. Turned out yummy!

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup whole almonds, toasted

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Place almonds in a food processor and pulse ten times.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and almonds in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine eggs and extract with a whisk.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture until combined. Dough will be crumbly.

knead lightly until dough comes together.

Divide dough into two equal portions, shaping each portion into a log about 6 in. long and about 1 in. thick. Place the logs about 6 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 for 25 min or until lightly browned. Cool 5 min on rack.

Cut each roll crosswise into 1/2 inch slices or desired thickness. Stand slices upright on baking sheet and bake an additional 14 min. The centers will be slightly soft but will harden as they cool.

2011-10-19T15:19:00.001-07:00

Wild times in AZ- Nanni's 1st motorcycle ride

2011-10-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

FamilyDay

2011-10-17T08:14:00.001-07:00

Since the last room in our house (our bed room!) was complete in the bed bug removal , we decided to take a family day together just the four of us & head to Disneyland for much needed time together just hanging out! We had a great day. With life so busy, we are finding out the importance of sweet times like these. Thx to everyone who has advised us to pause sometimes & just be together :)

2011-10-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Nolan's Nautical Shower and a fun DIY project for me!

2011-10-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

A little while back we had the great privilege of hosting a baby shower in our home ( a first for me!) for my sweet friend Melissa and her 2nd baby boy, Nolan. ( who is now here and a doll!) Her sister Jenny, I , and her friend Jana worked together to make a sweet, intimate and hopefully encouraging time of celebration! The theme was nautical to go along with the theme of the boy's room, and it turned out so cute. One Saturday Andrew and I were on a walk with the boys and we passed by a garage sale...out of the corner of my eye I saw a bunch of nautical stuff and ran over. After haggling a bit over price, I scored some real wood oars and captains wheels for $7 total that only needed a little work to make great shower decor...Yay DIY!

plain and boring, and the other side of the oars had cheesy art that had to go :)

Nothing a little paint can't handle!

Covering that up with Navy

Painting wood letters to personalize the oars with the boys names

Shower Day! Jenny is so creative and has an eye for little touches that make a perfect party!

Exhibit A:

My mom came and helped me with the boys since Andrew was out of town. Thanks mom!

Sweet baby Cooper!

Gabe and Cooper making friends

11 months- playing peek-a-boo

2011-10-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Next month we will be celebrating Gabe's first birthday, wow! He has really grown in the last few weeks...he says momma, dadda, waves hello and claps his hands. He is also listening to commands like "no rolling over" when being changed :) and is able to eat soft finger foods without gagging. But my favorite new trick is that he plays peek-a-boo by himself with his blanket. It's so precious and he gets the biggest kick out of it! I caught the sequence below:

1) cute smile, thinking about it

2) up goes the blanket

3) I'm pretty hilarious!

Peace and Order once again

2011-10-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am loving the fall and loving that our home is feeling like a home again :)

Here are a few shots of the front room that is finally clutter free and the rest of the house is almost there! I should have our bedroom done tomorrow or the next day, but we took a much needed break today and went to a pumpkin patch/harvest carnival...pics to come soon of our super fun day!

Homemade Rice Milk

2011-10-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from bedbug posts :) We are almost done just getting our room back in order and a few more spaces to be re-organized...but life must still go on around that and it has been nice to have Bible study back here and we have a staff meeting tonight! Just no one open our bedroom door- it's scary! On to the rice milk...

Since Gabe was taken off formula and put on rice milk or anything non- dairy (except soy), it has been a budget challenge with the cost of rice milk being $2.50 a quart!!! That's $10 a gallon!!! And this guy drinks over a gallon a week, so you do the math :) Thinking of what can be done, I remembered my sister-in-law saying something about making your own rice milk, so I looked online for a few recipes and tried it out! It's easy but a little time consuming, but the price different makes it way worth the trouble. And both my kids like it. So now I am saving on regular milk as well as Weston drinks the rice milk most of the time too.

The cost of a gallon of homemade rice milk is literally pennies! Whatever the cost of 1 cup of rice is, I think it is 2 cents or something. I like this price.

Homemade rice milk

1 cup brown rice

8 cups water

1 tsp sea salt

pure maple syrup or agave syrup to taste

vegetable oil ( optional, a tsp per blender batch is what I use to give a creamy texture and some extra calories for my skinny boys)

Bring the rice and water to boil then cover and simmer on low heat for 3 hours with a lid.

Stir in salt

Fill up blender half way with rice mixture and half with water adding as much sweetener as you like and oil if you are using it. Blend till smooth.

Strain the milk 2-3 times through a fine mesh strainer discarding the pulp.

Repeat with remaining rice.

I like to use the agave syrup which is much cheaper than real maple syrup but has the same health benefits and a similar taste. This rice milk is a different flavor to get used to, but yummy!

I did like that the store bought milk is vitamin fortified, so I am now giving the boys some baby vitamins to make up for that. Let me know if you try it!

Almost Done!

2011-09-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

The rooms and furniture are done!!! All that's left is a few more bags of clothes to run through the dryer to kill any eggs if they happened to get there...and then put it all back. I have been enjoying getting closets organized and will post a few pics :) Above is when we dumped everything into trash bags, clothes, towels, bedding, everything! We were so blessed to have help in the drying and folding process. It's alot when you do everything at once!

We have spent two nights now back in our room! We were able to purchase a new mattress and boxspring thanks to my parents :) Even though we had fun "camping out" moving our sleeping spot a few times around the house, it is nice to be back in our cozy room. It's still under a heap of stuff but hopefully today it will be put back.

Camping out in the guest room

A beautiful sight- Andrew arriving home with the new mattress

Getting Organized!

Fresh Air

2011-09-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

While the babe was napping, Weston and I gave the front of the house some TLC since it has been neglected during this debugging process. We trimmed plants, got rid of extra pots and not so pretty plants that had been hanging around and then gave everything a hose down...Weston's fav part of course! In a few more days we should be ready again to have folks over!

Let it snow!

2011-09-24T16:02:00.001-07:00

The bug killer came in the form of a fine white powder that needs to applied to all surfaces- let's just say this is pretty interesting! I'm a girl who likes a clean floor so this is really throwing me off :) I pray and pray it works like it says it does and is worth the mess. If this happens again I may just go with the chemical sprays and call it a day!! Weston however loves the mess and Gabe is unaffected as usual by all the chaos around him.

Thank you so much for those who have been praying for us and to those who have stepped in and lent us a hand when we were beginning to think that we couldn't do this! We are so touched by these folks- students too from High School! Amazing hard workers...showing us a picture of the gospel in a sacrifice of love for us. So kind. The helping hands took days of work off of me and I am truly grateful! We still have a few more days- maybe a week, but I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel! I am having fun getting really organized again and moving things around to better suit our needs now that we have been in the house a few months and know how we use the spaces...so making things clean and more functional! Yay

These floors used to be dark brown and shiny :)

The toy shelf now has a basket designated for each kind of toy :) Inspired from a few really organized friends! ( Carly and Deidre)

The sweetest little bug I have ever seen!

2 Rooms Bug Free & a Lesson for Me

2011-09-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:9

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."

The lesson I am learning now is that I may have planned what the next few weeks were going to be like, but all that has to change and that's ok! I was hoping to decorate for fall, go to a wedding, be really involved in a Bible study retreat, visit a friend, clean out the garage since the house was finally cleaned and organized ( ha!) and finish a few DIY fun projects I have waiting and can't wait to get my hands on! BUT.....God has other plans for us and that is OK!

In Bible study yesterday morning we learned that the Thessalonians had joy despite severe persecution- so convicting! Especially when I got home and had a little breakdown of tears being simply overwhelmed at the prospect of cleaning every inch of this place, while caring for the boys. Our High School Bible study was so sweet to move the location from our house to the Brannons home to give us another night to clean last night and we have enlisted the help of a couple students for tonight since I simply can't tackle this thing by myself and was trying to be super woman!

So the progress thus far : more headway in our room, all boys toys cleaned with alcohol and the family room has been sanitized! That involved vacuuming and steaming every inch of the couches and chairs in there, taking apart book shelves and spraying them, spraying base boards and wall, curtains, blinds and throwing the pillows in the dryer for 20 min to kill anything that may be on them. YAY!

One room bug free

2011-09-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

The guest room is officially the room that is the "safe" room ( hopefully!) after much work and can be the house of all our belongings that get cleaned over the next few days.

-I removed all the bedding and re- examined the trundle bed mattresses and am pretty sure that they are just fine. Whew! But just to make sure I de- bugged anyway. So I threw all the clean bedding in the dryer with lavender sachets from Trader Joes and steam cleaned the mattresses with the steamer I got today.

- I moved all the furniture and stuff out of the bottom of the closet and vacuumed the room and closet and then sprayed the surfaces with Meyer's lavender cleaner that I got today as well as new pillows.

-I wiped the bedframe down also with the cleaner as well as the chair and table that were in the room. Since the cleaner has lavender oil it stays on the surfaces hopefully deterring any stragglers from venturing further.

- When Andrew came home he took a load to the dry cleaners that I couldn't wash without ruining ( our new bedspread and the boys crib bumpers, etc)

The room is sparkling clean and smells awesome...a positive side to all of this is that my house will be cleaner than ever and full of the smell of lavender which we love here :) I also have been saving a ton of Bed Bath and Beyond coupons for about a year now and was able to purchase everything with a coupon which was great too.

Until tomorrow...

Rich Little Buggers: Bed Bugs

2011-09-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well these bugs would be rich if they got all the money they will be costing us to get rid of them...Yes we have bed bugs! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Can you hear my scream??? This is going to be quite the adventure so I thought I should document it as we go. It will be the biggest and most consuming project I have done to date and am learning a ton already. I won't give you all the details, you can look online yourself to learn all about these horrid creatures if you desire. But I have been getting weird bites for the last couple months thinking they were from outside, playing in the yard with the boys. But after looking online two days ago to see if my friend's mysterious rash was from bed bugs, I discovered that I had bed bug bites, ran to the bedroom and sure enough the evidence was there. Little tiny "rust" stains on our bed and boxspring, evidence they had found a happy home! We probably picked them up from our traveling adventures this summer. So Gross!

Step 1. Get the mattress to the curb! Yes, we have to buy a new mattress and box spring $$$$

Step 2. Today I will be removing ALL the clothing from our bedroom, dressers, closet etc and rewashing it all and moving it to a room that is bug free until our room is completely de-bugged

Step 3. Order all natural killing product from Dirtworks.com and anxiously await it's arrival

Step 4. Head to Bed Bath and Beyond to purchase a hand steamer, new pillows and lavender cleaning products. ( bed bugs hate heat and lavender) I need to steam all couches, chairs and carpets and spray the cabinets and closets, drawers, floors etc with lavender essential oils.

So that's today's jobs!! Stay tuned....

Recently Heard....

2011-09-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good at writing down all the funny things that Weston says....and now he is getting better at saying things the right way which is great but also sad at the same time to see my baby growing up so fast! So I thought I would write down a few of the baby phrases he is saying these days: I will put what he says first and then the proper translation :)

earial gulk = cereal with milk

num num num nums = M & M's

I hoke u mama = hold me mamma

peas I hep u = please help me

duu beee = excuse me

boopa = grandpa

I wuv wee = I love you

dis one dat one = I want that one

And lately he has been confessing his guilty conscience which is great!

After telling him not to bring his bubble blower fan(which he calls an airplane) in the house he reports to me..." Mama air pane house" in a tattle voice tattling on himself. And then yesterday I heard Gabe cry and I came in the room and Weston says, " Bubba kick brother" while pointing to his shoe...Poor Gabe. He will be old enough to kick back soon and Weston better watch out!

But our favorite thing these days that he is doing is that he will say thank you and I love you on his own without being prompted sometimes which just melts our hearts because we know it is sincere. I handed him his snack yesterday and he looks up at me with a smile and says "Gank Gu mama!" Aww I just love this kid!

God is in Charge - a message of comfort from Daniel

2011-09-13T06:10:00.001-07:00

I found it so interesting that our president chose to read from scripture as he addressed the nation on the anniversary of 9/11. For all the efforts he has made to be "spiritually neutral" (which isn't possible) he made a clear statement to me, anyway, that when it comes down to it the only source of true comfort and truth is found in pages of God's Word- the Bible.

The Bible is timeless even though it was written long ago and is able to meet us where we are today. We saw this on Sunday as one of our pastors, Nathan Busenitz, preached a message to comfort us as we remembered 9/11.

1. God is sovereign over foreign attack

Dan. 1:1-2

2. God is sovereign over future events

Dan. 2:20-21 "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding."

3. God is sovereign over fiery persecution

Dan. 3: 16-18

4. God is sovereign over federal government

Dan. 4-5

5. God is sovereign over the forces of nature

Dan. 6:22, 24

Even though tragedies happen, nations rise and fall, we can have hope because one day the Lord is coming again to make it all right.

Dan 7:14 " And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed."

And then I read another comforting passage this morning in James. God is in control and everything happens in this world for a reason even when we don't understand- but God understands it all...and blessed are those who suffer and endure.

James 5: 10-11 " As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. "

10 months already!

2011-09-10T19:22:00.001-07:00

Chicken Lentil Soup

2011-09-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's not quite soup weather, being the 3rd day in a row over 100 degrees, but I'm excited for it! This turned out super yummy and I had it a few days in a row for lunch.

1/2 onion chopped

2 carrots diced

3 cloves garlic minced

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 bunch spinach chopped

1 cup chopped rotisserie chicken

1 cup or so dried lentils

Place lentils in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until lentils are almost tender. While lentils cook, in a saute pan with olive oil cook up the onions, garlic and carrots until onions are tender, about 5 min. Once lentils are tender add the onion mixture to the pot as well as the remaining ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes and you are done! Season to taste and enjoy :)

Homeopathy...heard of it?

2011-09-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

I hadn't until recently and I must say that I am a believer in this alternative to conventional medicine now! Don't get me wrong, I am not abandoning doctor's appointments and (gasp) I will continue to have my kids get their vaccinations, but I am so thrilled that there is another way when things don't seem quite right with the MD's prescription or diagnosis.

Here are a few examples in our family of conventional medicine failing us :)

A little under 2 years ago I decided to get some dizziness checked out with my general doctor. I was not impressed. She barely listened to me for less than 5 minutes before she was writing up a prescription for me. I had Weston with me ( about 2 months old) and he was the main source of the doctor's attention. I don't blame her, he was pretty cute! But she had me out the door in no time. As I was leaving I asked is this medication safe while breastfeeding??? Her face dropped and she gasped NO! "Your baby would be sleepy and lethargic if you took this"! UH....ok. Good thing I asked right?! So a long story short, I had a battery of tests and no answers...

Our niece Ava was getting sick every three weeks and the doctors didn't know why...

After having Gabe I had a few issues from the pregnancy that wouldn't go away ( sparing the details here)...

And then just recently Gabe has had a " mystery" cough since June that is thick and horrible, that makes him gag and throw up and choke at night. The pediatrician (who we LOVE) put him on two inhalers for a month to experiment and see if it helped and that he maybe has asthma...

Back at Christmastime, we went for the first time to a homeopathic doctor in Livermore, CA after hearing great things from Andrew's mom and sister who had been greatly helped by homeopathy. I was ready to try something different. It was a little weird at first but I liked his whole body approach and all natural remedies. I was tested for food allergies and other things and he and his nurse listened to me for over an hour!!! Everything just made sense that they said...common sense.

When I follow the diet that is better for me my dizziness is much better and within 2 days of taking the remedy for my post pregnancy issue it was gone! I was shocked! After months of pain, it was gone and naturally too!

Our niece tested for a milk allergy and she no longer gets sick every three weeks!

And as for Gabe- We just took him to the homeopath on our last trip up north( 2 weeks ago) and he also tested for a milk allergy. In June I started supplementing breast feeding with milk based formula- hence the coughing! Makes so much sense! They said the inhalers are horrible for his little lungs, full of steroids and chemicals, and he doesn't even need them. They said within two weeks of no formula his cough should go away. He hasn't coughed in days! I now give him rice milk and a calcium supplement. He is eating all the food groups now so he doesn't need the formula anyway. I am also giving him flax oil to make up for the lost fat and calories that would be in the formula.

I would encourage everyone to give homeopathy a try! It looks at the whole body and the lifestyle instead of putting a bandaid on a specific issue. I just chatted with Dr. Bobritsky the other day and he told me a story of a mom who brought her baby in with seizures. The baby was on seizure medication and it still wasn't helping and the baby was only 3 months old...so sad. He looked at the baby for a few minutes and could tell right away that the baby was dehydrated. Within two days of giving the baby water as well as breastfeeding the seizures stopped! When Gabe was just born he also told me to give him water..Gabe went from pooping every 2-4 of days ( which made me nervous) to every day and sometimes twice a day! My doctor said not to give your newborn water. So interesting!

Anyways- thx for reading my findings. I think it's so interesting and wonderful! Thanks to my mom-in-law for getting us hooked!

I Love This Man!

2011-08-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Today is Andrew's birthday as well as the first day of his last semester in Seminary! What a fun day to celebrate! There are so many things I could say about this guy but I'll just stick to a few- He is such a great example to me and our boys in all areas of his life, I have so much respect for him, he is funny and witty, he loves us and shows us in so many ways and he daily leads us to Christ! The best part of our day is when this hunk walks through the door each evening...we just can't get enough of him! We praise God for the rich blessing of Andrew. Happy Birthday Love!

Below are a couple of my favorite pics of him

Camp Regeneration

2011-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Don't let the word "camp" fool you. Any ideas I had about our High School Summer camp were completely blown out of the water by our experience there! First of all it is held in beautiful Glorieta, NM at this amazingly HUGE conference center...the boys and I stayed in a hotel on the property. Not really camping :) Every minute of the day was packed for the students with awesome messages, CRAZY games and fun free time options. ( Fire trucks were brought in for one of the games- shooting hoses at the kids!) There were 900 kids there, yes I said 900! Wow. Everything was so organized and fun as well as spiritually beneficial. I was super impressed.

The topic was on the Regeneration of the heart that happens when you are saved... Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

And each of the messages drew from that theme to encourage the kids in salvation and sanctification.

Other highlights from the camp were: wild thunderstorms, fun people to get to know better, great milk shakes, weird camp food, beautiful scenery, hearing Andrew preach and 8 days of intense parenting challenges while dealing with altitude sickness and lack of sleep...lots of growing opportunities for me!

We had the fun chance to eat at "Bobcat Bite" which has made it's fame for the best burgers in the U.S. or something like that :) It's been on TV and it is quite a fun little place. And the burgers were definitely good~ We ate there twice that week

Weston had the fun chance to learn a few new tricks- playing volleyball and giving fist bumps

Watching the crazy games with the little happy camper

Swinging along

2011-08-15T21:04:00.001-07:00

DIY Chair Makeover - $18

2011-08-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

This was fun~ I went to a great resale store with my mom-in-law and found this old chair for $7.99. I loved the style of it since our new place is old fashioned but it needs some major help! I found some fun fabric for a new cushion cover for $6.00 and some spray paint for $4.00 and got to work.

I took the chair apart- super easy, just unscrewed the 4 screws holding the seat on, took the blue fabric off the cushion and then wiped everything off

Then I sanded a few rough areas where the coating was cracking and peeling and then began to spray paint it black. The pic below is after 1 coat of paint. I did about three- only using one can!

Then I went to visit my friend Jenny with my cushion and fabric to use her staple gun to attach the new fabric.

I centered the design and folded it around the chair cushion, then flipped it over, trimmed and stapled.

I then screwed the cushion back on the dry frame and voila! A "new" chair for $18

9 months today- Can't belive it!

2011-08-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

Bubs 2nd Bday Party

2011-08-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Is this kid cute or what? :) He is also Coo Coo for balls, so we decided to do a ball themed party this year, and with the help of our family it turned out pretty fun! We had different game stations around the backyard- balls everywhere. A simple lunch and some cookies and cake pops and that's it...well it actually was a lot more work than that sounded like so next year we will do something SUPER simple...ha ha! But it was worth it. The 2 year old had tons of fun and it was really fun to have our house filled with family and close friends.

Trying to get Weston to hold up his fingers! U can see he has his two fingers out in his hand but it didn't make the pic :)

The next few pics are from his actual birthday, the day before the party and we had a little family celebration with Andrew's mom and sister and brother in law and cousins.

Watching Elmo with the cousins

Brother is ready to party!

Weston loved his bday present from Daddy- this was also Andrew's fav toy growing up. ( It's now outside tho :)

Party Time

Summer Babes

2011-08-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

Camp in New Mexico

2011-07-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

We r here in NM for HS camp! The people who run this place love kids
as you can see. Weston is having story time with the volunteers
before bed. We love Mamma Bette & Papa Billy! Below Gabe made friends
with the coffee shop lady...& so did mommy :) Yay Caffeine- life saver!

2011-07-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Sneaky Penne Pasta Puttanesca

2011-07-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Weston used to be such a big eater and as he is getting older he just doesn't eat much anymore, so I am constantly trying to find ways to pack as much nutrition into one bite as I can :)

I made this the other night and it was a hit!

All I did was combine cooked brown rice penne pasta with a jar of Puttanesca sauce ( a yummy tangy sauce with olives and capers!) as well as diced cooked carrots and butternut squash. I layered the mixture in a baking dish with some mozzarella cheese and baked it at 350F for about 30 minutes. Yum!

The Boys

2011-07-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last month we had the great joy of having my whole family here! My sister came into town with Ryder- what a cutie, as well as my parents! I decided that we should throw a little 1st birthday party for him since I need to be his favorite Auntie :) & his birthday was right around the corner. We had so much fun and the boys were super cute together. It was also fun to see my parents with all their grandsons !

A sweet moment of Grace

2011-07-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Most kids usually don't enjoy going down for a nap, especially when you are two and there are new birthday toys in the house to play with...And you think your baby brother gets to stay up and hang with mom! We are talking about Weston. hint hint :) Today was especially hard and shortly after putting him down he began to throw a tantrum screaming that brother needed to go to bed too. The tantrum at nap time has become more and more frequent causing me to scratch my head at the best method to help him through this...Gratefully the Bible gives us many tools as a parent to deal with sin issues, as tantrums are, and I chose the method of giving grace today. In Proverbs it says that a gentle answer turns away wrath and today it was true.

I waited for about 5 minutes and the screaming continued to escalate. I entered the room and Weston clearly new he was in trouble. We have defined for him that it is ok for him to be sad but it is not ok to be screaming in sheer anger and he knows the difference... shown by his guilty conscience :)

I asked him if he would like me to sing him a song. Between sobs he said yes and laid down. I stroked his hair and sang three stanzas of "Amazing Grace" while also praying the words of the song for him. He just laid there and closed his eyes and went right to sleep with not another peep. Amazing. Within three minutes he went from a screaming madman to a sweetly sleeping baby :)

I pray that someday the words of the song would soothe his soul drawing him closer to Christ as the sweet melody soothed his emotions today, giving him a picture of the grace that we have received as Christians. When we were lost in our own ways, throwing our own sort of tantrums, God came down and sang to us a sweet melody of Grace by dying on the cross and rising again for us when we really deserved punishment. But He took our punishment for us- Amazing Grace!

" Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see."

8 months

2011-07-12T21:39:00.001-07:00

This little sweetie has grown so much over the past couple months and is becoming quite playful. He has also sprouted to very cute bottom teeth and has fun blowing spit bubbles :) He now eats 3 "meals" a day and I have enjoyed making baby food again. I pray that as he grows up his tender and sweet spirit will make him soft towards the Gospel at an early age and that his life will bring glory to God and bless others!

Big Garage Sale Tomorrow! 7-noon

2011-07-08T10:10:00.001-07:00

Sent from my iPhone

Thankful

2011-07-07T16:00:00.001-07:00

For the simple beauty of fresh flowers & sweet new friends to set them
out for! This is the fourth or fifth Thursday that Highschool staff
ladies have come over just to spend time together. Today the kids
played in Westons new pool from Pappa & had a ball! Love the sound of
little ones in the yard- pure joy!

Celebrate the 4th with sweet n salty icecream sundaes!

2011-07-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Vanilla bean ice cream with candied nuts, ripe fresh banana slices &
decadent salted caramel sauce from Trader Joes... To die for!!!! ( or
you could salt your own caramel sauce by heating it and stirring in a
dash of sea salt- delish!)

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Weston is 2!

2011-07-01T23:57:00.001-07:00

Can't believe this peanut of a baby is already 2! We r celebrating
tomorrow with a fun little ball party- he loves balls! What a joy he
is & how time has flown...happy birthday baby

2011-07-01T16:53:00.001-07:00

Gettin ready for Bubs 2nd bday!

"Lake Balboa"

2011-06-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Our address says Van Nuys but we are technically now in Lake Balboa and Andrew likes to say so :) There are so many things that we could say about living here and how much we LOVE it and how perfect it is for us right now. Weston has a ball and we have plenty of room to have people over now! The Lord has been so kind to allow us to live in this sweet home and to create many fun memories here already! It is one of those homey homes...not fussy but it is old enough to have character. The landscaping is mature and it feels so green compared to our last place- and all the flowers!! Definitely loving that!

We were so blessed to have Papa Ray come help us move and then my mom came the week after. Thanks so much for all your help!

Tired after all the moving!

First backyard dinner

Omie making her famous Salmon on the grill- YUM!

Breakfast and reading on the front porch

Simple Summer Side Dish

2011-06-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Combine chopped baby cucumbers and quartered cherry tomatoes with some
balsamic dressing and a handful of grated Parmesan & you have a yummy
simple and refreshing side dish! We had this with hamburgers and corn
on the cob for Fathers Day.

Weston and the Screen

2011-06-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

We have never had a screen door before and Weston thinks its pretty fun. He had fun looking at me through it and being silly- and I thought it created a neat affect :)

Change is in the wind...

2011-06-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

It feels like change is in the wind, but we know that God is in control and it is so exciting to see how He surprises us! Whether it be trials or joys, all things are from Him and work for good in the lives of His children~

Right now we are in a season of joyful changes. It has almost been a month that Andrew has been serving in his new position at church as the High School pastor! So fun! We have been blessed beyond words by the staff and the kids in this ministry. The college pastor, Rick Holland, will be taking his own church so a few people needed to be moved around and this affected us in a very fun way :) Looks like we will be around for a while at GCC and that is fine with us! We LOVE our church- the teaching from God's Word is so consistent and rich, never leaving us hungry for truth. And the people are so genuine. Tons of godly examples to live up to...perfect for a young family like us who need to learn so much.

That is why we felt the great need to move. Our little place in Burbank did not have the capacity to host a staff of 50 and hopefully many students ( there are 300 in the group!). Pics to come soon of the new digs. Things have not slowed down one second since we came home from NC, but it has been wonderful!

This was taken during our last week in Burbank and was the first highschool event we attended- 50's bowling night!

Andrew was honored to say a few words for a special good bye Sunday for Pastor Rick and his wife Kim. We will miss them alot and have been so blessed personally by them. Andrew learned so much serving under Rick in the singles group he preached at every Friday night and I loved being at a Seminary wives group on Wednesday night with Kim as the table leader.

It has been strange to transition out of the singles ministry. We have wonderful and close friends there that we will miss seeing every Friday but are grateful for the extra time at Grace! Andrew will be done with seminary next May ( YAY YAY YAY!) and we didn't know where we would end up after that- so it's so nice to have that settled for now and we are beyond excited to dive into high school ministry! Please pray for us as we open our lives and our home to this new group of people. Our prayer is that our lives would be a reflection of Christ, that we would disappear and that God would be great in all that we do and say.

Dark Chocolate Banana Almond Pancakes-Yum!

2011-05-30T22:52:00.001-07:00

I just love pancakes! You can add whatever you like to the old basic
pancake recipe and it's usually fantastic. This combo was particularly
great-
To the basic pancake batter I added 1/3 cup almond meal. While each
pancake cooked I sprinkled a little chopped chocolate & added the
bananas before serving with real maple syrup. Let me know your fav
pancake add ins!

More catching up- Easter Sunday Sweeties

2011-05-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Is this guy posing or what?! So cute :) We had a wonderful morning at church and then had a quick egg hunt at home before going to the Hamilton's for lunch.

This is Julia and Gabe in the nursing room at church. Julia and Gabe share the same birthday! She is so cute and her mom and I have had fun chatting on Sundays since we seem to have them on the same schedule as well!

Weston really enjoyed his first egg hunt and caught on quickly- especially when he realized there was candy in the eggs!

Discovering his special basket

Gabe loved his little duck from Omie :)

More from NC

2011-05-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Weston enjoyed playing in the beautiful backyard and especially the trampoline!

Kurt and Julie were so sweet and sent us on a little trip watching Weston for most of the day, to Blowing Rock- an adorable town that was fun to walk thru and take in the beautiful sights. The drive there was also amazing and we enjoyed being able to have time and quiet to talk :)

Back in Business!

2011-05-19T13:36:00.001-07:00

We have internet as of this morning! yay! posts and pics coming soon :)

Happy half-birthday Gabe!

2011-05-10T23:33:00.001-07:00

This little guy is such a treasure! So sweet & smiley all the time.
He's a joy to be around- we celebrate your little life and the amazing
6 months we have had with you so far!

1st al fresco dinner of many in our great new back yard!

2011-05-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

2011-05-05T05:10:00.001-07:00

Giddy up Daddy! We are slowly getting things unpacked & put away- slow process with munchkins under foot but as u can see so much fun!

Cashew Chicken Salad

2011-05-02T21:59:00.001-07:00

We don't have Internet set up here at the new house so North Carolina
& Easter pics will have to wait- so here's a yummy salad we had a
couple weeks ago!

1head romaine finely chopped
3 cooked chicken breasts chopped
1 cup each toasted cashews, mandarin oranges, & sliced cucumber
Sprinkle with black sesame seeds for fun & dress with ur fav dressing :)

I used the "goddess" dressing from Trader Joes ( don't like the name
of the dressing) but it was super yummy with these flavors!

From Hollywood Way to Sherman Way

2011-04-29T23:47:00.001-07:00

We r officially in! Can't believe it- God is so good. The boys r tired
but we had a fabulous day with lots of loving helpful hands. Good night!

Garage Sale postponed to a later date!

2011-04-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

Sent from my iPhone

Garage Sale Saturday!

2011-04-28T16:11:00.001-07:00

From 8-12 if u need anything or just want to say hi during our last
day in Burbank...yay!

Sent from my iPhone

North Carolina- part 1

2011-04-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is a pic of the wall art above the front door in the Gebhards house which pretty much summarizes all that they are! ( and what a great reminder to have as you leave the house each day!) To say that we had a good time visiting our dear friends is a major understatement! We had such a fun and encouraging time- It did our hearts and spirits well to be with them again and just soak up the richness that they ooze from every pore...those of you that know them, know what I mean! Super godly plus Super fun = The Gebhards bunch!

So much to say about our week long trip, so I will try and hit the highlights in a few posts. Survived the plane trip there and back. The kids did great over all, praise God. Sad I didn't get a pic of Gabe on his first plane ride, I hope he will forgive me and remember that we were on survival mode :)

Weston and Dax couldn't be more opposite even though they are so close in age- Dax is super laid back and Weston is high strung! I think Julie used the term "spicy" to describe one of her kids once & the term definitely fits Weston's demeanor compared to the "sweetness" of Dax's. But sweet and spicy make a good combo and keep things interesting!

Here are spicy and sweet sportin their matching hats from Julie

LOVED how little Dax likes to dress up in his sissy's clothes and shoes. Precious!

Gettin some Julie love

The pics below are of some of the amazing flowers and trees everywhere there! I felt like I was in a magazine the entire time

More to come! Thanks Kurt and Julie for a most amazing time with you guys. Your love and generosity was over the top and we will NEVER forget this trip!

Weston & the pink salon

2011-04-26T21:58:00.001-07:00

Also while my parents were here, we happened upon this cute kid's salon in Sherman Oaks and we decided to have Weston's baby locks finally be handled by a professional :) It took quite a circus to keep him still- but after two lollipops and a sweaty stylist, the job was done!

A visit from Grandpa and Omie

2011-04-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

First of all happy Resurrection Day! What a wonderful day we have had celebrating the Risen Savior Jesus Christ! Highlights from the day were singing with 3,000 voices " Christ the Lord is risen today..." as well as the Lord's prayer song, watching Weston do his first Easter egg hunt and a fun lunch with some Grace Church family! Pics to come from today but first need to catch up on some fun things that I am getting behind on.

A few weeks ago, my parents came out for a visit! We had a great time with them- showing them the new house we are moving to, a great afternoon at Balboa park and lots of snuggles with the boys. They also brought a bunch of furniture to the condo they own here and are beginning to make plans to remodel that as a place to stay when they come visit for longer periods of time...yay!

Gettin ready for Resurrection Sunday!

2011-04-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

5 month look alikes

2011-04-20T20:39:00.001-07:00

Here are the boys at 5 ish months-

Gabe is first in each set. So cute how the boys are "getting to know" eachother these days! Weston gave Gabe his first real kiss today, adorable! And Gabe just loves to look at Weston and smile :) Love these little guys!

Springy Chickpea Salad

2011-04-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

Get out a big bowl, cutting board and knife and a can opener...chop and combine the list of ingredients and you are done!

2 cans garbonzo beans or chickpeas- drained and rinsed

1/2 cucumber

handful of baby carrots

handful of grape tomatoes

handful fresh basil

7 oz. feta cheese

juice from 1 lemon

drizzle of olive oil

dash of salt and pepper

I served this with pita wedges.

The leftovers I combined with some rice and it made a more hearty rice salad/ side :)

4 Happy Years

2011-04-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated our 4th anniversary! I thought I would post a couple pics from our wedding since I never have before on the blog- sorry these are bad copies, I had to take pics of pics, never a good thing :) It was a perfect day four years ago and I never thought I would be happier than that day, but every year that goes by I am amazed at how my love and respect for Andrew continues to grow! He is such a blessing and encouragement to me. I love you babe!

This year to celebrate we will be heading to North Carolina as a family to visit the Gebhards! We have been wanting to make this trip so badly and it is fitting since Kurt is the one who married us! I thought that was all that we were going to do, but Andrew surprised me and took me to an AMAZING dinner last night at Lucques. Please try this restaurant out if you can- wonderful fussy food! ( it's on Melrose ave. also fun to drive down and people watch!)