Cucumber Mint Lime Sparkler

We recently tried the trendy Lemonade restaurant- super fun! And fell in love with their cucumber mint drink, but not so much the price :/ so I decided to try making it myself...so easy and delish! It's like summer in a cup and oh so refreshing.

Place in your blender 1 cucumber and a handful fresh mint, then pour in enough limeade (or lemonade) to fill container half full. ( we like the simply lime/lemonade brand) blend until smooth and frothy. Fill glasses with ice and a little sparkling water. Top with your cucumber mixture and enjoy outside with your feet up ;)

Our Redeemer Lives!

A sweet celebration today of our risen Lord. I pray that one day soon our darlings will understand the meaning of this day. Happy Resurrection Sunday!

4 and 5 months

We are having a case of being the 3rd child syndrome over here...where most things are being left undocumented for little Grady! But that's ok- it's not for lack of love or affection for our youngest, life is just so rich and full these days that's its getting harder to break away to my computer! We have been traveling and spending time with family- my mom and nephew are currently here with us :)

The first pic is Grady on Valentine's day and the second pic from last month's adventure to Carmel. He continues to give us smiles and giggles all day, survived his first cold like a champ, is teething on everything and currently loves his first two foods which have been avocado and banana. He also loves to bounce in our doorway jumper which is just the cutest thing. I try not to take it for granted and feel so blessed to have 3 healthy and lively children. 

I hope to post more about our trips soon!

Wings

Weston becomes more "boy" every month this year...so much growing up! In January he taught himself to ride his bike without training wheels. No Joke, in one evening he just did it. And he didn't want ANY help! You can see from the blurry action shot above the sheer joy of accomplishment and the new speed of his big kid bike.  Sometimes I get sad thinking about how time fast foes, but honestly each new stage we go through brings so many new joys that the sadness is quickly forgotten. 

Right now we are preparing him to start kindergarten this fall Lord willing and he is an eager learner. Each day he asks so many good questions and I am excited for him to jump into school with both feet. 

My little boys with wings!

A Place that I Love

 There is a place I love down a small country road filled with love and memories...this is the home of my Oma and Opa. This visit everything was blanketed in thick white sparkling snow. Grady and I had the chance for a visit to Michigan with my mom and we took it! It was a precious time of snuggling grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles and passing Grady from one sweet set of arms to the next.

 Right next to my grandparents' home live my aunt and uncle who so graciously hosted the babe and I, and back when I was a tot, my family lived on the other side of the grandparents...these next pics were from our old back yard. The sunset was breathtaking that night and the pictures don't do it justice.

 Our old home

 My sweet Oma and Opa have not been feeling well lately, so it was a special treat to have them healthy and able to love on us all.

 One of the days Oma taught us how to make her famous Streusal Kuchen-Here she is with her two daughters

 My Opa loved to talk to Grady each day and was eager for "that baby" to come over every morning after breakfast :)

 The cake cooling in the sewing room where Oma has always stashed her treats. As you can see we couldn't resist eating it straight from the oven!

 The negative temps couldn't keep me from tasting a few snowflakes

 First time meeting Grady- the 9th great grandson ( no great granddaughters!)

1st Trip to the Beach

A couple weekends ago we had the privilege of going to San Diego with a group from our church, and Andrew was the speaker for the weekend. It was gorgeous, as has been this entire "winter" here...this week the weather is finally acting like it should and we are praising God for the much needed rain! But we took advantage of the day and gave Grady his first taste of the sand and sea. He was a tad tired so didn't get too many pics of him, but it's documented anyways :)

Quiet moments

"Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves,but our adequacy is from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5

How humbling and encouraging at the same time. I feel I either swing from one extreme to the other-meaning in one moment I am filled with prideful confidence and then the next with crippling insecurity.

But anything good in me is given from The Lord and everything unlovely and sinful he uses to draw me to Him. How wonderful that Christ's forgiving work is complete through the cross and resurrection ..."it is finished!" We are adequate for the jobs He's given us because Jesus took on our sin and inadequacy and erased it for us if we repent and believe in Him alone!

I'm thankful for the reminder that as His child I have everything I need for life and godliness. His work is sufficient, His Word is complete and His Spirit is with us every step of every day.