Emma and I read today in Psalms. I read to her how she was fearfully and wonderfully made. And how God created her her inmost being, and how He knit her together in my womb. I am not ashamed to say that I was crying as I was reading to her. I was just overcome with thanksgiving at the precious little gift that God has given to me.





Later I read these verses and they have sort of stuck with me today.....
Psalm 141:3-4 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.

Just a thought.....I wonder why he is talking about our words and guarding what we say and then in the next breath he says.....do not let me eat their delicacies. That little tidbit is thrown in there and it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense right there. Do you think it's just because they were talking about the mouth, or do you think it was something more?

Really, I would like to know your thoughts on it.

While I was getting ready this morning little miss chatty cathy was laying on the bed just a talkin away. It was adorable. I am so glad I took the time to record just a little bit of her.

A first....

I know I sound like a broken record. But I really can't believe that Emma girl is 4 months old now!

Simply put, where has the time gone?

Emma girl ate oatmeal for the first time.

It went well. But she did good with the spoon.

She spit a lot out and I don't think that she really "ate" a whole lot

Nathan. I love that boy. He was right there with me. He was taking pictures and he even made a video of her 1st "meal." I will spare you the video, it shook around so bad, it almost made me sick.

The last couple nights Emma has woken up several times in the night. I don't really know why she did. She would just snack and then go back to sleep. I don't know if the oatmeal had ANYTHING to do with it, but last night, she slept through the night again.

I really had wanted to wait a while longer to give her food. But lately she has just been watching us while we are eating. She has just seemed very interested in cups and spoons and the such. She has also seemed to be eating so often the past week or 2, and then with her waking up again during the night (especially after sleeping through the night for a month at least) I just thought she might need a little more.

Today is a good day to get some things done. I am already on my 3rd load of laundry. I have 1 of them on the clothes line blowing in the wind. I love the clothes line. :) I have the dishwasher humming away and soon will be sweeping up the floors for the 12th time this week. Oh the dog hair!! Anyone interested in a precious dog? We have 2!!  I think, with the dogs shedding now, I could knit a sweater with all the hair.

I have to decide what to make for dinner. What I want is a casserole that was made at the Taste of Home show I went to the other night. But it has cheese in it. I am trying to avoid dairy since I think Emma has a sensitivity to it. ( miss cheese. I miss pizza.) I wonder if I could make it without cheese, but then I figure...what's the point?

Have a blessed Thursday.

An eventful weekend.....

Joanna was sick on Sunday. With Mike working such crazy hours, she was alone with the kids.

I felt awful for her. So I called her up and told her we would take the kids for the night and I would send them off the school the next morning.

I remember once, man, my kids were little. Maybe 1 and 2. Maybe even younger. But I was sick. I mean the kind of sick were you can't get out of bed but to run to the bathroom. Jeremy was working. The day seemed like it would last forever and it was only 6:30.

Nobody was there. I was alone and in tears.

I called Joanna.

She came immediately. She grabbed my kids and took them to her house for the day. No fear of catching the bug for herself. She was just there.

I will never forget it.

She has done that many times over for me. When she is needed and even when she just feels a break is needed, she is there. Taking the kids. Offering a break. Showing Christ's love.

I admit. I am awful at that. I think I am way more selfish. But with Christ's help, I am trying to put others first. To see a need and to help. Not thinking. Just doing.

The kids were good and had fun playing together Sunday afternoon. I think Eli was plain tuckered out from following Ethan and Nathan around all day. At one point, we bribed Eli to let the boys be for a while so they could play without Eli getting in there way. ;)

After baths, Nathan did Eli's hair. He said that he was going to do the mo hawk for school the next morning. I didn't quite know how that would go over.

The next morning, Nathan did try and do Eli's hair. But I quickly took over! I didn't think the mo hawk would quite go over that well.

Elisa and I were watching Emma before bed. Emma is getting to be quite the strong little girl. Although she still isn't rolling yet. I really need to work on that...putting her down...thing. ;)

I'm only joking. sort of.

The next morning, after I kissed the kids off to school, Emma and I sat in the rocking chair and relished in the quiet of the morning with a much needed cup of coffee. It was blissful. :)

recipes I love

Pineapple upside down cake....

delish!

Nonstick cooking spray 3 cups cake flour, plus more for pan 1 cup butter, softened, plus 1/2 cup, melted 2 1/4 cups sugar 5 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple slices in juice, drained well (reserve 2 tablespoons juice for frosting) 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained well Pineapple Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows Chopped pecans, for garnish, optional Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and coat with flour. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and set aside. In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the brown sugar evenly into each pan. Pour the melted butter equally over the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries over the brown sugar. Reserve remaining pineapple slices and cherries for another use. Pour equal amounts of batter over the fruit and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely. To assemble the cake, carefully arrange 1 cake layer, pineapple side up, on a cake plate. Carefully stack the remaining cake layer, pineapple side up, over the first layer. Frost the sides of the cake with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting. Press chopped pecans into sides of cake, if desired. Pineapple Buttercream Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar Beat all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. The recipe is a Paula Deen recipe. I love her. I didn't take a picture of the finished product. I ran out of time. As you can tell, I didn't make it in the round pans like the recipe calls for, I made it in a 9x13 pan. I also did add the frosting and the nuts on the edges of the cake.

When did

I looked over at Maddie girl today and thought....when did she get so big? It seems like yesterday when she was Emmas age. Time is a thief. Enjoy your little ones. You will look back and wonder when they grew up.

Please help....

Please help my friends....

On the side of my blog there is a link to help them. They are in a contest for the ugliest kitchen. They are in the running for it, but every vote helps.

They are so deserving of a new kitchen....please help them.

Another play date....

Yesterday, Melissa and Melanie were able to come over again. We wanted to get as much time with Melanie as we could. She leaves tomorrow morning and I am already sad about her going.

I was able to get some pictures of the babies together. Here's the besties.....

they were at one point holding hands...it was adorable.
 

This is the only picture I have of the kids that turned out halfway decent.

Jonas makes me laugh....he has this little giggle that you can't help but laugh at.

Except here, he wasn't laughing, he wanted his mother. :)

Nathan, being Nathan

Poor Emma,

Nuf said......

Brother and his friends....

Nathan has a lot of boys in the neighborhood that he is able to play with. And it seems like this spring 2 more have moved in. This has thrilled him to no end. Well these boys have created a club. Club Black Ops.

Jeremy and I ran across their club notebook the other day....

Poor Maddie, there just isn't any girls in the neighborhood for her to play with.

Notice the last line of the "people" page.....

Just a couple pages over, there is the club rules..... notice #3.....

Poor Maddie......

I also love #1....no person under 20.....

That one made me laugh....

I genuinely appreciate #2, no "swaring"

 The last sentence where it says...we are ghosts "eptagators" should be investigators. The boys think that the alley a block over is haunted. They said that they heard that a child was murdered in a garage in that alley and it is now haunted. So tthey have to go eptagate it.

I think it's kinda cute.

spring pictures 2012

Spring pictures have come in. I think I like the spring pictures better then the fall pictures.

Nathan particularly took a good picture this year.

Maddie

and ......

I volunteered on picture day and they took a picture of my kids for me. Isn't it lovely??

It is.....

Yes, it is as good as it looks. :) I think Emma is allergic to dairy, so I made the shortcake with almond milk. I wasn't quite sure how it would taste. But I can't tell a difference. The only thing I am missing is the ice cream. I love how the ice cream melts down into the cake and gets it all soggy.

lunch...

Yesterday was such a lovely day. Since Melanie was in town, all my sister's, my mom, and I went out for lunch. Olive Garden is one of Melanie's favorite places to eat, and since she doesn't have one close to where she lives, we went there for lunch.

And let me tell you...that was a chore. ;)

L.O.V.E.....

Since Micah is home schooled, he was able to go with all his Aunts. I think he was glad that Jonas was there, so he wasn't the only boy. :) Micah loves his little cousins and doesn't waste any chance to get them laughing and talking to him.

With all the Aunts available, the babies had plenty of chances to get some cuddle time in.

I really do feel blessed to have my sisters. I am even more blessed that we all get along and genuinely love each other.

While we were laughing and eating and just enjoying each other's company, I noticed a woman all alone at the table behind us. It made me very sad for her. I don't know her story. But here I am surrounded by....l.o.v.e. and this lady was sitting all alone just watching us. It made me thankful for what I have.

Me and my little "sweetcheeks"

Melanie was playing peak a boo with Jonas.

Jonas thought it was great!!

Emma's new hat. She HATES the sun in her eyes. And I mean hates it. So I thought she needed a sun hat. A little big....but it will work.

While I was writing this, Emma had 2 blow outs. I think it's time I experiment with a different brand of diapers. :/

Today, is a get laundry done, house put together (for the 12th time this week) and make a decent meal for dinner kinda day. I am already on my 4th load of laundry. Yes, that's me bragging. ;)

I also think since it is so spring like out, today is a good day for some homemade strawberry shortcake.

I'm off to bake.

Happy Thursday

I finally get it....

Jeremy and I have been married for going on 14 years this year.

14 happy years.....

You know I love to cook, and I have honestly enjoyed cooking for my husband.

My Mother is the one who instilled the love of cooking in my life. I remember pulling the chair up to the counter and watching her make pies and as I got older she really taught me how to do a lot of the basics of cooking. She knew I wanted to be married and have a family. That was my dream in life....to be a keeper of my home. She trained me do to that the best I could.

When I met Jeremy, I feel like I found my better half. Cheesy I know, but I am madly in love with him.

He has never really cared what I cooked for dinner. When I ask him what he wants, he usually says he doesn't care and whatever I want is fine. Maybe he knows that I am the picky one ;) but I am going to say that its because he knows that anything I make will be fantastic!! ;)

There are a few meals that I had growing up that I LOVE. They are sort of comfort food, easy to make meals that, to me, are just good. I love baked potato dinner (potatoes, ground beef, broccoli, cheese and sour cream.) It a go to dinner that we could have even once a week. Well,  He says that's an appetizer and that it never fills him up.

I also love taco salad. It is just good.

So last night, with the warmer weather, I kinda wanted something light and easy to make for dinner. So I thought taco salad sounded perfect.

Well, I made it.

He ate it.

He ate 2 plates of it.

And around 9, he was in the kitchen making a sandwich bc he was starving. :/

He said that salad isn't a meal.

Its an appetizer. And he needs more for dinner.

So lesson for the day....don't make salad or baked potatoes for dinner and expect a happy man. He will still be hungry.

So, because I love him with my whole heart, I will make him some kind of meat when I make the taco salad.

And I will refrain from making the baked potato dinner to just a couple times a month. It still really is my favorite. ;)

So Nathan came home with this drawing that he did during free time at school last week. It made me giggle bc he has been singing this retarded song randomly throughout the week.

BTW, Nathan gets the trait of singing random songs from his father. Jeremy will sing the same song over and over again and will randomly belt out different parts of the song and get it stick into your head as well. So funny......

Emma's 1st playdate

My SIL Melanie is in town this week with my nephew. It has been good to kiss on Jonas and chit chat with Melanie. I am blessed with a wonderful Sil!!

Today, Emma had her very first play date. She was very, very excited about it. ;) Melissa and Madelyn came over as well as Melanie and Jonas.

I failed to get a picture of all the babies at the same time. One of them was always sleeping or eating.

I would like to introduce you to the future Mr. and Mrs. Jonas H.

On a side note....Madelyn looks just like her Daddy.

Jonas doesn't realize how cute he looks in his hat and that he should leave it on! :)

Emma slept for most of her play date. I think she might be fighting off a cold. She took almost a 4 hour nap. Bless her heart, she is still a smiling, happy little baby even with a runny nose.

We are off to take a walk and enjoy this beautiful March day. It was in the 80's today!! So unusual, but I'm not going to complain!! I will enjoy every minute of it!!

Busy days

We have been very busy lately!!
We have had play time with cousin Elisa.....

Diaper changes....lots of diaper changes.....

We have had tummy time....

Lunch dates with Grandma and Aunt Janelle.... (although they weren't pictured)

We also had a hair appointment. I got probably 8-10 inches of hair cut off. You can't really tell in this picture, but I did!
We also went to a banquet at church. Where Emma was such a good little girl during the banquet, but the car ride home wasn't so much fun.

Anyone have any tips to keep a baby from not crying  .... screaming while in the car? It has gotten a little out of hand.

And we have had play time with Daddy. He was making little Emma laugh before bed.

Our beautiful roof

I should have taken a before and after picture.

But my camera was broken.

So you just get an after picture of our beautiful roof.

We had some dear friends show up the day after Christmas and started work.

 It was a 4 day project, and long overdue.

We are so very thankful....

for wind damage,

and good friends.

The roof line was raised in the middle to cover the flat part of the roof and to prevent any future leaking.

Who knew one could get so much pleasure out of having a new roof??