Today’s Prayer

I came across this passage this morning and thought that it was a great prayer to remember today.

“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what he had promised.” Romans 5:20-21

I so desire for my heart to be like Abraham’s heart. I desire for my heart not to waver, but to be steady and stable…with a firm foundation of faith, obedience and hope in who God is and in His promises that are revealed throughout Scripture… that God may ultimately receive all the glory!

Please join me today in lifting up B’s friend, C, as she has surgery this morning on her ears. Pray for her little body, that it might be receptive and protected and pray for her parents that their hearts would be surrounded with indescribable peace!

Please also join me in praying for Ms. M. M is a a special person in our family’s life who has and continues to serve and love our precious B.  She is experiencing some heart problems. Please pray for healing, but ultimately for God to continue to be glorified through her life and her service to Him, her family and others!

Happy Friday!

Be blessed.

Just Because…

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

Enjoy the day….whether it be eating Cheerios or doing something else…

Be blessed!

A Hardened Heart Transformed

I have recently found myself thinking about Saul's heart as it was so drastically converted from being cold and hard to being soft, malleable and "hot" for Jesus and the Gospel (the entire story is found in Acts 9). Saul truly hated Christians, he did everything in his power to due away with them, to torture them and put them in jail. It is so awesome to read the passage in Acts and learn that no heart is to far gone, too cold or too hard for God to miraculously change, draw to Himself and ultimately use for His own glory. This is exactly what He did in Saul's life. He took Saul, literally pulled him to the ground and changed his heart and life. Saul went from hating Christians to walking alongside and teaching them, he has been noted "as one of the early church's leading theologians and went onto write a large portion of the New Testament"! (p. 113)

This passage makes me stand in awe of God's grace, how incredible that God was able to forgive, transform and use Saul. God was able to see past Saul's sin and hardness. This encourages me because it reminds me that God can see past my sin and the hardness of my heart. It really makes me wonder what God may have in store for me, my life and our family in regard to using us to ultimately glorify Himself. It makes me want to seek after Him more, to be more willing and wanting to listen to His leading, no He hasn't blinded me on the side of the road like Saul, but I am sure that he has/is calling and leading me...I just hope that in my selfishness or my own plan for my life I don't miss His calling and the opportunity to be used by Him...it really is pretty convicting, challenging and encouraging to think about!

Happy Monday!
Be Blessed.

(quote taken from Hands on Bible Spring Curriculum)

Take ‘B’ Out to the Ball Game

We were blessed with the opportunity to go watch the Rangers play ball this afternoon with some friends. Some of C’s childhood friends are always so gracious to offer our family the use of their family’s season tickets each season…they have fantastic seats and we (C the most) are always grateful for the chance to get outside and watch some baseball, especially at the beginning of the season before it gets too hot outside.

The game was fun…hot but fun! I thought I had planned ahead by wearing a sun dress…I didn’t think about navy being an incredibly hot color to wear in the warm sun…let’s just say that sitting in the hot plastic seat brought back memories of Cowtown’s summer heat! (Not to be too graphic, but I never realized one could sweat as much as one can until I moved to Texas….oh the joys of summer!) We were “in it to win it” though and stayed till the last pitch was thrown!

B didn’t mind being warm and lathered up in sunscreen, he was a really good sport…in fact, he “caught” his first ever game ball…with C being his dad, I am sure that this will be one of many!

B took turns sitting on each of our laps. B is really working hard to break in some of our friends! 

I will humbly admit that at one point B dropped a Cheerio on the ground and before I could stop him, B picked the fallen Cheerio up and put it in his mouth! Yet another moment when I have had to eat my words as a mom, in the past I had said “I will never let my child eat anything that falls on the ground, that is disgusting!” Well, I guess I can’t say that any more, we will just strive for minimal moments like that!

I love this little sun hat, it makes B look like he is ready for any adventures that may come his way! Not to mention, it is incredibly practical…it is light weight and the strap prevents him from pulling it off!

B really did enjoy the adventure that he and his hat experienced today…Go Rangers!

Thank you C family for so graciously sharing your tickets!

Thank you K & J for joining us…thanks for letting B spend some time on your laps!

Be Blessed!

Happy Sunday!

It’s not very often that I get to be in photos with B because I am usually behind the camera, I have realized that I need to be more intentional about putting myself in front of the lens (even though it’s not my favorite spot) instead of behind the lens, because otherwise B will grow up seeing photos of himself, C, Ella and others and wonder where in the world I was!!!

C was kind enough to snap this photo of B and I this morning. I never could have anticipated how much I love this sweet little guy…he continues to be such a gift to C and I.

This is C’s attempt at trying to convince B that walking will be really fun.  B continues to have absolutely no interest in walking, when we try to walk with him like this, he will typically sit down on the floor, look at us, grunt and then crawl away (as if he is thinking “I will do it in my own time, don’t rush me). I think his lack of interest may be in part be due to his incredible efficiency with crawling….and trust that he will do it in his own time, but the “comparing mommy” in me is wanting him to walk so badly so that he can keep up with all of his friends.

(I am sure that I will be eating my words in not too long when he is walking and I can’t keep up with him/keep him out of everything.  This is a good lesson of “The grass is always greener on the other side”  I need to learn how to be content with where B is at for the moment because he will be walking out the door for college before we know it!) 

Happy Sunday!

Be Blessed.

Humbling

 

My good friend of mine has been following this blog for a long time…she introduced me to the blog last summer and I had honestly forgotten about it until I saw it on another friend’s blog this past week…

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

This is Katie’s story/timeline in a nutshell:

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/2009/08/it-is-my-16th-birthday-and-i-am-eating.html

Talk about humbling!

I know that not all of us are called to the far ends of the earth like Katie…but we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ where the Lord has planted us. I am convicted…how am I being His hands and feet in Cowtown? What could I be doing to be more effective in serving others on His behalf?

I love how Scripture convicts, challenges & encourages…I want to work at remembering these truths…to write them on the tablet of my heart and to model them to B and our family…what a task, I know I can’t do it on my own, I am so thankful for the Lord’s help…I just have to remember to ask for it!

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 42:14-16

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. " Romans 12:10-12

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. “Colossians 3:23-24

Katie embodies these passages…

She serves God faithfully.

She chooses each day who she will serve.

She serves the Lord.

She is not lacking in zeal.

She is joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.

She works with her whole heart.

WOW! What a challenge!

Be blessed!

“Honey of a Day”

C has term that I have taken on as my own and I thought the term was rather fitting for today.

The term:

“Honey of a day”

The definition:

1. Beautiful weather, 2. The sun shinning, 3. Bright blue sky, 4. Not too hot, 5. Not too cold

We helped to host a baby shower for C’s cousin this morning and then enjoyed lunch with some of C’s extended family on one of our favorite patio’s in Cowtown.  It really was a “honey of a day outside” as we ate!

Happy Saturday!

Be Blessed!

Home

I know that this isn’t my ultimate home, I am just passing through…

Though I also realize the need to be intentional throughout my time here on earth, something I humbly admit I am not very good at. I need to choose to utilize the gifts and opportunities that God has so graciously blessed our family with. I am both honored and humbled that God has called me to be a wife and a mother…the task is great…I am so glad that the Lord is by our side and that He speaks to us through Scripture and through other believers.

I came across this as I was reading The Mission of Motherhood by, Sally Clarkson this morning. I found it both challenging and encouraging!

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24:3-4

“Home- it’s such a beautiful word! It’s the center of our lives, the place that holds us with invisible strings of love within the walls. Home is the place where the delectable smells and tastes of “my favorite food” linger; where the comfort and beauty of “my room” and “my bed” can be enjoyed; where “my dreams” are inspired and begin to grow; where bedtime routines, prayers, and blessing give comfort; where the intimacy of deep relationships- unconditional love, grace, forgiveness, encouragement, unselfishness, laughter, and memories –is shared with people who have made us a priority in their lives. It’s where appetites for favorite music, movies, book, games, art, and traditions are shaped from infancy on up.

Home is a haven from a world that is swimming with challenges and difficulty. It is a school where one learns how precious life is intended to be. It provides the context of learning to know and love my Creator, the beauty of the world he made, and his Word, which guides me. And it is the environment where direction and purpose and values are passed from generation to generation, protecting and preserving all that is precious to life.

The task of building homes into place of beauty and life that will feed the hearts , souls and minds of our children is the most comprehensive task to which God has called us as mothers. We are called quite literally to be “home makers”- to plan and shape a home environment that provide our families with both a safe resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in the world……through the Word, God has indeed given us principles of wisdom that can guide our lives, including many that can guide us in shaping our home environments. But God leaves enormous room for personality, circumstance, creativity, resources, and culture to shape the specific decision we make about our homes and the ways that we live in them. Each of us is called to make daily faith decisions that will determine the kind of environment that shapes our family’s lives.” pp. 160-161 The Mission of Motherhood 

I so desire for our home to be haven, for C, for B for anyone who walks through our front door. 

A place where Jesus is known and talked about.

A place where we all can be ourselves, the people that God has created us to be.

A place where we can share life…the ups and the downs.

A place where we can make memories.

A place where we can both experience and bask in  God’s love and His grace together.

A place were we can extend God’s love and grace to others.

A place where “the rooms are filled with all pleasant and precious riches”.

On a lighter note…

A place where you can hang out in a diaper, on the dog’s (dirty) bed while eating Cheerios (not one of my prouder “mom moments”)…but he is safe, he is fed and most of all he is happy!

 

Happy Friday!

Be Blessed!

“Eating Banana Pancakes…Pretend Like we are Swimin’”

What a day! B and I enjoyed a nice long impromptu play date today with some friends from church…I enjoyed the time with grown-ups and B seemed to really enjoy the time with his little friends. We continue to be so grateful for the friends that the Lord has placed in our life…I know that I often take it for granted, but God has really provided for us here in Cowtown and we are so grateful.

The long morning afforded B a long (almost three and a half hour) afternoon nap…while B slept I enjoyed some more “needle and thread therapy” (I tend to get on little kicks…I will probably loose my steam in a couple days and move onto something else, so I wanted to take advantage of my steam and experiment with some ideas that have been floating around in my head…heavy emphasis on attempt).

These are the fruits of the three and a half hour nap…(okay, I have to be honest, I worked a little bit after dinner too…C was gracious to clean up from dinner and give B a bath…I think deep down he really enjoyed the Daddy and B time!)

 

I was afraid I might “ruin” my own clothes while experimenting so I purchased a package of five small men’s undershirts (the package was $10.00, my rationalization was that if my ideas didn’t turn out I could justify it as an entertainment expense).

Like Tuesday’s sweater make-over, I don’t know how often or if  I will wear these shirts, or how well they will come through the washing machine/dryer…but I consider the “therapy” a success, I was able to enjoy a relaxing afternoon  listening to the sewing machine hum as B slept! (Much more enjoyable than cleaning!)

My sewing set me back a little in regard to getting dinner ready…SO, we enjoyed a quick and easy dinner…banana pancakes! I found myself singing the Jack Johnson song as I mixed the batter and flipped the cakes…they were actually really tasty if I don’t say so myself!

B seemed to love them…well, it was either eating pancakes like a big kid or the fact that he got to wear his swim trunks to the dinner table?

Let me explain, B is suffering from his first bummer of a diaper rash (not to over share)…I know that keeping him dry is best, but I don’t trust him to not use wherever he is playing as a restroom…I thought the swim trunks may let him air out a little, but still contain any messy surprises…crazy thought, probably so, but he did look pretty cute in the Madras trunks…and I really do think the trunks made the pancakes taste better!

Happy Thursday!!!

Be Blessed!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Don’t get me wrong the Ball Park at Arlington is great…but I would love to wiggle my nose and be here right now (and I don’t even like baseball that much)…it looks like the crowd is enjoying a beautiful COOL spring day!

My dad sent me this photo that he took while standing in another building downtown, this is the new Minnesota Twins baseball stadium…I love that it is in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. I don’t have any major heart attachments to the Minnesota Twins, though at one time I did have my very own red and white Homer Hanky that I distinctly remember waving during the World Series…yes, that may have been in 1987…and I may or may not have been to a Twins game since but…I am grateful for the fun childhood memory.  Maybe waving that hanky was providing my little heart with a glimpse of my future and my precious C.

Go Twins!

This Music Class Drop Out “hearts” Nap Time

B and I have had somewhat of a rough day, between sneezes, coughs and runny noses neither of us have really had on our “A’ games.

The day started with a fantastic walk and then B enjoyed a short morning nap…I had to wake him up in effort to get to our mommy & me music class on time. At the class, B was sure to let everyone know that he was grouchy on account of his allergies and shortened nap, I was both humbled and embarrassed by his grouchiness…so as of today, I think we are done with music, it just doesn’t seem fair to abbreviate his naptime. There is only one class left, and the pros are out weighing the cons to finish the semester off so, B and I are music class drop outs as of this morning!

After music we enjoyed lunch, a quick coffee date with a potential horned frog (which put me in in the salesperson mode of trying to sell Cowtown as a great place to live) and a LONG afternoon nap for B which was much needed!

I have come to love nap times, don’t get me wrong, I love the time that I have with B while he is awake…but it is so nice to have a couple hours to myself…since the day has been somewhat of a mess, I treated myself to some needle and thread therapy, I figured that the laundry and two cakes that I am supposed to bake for tomorrow could wait!

This is what I have to show for the day’s therapy session…

This is the before photo (this is a different sweater, but it provides and idea of the starting point)…

 

B started crying just as I was taking the photos, it was as if he planned the therapy session himself!

I have no idea if I will ever be gutsy enough to wear my “new” sweater…I guess only time will tell, but  I have challenged  myself not to make any more clothing purchases for awhile, so maybe one morning I will go “shopping” and pick this item out?!

B just finished his snack and is in desperate need of some Mommy-love…then it’s off to tackle laundry and baking…it seems as though the day as perked up a little…even though the sneezes and coughs continue!

Happy Tuesday!

B, our Baking Buddy

Chocolate chip cookies in…

Waiting patiently…

  

Almost done…

 

Yes! the timer went off…cookies are done!

We Like Sheep…Need a Shepherd

When I was little I was in a musical at our church, we sang this song that went something like this…

“We like sheep, we like sheep, we like sheep ‘cause sheep is what we are…”

I have been thinking about the symbolism of a shepherd and the role that a shepherd has in his sheep's lives. This is how dictionary.com defines the word shepherd:

shep·herd/noun 1.

a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.

2.

a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.

3.

a member of the clergy.

4.

the Shepherd, Jesus Christ. (from dictionary.com)

For starters, I love that Jesus is mentioned as part of the definition, that is so neat, remembering that this is not a Christian based website.  I am so struck by the words... herds, tends, guards, protects, guides, watches over...those are all verbs, action words, that Jesus desires and does participate in our lives on a daily basis.  Shepherds do not have a passive job, they are constantly working. Shepherds don't go home after a days work to sleep in their own beds, instead they stay out in the pasture with their sheep...even though the ground is hard and the elements may be less then pleasant. Shepherds don't like it when their sheep wander out of their watch, when they do...they go to them and lead them back to themselves, to safety. Shepherds make sure their flock is well fed and watered, they tend to each of their sheep's’ various needs. Shepherds protect their sheep from danger, they are willing to put themselves in harms way in effort to protect their sheep. 

This is so elementary, but such an awesome truth!  Jesus does each of these tasks (and more) in our own lives.  He tends to us, He guards us, He protects us, He guides us, He watches over us! Like a shepherd, Jesus doesn't leave us to fend for ourselves, He stays with us.  Jesus rescues us when we wander away from His fold and His truth when we wander into the wilderness where we can get caught in thorns and become snared...He knows when we have wandered and wants nothing more than to have us back near and close to Him.  Jesus was even an example of a shepherd throughout His ministry here on earth (though it was not His profession). Jesus stayed with His disciples, He lived with them, He ate with them...He didn't check in and then check out...He was committed to loving and teaching them! Jesus even called Himself a shepherd in John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep." (NLT)

I have found encouragement through this simple yet pivotal truth.  I  find myself challenged in regard to the sphere of influence that God has so graciously provided me with.  Am I caring for B as shepherd would his own sheep?  Am I herding, tending, guarding, protecting, guiding & watching over?  As I ponder this question in my own heart I am reminded of Proverbs 22:5-6 "In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (NIV).  What a challenge! I am glad that I have Jesus as my ultimate role model, but even more is my loving good Shepherd!

" Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV)

Happy Sunday….Be Blessed!

A is for Effort and S is for Spoon

A friend of ours has a baby that is a couple months older than B…she just started to feed herself with a spoon and that got me to wondering if B was ready to have a go at using his very own spoon…

He wasn’t really successful…

  

 

(notice both the spoon & bowl on the floor)

But he it didn’t seem to faze him in the least bit…so I guess we can give him an “A” for effort. 

Better luck next time (maybe in a month or two)!

The Pantry Clean Out…Has Spilled Over to Closet Clean Outs!

We are still working through cleaning our pantry out…we never could have imagined how much stuff we had stuffed into such a small space…the concept has been rather freeing so I have taken it upon myself to clean my own closet out!

 

As I have cleaned, I have found myself quite appalled by the amount of clothes that I have, I am not taking this opportunity to brag by any means in fact most of the labels in my closet are from Target, Marshalls, Ross etc.  But I really have entirely too much! So as of today, I am going to challenge myself to try to wear more of my clothes and not buy any new clothes unless I find something that I truly need (which is doubtful) or something that is under $10.00 and at least 75-80% off…I am going to treat visits to my closet like a shopping trip by trying  to “concoct” outfits that I have never worn before…I am going to try to do this until the majority of items have been worn, I hope by that point I will have a more grateful and content heart for what I have and a good understanding of what I really can get rid of or give away…I mean seriously, I have had some pants hanging that I have thought… “Hmmm, I think I will give those away…no, but wait…I may wear them someday!?” That someday has arrived and if they don’t get worn in the next several weeks they will be history!

On a funny side note, which I am a touch embarrassed to admit,  I did find an old denim overall dress still hanging in my closet…I have no idea why I have kept it? I mean there may be a day when I need to dress western or something fun like that…but really, would I choose to wear a denim overall dress…I would hope I have more style than that!

I do request that if anyone notices me being “not-stylish” to please tell me, I promise I won’t take it personally…but instead will be entirely grateful! I am the first to admit that my SQ (style IQ) is not really high!

Waging War…the Battle is On!

Poor B woke up with his allergy induced cough this morning…so I have taken it upon to wage war against all the little allergens that have decided to take up residence in our house!

As of about 10:00 this morning I…

-Decided that sweet Ella and all of her pet dander would spend the day in the backyard

-Turned off all the ceiling fans

-Turned both of our humidifiers on

-Dusted almost every surface in our house

-Scrubbed the kitchen counters

-Vacuumed every inch of our floor and carpet (using the vacuum hose to get into nooks & crannies)

-Washed the kitchen floor

-Used the steam/sanitizing mop on every square inch of our floors

So dust bunnies beware! You are no longer welcome in our home!

We want our precious bubbly B back…we want to say goodbye to the sneezing, coughing, wheezing &watery eyes…for good!

We can’t wait to see raindrops falling from the sky this afternoon…we hope all the rain will clean out the air…that way we can have a clean house and clean air!

Really!?!

This afternoon I find myself imagining that I am sitting at the Saturday Night Live news desk with Amy Poehler & Seth Meyer participating in a Really!?! conversation about allergies and how truly absurd they are!

In my head the conversation is going a little like this…

I never had allergies until I moved to Texas…REALLY!?!

There is yellow pollen/dust on the hood of my car….REALLY!?!

I had to use my inhaler before my run yesterday…REALLY!?!

B has started to cough and sneeze in the past 24 hours…REALLY!?!

B sneezed several times this morning…REALLY!?!

B’s little nose looks like a water faucet….REALLY!?!

B has been really cuddly and not his typical explorer-like self….REALLY!?!

I called B’s pediatrician today….REALLY!?!

B’s pediatrician called back and said that one out of every two calls they are receiving today is about sneezing, coughing, drippy noses…REALLY!?!

B’s pediatrician suggested that B start taking allergy medicine…REALLY!?!

I go to the doctor once a week for allergy shots….REALLY!?!

I take what seems like a bazillion types of medicines to keep my allergies in check…REALLY!?!

Allergies are expensive…REALLY!?!

We don’t get to enjoy ceiling fans because of allergies…REALLY!?!

We don’t get to enjoy having our windows open on nice days….REALLY!?!

Is this just a  bonus for choosing to live in this part of the country, I mean ….REALLY!?!

(okay, so I know that I am not nearly as funny as Amy and Seth…but I will humbly admit that I laughed to myself as this thought process came to fruition.)

Really,

I don’t mean to complain, I am trying to find humor in all of this, I know deep down that I have lots of things to be thankful for…I mean I get to wear flip flops almost year round and there isn’t any thing like Texas blue sky on a beautiful spring day…but I don’t remember signing up for allergies…REALLY!?!

It is my sincere hope that B will not have to experience the “gift” of allergies like I have…. so pollen, pollen go away and please don’t ever come back to our neck of the wood to play!

Walk in the Park

B enjoyed a park play date with his friend, J,  this morning.  Neither B or J  had much interest in the toys that were brought from home, they were much more intrigued by the various happenings in the park. The two toddled around on the grass, they both picked up sticks, pieces of bark, leaves and even taste tested each other’s snacks and sippy cups!

As we packed up to head back to the car, I snapped this photo.  I love both of the baby’s facial expressions…it makes me wonder what they are saying to each other, in their own little language that we adults can’t understand.

We are so grateful for friends to share bright, sunny and beautiful days with.

Thanks K & J!

Rubber Band Mishap

Our dryer is a little quirky…not on its own accord, but account of me. I accidently washed and dried a hair rubber band a few months ago, when I opened the dryer after the cycle of laundry was complete I discovered a very brown, very burned hair rubber band hanging from the rubber gasket in the dryer drum. The rubber band left an awful burn mark on the dryer’s rubber gasket which now randomly leaves very awful burn marks on any light colored clothes! In effort to protect our light colored laundry, this is our temporary fix (c surprised me with a retractable clothes line about a week ago- prior to the surprise I had been using our dinning room table and chairs as a clothes line). 

 

Who would have thought that someone could be so grateful for a retractable clothes line?  I have to admit that it takes me  back to summers at my parent’s cabin when we used a clothes line to dry wet swim suits and towels, when I look outside our kitchen window and see clothes hanging on the line…it makes me a little nostalgic. 

Ella loves the clothes line because it means that I am out on the back porch more often which means she has someone to throw her ball for her. How could I resist throwing the ball when I have this face looking at me?

Crazy Idea…

Go to…

www.chattermommas.blogspot.com

If you are interested in participating, please email me and I will get you the information for making posts…I really hope this works!

Enjoy the day!

My Two Frogs

Happy Monday!

Aunts, Uncles & Birthdays…Oh My!

Wheeew!

What a weekend and it isn’t even over yet!

B and I made a little impromptu road trip on Friday afternoon.  We packed up the car and headed north on our favorite highway, I-35, to Oklahoma  to see my little brother, J,play in his last collegiate lacrosse tournament.

B was quite a traveling trooper!  We met up with my parents and enjoyed cheering for Uncle J and his teammates.  J’s team played a phenomenal game, it was so much fun to watch! At one point a player from the opposing team tried to hit J with a his stick, J bent over and the player did almost two flips over J’s back…it was incredible (I wish I could have caught it on film)!

   

Later we celebrated my dad’s birthday by enjoying singing the birthday song, which B loved and eating some cake.

On Saturday morning, we woke up enjoyed a quick breakfast and hit the road again in effort to get home by lunch time. B was a trooper yet again and took his morning nap in the car.  

While B and I drove, C was at home enjoying breakfast at the bakery, getting a load of dirt for the backyard planters and trimming trees with his friend, D.  C’s morning efforts were quite fruitful as our backyard is continuing to take shape.

We made it home in time to make it to a fundraiser that a good friend of ours was helping to host at a local park.  C enjoyed the hotdogs while B stuck to his Cheerios.  B did try the bounce house with another baby about his age…must to his dismay! He felt much more content (and secure) just hangin’ out in his stroller!

  

(He really was happy…with his feet up and sun hat on!)

After the fundraiser, we headed downtown to take in some of the annual art fair…when I mention “take in” I mean take in the experience of people watching…it was more fascinating than most of the art work! (It left C and I feeling like we are rather boring individuals!)

(Please notice the Sonic drinks in the stroller cup holders…this was our attempt at being frugal, who doesn’t love happy hour half price drinks?  We loved them even more when we saw sodas being sold at the fair for more than $4.00 a piece.)

Later B enjoyed a long afternoon nap before we met some friends for dinner.  Let me take a moment to say that we have had the most incredible spring (thus far)! It has been sunny but NOT hot!  We were able to eat dinner on the patio and sat and chatted with our friends for almost 3 hours…B was a trooper once again and split his time at dinner between C’s lap, my lap and his stroller.

This morning (Sunday) we got up and headed over to the Big D to cheer C’s sister, B, on as she and a couple friends ran the Big D Half Marathon!  We met up with C’s parents, who had already scoped out some good cheering spots along the race route.  B and her friends did a great job running. The morning left both C and I feeling pretty lazy as evidenced by C’s comment after B finished… “Man, I feel like I need to go running this afternoon!” We’ll see if any of the feelings experienced translate into a run later today or later this week.

 

B spent the afternoon napping. C spent the afternoon working in the backyard, I will try to post some photos to provide some evidence of all his hard work soon, things are really coming along. I spent part of the afternoon baking, something I love to do, but am not incredibly good at.

On Sunday evening C’s family joined us for church and then came over for a quick bite to eat. We enjoyed our dinner, conversation and of course… birthday cake!  (My dad and C’s mom have birthdays that are one day apart in the spring…and C’s dad and my mom have birthdays one day a part in the fall…just a fun little fact about our family).

(Please excuse the bottle, I know that he is one and no, I don’t have an excuse)

A little shout out/side note on the birthday cake because it was a successful trial run…a friend of mine, J, makes this phenomenal chocolate cake, she was kind enough to share the recipe with me and told me that I could share it if it was a success….J, it was a success! Everyone loved it…I will be sure to make it again, I think it will rival…by no means beat, but rival my other favorite chocolate cake recipe! This was my first endeavor with the Bundt pan and as I mentioned earlier I am not a fantastic baker…so I commemorated the culinary moment with a photo (the recipe is below)…I predict this cake to become a staple in my small (but growing) desert repertoire!

 

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small instant choc. pudding mix
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup oil
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
6 oz choc chips
Directions:
1. fold all ingredients
2. pour into greased Bundt pan
3. bake @ 350 deg for ~40 min (mine is never done in 40 min. I always cook it for ~50-60 min, but it might be my oven)

All in all it was both a great and exhausting weekend! We continued to be so blessed to have family and friends to share and celebrate life with!

Congratulations on a great game and season Uncle J!

Happy Birthday Grandpa B!

Thanks for all your help D!

Good Job Ms. K for all your hard work and planning with the fundraiser!

K & J…thanks for joining us for dinner…we had a fantastic time!

Congratulations on a great run Aunt B!

Happy Birthday Grandma J!

Thanks for sharing the recipe J!

Thanks for being a trooper B!