water babies

Nov 08

Hope and Halle have always LOVED water.
"Wimming?" Can be heard here daily.
What a difference a year makes!

Oct 09

Such happy days these are...

I have my own Reptile Man

Happy 8th Birthday Ethan!

Our precious middle son...you are 8 now! It has been an important year for you. You have matured in many ways and we are so proud of you. I love your sense of humor, your love of animals, your compassion and empathy. You are a wonderful son Ethan and we love you dearly!

Happy Birthday Chad!

Chad turned 38 on the 9th! It was a joy to celebrate this wonderful man. I am amazed each year that God saw fit to bless me with Chad for a husband and the father of my children. Thank-you Lord!

apple cake skillet delight!

What should we make for Daddy's birthday. It needs to be special...delicious...one of his favorites???

In honor of my man's birthday Viktoriya and I made a delicious dessert! He loves apple crisps so I decided to try a variation on the old favorite. I got the idea at Shonni's...who got the idea from The Pioneer Woman, but we adapted it to our liking. We shreded the apples and layered the cake batter, and substituted brown for the white sugar. We also doubled the vanilla and the cinnamon. Oh and we substituted cream cheese for sour cream because we were out and it turned out...perfectly yummy!!!!!

On a side note, I had so much fun cooking with my eldest daughter! Let me know if you like me to post directions/our recipe.

worthy

Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song,
to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing
Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything,
And I will adore You

ww

{on thursday as usual ;o)}

too cute not to share

how unfair that we get to see this insanely cute combo every day!

education

“‘Education,’ said Lord Haldane, some time ago, ‘is a matter of the spirit.’ — no wiser word has been said on the subject, and yet we persist in applying education from without as a bodily activity or emollient. We begin to see light. No one knoweth the things of man but the spirit of a man which is in him; therefore, there is no education but self-education and as soon as a young child begins his education he does so as a student. Our business is to give him mind-stuff, and both quality and quantity are essential. Naturally, each of us possesses this mind-stuff only in limited measure, but we know where to procure it; for the best thought the world possesses is stored in books; we must open books to children, the best books; our own concern is abundant and orderly serving.” – Charlotte Mason

a breakfast favorite

choco-berrie smoothie

4 cups organic milk

4 tbs nutella

4 tbs flax seed meal

1 cup strawberries

1 cup ice

4 raw eggs

add everything to blender, blend, pour and enjoy!

{top with a bit of whip cream for extra oohs and aahs}

{not so}Littte Boys

oh how I love our sweet, precious, little boys,

their wrestling, their laughing,

their love of protecting, so fierce and so brave,

adventure & exploring they crave

their lack of bed making, even the ornery looks that they give,
their need of a bath, both morning and night,

the way they challenge your thinking,

and cause you to pray with all your might...

the way they pull you into their play

and allow you be a child at least once a day...

their naughty, sneaky dogs, sleeping in their beds

the way they try so hard, to make Mama happy,

their touseled bed heads

their prayers, so tender, so real & true

how they trust you, to know just what to do

and the way they still love you, even if you've failed when the day is through

how I love my little {and not so little} boys

thank-you Jesus for these sweet precious joys