Yummy Lunch!

Okay, so today I was starving and didn't know what to fix for lunch. I really wanted pizza, but I am out of one flour I need to make the dough (have to make it gluten-free) and let's face it.... it would just take too long to make the dough, bake the crust, put together the pizza and finish baking it. So I went scrounging around. SCORE! Here is what I found:

The end of my gluten-free loaf of bread (enough for a couple of slices)
Left-over spinach pesto from the pasta I made last night (thick enough to spread - YUM!)
Some cheese that had already been grated

So I decide to make a pizza-like lunch! I smeared some of the yummy spinach pesto over the lightly toasted slices of bread and topped with cheese. Put it back in the toaster over for about 7 minutes on 375 and then on broil for about a minute (or less) just to make the top brown. Oh my gravy. SOOO YUMMY!!!! I will be doing this again. A LOT!

Here is my spinach pesto "recipe" - (in quotes because I don't ever have measurements):

1 package frozen spinach, thawed
2 cloves (more or less) minced garlic - more if you like the garlic flavor
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (maybe 1/3- 1/2 cup?)
A couple of tablespoons dried basil
Olive Oil (to consistency and taste) - at least 1/3 cup
Lemon juice (Oh, I don't know - maybe a tablespoon or so?)

And I do everything "to taste". Take a taste and if it needs something, smell some other ingredients while you have the flavor in your mouth. You will be able to "taste" all of them together through the smelling and will know if that is what you want or not. You could also put in pinenuts, almonds, walnuts..... Experiment and make it yours! You will love the outcome when you land a dish that is yummy and all your own.

Enjoy!

Kids and Meals

I have had the hardest time getting my sweet girls to actually sit through a meal at the table. They are all over the place! It is becoming a battle we dread every night. And we really love dinner time because we are finally all together and can talk about our day. Here are some things we have tried:

1) Sit or time-out. This doesn't work :-)
2) Sit or no dessert. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Especially since they are smart enough to know that we don't always have dessert (actually don't most nights).
3) Separate their chairs - also to minimize the fighting. This worked for about a night or two.
4) Removal of plate with the assumption that they are finished since they are not at their seat. This has probably been the most effective for bringing them back to the table, but I want to keep them from actually leaving.

One things that someone suggested that I have not yet tried - a reward for staying in their seat the whole time (sticker, dessert, etc.). I think this is what I will try next.

Now I am fairly certain that this goes along with the age of the girls (2 and almost 4), but I am also fairly certain that there is a way to actually keep them at the table. I just haven't figured it out yet. Neither one of them can sit still for more than about 5, MAYBE 10, seconds, so I am on a mission to figure out how to calm them enough to be able to have some sort of attention span. Otherwise school will be near impossible.

Calling all moms! What has worked for you?

Gluten-Free, Where to Start

For many, the need to go gluten free is a medical issue. Doctors have confirmed a gluten sensitivity, allergy or otherwise. in this case, the need to go through cabinets, read labels and purge anything and everything that has a hint of gluten in it is a must. Anything with flour (unless it is pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour or soy flour) , modified food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, vegetable protein, malt r malt flavoring, vegetable gum, soy sauce or soy sauce solids.... YIKES! This can seem like a very daunting task - all of this "stuff" is in everything we currently know to be "every-day foods". For the need to go cold turkey because of diagnosed medical reasons, my suggestion would be to go straight to the produce department or farmer's market and start there. Eat everything fresh to retrain your brain, pallet and give you time to regroup mentally. Let's face it. This is where we should all be shopping anyway. Anything processed or pre-made typically has too many unpronounceable ingredients anyway. Then you can slowly move into replacing traditional pastas with brown rice pastas (which are actually very tasty), eat more rice-inspired dishes and begin making your own breads and baked goods. I have a really good gluten-free bread recipe posted here on my site. Look at the items you CAN have, not the "can't" list. You will quickly see how much you really can eat on a gluten-free diet. Just make sure to read ALL labels, even those items that claim to be gluten free. They are not always 100% gluten free, but enough to claim the status.

Now there are also many people who want to experiment and try removing gluten to see if it makes a difference in how their body feels. Not a medically diagnosed need, but a personal want. In this case, here is what I would suggest. Make a list of all the wonderful things that do NOT have gluten in them and begin your shopping week on a happy note. There is so much to eat! Start by cutting out regular pasta and bread. Eat more rice-based or potato dishes. Then you can move to a brown rice pasta for those days that you really want a pasta dish. You can make a loaf of your own bread and have that on hand (again, there is a great recipe on this blog). Also focus on eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. Once you have adjusted to this way of thinking, begin reading labels of items in your pantry and make some notes as to what items have gluten in them. Set them in their own section in your pantry and try to focus on the large "can be used" section. You will quickly realize how much you really can eat and that it is not as difficult as you may have initially thought. Unless you eat out more than you eat at home. We never eat out, so it has been a fairly easy adjustment for us.

Once you get the idea of on-gluten items in your head, be creative! Use things like almonds (or any kind of nut) as a replacement for breadcrumbs in a recipe (run them through a food processor), or even gluten-free corn flakes. I have made Chicken Parmesan with corn flakes as the breading. DELICIOUS! And in a recipe I have on this blog, I used almonds for the breading on chicken fingers. You will be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful texture and flavor these items will add to your staple dishes. And you may never go back to the old ways. You can have delicious, flavorful meals without the gluten. Many people have made statements that say you can't eat anything or that there is no flavor in gluten-free cooking. SOOOOO not the case. I actually think the food I am now making has more flavor and texture than my old way of cooking. AND we don't have the digestive issues we had before.

Like anything, a change is an adjustment. Just make sure that you give yourself time to adjust, give yourself some room for error and know that yes, YOU CAN DO THIS. Check back for more recipes in the days and weeks to come! I have a pizza crust recipe that I will post soon. Yes, even pizza can be yummy and gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Multigrain Sandwich Bread

Hi everyone! Well, I have been hard at work creating the perfect recipe for a gluten-free, multigrain sandwich bread. Not an easy task! But it has been so much fun to play, experiment and EAT! Yes, you heard correctly. Eating these samples has been very enjoyable. Nice flavor, not like cardboard and the whole family loves it! I know I will tweak it just a bit more, but here is the recipe as is currently stands:

Gluten-Free Multigrain Sandwich Bread

3 Eggs (I use egg substitute) - room temp is best
3 1/2 Tbsp Canola oil

2/3 Cup Millet Flour
1/2 Cup Sorghum Flour
1/3 Cup Teff Flour *
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Potato Starch
1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour
2 1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
3/4 tsp Salt
1 3/4 tsp Unflavored Gelatin
2 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 packet Dry Active Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 Cup Milk (I use Almond Milk) - warm, but not too hot
4 Tbsp Flax Seeds


* - if you don't have Teff Flour, just use 1 cup of the Millet Flour. I like the Teff as it adds a richer taste, reminiscent of whole wheat bread.

Whisk eggs and oil in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl (stand mixer) until well blended (except for the flax seeds). While mixer is on low, add egg/oil mixture and warm milk and mix until well blended. Scrape sides of bowl, then beat on medium-high for 4 minutes. Mix in flax seeds until well blended.

Pour dough into prepared 9" pan (I usually just grease well, but you can also dust with white corn meal) and spread evenly with spatula. Cover loosely with a light towel or plastic wrap (sprayed with cooking spray). Let rise is a warm, draft-free place for 40-45 minutes. Don't let it proof too long or it will likely fall after baking. While bread is rising, preheat oven to 350.

Place bread in preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Bread should feel fairly firm and sound hollow when tapped on the top and sides. If the bread is getting too dark on the top, you can set a piece of foil over it after 15 minutes of baking.

Pull bread out and let cool for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.

To store, cover well in aluminum foil while still warm. This will help keep the moisture in the bread. I then place the wrapped bread in a Ziplock. You can store it in the refrigerator or freezer. In my house, it doesn't last long enough to freeze! We actually just leave it out on the counter in the foil/ziplock since it only lasts about 3 days tops!

Enjoy!

School

Ok. I have been back and forth between do I homeschool, do I send the girls to preschool, can I actually homeschool ..... I found a preschool that I liked enough to visit. I visited with the girls and we all loved it. Small classes, Christian curriculum, sweet director and they will even take Amanda who is technically not quite old enough. Sounds great and perfect, right? Well.... when did it become so expensive to send children to school? The up-side is that I would be able to work part-time since I would have mornings free, but the down-side is that I would need to have a job in order to pay the fees. It is a catch-22.

I also don't think I would think any more about it except for 2 things: 1) Abi really wants to go to school. You have no idea. Have NEVER seen a child so excited to go to school. And if I'm honest, I think the environment would be wonderful for her. 2) I really feel like she is supposed to be there. It starts on Monday and right now it seems impossible. However, I know that God is bigger than any of this and if it is supposed to happen, it will. On time is soon enough.

So tonight I feel sad for Abi, but trust that God's plan is the best one. If Abi is to go, there will be a way. If God has another plan, that will also play out. All I can do is pray and trust, and that is a good place to be.

Gluten-Free Dinner

It seems many people who are discovering they are gluten-sensitive are finding it hard to locate recipes that make meals that don't taste like cardboard. Or are just plain flavorless. Especially bread! I do have a great bread recipe that I have just about tweaked, so I will post it as soon as I try out these last few adjustments. In the mean time, here is something I whipped up for tonight! I have no measurements, just eyeball and taste as you go (except anything that has been touched by the raw chicken). This is how I do most of my cooking. I get an idea, think through what flavors would be nice and go for it. Gluten-free cooking doesn't have to be any different from regular cooking, you just get to experiment with more exciting ingredients! So here is my loose "recipe" for this delicious dinner!

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

3 or so handfuls of sliced almonds

some freshly grated parmesan cheese

Seasoning of your choice (I used Morton Nature's Seasoning)

EVOO

Chicken tenderloins

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top of it. Spray the rack with cooking spray and set aside.

Put the almonds through a food processor until they are a breadcrumb consistency.

In one bowl, pour a little olive oil. In another, mix the processed almonds, parmesan cheese and seasoning (all to taste).

Dip chicken pieces (one at a time) in the olive oil, coating both sides. Then dip in the almond-crumb mixture, coating really well. Set on wire rack. Continue until all pieces are coated and on the rack.

Let chicken sit on rack for about 20 minutes or so just to set.

Heat oven to 450 and bake for 15-20 minutes (until chicken is cooked through). That's it!

Now forgive me that I don't have more pictures. I am not used to taking pictures as I go, and as soon as I pulled the chicken tenders out of the oven, They were being snatched off the rack! My 2 year old devoured them. I think it also helped that the girls helped make them. They helped with preparing the dry ingredients. If you have children, always look for ways they can help out in the kitchen. They LOVE IT! And they are more likely to at least try a food if they have had a hand in making it.

I served it with brown basmati rice, but I wanted to jazz it up a tiny bit since I was out of chicken stock to cook the rice in. So, I added a little bit of the same seasoning from the chicken and tossed in some of the sliced almonds. YUM! Just felt like it might work, so I tried it. not to mention it tied the meal together. Then I make some honey glazed carrots to go along side. OH! And I made a honey mustard dipping sauce, but it wasn't needed. Sure was good though!

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey

a couple of spoonfuls of Dijon mustard

Gluten-Free Mayo to taste.

YEP! That's it. You could add a little bit of lemon juice too if you wanted, and a little horseradish if you want a little kick. I wasn't sure if the horseradish here was gluten-free or not and since it didn't need it, I left it out.

So all of this to say that you don't need recipes, just a thought in your mind and to "taste" the flavors you would like to have. Nothing has to be difficult and hard to put together. And you don't have to have a recipe to cook. Experiment. Have fun with your food! There is so much great food out there and so many ways to pair them and create new things! Just make sure to read the labels.

Quiet Times and Time-Outs

I know it has been a while..... again. I have had lots of thoughts for blog posts and I am sure many of them will happen, but I have been trying to focus my time on how to better manage my time and the girls. I felt like I was yelling or disciplining ALL the time and had no time for fun with the girls. And because of that I have been a wreck. Now I don't yell all the time, I do not like to yell at my children. But let's face it, there are days when n one is listening and you feel like you are yelling to be heard all day long.

Then I found myself talking very softly, the same thing over and over, "If you can't hear me, you need to take a breath and try to calm down." And, "I will not talk over your screaming, so I will wait." Once they realize that I am not going to talk over their screams and they won't provoke a yell or frustration out of me, then they take a breath, calm down and are ready to listen. How many times do I scream and yell at the Lord (ok, maybe not scream and yell, but complain about the same thing over and over or ask the same thing over and over, and never feel like He is hearing me) and wonder why He doesn't answer or talk to me? Way too many times. I believe He is also saying, "Carrie, I will not talk over you. When you are ready to listen, I am hear to repeat what I have already told you. Open yourself up to listen." The still, quiet moments are when I hear most clearly and can focus on what the Lord has to say to me, to ask of me and to show me.

So then I began to think about my mommy time-outs - those times that I have always removed myself from the room to take a few moments to gather myself together and to pray. Why have I not tried this with my children too? And then I also began thinking about how I could revamp time-outs to try to make them more effective and meaningful. Hmmm....

Just about then, a time-out for Abi was in order. I decided to try a new approach. Here is how it went: "Abi, why did you continue to shake that pom-pom in Amanda's face after she used her nice words and asked you to stop, and I also asked you to respect her words and stop?"

Abi, in a sing-song, flippant response - "Ummmm..... I don't know!"

Mommy - "Well, I would like for you to take a time-out over there on the carpet and think about what you could have done differently."

Abi immediately went to the spot I pointed to, folder hands, closed her eyes and began to pray, "Dear God, please help me to know what I could have done and help me to know what to do." then she sat quietly for the rest of her time. Quite honestly, I think I did too!

Once that time-out was over and I asked her what she could have done differently, she told me a couple of things that would have helped her to avoid time-out. How she could have been more respectful. And then she followed it with, "Jesus helped me!!!!!" Yes, He did! This approach to time-outs has worked wonders for Abi! She now walks around singing, "I want to be like Jesus.....", she is sharing better, she is SO helpful around the house, she is becoming more and more obedient every day.... turn the focus upward. I am in the process of creating a time-out space for reflection, but I think even the current verbal is so effective.

Now I am working on a quiet-time space and routine. Prayer books, Bible stories, coloring books/crayons..... a specified time during the day when we all take some time to quietly work, create, read, pray.... I think it is so very important to establish a routine of daily quiet time early on. And to also establish a time of family devotions. So this piece is a work in process, but I will say there is a lot more prayer going on in our house from people of all ages and it is a much more peaceful place. Every time there is a bump or scrape, both girls are right there to pray healing over whomever got hurt! And they remember to ask later to see how that person is feeling. Even today, we went out in the rain to get a couple of groceries. As we were about to run back to the car, the rain stopped just long enough for the girls to get in (yes, I got soaked. But the girls and I laughed because it was pretty funny). As we were pulling into the driveway, Abi says, "We could ask the Lord to please stop the rain while we get inside." I answered, "Yes we can" and just then, the rain stopped! Abi said, "Look! HE stopped the rain for us!" And just as we all got inside, it picked back up. What a testimony of child-like faith.

Now you may have noticed that I haven't talked much about Amanda. Amanda is 2 and is testing about every boundary she can. She is very blatantly defiant, except when I tell her she needs to go to time-out. She screams and hollers all the way there and through out, but she goes! She will soon figure out that the obedience needs to come BEFORE I send her to time-out. I do give her a warning, so she will soon learn to heed that warning :-) She is sweet as can be though! Just REALLY testing mommy :-)

Well, our personal quiet time is up and Abi is kissing me to let me know, so I am going to go play Mickey Mouse Uno with her! Be blessed and remember to take those few precious moments to be with the Lord! Your day will be so much smoother and patience will be more abundant..... but also remember to ask for more patience :-)

Honest Breakdown

So, I am having one of those weeks where I am just at my wits end. I have zero patience for anything, which is really not good for the children. And Amanda's potty training is about to send my blood pressure through the roof - if it hasn't already. I find myself so short tempered with the kids and I hate that. But at the same time I just don't know what to do because I am just at a loss. I don't have any idea what I am doing and I feel like I am doing everything wrong because nothing is going right. How in the world am I supposed to teach my children about the love of Christ when I can't show it to them? When I can't control my lack of patience? When I am in a place of nothing but tears?

Both of the girls are so sweet, but man are they testing me. And I feel like they are winning. Amanda is extremely disobedient and disrespectful and I can't seem to reign her in. Abi is seeing things from Amanda and is turning from her obedient self to a less than obedient child. And Abi really struggles with being thankful and sharing. And not letting Amanda do things the way she wants. Has to be Abi's way or there is a complete meltdown. And then they both start screaming and focus on how they can get the other in trouble. I seriously don't have the energy anymore. Nothing seems to be working and all that ends up happening is that I lose my cool and end up in tears, along with everyone else.

I could seriously use some helpful advice for anyone who may still be reading this and has any thoughts. Thanks!

Gluten-Free

Well, it's been a while! Although not as long as I had thought. I forgot I wrote about the 4th of July. Yay! So, here is it is. The reason I have not written. Well, I have been deep into Gluten-Free research. YEP! I am trying us out on a Gluten-Free diet. There is Gluten sensitivity in my family and Mark is experiencing some joint discomfort so I began to research natural remedies both for the joints and for my digestive issues. After a week of researching every free moment I had, everything linked back to Gluten. So, that is where I started. The girls do eat some Gluten foods, but I will slowly move them away from it too. Mark and I have just completely removed it from our diet so the girls eat Gluten-Free meals, but their snacks still have some.

Here are some things I have learned so far from being Gluten-Free:

1. It is not as hard to find Gluten-Free foods these days

2. Just because a box is labeled "Gluten-Free" doesn't mean it is actually Gluten-Free.

3. Reading labels is crucial!

4. Baking is very challenging

5. There are a lot of flours needed to make one baked good

6. I thought organic was expensive

7. Gluten-Free is WAY more expensive than organic

8. I learned the phrase "xantham gum"

9. Modified Food Starch = GLUTEN

10. When in doubt, leave it out

11. Pancakes are still tasty, even Gluten-Free

12. Thank goodness for McCormick spices!

13. Pizza crust is a pain to make

14. I will try pizza crust again and experiment

15. Really dislike seeing the term "spices" in the ingredient listing. Please list them out!

16. All "comfort foods" can be interpreted in a Gluten-Free form

17. Gluten-Free Chicken Parm was my first homemade GF meal

18. Real eggs make things rise better than egg substitutes

19. All condiments I used to use are no longer in my recipes

20. I secretly love the challenge

21. I need to make a dessert soon

22. I have a lot of friends who are Gluten-Free!

There will be more learns down the road and when I find a really great recipe or create something I think should be out there, I will post it! If you have any ideas, recipes or suggestions, please feel free to post too. This is an exciting ride!

Fourth of July

Well, we made it! We ventured out late to see the fireworks. Anticipated rain and all. Abi took a 2 1/2 hour nap so that she would be ready to go out. We knew at that moment that rain or not, we were going to have to venture out somewhere and find some fireworks. We decided to head to the beach. So we scarfed down dinner, packed up and went on a hunt for parking by the beach.

On the way there we sang, talked about what we were going to see, saw lots of fire rescue trucks (we past an accident on the bridge) and went on a hunt for parking. We drove around and around, while Abi kept saying, "Daddy, why are you driving in circles? there are lots of parking places right there! LOOK! I see 2!!" We explained that those were reserved for the people who lived in those buildings, but she still wanted to park there :-) After driving around for a bit, Mark went a little further down, asked the police officers if there were any parking places left in the area they were about to close off, and when they said yes we turned in. YES! PArking right by where we were going to be! we got out, pulled out the stroller and went on our way over to the beach.... just across the street. We saw the barge getting in place, so we knew right where we needed to be and were able to get THE perfect seats on the steps down to the sand. The girls played for a while in the sand until Amanda said, "Oh no! I need to go peepee!" and was dancing. 10 minutes before the fireworks were due to start. I did have a pull-up in her just in case, but you can't look at a 2 year old who is potty training and say, "It's okay, hunny. Just go in your diaper." WRONG! We had the potty in the back of the truck so Mark grabbed her and said, "Let's go!" He ran her across the street and she made it! Score! So very thankful that the Lord provided such close parking :-)

Once the fireworks started, Amanda said, "I don't like those! I don't like fire!" I think it was the noise she didn't like, but she wouldn't even look at them. She was looking at the ground. I kept telling her to look and see how beautiful they were and she would glance up shyly every once-in-a-while. I finally told her, "It is just loud. Like thunder. It won't hurt you, but if you don't look you will miss all the pretty colors!" She said, "Like thunder? BOOM!!!" and then giggled. She was fine after that. She was even telling a doggie not to be scared, "It's just loud, doggie. Don't worry. It's okay."

Abi loved them too! Although she asked, "when are they going to be over?" after only 5 minutes. She did still want to watch though. And both of them stayed up until after we were home. So much fun!!!!!! AND the rain held off! What a great night with the family.

Happy 4th!

Potty Training, Round 2

I think the title says it all. We started potty training Amanda this week. I was hesitant and dragging my feet because I didn't know what to expect. You see, Abi was SOOOO easy! However, the time was now and off we went. Area rugs covered, potty out, diaper off. OK! I can do this!!!!

First we went through the, "ok, now remember that you don't have a diaper on. You need to go to the potty if you need to go...." drill. We started outside since that is the easiest place. Potty outside, water and lemonade galore, we are running all over and nothing. I think this girl is a camel!! So we get ready to go inside. BUT WAIT! I hear, "Oh no! I'm peeing!" She runs to the potty and there you have it! Success. A couple of partial accidents inside and then we were full speed ahead. YIPPEE!!! My diaper days are coming to a close!

After a few days of no accidents, I took Amanda for a mommy daughter shopping trip to pick out her own big girl panties. She was SOOOO excited. We went shopping and she picked out monkeys. Glad I took her because that is NOT what I would have thought she wanted :-) They are cute though! And she could not WAIT to put them on. She actually pulled them out of the package and put them on over her pull-up. Yep! They are keepers!

Something I did differently with Amanda is that I didn't really take a break from errands and going out. It was easy with Abi to stop, but not so much with Amanda. And I think it worked out better for her too. I was more relaxed this time around, just offered a lot of verbal reminders to remember to go on the potty and she worked it out. So we are now 2 nights dry, and last night she actually woke up during the night to get up and go to the bathroom! She still needs help with pulling her pants down, but I am fine with that. She will get there and I am fine with helping her for a few weeks until she gets it. I am just really excited for her and for us! What an accomplishment!

Yay for Amanda!

Photo Contest

Hi there! I know it has been quite a while. A lot has happened! In a nutshell, I made a lsat minute trip to Jacksonville to see my grandfather before he went home to Jesus. I will post on that once I get my head around it all. Still processing. After getting back from that trip (and nursing my girls back to health) we had a week of KIDZ Camp (aka VBS) and I think we are still recovering from that! but it was SOOOO fun! Abi LOVES to be on stage! Amanda loves to sing and dance, but once you put her on stage she just stands and takes it all in. they are both so cute!

Speaking of cute, Abi is in the running for being a photo winner this week in a Kids in Hats photo contest. I would love if you would log in and vote! You can vote once a day per computer all week! Feel free to spread the word to your friends. Fun! You can click on Kids in Hats to vote.

Thanks so much! Have a great week and a Happy Fourth!

No Better Feeling

As I have been purposeful about taking time for myself with the Lord these past few weeks, what a difference in everything. I find I am able to draw more patience when dealing with the lack of controlled emotions of my sweet children, automatic turn to prayer when something happens or I feel my blood pressure rising, passion for people, the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout my every day experiences. But my prayers. THIS is what I have so missed. Complete loss of self, fully focused on the Lord and FEELING His presence in me. Feeling the rest and comfort all the way from my head down to my toes. Literally. I actually feel it travel from my heart all the way through my toes. And I then get lost in His presence and prayer. There truly is no better feeling. to truly lose yourself in the Spirit.

I pray you feel that today. That you feel that every day. That you take time to spend with our Father. Sweet, undisturbed time. I know you think it is not possible, especially when you have small children, a husband, work, life. But it is. There is always time for our sweet Lord. And it is the best time of every day. The best moments we will encounter. Clear time for Him. He is waiting to hear from us and spend time with us. All of us. Individually. He love you that much. He loves ME that much. That He is always there to listen. To talk. To support. To love. HE is my reason for living. Everything else I get to do is a blessing from Him. All my daily chores become blessings. Blessed to have a house to care for, children to raise, food to cook into meals, clothes to wash and iron, dishes to clean.... all blessings that I get to do because I live for Him. No better feeling.

What's the Big Idea!?!

Amanda has a new love of Donald Duck. She likes to walk around and just say, "Donald says, 'What's the big idea?!'" As you know from the last post, she is also now in a big girl bed. She is able to get out of bed when she is finished with her nap... when she actually remembers that she can.

The other day, we heard her through the monitor. She first began to cry, but then it got quiet again. I could hear her rustling through the bed, trying to get off. Then we hear crying again. And it is getting louder. Mark walks in to find her standing in the trash can, completely blocked in my 2 doll strollers and 2 small chairs. Abi had set something up before nap time and it was still set up. Amanda had climbed over the end of the bed instead of the side where she normally goes. I think she wasn't quite awake.

So mark pulls her out of the trash can. Amanda looks around, looks at Mark and says, "Hey! What's the big idea!!?!" Mark laughed, came out and told me, I laughed and then Amanda kept saying it over and over while smiling and laughing herself. SO funny!!!

Big Girl Bed

Today is a HUGE milestone for Amanda. I have been trying to talk her into a big girl bed for what seems like forever. We moved Abi to a big girl bed when she was just about a year old and she was so excited, transferred with absolutely no problem. Amanda has not wanted to part with the pack 'n play. We have been talking about it more these past few weeks, but she has not been interested. Actually, her answer is consistently, "No, I don't think so." I was beginning to think it would never happen.

Today at nap time, she said, "No mommy. I want to sleep over there." I jumped at the chance to actually get her to get in the big girl bed! She put her head on the pillow, nestled in, asked for help getting the covers up and then sat up and asked for her animals. I put the couple of animals she has in her bed in the big bed. She snuggled back in, sat up and looked around. I asked her if she wanted her pillows and she said yes. So I got those, put them the way she likes them and stayed with her for a bit. I finally had to leave because she kept sitting up and talking to me. She cried for a while, but then all of a sudden it was quiet. I walked in and this is what I saw:

Ahhhhh.... She sleeps....

Sweet girl. She slept less than an hour and woke up absolutely crying and upset, but she slept. Daddy came home and was excited about the big girl bed too. When the girls were playing and distracted, he went in and took the pack 'n play down! I was thinking maybe we would give it a couple of days, but I guess Daddy was ready for the bed to go buy buy. I have to admit, I was not sad at all to see it go.... out the door. They have so much more space in there now!!!

Then came bedtime. At first, everything seemed to be going just fine. Abi had already gotten all of her questions out of the way and Amanda didn't seem to notice. Until it came time to actually get in bed. "Where's my bed?" she asks. "Right there" I answered as I pointed to the big bed. "No, I don't want to sleep there" was Amanda's response. I told her I would lay with her for a little bit and she wasn't thrilled, but okay with it. Until she realized that she really was going to have to stay there.

When I finally went out, there were some tears. I knew there would be, so I waited a little bit. Then Mark went in to talk to her and try to calm her to. She didn't like that either. He came out and we let her cry a little more. Then I heard a crash. I went running!! She is in the bed, was reaching for a lamp and knocked it onto the tile floor. YUP! I picked it up and something came pouring out of the lamp. I called for Mark to help - it was dark and I couldn't see what it was. I set the lamp up, ran over to turn the light on and the lamp was fine. She had also knocked over a little "prayer pot" that had Easter grass in it. That is what I felt falling from the lamp. PHEW! Mark unplugs the lamp so we can take it out of the room, I look over at Abi to see how she is doing and she is passed out! Totally sleeping through all of my yelling to the other room for help, flipping all the lights on, Amanda screaming because the lamp scared her and she also knows she was doing something she shouldn't..... Abi never even flinches. I even said out loud (and fairly loud), "Abi's sleeping!" I am thankful she still didn't flinch or wake up. Everything happened so fast my head was spinning.

I finally get Amanda back down, but she doesn't want me to leave. I stayed with her for quite a while. Every time I would get up to go, she would say, "No mommy! Don't go!" I finally picked her up, here face full of tears, and showed her around the room. I pointed out that everything she new, the music, the closet, the door, the desk, Abi, etc., were all still in the same place, she would just see them from "there" - the big bed. She said, "Oh. OK." Then I showed her a couple of other things in the room, explained again that she would just see them from "there" and she giggled and said, "Oooooohhh. Ok mommy." She leaned over for the bed and said, "Sanks, mommy." I laid her down, covered her up and told her I would check on her after I finished the dishes. She added, "..and the laundry." I laughed and agreed. When I went to check on her, she was as peaceful as could be..... asleep on her big girl bed.

What a difference perspective makes on a situation. Sometimes we get so used to seeing things a certain way we can't get settled or rest well when we have to look at the same thing from a different view point. Sometimes it is the same thing, just a different angle.

God's Voice, Oh So Sweet

Last evening I was driving to Target to get shampoo for the girls. It was early evening, so plenty of light for humans and ducks alike. As I was driving, I saw a couple of ducks by the side of the road. I slowed down a bit not knowing where they were headed. The female duck flew up and over the street. The male was still walking. As I got closer I knew it was safe to pass by, so I kept driving. Just as I was about to pass, I saw the duck out of the corner of my eye begin to take air. PROBLEM! He flew right into the side of my truck! Took out my side mirror.

I was totally shocked!! The sound was so loud you would have thought another car had hit me. I looked over and my mirror was gone. The base there, but the glass completely gone. In shock, I called Mark immediately. He told me to turn around so we could see if there was anything we needed to pick up. When I came back around, there was nothing. No duck either. I am hopeful the duck was just stunned and able to fly away. The motor still works though! Just no mirror.

Today as I was driving, I kept trying to look in the mirror to see what was behind me. Nothing there to see. Nothing but brokenness. Emptiness. Cannot look back. This came to mind: " ¹⁶ When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. ¹⁷ As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" Genesis 19:16-17.

Don't look back. Don't look back. As this phrase ran over and over in my head, I looked forward. What did I see? I saw clearly what was ahead. Obstacles to carefully maneuver, people to watch out for, but a clear path to my destination. I felt God speak to me. "Do not look back. Remember what has brought you to this point, but don't look back and don't stop along the way. Keep your eyes looking forward. I have great things ahead, so just look ahead. Keep moving forward." And remembering what happened to Sarah, Lot's wife, when she looked back (she turned into a pillar of salt - vs. 26), I think I am excited to just keep looking forward. "Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!" vs. 17. WOW! Don't even stop along the way. Just keep moving forward. Keep moving forward. Keep looking ahead.

I am thankful for these moments. Moments when God speaks so clearly to me. Moments when He uses something like this to speak to me. There is nothing sweeter than the soft voice of God when He speaks directly to you. Encourages you. Speaks truth and love over you. Showers words of wisdom over you. I pray you encounter at least one of these moments toady. Every day. He speaks to us all the time. Are we quiet enough and ready to listen?

Fantastic Weekend!

What a great weekend we had. Thursday afternoon we drove to Stuart and spent the weekend. Mark took Friday off and we went to see the space shuttle launch. We weren't on site, but we had the best seat you could have being off site. Mark got this picture from his iPhone!

Saturday we made a quick trip to the produce stand and then spent the morning at the beach.

The girls are ready!

And yes, Amanda has her hat on backwards. That's how she wears all of her hats!

Amanda was all business for most of it. Building sand castles, digging in sand... it is all serious business!!

Abi, on the other hand, was all about the fun and laughter... in the water. What a change from 6 months ago. She was hilarious! And thought it was funny when the waves came up over her head. And when the waves would totally spin her around.

On Sunday Amanda had fun running in and out of the waves along with Abi. And they made some new friends in the pool. It was such a great get-away!

Hot Dogs..... Or Not

My girls are pretty good eaters. And by that, I mean pretty healthy. They love their fruits and veggies and eat pretty much whatever meat I give them (chicken, beef, turkey, pork, fish...). They love ALL kinds of fruit and most veggies. Sounds like a dream!! But they do have their fall backs and it can be hard to get them out of the rut. Like this weekend. All they think they want to eat are hotdogs. So I give in and give them a hotdog, but with fruits and or veggies. They don't complain about my extras and they do eat it all, but I would much rather they eat something other than a hotdog. Even if they are all-natural and nitrate/nitrite free!!

We are out of town this weekend and I asked them what they wanted for dinner. They of course said, "hotdog". But they also wanted oranges. We went to the produce stand earlier and oranges were a GREAT price. It is a treat for them because, even though we live in Florida, oranges have been expensive! Haven't had them in forever. So, as I was fixing their plates (without hotdogs), I asked them, "do you want hotdogs or would you rather have chicken?" Their answer was still hotdog. I didn't say anything more, just fixed their plates. And here is what they sat down to at the table:

Grilled chicken, grape tomatoes (which they picked out at the market), carrots, cucumbers and oranges

They never asked about the hotdog, they scarfed it down and asked for more! Small portions in fun designs more often then not lead to more consumption - they ask for more! Sometimes it is all about the presentation. :-)

Calm After the Storm

Today was truly the calm after the storm. The girls were in rare form yesterday and challenged every last nerve, bit of patience and indoor voice I had in me. By about 10 am, Amanda had already had 5 time outs. Abi 3 and no one was in a good mood anymore. Everyone was grumpy, especially mommy, all patience was gone and the girls could not be in the same room without fighting about something. This made grocery shopping oh so much fun! Yes, we had 4 errands to run and I did them anyway.

First stop, the bank. Fortunately it was just to the ATM, so that was fairly simple. Then off to BJ's. This did not go so well. Amanda was challenging every direction I gave her. Then she started talking back, something I have zero tolerance for. I warned her that if she kept talking back and was not respectful and obedient, I would sit her down in the middle of the store for a time out. I could see she was about to say something she shouldn't, so I kneeled down to talk to her. Not only did she shout, "NO!", but she HIT me! What?!?! I sat her down in the middle of the isle (which happened to be the main isle in the store) and told her she was in time out for hitting and yelling at mommy. She looked around, started screaming and I took the time to calmly review my shopping list and map out my path to make this the fastest trip to BJ's in history with 2 small children. As I was looking at my list, Abi shyly looked around and asked, "Mommy, what are we doing?" I calmly said, "We are in time out for 2 minutes. Amanda was disrespectful and now we wait." Her answer was a shy, "Oh. Ok." When the 2 minutes were up, I bent down, talked to Amanda about her time out, she apologized and we were on our way.

Okay. out of BJ's and off to pick up daddy's shoes and the shoe repair shop. Abi at this point understands that I mean business and she is all about being respectful. Amanda on the other hand... OY! While we were in the shop, everyone was fine. Then we started out of the shop. I asked the girls to hold my hands while we crossed the parking lot. A simple and safe request. Amanda shouted, "NO!" and hit me again. SERIOUSLY?!? I picked her up, held Abi's hand across the street and sat Amanda down on the ground by the car. She was in a totally safe place, so don't worry. She was totally and completely protected. I put Abi in the car and bent down to talk to Amanda about her time out. She apologized, eyes swollen red from screaming, and I loaded her up too.

Breathe. Okay. I can do this. One. More. Stop. Costco. I know, I am a gluten for punishment. But I had to get these things done! My life does not stop for a disrespectful, moody 2 year old. We did not even get out of the car at Costco before Amanda started in. THIS was going to be SO MUCH FUN!!!! I had a map in my head already of the fastest path to get all the things on the list. Abi is still pretty good while we were out. Grumpy, but quiet. I don't mind grumpy, just don't be disrespectful. We are all entitled to be grumpy once-in-a-while. We managed to get in and out of Costco without any major drama. Thank you, LORD!

Back too the car and off to home! We got home, got everything unloaded and put away, fighting resumed, lunch happened and naps came quickly after. Abi doesn't always take a nap, but I forced one on her yesterday when she was smug and sassy, making fun of Amanda and mocking the things I was saying to Amanda. She quickly learned that is also not acceptable. Both began screaming, I said, "good night," and shut the door. I didn't hear from anyone for over 2 hours!!! What a blessing to have that retreat in the middle of the day and spend some much needed time with the Lord.

Today I had 2 different children. I mean they were sweet as puddin' pie!! VERY respectful, fairly obedient and they actually played together nicely for hours today! We ran a couple of errands and they could not have been more well behaved. Such a treat for all of us today. And they slept untl almost 7 am this morning! That NEVER happens! AND they both took naps. Another 2 hours to myself in the middle of the day. More time with the Lord. I am so thankful for the calm after the storm.

So, no idea what tomorrow holds, but I DO know that our days are like the weather. Ya just never know what your gonna get :-)

Love These Girls

Our girls crack us up! They are so very funny. And so sweet. And I am shocked sometimes about what they remember..... or say. :-)

Abi is a very thoughtful child. When we talk about people who need prayer, see cars off the road or see fire trucks go by, she is the first to talk about praying for them, always wanting to know how they are and continuing to pray for them for a very long time. Last night Abi asked about "the people in the water." She was referring to the flooding in Nashville last week. We talked about it quite a bit when it happened and she was concerned about so many people who had lost everything (no house, no furniture, no toys, no clothes....) and last night she wanted an update and to pray for them. So very sweet.

Abi is also a child of "literal translation" sometimes. Here is a funny-ism that surfaced this weekend. On Saturday, Mark took the girls to Miami. He said, "We're going to Miami!" They had a blast! They found a really fun play area on the beach, played in the sand and then had some ice cream on the way home. When I got home from my outing (yes, my wonderful husband let me go out alone! ALL DAY!) the girls could not stop talking about all they had done. Abi told me they went to "daddy's-ami" and then proceeded to talk about the beach, play area, ice cream, medical team rushing in to help someone in need...... but it was daddy's-ami. Today Abi asked, "Mommy, can you take us to your-ami one day? So FUNNY! She considers the city to be "Ami" I guess!

And then there is Amanda. She is a pistol! But boy is she funny. And I found out yesterday she can carry a tune! We were driving to church and one of the worship songs from a CD they have was playing. I heard a melody coming from the back seat and found out that Amanda was singing the whole chorus in tune, complete with great diction. I was shocked! She is not always spot-on, she is only 2. But yesterday she was singing in perfect tune and you could totally understand everything she was saying. AMAZING!

Mother's Day was such a wonderful reminder of how blessed we are. What a joy to be their mom! What an honor. We are blessed.

Heavy Heart

Wow. I just finished my daily study for the Believing God study and I am both excited and energized and heavy hearted. I just want everyone I know to participate in this study! It is so relevant for everyone today, so encouraging and with so much going on in the world today (floods in Nashville, health issues with family and friends, relationship challenges, etc.) it is just a great way to refocus and hone in on who God is, what he says he can do and learning to believe that he will follow through on those promises for those who have faith and truly believe!!!! You will be seeing more posts about this topic and study. I am just so moved already and I have already started!

Something that has been burning in the back of my head for the past 2 years is this: Carrie, where are your priorities. Do you remember the totem pole of priority? God FIRST, family second, work third. I have spent the past 2 years hearing this thought, looking at my life and wondering where in the world I would fit in time in the Word. Time with God. A study of his promises. Well, I am off the bench. God has been screaming this truth to me for 2 years!!!! Oh how thankful I am that he is so patient with me. In just this first week of making time for God by studying his Word and praying over what he is speaking to me in this study, I have found I have more patience with my girls, I am more at peace and I am laughing at obstacles that keep popping up in our lives! I mean literally laughing!!! Out loud! And that is a whole other blog post when the time is right. The obstacles we are going through while starting a company. It is truly a vision from God and we are feeling the pressure of the enemy. But guess what! This has already been won and I believe God is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do! This will all roll out soon and I can't WAIT to tell you all about the ride and how God has shown himself through this entire process. His hand is upon us and there is no greater comfort.

So my take away for today - don't keep putting off God. Listen to his still soft whispers...... or complete hits over the head with bricks. Spend time with him. Get to know him. Learn what he has promised and believe he can do and will do what he says he will do! Make this a new day. And if you are interested in doing this study, please let me know! It is all online and can be accessed anywhere.

Prayers

Abi has really started to pray some very sweet prayers and understand that she can talk to God whenever she wants to and ask Him for help. She is having a VERY hard time obeying right now - just testing all kinds of boundaries mixed with being independent. We have been talking a lot about prayer. We have also been talking about how it is not just mommy that says she needs to obey. God tells us in the Bible that we need to obey our parents (Ephesians 6:1). This morning she did something I specifically asked her not to do. I immediately sent her to her room for a time out. When the timer went off I went in to talk to her. Here is how the conversation went:

Mommy: "Abi, why are you in time out?"

Abi: "Well, because I did not listen to mommy."

Mommy: "Yes. You turned and took Amanda's ice right after I asked you not to. If you want your own, you can ask me for some."

Abi: "Okay mommy. I'm sorry."

Mommy: "Do you know that it makes God sad when you do disobey mommy?"

Abi: "Mommy, I want to say something to God."

Mommy: "Okay. go ahead."

Abi: She folds her hands, closes her eyes and says, "God, I am sorry that I did not obey mommy. I didn't mean to make you sad. I will try harder. And when I go to California, I am going to see if you are there too."

So sweet, but I did try not to giggle about the part about California. Her grandparents are visiting California right now and we have been talking about California a lot. She obviously wants to visit!

New Day

I have been completely glued to Facebook, internet and the news the past few days due to the flooding in the Nashville area. For those who don't know me, this is "home" to me. My stomach has been sick, my mind running a mile a minute and my prayers unending. I just cannot believe the devastation that has hit the area. And I have so many friends who have been affected by the floods, some losing just about everything. And no flood insurance. For about a week (before the floods) I have had a song stuck in my head.... "it's a new day, it's a new day, it's a new day......" This really is a "new day".

After the flood waters went down (in some areas) my friends went into their homes to assess the damage and then immediately started ripping out floors, drywall, pulling out trash, sifting through belongings to see what could be salvaged and what was now gone..... starting over. Taking only a moment to remember what was, and now ripping out the damage and moving forward. Making it a new day. New beginnings. Ripping out old memories and preparing the way for new ones. I can't help but to sit and think about the emotional disasters we go through in life and how hard it is to just rip up the damage foundations, throw them out and start new. Sounds so simple, but is so very hard. The physical act of cleaning out and fixing up a home seems so much easier sometimes. Although still filled with emotions that are so hard to move past. If only we could reach inside ourselves, rip out the damaged foundations, throw them out and begin to rebuild. It could truly be a new day everyday!

Isaiah 43:2-3 says "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flames scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Verse 5 continues with, "Fear not, I am with you." How fitting these promises are right now... today.

If you are interested and able to help, you can visit Hands On Nashville and sign up to volunteer and help. If I hear more specifics of what people need, I will post those here too. I know that many are in need of housing as an immediate need, so if you have any leads feel free to post here and I will pass on the information. Or let someone know at Hands On Nashville.

We have been watching a duck's nest across the street. This nest has 20-22 eggs in it! We have been reading about how eggs hatch and how long that process is.

Well this morning I looked out the window and saw little baby ducks running around! They must have just hatched early this morning. I walked the girls over to say "hello" and "welcome" to the babies. Some bright yellow, some a light grey, all little fluff balls full of energy. Today is a new day for these ducks and the mother. Today is a new day for those having to rebuild their homes and lives. Today is a NEW DAY! It's spring. Take some time to spring clean your internal house. Dust off the foundations, clean them up and even rip them out and start over if that's what you need to do. Make this a new day.... a new season.... a new start ..... and create some new beginnings.

Revelation

Okay. So a few blogs ago I was have a woe-is-me kind of day and processing why I cannot lose these last 15 pounds from babies. Here is my BIG revelation. I AM LAZY! Yes, that is the extent of it. My dramatization over it all was more energy than what I put into working out and making a plan to lose the weight. Plus, I am older than I was 10 years ago. I know, hard to believe that I am older now, but I am. The body changes! Metabolism changes. Everything changes and unless I put forth the energy to adjust, I need to just be happy with and embrace these last 15 pounds. Since I am not willing to embrace them, I am getting active and working it out. Thank goodness it is pool season! So much more enjoyable to be exercising in the pool and teaching the girls to swim at the same time.

So that's it. Nothing deep today. Just the sad realization that I am lazy. At least when it comes to this :-) Happy times!

Life's Reminders

I am mildly amused at how sweet the girls can be one minute and then turn into complete terrors the next. Right now they are in the pool (in their clothes), fishing for gooey fish. They each have a little fishing pole and they are dropping the sinking fish onto the steps and fishing them out. They have the sweetest conversations and then, out of nowhere, Amanda starts screaming, locking her knees, face turning red and you cannot understand a thing she is saying. Abi is trying to "explain" something. Ummmm, that's not working. Then, out of nowhere, everything is fine and they are laughing. Happens all day long! I wish I had a monitor in every room so that I could hear their sweet conversations while they are playing together.... and then to also hear who actually starts each fight.

Back to the pool. I am working with the girls on their confidence in the pool. Amanda has no fear at all - never has. Abi is finally starting to find a little confidence in the water too. I am sure it helps that her little sister is doing more than she is and is getting a whole lot of judos for it all. As I mentioned, the girls are in the pool in their clothes. Mark just jumped in and he is also working with them on their kicking. Abi is a bit more active in the water when it is daddy. There is a safety there. How much this reminds me of the safety I feel in my Daddy's hands. My heavenly Father is so comforting and I always feel safe with Him. How wonderful that these precious girls have an earthly father that mimics that. Someone who can give them a piece of tangible evidence that there is comfort in the Father's embrace. How thankful I am.

Enjoy the comforting embrace of the Father. Take time to really see who He is, what He says He will do and find comfort in the arms of Him. Rest in it. Believe it!

Birthday Girl!

Today Amanda turned 2!!! I can't believe it. We had a wonderful day! Here is a picture of the birthday girl in one of her favorite places... a box!

Amanda asked me a few days ago for a Strawberry Shortcake cake. I went online only to find that the pans were discontinued. Bummer! I was planning to try to free-hand something. We had family in town and on Monday I took Amanda for a ride so that I could try to get her to fall asleep. We went to Michael's a little further out and just as I was about to leave the cake area (there were no signs of the pan I was looking for) I put my hand on a random pan and pulled it out. Would you believe it! The discontinued pan!! It was meant to be. You know how I know? Not only was it there, it was on clearance for $4.99!!! yes, anyone who uses these kinds of pans knows what a deal that is! I bought it - even though I forget my coupon. I used my coupon on Wednesday for the icing colors and tips that I needed - 20% of entire purchase! AND, all the Wilton things were on sale already for 25% off. What a deal on everything! Abi helped make a batch of icing on Wednesday night and I iced it after the girls went to bed. It has been quite a while since I have done one f these kinds of cakes, but here she is. Strawberry Shortcake!

We started the day out with a couple of gifts. Abi had a hard time with the realization that none of the gifts were for her, but she survived. Especially when she discovered she could also use them.

After our run for diapers (some things can't wait, even for birthdays), we went to Panera to get a little treat with Mema! Abi was there too, but didn't want to have her picture taken. She didn't sit still long enough :-)

After we got back home, I blew up the pool/water slide that Amanda got and we had a picnic outside while the girls had a blast discovering all that they could do in and with the new pool! Of course the slide into the water was the highlight. Abi went down face-first a couple of times, but she held her breath and when she came up and realized it and we gave her kudos, she giggled and thought it was great! Confidence building for the big pool. Love it!

Amanda has no fear of the water and couldn't push Abi out of the way fast enough! And Abi totally threw out an enormous word in context while playing with all of this today!!! She pulled one of the yellow rings and placed it on a yellow "knob" and a red ring on a red "knob" and said, "The are camouflaged!" I looked over and said, "That's right! They match and look like they are hiding, so the ARE camouflaged!" Obviously, she already knew the explanation, but I felt like I needed to say it because it was such a huge word!

Casual birthday dinner out on the patio. They wanted to sit on the wall, so I took their little table out so they could eat with the birds... literally.

Daddy had a crazy busy day of work, but he was able to sneak home for cake! Yeah!!

And she blows out her candles. She had such a great time and really took everything in. Every time her hat fell off she was trying to put it back on. This is a girl who HATES to have anything on her head. She knew this day was about her and was so excited to have a party hat!

Cake and ice cream, down the hatch! After dessert we went back outside to play in the new pool before bedtime. So much fun! I think the girls will sleep well tonight. I managed to get Amanda down for a nap, but not Abi. She should sleep well tonight :-)

After bath time, they had snuggle time with Mema. What a great end to the day...

So today we celebrate the blessing of Amanda. We flipped through pictures a few days ago. I know people say this all the time, but it really is strange how fast the time goes. Makes you realize all over again how important it is to take in every moment. She came into the world a tiny little peanut - 5 pounds 6 ounces and only 17 inches long. Now she is tall yet still lean. And boy does she have a lot of energy and silliness! She is a ham and we so enjoy what she brings out in all of us. She is a bundle of sugar! Happy Birthday, sweet girl. We love you!!!

All our love,

Mommy, Daddy and Abigail

What a Fun Week!

We have had family in town this week and we have had so much fun! Lots of cousins, playing the the cold pool (the kids, not me), watching the girls reach complete exhaustion and then go some more.... they were so great! Very few melt downs and only today showing signs of seriously needing rest. And now they are resting. So thankful.

What did we learn this week? Amanda is totally a performer! She has all the facial expressions, silly looks, giggles, grabs her little microphone every time she wants to sing (which is ALL the time), bows at the end of everything she does, falls down and laughs just for fun and is just plain silly! And yes, she also bows after she falls and makes everyone laugh. She is so funny! And the look out of the corner of her eye!!! TOO MUCH!

Abi is quite the ham too. She is all about being silly and getting a laugh out of people. She is also very creative and had a great time being one-on-one with her 10-year-old cousin, Antonio, who also likes to build and be creative. They built forts and had tea parties (yes, Antonio was a trooper with the tea parties and even helped Abi get "tea" for the tea pot since she couldn't reach the sink). And they ALL went in the pool. It was cold, but they all had a great time! Abi is usually a little nervous in the pool, but she wanted to be part of the action so she went for it. I can't wait for the girls t learn to swim this summer! Amanda has no fear of the water. I gave her a little ring and showed her how to float in it and now she picks it up, puts it over her head, steps down to the second step and jumps in holding onto the ring. That girl is all over the pool in that thing! She thinks she can just jump in anywhere.

These girls are both a ton of fun and it is so wonderful to see them shine in their own ways and to just jump into the fun, wherever and whenever. They are just so excited just to be together with everyone. So nice. Tomorrow will be a shock when they realize that they are no longer here. But tomorrow Amanda turns 2!!!! So another distraction to kind of ease the sadness of the cousins leaving.

I am currently baking a cake in the shape of Strawberry Shortcake, per Amanda's request. I will let you know how it turns out!