The Little Baby That Could

Remember "The Little Engine That Could"?

Here is Juliet's version!

1 2 3 tissues!

I heard Eloise yell, "1, 2, 3 tissues!" and entered the room to find this!

Necessity Is the Mother of Invention

Eloise and I did our first project on her sewing machine.  The idea was born out of necessity. On vacation we lost her precious taggy blankie from her Great Aunt Bev. We had to have a new one!

Our Family Vacation so far

One minute Juliet was examining sand, and the next minute she was sound asleep in it! 

I love this look! 

Oh! Pretty flowers!

Sharing A Sweet Moment

Our girls really love each other, but it isn't often that I have the camera handy and capture the moments.

My Sweet Juliet

Juliet Rose will be six months old on the 22nd!  She is so sweet, and very generous with her smiles.  Now she loves to laugh and I finally caught it on video!

The First Day of School!

Sauteed Shrimp with Tomato & Basil

Sauteed Shrimp with Tomato & Basil

This is a simply scrumptious recipe, if I do say so myself!  

1 pound fresh or frozen medium shrimp

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions: 

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp; cook about three minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning occasionally.  Remove shrimp from skillet; set aside.  

2. Add red onion to skillet; cook about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.  Add tomatoes, cook for 1 minute more.  Return shrimp to skillet.  Add basil and vinegar; heat through.  Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.  

3. Divide spinach among four dinner plates.  Top with shrimp mixture.  

This is linked to From the Hearth at Mothers are Home

Healthy Granola by Amy

Here is a healthy granola recipe my friend Amy shared with me so I could share it with you!

Thanks, Amy!

Basic Healthy Granola from Amy

This is a basic recipe (adapted from Alton Brown of Food Network).

Adding other ingredients to this base works very well.  I have tried an additional cup of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, etc.  Dried fruit should work just as well. 

Combine on cookie sheet:

6 c oats
1c sunflower seeds
2c nuts (I prefer slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts)
1c unsweetened coconut (Bobs Red Mill is available at Fred Meyer)

Mix  together,  then pour over dry ingredients on cookie sheet:

1/4c  b sugar
1/2c  maple syrup
1/2c  vegetable oil
1/2c  honey

Cook at 350 until desired colorStir frequently

This is linked to From the Hearth at Mothers Are Home

Little moments...

Here are a couple of the many little moments that make being a mother so special to me!

She was so excited to show me how she stuck her stickers on the fridge!

A Month with Juliet Rose!

Here are some random moments from our first month with Juliet Rose. 

She is such a blessing from the Lord to us. 

Eloise was so excited to see baby Juliet in the hospital!  She loves her so much. 



Four days old.  She has already changed so much since then!



Eloise Joy - the big sister!

 



Juliet gets to wear all the bonnets, booties, and sweaters
her Grandma made when Eloise was born. 



"A mouth!"  (What an amazing discovery!)



A very special moment to me. 

I am definitely the most blessed woman in the world! 



Baby Announcement!

With great joy we announce that at 3:18pm on April 22, 2012, the Lord blessed us with a healthy new daughter, Juliet Rose.   God be praised!  

Ready to share, Eloise?

In preparation for our new baby, I have the infant carseat out. 
Eloise decided it is quite a nice place to relax!  Soon she will learn to share with the new baby. 

And, of course, I have to compare it to her first time in the carseat, when she came home from the hospital at three weeks old. 

Getting ready to be a big helper!

Eloise is getting ready to be my big helper when our new baby is born!  She is such a joy to us. 

 

And for a little longer, she is my little baby!

Eloise loves to read!

Snow!

Yesterday we played in the snow!  Naomi took these nice pictures for us. 

It was all very new for Eloise, because she is too little to remember last winter's snow. 

New Every Morning!

Don't you love watching the sunrise?  Sometimes I try to capture the beauty on camera, but I always feel the photo doesn't do justice.  It is so amazing to me how each sunrise is so unique. 

Here are a few of my attempts at photographing God's wondrous morning skies. 


Sunrise this morning, January 12

 

One day last week



Several weeks ago



When I see these beautiful sunrises, I think of the Lord's mercies being new every morning!

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23 

Reading with Daddy

Eloise is reading Bible stories with her Daddy!  She is so excited by everything.  I am continually in awe.  (If I approached everything I did with such vigor and excitement, I would be exhausted beyond measure!) 

I really need to video her reading one day.  She turns from page to page, looking for babies or dogs, or seeing a fire and trying to blow it out, or seeing water and yelling eagerly what I think is "Swimming, swimming!" 

These are very special times, especially because Nathaniel is out of town a lot these days. 



"Look!  What's that?"

"Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
 Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21

 

We are truly blessed!  Thank you, Lord!