blessed beyond measure

Now that Aden can stand and move around freely, he and Trey pretty much always do everything together. It is quite possible that I have the world's sweetest boys.

There is certainly some blooming going on around here. Praise the Lord, I see this every year and He never ceases to amaze me. As for the foodie, this is a term I have only recently been introduced to. "A person keenly interested in food." Of course then I looked up "keenly" to find "intense, eager, enthusiastic". Who thinks this post will be about Aden?? Come on, be honest. Yes, Aden is a foodie. Self-admitted, if he could talk. That boy loves food and he is definitely not ashamed of it. No, not about Aden. More about my growing obsession interest in the preparation of foods. Especially combinations new to me. Especially good food. My new recipes for 2011 are just the foundation. Whenever my free moments happen to coincide with one of my Food Network/Cooking Channel faves (Giada, Rachael, or "Cupcake Wars"), I love to catch a segment. I love cooking but don't get a ton of time to do so, and so living vicariously through TV che...

My spiritual goal for 2011 is to honor God in the small things. And why not? "How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?" Psalm 116:12        hon·or     verb    \ˈä-nər\       to regard or treat with admiration and respect For my purposes, the practical application of honor is obedience. Obedience to God is a reaction, a compulsion in response to the greatest love the world has ever known. An obligation, and yet a privilege. For not only does God ask for our obedience, He knows it is impossible from a human standpoint and so He provides the supernatural strength that obedience requires. It should be so simple. And really it is that simple. But we all know humans have a way of complicating things. My devotions over the last several weeks have found me following the many struggles of the Israelites throughout the Old Testament. Have you ever read the Old Testament? Not every word, bu...

Somebody sleeps in... ...while somebody else does a little morning yoga. A trip to the playground for some sliding, climbing, peek-a-booing, and monkeying around with Giga. Aden enjoyed swinging... ...and sliding for the first time ever! Back home, after a little down time, some general goofiness. Just before bed, Aden's first official haircut. The before: The after: Following which we completely rocked Trey's world by setting the clocks forward. "But why is it nine-oh-oh? Why did you change it?" Just a Saturday. I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me. Psalm 13:6

Pork Chops with Garden Stuffing 1 can condensed golden mushroom soup, divided 3/4 c water, divided 16 oz frozen veggies 1 Tbsp margarine 4 c stuffing for pork 2 lbs pork chops Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix 1/3 cup soup, 1/2 cup water, veggies and margarine in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Remove from heat. Add stuffing and mix til moistened. Spoon the stuffing mixture into a greased baking dish. Arrange the pork on the stuffing. Stir the remaining soup and remaining water in a small bowl. Spoon the soup mixture over the pork. Bake for 40 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Verdict: Good. I won't use the word delicious. But good. And filling. And finally a new meal that the entire family could partake of. Notes: Took an hour for the pork to completely cook. Waaaaay too much stuffing; should have cut it back to 2.5-3 cups. And I definitely would have preferred fresh veggies rather than frozen. Brandon chopped some tomatoes to put o...

Aden is growing up. Way, way too fast for me. In the last two weeks, Aden has learned to clap, pull up, and crawl. Independent and happy, with so much personality. This boy loves his brother. Have I mentioned that before? And, this boy is tough as nails. The former has made necessary the latter. Trey will head butt Aden in the stomach, wrap his arms around his belly and drive him backwards to the floor. Aden just cackles and proceeds to slap Trey in the head. Brotherly love at its finest indeed. This boy also loves his Daddy. Having Brandon home has given Aden a new dimension of joy, a new person to rassle, and always someone to respond to his calls of "Dada!" Loves the guitar, and tries to play it himself. Loves the piano, and tries to play it himself. Will sing on occasion. We don't have exact measurements yet, because his checkup had to be delayed. But at our last sick visit he was right around 22 pounds. Sleeping well, eating well (no, really?) , just wonder...