What we have in common

Somethings my daughter J and I have in common. :-) 

We really love/like/enjoy the following:

-hiking and the outdoors
-horses and riding them
-passion for cooking/baking
-reading books
-hot tea 
-Christmas
-snow
-music
-dancing
-painting our toenails
-wearing pretty dresses and skirts

Lastly serving people and praying for them.

I love being a mom!

Sons

Moms, love your son enough to learn to understand him as a man. Love your son enough to grant him unconditional respect which will let him know you love him more than all your words, and all your nurturing.

Fever

     So this past week N got sick with some kind of a virus (I think). He ran a very high fever and had a slightly snotty nose, if you could even call it that. You know how it goes as a mom when your kids are sick you go looking for any sign of anything else. Whenever he would cool off a little he was smiling and wanted to play. No ear aches, no tummy aches, no rashes, no swelling around his face or neck, nothing! Just two and half days of fever. Thank you Jesus that it was over quickly!
     I was so glad that we're still nursing. He didn't feel like eating much of anything but he wanted to nurse as often as possible. That was such a blessing since it meant I could take lots of extra vitamins and some natural antibiotics to get some of that to him. Then there's the blessing of nursing every hour or so to help him stay hydrated knowing that he was getting the best nutrients possible. I didn't get much sleep but he recovered really quickly!
     I nearly took him to the doctor on Saturday because he was just so hot. However since I could get his fever down with infant tylenol and warm baths we decided we would continue to wait and see how he did. N was given everything known to be safe for babies of his age that has shown any sign of being effective against viruses. That said, after much prayer and much research of every website I trust, and having Hubby be the superman of encouragement, we're over it. Now we're just waiting for that 24 hour all clear period to pass so we can have friends over. Tomorrow is N's 1st birthday! I'm super excited and very grateful that he's well.

Yuck!!!

Just found a booger in my hair and it wasn't mine.

Potty training and poop songs

Today my daughter has been writing songs about poop. Yep, you heard me- POOP! It's an odd thing that children (especially the potty training age) do from time to time. The most recent was verse was about poop in her coat. I told her she was welcome to sing about poop (why did I do that). But if she sings about poop then she has to sing about pooping in the toilet. :-) Her newest line to her never ending song: "sitting on the toilet, sing------ing, sing------ing..."

Heard from a highschool kid behind Hubbs and I when leaving the thearter after seeing Courageous. "I wish my Dad had seen that movie 16 years ago." Go see Courageous!

Well like so many other moms out there I am trying to get back in shape. I'm not completely out of shape, I worked out all the way through my pregnancy and I still have cuts in the right places. However I have this annoying tummy flab. Yep the stuff that gets all stretched out from being preggars. My challenge isn't so much motivation or interest, it's time! I can make time during the day if I have to, but the kids always have some need that comes up and I have to break to take care of it. I've tried using nap time as that, but then I'm so tired that I sleep right next to the kids. What I'm going to try is waking up at 7 since the kiddos sleep later. Then (hopefully) I'll be able to get in my own quiet time, work out time and maybe, just maybe a shower (something else I'm still working on).

Shrimp Mango Flautas and Date Night!

So this is what Hubbs and I did for date night. We cooked. It's our own recipe and yes, it's as good as it looks! :-) The dessert was all Hubbs idea. It's vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate and lime. Super super yummy!

Lately one of my greatest challenges is in getting a shower. My problem is that our bedroom shower isn't working and our guest bath is on the opposite side of the house. Normally I would just put him in the crib with some toys but since his crib is in our room I don't want to do that. If he would just  take a nice long nap at the same time as his sister then my life would be so much easier. Oh well....
So I'm trying something new. I set up the pack-n-play in the living room, close as I can get it to the guest bath. I'm hoping it will work. I'll let you know how it goes!

Great article on infant sleep! Check it out here.

My son just two months shy of being a year old. My daughter will be three in the spring. How did the year pass by so quickly?

My favorite house hold product- Vinegar!

Go here for a great list of things to use vinegar for. This is by far my favorite household product and a staple here. It's child friendly, eco friendly and cheap! I use white vinegar to mop floors and clean veggies, clean coffee pots, tea kettles and irons because of it's hard water treatment properties. I have used Apple Cider Vinegar to treat stomach bugs, and many other things. Yep so go to your local market and buy a jug a vinegar today. Lol.

Another great mom in the news! Check out this latest article.

These people were all conceived through rape. Often “pro-life” people say that every child should have a chance at life but we don’t have to save those conceived by rape. I say every child, without exception, should be given a chance at life. Don’t give an innocent baby a death sentence.

Pumpkin Challah Bread.

O so beautiful!

So this was incredible!

A woman gave birth hours after completing a marathon and no she wasn't really early. I'll leave you to read the details for yourself but she's pretty much amazing. Hugs also to the family of the fire fighter in the same Marathon. There should be a separate article entirely about him.

This is a great article on cooking with cast iron. I love my cast iron skillets and dutch oven. They last for years and can survive just about anything.

So this is a pic that one of my midwives posted on their FB

My midwives are amazing. Click here to see their website

Wanted: fairy-godmother/nanny/supper-hero ,

Wanted one fairy-godmother/nanny/supper-hero. Must be able to appear and disappear on command as we don't want a permanent resident in our home. Must be an exact replica of me so my children don't freak out.  Must be able to cook exactly like me and never assume that you're here to replace me. I like cooking, it's just that some days I'm too tired to do what I love and my family still needs to eat. You're simply here so that life and chores can happen while I leisurely relax with my children, and get a bubble bath on occasion. Must be able to wave your wand over my house turning the craziness into order. Must be able to do all the laundry and leap over small children in one bound. Report ASAP, this week would be extremely helpful. Thank you.

J's growing again and sleeping a couple of hours at a time for naps.

N's teething and due to the acidic nature of saliva while teething... he's spitting up frequently...

I'm changing shirts often to keep up with the spit up and I'm drinking caffeine again, just tea, not coffee.
(I drink coffee on occasion and I love it, but in college I drank a pot of coffee all by myself, daily. I was addicted. I refuse to be like that again.)

Hubbs is working his butt off... he's tired, really tired.

We have a break coming... we're going to a wedding this weekend. Yep that's our break.
We're really looking forward to it though. A friend from high school days is getting married to the woman of his dreams and we're really excited for them! After the break we're going to see some friends we have hardly seen in several years. Fun times!

Back to the wedding...J's supposed to be the flower girl. I hope she has fun with it. She's never done anything like that before and she's a very very shy two and a half. We bought her dress today! So far so good. She loves flowers, pretty things, dresses and the color pink. I think weddings might just be her thing. I'll let you know how it goes.

After this week I'm cutting some stuff out of my life and taking a break from a few things.

Narration

I'm very excited. J just narrated her first book. This is such an important part of learning for children and such an easy way to teach reading comprehension. We started with a very simple book. We read a page and then she told me what each page said. It made the book so much more fun for both of us. It helped her to focus and listen carefully to what was being read and not just stare at the pictures. This is all part of the Charlotte Mason form of education that I am using for my homeschool. I'm designing my own curriculum, but building it around the principles of Charlotte Mason. I went to a Charlotte Mason School in Fredericksburg TX for my sophomore year of high school and fell in love with the method of instruction. It creates a love for learning that helps the student to understand that learning is a life long practice and habit. Subjects begin to have a relationship and cease to be just abstract concepts broken into boxes with no correlation. As we continue on this journey I'll let you know more about it. If you want more information now, then check out this link. Or read this amazing and worthwhile book. (Seen below)

We will never forget

We will never forget Sept 11. Hubby and I want our children to know about Sept 11, Pearl Harbor, and all of the pieces that have made this nation who she is. We want them to value the freedom that God has given them and we want them to know what it costs to keep it. It wasn't tolerance that made this nation great. It was passionate, honorable, wise, hard working, courageous, freedom-loving and (mostly) God-fearing/God honoring, men and women. People who were willing to lay down their lives for a dream that was bigger and better than anything they had ever experienced. That's the kind of people we're raising our children to be. We will never forget.

Pumpkin Breakfast Soup?

This morning the fall weather was so lovely that I had to make something that smelled and tasted like fall. First J and I made Pumpkin Bread, then I sat down to feed N some roasted pumpkin. He loved it!  (Thank you Lord for a winner. My 8 month old son hasn't been a fan up to this point of anything but breast milk.) Any way, J asked for some and she liked it. I didn't like the idea eating roasted, pureed pumpkin, but she and I needed something to eat while we waited for the pumpkin bread to bake. This is what inspired the breakfast soup. I have to admit it's not the best title but I'm really not sure what to call it. So here it is, a new favorite in this house.

Pumpkin Breakfast Soup

1 C     Pumpkin, roasted and pureed
1/2 C  Coconut Milk
1/2 C  Whole milk
1 tsp.  Vanilla
3 Tbs  Brown Sugar
2 tsp.  Cinnamon

On medium heat, in a sauce pan heat together above ingredients, stirring constantly. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and serve.

My daughter made a point over and over again to tell me how yummy it was. Yep my two year old loved it, and so did I. Sure it's loaded with calories, but for the most part they're good calories. Now time to go eat pumpkin bread!

Funny things my toddler, "J" said today

Me: "Someday I'm going to wake up and you'll be as tall as mommy."
J: "No, I'll be as tall as Mimi!"
Ha ha ha.
(Mimi is taller than me. )

Funny differences between my children

I'm starting a short series on the things about my kids that I think are funny and wonderful and point out their differences.

#1.
When getting dressed in the morning, my daughter has a distinct opinion about what clothing she should wear. So in order to get her dressed in a timely manner we go over the fine points about her clothes. My son on the hand could care less about what he wears, as long as he gets to wrestle the whole time.

Bahahaha!!!

"Unattended children will be given espresso and a free puppy." 

For Moms

I wanted to post just a few verses from the Psalms that I find incredibly helpful or encouraging, as a wife and mom and I wanted to share them with you. In some cases I’ll tell you in what way they help me, others I’ll just let you figure it out. In case you’re wondering most of this is from the New Living Translation.


I frequently pray this one over my little ones and my family.

“I lay down and slept yet I woke in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side. “ Psalm 3:5-6



“You have taught children and infants to give you praise, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.” Psalm 8:2



“Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance. “ Psalm 16:5-6



“ Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born.”

Psalm 22:9-10



“Our children will also serve Him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything He has done.”

Psalm 22:30-31



“Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity and their children will inherit the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear Him. He teaches them His covenant.” Psalm 25:12-13



Psalm 27. It’s one of my favorites! But especially this part verse8 “My heart has heard you say “Seek my face.” And my heart replies “Lord, your face will I seek.”



“I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.” Psalm 31:7



“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they may stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned, or their children begging for bread. The godly give generous loans to others and their children are a blessing.” Psalm 37:23-26



“From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help, when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety for you are my refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Psalm 61:2-4



“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy.” Psalm 68:3



“But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!” Psalm 70:4



This is one I like to pray over my children.

“Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long.” Psalm 71:6-8



“O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.” Psalm 71:17-18



“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders. For He issued His laws to Jacob; He gave His instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them- even the children no yet born- and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting His glorious miracles and His commands. Then they will not be like their ancestors- stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful refusing to give their hearts to God.” Psalm 78:5-8



“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young near your altar.”

Psalm 84:3



“For the Lord God is our sun and shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.”

Psalm 84:11-12

I have a niece

My niece was born on Saturday August 27th. She weighs 7lbs 7oz and is 19 and 3/4 inches long with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. She looks so much like her mommy, my sister. I couldn't be any prouder of my sister, and I'm about to bust my buttons over my niece. I finally get to meet my niece this evening when hubs gets off work. I can't wait to hold her and introduce cousins to each other! Yep I'm a super happy camper.

So meet my newest project: Focaccia bread.

 This is probably my favorite bread.  I used to be intimidated by yeast breads. Growing up we only attempted them a few times and for some reason  they were always a flop, literally. Over the past two years however, I have played around with homemade pizza crust and once I felt like I mastered it I have started eyeing bigger projects- hence the focaccia bread.  First let me say that I had to look up this word just to make sure that I knew how to say it.  I found that I have been pronouncing it wrong. It should be said like this “Fo-cau-sha.” I have been saying as “Fo-kay-see-ya.”  

Here is half of the loaf once it was done.  (I know I should have taken a picture of it before I cut into it).

After I made the bread I sliced it in half and made theses really yummy sandwiches for Hubbs and I.

The sandwich above has tomatoes (from my garden), cheddar cheese, fresh spinach, and a mix of the following sautéed veggies: garlic, mushrooms, olives, onions, and zucchini (also from my garden ). And last, but not least, parmesan cheese!

If you want the bread recipe check out it here at Better Homes And Gardens. FYI Their Bridal Edition cook book is amazing!

Yuck

Dear Future Mothers,

Do yourself a favor. When your child has an occasional accident and wets the bed, do not try to find exactly what other bedding is wet by smelling it. I did so only because there were fans on in the room when I started stripping the bed. I was concerned that I wouldn't find all the wet spots, so I smelled the pillow. Yes it was wet, and my nose got a little too close. I'm officially disgusted and am making a note to never do that again. I made the sacrifice, now you can rest in peace knowing what not to do. ;-)

Coconut Pineapple Popsicles

So this is another one of my recipes that got created by a God idea. I really wanted something cold and healthy for my daughter to eat when she woke up from her nap and after prayer here's the recipe we came up with.

Prep time: 10 minutes.
Freeze time: 15 hours

2 C. frozen pineapple
1 C. yogurt (Brown Cow with the Cream top is my favorite).
1/2 C. dried unsweetened coconut
1 banana
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 -2 C. Sweetened Coconut Milk (I buy it in the dairy alternative section, next to the soy milk).

Dump all of it in a blender. Blend till smooth. Poor into molds and freeze 15 hours.

First born and no regrets.

After reading a friend's excellent and rather humour blog about being a first born. I decided to write some of my own thoughts about the subject.

     1.My personality (although shaped by being the first born) couldn't stand being anything but the eldest. I love having a younger sister and I have all the characteristics of a first born child. I am success driven, independent, I tend to be focused and a tad serious, and have been a motherly type for as long as I can remember. I don't mind orders but I prefer for you to give them to me and then get out of my way.
     2.I always felt that ultimately things were my responsibility. For instance: when my sister failed to do her chores, I felt that it reflected on me or my family somehow if the job didn't get done... so I would do it for her on occasion. I planned all of her birthday parties up until she was old enough to plan them herself... if she and my mom had a mis-understanding I jumped in to interpret both sides.
    3. My favorite perks: I had my parents entirely to myself for the first 4 years of my life. I got to do everything first: like drive, which meant that I got to dictate where we went as it was after all my car.
    4. I do think there are some mild injustices to being a first born. A personal one being that since both my parents were the youngest siblings, their sympathy's were slightly biased in favor of the younger one. If you think it's rough always hearing that your sibling must be included in everything, try having two parents who remember what it was like to be left out! Side note: since my sis and I are best friends I'm kind of glad they did. How else would I have ever come to know what an awesome person she is.
   5. Some things never change. Even now that we're grown, people still expect that I can handle things and that I'll ask if I need help. In short I almost never get un-wanted advice from people who know both of us. My sis, on the other hand has to frequently state her independence to get people to help her less.

Now that I'm a parent I can already see my daughter's strong first born tendencies showing up all over the place. Partly due to being a girl, but being my first born, she's mommy helper. She's the most responsible two year old I know. She puts away all her own toys, and if you help her be sure you put them away correctly or it could be bad for you. She faithfully takes care of her babies and she took to watching out for her brother from the moment we brought him home from the birth center. She is my Ginny pig and as much as I hate to admit it there's no way around it. She did everything early as a baby and at 29 months old she knows letters A-E by sight and association. She's mostly potty trained and eats with little to no mess at table. She can count to 5, knows all of her colors, understands basic spanish and said her first two word spanish sentence this past week. I could go on and on, but before you accuse me of using my blog to brag you need to know that I taught her very little of it.
     I guess what I'm getting at is that I want my daughter to be a first born with no regrets. I hope that as a first born I'll be sympathetic toward her inborn desires and drives and not push her too hard. I also hope that since my hubby is the oldest boy out of five (which makes him feel like a first born) and with my being a first born that we will not be hard on our youngest just because we know what the babies can get away with. If I'm successful (ha) then maybe one day, my youngest will one day write about being the youngest with no regrets.

Another fabulous Etsy store!

Check out this lovely Etsy store.
This one belongs to a friend of mine. Her name is Caitlin.
She made this play mat for my sis. Isn't darling?
Be sure to keep her in mind the next time you go shopping!

Help a family adopt a boy from Uganda!

So my sis had this on her baby blog and I wanted to share also. You have simply got to check out this couple's Etsy Account! They opened it to raise the funds they need to adopt and bring their son home from Uganda. They have really cute stuff and it goes towards an awesome cause!

Great Article

10 Things You Might Not Know About Our Independence

Since I was raised as a homeschooler, my parents made sure that my sister and I knew these things before we graduated from high school. My children will be required to do the same.

Babies Don't Keep

My Mom had this posted proudly in our home growing up and she lived by it. It's one of my favorites and I had to share.


Babies Don’t Keep



by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton






Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,


Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,


Hang out the washing, make up the bed,


Sew on a button and butter the bread.






Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?


She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.






Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,


Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.


Dishes are waiting and bills are past due


Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo






The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew


And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo


But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo


Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?


Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.






The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow


But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.


So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!


I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Family Night

So I have two favorite nights a week. One is date night. The other is family night. Last night was a great family night. I made fish tacos with pico de gallo and home made lemonade. Then we had chocolate chip cookies with milk for desert. After that we watched our favorite family tv show then we played a game with the kids. It's not so much what we do, it's just that we have so much fun as a family doing just about anything together that makes me love family night so very much!

Why Walk When You Can Dance

5 lessons I've learned recently from my daughter:

1. Why walk to the kitchen when you can dance your way there?

2. Taking to people is much more exciting when you randomly hold you leg out to the side, or grab your foot
     with your hand and stand on one leg.

3. You will rarely ever  regret taking time to stop and pick a flower.

4. You should always run to the swimming pool screaming wildly with joy.

5. If you don't know the answer to a question, simply say I don't know.

Saw this on my sisters blog and had to re-blog it!

Cops sprayed with breast milk

So I just laughed my face off at this story from Babble. A drunk woman sprayed cops in the face with breast milk when they tried to arrest her. Seriously funny!  I had to post the link somewhere so here you go, read it and laugh with me!

Can you tell I love cooking?

So here are two recipes that I really want to try this summer...

Blackberry Cupcakes


Chicken Scallopini

This is one of the most beautiful vidoes I have seen this year!

An unitentional green family.

We are an unintentional green family. No we don't think we have to save the earth from Global Warming. Climate change happens... yearly. However, as Christians we believe firmly in being responsible with all the resources we have been given. That said, I thought I would post how we live just in case it might help someone. In general, living green costs less...another reason why we live (mostly) green.

I am a stay at home mom, hubby works roughly 40 hours a week. Just in case someone thinks he must have a really great job- he works for a cleaning company and installs carpet. I don't think Forbes is going to feature us anytime soon. However by God working serious miracles on our behalf and giving us wisdom for ways to save money...we will soon own our home!

Here's how we do it...


1. We trust God for everything and we give what we have been given.
2.  We make sure we don't get into debt -with the exception of a mortgage. Any debt we do choose to incur we make sure we have an effective plan to pay it off with a set low interest rate.
3. No subscriptions... it's really easy to spend $6 a month. However that adds up to an additional $72 a year that isn't really needed.
5. We eat out once a week and we only spend about $20+ tip, twice a week is a splurge.
6. We work to keep an emergency fund and a savings. They're not the same thing!
7.We don't do cable or Satellite. Internet provides nearly all the entertainment we have time for, and we prefer to spend most of our time with our kids.
8. We live by a budget and we trust God for the rest.

Water and Electricity:
1. I do cloth diapers except when I'm out of the house
2. I don't drive any place that I can walk (at least for now we have one vehicle, though hopefully that will change this year).
3. I only run the dishwasher 2-3 times a week so I hand wash most of the dishes.
4. We use windows for our lighting, heating and cooling as much as possible.
5. When we leave the room we turn the light off and we don't turn it on unless we have to.
6. We keep our house at about 80 (Fahrenheit) in the summer and 65 in the winter.
7. We use low flow shower heads to conserve water.
8. We only grow native grasses in our yard and we water once the sun goes down.

We have a pretty simple rule, if we can do it, why pay someone else to? This of course means no maid, gardener or anything like it. My husband does most of his own mechanics, and house upkeep.

Food: I spend $30-$40 a week at the store.
I make nearly everything from scratch- no boxed or pre-prepped items as those add up fast!
I grow herbs and veggies organically, in a small garden big enough to feed ourselves and give some away.
I plan our meals once a week so we only buy what we need and don't get trapped buy meal ideas at the store which are designed to make you spend more than what you intended.
We try to make sure we go to the store once a week so we don't spend more than our budget.
There are certain things I never buy unless they are on sale.
Do the math- check the price per ounce and not just the sale price. Compare the store brand with the name brand. Since stores usually change their sales once a week, look  for what is cost effective and not what you normally buy. 
We shop at Sams and Costco. However we still price compare. Just because it comes in bulk doesn't mean it's cheaper.

Lastly we don't take vacations unless we can afford them and we only take vacations that we have saved for and can pay for in cash.

It's not always easy! We are tempted all the time to change our ways, especially when more money comes in. One thing we keep in mind is that money and resources are not given to us to use solely on ourselves. So I hope someone might be inspired by this to do better. I don't think everything that the way live is what you have to do to live rightly. However I think there are lots of ways that we can change the way we live so that we can give more to others.

Date Night

Yesterday Steven took me on the most amazing date. First, on his way home from work,  he picked up a iced lattes from Marfa. Yum! Then after he got home he took Joanna with him to the store, so I could put Noah down for a nap and get a shower. It's a serious blessing when you're a mom with little ones to be able to get a shower! When they got home he packed a back pack for us, told not me to look and we loaded up the kiddos and took them to their grandparents for the evening. Then we headed off on our date.

We stopped for gas in Alpine and Steven had me call Murphy's Pizza in Fort Davis. He had the number saved and ready in his phone. Then we drove to Ft. Davis. I love the drive, it's so pretty! We pulled into Ft Davis, picked up our pizza, decided we also needed some cheese bread and then drove out of town onto the senic loop.

We drove till we came to this rock pile that's about the size of a small mountain. I knew we were going there and that we were going to climb it, but I didn't know what was in the bag or what he had planned. Steven had been up the rock pile before. So Steven grabbed the back pack and I grabbed the pizza and cheese bread and we began "bouldering" our way to the top. We had to hurry because we wanted to be up there long enough to look around and find a spot to watch the sunset.

It was kind of funny climbing. I've basically never been "bouldering" before. We were a sight climbing up the side of a small mountain, over boulders taller than me while passing the pizza and cheese bread boxes back and forth. In the end Steven had to carry everything, since it took me both hands to pull myself up the rocks

Then we hiked/bouldered to a spot Steven picked out, it was the perfect place to watch the sunset. Steven pulled out a blanket he had packed I had a soft place to sit. He also pulled out two small glasses and sparkling white grape juice. It was gorgeous up there. We ate our veggie pizza and cheese bread, drank our sparkling grape juice and watched the sun drop slowly behind the mountains. I nearly cried. Once we finished I was about to ask if he had some how managed to get desert up the mountain as well, when he pulled out peanut M&Ms! Everything was just perfect. The temp, the breeze, the clouds, hardly any cars drove by down below so we could hear the grass as it moved with the light breeze. It was lovely.

Since it gets dark quickly in the mountains we had to hurry down as soon as the sun dropped. When we got to the bottom we put our few things in the truck and drove back to Ft. Davis. We walked around for awhile holding hands and enjoying the time to be just us. Then once it got really dark we drove back to Alpine. However Steven had one last surprise for me. He found a spot off the main road and we parked the truck, climbed into the back and watched the stars, finishing our sparkling grape juice.

I am so grateful for a husband who takes time to plan things, who puts a lot of thought into what he does. He still sweeps me off my feet and carries me off in style. After 3 years of marriage he is still my Knight in Shining Armor.

fruit pizza with home made granola crust

Last night hubby and I finally got to celebrate Valentine’s Day! It seemed to take forever, but we had to get over being sick, and we needed a night that would work for us. That said our meal turned out really well. One of the best parts was the Desert (of course). I made a granola fruit pizza. So just in case you want to try it here's the recipe.


Granola Crust
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/4 cup wheat flour
2 Tbs coffee grounds
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups Blueberry Craisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line pizza pan with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, walnuts, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in wheat flour and coffee grounds.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Place the coconut oil, molasses, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the craisins and stir well.
Spoon mixture onto prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, until medium brown. Cool for at least 1 hour. Cut into slices, but leave crust on pan in shape of pizza.

Topping
2 cups Vanilla Yogurt
2 cups of fruit (I used blueberries and strawberries) sliced.
1/2 cup Shredded coconut

When crust is completely cool, spread yogurt over crust. Then sprinkle coconut evenly over pizza. Top with fruit. Freeze for 1 hour. Serve cold so that the granola does not become mushy due to yogurt. Keep leftovers frozen.

If you want to see the recipe that I based this granola on check out this Granola Recipe

What I use to treat the flu

Let me state that I am not a medical professional, nor am I giving medical advice. What I have listed below is what I take at home and in order to avoid the chance of anyone taking this as medical advice I'm not listing the dosage. Also since supplements and vitamins are so expensive I like to shop at http://www.vitacost.com./ I use these to treat so many things I keep everything listed in stock. That said the following works well for me while I am preggers or breastfeeding.

First and foremost absolutely NO sugar!
Elderberry Extract
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Vitamin C (in powder form)
Vitamin D3 (in liquid drops)
Calcium and Magnesium
A multivitamin (heavy on the B vitamin side)
Probiotics
Green Drink (Currently using Super Foods)
Echinacea (In Tincture forml)
Echinacea and Tea tree oil Throat spray
Oscillococcinum (homeopathic treatment for flu symptoms)
Homemade Carrot Juice
Chamomile Tea
Echinacea Tea

I also make a Chicken Tortilla soup. It's loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and protein for your family. The key is to use as many fresh ingredients as possible! Note, I cook by taste and not by recipe and since the recipe is mine it changes slightly every time I make it. You'll have to experiment with your own spice measurements since what I have listed is a guess at what I actually put in.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast,
2 cups of frozen corn
1 cup brown rice, cooked
4 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
Roughly
3 Tbs Chili powder
1 Tbs oregano
2 tsp Cumin
1 Tbs lemon or lime juice
1tsp dried dill
Salt to taste
10 corn tortillas, torn in to bite size pieces

In soup pot boil chicken breast in water with a little salt till thoroughly cooked. Turn heat to medium and remove chicken from water. Add corn, rice, tomatoes, poblano peppers, garlic, cilantro, seasonings and lemon juice to pot. Shred chicken and return to soup. In skillet saute onion, and jalapeno till pepper is soft and onion looks clear. Add to soup. Turn heat to high until boiling. Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add milk, cheese and tortillas. Stirring till cheese melts. Let simmer 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Serve hot.

Variations
-Both of my kids are sensitive to spices when I'm nursing so sometimes I seed the peppers and/or reduce
  the amount I put in.
-If family has stuffy or runny noses then I don't use cheese or milk.

So Far So Good

Just want to say the suggestions WORK!! My son is soo much happier nursing. That said, today we are battling the flu. Jesus, tylenol, and a whole string of supplements and herbs are kicking the teeth out of the season's nastiest visitor that has crept up on me and my daughter. The Flu is not welcome in our home and has been given notice to leave and take the snottys with him. Have to run. Have a blessed day.

Over active let down.

So I EFB (exclusively breast feed) my kids until they're at least 6 months old. Having successfully fed and weaned my daughter. I thought I knew most of the ends and outs of breast feeding. However a fussy baby will always make you question everything you know, including your sanity.

My 7 week old son has been ultra fussy about nursing almost since the day he was born, or more aptly put, since my milk came in. He has been fighting at the breast, coughing, choking, gagging, and having an abundance of gas as well as difficulty in pooping. Sometimes it seemed as if he hated nursing! I started checking through my diet, eliminating any and everything I could think of to fix this problem.

Out of concern for my baby and a need for sleep for my family I googled gulping air while nursing. From there it sent me to Kellymom One of my favorite websites. (I also have it linked on the side of this blog). There it had a sort of check list for mom's that produce too much milk!

I always thought that I had a ton, but I assumed it had to be a basically "normal" amount. My idea of a normal amount was being able to pump 10 ounces in 8 minutes or so. When I nursed my daughter she frequently "choked" on the amount of milk pouring in I thought that was just part of nursing. Now I know that a lot of women struggle with feeling that they don't have enough. Although I feel terrible for them that is an entirely differnet issue, so I won't be addressing that at this time. Kellymom directed me a link and here's the article with the check list that I read. Thank you Kellymom and  LLLI (La Leche League International)

http://www.llli.org/NB/LVSepOct95p69NB.html
So now that I think I know what the real problem is. I'll be trying some of the suggestions I read on Kellymom to fix this problem.
Have a blessed day.

My favorite six essential baby items

Bouncer (this one is by fisher price)



Nursing cape, much easier than a blanket. This one is from Babys R Us, I got mine from Target.


A rocking chair. My rocking chair looks nothing like this. The one I have is an antique. My mother in law used lazy boy rockers. Whatever the case every mom needs a rocker.

Ergo baby carrier.


Medela Swing Pump.

And last but certainly not least
The Boppy. They come with really great slip covers that you can throw in the wash and the slip cover dries fast!