leanne: all natural

10 months

2012-01-28T09:49:00.003-07:00

Happy 10 months baby girl! It's hard to believe we are only a couple months away from you turning one!

This has been a big month for you! I don't know if I'd officially call you a walker yet, but you sure are close! You mastered taking two steps a couple weeks ago and now you take four or five steps before falling into the arms of the nearest person. You still love to stand and I am amazed by your balance. You can play with your toys and clap while standing in the middle of the room. I think you'll be taking off, walking at full speed in no time.

You also still love to eat. You eat three square meals a day and often have a couple snacks in between. You love to eat all sorts of food. Your favorites right now are eggs, bread, olives, fruit, cheese, lentils, and noodles. It's fun to watch you pick up every little piece and put it in your mouth. So far you seem to favor your right hand.

You are such a happy baby. I'm happy to report the super loud shrieks are becoming less and less, but every now and then you let one out. Especially if your tray is empty and you want more food. You are pretty good about signing for more too.

Ba ba ba is still your favorite sound, but this month you have also said grandpa (or something very close:), dada, and mama. You also say something very close to patty cake when you clap your hands.

One of your favorite things is when Mason wrestles with you. You both roll around on the floor squealing with laughter. Anytime he is giving you attention (which is most of the time) you are full of smiles and laughs. You spend a lot of time "driving" his cars and trains along the floor and playing with his tools.

You are learning so much Emma! It's such a treat to watch you grow and change with each passing month.

At 10 months, you:
~are learning new words
~are mostly walking
~take two naps
~usually wake up once or twice during the night
~had your first sick visit to the doctor with a double ear infection
~follow us all around the house
~drink from a cup (but are still figuring out how to hold it yourself)
~sleep in the car
~can hang out in the nursery during church
~are so full of smiles

You are such a sweet blessing, Emma girl. We love you!
xoxo,
mommy

old made new

2012-01-27T06:57:00.003-07:00

Ryan and I are slowly working on our list of house-related projects. Quite a while ago (I don't exactly remember when) Ryan picked up this dresser for $1.00 from an auction. It really wasn't in that bad of shape, but we wanted to spruce it up a bit for the kiddos' room.

After a good cleaning and a couple coats of spray paint, we ended up with this:

Not bad for a couple bucks.

Their room is slowly coming along. I have a few ideas for some wall art, I just need to find the time to work on them. Any exciting weekend plans? Our weekends always seem to fill up with family, friends, cleaning, baking, and playing together. This weekend will probably be no different.

wordless wednesday

2012-01-25T06:30:00.003-07:00

january

2012-01-22T14:38:00.004-07:00

I sort of unintentionally took a little break from the ol' blog. I didn't really mean to, I just found myself spending my time doing other things rather than being on the computer. It was actually kind of nice. But, I do miss documenting the little things that make up our life. So how have we been spending the last few weeks (besides fighting some serious sickness and lack of sleep)?

We've taken a few small road trips and spent a great deal of time with family and friends.

Emma girl has been devouring food. She hasn't met something yet that she doesn't like but she is certainly taking a preference to feeding herself rather than being fed. She loves finger foods and does surprisingly well with only two teeth. We've been making homemade coffee creamer (and consuming lots of caffiene, thanks to the sleepless nights).

I'm in the middle of way too many projects at school and am very grateful for my wonderful parent volunteers.

Mason has been busy pulling trucks out ditches and taking them to the carwash to clean all the mud off.

We've been enjoying lots of eggs from our chickens. Lots of greens from the greenhouse too.

Mason's been busy fingerpainting and covering every piece of paper he can find with stickers.

We've been trying several homemade cracker recipes.

We've been reading lots of books. Sitting by the fire. Just hanging out and enjoying January (especially now that the ear infections and flu are a thing of the past.) What have you been up to?

wordless wednesday

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

9 months

2011-12-29T20:22:00.003-07:00

Dear Emma,

It's a day late in coming, but happy 9 months sweet girl! This month has gone so fast. It's been a whirlwind of family, snow, good food, and lots of laughs. You are such a happy girl (and often share your happiness with high-pitched shrieks...which people either love or hate!) It's been so fun to watch you learn so many things this month!You are definitely on the move now. You've mastered crawling and are really thinking about walking. You love to stand and will pull yourself up on anything and everything. You have amazing balance and can stand for long periods of time unassisted. You have even taken a few steps on more than one occasion! You can walk from the coffee table to the couch and back. You prefer to play standing up with your toys in front of you on the couch or coffee table. Your walking attempts have kept us entertained for many hours! I love your squeals and giggles each time you stand up. You are so proud of yourself!Your sleeping habits have greatly improved! You have slept through the night several times this month and almost every time you do get up, you go back to sleep quickly. You take two naps a day and will sleep in the car on short and long trips alike. You got lots of cousin time in this month with Annsley, Elsa, and Jackson. You pretty much slept through all of Christmas (even the Christmas Eve service) and so graciously let Mason open all your presents. I'm pretty sure there won't be a repeat of that next year.

Several people have commented that you've become much more animated in the last few weeks. You interact with those around you and love to "talk." Mason is still one of your favorite people and can often make you laugh out loud. The super cute baby belly laugh that makes me laugh too.

You are such a good eater. You've tried lots of new foods this month and loved them all. You are really good at feeding yourself and can drink out of a cup if we hold it. You're just growing so fast. My favorite times are when you are sleepy and cuddle into my shoulder, either before a nap or just after you wake up.

At 9 months, Emma, you:
~are loud....lots of giggles and shrieks
~feed yourself
~follow me around the house
~still have a little stranger anxiety
~play with toys
~have two teeth
~love bathtime
~are slowing getting some more hair
~like to play in the morning for a little while before having breakfast
~clap
~sign for more
~smile and wave when people are leaving
~like music
~get a little sweeter every day

We love you so much!

xoxo,

mommy

12 Days of Christmas: Oreo Candy Cane Pie

2011-12-24T09:00:00.005-07:00

Day 12: Oreo Candy Cane Pie This is what happens when my sister-in-law, Caroline, and I start dreaming up desserts. It's also what happens after Grammie makes candy cane ice cream (crushed candy canes mixed into vanilla ice cream) for dessert earlier in the week. We had a lot of ice cream left over, so what better thing to do than turn it into a pie? We started with an oreo cookie crust and spread the softened ice cream on top. Froze it and then added a layer of hot fudge topped with more crushed candy canes and froze it again. Peppermint and chocolate. Oreos and ice cream. Perfect! Then we enjoyed a piece of it every night after dinner for the past two nights. We also enjoyed some sweet victory over the guys in our Spades tournament.

Between all the deliciousness in the kitchen, the crazy card games and the eggnog latte drinking , we are having way too much fun with the kids.

Are you ready for Christmas? I hope this season finds you well. Ryan and I have spent some time discussing what exactly we want this holiday to look like for our kids. While it may be different from year to year, we are excited to teach them the true meaning of the season....a celebration of Christ's birth. Merry Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas: Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-23T15:07:00.003-07:00

Day 11: Gingerbread CookiesI usually don't make cut-out cookies at Christmas, but I knew it was something I wanted to do with Mason's cousins. We spent one afternoon letting them cut out the cookies and then decorate them. They loved it. It was sweet to watch them working together, discussing the frosting and sprinkles.

Gingerbread Cut-out Cookies

From Gooseberry Patch: Christmas All Through the House

1 1/2 c. light molasses
1 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. cold water
1/3 c. shortening
6 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 t. allspice
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cloves
1 t. cinnamon

Mix the first four ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into molasses mixture. Chill dough overnight (we chilled it for a couple hours and it was great.) When ready to bake, roll dough into 1/4 inch thickness and cut out with cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets; bake at 350 for 15 minutes. (Maybe a little less if you want them chewy.) Decorate! 3 dozen.

wordless wednesday

2011-12-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

12 Days of Christmas: Honey Knot Rolls

2011-12-20T13:11:00.002-07:00

Day 10: Honey Knot Rolls

Last Sunday we had our Christmas meal at church after an amazing service. I was supposed to bring bread, so after searching around a bit on the internet I decided on honey knot rolls, and the recipe can be found here. These are wonderful, with a honey butter glaze on top. Watch them closely though, the bottoms browned up pretty quick.

The kids are napping and when they wake up their cousins should be here! We get to spend the holiday with Ryan's brother and his family who are stationed in Germany. It's going to be a great week! Four little ones will sure keep up busy, but we have lots of fun things planned.

12 Days of Christmas: Budino

2011-12-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

Day 9: Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Budino
Another recipe from Baked Explorations. And it doesn't really involve baking. But it does involve 3 bowls and a pan. Budino is just a fancy name for pudding. Ever since I saw my first pudding recipe I have always wanted to try to make it from scratch. It's actually super easy and way better than the box stuff. Today is my cousin, Marylin's, birthday. We celebrated last week because she is currently out of town. I made birthday budino. Complete with a solo of "happy birthday" where I made a complete fool of myself. This would make a great dessert after your Christmas meal. You can make it early and let it set in the fridge.
Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Budino
from Baked Explorations

1 Tbsp. bourbon
1 vanilla bean
4 oz. milk chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. whole milk
1 Tbsp. butter
whipped cream to serve (I just used the rest of the heavy cream and added a touch of vanilla and sugar)

Choose eight small wide-mouth glasses for serving. Put the bourbon in a medium heatproof bowl (bowl #1). Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and using the tip of the knife, scrape the seeds into the bourbon. Stir to combine.

Place the milk chocolate in another medium heatproof bowl (bowl #2). In a third heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and cream.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the milk. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until it just begins to boil. Whisking constantly, pour a third of the milk mixture over the egg mixture. Then add some more (about another third...you don't want cooked eggs in your pudding.) Transfer the tempered egg mixture back to the saucepan with the milk mixture, and whisking constantly, bring it to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until pudding is very thick.

Pour half of the pudding over the vanilla bean mixture and half over the milk chocolate. Add half of the butter to each mixture. Stir vigorously to release the heat.

Divide the vanilla pudding among the serving glasses. Chill them for 20 minutes. Keep stirring the chocolate mixture about every 5 minutes. Spoon the chocolate layer on top of the vanilla. Cover and chill until firm (about 2 hours). Top with whipped cream if you like.

Happy Birthday, Marylin!!

12 Days of Christmas: Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls

2011-12-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Day 8: Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
What should you do with leftover frosting from these cookies? Why, make cinnamon rolls of course. I just took a basic cinnamon roll recipe and eggnog-ified it. I added a dash of rum extract, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the dough and then slathered them with leftover frosting. These were delicious warm from the oven, but they were just as great the next day too.

Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Quick Cooking 2001

1 1/4 c. water
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
4 c. bread flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Filling:
1/4 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins

Frosting: leftovers from the nutmeg cookies

Knead all the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Let rise until doubled. Roll into a 17 x 10 inch rectangle. Spread with butter; sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 24 slices. Place cut side down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place, until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Frost warm rolls.

I actually made the dough the night before and put it in the fridge and then rolled them out in the morning and let them rise then baked them. Perfect for breakfast or to share with friends.

12 Days of Christmas: Nutmeg Logs

2011-12-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Day 7: Nutmeg Logs
Do you love eggnog? I do. I can only handle a little bit at a time though. Or mix it with milk. because it's so sweet. These log shaped cookies taste just like eggnog. They are a fun addition to our cookie trays. Luckily we don't have any more in the house between delivering them to friends and bringing the rest to school because I couldn't stop eating them. These are probably my favorite new cookie recipe so far.

Frosted Nutmeg Logs
From Taste of Home

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum extract
3 c. flour
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting
1/3 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1-2 Tbsp. half-and-half

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Combine the flour, nutmeg, and salt; gradually add to the cream mixture. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into 1/2 inch wide logs. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 11-14 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks.

For frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, extracts and enough cream to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. 4 1/2 dozen.

I'm looking forward to two (busy!) weeks home with my kids. Yesterday we cut out snowflakes to hang from the windows, played, read books, and made granola. I still have a pretty long to-do list, but I know it will get done. It always does. I still need to finish making a couple presents and do all the wrapping. I'm pretty sure our Christmas cards are going to be late considering the email I got from snapfish saying my pictures weren't going to ship for two more weeks because of the holiday frenzy. Bummer. That's what I get for finishing my cards in June but waiting until Thanksgiving to get a photo.

We'll spend today finishing the ceiling trim, cleaning the house for company, going for a walk, and watching Emma perfect her crawling techniques. She can get anywhere she wants, but I wouldn't exactly call it crawling yet. She's too busy pulling herself up on everything. I've gone in to her room a couple times to find her standing in her crib, so pround of herself and as happy as can be! Then Ryan and I are off to have dinner with friends while the kiddos hang out with Lacy. Shaping up to be a pretty nice Saturday!

12 Days of Christmas: baking

2011-12-16T06:45:00.002-07:00

Day 6: Double Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese Spread This loaf is in the breakfast section of the Baked Explorations cookbook. It would be like eating a giant slice of brownies for breakfast! I didn't actually try this since it was a gift, but it smelled amazing. And the spread was delicious. I definitely will be making it again so I can try them both together. This would make a great gift if you have a chocolate-lover on your list.

Double Chocolate Loaf with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread
from Baked Explorations

3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 c. buttermilk (I used whole milk)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I used about 1/2 c. chocolate chips)

Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese Spread
5 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. sugar

Place the brown sugar in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add all the dry ingredients and mix. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until blended, then add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Turn the mixer on low and slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in the dark chocolate chunks by hand. Pour batter into a bread pan prepared with butter and flour. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, until toothpick comes out clean.

To make the spread, beat together the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated.

wordless wednesday

2011-12-14T06:29:00.001-07:00

12 Days of Christmas: baking

2011-12-12T20:57:00.005-07:00

Day 5: Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

I made these cookies for our friend Tim. We hung out with him on Friday and celebrated his birthday. He got extra points for watching Mason while Ryan and I went to our eye doctor appointments. Let me tell you...it is a little difficult to pay attention to all the 1 or 2?, 3 or 4? , better or worse? questions from the eye doctor with a squirming baby on your lap. Somehow, even with all the baby passing back and forth, Ryan and I both ended up with Emma girl during this part of our eye exams. I think next time I'll bribe Uncle Tim to watch both kiddos and make him a dozen more cookies!

These are best warm out of the oven, when the Rolos are really melty inside! Mason helped me unwrap all the Rolos. And after every single one, he would ask "for Uncle Tim's birthday?" as he dropped it in the bowl. Oh, I love that boy. Here's the recipe:

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies
from Taste of Home
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 oz) Rolo candies
4 squares white baking chocolate, melted (I used white chocolate chips)

In a large bowl, cream butter, 1 c. sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in 1/2 c. pecans. Shape a tablespoon of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a small bowl, comgine the remaining sugar and pecans. Dip each cookie halfway. Place nut-side up 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. 5 dozen.

12 Days of Christmas: baking

2011-12-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Day 4: Fennel Tea Cookies

These cookies taste a little unique because of the fennel. I think they are a great addition to the usual cookie tray if you want something a little different. The fennel is subtle, but lovely. Best of all, they're quick and easy to make.

Fennel Tea Cookies
from Taste of Home
1 Tbsp. fennel seed, crushed
2 Tbsp. boiling water
3/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
powdered sugar (for rolling)

In a small bowl, soak the fennel seed in boiling water; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg. Drain fennel seed. Combine the flour, baking soda, and fennel seed; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Roll into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and let cool. 3 Dozen.

12 Days of Christmas: baking

2011-12-10T20:14:00.005-07:00

Day 3: Sweet Potato Coconut Scones

I love to make scones for breakfast. Served with some fruit and coffee or tea, it's perfect for a chilly morning. I used to think that scones were a time-consuming special treat that I only made for tea parties. But, really they are pretty quick and easy. Just make up the dough, turn onto the baking sheet, shape, cut and bake.

This recipe is adapted from the Carrot Coconut Scones recipe I found in the Baked Explorations cookbook. It called for carrot puree and I didn't have any carrots on hand. I did have a batch of sweet potato puree though (for little Emma). I thought I could give it a try. You really could only taste a hint of sweet potato, but the overall flavor was delicious. I think next time I would toast the coconut and put it on top. Sweet Potato Coconut Scones

adapted from Baked Explorations

2 3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 c. sweet potato puree

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp. milk

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, and coconut. Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until mixture is coarse. In a separate bowl, which together the egg, milk, vanilla, and sweet potato puree. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until dough just comes together. Knead dough briefly with your hands. Shape the dough into a disk and gently flatten to about 1 3/4 inches high. (I shaped it right on the greased baking sheet). Cut into 6-8 wedges. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

To make the glaze, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl. Add enough milk until desired consistency. Drizzle over the scones before serving.

12 days of Christmas: baking

2011-12-07T06:20:00.003-07:00

I don't know if homemade pita chips count as Christmas baking. Maybe you need a snack while you're wrapping presents or addressing Christmas cards. Maybe you need something to munch on while you cook dinner. I just needed something to go with my roasted red pepper hummus.

I've never had pita chips that I can recall, but the idea of them sounded perfect after I made a batch of hummus. I didn't even have pita bread on hand, so this was a two-step process. But it was so simple and hit the spot! I started by making pita bread following this recipe (which I randomly found when searching for pita chip recipes.)

Then I mixed some olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, and rosemary. I cut the pita bread rounds into triangles. I coated them with the olive oil mixture and popped them in the oven (350) for about 15 minutes.

These turned out very flavorful and crunchy. I can't wait to try some whole wheat pitas next.

dinner

2011-12-06T20:29:00.003-07:00

Whenever it's time to make dinner, I can always count on Mason to help. He loves to sit on the counter and pour, stir, and watch whatever I'm doing. And ask a million and one questions about whatever I'm doing. It's one of my favorite times of the day. It will be a little sad when he doesn't fit perfectly under the kitchen cabinets anymore. Our little corner nook is the perfect spot for him to sit and help.
He's been such a clown the past few nights at dinner too. He's been eating about half of the food on his plate before losing interest. I've had to ~~bribe him~~ get a little creative on ways to make him finish his dinner. On Monday it was all about feeding Emma. He wanted to give Emma some puffs. I told him if he took a bite, he could give a puff to Emma. He finished his plate. I think Emma got the sweet end of the deal. Sit there, smile and laugh at Mason and after he did all the hard work of eating bites of dinner, she got a bite too. Tonight it was all about the animal sounds. He kept asking me what different animals say. I told him I would let him know after he ate a bite of dinner. He thought it was a hilarious game. And he finished his dinner. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Also tonight he was being a little bossy, repeatedly telling me to take his plate away. I told him to stop being bossy. He replied with, "but bossy is my favorite!" Ryan and I could not keep a straight face. I really don't know where he comes up with this stuff.

12 days of Christmas: baking

2011-12-04T05:56:00.005-07:00

I've been enjoying looking through all my cookbooks finding new recipes to try this holiday season. I'm challenging myself to post 12 of those recipes here on the blog. First up is White Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti. I love biscotti. When Ryan and I were hanging out in Salida on Friday we went to a bakery in town and they had a basket full of huge biscotti. I have about a dozen biscotti recipes earmarked, but I'm sort of on a cranberry kick these days so I decided to try these first.
White Chocolate-Cranberry Biscotti
from Taste of Home: Cookies & Bars

1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar (the recipe calls for 1 cup, but it was plenty sweet with 3/4 c.)
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 c. dried cranberries
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in cranberries and white chips. Divide dough into 3 portions.
On ungreased baking sheets, shape each portion into a 10 by 2 inch rectangle. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1 inch slices. Place cut side down on baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 2 1/2 dozen.

Mason wanted to help me stack the biscotti. When I got the camera and told him to smile he said, "they can't smile mom, they don't have teeth!" I said, "yeah, you're right." He then said, "mommy didn't know?" Ha!

handmade

2011-12-02T06:38:00.006-07:00

Every year my bf, Mindy, and I challenge each other to make as many homemade Christmas gifts as we can. I love to give and recieve handmade gifts. We update each other throughout the year on our progress and occasionally try to get together to work a little bit. Even with all that planning, I still find myself in the middle of a thousand projects come December. But, most of my presents are about done. I had to finish my gifts for my cousins early because we celebrated Christmas with extended family at Thanksgiving. Here are a couple of the scarves I made:

For little cousin, Olivia...still in progress when the picture was snapped.
The teal one for Marylin and the green striped one for Karly. The kiddos are having an extended sleepover at Grammie and Grandpa's house. Mason's a pro at the sleepover thing, but this is Emma's first time. I miss them. But, Ryan and I are getting some sleeeeeeeep!! And my house is full of fabric, yarn, my sewing machine and Christmas music. I'm determined to finish as much as I can. Ryan and I are off today to do some antique shopping and hit up the hotsprings pools. What a treat!

8 months: yesterday

2011-11-29T19:39:00.007-07:00

Yesterday marked Emma's 8 month birthday.

Yesterday also marked two years since the last time I got to tell my dad that I loved him.

I didn't get the chance to blog about any of it because I stayed up too late making crepes with my cousins. It was a nice distraction. Laughing, eating too much (nutella filled crepes...yum!), and being with family.

Dear Emma, it's hard to believe that you are already 8 months old. I'm not quite sure how that happened. You are changing so much every day. We have loved watching you take it all in this month.

I don't think it will be long before you will be completely mobile. If you are on the floor, you are up on all fours, lunging around. You just haven't quite figured out how to coordinate the legs and arms at the same time.

You have the sweetest smile. It's a joy to watch you laugh and babble. You finally have a little tooth poking through on the bottom. Your toothless grin will soon be a thing of the past.

This month, you:
~eat just about anything (new foods: egg yolks, chicken, turkey, cheese)
~love to feed yourself
~have pushed yourself up from laying down to sitting a couple times
~have pulled yourself up
~only slept through the night twice
~are very entertained by Mason
~take two naps a day
~love to play in the bathtub
~play with toys
~sing out during church and giggle at your brother

I think we fall more in love with you every day. You are pure joy, Emma girl.

xoxo,
mommy

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:32:00.003-07:00

I really enjoyed an extra day home with my kids this week. We spent yesterday playing and preparing for today. My house is the cleanest it's been in months. Lots of good pumpkins smells are coming from the kitchen. We are busy with last minute preparations while we wait for family to come over.

Emma is busy smearing her breakfast all over her face. Mason is busy decorating our table for Thanksgiving.

We have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

weekend notes

2011-11-20T20:31:00.005-07:00

Ryan and Grandpa spent most of the weeknd working on this:With lots of help from their number one fan:Emma spent most of the weekend rolling around on the floor, pulling herself up (twice!) and popping up on all fours. She hasn't moved forward yet, but she sure is getting ready. I think she enjoyed playing by herself while Mason was outside helping the guys. No one was in her face, stealing her toys, or copying her every move. I spent most of the weekend cleaning and baking. And staying up way too late making cards with friends. I think I may have found a new favorite dinner roll recipe and it involves pumpkin and cloves. Mason and I made a huge batch of hot cocoa mix and Emma has mastered the finger foods....pieces of bread, rice, cheese, banana and avacodo. She chomps down pretty good for still being toothless.

Church was great today. I enjoyed both the message and the Thanksgiving meal we shared afterwards. Mason couldn't get enough turkey dipped in cranberry sauce and I think he talked four different people into sharing their dessert with him. I am so thankful for the friends we have to gather with each week.

I'm looking forward to a short week of school and finishing up some Christmas projects (we're celebrating with some extended family during Thanksgiving, so the clock is ticking!). We have two meals to look forward to at the end of the week, first with Ryan's family and then with mine. I can't stop looking through my cookbooks and making final decisions about what to prepare. I really enjoy our weekends of working on projects together, eating meals together, and playing with our sweet kids. I feel so blessed.

projects

2011-11-16T06:26:00.004-07:00

It's always something around here. We have plenty to accomplish on our to-do list. Ryan spent the weekend putting up a pole barn with the help of Tim, Grandpa and Grammie. It was plenty cold and windy for sure. They still have a little ways to go before it's finished (siding and roof) but they got a great start. I stayed inside with the kids making cookies and hot chocolate. Mason spent the morning sorting his blocks (numbers on the right and letters on the left).And stealing cuddles with Grandpa during a break from the cold.We have plenty of projects going on inside too. I spent Mondy night painting in the kitchen. We now have cabinets on a wall that has been waiting for them for far too long. We are still waiting for our countertop. It turns out they don't make the same countertop that we have in the rest of our kitchen anymore, but Ryan finally found a place where he could special order it.

We spent last night hanging wood...the beginning of our beams that will cover the pipes going through our kitchen from the addition. Mason was a huge help taking measurements and hammering. Also, everytime he got his drill he would go over to Emma (who was just taking it all in) and say "Emma...it might be loud". Then he would fire up his little drill with the biggest grin on his face.

It's so fun to watch him help daddy!

another week

2011-11-11T07:17:00.006-07:00

Another week has flown by. This week has pretty much been categorized by sleepless nights, report cards, Emma squeals, hundreds of questions from Mason, homemade bread baked in our woodcook stove, snow, salads from our greenhouse, bible study, and dinner with my cousins.

Last weekend me and the kiddos headed north for a weekend with my sister's family and Nana. My mom watched the kids while Kati and I scrapbooked the weekend away. I think I set a record for the most number of pages I've ever scrapbooked in a 24 hour period. I may have also set a record for the amount of chai I consumed.

I am so thankful that my sister lives close enough for weekend visits. We had such a good time chatting, scrapbooking, and laughing at the kids. It has been so fun to journey through motherhood together! I just can't get enough of my sweet little nephew...his chubby cheeks, tiny teeth peeking through when he smiles and his dinosaur growls. And he totally busted out the crawling moves while we were there. The real thing--on all fours. It was great to watch my sister and brother-in-law take it all in. I think Emma was taking notes too.

Mason was almost overwhelmed by the toys at Nana's house. Since she does home day-care she had so many different learning stations and Mason played from morning to night. I know my mom had a blast with the kids.

On the way home we stopped at my best friend's house to meet a new little baby girl. Mindy and Raul welcomed precious Natalie into their family last week. At just a couple days old, she already has more hair than Emma. It was wonderful to visit with them.

Ryan and I were able to sneak away for a little date night tonight...dinner out (Mason informed us that he ate dinner in). Mason also informed me this morning that my hair looked like a rooster and I needed to comb it. The rest of the weekend will be filled with friends, projects, homemade granola, and hopefully some rest.

happy halloween

2011-10-31T06:34:00.002-06:00

We had a fun weekend full of friends, football, Halloween parties and plumbing projects! I can't believe November is right around the corner. Now it's Monday and I'm off to enjoy a crazy-fun day with my second graders!

7 months

2011-10-28T13:32:00.004-06:00

Happy 7 months sweet Emma girl. You continue to fill our days with your giggles, grins, and squeaks. You have so much to say these days. You especially let me know how you feel if I leave your line of sight. You love to sit up and play. You're getting really good at reaching for and playing with your toys.

I am so in love with your chubby cheeks, soft eyelashes, and pudgy legs. I'm glad you love to cuddle because I know it won't last forever.

You have tried so many new foods this month. You gobble everything down that we have given you, except for a couple days where you weren't so happy about the peas. You've mastered the finger foods too, which has been the only way I can get dinner made these days. You're pretty content to sit in the highchair, eating your snacks, watching me and Mason make dinner.

It has been amazing to watch you grow and change. Here's a few things about you at 7 months:

~you don't really like to play on your tummy, you prefer to sit
~you like pureed spaghetti, along with lots of fruits and veggies
~you slept through the night a couple times this month

~you don't have any little pearly whites yet

~you're starting to scoot around

~you like baths much better, sitting in the bumbo in the tub watching Mason splash around

~you like to look at books

~you constantly grab my earrings and necklaces

~you can feed yourself finger foods

~you take two naps a day

~you are ready for bed by 7:00 and go right to sleep

~you have the best little belly laugh and toothless grin

You're such a sweetie. We love you more and more each day.
xoxo,
mommy

right now

2011-10-24T20:40:00.004-06:00

Just a few things I'm loving right now:

~chai
~knitting and sewing
~making plans for scrapbooking
~trying new recipes
~cleaning out the ol' google reader
~mini book club with my bff, Mindy (can't believe I've never read Wind in the Willows)
~visiting the library
~skirts and scarves
~planting lots of greens in the greenhouse...looking forward to more salad
~researching how to make our own yogurt
~Mason making me pumpkins out of paper with Marylin
~laughing with cousins over dinner
~Emma sleeping through the night this weekend, finally!
~Mason bringing cow everywhere, putting him down for naps, and feeding him with a spoon
~being almost done with 1/4 of my portfolio for National Boards
~reading until I fall asleep
~fires in the woodstove
~overalls!

Not so much:
~all the Halloween hoopla
~checking to see if a certain poor little hen is egg bound
~hearing that friends are moving
~snow in the forecast
~wearing skirts on windy recess duty days

green tomato pie

2011-10-21T20:00:00.002-06:00

After we pulled all the tomato plants out of the greenhouse we had an abundance of green tomatoes. Not really knowing what to do with them I started looking through my cookbooks. I found a recipe for green tomato pie. It had ingredients like brown sugar, melted butter, cloves, and cinnamon so I figured it couldn't be that bad. We were pleasantly surprised. It was really good. The tomatoes didn't really have a flavor, they just provided a texture and filling for the yummy fall spices. It almost tasted like apple pie. Mason helped me separate all the green tomatoes from the rest of the produce. Then he pulled them all off their vines while I chopped. He's such a good helper. Here is the pie before I added the top crust. I forgot to take pictures after I baked it. Give it a try.

Green Tomato Pie
From the Encyclopedia of Country Living

Cover 2 c. chopped green tomatoes (I used 3 1/2 becasue I wanted a really full pie) with water and bring to a boil. Drain. Add 1/2 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 c. chopped raisins, 3 Tbsp. melted butter, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. cloves. Line a pie plate with a pie crust. Add filling. Put on a top crust and cut holes in the center. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.

It's shaping up to be a pretty nice weekend. Ryan and I, along with the kiddos, spent the morning stacking firewood and coating beams for a shed that Ryan and his dad are building tomorrow. It was beautiful outside. Mason kept running back and forth between helping me with the wood and watching Ryan paint. The roosters crowed at us the entire time. Then I met a friend at the park and we went out to lunch. It was nice to get out while Ryan headed to the big city to get supplies for tomorrow. Then we topped it off with homemade pizza for dinner and chai vanilla pudding for dessert. I love the weekends!

wordless wednesday

2011-10-19T18:14:00.000-06:00

breakfast + family

2011-10-15T06:17:00.006-06:00

So, these photos are a little old. It's not so green around here anymore. But, I finally found my other camera and these are some of my favorites from when my mom and sister came to visit.
We love cousin Karly!

Nana with the kiddos at the football game.

Bobcat fans!

And this is my new favorite recipe to serve up for breakfast when we have company. It's a cream cheese fruit braid. I made it for brunch with a friend a couple months back. Then I made it again for my family. Both times I used some of our peach jam and it was delicious.

But now I can't stop thinking about making it with some of our blueberry jam. Anybody want to come over for breakfast?

happenings

2011-10-10T20:26:00.005-06:00

Life is in full swing around here and it doesn't look like things will be slowing down anytime soon.

A few of our hens have started laying eggs. They haven't figured out the nesting boxes yet, so my current favorite morning chore is searching for eggs. It's actually more like an afternoon chore since they don't lay until about 10:00 or later. We find them all afternoon long. Here's Marsh. He's one of the two roosters that are left. A few days ago after we fed some scraps to the chickens Mason said, "bye Marsh, have a nice weekend." I don't know where he comes up with this stuff.

Speaking of the big boy....he officially gave his crib to Emma and now sleeps on his big boy bed. We just put the mattress on the floor for now, which is a good thing because we find him sound asleep in the middle of his room quite often. He's a roller. The first night he wasn't so sure about it once we said our prayers and turned off the light. I rubbed his back for a few minutes, but left before he was asleep. The next night I laid down next to him and after about 30 seconds he said, "you can go into the living room now, mama." Geez...thanks. I am thrilled about the easy transition though.

We got about 8 inches of snow this weekend. The snow-covered peaks are just beautiful. Mason bundled up and played outside for quite a while on Saturday. He loves the outdoors.

Emma had her 6 month check-up on Friday. I got to meet my cousin Lacy for breakfast. We had some of the best chai ever and chatted the morning away while Emma made squaking noises at everyone coming in for their morning coffee. She's weighing in at 16 pounds.

I snuck in a couple hours of working on my portfolio this weekend. I made up for it by sewing with a friend and starting a good book.

Ryan and I are making our way through three boxes of apples, tons of green tomatoes and piles of acorn squash. We pulled everything out of the greenhouse since it got to 34 degrees the other night and pulled all of what was left in the garden. We're trying lots of new recipes, so as not to waste any of the produce. We have lots of seedlings for our fall greens ready to transplant into the greenhouse. As soon as we quit building towers that is.

6 months

2011-09-28T06:00:00.005-06:00

Oh, sweet Emma girl, how are you already half a year old? I still can't get over how much you've grown and changed in just 6 months. It's a good thing you're cute because you still haven't grown into the whole sleeping-through-the-night thing. I really had no clue I could function (barely!) on such a short amount of sleep. You sure do make up for it with squeals and giggles and big grins all day long.

You got to spend some time with Nana, Aunt Kates, and Jackson this month. Jackson sure taught you everything he knows (being 3 1/2 weeks older and all) because as soon as he left you started grabbing everything in sight and sitting up all by yourself. Nothing is out of your reach anymore. If you want it, you are going to get it.

At 6 months, Emma:

~you drool all.the.time
~you roll over and scoot all around
~you are starting to hold and play with your toys
~you can sit up
~you love to eat (so far: rice cereal, apples, peas, and squash)
~you can scream at the top of your lungs to show that you are happy or upset, although you usually do this when you are happy!
~you go to sleep between 7:30 and 8:00 every night
~you usually wake up 3 or 4 times during the night
~you like the swing at the park
~you don't have any teeth yet
~you adore Mason

And he adores you. When he saw us taking pictures of you, he went and got cow and giraffe so they could all get in on the action. The best part was when he said, "smile at the camera, cow."

We love you so much Emma. You definitely make our days (and nights) more exciting. It is such a joy to watch you and Mason interacting together. We are so very blessed.
xoxo,

mommy

off to work

2011-09-27T06:19:00.004-06:00

"I'm workin' mama!" I hear those words coming from Mason's mouth all day long. Especially when I ask him to do something that he doesn't want to do. "I can't...I'm workin' mama!"

This is his latest working attire. Everytime he puts the safety glasses on he says "just like daddy." I'm not sure when he actually saw daddy wearing safety glasses, but I believe him. The kid has a crazy memory.

He stopped working on his giraffe bike so I could take a few pictures. And this is what happens when I ask him to show me his teeth. (Which he calls T by the way. As in I need to go brush my T).

the cleanest baseboards

2011-09-25T16:14:00.003-06:00

I went to sleep last night thinking about the major cleaning party that would be happening in my kitchen today.

After two weeks of canning 150 pounds of tomatoes and a full day of all things chicken (I cooked four whole chickens, canned 20 jars of chicken broth, and have 30 cups of cubed/shredded chicken in my freezer) you could say that my kitchen needed a little love.

Well, after the worst night of sleep ever (thank you emma and mason) I jumped right in ...after baked oatmeal and coffee of course. I cleaned everything from top to bottom. And then it happened...

right after I washed all the baseboards and door and window trim...

I came up with the brilliant idea to give all that clean wood a fresh coat of paint. You know because it might be years before I got around to cleaning them again. Ha! It was like "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" on crack. I blame the lack of sleep.

In other news:

a) I found my camera
b) Mason told me this morning to "use my words"
c)we dug up pounds and pounds of potatoes
and
d) Emma girl has started sitting up. It's a much better view all the way up there.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Did anyone else's to-do list get a little out of hand?

splash

2011-09-19T20:44:00.003-06:00

Just a little bathtime fun!

little bits

2011-09-16T21:59:00.004-06:00

Little bits of life from this week:

My mom, sister and nephew came to visit last weekend. We had a blast together.

My sister and I passed each other in the darkness of the living room and kitchen during the wee hours of the morning taking care of babies who don't sleep through the night. They made up for it with smiles and giggles. And Jackson is quite the snuggler. My kids should take lessons. Mason was a complete goofball showing off for Aunt Kates and Nana.

We wanted tiramisu. We thought the extra coffee would help balance out the sleepless nights. The sugar too. Our super gourmet local grocery store (ha!) didn't have lady fingers. Don't worry, we made our own:) It turned out great. I may have had leftovers for breakfast the day after they left.

I tore the house apart looking for our other camera that has pictures of all three kiddos together on our little trip down to the family property (hello fall...the leaves are starting to change) and the football game. I have no idea where it is.

We attended a chicken plucking party and butchered 12 of our roosters (along with about 50 more that weren't ours). A friend and I ended up with 5 gallons of fresh milk that we gladly turned into fresh mozzarella.

Also, I signed my life away this week at school when I applied to the National Board Certification program. As if I don't have enough on my plate right now. It's a wonderful professional development program and our district offers many benefits for getting certified. It's also an insane amount of work (portfolio, video taping my teaching, taking a bunch of tests). It doesn't sound too overwhelming until I talk to other teachers who have gone through the process and hear that no one in our district (that I know of) has passed the test the first time around.

We are working our way through 150 pounds of tomatoes. Crazytown.

Emma is chowing down on the rice cereal.

And Mason has a new bedtime routine that involves reading stories to Emma. Love it!

today's harvest

2011-09-05T06:51:00.003-06:00

Well actually it was yesterday's harvest, but I didn't have time to finish this post. Just a little something that we picked from the garden and greenhouse. We turned that cabbage into a wonderful cabbage and kielbasa crockpot meal. Rounded out with chipotle cheddar biscuts, dinner was simple and delicious. I'm still deciding what to do with those turnips, but I think it's going to involve sweet potatotes and chicken. Not pictured: the basil that we need to make into another batch of pesto and all the beets that are now sitting pickled, on the counter in pretty pint jars.

Also not pictured: the mess in my kitchen. Both kiddos seem to either be teething/ have allergies/ or there is a cold swarming around our house because the runny noses and watery eyes and trail of kleenex are never-ending. We'll see what today brings. Probably more snuggles, books, and warm baths. Probably not a clean kitchen:)

wordless wednesday

2011-08-31T06:31:00.004-06:00

downpour!

2011-08-29T21:28:00.004-06:00

It's been raining like crazy at our house over the last week. Almost every afternoon we've gotten a thunder storm. Or two. Today we had three. And Mason enjoyed every bit of them.

I think he found a new favorite way to take a bath!

5 months

2011-08-28T09:38:00.004-06:00

Happy 5 months, Emma girl!

This has been a month of adjustments! Ever since I went no-dairy and got you some reflux medicine, you've been a much happier girl. And our house has been a little more peaceful! There's only so much high-pitched screaming we can take. Thankfully the only shrieking we endure now are your happy squeals, which you do (loudly) all morning long.

You are a very inconsistent napper and usually take three to four naps a day. One is usually about an hour and a half and the others are 30 minutes to an hour. But, you've got your night routine down. You go to bed around 8 and wake up once to eat, usually around 3. You are quite the snuggler when you are sleepy. In fact, you would love it if we held and cuddled you all day long. I'm learning how to do many things with one hand in fact. But when we do set you down you enjoy your bumbo, exersaucer or rolling on the floor. All three are prone to having a big brother hovering nearby though.

You're getting better at riding in the car, but we also haven't really ventured too far this month. We'll see if that holds true for the few trips we have planned in the coming month.

At 5 months, Emma:

~you roll over very easily

~you light up the room with your smile

~you love being out in the greenhouse

~you still fit into most of your 3 month clothes

~you are so close to sitting up, and will do it briefly without support

~you have big, beautiful eyes that seem to be a different color every day

~you giggle

~you love to watch ceiling fans

~you put up with a lot from Mason

~you still sleep on your side or tummy

You are such a sweetie, Emma. We love to play with you and watch you take in the world around you. You are our little snuggle-bug and we love you so much!

xoxo,

mommy

the first week

2011-08-26T13:37:00.002-06:00

The first week of school has come and gone. I am in love with my class this year. They are so much fun. The first day of school was a blast, the time just flew by. I forgot how much I "learn" from my second graders. Every year I plan all my lessons and activities and think about all the different questions I am going to ask, but I always forget the fact that second graders are answering those questions and they come up with some pretty bizarre things. I forget how quickly I have to think on my feet as I respond to them, encourage them, and sometimes steer them in a new direction. My favorite one from the week was when I asked my students where we could go in our community to solve problems and one student answered, "a haunted house." Oh how I love those second graders.

But now I'm home for the weekend (and so blessed that my weekends are three day weekends!) and spent the morning playing with the little ones. Emma had a great week (they both did!) with Marylin and Grammie. Emma was fussy for most of the day on Monday, but each day seemed to get progressively better. So, for now I think the no-dairy diet seems to be working. I do miss my cheese though (pizza just isn't the same!). But it's worth it to have a happy baby.

This morning I made baked oatmeal with fresh peaches for breakfast. It was a nice change to make a real breakfast and not have to run out the door to work. Mason was chowing down on his, using his spoon in his left hand. I asked him if he was a lefty today and he said, "No, mommy, I'm a boy." He also had us cracking up on Monday when Marylin said "whoopsie-daisy" and he replied, "no....whoopsie-java!"

After our walk we spent some time playing farm. Mason has a new way of looking for his toys. I wish I could stick my head in a bag and find whatever it is I'm looking for.

We have a table full of basil, all rinsed and drying, waiting to be put in the freezer. I have a couple batches of pesto already in the freezer and I'm busy dreaming of all the soups and stews I can make this fall. I'm definitely loving the crockpot these days since the last thing I want to do when I get home is make dinner.

I'd much rather play with these two goof-balls!

And then we all crash!

It was a wonderful week, but I'm exhausted! Happy weekend everyone!

back to school...

2011-08-21T06:53:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again. School starts tomorrow. I love this time of year. I've been busy working in my classroom and planning lessons. I always have so many new ideas and plans for each school year. I met most of my second graders at our "Meet Your Teacher" night and I can just tell it's going to be a fun year. So many little personalities and so much potential.

Of course it means spending four days a week away from my own little ones. This year has been harder than last year for some reason. I think it's because my emma girl has been really fussy and just wants her momma. She's been arching her back, crying, taking short naps and having tummy problems. The doctor gave us some medicine for reflux, which is helping a bit, but she is still really gassy and having an upset tummy. I'm cutting out all dairy to see if we can make her a little more comfortable.

I've been really blessed to have spent so much time at home after emma was born. We had an amazing summer playing together, and Ryan's schedule allowed him to be home a lot too. So much family time...I was spoiled. But now it's time to switch gears. I told Ryan the other day that this was as clean as our house was going to be for the next 9 months. We just laughed and chatted about balancing family, work, finishing house projects, playing with the kids, etc. I love that we can make it work (most days!).

I have the best husband ever. He is so understanding and encouraging. I can share with him my struggles with balancing teacher and mommy. He reminds me that I'm good at both and that means the world to me.

In other random notes, a few things that Mason has said that make us laugh:

~Mason and I were walking out to feed the chickens. I was carrying him since he was barefoot. On the way he said, "Mommy has shoes on, I have my feet on."

~Mason is really into BIG things (a BIG scoop of yogurt, the BIG grilled cheese sandwich...ok I guess it's mostly BIG food. haha.) So we were singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star one night with the cousins and he stopped and said, "No....BIG star!"

~A few nights ago we asked Mason to pick up his blocks for bed. He did and then we brushed his teeth and read a book. Ryan told him to go give me a hug because now it was time for bed. He replied, "how about I pick up ALL my toys." Such a smart little procrastinator. I mean really, how do you say no to that?

~Mason and Ryan went camping with some friends over the weekend. Mason was playing with his friend (who's two also). The little boy took Mason's water bottle and ran away with it. Mason said "water bottle please" a couple of times, but he just kept running. Then he turned to Ryan and said, "daddy, please not working."

~Just last night Emma was "talking," more like squaking actually. Mason turned to her and said, "Emma, what you squeaking about?"

Love my little kiddos!

wordless wednesday

2011-08-10T17:20:00.002-06:00

baby smiles

2011-08-07T07:30:00.002-06:00

Just a few pictures of our emma girl hammin' it up for the camera. I love her little toothless grin and can't seem to get enough of her funny belly laughs.

"I'm working!"

2011-08-06T20:32:00.003-06:00

While I was hanging up the laundry in Mason's room tonight we were chatting away. He kept telling me that he "was working." I wasn't really paying attention as we talked about his hammers and wrenches.

Then I told him it was time for bed. He said, "No, mommy. I'm working!" Sure enough, he had put on his working hat, found every single one of his tools, lined them up, and proceeded to work on his giraffe bike. I couldn't resist a few pictures as he worked away. Again I told him it was time for bed. He gathered up all his tools and told me he was going to work with daddy (who was in the garage putting together some camping gear.)

How can you say no to that face? So, out we went. Ryan just started cracking up. Mason lined up all of his tools out there and got right to work.
He spent about ten minutes out there before Ryan said they were done for the night. Mason just kept right on working. Ryan turned off the lights and said it was time to go inside. Mason replied, "Ok, see you later!" What a silly (and hardworking:) boy. He finally came inside, set his hat on the table and pronounced that he was done working for the night and that he was going to bed "just like daddy!" Oh how I love that boy.

wordless wednesday~basil

2011-08-03T06:42:00.001-06:00

tuesdays

2011-08-02T15:12:00.005-06:00

We had great plans to go cut firewood today. But it was very cloudy this morning with a forecast for lots of rain, so we stayed home and tackled other projects instead. We went on a walk right after breakfast (where Ryan and I both decided it felt like fall in the air...hopefully it was just the impending rain making it so chilly) Then Ryan and Mason spent most of the morning in the garage. Mason brought out one of his hammers and his screwdriver so he could "work" on the truck.

Then we played peek-a-boo with Emma.

During naptime we made an insane mess in the kitchen. We canned a batch of blueberry lime jam and black velvet apricot butter.

Now I have a ham in the oven and am awaiting the arrival of my cousins for dinner. We've been doing "Tuesday Night Dinner" all summer. It's fun to cook new things for them (since I can't seem to stop trying new recipes) and hang out, chatting and laughing.

Here is a little run-down of past Tuesdays. We only remembered to take pictures at a few of our little gatherings.

The one with the fondue dessert:

The one where we celebrated Marylin getting her cosmotology license:
The one with the Mason-pillow-toss:
The one where we made the count-down chain for Marylin (the bride-to-be!!)
Who knows what tonight will hold (beside ham and haircuts:), but I'm sure we will laugh off more calories than we consume (or at least we can hope...)

mango blueberry muffins

2011-08-01T07:08:00.001-06:00

I had some mangoes sitting on the counter and decided to make some muffins over the weekend. I found a recipe for mango blueberry muffins and I thought they sounded delicious. I gave them a little makeover so they would be a little healthier (the original recipe had 1 1/4 cup of sugar!)

Mango Blueberry Muffins with Toasted Coconut
adapted from this recipe

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. blueberries
1/4 c. flour
1 c. mango, chopped

Coconut Topping:
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. shredded coconut
pinch salt

Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and salt. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Combine dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients. Toss blueberries with flour. Fold in mangoes and blueberries. Combine coconut topping ingredients. Pour batter into greased muffin tins and top with coconut. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

I have one more mango sitting on the counter which very well could end up in a smoothie today!

a barnyard mess

2011-07-30T09:34:00.005-06:00

Last night we got some serious rain. I missed most of it since I spent the day scrapbooking with my friends a couple hours away in Victor (it did also rain there though and I fully participated in it because I had to dash out to roll up my car windows!)

But I didn't miss this:all our chickens playing in the big mud puddle. I chased this rainbow most of the way home. At one time I could see the full arc. When I got home, this was all that was left, but the clouds made it all the more beautiful.

4 months

2011-07-28T07:35:00.004-06:00

Happy 4 months, sweet Emma girl. This has been a busy month for you. You have become quite the little gymnist. You have perfected the art of lunging out of the arms of anyone who is holding you. You arch your back and throw your head back. You're lucky we haven't dropped you. You have also managed to do a near-flip out of your carseat and bumbo on several occasions. You have mastered rolling over. And most recently you have been spotted laying on your tummy, getting those knees up under you with your little bum in the air. You scoot and roll all over the place. Gone are the days of finding you exactly where I left you!

You've also turned into the girl-who-hates-riding-in-the-car. Anytime we go anywhere over about 30 minutes (which is everywhere except going into town) you grace us with your cries and screams. It's lovely. Especially when Mason joins in, "stop crying! stop crying! Emma NOT happy!" Good times. You make up for it with your sweet snuggles when we get wherever it is we're going.

You adore your brother (and he adores you). Sometimes he is the only one who can make you stop mid-cry and smile. He makes you laugh with his sillyness. Which in turn makes him act all the more silly. It's a delight to watch your face light up when he plays with you.

At 4 months, Emma, you:

~don't care for your baths
~usually take 2 good naps
~prefer to sleep on your tummy or your side
~smile, "talk", and giggle
~roll over constantly
~grab on to anything within your reach
~like to be sung to
~love to watch the ceiling fan
~are a little scared of loud noises
~have just about the fastest growing fingernails and have gotten a scratch or two
~respond when we talk to you
~are so full of energy and hardly ever lay still

We love you baby girl, more than you know!

xoxo,
mommy

wordless wednesday

2011-07-27T07:19:00.002-06:00

right now

2011-07-21T06:54:00.002-06:00

A few things I'm loving right now:

~mason singing songs

~new friends

~fresh basil from the greenhouse (I'm putting it in everything!)

~afternoon rain showers and rainbows out our window

~emma snuggles

~playdates at the park

~buttermilk vanilla bean cake

~emma giggles

~making cards

~new library books

~trying new recipes

~chasing mason around

~watching mason help stack firewood

~ryan's sourdough bread

~family walks in the evening

~planning vacations for next summer

~working in my classroom a little here and there

~handwritten notes from my best friend

~ice water...the colder the better these days

~lazy summer days

Not so much:

~sunburns

~laundry...it's never ending

~critters nibbling on our plants in the garden

~lonely doggie howls from Daisy...missing her pal, Java I suppose

a little dirt

2011-07-18T18:42:00.009-06:00

We've spent a lot of time this summer cutting firewood. Call me crazy, but I actually like the whole getting firewood process. You get to be outside, prepare for the coming winter, and get a workout all at the same time. We usually spend the day cutting (always bring a picnic!) and loading the truck. Then we bring it all home and unload it. We usually spend a few evenings splitting and stacking it. I love stacking it...it is so satisfying to see the rows fill up. And freshly cut wood smells so good. It is a little different with kiddos though. Now when we go I spend a lot of time doing this:

while mason does this. Sometimes he brings his fishing pole too. The creek is pretty dry this year, but he still manages to "catch" some fish. Daddy takes a break to help with all the fishing.

We've spent several days hanging out and Ryan had a lot of wood cut. On Friday we brought about two cords home (thanks to our new truck that holds just under two cords!) and split it all and stacked most of it.

Today Grammie came to watch Mason and Emma while Ryan and I went and cut some more and get another load. I spent most of the day throwing logs down the hill, putting them in the truck, getting in the truck to stack them and then heading back up the hill. Luckily, the rain held out until we were done. We were filthy when we got home. Gotta love a little dirt now and then!

comanche lake

2011-07-13T14:55:00.003-06:00

On Monday Ryan and I headed out on our first hike together in over a year. We hit the trail to Comanche Lake. It was 11 miles roundtrip. It felt so good to get out and do some hiking. I'm not gonna lie though...my legs are still sore:) It was a beautiful day (we made it home long before the afternoon rain showers) and a beautiful hike. There were wildflowers all along the trail. The lake was so peaceful. We stopped and had lunch there before heading back down. I tried a new recipe for homemade granola bars, but I found them to be too sweet. So I'm still on the lookout for the perfect bar.

There were many places where we stopped to enjoy the views. We could even see town a couple times through all the trees. We saw a couple marmots (I totally lost a bet too...I thought it was pikas that were nicknamed whistle pigs but it turns out that it is marmots..so ryan got the backrub!) I love those little creatures. We always see them when we get above treeline...our little hiking companions that let us know we're almost there. About the time my legs start to feel like jello.

It was the perfect way to start the day, hiking with Ryan in such a beautiful setting.

travels

2011-07-12T15:30:00.000-06:00

We've done a little bit of traveling this summer. About a month ago we headed off to a family weekend in Glenwood Springs. I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time! I get to see my sister and my cousins quite a bit, but there is just something about going on a trip together! We got to see my other aunt and uncle, cousins, and my papa.

We had an ongoing water fight...so we spent lots of time "drying" off in the sun.
We also spent lots of time lounging in the hammock.

We went to the Strawberry Days Festival while we were there as well. But, mostly we hung out as a family. It was pretty sweet.

Then a few weeks later I headed off to New York for my friend Anita's wedding. There were five of us girls that went: me, emma, a friend from school and her two grandaughters. We had quite the adventure. We got lost numerous times and barely made it to the wedding on time. We also went to Niagra Falls, Hamlin Beach, and picked strawberries and cherries. We also had just about the best burger and buffalo wings that I've ever had.

It was a whirlwind trip, but I'm so glad I got to share in the celebration of my friends.
Emma was a great traveler. We spent many hours on an airplane and saw four different airports (lots of layovers!) but she just took it all in as she usually does.

The wedding was at a family pond and it was just beautiful! The next day we went back for brunch and to help clean up. We also did a little paddle-boating. This reminded me of a cabin on a lake that my family went to every summer when we were growing up. Back then paddling a paddle boat seemed so hard! It's funny how your perspective changes.

I also got to meet up with an old friend, kim, from my junior high and high school days. I haven't seen her since my wedding over 7 years ago. She was only three hours away so we met at Hamlin Beach and spent the afternoon and evening together. My goodness, it was so fun to get together. We laughed, talked about motherhood, watched the kids play, remembered funny stories from long ago, and laughed some more. I'm so glad it worked out to see her.

That's a quick recap of our latest adventures. I am so blessed by my friends and family!

3 months

2011-06-28T17:22:00.004-06:00

Dear Emma-girl,
Where did this month go? I cannot believe you are already another month older. I love discovering more and more of your little personality. You are starting to "talk" much more and are full of smiles.

This was another busy month. We've been busy working in the garden, canning jams, being outside, and traveling. We headed to Glenwood Springs to visit with family. You got to meet your great grandfather, Papa, and hang out with your cousin, Jackson, along with the rest of the family. We laughed a lot! You are such a great little traveler. You slept and cooed most of the way there and back. I hope I am as lucky traveling with you by plane since we are headed to New York in a few days.

At 3 months:

~you are starting to laugh at people
~you wake up once a night (usually around 4)
~you always roll onto your back when we put you on your stomach
~you love to be in our baby sling carrier, and usually fall asleep (which helps with watering the garden and greenhouse...you just come along!)
~you put up with a lot from your brother who is constantly giving you kisses, bringing you your "fire" (pacifier), and wanting to hold you
~you follow people around the room with your eyes
~you hold your head up like crazy
~you love being on the changing table and will smile everytime we lay you on it
~you love being outside (which is a good thing because we spend most of our days out there)

We have gone to cut firewood a couple times. I love to snuggle with you on our big patchwork quilt, the wind blowing through the aspens and the sun shining through the leaves, dancing shadows over you. You love to watch the leaves and listen to the birds. You are so alert when we are outside.

Emma, you are so precious. From your bright eyes, balding head:), and perfect little feet, we just can't seem to get enough of you. You make our lives so much sweeter. We love you!

xoxo,
mommy

the big 3-0!

2011-06-24T05:41:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated ryan's 30th birthday. It was a beautiful day! We started the day with biscuits and gravy. Then we hiked at San Isabel Lake.

Then we four-wheeled a couple trails and had a picnic lunch.

The birthday boy with the kiddos:

We had some family over for dinner to end the day. Happy Birthday sweetie!

this morning

2011-06-17T07:00:00.003-06:00

Hey sweet emma girl! Mason's still alseep and daddy's fishing so this morning it's just you and me. I am reminded of how precious you are. I love our quiet times together when big brother is asleep. Because we both know that when he's awake, it's definitely not quiet! :) We're busy playing trains, tractors, cars, play-doh, painting, or fixing things. I know you will be doing the same things before long But, for now...this morning...we're just hanging out. You and me.

birthday boy

2011-06-15T16:00:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun celebrating with family and friends on Saturday.
Mason was really into opening his presents. And not only did he open the presents, he wanted to open each toy before he went on to the next present. Good thing grandpa had his pocketknife for all that crazy packaging!

Mason's classic opening presents face.

He loved having everyone sing to him.

He blew out one candle in the middle of the song. He had a little trouble with the second one:)He sure loved being the center of attention.Then he asked for a spoon. Who eats a cupcake with a spoon??

It was wonderful to visit with friends and family. This is one of my favorite pictures of the kiddos with the grandparents.
Horray for birthday parties!

little chainsaw

2011-06-13T21:16:00.007-06:00

This morning we headed out to cut some firewood. Mason brought his chainsaw, bob the builder hat, and tractor. He spent the whole morning watching daddy and helping with his own little chainsaw.

It was pretty hard to get him to leave daddy when it was time for the trees to fall. So, I told him we needed to get the wrench from the truck to fix his chainsaw. Then he had to fix the tires.But it was only a matter of time before he wanted to head back up the hill to "work with daddy." Emma and I followed, enjoying being outdoors.Ryan was a good sport and let mason "fix" his chainsaw too.

Emma pretty much slept through all the wood gathering. And she missed out on mason and I dipping our feet in the creek too. She did wake up and give us plenty of smiles during our picnic lunch though.
<

two.

2011-06-08T07:29:00.008-06:00

Two years old! Happy birthday little man.

Here you are exactly one year ago:
You have changed so much in one year. I never knew that having a boy would be so much fun. You spend most of your days playing outside or following daddy around being his little "helper." You are pretty much always covered in dirt and I wouldn't have it any other way because you are just so happy to be playing outside.You want to carry everything for daddy. Luckily, he's very patient and doesn't mind if everything takes him twice as long.You're getting very good with the tape measure and the hammer!
You constantly amaze us with all you are learning. You have a huge vocabulary. I can't even begin to count all the words that you know. You are starting to talk in complete sentences too.

You know all your colors and a handful of shapes. You can count to ten and you recognize 0, 1, and 2. You are starting to learn the letters in your name. You know several animal sounds.

You take one really good nap in the afternoon. I love your going to bed routine. We always pray (which you call "amen", then you lay down in the crib with your two stuffed cows (named Cow and Moose), and ask for blankets by name. You usually layer two or three blankets on.

Speaking of praying, when we all sit down at the table you always ask for "amen". We hold hands, but the cutest thing is that you always want to hold your spoon in my hand and your cup or plate in daddy's hand while we pray.

We ended your special day with a scoop of ice cream. You blew out your candles before we even finished singing to you:)

It was good to the last drop!

Happy Birthday Mason!!

java

2011-06-06T19:57:00.008-06:00

It's been a rough weekend. We had to put our dog, java, down today. I took her to the vet on Friday for what I thought was a sore on her foot. It turns out that it was cancer. The tumor had burst through the skin and after further examination it seemed to have already spread to her lymph nodes too. It was not an easy decision, but we knew it was the right thing so she wouldn't be in any more pain. We have had her most of our married life (we celebrated 7 years on Sunday!). She was our hiking buddy, our camping companion, and a loving, loyal dog.
There's not much more to say, so I'll share a few of our favorite pictures:
We miss you java girl!

park day

2011-06-03T07:28:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I met my best friend, mindy, for lunch. Then we took the kiddos to the park. We snapped a few pictures of them on the swings before we were busy helping them climb all over the equipment and go down the slide over and over again (which was pretty amusing with minnz being almost 5 months pregnant and me carrying emma:)

Mason finally enjoys the swings. Last summer he was terrified of them.Little livvie is so cute. She has the best smile!And emma pretty much slept through the whole thing, wind and all.

Can't wait until we can get together again.

2 months

2011-05-28T13:06:00.003-06:00

Hey, sweet emma. You are two months old today. This month has flown by. While you've been napping, daddy and I (with the help of your big brother) have been busy working on the chicken coop, the greenhouse, and the garden. You love to go out into the greenhouse in the morning. You keep me company while we watch the sun slowly work its way over the house and into the greenhouse. It keeps getting warmer and warmer. You smile at me while I sip my tea. Sometimes we read and sometimes we just sit. I could watch you for hours. But, eventually mason wakes up and we are on with our day. I will always cherish those mornings together.

A few things to note about you, at two months:

~you have rolled over a couple times now

~you are starting to smile when people talk to you

~you are pretty content to sit on mason's lap while we read stories to you

~you love baths (or at least tolerate them without crying)

~you always fall asleep in the car

~you are so alert when you are awake...taking it all in

~sleep most of the night, waking up around 3 and then 6

~follow people with your eyes when we walk by

~still have the chubbiest legs and arms (love!)

We love you so much little girl.

xoxo,
mommy

almost there

2011-05-26T05:30:00.008-06:00

Our greenhouse extension is so close to being finished (thanks to some help from lacy!). For now, it's complete enough that we were able to move our tomato plants out. And it's wonderful to hang out in. We still have a few things to do:

~paint trim

~finish the west wall

~clean and paint the new door

~remove the old insulation

~create some sort of vent in the roof (possibly)

But all those things will have to wait until we put up another garden fence, rototill the old garden and the new garden, and plant all of our seeds which will happen this weekend.

This is the view looking to the east. The white beams in the middle of the photo are where the greenhouse used to end. We more than doubled our space!

It is pretty awesome having the greenhouse attached to the house. Ryan and I are so glad we decided to do it that way. It was not our original plan, but it works. Mason loves it too! He gets to be "outside" even when it's cold and windy. He wants to go out there first thing in the morning. He's completely covered in dirt by breakfast. He helps dig, water, and most recently he loves to search for little pieces of wood in the dirt and bring them inside and put them on our wood pile by the woodstove. This keeps him occupied for quite some time. He's such a helper.

This is from inside the living room, looking out. Yes, that is sourdough rising on the chair. The greenhouse works wonders for rising dough. The pepper plant starters on the table still need to be planted.

I love that I can just walk out the living room doors and cut some greens for salad. I don't think it gets much better than that.

wordless wednesday

2011-05-25T05:30:00.003-06:00

more baked

2011-05-17T09:46:00.003-06:00

I'm still baking my way through this cookbook. A few weekends ago we celebrated my mom's and sister's birthday. I brought the peanut butter banana cream pie found in the pies and tarts section of the cookbook. It was my first time baking with a vanilla bean. Yum!
It was my first time making pudding from scratch. So easy!
It was four layers of deliciousness!

That weekend was so much fun. I can't believe how our family is growing. I love that mason and emma are close enough to jackson to get together now and then. Especially because I am so close to my cousins and I want the same for my kids. It was hard to get a good picture of the bunch, but there will be many more opportunities for photos! This weekend I made the nutella scones. These did not last long in our house. They were perfect with a cup of coffee. Sweet, nutty, and full of chocolate.Nutella Scones
from Baked Explorations

2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg
1/2 c . heavy cream
3/4 c. toasted hazelnuts, coarsley chopped ( I used walnuts)
1/2 c. Nutella

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub it into the flour until the mixture is coarse. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and cream. Slowly pour into the dry ingredients until the dough just comes together. Add the nuts and knead to incorporate. Flatten the dough into a rectangle (about6 by 12 inches) and spread 1/4 c of the Nutella on top. Roll the dough up into a cylinder and gently flatten into a disk. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Heat the remaining 1/4 c. of Nutella in the microwave and drizzle over scones.

We just may have a bottle of Jack on the counter...next up: Whiskey Pear Tart

morning snuggles

2011-05-14T07:35:00.002-06:00

Mason's new favorite thing to do in the morning is to crawl in our bed and "hold you emma." He makes sure he is laying on the pillow first and then puts his arms out. Then you have to let go of emma, because he wants to do it all by himself. Love that smile! And who said it was ok for emma to get so big already??

wordless wednesday

2011-05-11T06:00:00.002-06:00

brick by brick

2011-05-09T20:35:00.001-06:00

After we finished our ceiling project we began adding on to our greenhouse. We decided to extend our greenhouse past the double doors in our living room. This way we would have more room for plants, we would be able to open the doors to let the heat in to our house, and we would be able to access the greenhouse from inside. A couple weeks ago ryan started framing it out. Mason loved watching from the window and kept saying "daddy....work....hammer...bam!bam!bam!"

You can see the existing side of the greenhouse and the very beginning of the framing.

Since I snapped that picture, ryan finished the framing (except for the new door), painted it, and last friday we hung the roof. Grammie came to watch the kiddos today and ryan and I tackled the floor, which is sand and brick and more sand. I got my workout in by carrying every single one of those bricks and stacking them within reach of ryan, who worked on the floor. We are a little over half way done. Mason supervised from the window. Every time I stopped, even for a second to chat with ryan, mason would say "more brick, mommy." He's my little personal trainer.

We're making way on Project Greenhouse and hope to have it done by the end of the weekend. We have lots of tomato seedlings that are ready to move in!

In other news:

~we planted more than 100 trees and bushes

~the chicken coop is here!

~our little chicks have more than doubled in size and we've had a few venturing out of their tub, causing all sorts of cheeping since they can't figure out how to get back in

~it's time to start thinking about the garden

I think we're adding more to our to-do list than we're crossing off, but we always love a good project.

wordless wednesday ~ uncle luke

2011-05-04T06:00:00.003-06:00

one month

2011-04-28T06:00:00.008-06:00

Dear Emma,

It is so hard to believe you are already one month old. So many activities were crammed into this month and you didn't blink an eye. Probably because you were sleeping most of the time. So many people came to visit you. You are so loved and not just by your mommy, daddy, and big brother.

Speaking of your big brother, every time I try to get a picture of you, mason gets right in your spot. It's the only time he wants his picture taken.

You've rocked his world just a little bit. It's been fun (and a little trying) to watch him figure out this new dynamic you brought to our lives. He adores you though and is always checking on you and bringing you things. Except when I'm holding you and he wants to play. Then he keeps repeating "baby...crib...nap...baby...crib...nap."

At one month, you:

~are heading towards 9 pounds (8 lbs 13 oz at your last appointment)
~have a quiet cry, for the most part
~have rolled over once from your tummy to your back
~sleep, a lot ~have the chubbiest legs and cheeks, which are adorable
~wake up twice a night (which wasn't true for the first two weeks....it was much more often)
~have the cutest little lips
~like going on walks
~are happiest when you're being held
~are enjoying baths a little more
~get lots of kisses from mason

Here are a few pics from a little photo session with my friend, hillary:

Emma, you are the sweetest little girl. We feel so blessed. We love you!

xoxo,
mommy

salt-n-pepper cookies

2011-04-27T07:15:00.004-06:00

I got a new cookbook from my brother and sister-in-law. I love cookbooks. I read through the whole thing. Multiple times. This particular cookbook, Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, was no exception. The photography is excellent and every single recipe looks delicious.

The first recipe I tried was the malt waffles. Ryan loves malt, so I couldn't wait to make them for him. They had a wonderful flavor and baked up brown and crisp. We didn't get any photos though.

But, the cookies on the cover kept grabbing my attention (you can get a glimpse of them in the photo above). Since we had friends over this past weekend, it was the perfect excuse to make them. I'm a little slow though. Every time I looked at them I thought they were called salt-n-pepper cookies because some were black and some were white. It wasn't until I actually looked through the recipe again that I realized they had salt and pepper in them! The white cookies in the photo are actually malted milk sandwich cookies (another recipe in the book:) They just look so pretty all stacked up together.

So, I set to work on the salt-n-pepper cookies. The description said they were a tribute to the oreo. I thought they were much better than oreos. A hint of salt and the spice of the pepper mixed with the cocoa powder was unlike any cookie I had ever had before. Yum!

My little helper. He loved pushing the cookie cutter into the dough.

He didn't love waiting until they were assembled and until he ate his lunch to try one:)

Next up: peanut butter banana cream pie!

easter weekend

2011-04-25T17:35:00.005-06:00

We had a fun weekend full of friends and family. My best friend, mindy, and her family came on Saturday. We had a yummy lunch together and mason and olivia ran around and giggled non-stop. We didn't do easter baskets or dye eggs, but we did hide eggs for mason. Mindy brought him some resurrection eggs. They have different items inside them that tell the story of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection.

Mason loved searching for them all over the house. After he found them all, we put them in order and talked about the easter story. He loved opening them up and seeing what was inside.

On sunday we went to church and then enjoyed lunch with ryan's parents. It was a wonderful weekend.

wordless wednesday

2011-04-20T09:30:00.002-06:00

Let the chicken adventure begin!

cousins

2011-04-19T19:24:00.007-06:00

Check out this cutie:My sister and her family came to visit this past weekend. We pretty much spent the whole time passing babies around, changing diapers, feeding the babies, eating great food, and laughing at mason. We also went to my cousin Jeri's wedding reception on Saturday and passed around the babies some more and got to visit with more family. Back at home, we had a hard time getting all three of the cousins together for some photos because mason wasn't so into it. So...here are the little cuties...about three and a half weeks apart: jackson and emma.

love. love. love.

book love

2011-04-14T09:28:00.002-06:00

Mason got a new set of books. They're small. And cute. And they have their own little box with a handle. And Elmo is in most of them. And mason is obsessed with them. We've spent many hours reading these little books. Because you can't read just one. If mason comes to you carrying his little box of books you better settle down for some serious reading. I don't know what's more fun....listening to mason "read" them on his own or watching him try to stack the books we've already read on his lap.

wordless wednesday

2011-04-13T07:28:00.001-06:00

old meets new

2011-04-08T20:37:00.004-06:00

When we added on to our house, we decided to put in an aspen ceiling. It turned out beautiful and I'm really glad we did it, even though it was a bit of a battle to hang. We also purchased enough wood to put the same ceiling in the existing part of the house, but we hadn't gotten to that yet.

Since we have a thing for starting major projects after our babies are born, it seemed only right that we tackle this project the first week that emma was home. You can see the beam towards the top of the picture where the new part of the house meets the old part. We had to move two of the light fixtures to make everything work a little better for the new furniture arrangement. As usual, mason was a big helper. He was so interested in what daddy was doing. He kept looking up, watching what was going on. And of course was running around, bringing daddy his tools. Here it is all finished! Ryan did such a nice job. Now we just have to add the trim and make two beams to cover the old beam in the middle and the pipes along one of the walls. And as if we didn't have enough projects going on...we have 26 baby chicks arriving next week and about 80 fruit bushes and trees arriving the following week. Wish us luck!

on the farm

2011-04-08T08:28:00.003-06:00

One of our friends from church brought this farm set to mason when she brought us a meal last week. Mason plays with it all day long! It has been so fun to watch him play. He's starting to use his imagination, which is hilarious. He's not too interested in the farm people yet, but he is really into the tractors and the animals. He always makes the pig drive the green tractor and the horse drives the red tractor. Then he puts them in the pen and feeds them hay while he parks the tractors in the farmhouse. So cute. He talks the whole time too, and is starting to put words into sentences. There's a lot of animal noises thrown in there too.

So far it's been a good distraction for mason while I'm occupied with little emma, and it's entertaining for momma too:)

wordless wednesday

2011-04-06T05:00:00.003-06:00

one week

2011-04-04T19:59:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone!It's hard to believe our little girl is already a week old. This week flew by. We have had visitors every day since we've been home, which has probably contributed to the time passing so quickly. We've settled into somewhat of rhythm with two little ones. We've sure been having fun, if nothing else! I'm so thankful for this time with nowhere to be and nothing pressing to do. It's been great to just spend time with our newest family member!

emma marie

2011-03-30T11:34:00.003-06:00

Welcome to our family, emma marie. Our sweet girl was born on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 4:18 am. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20.5 inches long.

Big brother Proud daddy Mommy We are home now and getting settled in. We have had so many wonderful friends and family stopping by both at the hospital and at home. We have been blessed with meals, hugs, and great memories already.

my boy

2011-03-26T19:10:00.003-06:00

Well, my due date has come and gone. I guess that's the way I do babies since the same thing happened with mason. Speaking of the cutie...we spent the day doing boy things. Well, after we went to the library and had lunch with some friends. Mason got to play with his friend Ella and mommy got out of the house to help pass the time while we wait to meet this little one.After his nap we pretty much spent the entire afternoon playing cars.
We lined them up and zoomed them down the ramp. Then we parked them in the garage. I love his little "zoom" and "vroom" sounds.

He kept trying to fit the bus up the ramp and it just wouldn't work. Everytime he would say "too big" but he wouldn't give up. Thanks my sweet boy for a fun day. Maybe little sister will be here soon to play with us. We have so many fun things to teach her.

cousins

2011-03-25T02:22:00.003-06:00

When I was pregnant with mason way back in 2009 we took this picture with my cousins and my sister. It was easter time and I still had about two months to go. We decided that we needed another one this time around. Only my sister was home with her sweet little one and we tried to get mason in on the tummy shot. He was slightly interested. Maybe it was a little too close to his bedtime.

I love my cousins so much. We've been spoiled lately having them home for spring break...a whole three week process since they all have different school schedules. I'm thankful for the time they get to spend with mason and I know they are looking forward to meeting this little girl as much as we are:)

39 weeks

2011-03-22T05:30:00.000-06:00

Here I am in between 39 weeks and 40 weeks. Only 3 more days of work. I guess I couldn't have timed that better. Our last day of school before spring break is Thursday and I'm due on Friday. I'm fully expecting to go past my due date if this little girl is anything like Mason. And if my past few doctor appointments mean anything.

We'll see what happens this week.

I'm feeling pretty good! Besides mason using my belly as his personal jungle gym, I can't complain. We finally packed our hospital bag. We've decided on three name possibilities. We have cousins on hand to watch the dogs. A couple meals are in the freezer. So, now we're just playing the waiting game.

from the window

2011-03-21T06:15:00.003-06:00

Mason and I spent most of the morning yesterday before church looking out the window. When we woke up, the huge herd of elk that hangs out a couple months out of every year was right across the way. We kept counting them over and over. Then some started jumping over the fence and mason kept chanting "1, 2, 3...jump!"
When we weren't watching the elk, we kept looking for airplanes. And trains. He has a sudden obession with both. I love our mornings together, especially on the weekends. I know that is going to change soon, so we're just soaking up this time with our little man.

nephew

2011-03-12T15:09:00.005-07:00

Our new little nephew is here! Jackson was born last weekend and we were able to go visit him. It's hard to believe he is already over a week old.

There was a little confusion when we arrived at the hospital to visit them. I walked in carrying mason and we made our way to the map, trying to figure out where maternity was without looking completely clueless. We couldn't find it on the map and this nice looking older lady at the information desk was watching us so we headed her way. She asked how she could help. We told her we were trying to find maternity. Then she started freaking out. "Oh my goodness! Are you ready to go up now??" she frantically asked me. I started cracking up and explained that we were actually here to visit someone. Yeah, I hope when I go to the hospital and am about to give birth that we just casually walk in, me carrying mason, smiling like we don't have a care in the world.

We finally made it to my sister's room. It was awesome to see their new little family. My little sister is a mom. And Jackson was just as precious as could be. A true blessing.Mason wasn't so sure about his new cousin. Especially when I was holding him. He kept saying "no baby, no baby." He really has no idea what's coming:) He did eventually warm up to him and gave the official inspection: pointing to all his facial features...nose, eyes, cheeks, ears, chin, and hair (which he has a ton of!). Uncle Ryan! When ryan wasn't distracting mason so I could hold the little bundle of joy, he was getting his baby time in. We both forgot how little and scrunchie they are.

Congratulations sister! You have a beautiful baby boy and we love our little nephew so much!

wordless wednesday

2011-03-09T05:30:00.001-07:00

37 weeks

2011-03-06T18:39:00.003-07:00

We spent the weekend traveling across the state visiting newborn babies and attending a birthday party. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures at my bf's little girl's party. She turned one this week and we were able to celebrate with her. Another friend had her baby and so did my sister! Yeah for a new nephew. I did take plenty of pictures of him, which I will post later. I'm pretty sure I should be staying close to home for the next few weeks though as my turn to do the whole labor and delivery thing will be here soon.

oranges

2011-02-27T10:05:00.002-07:00

We've really been into oranges around here lately. They just taste so good on a cold, windy day. They feel a little bit like spring.

I recently made orange yogurt muffins which were delicious. The glaze is the perfect touch.

Orange Yogurt Muffins

From Light & Tasty

1/2 c. sugar, divided

2 Tbsp. grated orange peel

2 Tbsp. water

5 Tbsp. butter, cubed

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 c. plain yogurt (we used greek yogurt)

3/4 c. milk

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. orange juice

1 tsp. grated orange peel

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c. sugar, orange peel and water. Cook and stir over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Add butter; stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining sugar. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, milk, and reserved butter mixture. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill each with about 1/4 c. batter. Bake at 375 for 13-18 minutes. Combine glaze ingredients and spoon over warm muffins. Yum!

Mason has been surviving on oranges the past few days. He eats them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And Mr. Independent will only eat them if he gets to peel them himself. Then he says "pull apart" as he pulls apart each little segment. He sure is a cutie enjoying his Cuties:)

right now

2011-02-18T21:04:00.004-07:00

Just a few things I'm loving right now:

~ice water...I can't seem to get enough

~doing puzzles with mason

~dark chocolate

~squeezing in time for knitting and sewing

~browsing the seed catalogs and planning our garden

~lots of time with friends and family last weekend and much more this weekend!
~oranges, or anything citrus really

~mason patting my belly and saying "nice baby"

~watching mason learn to count (1 to 10, yeah!)

~little baby girl keeping me company all night with her kicks and punches

~ryan taking over all of mason's bath time duties

~our cozy, warm house (that still needs some pictures or something on the walls)

~antique shopping

~getting letters in the mail

~5 more weeks until my due date:)

wordless wednesday ~ english muffins

2011-02-09T05:00:00.003-07:00

snow day

2011-02-08T12:12:00.003-07:00

School got cancelled today, which means I get an extra day with this sweet little boy:
And my big boy too. We started the day with banana walnut pancakes. I love when we get to eat breakfast together. Almost as much as I love pancakes.

Then mason and I read every book he owns. Twice. Then we did all his puzzles about five times. I love playing with him and watching him learn new things. Today we've been working on all the animals and the sounds that they make. I think the rooster has got to be my favorite.

During naptime ryan and I both tackled our evergrowing to-do lists. Ryan's been working in the garage...hanging boards for the ceiling and lights that will be put up next. I've been working in my craft room. Still organizing and rearranging. It's almost done though and it will be nice to cross that off the list.

Homemade pizza for dinner makes for a pretty great snowy tuesday!

cold

2011-02-07T19:17:00.003-07:00

It's been cold and snowy around here. I think I've had my fair share of driving in it. I headed out on Wednesday afternoon to a reading conference in Denver. This is by far the best reading conference available and I try to go every year, plus I get to see my mom. I was not disappointed. I came back with several new ideas for my classroom and renewed energy for the rest of the year (ok, the rest of my time until baby girl is here!) Mason got to spend some time with Nana and he had a blast painting, reading, coloring, and playing with all the toys at Nana's house. We didn't head home until Saturday. Let me just mention that with all this driving (and the slower pace due to the weather...) I am in love with books on tape. I "read" one and a half books during this trip and am almost done with the second one just driving around town back at home.

Besides the conference, the highlight of the trip was a scrapbooking night with my bf, mindy. We met at Archiver's for one of their crops. I haven't stayed up until 11:00 scrapbooking in a long time, but with mindy the time just flew by. Just another reason I wish we lived closer...so thankful for her friendship.

Mason loves this weather. Everytime he looks outside he says "brrrrr" and shakes his body. I don't know how many times he repeats the word "snow" in one day. He is so good about bundling up and heading out. Plus, he's just too cute in that hat (thanks mindy!)

who knew?

2011-01-30T18:18:00.004-07:00

We got the Cabela's catalog in the mail a few days ago. I'm talking the huge hard cover bound catalog. The one that weighs about 5 pounds. It wouldn't fit in our PO Box and when Ryan went to pick it up from the ladies behind the counter, they were laughing about the huge stack they still had to disperse. Apparently those are pretty popular around these parts.

Well, who knew that it would become Mason's new favorite book. We've probably looked at it at least 20 times a day. He tries to carry that thing over to your lap and wants to "read" it with you. Every single big game animal in there is referred to as "moose" and all the black labs are "Java". He also loves to point to all the shoes and hats and repeat to words over and over. He's very picky though. Sometimes he wants you to turn the pages and sometimes he doesn't want you to touch the book at all....he will do it himself.

Thanks Cabela's for the hours of entertainment. And the dent in our bank account since ryan has had so many extra opportunities to peruse through it.

32 weeks

2011-01-29T10:01:00.004-07:00

Ryan snapped this picture of me last thursday and then took the camera and left it at work until yesterday. So here I am at 31 weeks.

And here is 32 weeks. I have no idea what's going on with my hair.

It's really hard to believe that I have less than 10 weeks until my due date. I am loving being pregnant. Everyone keeps asking me how I'm feeling and actually I feel really great. Sure, I'm not sleeping well. Sure, my back is super sore. Especially after hanging out with second graders from 8 until 4 everyday. But, overall I really can't complain. Being pregnant is one of the most amazing experiences. Ever.

Plus, my doctor informed me yesterday that I've actually lost a couple pounds (I guess I'm just making up for the 6 pounds I gained at the appointment before that). So I'm not feeling guilty at all about the bowl of ice cream I've had after dinner every single night this week.

We've made a little progress in the name game. That is, we have a couple names that might be good options. At least we have a few that we've both agreed on, but we are not really close to a final decision. We'll probably just have to meet little baby girl first.

I think baby girl is doing gymnastics throughout my body. She pretty much moves all the time, every day. I don't remember mason moving this much...he seemed to have more of a schedule. I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come.

In other pregnancy news...I've been nesting like crazy. No room has been left untouched. I've been organizing, purging, rearranging, and cleaning up a storm. Ok, maybe not so much emphasis on the cleaning. My floor needs mopped in a serious way, but all the kitchen drawers are sure orderly:)

So, I'm pretty much planning on enjoying these last few weeks (ok, months) of pregnancy as much as possible. But we are sure looking forward to March!