Brown Eyed Blog

Celebration

2012-02-11T13:17:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was good. Very good, in fact.

Not only did we get to enjoy a long weekend with both sets of parents, but we got to celebrate two special little girls! On Saturday, we had Elli's birthday party, which was fun and crazy and silly as only a room full of three-year-old's can be.

Loosely western themed, we made construction paper cowboy hats.

We played some "snake in the boot."

We sang "Happy Birthday" to this special girl, who specifically requested blue "tuptates" for her birthday treat.

We had a pinata.

This picture never gets old. He went all Braveheart on that pinata. "Freedom!"
And Elli was all, "Boys..."

The bouncy castle was our grand finale, and it never disappoints. Elli has such sweet friends, and having them come over was so special to her! (And thanks to Gwampa for letting me have your pictures!)

Although Caroline slept through a good portion of the party, she did get a kick out of the balloons afterward.

On Sunday, we got to celebrate Caroline's baptism.

The service was so sweet and memorable. Caroline didn't cry at all, and we loved having both sets of grandparents there.

I loved how after the actual baptism, we walked down the aisle and our brothers and sisters in the Lord had the opportunity to pass the peace to Caroline. You can also see Caroline's favorite part of church in these pictures - name tags. She will dive towards anyone (stranger or friend), as long as they are wearing a name tag.

We praise God for two such special reasons to celebrate!

Full

2012-01-21T10:40:00.000-06:00

Life is full right now. In a good way, I think. Full of relationships, hard work, and planning. The healthy kind of busy that forces us to reevaluate and prioritize our time, to dig deep into every moment we're given.

There's some "stepping out of the boat" kinda things going on around here. We are exercising our faith in new ways, reciting Philippians 4:4-9 to our hearts multiple times a day; being stretched beyond what's comfortable. Nothing impressive or earth-shattering, but valuable, nonetheless.

We're having new and important conversations with Elli about Jesus, about sin, about grace. Which brings us to have new and important conversations with our heavenly Father about Jesus, about sin, about grace.

We are teaching how to pray and learning how to pray. We are changing and growing and overwhelmed. We are embracing it. Trusting in His goodness, confident that "He will do it."

Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

vs.5

A Last Holiday Post

2012-01-20T15:50:00.000-06:00

I'm done after this, I promise! The first week of January, the girls and I got to spend a little extra time with Daniel's family. There's nothing like quality cousin time!

Is it just me, or do these two look an awful lot alike? Oh, how I love them!

We were so blessed to get time with Daniel's grandparents as well. Nothing like technology to grab these baby's attention.

Caroline got to play a ton of her favorite game: peek-a-boo. She and Papa even combined it with another favorite: who's that baby in the mirror?

The weather was unseasonably warm (no complaints!) while we were there, so the two older cousins and I made a little trip to the park. They would have stayed for the whole day if I had let them.

For living so far apart and seeing each other as seldom as they do, these two are best buds.

Elli has imaginary conversations with Micah all the time, and she's always asking when we get to see him.

Even more fun is thinking about what Christmas will look like next year, with a five-year-old, four-year-old, and two eighteen-month-olds. Crazy. Awesome. E-N-E-R-G-Y.

I can't wait.

More Vacation Pics...

2012-01-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

I love laid-back, quality family time. The older I get, the more convinced I am that it might be my love language. I crave it and soak up every minute I can get! We got a healthy dose during this trip.

Elli did lots of painting. She was so focused the entire time, and kept at it until her arm got too tired.

Caroline took her first sink bath, and LOVED it!

The last day, Elli begged to take one too, so I let her. She's grown quite a bit since last time she had a sink bath! They were two little giggle boxes the whole time.

We are a game playing family, so there was lots of Catan, Ticket to Ride, and of course, the boys got in their traditional game of Axis and Allies.

One night, Daniel and I got to celebrate our five year anniversary at a bed and breakfast, which was actually our first night away together since Elli was born. We had such a great time reminiscing over the past five years, making goals for the next five, and sleeping in! Many thanks to my parents for watching the girls!

. I'm so thankful our whole family got to be in town, and we even got to meet Ryan's girlfriend Madeleine. Literally five seconds after she met Madeleine, Elli grabbed her hand and claimed her as her new best friend. She brought her back to her room, closed the door, and when I tried to come in, said, "No, Mommy. You go talk to Untle Ryan."

Eight Months

2012-01-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

I am so bummed I didn't do a six or seven months post. They were such sweet months. You grew and mastered so many new skills, and we all love seeing your sweet personality shine more and more. What an answer to prayer you are, baby girl! You light up a room with your ever-present smile. At six months: you were inching yourself around a bit; sitting up with help; eating a few solids; and experimenting with all kinds of vowels and consonant combinations. At seven months: you could scoot anywhere you wanted to get (albeit slowly); sitting up all by yourself; eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables; and playing your very own version of peek-a-boo. At eight months: you are scooting like a pro (always with your right foot and left arm); bringing herself up into a sitting position; just beginning to crawl; and planking longer and with better form than I can. :)

You adore your big sister and shadow her around everywhere. You give hugs and (big, wet, open-mouthed) kisses freely. Peek-a-boo is still your favorite game. You started clapping on your eight month birthday, and now you do it all the time with such an expectant look in your eyes, just waiting for me to notice. Whenever I'm working in the kitchen, you are right under my feet, exploring the lowest drawer or smiling at your reflection in the refrigerator. Your baby babble melts my heart every time.

Oh, I'm sure there's mischief ahead (see below expression), but for now, sweetie -- you are truly delightful and fun and sweet. Your daddy and I are so crazy about you, Care-Bear. Elli is your biggest advocate and your best friend already. She goes to bed an hour after you do, but she usually tip-toes over to your crib and peeks in at you. Last night she whispered to me, "She's so shweet." She loves to make you laugh, and the only time she makes you cry is when she squeezes you too tightly. You are a loved little girl.

Christmas Favorites

2012-01-12T23:37:00.001-06:00

We had such a great holiday, full of quality time with our families and friends.

After a day long drive on Elli's third birthday, we had a family dinner and celebration. The birthday girl was totally wiped out, however and fell asleep snuggled up with me, birthday balloon in hand.I loved every minute of it!

The next morning we opened gifts and shared a delicious meal. The princess dress Elli is wearing is one of her favorite gifts. My day pretty much consists of helping her change dresses, one after the other. I love my little girly-girl!

Then we drove to my parent's house where I didn't take any Christmas Eve pictures. In fact, we didn't take any more pictures until Daniel opened this beauty the next morning:

No, not the iphone... what's reflected in the iphone -- a new lens!

Oh man, it makes a world of difference in the quality of pictures we can take. A gift that will keep on giving!

So of course, we took a lot of pictures to test it out.

Too bad we didn't have any cute subjects.

Elli twirled in her new ballet slippers and tutu.

Caroline just smiled.

And we all learned to play Plants vs. Zombies (don't knock it til you've tried it!).

Umm... these are still just from Christmas day. I have sooooo many more. Clearly I'm going to have to be more selective in choosing pictures. More to come.

Glory

2012-01-11T15:50:00.000-06:00

As we left my grandfather's funeral, we witnessed the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. I wish I had the photographic skills to capture how awesome it was. The central ray of light you see was even more brilliant than it appears here. How good of God to remind me that my grandfather is experiencing even more glory in heaven. What a gift!

Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:7-11

Grandpa

2012-01-07T07:45:00.001-06:00

Above the door frame in my grandparents' home is a decorative board with a painting of a house. Underneath that house there are painted three words: Faith, Family, and Friends. These three words represent the priorities my grandparents chose for their home.

Grandpa Gene passed away without warning on Friday, December 30. Unexpected as it was, we have all thanked God for the mercy He showed in bringing Grandpa home without suffering. Just a few days earlier, almost the whole family had all gathered to celebrate Christmas together. Grandpa was his usual self - telling stories, playing with all the little kiddos, and showing kindness to all.

Grandpa and Grandma with all their grandchildren minus one.

I am so thankful that my two little girls got to be loved on by Grandpa Gene. He was so pleased to be able to make them laugh, and no one could do bird whistles like Grandpa.

A few days later, some of our family drove down to the farm to do some shooting, and as my dad says - he was in his element: family, the farm, shooting and overalls.

My Uncle Jeff, Michael, Elli and Grandpa. And don't worry - this was just for the photo. Elli did not want to wear the ear protectors, so she didn't get to shoot. :)

As I said, Grandpa loved little kids and knew how to make them happy. :) Also note his wedding band. He wore it for 62 years and never took it off.

Grandpa was committed to the things he believed were most important: faith, family, and friends; and what a legacy he has left behind him. He will be greatly missed!

Five Years

2012-01-01T10:25:00.000-06:00

Last week, Daniel and I had the pleasure of sharing breakfast with a newly engaged couple. They were absolutely adorable - never once breaking contact; lots of sweet, flirty exchanged glances; and more than a few times getting lost in their love for each other. We couldn't stop smiling as we saw our dear friend so happily engaged, and as we reflected on our own love and engagement. In some ways, it seems like yesterday that we planned and prepared and prayed for our wedding and marriage. As I watched our wedding video last week, I could vividly remember my thoughts and emotions. On the other hand, marriage has brought about so much growth and change in our hearts and minds, that I almost don't recognize either of us. We really had no idea what we were getting into.

Five years ago, I walked down the aisle and said "I do" to my best friend and love of my life. Since that precious day, we have learned so much about who we are individually (the good, the bad, and the ugly) and how challenging and rewarding it is to mesh two into one. The road has been bumpy at times, but as we mark this milestone of five years, there is one absolutely overwhelming sentiment: thankfulness. God is so gracious, so loving and faithful. If there is anything good in our marriage, it is only by the power of His transforming grace!

(In celebration, I want to share some of my favorite wedding memories. I am so thankful for our photographer, Becca Spears, because her pictures are not only beautiful photographs, but they tell the story so well.)

Because we had an evening wedding, the whole day was full of anticipation and excitement.

We took pictures before the ceremony, so Daniel and I shared a moment together when he first saw me. I can still see his face when he turned around.

Being prayed over by my mom and bridesmaids before the ceremony began.

Waiting... I'm sure my dad remembers the near meltdown that occurred moments after this photo was taken. No cold feet, just the price of all that anticipation!

Being surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family was a profound blessing for both of us.

The first thing Daniel did when we exited the nave as Mr. and Mrs. was dip me back for a sweet kiss. So much joy in this moment!

The club. These three women have shared almost every event of my growing up years and are still today my best friends. They know me inside and out. Friendships like these are so rare.

We had some great toasts at our wedding, but perhaps the most memorable was my brother, Michael's. He had us all in stitches.

First dance. This was so special because we fell in love while taking a dance class together.

When it came to bouquet tossing, I was always the girl who stood in the back and didn't really want to catch the bouquet at weddings. So embarrassing, I thought. For that reason, I surprised the girls at my wedding by throwing a bouquet of several small bouquets so that most of them got one!

And Daniel had me attach a rubber band to my garter so that he could really make it fly. I love the cousins on shoulders.

I'm probably a little biased (you think?), but our wedding reception was the bomb.

Daniel and I loved every minute of it!

I have found the one whom my soul loves.
Song of Solomon 3:4

Three

2011-12-23T14:24:00.120-06:00

Okay, I couldn't even type in the title of this post without tearing up, and I'm really not a crier. Oh dear, this is only going to get worse, isn't it?

My sweet Elle-belle,

Today you are three, which just seems impossible. You're no longer my little baby and part of me kinda misses your bubbly little infant-self, but at the same time, I'm totally digging your energetic, hilarious toddler-self as well. You make every stage so fun! In a later post, I'm going to let you tell us more about who you are at three years old, but here are a few moments from this past year that I don't want to forget:

This year was monumental in your life for one simple reason: you opened up your heart to little Caroline and became the world's best big sister. Seeing your eyes light up the moment you saw her (and how you patted your knees, saying, "Right here." because you wanted to hold her) will be one of my most treasured memories. But the thing that really gets me is that you still light up when you see her! You are so excited to come with me to wake her up from naps, and you are so delighted to spend your days with her.
If I could bottle up every thing you say, I totally would. Your vocabulary and clarity have increased astronomically this year, and I just adore all your precious toddler thoughts. Beyond the content, you have way of saying things that is all your own. Sometimes I think you sound like you are bilingual (although, sadly you are not), because you will say things like "the house de me." Your 's's tend to sound like 'sh', which can make for some pretty funny moments (for example - "I sitting on the potty), but also make for some adorable words like "shweeming." And finally, I can't get enough of how you say Christmas - it sounds like "Tritmush."
As I watch videos from earlier this year, I am struck by how fluid and kid-like your movements are now. You add in extra spins and kicks just because you can, and your little strut is just hilarious. We have a lot of dance parties at our house, and girl - you have got some moves! Those are undoubtedly from your daddy.
One thing you get from both of us is your love of arts and crafts. (I should clarify - the arts are from Daddy, the crafts are from me... I lay no claim to artistic ability whatsoever, but I love me a glue gun!) You will spend the longest time coloring or painting, and you are never happier than when we do a craft project together. Your projects are usually intended by your own choice for someone, although Mommy is not terribly consistent about mailing them to the recipients. :)
Recently in BSF, you heard the story of Jesus ascending into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, and you've been fascinated by this ever since. Often, when we talk about praying to Jesus, you will beg to go "up in da sky and seeeeeee Him!!!" I hope and pray your desire to see and know your loving Maker will always be this strong!

I could go on and on. You bring our family so much joy and laughter; you are a kind and loving daughter and friend. Your daddy and I feel so blessed to have you as our firstborn daughter, our family's big sister, and our little friend and companion. God is so good!

Love you so much.
Mommy
!

Lately...

2011-12-17T07:00:00.026-06:00

Life is busy and full and fun and blessed. Daniel and I have never felt so tired, but neither have we felt so joyful. God has been so good! Here's a little peek into what's going on around here:

We're so excited to see our family soon! Elli's countdown chain is getting shorter and shorter, and she is asking me all of the time to go see Gwampa and Mia or Mitah or Papa and Nona. Her most recent request was "my fwend," and I had no idea who she was referring to until she showed me the Christmas card we got in the mail from her friend Averie. I love that one of my childhood best friend's little girl is one of her first friends!
Christmas music is on pretty much 24/7 around here. Loving it! Except, can anyone tell me why Taylor Swift chose to cover "Last Christmas"??? Most. Annoying. Song. Ever. Okay, moving on. This year has been so much fun because it is our first year in a house, so we can dream about not only this year's traditions, but for the next several years.
Baby-proofing is in full swing. Caroline is not only scooting around, but she has started rocking back and forth on her hands and knees. Any day now, she's going to figure out that crawling thing! The baby gate is handy, outlet covers in place, etc, but the most challenging part is "baby-proofing" Elli's toys. In some ways, I'd rather she not be sharing her toys just yet! :)
Daniel and I are gearing up for training for the Country Music Half-Marathon in April. The geek in me just loves to come up with a training schedule in excel. (Now... how to translate that enthusiasm to actually logging the miles?) Most of my runs recently have been pushing two kiddos in the Bob (of which I am still singing the praises!), and I think the furthest I've been able to go is 2.5 pushing those sweet 50+ pounds. I think all those short runs are paying off, however, because this week I've been able to grab a couple of solo runs this week and went over 4 miles both times! I'm so thankful to be feeling more like myself these days, and looking forward to getting back into pre-prego shape (and jeans). :)
Elli's vegetable intake has skyrocketed since Caroline has started eating solids. She's always been a good eater, but now she wants peas whenever Caroline gets peas, carrots when she gets carrots. No problem-o! Caroline has tried green beans, carrots, butternut squash, peas, avocado, peaches, bananas, apples, and pears. The only one that caused any trouble was the apples, believe it or not, so we'll be waiting a little longer for those.
I joined the wonderful world of Pinterest. I've held off so long because the last thing I need in my life right now is a time vacuum, but my web browser bookmarks were getting a little ridiculous. So, come find me on there so we can share brilliant ideas!
Daniel is spending every spare daylight hour (and some flashlight hours) building our fence. Fortunately our neighbors on either side have privacy fences already, so we're just connecting them to the side of our house, but what we thought would take one Saturday has been rain-delayed for almost a week now. For all the months we've been in a terrible drought, this week has been rainy almost every day!
We are so enjoying how much the girls are enjoying each other. Cara's sweet and funny personality is shining through more and more, and Elli's imagination and playfulness bring us constant entertainment!

Thanksgiving (part 1)

2011-12-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

We spent our Thanksgiving up in the beautiful mountains of Colorado with Daniel's family. I know I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again - we really treasure family trips like this where everyone is on vacation! There's something so special about spending un-pressured time with no schedules. I'm so thankful we all had this opportunity!

This was my first time in Colorado during the colder seasons, and of course Elli's first time ever! When we were driving up through the mountains, she kept saying, "So boo-uh-ful, Mommy!"

I couldn't agree more! The cabin we stayed in had tons of huge windows all around, so there was beauty everywhere we looked. And snow. Something we don't get to see a whole lot of here.

Elli LOVED the snow, and wanted to get out in it as much as she could. Most of the time it was pretty cold, but one day the high was in the 50s, so we took advantage and partook in some wintertime activities. Elli had a blast on the sled, both riding and pulling.

Another blessing of being in Colorado was getting to spend some quality time with Daniel's grandparents. They got to meet Caroline and very graciously helped watch all the kiddos while a group of us went skiing.

Caroline soaked up all the loving from her family. A huge thank you to our friends Chris and Alli for letting us borrow some ski gear, and to their little man Des for letting Caroline borrow his cold weather gear. She was warm and toasty and somehow even more squeezable.

Hopefully someone (cou-brian-gh) will send me some pictures from skiing. Daniel and I had never been together, and I'd never been "real" skiing. The guy helping me rent skis actually laughed when I told him I'd been skiing in Kansas. Yeah, Colorado skiing is a little different. Fortunately the basic mechanics are the same, because I felt like it came back pretty quickly. Daniel and I had a blast together and hope to go again soon!

Of course, the trip would not have been complete without Elli's first snowman. She had been talking about it for weeks leading up to the trip, and it did not disappoint!

We have so much to be thankful for, and this trip was such a special way to celebrate God's goodness to our family! We can't wait to see them again soon.

2011-12-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

I grew up with three brothers, so my mom and I were usually outnumbered when it came to movie selection at our house. Can you blame me that I'm beginning a yearly tradition of watching Little Women with my girls? Caroline lasted about five minutes, but Elli surprisingly loved every minute of the movie! I fully expected to watch about twenty minutes this year, but she cuddled with me through the whole movie.

And an added bonus? Elli thinks Daniel looks like Christian Bale.

Booyah, I'm married to Batman!

Pretty Sweet

2011-12-08T07:04:00.000-06:00

Things are changing quickly around here. Caroline is sitting up pretty well all by herself, and she is becoming my little scooter bug! The best part about her new found mobility is that now she and Elli are truly beginning to play together. Or at least side by side.

Of course, all of Elli's long forgotten baby toys are suddenly the coolest things ever, so we are having a lot of conversations about kindness and sharing around here.

Even with these new challenges, Elli continues to be the sweetest big sister, always watching out for her little sis and showing lots of affection. I love these precious sisters!

Oh. So. Thankful.

2011-12-07T09:00:00.001-06:00

Is there a bigger word for thankful? The thesaurus gave me: beholden, appreciative, grateful, indebted, satisfied and content. All good, but none of those alone can fully express how I feel. What a year it has been!

We made a Thankful Tree this year. Whenever we sat down to dinner together, we would talk about something we were grateful for this year. Elli enjoyed the whole process and seemed to understand what we were doing. We tried to emphasize that we are saying "Thank you" to God for his great kindness.

Her answers were both sweet and humorous (bears made the list!), but what struck me was how she would repeat answers. There were multiple "Daddy" and "Ginger" leaves. At first I was trying to get new answers from her, but was convicted that the Lord never gets tired of hearing the same prayer from us.

When we looked back to last year, it's incredible to see what the Lord has done. There are the obvious, external blessings - Caroline, great jobs, our new home. And then there are those blessings that are more difficult to articulate - growth in our marriage, the gift of friendships, and a deeper walk with the Lord

God is good. All the time. Amen!

In Which I Find My Christmas Cheer

2011-12-06T21:11:00.001-06:00

Usually this is my favorite time of year. But for some reason I just wasn't feeling it this year - you know, that bubbly, joyous, Christmas cheer. Decorating sounded like a chore; sugar cookies weren't make my mouth water; even my beloved Christmas music was falling flat. Usually I'm fighting the urge to turn it on my early November, but not this year. As we drove home from Thanksgiving, I even considered skipping getting a Christmas tree this year.

But what could I do? I have two littles and memories to make! So, we grabbed the camera and drove to the Christmas tree ~~farm~~ tent. Yeah... tent. And you know what? That whiff of pine as we walked in... the pleasure Elli found in seeking out the perfect "tritmut tree"... they began to work their magic. By the time Daniel and his little elf/shadow got the tree up, I had caught it.

That twinkling-lights-loving, eggnog-craving, Mariah-Carey-belting feeling.

So we hung ornaments on the tree the next morning. Our radio is set to the 24 hour Christmas music station. And we will be making sugar cookies pretty soon. And it's awesome. The magic is reflected in Elli's voice as she oohed and ahhed over every single ornament. Her sweet transparency when we plugged in the lights the next morning, "Oh Mommy. That tree make me happy."

In the midst of all this "not feeling" and "feeling" I am reminded of a truth the Lord's been teaching me this year. Feeling follows doing.

I don't always feel like going for a run.
I don't always feel like showing my husband affection.

I don't always feel like stopping what I'm doing to take advantage of a teachable moment with Elli.

I don't always feel like giving forgiveness when I've been wronged.

I don't always feel like spending time in the Word at the crack of dawn.
I don't always feel like changing another poopy diaper.

Okay... so there are a few things that I will probably never feel like doing, but you get what I'm saying. I find that as I walk in obedience, God is faithful to fill me with His Spirit so that my heart becomes more like His.

Papa and Nonna's Visit

2011-12-03T11:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I am behind again. Daniel's parents came to visit us in mid-November. On the same day they arrived, Daniel drove to the nearest IKEA to pick up our new couch, so we actually had enough places for everyone to sit! The couch is the very first large piece of furniture Daniel and I have bought together, so we loved being able to share it with them.

We spent a lot of the weekend just hanging out and enjoying each other. Daniel's parents brought some old home videos with them, so we enjoyed getting a peek into Daniel as a little boy. After a few too many of them made Daniel feel a little motion sick, we took a break and walked to Elli's "my blue park."

Note the cowboy boots, Elli's footwear of choice lately. I guess Texas is having a bit of an influence. :)

The rest of Saturday was spent crafting and watching the football game. Elli and her Nonna did a lot of crafting this weekend, and I think they were both in their happy place! Our kitchen wall was covered by the time they went home!

I love this picture... Caroline was unusually snuggly after her nap, so she got cozy on Daddy's chest.

On Monday, while the men worked, the girls took a trip to the zoo. I love this sweet picture of Elli and her Nonna!

It's fun to see Caroline begin to actually notice and enjoy the animals at the zoo. More and more she is really aware of and involved with what's going on around her. Elli is getting braver around the birds, although still not touching them, and the train continues to be a highlight for Elli.

Snapshots

2011-11-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

1. my favorite laundry helper 2. two sleepy girlies 3. thankful leaves 4. pumpkin spice coffee... yum

1. snuggly girl 2. blueberry batter 3. feeling more like myself 4. reading to little sis

1. new couch and rug! 2. our art wall 3. new shelf in the kitchen + Elli's pinecone turkey 4. ice cream

1 + 2 crafting cousins 3. sometimes the peace is worth the mess 4. chew chew chew

1. I did it! 2. animal creations by Elli 3. cutie 4. Toy Story buddies riding her animal creations

1. love the thumb-sucking! 2. this. never. happens. 3. jumping bean 4. someday I'm really not going to be able to find him

1. chalkboard painted cupboard 2. little ladybug (sorry for the blur!) 3. I eat these like candy 4. Elli's introduction to the chicken hawk

Fall Festival

2011-11-16T16:11:00.000-06:00

I'd better post our Halloween pics before December rolls around, huh? Sheesh... Where do the weeks go?

Our church held a family fall festival at a mini-amusement park. We had so much fun hanging out with our church family and meeting many of our neighbors. I had envisioned a cute picture of the girls together in their costumes, but Elli wasn't really into hers for most of the evening, so there wasn't really an opportunity. I did, however, manage to get a picture with my two moo-moo's! Daniel's costume was a huge hit with both kids and adults, and he even scored a free lunch that day at Chick-Fil-A!

Caroline reused Elli's ladybug wings and tutu from last year. I knit her a hat, and my mom added the pom-poms to complete the outfit. On Wednesdays, while I attend a lunch with our church's high school students, Elli and Caroline hang out with our friends Anna and Erin (and their mom). Anna and Caroline were both ladybugs, and Erin was a bumblebee and an excellent face painter!

Our pastor, Matt, got his face painted green to be a Jedi Yoda.

Caroline was a little confused at first by here daddy's costume but warmed up pretty quickly. Elli LOVED the rides at the park! She wanted to go again and again!

Possibly her favorite ride was the inflatable slide. Her first time she was nervous going up the slippery ramp, but after a few times, she was flying up the ramp. Here she is going down with her friends Susannah and Anna. Caroline was content to watch. :)

When we got home, there were still several trick-or-treaters out in our neighborhood. Actually, there were way more than I expected - my dad had to rush out to get more candy! Daniel and I took Elli to a few houses on our block, and I'm pretty sure we made an impression on the neighbors. Not sure exactly what kind of an impression... :)

Grandpa and Mia's Visit

2011-11-06T09:31:00.001-06:00

My parents came down for a long weekend in October, and we had the most gorgeous weather! On Friday (while Daniel was at work), we spent the morning walking around the Japanese Tea Garden and riding the choo-choo.

I love this picture! Elli loves her little sister so much.

Our train ride was just a little bit chilly this time.

On Saturday, we went pumpkin patching again and decided to try a new one. Elli was out by the time we got there. I mean out. Thank goodness for the bouncy castle, because waking a sleeping ~~bear~~ toddler is always dangerous. This bouncy castle was big enough to allow adults, and Elli was so excited to play ring around the rosy with all of us! That smile says it all.

As we drove up to this patch, you can imagine my disappointment when the maze turned out to be a cheap wooden frame with black plastic trash bags for barriers. Elli was not bothered in the least, however, and figured out pretty quickly that she had the advantage in hide and seek. Don't get me started on the skinny jeans. Love.

Our little family.

Monday was Halloween, but I'll post those pictures separately. What you need to know is that Elli was a "moo-moo," as requested. Her costume was simple: a white sweatshirt with spots painted on, black leggings, a headband with ears, and a tail. Well, she wore the tail and ears all Monday long. All Monday until it was time to put her costume on, that is. She most definitely did not want to wear them to our church's fall festival or trick-or-treating on our street.

She did, however, want to wear the tail the next morning to the zoo. :) After playing with the lion statues, she pretended to be a lion herself, walking along on all fours. I love this girl's imagination!

Then we actually got to hear the lion roar! And Caroline was captivated by the ostrich... and her Mia.

The girls and their Grandpa and Mia.

First Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-05T21:50:00.001-05:00

We have already thrown away our jack-o-lantern, so I guess I better get to posting pumpkin pics! While my niece and nephew were in town a few weeks ago, we spent an afternoon at the pumpkin patch. We returned to the same patch we took Elli to last year, and it was even more fun with family!

Micah and Elli spent the majority of their time running around the little hay bale maze. They loved chasing and being chased, hiding and being found.

A new (cuter) take on American Gothic?

You can't go to the patch without getting a pumpkin!

It was hard to get them out of the corn, and let me just say, I'm still finding kernels in my car!

This was their reaction when I told them there was a monkey in my camera. I was hoping they would laugh.

Autumn Recipe

2011-11-04T15:22:00.001-05:00

The weather is absolutely gorgeous here! Sunny with a gentle nip in the air. Perfect sweatshirt and sandals weather. I am soaking up every glorious moment, seeking out time in our backyard; relishing the breeze through our open windows; drinking my coffee a little slower.

And of course making yummy food. Lots of yummy food. (Good thing it's also perfect running weather!) I love to try new recipes, and this year there were some major winners in my book! Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Pasta (in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living), Pumpkin Cornbread, and Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes. All fabulous recipes that I will be pulling out of my recipe folder for many autumns to come.

I want to share with you one of my very favorite recipes of all time, and although good year round, fall is it's native country. Warm and cozy, this is my ultimate comfort food, and the best part is, it's also really healthy! Perfect to balance out the other decadent dishes of this season. Also, this is one of the few dishes that Elli always asks for seconds of (sometimes thirds!), and even though Daniel is not usually a fan of sweet potatoes, he loves this one! So, brew some tea (I'm drinking Harney & Sons Holiday), read on, and then add this to next week's menu plan.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
The original recipe is from Real Simple, but it's one of those recipes that it's really hard to mess up.

You didn't really think I wouldn't have any pictures of littles, did you?

Make sure sweet potatoes are the star, but you could put pretty much any vegetable in this soup.

I was running low on time yesterday, so I chopped up my sweet potatoes to help them roast more quickly. You can totally roast them whole if you prefer. The recipe tells you to scoop out the insides and leave the skin, but trust me, you'll never notice the difference. Plus, all those vitamins and nutrients are concentrated in the peel; why would you want to miss out on that?

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees until tender. Your kitchen will soon be filled with the most amazing aroma.

Let your olive oil heat up and then saute on med-high until soft (about 10-15 minutes)

Play around with whatever spices you choose. Recently, I've been enjoying a curry powder (no, I'm not cool enough to make my own), ginger, and red pepper mix. Go with your gut and start small.

Okay, not many picturess of this step because it takes too many hands. Mix in your sweet potatoes to the sauteed veggie mix, add your spices, then pour in water. If you've got a little leftover broth, feel free to throw that in there too, but water is all you need! The recipe calls for 6 cups, but I usually think that is too much. Put enough water so that it begins to look like a soup, but doesn't completely cover everything.

Okay, the tricky part. I make a little assembly line for this step, but be prepared... it's a little messy. Scoop out some of the soup into your blender and puree until smooth and creamy. You could also use a food processor if you like. Then pour into an extra bowl. Repeat until all your soup is pureed, then wash out any remaining bits from your pot before returning the pureed soup to the pot.

Eat it plain or top with cilantro and pumpkin seeds like we did yesterday, or toasted garlic and parsley, or a pretty swirl of cream... whatever sounds good!

Speaking of Getting Big...

2011-10-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

My first baby is nearing three years of age, can you believe it? I can not. She's still got baby soft skin and remnants of those pinch-me-please rolls, but the truth is, every day the little girl in her blossoms a bit more.
Her favorite words right now are, "I do it, Mommy!" And the cool part is? Most of the time she does. She puts on her own shoes, buckles half of her car seat, and likes to choose her own clothes.

She loves to twirl around in her frilliest dresses, although her favorite is the "purtle choo-choo dress" (purple tutu dress -- it took Daniel and I a while to figure that one out!). She is constantly pretending things, like her "camera" below, and having imaginary conversations with any and all of her toys. The current favorite is her robot that Daddy built out of duplos and her toy vacuum. Yup. She carries the vacuum around the house with her, talks to it, feeds it, disciplines it. Never a dull moment around here.

Elli continues to embrace being a big sister! She was thrilled that Caroline was going to be sleeping in the same room with her. Every morning she greets her baby sister with, "Dood mornin' shweet durl!" and a hug and kiss. Daniel and I feel so blessed to have Elli as our daughter. She keeps us hopping for sure, but she adds so much laughter and sweetness to our family.

Five Months

2011-10-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Our sweet Caroline is getting so big! She rolls; she scoots; and she's getting pretty good at grabbing toys (especially her big sister's!). These bright eyes are constantly watching what's going on around her, craning her neck to see what Elli is up to or where Daddy is going.

She nurses about every 3-4 hours and has tried a few bites of cereal, mostly for practice at this point. I've realized that starting solids is probably a bigger transition for me than anything else! Mealtimes are about to get a little crazy! She loves all the attention Elli gives her when I do feed her. "Good job, Yai-yai! You do it! You do it!"

She continues to be a great sleeper, taking two long naps and one cat-nap during the day, and then sleeps about twelve hours at night. She went through a phase where she would wake up around five in the morning and just chatter away. I am hoping we are done with that!

Her little personality is definitely starting to peek out, which is really fun! She is relatively quiet, especially in public. In fact, she just plain loves to be home, becoming very happy and active when we walk through our door. She is easy-going and really only cries when something is wrong. She laughs the hardest for her daddy, especially when he "helps" her chase Elli around the house. Like her sister, she is very curious and wants to be held so she can see what is going on around her. A bundle of joy, we just can't help but smile every time we see her!

We love you, little lady!

these are the days

2011-10-24T14:16:00.000-05:00

We thought Daniel was going to be overseas again this past week, so we had planned a fun week with the cousins, Nonna and Aunt 'Tine. Mostly for the fun, but also for my sanity. :)

Well, the trip got postponed (yay!), but they still came, and you can imagine Elli's excitement in the days prior to their coming. She reminded us every morning to cut off a chain from her countdown, and since their flight got in around six in the evening, she was on pins and needles all day long that very last day!

This girl could hardly stand the suspense while we waited for them to come. She stood at the bottom of the driveway, and every car that drove by, she said, "Is that Daddy's car?"

Day 1
Every great vacation begins in a bouncy castle, right?

Oh the joy! Oh the goofiness! Oh the static electricity!

These two are such good buds.

We snuggled, and played, and practiced looking absolutely adorable... not that they needed any.

In the evening we walked to a sweet little Italian restaurant for some dinner.

Here's the best picture I got of all four of them together. Precious kiddos.

Day 2
We visited the pumpkin patch our second day, and I'll save all those pictures (there are a lot!) for another post.

Day 3
We walked to Elli's beloved "blue park" and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the perfect fall weather. Okay, and I might be a little biased, but we have two of the happiest little babies ever. Brynn and Caroline were so easy to take wherever we went.

In the evening, Daddy/Uncle Dan helped them paint the pumpkins they had brought home from the patch. Despite their cheesy grins, Elli and Micah took this project very seriously. They were absolutely silent as they focused on their painting project.

We were so sad to say goodbye (Elli cried heartbreaking tears as they backed out of the driveway), but we are even more excited to see them all again (plus everyone else we were missing) at Thanksgiving!