Moments with Maddie- Month Seven

Another month... we'll let the pictures do the talking since we're short on time here. Seven pictures for seven months of our Maddie girl. As you can tell, we're getting more and more personality all the time. :)

As a quick PS... no, PR (Praise Report)... a day short of M's four month milestone, my mouth pain was corrected by a major root canal. Now a day short of M's seven month one, I found out that the remaining bit of tooth encased in my lower lip is mysteriously (read: miraculously) GONE. This means I probably do NOT need mouth surgery, after all!

How thankful we are for your thoughts and prayers!

Be My's...

"my's" is hope-speak for "mine"... have a special day to one and all!

...On a Dime!

Valentine's Day is Saturday?

Maybe you all already knew this? I'm beginning to believe our home is in some sort of time warp. Ah well, better late than never! Especially since we'll be away from the blog for the next several days, I thought I'd use precious napping moments to get this out now. You see; I do love you all! :)

Now, we did get around to putting out some decorations a few weeks ago and to making a few valentines today. We're never ones to spend much moolah on this holiday (although last year Joe big time surprised me with a prenatal massage at this very me, Victorian inspired spa- my sciatic nerve and I were thrilled!) So, no big sum of money needed for anything below; just a little bit of time and elbow grease. Maybe you can leave here with an idea or two?

Scrapbook paper. Cheap, easy, versatile, and available in so many choices! I framed some of this cute, vintage looking paper (60 cents for a big sheet at the Hobby Lobby) and used the rest for a heart garland. In fact, I have a couple of frames that I leave blank so I can do 'em up for all the different holidays.


Stickers, candles, and candy. A whole sheet of these letters were about a buck on clearance. I just spelled out our name among candlelight and sugar. If that doesn't say, " I love you family," I'm not sure what does. Just be careful that your centerpiece is carefully monitored, especially if your home is known to have little taste testers running around.


Homemade Valentines. Besides for a few free picture cards I printed off from here, we also got veggie with it using this easy to follow project idea. We just need to finish the eyes and arms... maybe the scary tornado warnings we've had this morning will hold off so we can make our deliveries??!!


A little something-something for dinner. The day after Valentine's Day is the six year anniversary of when we got engaged! One year I snuck home early from work and recreated the meal and ambiance we had on that special night. Other years I might try something else new, but I typically fit in some of our favorites too. The below meal from last year is lots easier than it may look. Bake some chicken breasts, rubbed with olive oil and Italian seasoning, in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Once cooked through, cover the chicken breasts with prepared/homemade marinara sauce and a slice of cheese-- put under the broiler until golden brown and serve over brown rice or couscous. Pair with steamed green beans as well as homemade mashed potatoes (boil potatoes until soft, fork mash with skins on, and mix with butter, garlic and/or chives, milk added gradually, salt, and pepper until they're at the taste and consistency you like). But even if it ends up being mac and cheese--I say light a candle, turn on soft music, and say some sweet nothings to somebody you love. (Or save your pennies and go out this year... that's what we're gonna do!)
Any ideas up your last-minute sleeve? You know I'd love to hear them!

Yesterday's Hat

I never knew cleaning out closets would require a box of tissues, especially just because I found a little hat.

A little hat, but a lot of memories.

From one tiny head to the next...

My heart can scarcely contain either one, much less them both!

Things I Love Thursday

**This is the post that was meant to publish.

Sarai, I totally nabbed this idea from your blog... hope you don't mind. After all, imitation is the highest form of fattery... flattery... :)

I had to nab it, though, so I can share about my Iron Chef.
My man in shining apron.

Either way, I love him and his latest creation... the Adirondacker.

While at the grocery the other night he pulled a when we were first married on me. Those were the days of consistent Friday night dates. Many times we would find a crazy recipe and hit up the store in search of some hard to pronounce cheeses or spices (often by hitting up the sweetest and most knowledgeable looking person in the aisle!) By about nine or ten o'clock we'd sit down to bliss-- bliss or blah, that is. As you can imagine, that part never really mattered too much; it was the fun in just trying something new and being together.

So the other night, he called and told me to pick up all sorts of fun stuff. Horseradish, parsley, a little fresh dill. Who am I to argue with a handsome guy who defends religious freedom AND knows how to work an apron?

I got home, and he made me dinner. Well, me and two other pretty girls-- that would be our new version of date night. (And feel free to nab the pant hanger idea for yourself. Keeps the recipe at eye level and frees up counter space. Ingenious, I tell you!)

The result? Bliss! I couldn't find the exact recipe online (though you can kinda blurry-like make it out if you click on the above picture), but go here if you'd like to give another of Rachael Ray's burgers a try; come to think of it, they have Super Bowl written all over them!

Moments With Maddie- Halfway to Birthday!

Hope and Maddie are one day shy of being exactly eighteen months apart. So while Hope was up and turning two last week, Maddie turned... gulp... half a year! It's going by too fast, y'all. We're not even kidding! Don't get us wrong; we thank God for a healthy child who is developing at her own pace. It's just the blink of an eye part of it all that cuts right to the heartstrings.

Heartstrings pulled on by milestones like cutting teeth, rolling every which way, babbling ("Mamamama!"), attempting to scoot on that tummy (or at least those mile a minute legs are giving it a valiant, floor swimming effort), starting a bit of big girl food, and becoming one of two little dog/animal lovers in the house. EVERY time she spots Tucker now she squeals and blows, waves her arms, kicks those legs, and flashes a classic Maddie-grin like you wouldn't believe. As Hope says, "Yook (look), Maddie's showing us happy!"

Happy, indeed... may you find six times the happy with this month's chance to watch her grow!

1+1= Two Much Fun!

It's probably no surprise that we enjoy celebrating birthdays. I'll never forget a little boy I had in my classroom one year. He certainly could be tough, but also a gem, and I could hardly believe it when his Mom told me he had NEVER had a birthday party. Why? Because he had never been good enough.

Those sad words still ring in my ears. And still crush my heart.

Needless to say, we broke that terrible tradition with his third grade friends. Boy, did we ever... the whole class got the surprise of free Wendy's kids' meals for lunch (his mom worked there and the manager hooked us up), a ginormous cake, and extra recess in his honor. I can still see his huge grin as all the kids cheered for him along with the look of pride on his mother's face... and those images still make my heart soar!

Now with our own children, we want them to know that the sacred days of their births... well, those days are cause for celebration in honor of the work God did when He knit them together in my womb! Though we postponed Hope's little birthday party until February when (finger's crossed) we're still undoubtedly healthy, we did make the day full of small surprises meaningful to Hope. As requested, here are a few snapshots of it all. :) Thanks to all those who help remember her in many ways (like, you, Auntie Brooke!)