A Perfect Mix!

People always have an opinion when it comes to who a baby or child looks like. I always think it is humorous how emphatic people are . . . She looks JUST like her daddy!, or . . . She's you made over!!! I have been heard making these bold statements as well (concerning other people's children). Our biological offspring are, however, a mix of two sets of genes; and, it is amazing how a child can somehow resemble two parents, who look nothing alike. While a child may look like a "spitting image" of one parent (like my nephew Philip, and his father before him, and his father before him!), there is always a trace of the other parent . . . maybe in the eyes, or a certain expression. Hannah is an enigma! She seems to have inherited a mixed bag of genes. She does not look exactly like either one of us. But, I'll let you decide! I have posted some pictures of Hannah next to our old photos.


Lori around 6-9 months. Hannah 17 months.


Lori. . . . and . . . . Hannah (same hairdo !)


Lori profile.


Hannah profile.


Jonathan. . . . and . . . . Hannah around the same age.



Similar expressions!


This is one of my favorite pictures . . . Jonathan pouting!!! I get this exact expression from Hannah. I've never captured it though.

Babies No More

Delaney came over to play with Hannah one morning last week, so Krisy could prepare for their yard sale. As I watched them play, and color at the counter like "big girls," I was hit with the reality that these are two little girls . . . not babies! Delaney was only 2 months old the first time we visited Clewiston; and, now she is almost 3 years old. I feel like I blinked and time disappeared! Needless to say, it made me realize the weight of every second we spend with our children. As parents, God has graciously blessed us with the honor and duty of "training up" (Proverbs 22:6) our children according to His Word. Realizing that Hannah and Delaney are quickly becoming little girls made me ever mindful of the need to be intentional in my conversations, play, training, and discipline of Hannah. I pray that my words and actions will always point her to Christ.


Blowing bubbles.


Drinking some juice.

Investment Cooking, Part 2: Q & A

I received many questions regarding my original Investment Cooking post, so I thought I would answer some of the questions which were posed in e-mails and comments.

Q: Do you buy everything you need for the whole month when you grocery shop?
A: No. I buy all ingredients for the meals I have planned for the month (whether they will be frozen or prepared the same night they are eaten), but it is inevitable that I will end up back at Wal-Mart for milk, snacks, etc. at some point during the month.

Q: Can you freeze homemade cookie dough?
A: Yes. I prepare homemade cookie dough and freeze it in balls. You can flash freeze the balls before storing them, so they do not stick together. The pancakes I mentioned are also homemade. You can even freeze cakes. I am in the process of learning how to freeze cakes for my aspiring cake business. I'll let you know what I find out.

Q: Are casseroles the only thing you make to freeze?
A: No. You can freeze almost anything. Soups, chili, and pasta (spaghetti, lasagna, etc.) all freeze well. The point is to cut down on the work you will have to do the night you serve the meal, so you can even pre-season or marinate your meat and then freeze it. Then it will be ready to cook when you thaw it out for grilling or baking.

Q: Do you have any favorite recipes you can share?
A: Yes!!! Just e-mail me! Also, the recipe section in the lower half of my sidebar show cases some of my favorite recipes. These are recipes that are tried and true; passed down from friends, family, Southern living, etc. Thus far, I have only posted recipes that freeze well. If you saw one that interested you, but forgot to write it down, just e-mail me, and I will be happy to share.

Hurry Snack Trap!

The Snack Traps I just ordered can't get here soon enough! The Snack Trap is the brain child of Christine Moss, a housewife and mother of two daughters. She created this product when she couldn't find a solution for accidental spills. Well, thanks Christine!!! I hope all of my wildest dreams of snack free carpet and car seats come true! The thought of not having to constantly chase Raleigh (our dog) away from Hannah's open snack container is promising enough. I think I'm a bit of a "Johnny come lately" to this product, but I will be sure to post an update on the Snack Trap.

I purchased my Snack Traps and stay-fresh lids directly from her website, because she offers $0.01 shipping with the purchase of three products. However, the Snack Trap is also available at One Step Ahead and Babies 'R Us.

Investment Cooking

While Jonathan was attending seminary, I was a classroom teacher (second grade). I was a new wife, eager to serve my husband in the home; but, I found myself frustrated as I tried to balance my full-time employment outside of the home with my homemaking and "help mate" role inside the home. I wanted to offer my husband a home-cooked meal each night (eating out being the exception), but after-school duties and errands often kept me from returning home early enough to prepare a meal from scratch. I expressed my frustration to my girlfriends during one of our Bible studies, and one of my slightly older, and much wiser, friends offered a solution. . .Investment Cooking. She explained that most meals can be frozen (prior to cooking), and by preparing meals ahead of time, you can just pull a main dish out of the freezer, throw it in the oven, and fix a couple of side dishes while it bakes. The "ahaa" light went on in my head, and I have been Investment Cooking ever since.

As I began to compose my grocery list for April, I thought I would share my love for Investment Cooking, as well as some helpful links. Investment Cooking has many names--Freezer Cooking, Once A Month Cooking, Batch Cooking, Mega Cooking, etc. Regardless of what you decide to call it, it is quite helpful . . . especially for busy moms! The idea behind Investment Cooking is to prepare meals (that freeze well) ahead of time and store them in the freezer "put together" and ready to cook/bake. There are several ways to go about Investment Cooking. I prefer to do mini-sessions (2 whole days of cooking always seemed a bit ambitious to me), where I prepare dishes that use all the same type of meat, or I will double or triple a recipe, and I will serve one and freeze the others. This will usually take a few hours. Here is what I like to keep in my freezer:

• At least one main dish (casserole, etc.) per week.
• 1-3 side dishes.
• Cookie dough.
• Pancakes for Hannah.
• Special breakfast food (Mini-cinis, breakfast casserole, etc.)

Investment Cooking is not for everyone, but I love the feeling of knowing dinner is (basically) ready a few nights a week. It also makes feeding company, or inviting a family over for lunch after church, a whole lot easier. While I have been doing this for about four years now, I am still learning new and more efficient ways to go about the whole process. So, check out some of the sites I have listed below. Here are some of my tips for Investment Cooking:

• Plan all meals you would like to freeze before making your grocery list.
• Write down all ingredients you will need before making your grocery list.
• Use cheap throw away aluminum 9x13's, etc. for storing and baking freezer food. This leaves your baking dishes available for other meals you would like to prepare during the month.
• Only prepare large batches of recipes to freeze that you have tried and know your family will eat. (Many of the recipes on the Investment Cooking web sites aren't very tasty. So, look at their recipes to get a feel for what freezes well and use your own tried and true recipes.)

Here are a few helpful links (there are many!):

• Robbyn's Friendly Freezer
• Southern Living
• Investment Cooking for Real People
• Organized Home

Bath!!!!

On Tuesday, I was folding clothes in the living room, when a flash of pink went flying past me screaming, "Bath!" It took a minute for the details to register, but when I realized Hannah was headed to the bathroom with her baby doll, I quickly grabbed the camera. She had no idea I was watching her. Here is what unfolded:


1. She dropped her baby into the bathtub.

2. She pretended to wash her baby's hair.

3. She thought . . .Hmmm, what should I do next?



4. After thinking about it, she decided the logical thing was to climb in herself!

5. We had a little talk about how the bathtub is not a toy and Hannah can only be in the bathtub if Mommy or Daddy are with her.

6. Hannah ran (dramatically) from the bathroom and threw a temper tantrum.

7. We had a little talk about how we don't throw temper tantrums, because they are selfish, impatient, and don't honor mommy.

I am going to have to watch the bathroom like a hawk. Now I know if she goes flying down the hallway with her baby doll screaming, "Potty!" I better forget the camera and run like the wind!

A Visit With Grammy

Hannah has been spoiled these last two weeks. We have had company 9 out of the last 14 days. Katie and Jimmy were here a week ago, and my mom came for a visit this past weekend. She arrived on Friday and left town on Tuesday. We had a very nice visit. She treated me to an early birthday dinner at the Olive Garden on Saturday, and we had a church "Dinner on the grounds" on Sunday night . . . so we spent a lot of our time eating! We also enjoyed a walk on the dike, playing with Hannah at the park, and just being lazy.

Thanks for treating me to dinner mom. We enjoyed your visit!


Sliding at the park.


Hannah and Grammy dressed up for church.

Birthday Reflections

"Only one life: will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."
~ C.T. Studd

As I have gone about my day today, I have really been thinking about what it means to be another year older. I have found that it is not the extra weight I have put on, the fine lines forming on my face, or the increasing nearness of my thirtieth birthday that concerns me. Though I may joke, I am not worried about aging, or the number that represents my age. In fact, I think aging is a beautiful thing that God designed to make us yearn, with greater urgency, for heaven. The question that has burdened my heart today is: What have I done with the twenty-eight years God has given me?

I have definitely enjoyed my share of "earthly" accomplishments, but as C.T. Studd says, "Only what's done for Christ will last." So, I must ask myself, am I using my years wisely--to the glory of God? Is my mind set on earthly things, or am I living as though my citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
There is nothing I desire more, than to hear my Savior say, "Well done my good and faithful servant. . .enter into the joy of your Lord," but it is so easy to get caught up in the entrapments of this world . . .storing up treasures on earth, rather than heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). For this reason, I must must purpose to run to the foot of the cross daily and lay down my life.

C.S. Lewis said, "If you read history you will find out that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next." In the coming year, I want to live my life for the next [life]. On this day, I have been offered a new year; a fresh start. Only God knows the number of my days (Psalm 139:16), but I pray that I may live out the rest of my days in a manner that reflects my longing to glory in my redeemer face to face.

Rough & Tumble

This is a picture of the battle wounds Hannah incurred when she decided to dive head first into a flower bed filled with mulch. Hannah is a loud, perky, ball of energy, who loves to play hard, and I love that about her! She can be calm, quiet and even demure at times, but most of the time Hannah is silly and absolutely delightful. She never even cried when her face smacked the ground. . . she just shook it off and got back to digging in the dirt. That's my little girl!

Verbal Explosion

Well, the verdict is in . . . Hannah LOVES to talk. She's never met a stranger, and woe to the person who doesn't say, "Hey" back to Hannah, because she will keep saying, "Hey!" in her loudest most cheerful voice until her greeting is returned. She has recently experienced a verbal explosion of sorts, in that she has picked up several two (or more) word phrases, can repeat much of what she hears us say (so please be on your best behavior at our house!), sings, and spends the entire morning talking to me and herself. Hannah even learned a few new phrases from Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Katie (including [inconsistently] calling Katie "Tatie").

Now that I know she is going to be a "talker" like her mommy, I am going to have to pray that her words "always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6), and ask God for patience and wisdom as we teach her that "He who has knowledge spares his words" (Proverbs 17:27). I am still learning these truths and often end up with my foot in my mouth. Hopefully Hannah will learn, at a young age, that "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction" (Proverbs 13:3), and thus avoid the drama, hurt, and embarrassment that comes from a free-flapping tounge!

For now, however, her incessant babbling is precious!!!! Here are some (I can't think of them all) of her latest Hannah-isms:

New Frequently Used Words And Phrases:

• asee you- I see you (Thanks Katie & Jimmy . . . Hannah feels the appropriate time to say this phrase is ALL day long! JK, it's cute!)
• Oh noooo- Oh no (said VERY dramatically)
• cockers- crackers
• cookies- cookies
• toos- toes
• awen- on (like "I want to get on")
• eee- eat
• waa, twooo, feee- one, two, three
• myyy- mine
• siiide- slide

New Actions:

• Makes a kissing sound when you say, "I love you Hannah."
• Fills Raleigh's bowl with food twice a day (with supervision).
• Puts her clothes in the hamper.
• Puts her finger to her lips, like she's thinking, and says, "Hmmm."
• Pats herself and says, "baby."
• Puts both hands on her face with a surprised look when we say, "Oh my."
• Does the motions for This Little Light of Mine, If You're Happy and You Know It, Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Zaccheus Was A Wee Little Man
• Counts objects (sort of). She usually starts with two and points to each thing she is counting. It sounds like this, "Twoo, twoo, waa, twoo, fee!"

New Signs:

• (Still working on) Hot
• Eat
• Potty

Can Be Heard Singing:

• Jesus Loves Me- "Jeeshuus, me, da baable"
• This Little Light of Mine- A bunch of Hannah speak dotted with an occasional emphatic "No!" while waving her finger.
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes- "Head, toos . . . eyes, ares"
• Amen - "Ameen, ameen, ameen" (the song repeats the word amen over and over).

Hmmmm!

A very blurry version of "Oh my!"

Congratulations Katie!

My sister Katie graduates from the College of Nursing, at The University of Florida, in May. While they were visiting us, she accepted a job offer for a nursing position at Shands, a hospital in Gainesville. Katie will be working on the "med/surge" floor (I have no idea if I spelled this right--it's nursing lingo for medical/surgery floor). This is a floor for patients who are recovering from surgery, or are hospitalized for general reasons (broken hip, pneumonia, etc.). Katie is looking forward to being finished with school, and she is happy to know what she will be doing when she graduates.

We are very proud of you Katie. It was a joy to pray with you, as you and Jimmy sought the Lord's will for this next stage of your life. I know He will use you in great ways as you take on this next endeavor.

Second Attempt: Weekend With Katie & Jimmy, Part 2

This is my second attempt at publishing this post. I apologize to those of you who had commented on my prior post, but I had to delete it. Many of the captions could not be read, and portions of my writing were missing. If you use Blogger, you know how fickle it can be! I think I have finally been able to successfully upload pictures and complete this second installment of our weekend with Katie and Jimmy.

We had a great time with Katie and Jimmy. They arrived around dinner time on Friday evening and left our house before noon on Tuesday. So, we had a good long visit. On Saturday, Jimmy and Jonathan biked on Herbert Hoover Dike, while Katie and I walked. The boys rode much longer and farther than we walked. When they arrived home they were quite pooped (and sunburned!). Later that afternoon, once we had showered and recovered from our "strenuous exercise," the adults played Washers in the backyard, and Hannah had fun playing outside. We enjoyed a nice dinner around our new table Saturday evening, and Hannah was thrilled to sit with the adults at the "big table."

After the Sunday evening church service, we had an Afterglow (youth fellowship) at the Buker's house. We were so excited that Katie and Jimmy got to see Barb and Bob's house and land, as it is one of our favorite places to visit and play. They even got a tour of "Man Land," Bob's special room above the garage, where he stores his taxidermied trophies, equipment for making bullets, and many other "manly" things. We had a lot of fun hanging out with the youth, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows, and stuffing our faces.

On Monday, we went to Fort Myers for some shopping and dinner. Hannah got some new "Blue" (from Blues Clues) slippers and some summer sandals (because yes, you can wear sandals here now). And, of course, we stayed up way too late for the third night in a row playing darts.

Hannah was very sad to see Katie and Jimmy go on Tuesday. She even cried when they pulled away. I felt like crying too, because I was faced with the reality of my neglected housework!!! I have been doing laundry for two days now, but it is well worth putting off your regular schedules and chores to visit with family!


Jimmy and Jonathan enter the bike path.


Riding next to Lake Okeechobee on the dike.


Aunt Katie pushes Hannah.


Hannah drives her little car on the back patio.



Hannah watches the adults play "Washers." Notice our missing soffits. . .I hope they get replaced before the next hurricane season.


Hannah eats dinner at the "big table." Anyone need some white bar stools?(seen in background).


Visiting "Man Land" . . . Hello Mr. Moose!


Katie roasts our hot dogs over the fire.


Hannah can't believe we are cooking our hot dogs over the fire. She's thinking . . . Why don't they just use the microwave?


Katie, Jimmy, and Jonathan.


The youth boys congregate around the fire.


Uncle Jimmy gets in one last tickle.


Talking with Aunt Katie and Uncle Jimmy.

Our Weekend With Katie & Jimmy

My sister and Jimmy visited with us over the weekend, and we had a wonderful time. Blogger is currently experiencing technical difficulties, and I cannot get pictures to upload. So, I will create a separate post (later) for pictures from our weekend together.

Katie and Jimmy arrived in time for dinner on Friday and they just left this morning. We had so much fun playing games, eating, shopping in Fort Myers, eating, hanging out with the youth at the Buker's house, eating, and of course playing darts (LOTS of darts), and eating! Hannah was thrilled to have a new audience for several days, and she cried when Aunt Katie and Uncle Jimmy left this morning. We had a great time relaxing and goofing off this weekend, but as I prepare to lay Hannah down for her nap, I am now faced with the reality of my neglected housework. So, I am off to do several loads of laundry.

Thanks for coming to visit Katie and Jimmy. We were blessed by our time with you!

Book Review: Humility: True Greatness

"Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to be saying to us, 'I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.' Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size." -John Stott, The Message of Galatians, p. 179

I have recently finished reading Humility: True Greatness, by CJ Mahaney. I have been truly blessed by Mahaney's humble wisdom and biblical insight on the subject of humility. It is very convicting when we come face to face with our own pride issues; but, Mahaney is faithful to remind us of the abundant daily grace, that is available to believers, as a result of what Christ accomplished on the cross.

The Bible tells us that God hates pride and arrogance (Proverbs 8:13), and Proverbs 16:5 says, "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord." But God's Word doesn't leave us without hope. In Hebrews chapter 12:2 we are provided with a picture of ultimate humility:
"looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Mahaney reminds us that "True greatness is attained only by emulating the Savior's example-and made possible only by the Savior's sacrifice" (Humility, 58). Therefore, "in true humility, our own service to others is always both an effect of His unique sacrifice and the evidence of it" (Humility, 48), in that "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 28:20).

I found Mahaney's book to be well organized and well written. Mahaney uses his biblical understanding, as well as his own life experiences to offer helpful, practical strategies for mortifying pride in your life, on a daily basis. Jonathan and I have commented that this will probably be a book that we will need to (and would like to) read again, as we continue to deal with our own pride and sin.

Cheese!

During dinner tonight, Jonathan looked over at Hannah and jokingly asked her the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which is: What is the chief end of man? Hannah proudly answered, "Cheese!"

*The correct answer is: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

Seaworld

Yesterday, my grandparents treated us to a wonderful day at Seaworld. My mom joined us too, and a great day was had by all. Poppy and Shirley have been staying in St. Augustine for a few months (during the winter), so Orlando served as a halfway point, at which to meet. They were thrilled to see Hannah, and we delighted in seeing Hannah having fun and making memories with her great-grandparents (and Grammy too).

It is always fun to enjoy the beauty of God's creation; and, at Seaworld you are totally surrounded by God's wondrous works. From the tiniest colorful fish to the sleek splendor of the massive killer whales, the magnificence of God's creation never ceases to amaze me. Hannah was amazed, as well, by the overwhelming variety of sea creatures housed at Seaworld. I don't think she blinked the whole time we were in the park. The child never slept, not for a minute. . . she pushed through her usual nap-time fearful of missing a single beat. Each of us would agree that watching Hannah's reaction to the dolphin/bird show was worth the trip and every penny spent. She is naturally a very expressive and excitable child, but she was absolutely beside herself, as she took in the crowd, the jumping dolphins, colorful birds, and trapeze artists. Hannah was literally shrieking with enthusiasm. . . and drooling (seriously, she had her mouth open so long that a stream of drool was hanging down). She clapped, screamed, pointed, and even got so excited at one point that she squatted down and covered her eyes with her hands. It was hilarious!!! I thought for sure that she would collapse with fatigue after the show, but as I stated, she did not fall asleep until we were on our way home.

Thank you for treating us to Seaworld Poppy and Shirley! We had so much fun!!!


Hannah at the entrance to the park.


Hannah and Daddy, ready to start our day!


Poppy and Hannah try to pet a dolphin.


Hannah going crazy at the dolphin show.


Hannah and Poppy got to pet the clydesdale horse.


Hannah and Mommy look at the sting rays.


Jonathan, me, Poppy, Mom, and Hannah (Shirley (G.G.) is taking the picture).

Hannah and G.G. look at the penguins.


Poppy, Hannah, and Grammy- - they're smiling because they just ate some yummy ice cream for dinner!


A very tired girl. She crashed within ten minutes of being in the car. . . shoes off & down to one pig tail, she was out like a light.