I was tagged by my sis, so here's my answers! :)
1. When do you put up your tree? Usually around December 1st. I like to have it up as long as possible, yet still keep Thanksgiving and Christmas separate. The first weekend in December is usually when it happens.
2. Favorite Christmas Goodie? Russian teacakes. Hot Chocolate. Spiced Apple Cider.
3. Favorite Christmas Carol/Song?
Are you kidding me? There is noooo way I could limit it to just one...so here's some of the ones that come immediately to mind...
1. The Reason Why - off the Christmas Worship Down Under album from Hillsong.
2. Emmanuel, God with Us - off A Christmas Story by Point of Grace
3. Rose of Bethlehem - off the Selah album by the same title
4. Once Upon a Christmas - by Dolly Parton
5. Deck the Halls in 7/8 time
6. Oh Come Little Children
7. Hallelujah Chorus by Messiah (yes, I know it's not technically a Christmas song...)
4. Least favorite Christmas Carol/Song? anything way too fast and "commerically." A few weeks ago Kevin and I were in a restaurant and Jingle Bells came on - but it was super fast, and the singer was messing around with the meter - literally made me want to pull my ears off my head!
5. Do you like eggnog? YES! (the lowfat version is best - especially in a "Chog" - half Chai tea, half eggnog)
6. Oddest Christmas present you've ever received? ??
7. Best Christmas present you've ever received? My Willow Tree Nativity and angels. Kevin and my mom started the set several years ago at my birthday (Dec.4) and then I got the rest of it for Christmas. Now, Kevin has a tradition of getting me a new angel every Christmas. This year, I know that Shira had a hand in picking out one for me. She is SO excited for me to open it!
8. Most memorable childhood Christmas present? I can remember being super excited about getting my first "gold" watch in grade school. But, just like my sister, I can really remember being thankful for my purple boom box that I got around 4th grade. That thing sure did play a TON of Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith tapes!
9. Favorite color of Christmas lights? BLUE BLUE BLUE on the house! But Christmas is for kids - and so our tree really reflects that. There is nothing polished or perfect about our tree with it's eclectic ornament collection - and lots of multi-colored lights!
10. Tree - Real or Artificial? Always always always REAL. The pine tree scent has to be there - I'm an Oregon girl at heart and it just would not be Christmas without the real pine around.
11. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? On Christmas Eve, we open our gifts to each other that are, strategically, Christmas jammies and/or slippers. Then, we wear them to bed and our Christmas pics in the morning look great while we open everything else!
12. One of your family's Christmas traditions - past or present? I always loved the Christmas caroling...our kids haven't been big enough to do that yet, but really, the best tradition is just the chance to be together as a family.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Sweet baby boy
My sweet Micah,
Today you are 6 months old. I cannot even believe how quickly time has flown by. You are a precious little guy. From the day you arrived, you've done nothing but bring our family joy. I guess part of that comes from your birth order - being the 3rd kid, you've learned to adapt. No, we don't have you on a perfect schedule. No, you're not sleeping through the night. But yes, you are more than willing to flash your big ol' grin at anyone who simply looks at you. Everyone always comments about what a happy baby you are. This past week or two has brought some pretty big milestones for you, as well. You got dropped (bad momma) but you are OK! You cut your first tooth - starting rolling around like a pro - and lately, the "words" you say are becoming more prolific. I think for sure I heard a "mama" this morning - but we'll just wait and see on that one. You love all things corded - especially the phone cords at Gramma and Papa's offices. Momma's headset cord is a favorite for you, too. And as I type this - you're playing with daddy's network cable on the floor! Your big brother and sister adore you. They are so excited to peek into your crib each morning and talk to you. Tobin asks all the time when you get to sleep together in the bunk beds that you'll have in a year or so. And Shira - well, she's just a perfect little momma. She loves to hold you - and we've even let her carry you a time or two. You're just so easy going...and we are so thankful to have you as a part of our family. I love you, my sweet Micah boy. Grow strong!!! Love, Momma
just a few hours old
One Month old
about 6 or 7 weeks old - first smiles
3 months old
falling in love with his activity center and
Today you are 6 months old. I cannot even believe how quickly time has flown by. You are a precious little guy. From the day you arrived, you've done nothing but bring our family joy. I guess part of that comes from your birth order - being the 3rd kid, you've learned to adapt. No, we don't have you on a perfect schedule. No, you're not sleeping through the night. But yes, you are more than willing to flash your big ol' grin at anyone who simply looks at you. Everyone always comments about what a happy baby you are. This past week or two has brought some pretty big milestones for you, as well. You got dropped (bad momma) but you are OK! You cut your first tooth - starting rolling around like a pro - and lately, the "words" you say are becoming more prolific. I think for sure I heard a "mama" this morning - but we'll just wait and see on that one. You love all things corded - especially the phone cords at Gramma and Papa's offices. Momma's headset cord is a favorite for you, too. And as I type this - you're playing with daddy's network cable on the floor! Your big brother and sister adore you. They are so excited to peek into your crib each morning and talk to you. Tobin asks all the time when you get to sleep together in the bunk beds that you'll have in a year or so. And Shira - well, she's just a perfect little momma. She loves to hold you - and we've even let her carry you a time or two. You're just so easy going...and we are so thankful to have you as a part of our family. I love you, my sweet Micah boy. Grow strong!!! Love, Momma
just a few hours old 
One Month old
about 6 or 7 weeks old - first smiles
3 months old
falling in love with his activity center and falling asleep holding the toys hanging above him
5 months old - cracking up with daddy
6 months old - TODAY!!!
5 months old - cracking up with daddy6 months old - TODAY!!!Painting wavy lines is harder than you might think
It's been a whirlwind summer! For Shira's 6th birthday (back in June!) we told her that she could redo her room - so she chose the bedspread, and momma painted the room. The rest of the summer has been spent looking for co-ordinating accessories - so here's what it looks like so far:
That lamp you see sitting there all by it's lonesome will eventually go on the nightstand that Papa is making for her. She is totally excited about that lamp - because it's almost identical to the one that was in the picture that came on the comforter.
This is where she stores all her toys, books and just recently, my stereo that she bootlegged from our master bathroom. Seems like the girl's gotta have her tunes, no matter what!
When Shira was first born, we began collecting teddy bears, thinking that she'd be a sweet girl always carrying around a teddy bear. Not so much. But, they're too cute to waste, so Papa made these great shelves, and I think it looks great on top of her window!
We found the S-H-I-R-A letters at Hobby Lobby - and Shira loves them! I think they're really cute with the wavy rick-rack paint border that we did, too. All in all - a really fun project!
That lamp you see sitting there all by it's lonesome will eventually go on the nightstand that Papa is making for her. She is totally excited about that lamp - because it's almost identical to the one that was in the picture that came on the comforter.
This is where she stores all her toys, books and just recently, my stereo that she bootlegged from our master bathroom. Seems like the girl's gotta have her tunes, no matter what!
When Shira was first born, we began collecting teddy bears, thinking that she'd be a sweet girl always carrying around a teddy bear. Not so much. But, they're too cute to waste, so Papa made these great shelves, and I think it looks great on top of her window!
We found the S-H-I-R-A letters at Hobby Lobby - and Shira loves them! I think they're really cute with the wavy rick-rack paint border that we did, too. All in all - a really fun project!He said he wasn't tired...
But the hard days of going to school all morning long are really tough on a little big guy.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
K's birthday
What should I do for my husband's 41st birthday this coming Friday? I'd love to do something special - but my brain is fresh out of ideas. Suggestions???
Monday, August 20, 2007
Micah's new chew toy
Hi Momma! Boy, those toes sure do look pretty! 
What do you mean, I'm not supposed to chew on other peoples' toes? Why not?
Forget it! With toes that pretty, I'm just gonna have to have me a sample - just a little lick!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Meal Plan Monday
Here's my lineup for the next two weeks...
Saturday - Fruited Chicken Salad with Couscous / Breadsticks
Sunday - Garlic Herb Oven Fried Halibut, Charred Summer Vegetables
Monday - Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce, Lemon Linguine, Green Beans
Tuesday - Anniversary dinner at Carraba's! (lunch will be Sesame Brown Rice Salad with Shredded Chicken and Peanuts)
Wednesday - Beef Stroganoff, Salad
Thursday - Cheese Blintzes, Sausage, eggs
Friday - Green Chile Chicken Casserole, Fiesta Rice
Saturday - BBQ Flank Steak Sandwiches, Coleslaw
Sunday - Moravian Chicken Pie
Monday - Don Pablos Chicken Tortilla Soup, Green Chile Cheese Cornbread
Tuesday - Japaneses Style Pork Cutlets, Iceberg Salad with Ginger Dressing
Wednesday - Fish Tacos with Big Mama's Green Sauce
Thursday - Corn Chowder, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Friday - Feta Herb SunDried Tomato stuffed Chicken, Orzo, Salad
Saturday - Mexican Soup
Sunday - Pork Loin Chops with Cinnamon Apples, Buttered Noodles
and at some point I'll be doing THIS dessert: Frozen Peanut Butter Pie
I'm thrilled that as I was putting the hyperlinks on each of these for the recipes to find that most recipes were recieving 4 or 5 stars - the highest reader ratings possible at www.cookinglight.com! I must have found some real winners! Most of these I've done before, but some are new...hope they're good!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Fave Food
I've seen this meme going around for awhile now - and I've been contemplating what restaurants I would choose. And it's been HARD. There are several reasons for this...
1. We're on a tight budget. We don't eat out very often - but when we do, we tend to eat a lot of the fast food variety - like Schlotzsky's, Sonic, Subway, etc...(see a pattern with the Ss???)
2. I'm allergic to MSG. And for anyone who knows anything about MSG, you'll quickly realize that it is in most foods that are created in restaurants. So while I love food, I don't love feeling like my heart is going to jump outside of my body for all the jitters I experience after ingesting it - so it has made eating out somewhat of a challenge. And food simply isn't as much fun when you have to drill the waiter and chef about every single ingredient.
However, because I love Kelly at Love Well, and I'm just so proud of her for blogging about food, even in the midst of feeling a bit green with being pregnant - I am going to persevere and DO THIS! Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite restaurants. (Oh, and by the way, the rule about LOCAL restaurants? Not gonna happen. I've moved and traveled WAY TOO MUCH to just stick to one locale.)
The rules, as such, are as follows:
1. Link to the name of the person that tagged you. Kelly at Love Well
2. Include state and country you live in. Oklahoma, USA
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants. see below
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged. Andrea, Alana, Katherine, Erin, and just for kicks - and to see if she does it - Ree
#1 - The Rheinlander, Portland, OR - I grew up knowing that my parents LOVED this restaurant. Any time they had a chance to get away from the three of us, they'd head to Portland, and a stop at this place was always in order. It's a fancy, celebratory - go here for birthdays and anniversaries kind of place. The German food is to DIE for! Their chicken schnitzel is perfect, I love the sweet and sour cabbage, their salad is heavenly, but the real star of the show is their Swiss Cheese Fondue. Oh yeah. And for Christmas two years ago, my mom got me their recipe book. So if any of y'all want the recipes to the aforementioned - I've got 'em!
#2 - Tin Star, Tulsa OK - This is a brand new love for me. It's actually on the opposite end of town from us, but a few weeks ago, we had to track down a pillow for Shira's new bedspread, and ended up at an unfamiliar Kohl's after church one Sunday. And of course, since it was Sunday, the pull to eat lunch out was strong - so we decided to try something new. AND OH MY WORD I AM SO GLAD WE DID! Tin Star is remarkably similar to Moe's Southwest Grill - but with an amazing difference. I like all their salsas featured at their salsa bar. Normally, I don't like any of them, because they are always too spicy for my delicate palate. But these are phenomenal! They have a Fire-Roasted Tomato one, a green one that I can only assume is Tomatillo and a Sweet Corn Salsa. Literally - I could make a meal just of these salsas! YUM! Needless to say, we're spending more on gas to make a trek back there SOON. Our family will have some celebrating to do in the next week or so - and my plan is to celebrate THERE!
#3 - Old Spaghetti Factory, Portland, OR - I'm sure that many of you have heard of this one. However, this ONE is the ORIGINAL. And beautiful. And overlooking the river. And did I mention beautiful??? Their food is just comfort - we went there a lot with good friends during the time that Kevin was a music minister in the Portland area. Sweet sweet memories of babies in bibs, lots of food, lots of conversation. I love their mushroom sauce, their blackberry cream soda's (you get to keep the glass!) and their pesto ranch dressing on the salad is absolutely heaven!
#4 - Cracker Barrel, anywhere, USA - I know, it's not original. But I love it! And the great news is that most of their menu items are MSG free - including their ranch dressing - which is hard to find! My favorite lunch/dinner meal is always the veggie plate - with a combination of turnip greens, mac n cheese, green beans, hashbrown casserole, fried apples and sweet carrots. Breakfast of course, is simple - eggs, hashbrown casserole, apples, grits and their biscuits just can't be beat. We've also enjoyed taking the kids there, because it's fun to get to shop with them while we wait for a table, or rock in the rocking chairs on the porch. It's really become a sweet family tradition to spend a lazy Saturday morning there occasionally. Both big kids love it. (Micah has yet to express an opinion...)
#5 - Makatos Japanese Steakhouse, Johnson City, TN - I looked really hard to find a website, but was unsuccessful. This restaurant is also great for the many memories it holds...I went there many times during college - with many the friend and many the fiance! (another story...) It is your typical grill in front of you Japanese steakhouse, but they do have the best shrimp sauce in the world, and their sweet carrots are pretty rockin', too! I love it so much, that I've done my best to recreate the recipes to make here at home - and I've come mighty close! Kevin declares it's his favorite meal that I make - but I use every skillet in the house to do so, so it's not often that we splurge on this meal! But when we do, it's always a lot of fun!
How about you? What are your favorite restaurants? I'd love to hear about them, so that one day, when Kevin and I retire and travel the US in our motor home, we'll stop by and try them out! Let me know if you decide to do this meme!
1. We're on a tight budget. We don't eat out very often - but when we do, we tend to eat a lot of the fast food variety - like Schlotzsky's, Sonic, Subway, etc...(see a pattern with the Ss???)
2. I'm allergic to MSG. And for anyone who knows anything about MSG, you'll quickly realize that it is in most foods that are created in restaurants. So while I love food, I don't love feeling like my heart is going to jump outside of my body for all the jitters I experience after ingesting it - so it has made eating out somewhat of a challenge. And food simply isn't as much fun when you have to drill the waiter and chef about every single ingredient.
However, because I love Kelly at Love Well, and I'm just so proud of her for blogging about food, even in the midst of feeling a bit green with being pregnant - I am going to persevere and DO THIS! Here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite restaurants. (Oh, and by the way, the rule about LOCAL restaurants? Not gonna happen. I've moved and traveled WAY TOO MUCH to just stick to one locale.)
The rules, as such, are as follows:
1. Link to the name of the person that tagged you. Kelly at Love Well
2. Include state and country you live in. Oklahoma, USA
3. List top 5 favorite local restaurants. see below
4. Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged. Andrea, Alana, Katherine, Erin, and just for kicks - and to see if she does it - Ree
#1 - The Rheinlander, Portland, OR - I grew up knowing that my parents LOVED this restaurant. Any time they had a chance to get away from the three of us, they'd head to Portland, and a stop at this place was always in order. It's a fancy, celebratory - go here for birthdays and anniversaries kind of place. The German food is to DIE for! Their chicken schnitzel is perfect, I love the sweet and sour cabbage, their salad is heavenly, but the real star of the show is their Swiss Cheese Fondue. Oh yeah. And for Christmas two years ago, my mom got me their recipe book. So if any of y'all want the recipes to the aforementioned - I've got 'em!
#2 - Tin Star, Tulsa OK - This is a brand new love for me. It's actually on the opposite end of town from us, but a few weeks ago, we had to track down a pillow for Shira's new bedspread, and ended up at an unfamiliar Kohl's after church one Sunday. And of course, since it was Sunday, the pull to eat lunch out was strong - so we decided to try something new. AND OH MY WORD I AM SO GLAD WE DID! Tin Star is remarkably similar to Moe's Southwest Grill - but with an amazing difference. I like all their salsas featured at their salsa bar. Normally, I don't like any of them, because they are always too spicy for my delicate palate. But these are phenomenal! They have a Fire-Roasted Tomato one, a green one that I can only assume is Tomatillo and a Sweet Corn Salsa. Literally - I could make a meal just of these salsas! YUM! Needless to say, we're spending more on gas to make a trek back there SOON. Our family will have some celebrating to do in the next week or so - and my plan is to celebrate THERE!
#3 - Old Spaghetti Factory, Portland, OR - I'm sure that many of you have heard of this one. However, this ONE is the ORIGINAL. And beautiful. And overlooking the river. And did I mention beautiful??? Their food is just comfort - we went there a lot with good friends during the time that Kevin was a music minister in the Portland area. Sweet sweet memories of babies in bibs, lots of food, lots of conversation. I love their mushroom sauce, their blackberry cream soda's (you get to keep the glass!) and their pesto ranch dressing on the salad is absolutely heaven!
#4 - Cracker Barrel, anywhere, USA - I know, it's not original. But I love it! And the great news is that most of their menu items are MSG free - including their ranch dressing - which is hard to find! My favorite lunch/dinner meal is always the veggie plate - with a combination of turnip greens, mac n cheese, green beans, hashbrown casserole, fried apples and sweet carrots. Breakfast of course, is simple - eggs, hashbrown casserole, apples, grits and their biscuits just can't be beat. We've also enjoyed taking the kids there, because it's fun to get to shop with them while we wait for a table, or rock in the rocking chairs on the porch. It's really become a sweet family tradition to spend a lazy Saturday morning there occasionally. Both big kids love it. (Micah has yet to express an opinion...)
#5 - Makatos Japanese Steakhouse, Johnson City, TN - I looked really hard to find a website, but was unsuccessful. This restaurant is also great for the many memories it holds...I went there many times during college - with many the friend and many the fiance! (another story...) It is your typical grill in front of you Japanese steakhouse, but they do have the best shrimp sauce in the world, and their sweet carrots are pretty rockin', too! I love it so much, that I've done my best to recreate the recipes to make here at home - and I've come mighty close! Kevin declares it's his favorite meal that I make - but I use every skillet in the house to do so, so it's not often that we splurge on this meal! But when we do, it's always a lot of fun!
How about you? What are your favorite restaurants? I'd love to hear about them, so that one day, when Kevin and I retire and travel the US in our motor home, we'll stop by and try them out! Let me know if you decide to do this meme!
Friday, June 22, 2007
prayer time and burps
So here's the background...
We have a continual struggle with our kids when it comes to prayer time. They both love to pray for our meals, but they DON'T want to do it at the same time. We'll often sing "Thank you God..." (to the tune Frere Jacques) but Tobin will get mad if Shira sings with him and vice versa. So last night, when we sat down to eat, my heart was swelling because Tobin was genuinely being great about singing like he meant it (instead of the usual TOP OF HIS LUNGS yelling) and I was afraid my heart would burst with the sweetness of it all.
And then...
(Tobin singing very softly)
"Thank you God...Thank you God.
For our food...for our food.
We have many blessings,
We have many blessings.
Amen, Amen."
(and Momma sighs, thankful for the moment of peace in a crazy day...)
(Momma says) "Good job Tobin , we’re proud of you."
(Tobin says) "Mommy, I burped when I said 'Amen.'"
(family laughter)
(Momma says) "You did…oh... OK."
And just for an equal measure of all things gastrointestinal related, Shira feels the need to chime in...
(Shira says) "Mommy – Zach can burp his A-B-Cs…"
And the moments of thankfulness for the sweet peace of knowing that my children were connected to God vanished - a whole 30 seconds after it happened.
We have a continual struggle with our kids when it comes to prayer time. They both love to pray for our meals, but they DON'T want to do it at the same time. We'll often sing "Thank you God..." (to the tune Frere Jacques) but Tobin will get mad if Shira sings with him and vice versa. So last night, when we sat down to eat, my heart was swelling because Tobin was genuinely being great about singing like he meant it (instead of the usual TOP OF HIS LUNGS yelling) and I was afraid my heart would burst with the sweetness of it all.
And then...
(Tobin singing very softly)
"Thank you God...Thank you God.
For our food...for our food.
We have many blessings,
We have many blessings.
Amen, Amen."
(and Momma sighs, thankful for the moment of peace in a crazy day...)
(Momma says) "Good job Tobin , we’re proud of you."
(Tobin says) "Mommy, I burped when I said 'Amen.'"
(family laughter)
(Momma says) "You did…oh... OK."
And just for an equal measure of all things gastrointestinal related, Shira feels the need to chime in...
(Shira says) "Mommy – Zach can burp his A-B-Cs…"
And the moments of thankfulness for the sweet peace of knowing that my children were connected to God vanished - a whole 30 seconds after it happened.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Meal Plan Mondays
It's been awhile since I've planned any meals for our family. I've been using up some old stuff in the pantry - and it's time to get back in the groove of cookin' again! Here's what's on our plates for the coming week:Saturday - Barbecued Hamburgers, baked beans, chips, watermelon
Sunday - Japanese! (Kevin's favorite - Happy Father's Day!) and Blueberry Cheesecake
Monday - Mexican Casserole, chips, guacamole
Tuesday - Baked Herb Chicken, sauteed zucchini, rice pilaf
Wednesday - Chicken Creole Cakes, pea salad
Thursday - Grilled Pork Chops, BBQ beans, coleslaw
Friday - Biscuits and sausage gravy, fruit
Saturday - ?
Sunday - BBQ Pork and Loaded Baked Potato Casserole, sauteed spinach
Monday - Beef Stroganoff, Caesar salad
Friday, June 8, 2007
Shira's Tea Party
Shira turned six years old this past Sunday. To celebrate, we hosted her very first "official" party - in the form of a fancy tea party! She invited 6 little girls over, and we have a very fun tea party. These are the girls, where we started out on our back porch - the plan was to have a "garden tea party," but although the weather was gorgeous - it was incredibly hot and muggy. 
We made pink and purple bead bracelets and blew bubbles, and the girls played on the swingset. All that activity made them hot - so we moved the party inside!
This is our living room - where the tea party was relocated to. MUCH cooler - thank you, Lord!
The menu was chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, PB&J on Cinnamon bread, deviled eggs, olives, mini fruit kabobs, petit fours, chocolate chip cookie dough truffles, lime-raspberry bites and mints. Rather than hot tea, which I was afraid the girls wouldn't like, I made a great recipe from a friend of mine called Tea Punch - basically brewed decaf iced tea with pineapple juice, lemon juice, orange juice and gingerale. It was a hit! And my mom was sooo great to help with Micah while I was busy with the girls!
Hannah Hayley Milena These are some of Shira's best buds...they all had a fun time. So sweet!
My mom ordered these amazingly cute teacups online for the party. They are tiny - they hold probably about 1/3 cup of liquid. The girls had a blast drinking out of the fancy cups - we sure went through the tea!
These are the favor bags. I wanted to fold the corners down and staple them to look like actual tea bags - but the bags were too full to do that, oh well. The gifts inside included a mini china tea set, a book called Ella's Tea Party, wildflower seed packets and a toy tea cup with mints it it and a bag of Stash Blackberry Herbal Tea wrapped up in tulle and tied with a sheer ribbon and artificial rose.
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