Sweet Esmé

Today we took a quick trip to Austin to visit our little niece Esmé. Oh she is such a gem and we had a wonderful time holding and loving her and visiting with Brittany. We enjoyed brunch at a darling little bistro called Chez Zee and the children were so wonderfully patient while we talked for hours. We then went to Brittany's house and enjoyed some pictures while the kids played outside. What a wonderful day for a trip. It is such a great opportunity to get to know family and love the sweet little blessings that enter our lives. We were so thankful for Brittany opening her world to us and inviting us in so lovingly.






I was so sad I didn't get a picture of Alex or Ken holding Esmé. We'll have to get that next time.

Grace was so thrilled to help feed and hold Esmé and Trevor was so tickled that Brittany trusted him to hold her on his own. Alex lovingly entertained her siblings, even taking trips out to the car to get more 'supplies' so we could continue visiting after we ate. I love having such kind tender children to cherish. What a sweet blessing they are.

We came back to Houston to Madison's birthday party (another cousin) and the kids had a great time doing a Wii dance game. It was fun to have Ken's Aunt and cousins get to see Grace in full dance joy. She is such a character. Trevor shook is booty too and Alex was like her mother and a little too shy to dance in front of all those people. We had such an enjoyable time laughing and playing with Nicole, Willie and their family.

It has been a wonderful family day and I am looking forward to a good nights rest before I teach my first lesson in church tomorrow.

Kindness

I find that when I succumb to the pressures around me that I begin to focus on the negative, especially within my family. I have a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist, the greatest problem of which is that nothing is good enough. What I realize is that I must let go of some things to gain the ability to discover the joy that is constantly around me. I have the most amazing children, smart, kind, generous, and it is so important to me that they know this but when I get in my rut... So I've decided that I need to verbally express my pleasure in them daily. I'll begin here. :)

Last night Grace made a water mess on the kitchen floor and since Alex was close by she quickly and kindly corrected the behavior. Then Alex went and got a towel and cleaned up the mess. She had no idea I was noticing such kindness and service.

Trevor was playing 'hide-and-seek' with Grace and one of her friends and every time he found them he would say 'That was a really good hiding space'. Oh those girls were just beside themselves, playing with such a 'big' kid and to have him compliment them, WOW.

Grace is always trying to serve and asking what she can do to help. She was so disappointed that I didn't have time to take a nap yesterday because she really wanted to fluff the pillows and lay a blanket on me. She kept asking how I like to lay on the couch, how many pillows I use, and do I like a blanket or not.

I am so blessed with children who are constantly trying to be better than asked. They are quick to acknowledge their wrong doings and try to repent. Their example of goodness is one I try to emulate daily. What a sweet blessing it is to be their mother.

Not Sugar!

Since we've discovered how damaging added sugar is to our family, particularly to Grace, I've tried to find some items we really enjoy, like desserts, that do not include any added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Yesterday I made some yogurt with plain yogurt, chopped fresh strawberries, and a small spoon of apple juice concentrate and Trevor said it was the best yogurt he's ever eaten. Today I am making one of our family favorite desserts from a book called "Sugar-Free Desserts ~ Naturally Sweetened with Fruits & Juices". Oh, I can't wait to gobble it up, it is such a yummy apple crisp and I don't have to worry about the sugar high after we enjoy it. :)


Apple Crisp

1 cup plus 3T frozen thawed unsweetened apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
4 large cooking apples peeled cored and sliced (approx. 6 cups sliced apples)
3/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon plus 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 375. Combine 3 Tbsp apple juice concentrate and oats; mix well and set aside. Combine apples and raisins in large bowl; set aside. Combine cornstarch, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well then add remaining 1 cup apple juice concentrate. Add to apple mixture and mix to coat. spoon into 8X8 baking pan. Combine flour and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in bowl; cut in butter till crumbly. Add oat mixture. Sprinkle over apples and bake for 35 minutes or until apples are tender.

Running

I am not a runner. I've never run any sort of 'distance'. I was really proud of myself for running a very hilly 5k in St. Louis the first weekend of December when I went to visit my brother. Since I ran with my sister-in-law, Fran, she pushed me to run more when she was here for Christmas. I tried to convince her that I cannot run very far, and she didn't buy it. I think it had something to do with her running a half marathon just a few months before. She pushed me to do what I thought was impossible, and we got up to 5.5 miles at an average of 10 1/2 min/mile which pushed my body to the limit. I was so proud of myself, so when a friend suggested we get a group together to run a 10k in March I jumped in. I don't have Fran here anymore but I really wanted to keep pushing myself to see just what I can do and this is a perfect situation. We've been training for a week now and I am already seeing improvement in my time. I am still fearful that I cannot run the whole race but I am excited to see what I can do. I love that I have friends who are willing to be patient with me as the slowest member of our running group.

For me the big excitement is that I have recently felt like I am getting older and I hate it. I have no desire to slow done so to accomplish something physical that I have I have never before been able to do is such a thrill. I'll have to revisit this when the race is over.

Happy Anniversary

On Wednesday, the 27th Ken and I celebrated our 14th anniversary. We cleared our busy evening schedule and had a wonderful time celebrating as a family. I loved sitting around the table sharing memories of our wedding day and our time dating, before we were married, with our children and my parents. I love to celebrate our anniversaries, the beginning of our family, with our children. I love telling them how much we love them and that of all our married adventure, they are our greatest joys, our greatest accomplishments.

All of this was shared over a delicious Caribbean Stew dinner that my sister-in-law introduced us to when she was here for Christmas. Oh, it is so yummy and I loved making it for our special night.

Caribbean Stew

1 chopped onion
2 celery stalks
1 green bell pepper (I skipped this and it was still delicious)
14 oz. pack of turkey sausage
2-3 sweet potatoes
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
3/4 can coconut mild
14 oz. chicken broth

Chop onion, celery & bell pepper and saute in oil (in cooking pot)
Add sliced sausage, then quartered sweet potatoes
Add crushed tomatoes, broth and spices
Bring to a boil then simmer until everything is tender
Add beans and coconut milk

Weekend Getaway Pictures

Here are just a few pictures from our trip. The last night we were in Galveston Ken and I chatted about what we enjoyed the most and we both agreed that it was the times we giggled together, the run across the road to the beach, listening to the water crash on the rocks, our uninterrupted conversations about the deeper things we ponder, walking hand in hand doing whatever pleased us. I especially enjoyed the 'adventure'. It is so fun to not worry about schedule, or if we know a restaurant is good or not, or if we wake too late. It wasn't the details, just the time spent together that made our little trip so refreshing.


We had so much fun driving through the water that I had to jump out and see how deep in we were. I love having the pictures to go with the memory.



Our view from the hotel room.

Weekend Getaway

Ken and I have been enjoying a quick weekend getaway to Galveston Beach. I am convinced this is the best time to enjoy the island. There are not many people here and there is no rush to get from one place to another. This is the first time I've been here that I've really enjoyed it and the time alone with Ken has been such a treat.

I've also enjoyed the little phone calls from the kids. I'm not sure that my parents even know they call but it makes me feel good that they always know they can connect to us. I love that Trevor always reminds me that he is just calling to say hello and he doesn't want me to feel bad or feel like I need to hurry home. "Enjoy your time with Dad" he tells me. Oh they are fun.

I'll share pics and tell more later, I'm being rushed out for dinner. :)