A kiss from God to end the hustle of another Friday.
Couldn’t imagine a better end to this day.
Hanging on tight to moments like these.
Mother’s Day 2018
We have some traditions around here that are tied with Mother’s Day!
The kiddos always want me to choose what we will do and what we will eat.
I cannot complain about that!
I love, love, love to feed people good nutritious food – it is my joy!
These crazy kiddos love, love, love to do that for me on Mother’s Day!
I can’t complain about that either!
We honestly went to bed Saturday night not knowing if we would have a celebration on Sunday because of that tummy bug we had.
They had the food made and ready – just in case!
Sunday morning we decided to have our celebration in the evening instead of at lunch.
Just look at this spread….
There were gifts!
And homemade cards!
Which is tradition too!
So, so sweet!
There were flowers!
And the most amazing dairy-free cheese cake in the world!!
Which is starting to be a tradition too – because this has been my dessert of choice three years in a row!
River and his people joined us for all that delicious food, and we ate it again Monday night too.
I would like to blame my “I was just in bed two days” brain on the fact that I do not have any. more. photos.
I usually get my big camera out on Mother’s Day and do this post up right!
Another tradition for Mother’s Day is for the guys to set up the pool!
No, we do not have a yard.
But, YES, we do have a new pool!
It is tiny.
Cause our old one had a big hole in it, we don’t have a yard to put a big one in, or did a big pool make the budget anyway!
I am hoping we can get it set up real soon!
We are putting it right off the downstairs patio, and will seed the grass there this fall once we take it down.
Ok – I just ate the last bites of that cheesecake as I typed this post – so that wraps up another Mother’s Day!!
I hope all you Mama’s out there enjoyed your Mother’s Day traditions too!!
Dental Surgery and a Tummy Bug
We started this past week with a bang when Eliza had dental surgery on Monday.
Even though more was found than originally thought, which added to what was done and a lot more time onto the procedure, it all went pretty well.
Eliza has the whole waiting room thing figured out pretty good!
Those are Eliza’s Daddy’s feet in this photo – because he met us at the dentist office!
I took this photo as we left the dentist office, and right before I had to pull over and give Eliza a bag because her tummy was feeling not. so. good.
Oh my sweet baby, what we put you through!
It was a long and prayerful ride home, with Eliza crying “This is the worst day EVER!” from the back seat, but we made it and got Eliza set up for some rest and recovery.
I plopped myself down close by, and stayed by her side the rest of the day.
Eliza even went outside late that afternoon and played on the drive-way for a bit!
I was SO impressed.
It wasn’t long after that though that she started throwing up.
Sweet baby.
She got a sleep over with Mom and Dad Monday night.
Lane and Chad had a tummy thing for about 12 hours each over last weekend.
It had Blake and I looking at each other and saying “What in the world was that?”
That is until Eliza had it Monday, Blake on Tuesday, Grant on Wednesday and Thursday (poor guy!), and me on Friday and yesterday.
Is that everybody?
Addie was in there somewhere too.
Can’t remember which day!
Tate hasn’t had it.
Yet.
Thankful it was short lived!
I still vividly remember our illness last year – and am SO grateful it was nothing like that!!
The kids brought me flowers off our land while I was in bed yesterday!
And I had a certain pup who longed to be elsewhere but stayed by my side.
It was so good to see Eliza herself again!
She handled it all SO well!
We ended this week with rainy, cold weather, but I am still sure spring is here!
Just sweeping the floors tells me so.
Good thing I love that dog so much!
Errands on a cold rainy day deserved a stop at the Co-op for a snack.
And hot coffee for their Mama!
Blake and I had a quick date night on Sunday night of this past week.
Is Menards a date?
Well, there was coffee, and a need to chat, so we drove the long way home and spent some time on the ridge top watching the sunset.
Now, that’s a date!!
One day after lunch as all the kiddos were busting around the kitchen helping me, I simply said, “Where did I get all these good kiddos?”
Eliza answered, “MOM! You got us from China, from Korea, and from newborns.”
How I love the things they say!
Do you all have rules about food at meal times?
We do.
Specifically for one very, very social boy who would rather talk than eat at dinner time.
Ahem.
They have to eat as many bites of each food on their plate as their age.
That means six bites of each for Tate.
Don’t worry, he always keeps a careful count!
Speaking of dinner – this is our fast food meal!
We call it one pan dinner.
But we need two pans, obviously!
If I have a helper washing and cutting potatoes, I can have those pans in the oven in 5 minutes!
I just sprinkle it all with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and squeeze fresh garlic over the whole thing, then cover it with foil and bake it at 350 for an hour to an hour and a half.
Okay, well the baking part is not fast!
But that was not my point!
While its baking I am doing a million other things!
I started, finished, and submitted Tate’s three-year post-placement report for China this past week.
PHEW.
Big job.
But a privilege to do!
We are watching a robin’s nest through a crack in our deck, and I can’t wait to watch the Mama feed those babies!
Speaking of Mamas, it’s Mother’s Day!!
I am hanging at home with Grant while the rest of the family is at church cause I do not want to share this tummy bug.
But we have YUMMY plans for later today!
I saw a gorgeous dairy-free cheesecake in the fridge!!
I hope all you Mama’s out there have a fabulous Mother’s Day full of cheesecake too!!!
Happy Mother’s Day!!!
A Recipe//Granola
The recipe we use for granola was requested – so here it is!
***Please note!*** I added a recipe tab at the top of the blog! If you click on it, all of the recipes I have ever posted will be there.
We use this granola most often as cereal, but we also sprinkle it on top of yogurt, rice cakes with peanut butter, and apple nachos.
Granola
8 cups of regular rolled oats
2/3 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups of chopped walnuts (we also have used slivered almonds)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
Warm wet ingredients if honey and oil are not melted already. Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix very well until all dry ingredients are coated. Spread out onto two baking sheets. The less you put on each baking sheet, the crispier your granola will be in the end. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Cool completely, stirring while cooling, before storing it in your pantry.
Enjoy!!
