Gorgeous!

Gorgeous morning here! It rained earlier and is still cloudy, but it is so fresh, cool and beautiful out. Stephen had to go in to work for a couple hours to run a test, and the kids and I ended up taking a little walk. Here's a couple pics from our outing.

What happens when you give a one year old a chocolate animal cracker?





Clara seemed to really enjoy the outing... running around investigating, picking up sticks and rocks. At one point she started turning around with her arms out and saying "beautiful". I had her do a pose for me.

It Flew By...

Then: May 4th 2010




Now: May 4, 2011







I know, it's a lot of pictures... but at least the grandparents will appreciate it! :-) Another thing the grandparents will like... if you blow up the picture where his mouth is wide open... you'll see the molar he is now sporting! That makes a total of nine teeth now!

Little man, we love you so much and you have become sooooo precious to our hearts! Your smiles and laughs are such rays of sunshine in our lives. Hilkiah, you're our gift from the LORD! Happy Birthday!

First Steps

Hil took his first steps and maintained his balance last Saturday. This was taken last Monday. He is still working on his new skill, but who taught him how to be a comedian at the same time? Sometimes he will squat up and down, up and down just-because-he-can.



Because the clientele of this blog site appreciates videos, I am supplying this BONUS video:



Today, you also get a BONUS to the BONUS:



Enjoy the vids.

Gracie made chipati (Indian bread) and chickpea curry. They both came out splendid!

Bananas, Baby Steps and Curry!

We got treated to some sibling cuteness the other night as Clara shared her banana with little bro! Though he looks a little overwhelmed he did seem to enjoy the experience overall, as he kept opening up for more. In about the last week he has made a noticeable increase in the amount of solids he's willing/interested in eating, which has been fun.




Another big thing for our little man... over the last few weeks he would occasionally take a step or two as he lunged at you or something else to hold on to. Then on Saturday, while at our friends' home, he took two more steady steps toward me! And since then, he has taken several more! Stephen captured about 5 or 6 steps last night on his phone camera... we will have to download that soon! And tomorrow is a big day for our little guy!

On a totally unrelated note, tonight is our vegetarian night and I'm planning to try a garbanzo bean curry. Here's the link for what I'm thinking to try. Stephen and I enjoy Indian food and I've been enjoying experimenting with some new recipes!

Look At Me Mom!

I understand this propensity for climbing may run in his Daddy's side of the family! He just had to prove once again, that he totally belongs in this fam!!! :-)

Something I Have Really Been Enjoying!

So, I've been on a whole grains kick lately. We've been milling some of our own wheat for a while and I grew up with a home wheat grinder. But thanks to various contributing causes, I've been getting interested lately in pursuing whole grain use for our family in a more major way. Some of the things that have been encouraging me in that direction are as follows: some persistent health issues in our little family which would be nice to deal with, getting to chat with a friend who has recently been getting into more healthy eating, things I have been learning through the Bread Beckers about the MAJOR health benefits of whole grains which have been freshly milled and prepared... and my hubby buying me a new electric grain mill a couple months ago!

I've been learning that wheat is an extremely nutrient dense food. There are 44 basic nutrients that our bodies require to maintain healthy life... and all but 4 of them are contained in wheat!!! But we NEED to be consuming it in whole grain form... and if at all possible, freshly milled! I've learned that there is a LARGE difference between freshly ground whole wheat flour and whole wheat flour we buy from the store. As soon as wheat is milled it begins to oxidize and lose the rich, God-given nutrients that the grain is full of. Within 72 hours as much as 90% of the nutrients can be gone! And that's just talking about the difference between fresh whole wheat flour and the not-so-fresh whole wheat from the store... we haven't even gone into the white flour issue!

I have been greatly enjoying learning from the Bread Beckers, a family run business in Georgia that sells all kinds of grains, other healthy products as well as appliances to help in food preparation (we bought our grain mill from them). But beyond being a store they also offer a WEALTH of free information, training and inspiration through their free online video classes! They're fascinating and enjoyable and I come away so inspired to prepare healthier food for my family and try ideas they've shared!

When I made whole wheat bread in the past, I almost always put in part white flour and part whole wheat. I didn't think you could have very nice homemade bread without at least SOME white flour. And if I was going to do 100% whole wheat I thought I would probably need to add gluten and maybe soy lecithin. But I had neither and gave it a try without, using a recipe from Bread Beckers and have been so pleased! It IS possible to have very enjoyable bread made at home with 100% whole wheat! And beyond that, pancakes, cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, and more, can all be delicious as well! No, I haven't had great success every time... but I HAVE had A LOT of successes and been so pleasantly surprised and encouraged!

I've been having so much fun learning from these video classes and trying new things in my kitchen. I'd encourage you to join me. Check out some of the videos and consider ways that you can include into your family's diet more of the incredible nutrients that God has given us! In general, it seems the more man messes with the incredible food God made for us... the more we mess it up! We cannot improve on God's creation!

Throughout the classes, Mrs. Becker shows you various things they sell through their store... obviously, most of us can't run out and buy all of it! And we really don't need to in order to make some very healthy changes and additions to what our families are eating. The number one thing I would encourage someone to consider getting is a good grain mill. The Beckers have recieved MANY testimonials from people who have had major health improvements... simply by beginning to mill and bake their own bread. They share some of them on their website.

You'll see that there are several different classes available! So far, I have enjoyed the "Getting Started Class", watched a bunch of the "Healthy Eating Simplified" series and seen part of the class on making pasta. If you are new to the idea of doing your own milling and bread making, I imagine the "Bread Making 101" would be a good place to just check it out and learn more. The "Getting Started Class" would also be a good place to start... as the name might indicate! I greatly enjoyed that class!

Well, there is plenty more that could be said... but I will leave it at that for now!

My Music Men

Stephen has been pulling out his guitar lately and playing it for chapel. Hilkiah thinks practice sessions are just wonderful!




But don't be fooled by the first few pictures. The little man was not content to sit on Daddy's lap and listen. Oh no. He must be part of this and display his own impressive musical talent! Poor Daddy.
If you blow this one up, you will see that he has a guitar pick in hand and a wide open mouth!



Trouble maker indeed... but an awfully cute one!

Captured Moments and "Clara-isms"

About a week ago we had a day of unusually warm weather and were able to go to the park jacket free! Yay! Here are a few captured moments to share:




Come on, Mom! And yes, I did take one trip down the slide. :-)





And here is a close up of the little man's first ever hair cut. Didn't Daddy do a great job???!!!



Now for a few cute "Clara-isms" from lately:

Excerpts from her prayers: "Please Mommy get better. Please Clara get better. Please Hilkiah get better. Please Daddy get better. Please all the guys get better." We had all been sick awhile back and she really noticed us asking the Lord to help us get better. The Lord blessed and we are thankful to all be in much better health now... but Clara has still been regularly asking for us to "get better". :-)

Clara's sharp little eyes noticed buds on the trees outside our window and called them "blueberries".

Cute phrases the girl has been using lately: "Let's see here...", "Just a second", "One question"

Another new thing is pretending that she is someone else. The other day she was pretending to be our new friend Marilen followed closely by pretending to be "Aunt Anna".

Must Be One Of Us

It's official. Kiah is definitely a member of this family. He likes pasta. You pretty much HAVE to in order to fit in around here.


And after he got his picture taken... Sissy needed hers taken too!

Kiah's First Haircut!

As a treat to my large anonymous fan club, I submit the following video for your viewing enjoyment.



Gracie and I both think he looks like a cute little boy now that I cut off his mullet.

Join Us... On An Excursion To The Zoo!

We took an excursion to our local zoo today and I was impressed! Unfortunately, what had started as a sunny day had turned overcast and cold by the time we got there, but we had an enjoyable experience anyway.

There was a large variety of exhibits, a good number of which are indoor... an excellent feature in this climate! :-) I was extremely happy with the lion exhibit, and I think you may be able to see why in the following video!




Another highlight was the penguin display! If you find Clara's long jacket unique... that's because it's mine. I had dressed her in a sweater that was too light for the weather and, thank You Lord, had an extra windbreaker along!



After our long walk around the grounds in the chilly weather, fries and hot chocolate hit the spot! Unfortunately, Momma drake all the hot chocolate... but thankfully, Clara didn't seem to mind.


And fries weren't the only treat to be enjoyed, as you shall see....


Clara's last trip to the zoo had been in VA on her second birthday. Remember that, Mom F.?!!! Clara pretty much just watched people, pulled leaves off bushes, and other such non-animal related activities. Had a great time though! :-) This was totally different today. She was definitely getting the idea of checking out the different animals this time. Still found the other people interesting too! :-)

It was a fun outing! Another gift from the Lord to be thankful for!

Fun Videos from the Blackberry

I have been saving these for a while. When I am at work sometimes I take a break and have a mini video-fest.









Stay tuned. I will down load some more in three more months......or sooner if I get some good comments.

Stephen

The Boy

The boy has been showing his "boyness" lately. Brings us smiles. You should see the way he can turn a calm bath tub into a hurricane with simply two little chunky hands violently smacking the water! Rather messy, but too cute to cause much frustration in the parents.

Then there's the way he likes to stand next to the coffee table and clear everything on it onto the floor... and also open the little drawer and empty it of all the little cup coasters.

Then there are are the grunts and yells that come out of his little mouth.

Then there's the ball. Yup, he's already learning to throw a ball. Too cute! He's fairly good at it (says the biased Momma) but it does still land behind him sometimes! :-)

Our little man brings us much joy! And I know we will need much patience, grace, and wisdom from the Lord in how to raise him to be a manly man who is tough, strong, can take risks, and get dirty, and who is also a godly gentleman... like his Daddy and Grandpas! The wonderful adventure of parenting a boy has begun!


Enjoy the video of our little guy! (Are most of you able to see the videos we're posting? I know at least one friend was having a problem with one of them.)

My thoughtful husband called me up from work a couple days ago and said it was a nice day out and that the kids and I should get out and go walk or something. So, the kidos and I ended up at a beautiful lake near us where we walked and Clara had a grand time playing around in the lovely outdoors! She hasn't done much of that lately! For quite a while during the second half of our walk, she ran ahead of me, pulling this big stick she had found. She must of burned a lot of energy that day! :-) Kiah-man seemed to greatly enjoy himself too... every now and then he would wave his little arms up and down in this very happy way.

Enjoy the pics and video! And don't miss the following post regarding illnesses and Clara's doctoring skills.

Doctor Clara

We have all been sick here. Poor Hilkiah has had congestion and coughing that has just gone on and on! We kept thinking it would just run it's course and go away... but it didn't. :-( Then about two weeks ago Stephen came down with some nasty sinus infection or something. Then Clara came down with something... and then me too. On Monday we gave in and went to Urgent Care... all four of us. Both of the guys were put on antibiotics. Clara and I weren't. We all seem to be on the mend now! We have much to be thankful for... including a little girl who enjoyed playing Doctor last night! :-)

Beautiful Blessings!

Today was a lovely day here! Weather was in the 50s and the sun was shining! Yay! Spring is coming and I'm ready for it!

The kidos and I took a little walk to our apartment complex's playground and enjoyed the beautiful outdoors! After looking at my phone and seeing that the next week doesn't look like it's suppose to be as nice weather wise as today, I decided that we'd soak in some more sunshine and warm weather, and we took a walk around the block before going in. Clara chose to walk instead of riding in the stroller and collected various rocks and sticks along the way. Good times! Of course, all was not sunshine and bird songs... while Clara was playing at the playground she says "what's this one?" and hands me a dried up bird dropping! Didn't inspect that for too long!!! And then later on our walk her shoe encountered something that someone hadn't picked up while walking their dog. Yuck! Such is life, isn't it? Great blessings can come hand in hand with some challenges too! But the blessings often far out weigh the challenges!

Kind of like parenting. There are those times when it just seems never ending. Moments where it feels like "where can I go to clock out of this job?". We JUST cleaned up those toys... and now they're all over the floor again! I'm trying to get a job done and not one but two little people want Mamma's attention. And the list goes on. BUT... then there is that joy and pride that might be difficult to put into words at the new accomplishment of my little one. It mights seem like something small and insignificant to someone else, but it makes me sooooo happy! Then there's that little smile or big laugh that is just about the cutest thing ever! There's those two chunky hands learning how to clap, the most precious blonde pony tail bouncing up and down as a little girl walks along, a little voice trying to sing a new song she's learning and a little man toddling along using the toy car as a walker. There's that feeling of "oh you are the most precious little thing ever and I could just hug you and squeeze you and kiss you!!!!!"

So, one day I might be wondering where I can go to get a break, but the next day I'm so thankful I get to stay home and be full time Mommy to my precious babies! Yes, GREAT blessings come hand in hand with some pretty big challenges! But, it's worth it!

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox." Proverbs 14:4

Yay!!!

We finally found an easy and quick way to put videos on our blog!!! Videos from our new phones go on super easy!!! Here are a couple recent ones!

A few pictures from my phone...

An overworked Aunt Anna! Much of what you see behind her is empty boxes or boxes that are just full of packing paper. We were very happy when the lady came to do the empty box and paper pick-up!

Anna was a HUGE help with the unpacking and getting situated! And it was such a treat to just have her here visiting!


My funny girl!


We went out on a family stroll this afternoon. Rather chilly out, but it was a good time anyway! Clara really enjoyed it... I think she may get rather cooped up being inside so much. I'm looking forward to spring!

Yay! Back to Blogging!

We now have internet up and running in our apartment and I'm excited to beginning posting again! Hooray!!! When we were in temp. housing we had to use the computer in the lobby... and once we got our phones we could have posted from them... but typing a post with your thumbs on a little key pad seemed rather laborious to me! But now we are back to regular internet access and I'm a happy camper!

We're getting settled into our apartment here and looking forward to spring! Actually, adjusting to all the snow and cold hasn't been too bad... kind of a new adventure! But I am looking forward to warm weather, the kids being free to run around outside and play, farmers markets, etc.!

Tonight will be a full night. Clara and I have been TRYING to make a chicken curry. We'll see how it turns out! A little later we have Bible study at the home of some new friends. I'll have to share more very soon about the neat group of Christian believers we have been so blessed to meet up with!

For now, I will say goodbye and turn my attention back to the kitchen!