Strawberry........Brownies

These are strawberries from our patch! I added maybe 1-2 tsp. of sugar to the crushed berries. We actually like the strawberries so we don't add much sugar! We made a batch of brownies, and Ta Da you have strawberry brownies. Add a dollop of cool whip and you have an awesome and easy alternative to shortcake. I give it 2 thumbs up!

Date!

Zeke and I had our first date yesterday! This is something I've wanted to do for a long time. I think it's very important that we have some one on one time with our children. In "dating " our children we not only give them quality time, but we can start teaching them the proper way to treat the opposite sex. I know it's going to be at least 11 years til Zeke can go out on a real date, but I think he will know what to expect when he does start dating.(and whats expected of him) Mark and I show the kids what is acceptable. I think it's good to be affectionate, but to remember that they are watching. Ask yourself is this something I would want my child to do while out on a date? If not then you shouldn't do it in front of them. I think this not only includes you and your husband , but this should reflect all aspects of our lives: the way we dress, what we listen to on the radio, and what we watch on T.V. etc. We need to prayerfully consider all of these things.
You can make "dating" as simple as you want. We bought a few books and got a smoothie, not real cheap. Our next date we will be going to the park to play so it will be free. Try to do some things that interest your kids. You could go for a hike, go out to eat, play catch, go fishing, anything!
Zeke is already asking when we get to go on our next date! Mark and Brie went out today on their date to the park, Zeke thought we should go with them!
So go out and have some fun!


This is us getting ready to go!

Scripture Time

Psalm 1:1-6

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish

Father~ Thank you for your word. Thank you for the truth and comfort that it brings. Help me to live for you and not be like the wicked. In your name Amen.

I really like this!

We got a gift card as a gift when we had Reuben, the only thing I could think that I needed was a bouncy seat. I was at Walmart this week and decided to look at their bouncy seats. I found one that I liked so I got it. It's a fisher price seat. It has the toy bar that goes across, but Reuben doesn't need it, so it's out of the way for now. He really likes the vibrating part though. It also rocks. (manually)




This is the part I like it's for up to 40 lbs. It converts into a toddler chair! It was $38 which seems a little high for a bouncy seat, but when you think about the fact that it can be used until the child is 3-4 years old it doesn't seem so bad! So if your looking for a bouncy seat I think this is a pretty good one!

Loving my Husband Friday

Go visit Shannon here to link up and give your marriage some encouragement.

One of the many things I love about Mark is watching him interact with our kids. It is such a joy to watch them play and enjoy each other, to hear their laughs and giggles!

Garden

We've had a garden for several years. We don't always get what we want out of it, but every year we improve the soil and we get more out of it in return. We're a little behind this year b/c of Reuben, but I think we have everything planted now!


We made a new garden this year behind our little shed. Brie really wanted to grow some sweet corn, and I wanted watermelon. So my Dad came over and tilled up the ground for us (I didn't get a picture of it) Thanks Dad! These are some pictures of the corn being planted.





























This is our "Square Foot Garden". We're limited on space living in a subdivision.



Here are some green beans peeking through the ground, it's time to get the fence up before the bunnies help themselves!




It's hard to tell but 2 of the peppers and 2 of the tomatoes got dug up by a skunk! They were too dried out to replant. Yeah you would think in a subdivision you wouldn't have skunks, not the case!

This is a raised bed in our walkout. It has tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. We've never grown potatoes so I'm anxious to see what happens with them!

I thought this was too delightful to not include. We have a patch of strawberries and they are just starting to ripen. We've eaten 5-6 so far. Soon I'll be making jam and having shortcake!!!

Things I Love Thursday

I love sweets,especially chocolate! My sweet friend Melissa brought me a box of these incredible truffles when Reuben was born. Her sister makes them and I love them! I could easily eat a few a day, but I'm trying to make them last as long as possible! Oh so yummy!




Go here to see things that others love.

Strawberry Shortcake

Shannon posted a recipe for shortcake this morning. Here is the recipe, it is very good. Instead of strawberries we will put a rhubarb sauce over it. Don't get me wrong I love strawberry shortcake, but I have rhubarb sauce that needs to get eaten! Doesn't it look yummy! (It was!)

Brothers

I just wanted to share this video, I think its cute. Titus is saying hi baby Reuben, which is what he says quite often! He likes to hold the baby too!

6-11 servings of grain a day

We just received a box of crackers, on that box (like many other ones) is the food pyramid guide. I think we should eat healthy, but of course we don't always do very good. Gabriela was eating the crackers at lunch and started reading all about the food she should be eating. Well she just came out of rest time to get a snack, she decided to refer to the box to see what she should eat. She came and asked me if she could have 6 pieces of bread!!!!!! I think maybe she needs to have a nutrition class for school this year, what do you think?

In His word Wednesday

Go here to leave your own scripture, encouragement, or prayer request.

6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents [a] and ten thousand darics [b] of gold, ten thousand talents [c] of silver, eighteen thousand talents [d] of bronze and a hundred thousand talents [e] of iron. 8 Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

These verses are from 1 chronicles 29.

These verses talk about giving. (in a different context I know) I'm very grateful to those who have given us things over the past week and a half. I'm especially thankful to mom who has been here almost every day doing laundry, making food, helping with the kids, really just doing whats needed. I can't thank her enough. I'm sure she's ready to be done, but she's still willing to help. Thanks Mom, I'm praying the Lord's blessings for you.

Do you need a laugh???

The first 24 hours after my c-section I was on a clear diet. I wasn't very excited about it, but I know they have to do it. They brought my first meal around lunch time, just a few hours after the c-section. It was a hearty meal of jello, a Popsicle, a juice, and 2 mugs of hot water. Well I grabbed one of the mugs and took the lid off, it smelled like coffee. At the time I thought how odd that they would give me coffee, but I hadn't eaten since the night before so needless to say I was hungry. I took a drink and it tasted a little bit like coffee, not real strong, but coffee. Well I drank the whole mug and ate the Popsicle, had a little jello, and started on the second mug of "coffee". This whole time I still thought this is so odd, but I tried to enjoy it! Really it wasn't too bad, it was at least filling up my stomach! I had just a tiny bit left in the bottom of my second mug when I started straighting the tray back up. I came across 2 little packets, one a tea bag, and the other a beef broth packet. Yes folks I drank 2 mugs of hot water! I wasn't even smart enough to figure it out! I did make sure that at supper time I didn't just drink the hot water! I found the packets, so I did learn something!

Scripture Time

Proverbs 8:32-36
32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not ignore it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death."

We are home!

Well I won't lie: This was a little more difficult than I thought it would be. This was my 2nd c-section, the 1st one was quite easy. The first few days of course your sore b/c you've been cut open, but really not to bad. I really don't feel a lot different than I did the first time around, a little more tired. Mark and I were feeling a little worried before we went to the hospital. Not that something bad would happen just more of a "we are getting ready to have another kid". Not that we weren't excited, just more shocked. We knew the day he would come, which was part of it too. We got up early Thursday morning and headed to the hospital. When I woke up I felt a great sense of peace. I had spent a lot of the night praying and God had answered my prayers.

We got to the hospital and had all the prep done and sat and waited a little bit for the Dr's. Then they wheeled me down to the o.r. I think it went pretty normally starting out! We found out later that she almost couldn't get him out. He was laying funny in me and she had a hard time grabbing him. The Dr. assisting is the one who had to grab him. So he's out and crying! Yay!

She went to work on closing me up, but things didn't go like planned! She had a few spots that she couldn't get to stop bleeding. One was quite bad I guess. This resulted in me receiving 2 units of blood. I believe they knocked me out during this time. (I remember none of it) When I woke up in the recovery room I just kept asking the poor nurse for my baby! I think she finally got tired of me and took me up to see my baby! My platelet count is still low, but I have iron to take and I'm feeling better and better!

Thank you for your prayers, we really appreciated it!

A few more pictures to enjoy!

Reuben James is here!

Reuben was born at 7:40 this morning. He is 8 lbs 5 oz and 20" long. I think we're doing OK! Will update later with more pictures.

Adventures for today!!!

I know most people would think I'm a nutso for going mushroom hunting with 3 days left til my c-section. Maybe their right, but I LOVE mushroom hunting. I've been going since before I started school. It's a special memory I have of my Dad. We've gone off and on for as long as I can remember often times just him and I. I just love being out enjoying God's creation finding those beautiful mushrooms! If we don't find any it's still great to be out enjoying nature! The last time my Dad and I went was about 3 years ago and I think it was just him and I. (maybe Brie and Zeke too, can't remember!) Well today was a special treat (I guess!!!) my mom, my brother & sil, my sister & bil and all my nieces and nephews came too! Mark and TJ were the only ones who didn't come! Mark had to work and I knew TJ would be iffy to walk that much so he stayed with Grandma! It was a lot of fun, the only bad thing is we didn't find much. Maybe in another week or 2.

This was our first find! A black sponge found by Shawn!

Zeke's first pick! ( He said Brie found it and he picked it!)

This is our whole big find!!! Yeah so we didn't do very good! ( I think about 12 in total)

This large gray sponge was my only find! Yeah it was the biggest!!!

Here is a picture of all the kids except TJ, Jada, and Sarah!

Spring Cleaning Week 10- Patio Area

Well it's the last week! Do you feel like your house is cleaner, I sure do! Thanks Sarah for all hard work you did to get us motivated! If you want to join in go here!

I'm not sure how much I'll get done this week! I think my sil is going to come tomorrow to help me paint my front porch furniture! I'd like to get some things done on the deck, but we will have to see! I'm not expecting much! But at least my house is clean!!!! Have a great week!

Baking Soda!

If you've read my blog all along then you know that I really like baking soda. Not just because you can make food with it, but for some other reasons! I clean with it, I use it for shampoo, and I use it for deodorant! Well I've found another great thing to use it for. I'm using it to clean my face now too! Since I use it for shampoo I have it in my shower. After putting dry baking soda in my hair and scrubbing it I normally have some left in my hands so I scrub that on my face. Then after everything else is washed I rinse my hair and face and I'm done! I've been using it on my face for 4 days and it feels really soft. So if your looking for something healthy and easy give it a try!!!

2 great giveaways!!

Go here to check these out! I would be thrilled to win either one!

The first is for a scrumptious sauce! This company looks great! The sauce does too! They also have recipes on their site that you can try!

The second one is for a Hip-T. (Megan explains all about it on her blog!) It would be a great thing to have! It's often hard to find clothes that fit and are long enough that your not exposing yourself, well this is the answer!

She has several ways to enter both of these giveaways so be sure to check it out!

Loving my Husband Friday

Does your marriage (spouse) need some encouragement, if so go here. Link up and join in!

Last night I had a pedicure/haircut appointment. I had supper cooked before I left and had started on my dishes. I got the kids their food and Mark walked in the door. It was time for me to leave. The phone rang as I was getting ready to leave so I didn't really even get to tell him goodbye! I like the lady who cuts my hair, but she doesn't go fast at all! When I go for just a hair cut I'm there for an hour. (it's in my town so I don't have a lot of drive time either) Well I knew I'd be gone awhile, but when I got home what I saw I wasn't expecting! Mark did the dishes and ran the dishwasher and had the kids pick up the few toys that were out. It was nice to come home and not have to clean up the kitchen at 9 o'clock! I was very thankful to him!!!

Here are my toes, sorry the picture's not the greatest, I had to go out and around the belly to get a picture!!!!!!!