Retro Day -- Isaac and Cousin Alex Meet

Ike adores his cousin Alex who lives in Nevada. We don't get to see Alex very often, but when he comes, Ike just can't get enough of his buddy.

Here are pictures of Alex's first visit to Washington.

Decor

Here is my "inspiration room" for the kitchen.

We found this while browsing the streets of Walla Walla.

The plan is to hang this over the island in the kitchen:

http://www.newtraditionhomes.com/gallery/gallery.php?plan=Kent&location=8

This is the same house as ours, but our kitchen will be done in white/cream cabinets and a chesnut colored island. Hmmm. If this chandelier doesn't look good there then I will be putting it in the master bedroom. Chandeliers are so romantic!

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words (and I've got five pictures)

"I'm sorry, Mom. I spilled the salsa!"

"Oh, you did? Come show me."

"You won't get mad at me?" (Ike shakes his head no as he questions me.)

"I won't get mad at you. Thanks for telling me." (I see small dots of red salsa on the kitchen floor thinking that it wasn't so bad.)

Ike repeats, "You won't get mad at me?"

"No, I won't get mad at you."

He opens the door to the pantry with his wide eyes glued on me.

I walk into the room that smells of salsa, trying to breathe and not get upset. I look back at Ike. His eyes questioning me and his half-smile trying to convince me that it was all right. He waits for reassurance that he's not in trouble. I smile at him and pat his head and send him in the opposite direction.

What a day.

Painting

Now I'm waiting for her dry a little so I can finish her up.

Project

My Mom is a master at whipping out a quilt. Yesterday she called and told me she put my quilt together and it is ready for hand quilting!

Thanks, Mom!

Kitty

A Thought for Thursday

Galatians 5:22-26

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Costco to the Rescue!

While reading the story of Elijah to Ike, I mentioned the famine and how there was no food. And here I was stopped to this response:

"We have Costco. We can get him some food!"

Dining Room Design

I'm not too sure about the color scheme for this room. I do love deep reds mixed with golden yellow accents, but I also love the serene feeling of creams, whites, and tans . . . I think I'll possibly go with tan walls and red curtains in the winter and soft white/cream sheers in the summer. Sounds delightful!

Grandmother's Painting

I didn't know my Grandmother (my Dad's Mom) very well. But she often sent lovely, handpainted birthday cards. I think I may frame a couple in golden or white distressed frames to match the bedroom design I'm working on . . . We'll see.

Funnies

"I'm the Peace," declares Wyatt.

"And I'm the Hopper!" Ike exclaims.


I think the correct way to say it is:

"I'm the Prince!"

"And I'm the Pauper!"

:)

~

While reading Bambi, Ike says from memory: "That's not a flower. That's a little sTunk!"

~

We must have done a good job praising Kate for throwing her diaper in the garbage. Being thoroughly delighted in her job well done, she pulled the diaper back out and put it back in the garbage again . . . and again . . . and again:)

Artsy Shoes

In case you might be wondering . . . that tiny black camera I own has been found! It was covered with evidence leaning towards a suspect who is short in stature! I found it covered in tiny fingerprints and crusty stuff and it was stashed behind Ike's bed:)

Love Syrup

Bill went grocery shopping for me (as he often does) and was informed of some seriously dire news. Now, I know not how reliable the Wal-mart stock boy is :) but he informed Bill that Toranni (the company that makes wonderful coffee syrup) is going out of business. Regardless of whether or not this is true is certainly not the point of my story. The point is, upon hearing this news, my Sweetie took pity on me and bought six bottles of the carmel flavored syrup!

It must be love:)

Bedroom Design

Sorry it's not very clear. If you click on the picture, you may be able to see it better . . .

This will be a hard one to pull off considering we would have to get rid of our existing bed and night stands which are in perfectly good shape. Getting rid of them probably won't be an idea that Bill will warm up to any time soon . . . :)

I plan to paint the walls a soft tan and keep most of the color in our room in the artwork. Soft white and cream bedding . . . mismatched white end tables . . . white fluffy curtains . . . and perhaps a soft blue dresser (disressed of course). All of this is planned for a home that doesn't yet exist:)

Happy, romantic bedrooms are divine! I can't wait to get my hands on ours!

Oven-Fried Chicken Fingers

From the Williams-Sonoma cookbook.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup plain dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon shopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each cut into strips (I thawed out three from the frozen bag from Costco and that worked great!)

Preaheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour the oil inot a rimmed baking sheet

Place the flour, egg whites, and bread crumbs into 3 separate shallow bowls or pie pans and line them up, in that order. Season each bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and a few dashes of pepper. Stir the Parmesan, thyme, and parsley into the bread crumbs.

One at a time, dip the chicken pieces into the flour and tap off the excess, and then dip into the egg whites and allow the excess to drip off. Finally, roll in the bread crumbs and place on the prepared pan, spacing them 1-2 inches apart (you may need another baking sheet if you use three chicken breasts from Costco). At this point, the chicken MAY be refrigerated, uncovered, for a few hours. The coating will dry out a bit, so it will crisp better in the oven (I just put my directly in the oven when they were prepared).

Bake for 8 minutes. Turn the pieces over and continue to bake until golden and opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter and serve right away.

~

I lined the bowls up in front of Ike with a spoon in each one. I let him mix all the ingredients together and he was thrilled:)

One Year Ago . . .

Retro Day

Ike October 2005

Since the camera is missing, here's a scanned picture from Kate's baby album. Don't know how to crop and it's even a miraculous event that I actually figured out how to put this on here!

Pictures

My camera is missing . . . as it is 95% of the time. I'm not too sure what the benefits of a sleek, tiny, black camera are. So if you happen to come across a large, chartreuse camera please inform me!

Anyway, here is a blog of a painter I enjoy (with lots of pictures!). http://janethillstudio.blogspot.com/

Pursue Love

We had a "one room schoolhouse" growing up. All of us students sat with headphones on and listened and watched our teachers on video.

Because we were all in one room, we got to hear and often memorize the verses other classes were learning. So when the fourth graders were learning 1 Corinthians 13 (which meant repeating the verses several times a day), we couldn't help but learn it. I still go over these verses in my head and it never fails that I need constant reminding.

1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2) And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3) If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5) or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6) it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7) Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8) Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10) but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11) When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12) For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13) So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Children's Poem

Here is what we are memorizing this week:

Once I saw a little bird

Come hop, hop, hop;

So I cried, "Little bird,

Will you stop, stop, stop?"

And was going to the window

To say "How do you do?"

But he shook his little tail

And far away he flew.

I suggest being creative and adding motions to this poem (if there is movement, the boys will participate)! Repeat five times a day and during chore time! Ike even says his poems in the grocery store to keep himself from getting bored:)

Enjoying Everything

Someday I'm going to miss picking up Cherios from every nook and cranny. And someday I'm going to definitely miss wiping down the toilet seat, floor, and walls every day because someone's aim isn't quite perfect. And who really needs all the potholders, dish towels, and measuring cups in drawers? I'm sure I'll miss wiping runny noses and making meals that no one appreciates. Someday I'm going to miss walking through the grocery store all by myself. Scheduling activities around nap times and having to decline grown-up time because one of the little loves woke up with green boogers and a cough. Someday I'll miss getting up at night to answer the cries. There will come a day when I'm going to miss supervising teeth brushing and reading the same three books over and over. I don't mind tripping over toys and wiping up spills, someday I will miss that too. Someday I will miss ironing those little man shirts and mini cotton dresses. Someday we won't need a carpet cleaner to visit quite so often. Someday I am going to miss folding little loads of pink and blue, and folding all those beautiful, little, foofy blankies is such a treat. Someday I'm going to miss all the giggling and screeching and definitely all the pitter -patter. Someday I'm going to miss all the hugs and kisses and every day "I love yous." Someday I'll miss kissing little cheeks good night and all the joy children have in the morning (without coffee)! Someday I'll miss all the adorable little nonsense conversations we have. I do so love being a mommy and I'll take the good, the stinky, the monotonous, the annoying, and the beautiful and call every moment perfect. Someday these little loves will grow up and move out (which is what we are training them to do). So today I'm going to be thankful and treasure each moment.

Hugs and kisses Ike and Baby Cakes! I'm so in love with you.

Home

Well, the anticipation is rising and we've yet to break ground on our new house. I'm not saying that I'm not thankful for this apartment, the amenities it provides, and of course who could forget no yardwork for the summer!? Apartment life is simple and cozy and yet I'm looking forward to all the comforts of home life.

What I'm looking forward to the most is the kitchen and dining space. Our hypothetical house has no formal dining room (seeing as how we are really informal people), but a kitchen/dining combo (very Walton-like actually). Even though its a combined space, there is plenty of room for a large table in which to share precious moments with our family and friends. I'm looking forward to the sitting area it provides so my little ones can sit in the dining room and work on homework or play games while we wait for dough to rise or for our casserole to bake. It's a terrific place for tummies to be fed and where little (and big) souls can be fattened!

As for now, we're definitely enjoying our cozy little kitchen where we bump elbows and have to shut the dishwasher if we want to open the drawer under the stove:) It's a small place, but small space means I get to frequently "bump" into all the people I adore.

Cinnamon Rolls

From the Farm Chicks Cookbook
(for Super Mom)

1 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
2 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Make the dough: Heat the milk in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave until it is warm, not hot (105 to 115 degrees). Add it to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it set until dissolved -- approximately 3 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave. Whisk the granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter into the milk mixture. Stir in bowl with plastic wrap or a clean damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Proof the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Lightly oil another large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl; turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume -- 30 to 40 minutes.

Make the filling and cream cheese icing: While the dough is resting, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl for the filling and set aside. Prepare the cream cheese icing and set aside.

Form the rolls: Butter a jelly-roll pan. Once the dough has risen, punch it down; then transfer it to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 15X20 inch rectangle. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup butter evenly over the dough using a spatula and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Starting at 1 long side, roll up the dough jelly-roll style, forming a log. Pinch the seam and ends to seal. Use a serrated knife to cut the log cross wise into 12 equal sections. Arrange the rolls about 1 inch apart, spiral side up, in the prepared pan. Cover with parchment paper and a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size -- about 1 hour. After 45 minutes, heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the rolls: Once the rolls have risen, uncover them and bake until light golden brown --12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately invert onto a wire rack. Coll 10 minutes. Turn the rolls right side up. Spread with cream cheese icing and serve warm.

Cream Cheese Icing:
Beat 4 tablespoons softened butter with 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

I put the ones we didn't eat in the freezer and they taste just as delicious when heated in the microwave for 25-30 seconds. Warm and gooey, just like fresh baked ones! When Ike and Kate see me sit down to one of these, I'm guaranteed they'll come sit up with me and share the goodness.

Cinnamon Rolls . . . from the Farm Chicks Cookbook

Ike wanted to join in the fun so here is his dough rising . . .
Ooops. Don't know how this picture got here and don't know how to delete it. Whatever.

Nothing like cinnamon rolls on a gloomy day!

Ike's dough getting prepped for baking.

Those tiny cinnamon rolls make me smile. How cute . . .

Fresh out of the oven.

Mine don't look as cute as Ike's . . .

Just Me and My Girl