He is Risen!

Easter pictures, complete with crying baby! Kaity and I were so excited to find matching dresses for the sisters. In the car on the way home from church, Joe said, "When Kaity's hair is curly, it makes polka dot outfits perfect!"



Not only is it a glorious resurrection day, it's also our anniversary! Exactly 12 years ago, (almost to the minute!) Jeff and I pledged our lives to each other and our life together to God. God has been so good to us over the years and we are truly grateful to Him for His mercy, grace, forgiveness and love. We could not have made it without Him.
My anniversary gift from Jeff ...

April Fool!

So, I made backwards dinner again for April Fools' Day this year. For "dinner" I made ravioli with Nutella filling and topped it with strawberry sauce and grated white chocolate. "Dessert" was squares of meatloaf brownies (baked in a square dish) topped with mashed potato "ice cream" and toppings like gravy, shredded carrot and cheese, peas and chopped parsley.


Before dinner, Jeff asked me to set up a prank on Kaity -- putting tape around the sprayer at the kitchen sink! I asked her to fix ice water for herself and Joe, and here's the result ...

But everyone's favorite part of April Fools' Day was a joke on me! Less than five minutes after I set up the sprayer to get Kaity, I completely forgot and ...



Even better, I made Jeff cry with laughter when I forgot again after dinner! *sigh*

How Now Brown ... Kitty

We just can't get over what a gorgeous color this cat is! Hershey is getting a little more brave. She came out today to bask in the beautiful sunshine in the bay window.

Baby Smiles!

Okay, I know I already showed you the video of Selah and the baby in the mirror, but I had to share the still photos that I took before I remembered the video function on our camera. Be forewarned -- it's almost too much cuteness!


I love the next one ...

"How YOU doin'?"

Just A Quick Note ...

Despite the fact that I have no musical ability whatsoever, Jeff and I have been hoping that his genetics would take over and our children would somehow be prodigies. We're still waiting. And in the meantime, we're enjoying his saxophone. We discovered recently that if he plays one long continuous note, Selah will stop fussing. Maybe this will be the one!

Sleepy Babies

Aren't they beautiful?

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

I love to make muffins for my family! They're quick and easy and very versatile. They also freeze well, so I can make a big batch and keep them handy. I recently found a wonderful recipe for muffin mix that makes them even more convenient. The recipe makes enough mix for 4 batches of muffins. The fun part is coming up with different combinations of stuff to mix into the muffins!
All-Star Muffin Mix
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Store in airtight containers in a cool dry place or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Additional ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

(Each batch of 12 muffins requires 2-3/4 cups of the muffin mix, plus the additional ingredients.)
To Prepare:
Place 2-3/4 cups muffin mix in a large bowl. (Fold in your choice of different ingredients here.) Whisk the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. (Do not over stir!) Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Here are some great options for different flavors of muffins:
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup mashed canned peaches
1 cup blueberries
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded apple
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1/2 cup dried cranberries
zest of one lemon or orange
replace half of the milk with orange juice
1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Use one or two of these options, trying different combinations to suit your family's tastes.

Baby in the Mirror

I took a short video of Selah today. She's discovered that fascinating baby in the mirror. They're quite good friends already.

Big Brother is Watching You

I don't have very many pictures of Joe with his little sister. That's mainly because she's a baby and he's not so interested in her. I mean, he loves her, and he pats her head and coos at her. But she doesn't DO anything! Well, she cries. A lot. And sometimes makes noises that are apparently hilarious which result in Mommy changing her diaper and occasionally her outfit, too. I guess when she becomes mobile he'll be able to interact with her a little more. That said, Selah was playing on her blanket the other day and I was glad to capture a couple of pictures of Joe talking to her.

Out of the Mouths of Babes ...

My kids provide something for me to laugh about nearly every day. I've saved up a few from the last couple of weeks. Joe is just at the age where he provides more fodder for me, but I'll close with a cute one from Kaity, Child of the Digital Age.

Joe was getting on his big sister's nerves. She made an aggravated "arrrr" sound at him. His response was, "Why did you "arr" me? I am not an "R"!" Let me tell you how happy that made Kaity!

On Thursday, I told the kids to get socks and shoes on. They were immediately suspicious, because we pretty much never leave the house on Thursdays. They started discussing between them what could be going on, where we could be going. Kaity tentatively suggested it was grocery shopping. In a long-suffering tone, Joe said, "It's not Friday, so ... apparently we're not going grocery shopping."

Joe was in the kitchen getting a snack. I called to him from the living room, asking if he needed help. "I got it!" he hollered back. Then a crashing sound. A pause. "I don't got it!"

Last but not least, Kaity was helping me in the kitchen one day and raced out the room abruptly. She called back, "I have to go to the bathroom ... BRB!"