Things I Love--Hands

Today, especially, I need to practice focusing on the things I love about my kids. I'm going with a hand theme today, since those are the first thoughts that came to mind.

Josiah
~I love that he wants to hold my hand as he is falling asleep in bed.
~I love how he covers his mouth with both hands when he thinks something is really funny.
~I love how he wants lotion/oil on his hands so he can rub it on his belly or hair.
~I love that he always has hand gestures for certain phrases, like "I don't know" and "all gone"
~I love how he sometimes picks food up with his hands to put it on his fork.
~I love the way he fold his little hands when we pray.

Elizabeth
~I love how she so gently rubs my arm or hair when she's in a cuddly mood.
~I love how she gets so excited about having nail polish. (Wish she would stop sucking her thumb so we could do it again!)
~I love that she almost always is willing to lend Josiah a hand.
~I love that her hand movements are just naturally graceful and feminine.
~I love that she has learned some sign language and enjoys using it...and making up her own.
~I love how she likes holding hands with her friends and her brother.

Josiah's outfit of choice

Overalls and snowboots. no shirt. no socks. with the ever present phone right by his side.

That's what Josiah chose to wear today. When he woke up from his nap, the first thing he did was put his snowboots back on. Then he pointed to the door. "(s)now...pees?" (repeat 5 or so times) He tried to pull me towards the door a few times.

I couldn't get him to understand the snow was gone. Nor that just overalls wouldn't keep him warm enough anyway ;-)

Elizabeth's new favorite Chicken

We made this chicken for dinner the other night. I was looking on allrecipes.com for something easy that I had the ingredients. We modified it a bit, but Elizabeth LOVED it! She had leftovers for lunch today, and devoured it again! Josiah ate it. David and I thought it was good...maybe a little too sweet. And we would have liked a little more spice. Even with adding an extra clove of garlic, I really couldn't taste it. We served with rice and peas...the kids liked them separate. I mixed mine all together! David doesn't eat peas.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken (click for orig. recipe)

Ingredients: (My changes are in green)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (Omitted this)
10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Used three BIG boneless skinless ch. breasts)
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 cloves garlic, crushed (Used 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root (Used 1/2 tsp ground)
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained with juice reserved (1 cup orange juice)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (4 Tbsp flour)
1/4 cup water (omitted)

In small mixing bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger, and pineapple/orange juice.

Place chicken in slow cooker, pour sauce over, making sure chicken is coated.

The recipe says to cover and cook on high for 4 hours. I cooked on low for about 6.

If you are using pineapple, stir in just before serving.

Remove chicken. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Blend mixture into sauce to thicken. I did not have cornstarch, hence I just stirred flour into the sauce. It didn't really make much difference...until today! ;-)

We will definitely be making this again...It was super easy, and will be great with a little tweaking. Maybe a little less honey, and more garlic and ginger. I'm not sure about thickening the sauce yet. Enjoy!

Snow Birthday

Today was not the day we had planned, but it was a great family day!

I was up with David at 5 a.m. when he was getting ready for work, and planned to make him a birthday breakfast. Then I realized we were in serious need of grocery shopping, so he ended up with his normal cereal. But I did make his coffee and pack his lunch.

So, David headed off for work with his new Group 1 Crew CD in the car. About an hour after leaving the house, David called and said he was being hit with ice pellets, so was heading home instead of to work! YAY! I believe David has taken off work for his birthday every year since high school. But because of the new position, he didn't want to do that this year. What a blessing to have a snow day!

The kids and I had planned to go do some shopping and running around town, but with this being Josiah's first real snow and having Daddy home, we played in the snow instead! Afterward, we had hot chocolate and popcorn. And then all took some long naps! So NICE!

We had planned to go out to dinner for David's birthday, but decided we'd rather stay home. So we had pasta with some leftover pork (remember the need for groceries?) We'll go out another evening.

Enjoy some first snow pics!

At first, Josiah was not so sure about walking in the snow. He was a bit panicked when he fell over, and he didn't even really try to get himself back up. But he began to like the idea. He loved throwing the snow, and didn't even mind sticking his bare hands right down in it. (How in the world do you get mittens to stay on a little boy?) He especially enjoyed tubing down the driveway with Daddy, Elizabeth, or even on his own!

So What I'm 30

Ok, so I'm 30. I feel just the same as I have for at least the past 5 years. I'm blessed to have a beautiful wife and two wonderful children.

God even gave me a snow day so that I can stay home. And fortunately, I can do a little telecommuting and maybe get out in the snow with the kids later.

What did God give you on yor birthday?

Happy Birthday!!!

Today, my darling hubby is 30!!!

I am so proud of David! He is am amazing husband and father. He works hard, and is SO good at what he does. He enjoys coming home to spend time with our family. Even though he pretends he doesn't like the pink and frills, he loves being Daddy to a beautiful girlie girl. When we decided to adopt from Ethiopia, he immediately found and bought a whole collection of Amharic learning tools. (We haven't really gotten to use them, as life has been crazy, but we will!) He absolutely plans to adopt again. Yesterday, he found Ethiopian coffee at Target and bought it and a grinder. Mind you, David can't stand coffee. But he has decided to start acclimating himself to it now so that by the time we go back to Ethiopia, he is prepared to participate in the traditional coffee ceremony. He loves God and lives in a way to share it with our children and others around him.

Happy Birthday, My Love!

(It's crazy to think that I'm married to a 30 year old ;-)--we've been together since before David's 20th birthday!)

Under Contract

No, we aren't, but our house is. Barring any major surprise, we have under a month to figure out where we want to go and what to do with our stuff. Though it is much praise that God has gotten a buyer for our house in 6 weeks. Now we can focus our thoughts and prayers on making it to closing and finding out where He wants us next.

Thank you to all who have prayed for this to happen. Please keep praying as we aren't done yet.

Babers

Slow down...you grow too fast!

Yesterday, I got my first real, "You're such a mean Mom!" comments.

Today, she announced out of the blue, "I wish I was 16 NOW so I could drive."

Later, also out of the blue, she said that someday she will have a boyfriend. I jokingly said not to tell Daddy. She asked why, and I told her he'd be jealous. She said she'll have a secret boyfriend. THAT is when I realized I had to change something. I told her I was just joking, and that she should ALWAYS tell us when she has a boyfriend. Then Daddy comes to the room.

Elizabeth: "Daddy, I want a boyfriend."
Daddy: "Uh NO!"
Elizabeth: "You're jealous, jealous, jealous!"
Mommy: "Oops!"

I keep telling her to slow down and stop growing. I started crying the other night looking at her baby pictures because I hardly even remember her being a baby. She puts on her jeans now, and her legs just look a mile long. (definitely from her daddy!) I love the beautiful, helpful, caring young lady she is becoming. I just wish she didn't have to do it all so darn fast!

No Wat for you!

Saturday, we took a last minute trip for some house hunting. We saw a house that I really wish would work. We loved the lot and the neighborhood. Just hoping for another room or two.

Anyway, the highlight of the day was going to be trying an Ethiopian restaurant in the area! I was so excited that we would have an ET restaurant right near us, instead of having to drive an hour or more to get to one. I was picturing us going there weekly, really getting to know the owners, and maybe meeting some college students who could tutor us in Amharic.

We drive down, loving the area. Get to the address, but don't see the restaurant. We figure maybe it's kind of hidden. So we park, get out with the kids, and walk up and down the street. I did ask David if he wants to call first. We don't see the restaurant. It's freezing, so we head back up to the car and call. The number is disconnected. No Ethiopian Restaurant :-( We end up eating Thai...which is good food, but it's not Ethiopian Wat.

At least we will still have two Ethiopian restaurants within an hour of us. They are in opposite directions, which is kind of nice. And they are both near colleges. So, maybe we won't be going weekly, but hopefully we'll still make some good connections.

She Amazes Me!

I know that parents tend to think great things about their own kids, but Elizabeth seriously just amazes me so often! Today (I guess technically yesterday now), while driving, I was trying to tell E. a little bit about Martin Luther King, and why we celebrate his birthday. She seemed to be listening and was asking questions. Yes, the car may not be the best time, but hey! I have a pretty captive audience then ;-) As I was ending my little lesson, Elizabeth asked where MLK is now. Oops, did I leave that part out? I told her he died...he was killed by someone who did not like what he had been working for.

The rest of the conversation went something like this:

E: Is he in heaven?
M: Yes, I believe he is. He seemed to believe in Jesus.
E: Well, then he is alive in heaven.
M: Yes. He died on earth, but now he lives in heaven.
E: His old body is on earth, but God gave him a new body in heaven. I will have a new body in heaven because I believe in God, too.

She is a constant reminder of what it means to have the faith of a child!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just have to add this so I don't forget ;-)

Over Christmas we were at my parents' house. One of the college students at their church, Ms. Becky, is special friends with Elizabeth, so she and Ms. Lauren took E. shopping one day. Elizabeth came back carrying her own little bag. Now, mind you the bag was from Victoria's Secret. That caused a bit of a double-take! She came over so excited to show us. "Look what I bought!" She pulls out a lip-shaped container of lip gloss. phew! ;-) Then she starts in a excited, gets higher-pitched as she talks voice, "and I EVEN got MY OWN RECEIPT!!!!!"

I'm remembering this today because she was able to buy a CD with some of her Christmas money today. She was excited about this receipt, too. She wanted to put it straight in her room when we came home.

Words words

Elizabeth-- "I'm kissyish!" (After giving Daddy lots of kisses)

Josiah--"Tinkin" (His version of Stinky)

All about me...

My thoughts have been so focused on myself...especially these past few days. I'm getting frustrated and annoyed over the silliest of things, and it's so not where I want to be. Yet God keeps pouring out His grace!

Last week I was getting so frustrated about Josiah calling me Daddy. I was caught up on a word. Then just as I was about my most frustrated, he starts saying Mommy in the sweetest voice.

Well then, over the weekend, I started getting frustrated because we hadn't had anyone look at the house since Monday. As we drove to church Sunday, I was just about to complain to David about this when we got a phone call. A realtor was asking to bring someone over in the afternoon. YAY! Not only that, but we received another phone call later for another person to come over. The one family came over twice that day, and we received an email saying they are probably making a decision this week. (No haven't heard anything else yet.)

And yet, even with God pouring out His Grace despite my grumbling, yesterday I found myself being so selfish and self-absorbed in my thoughts. The kids were LOUD and driving me nuts, mostly because I was doing stuff for me and leaving them to entertain themselves a lot. Josiah screamed and cried when I put him down for a nap. But I was thinking about how inconvenient that was for me rather than how I could help him feel secure. David was at his new job for the day, so it was already going to be later when he got home...and he left a lot later than he planned, so it was going to be after 7:30 until he came home. I was annoyed. Not for David having that drive, but for me. Because I was "stuck" with the kids longer. I finally got my thoughts straightened out a bit. I ordered pizza, put the kids in the bath after dinner, and played and spent time with my children. That way we were ready to spend some time with Daddy when he arrived home.

I think I'm finally, getting it through my head...again. So, I'm practicing thankfulness. (Didn't I post about that not TOO long ago?) I'm starting now. Here is my Thankful list...that I was tagged to do at Thanksgiving, but never quite did.

~I am thankful that Josiah is home. He is able to speak and is learning to communicate what he wants. I am thankful he wants to be with me. I am thankful he likes being with his sister. I am thankful he is healthy and full of energy.

~I am thankful Elizabeth is my firstborn. I don't love her any more than Josiah, just differently. I am thankful she still wants Mommy time. I am thankful she is good at entertaining herself, but does her best to play and help with Josiah.

~I praise God that we don't have to be in a rush to sell our house, that we have a place to live, and that we've already had 14 people come to see our house! I know that everything is in His time, and even if David has to commute every day for a while, God will care for us. I'm thankful that for the last 4 years that David has had a 10 min. commute and very flexible hours. I'm thankful that this commute will not last forever. I'm thankful that David has a very good job that he enjoys. And it provides enough for me to stay home and care for our children.

~Most of all, I'm thankful that God does not treat me as I deserve. Even when I'm not loving to Him, He loves me and showers me with His grace.

MOMMY!

So, after my rant yesterday, and a good long nap for Josiah and myself (David came home early...YAY!), I decided to not be annoyed, but to show Josiah how much I LOVE being called Mommy ;-) So when Josiah called me Daddy, I kept looking at something else and didn't respond. When he said Mama, I tried to turn to him immediately with a big smile. Well, he started to catch on, and even changed to saying Mommy! (He's been saying Daddy almost since he was home, but still has been saying Mama rather than Mommy. And for some reason, I really prefer the second)

By the time he was in bed, all I heard was "Mommy. MOMMY! MOOOMMMYYYY!!!" Maybe I should have let him keep saying Daddy a little longer. Then I can always tell David he has to go ;-) Just kidding.

Today he has been doing pretty well with saying Mommy. Although, sometimes he just resorts to using both names over and over again to either David or myself. Oh well. It is awfully cute the way he says either name :-)

Not the Daddy

The past few days, Josiah has been calling me "Daddy"...A LOT! I'm not sure why this has started. Sometimes he's doing it to tease, but sometimes it seems he really thinks that's who I am. It's not like he's all about Daddy all the time either. I shouldn't let it bother me, but it is really annoying me at some points. *sigh* Maybe this cold is just making me irritable.

Okay, I'm off to lay on the couch. Maybe I'll try some meds again.

Story

"Once upon a time there was an owl watching a mouse while the sun shone down on him. The mouse had a bow around his neck, and the sun wore socks. The owl used a rope to catch the mouse, but the mouse used an axe to cut the rope.

Then an astronaut came floating by and ate a piece of apple before the alligator could eat it. The alien chased the alligator into the robot's hands. The robot went into a big boat and a monster jumped out and scared him. A snake came up and wrapped the monster and squeezed his ring off. A snail climbed up and slimed the ring. The rain came and washed the snail away.

A monkey was there watching an airplane and a hot air ballon racing in the sky, and he got wet so he put some mittens on to keep his hands dry. Then he ate pizza. It was his birthday, so he had a birthday cake, but before he ate it, he went to get some hot chocolate. The pig ate whole the birthday cake before the clock struck midnight. Then, while the clock rode away on a bicycle, a singer was singing the Hallelujah Chorus. She got so tired she drank milk and had a lollypop. She shared her milk with the kittycat. The cat ran off and chased a butterfly who was wearing shoes."

Elizabeth and Grandma played The Storybook Game. One person looks at a card with an object on it to start the story. The next person repeats that part of the story and adds the object from the next card. With very little prompting, Elizabeth remembered the story with 33 items (In bold above)!!! I was very impressed! Now if I could just get her to remember where she puts things :-)

Christmas Card Photo

So, I've been a VERY bad blogger, but even worse with communication in the "real" world. We had big news to share with the world about this past year, and I didn't get out one Christmas card or even New Year's card this season. I'm not really thinking it's going to happen now either. And since you all know everything I would say anyway, I'm just going to post the pics I would have sent out....and a few more! :-) Cause that's all you really want to see anyway, right?

We have a family tradition with my mom and dad of having portraits taken around Christmas each year. This year we went to Portrait Innovations, and even with it being CRAZY after the holidays, we were rather pleased.

This is the picture I WOULD have sent out. (If you actually do want a copy of this one, let me know. I will send it to you :-))

This photo is a tradition. Now with Josiah home, there's a new tradition...

So from our family to yours, a belated Merry Christmas! And Prayers and Hopes for the New Year! God is going to be doing AMAZING things!!!