We're Back

Four Weeks
Over 4,000 Miles
82 Hours in Van
15 States
3 Boxes of Graham Crackers (mostly consumed by Dawson)
3 Complete Diaper Blowouts

MORE DETAILS TO COME

Earth Day

We participated in Earth Day today..........well sort of! I think we all need to do our part to protect our environment by being a good steward of the things we have been given and not using our resources recklessly. So today when we headed out to Walgreens to get our free reusable shopping bag, we walked. Now, it is less than a mile away, but it felt good to hoof it instead of taking the van. When we first moved here we had only one car for 5 months so we walked quite a bit more. If we dropped Chris off at the pool for practice in the morning so the kids and I could have the car he would walk the mile to the school and back again for afternoon practice. Of course, when you have access to the ease of the transportation, you fall back into your normal ways.

So, this is what we got on our trip:

I didn't have any register reward (rr) dollars or money on my gift card to use, so I paid out of pocket (oop).

Transaction #1- Edge Shave gel- paid $3.23 oop, received $3 rr

Transaction #2- Used a coupon I received last night via email for 15% off and a free bag

4 cans of pringles, store coupon 2/$3= $6, used 2 $1 of 2 coupons

Dawn- store coupon made it $.85 used 1 $.25 coupon

Used $3 rr from transaction #1, paid $.54 oop

So, not my best shopping trip, but no too bad either!

A Late Easter Greeting

I'm a little late getting up an Easter post, but didn't want to skip it all together. We had a wonderful celebration of the Resurrection of our Savior! It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a new tradition in the morning (more on it below), a great Easter service at church and dinner with neighbors. I made my first ham and Chris family's recipe for ham sauce--and both turned out great!

So, when is a good time to snap pictures of the children in their Easter outfits? There is most definitely not time before heading off to church and after church they were hungry and tired. So, what you see is the best I got. I didn't even get one of Ella along. Maybe a staged photo shoot is in order?!

Dawson was really interested in the flowers.

At this moment he was contemplating how to eat it!

He did wear shoes, but I took them off during church.

I love his cute feet and can't keep them covered!

And on to our new tradition. I had been looking for something fun to do for Easter and my friends at MOPS mentioned making Resurrection Story Cookies. Ella had a great time with it!
You make the cookies as you tell the story of the resserection (thus the name). Then you put the cookies in the oven overnight and when you wake in the morning you eat them. They are supposed to be hollow in the middle--to symbolize the empty tomb. Our were not, nor were those of my friends who made them.

Ella did not like leaving the cookies in the oven overnight. Delayed gratification is difficult for a 3 year old (okay for me too, I wanted to peek so badly). We made the cookies late because Daddy was working all day with water polo--so bedtime was pushed way back until 9pm. She came out of her room once with a very sad face to tell me that we had left the cookies. At ten I went in to remind her that she needed to be sleeping. Here is how the conversation went:

Me: Ella, you need to close your eyes and your mouth and go to sleep.
Ella: It is hard to go to sleep.
Me: Ella, why is it so hard for you to go to sleep.
Ella: Momma, those cookies are in there!

Here are some pictures of the event!

The finished product! Yummy!

Here is the recipe!

RESURRECTION SUNDAY STORY COOKIES

You need:

1 c. whole pecans

1 tsp. vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 c. sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon

tape

Bible

Preheat oven to 300 F. (this in important - don't wait till you are half way done with the recipe!)

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks> are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's> eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie> sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the> oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was> sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!!!!!

-- Author Unknown

Dawson at 8 Months

Dawson is eight months old and such a delight. He has finally decided to start sitting up and he has become efficient enough with rolling that he can travel throughout a room. By 8 months Ella was crawling, so he is definitely slower with mobility than she was, but we have no worries. I am thankful that he is easing me in to chasing him around.

He hasn't changed much since the last post (6 months). He is taking two naps a day, typically around 10am and 2pm. He still loves his bed and doesn't fall asleep easily anywhere else. Naps are about 2 hours each--if he wakes earlier, he plays and talks to himself in his bed. Nighttime sleep is from 7:30pm to 8am.

He really does love to eat--there has not been anything that I have put in front of him that he hasn't liked. We have added peaches, mangos, bananas, applesauce, blueberries, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, peas, carrots, yogurt and chicken to his regular rotation of meals. He also loves che*rios and puffs. And he loves toast that I make for him--just wheat bread dried out in the oven for an hour. He typically eats cereal and fruit for breakfast, a fruit and a vegetable for lunch and a vegetable and cereal for dinner. I have added in chicken or yogurt with lunch or dinner. Nursing is going okay. He definitely seems to be losing interest, but he will not take a bottle. He is nursing when he wakes in the morning, after each nap and before bed in the evening. Sometimes it is only for 5 minutes total! Trying not to worry about it!

HOT, HOT, HOT

It is February, right?! February is winter, right?! So, why was it 90 degrees today. Only in South Texas. The past couple of days have down right hot. I know our friends and family in Michigan and Virginia are feeling so sorry for us! If it makes you feel any better, a cold front is coming through tonight and it is supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow.

Here area a few pictures of the kids enjoying the warm weather.

Ella enjoying her halter dress and the warm afternoon. She was also wearing her pink cowgirl boots but I had enough trouble keeping her still to snap these pictures.

Dawson's first swinging experience. He loved it!

Dawson is 6 Months Old

The past 6 months have gone by faster than any time period in my life! Dawson is halfway through his first year of life, already. He is a joy and I am blessed to be his Mommy. He has become such a happy, easy going little boy. He definitely lets us know if he is tired, hungry or bored, but most of the time he is smiling, talking and laughing at his big sister.

At 6 months Dawson weighs 14lbs and 7 oz (5th %) and is 26 and 1/4 inches tall (45th %). He is almost sitting up but prefers to lay down. He has rolled in both directions, but he doesn't do it regularly. He doesn't care to be put on his belly. He just likes to lay on his back and look up at the world or to be carried around. He was enjoying the exersaucer for a few weeks, but not so much anymore. I think he is just on the brink of realizing all there is to explore and will be sitting up and rolling from one end of the house to the other very soon!

Dawson still likes a routine and prefers to sleep in his bed. Most days he is taking two naps. If the afternoon nap isn't very long he will take a short pre-dinner nap. His wake time is about 2 hours. He loves to sleep (what a difference from the first 2 months)! At night he will go down around 7pm and wake around 8am. His naps are typically at least 2 hours long, around 10am and 2pm.


Dawson likes to eat about as much as he likes to sleep. He is nursing 4 times a day and eating breakfast and dinner. At breakfast he is eating a bowl of cereal with applesauce and a squirt of vitamins. At dinner he is eating a bowl of cereal and a vegetable. So far his favorite vegetable is avocado (or is that officially a fruit) with carrots coming in second. He isn't a huge fan of peas, but we are continuing to try them! I am making most of his food so far and I really prefer it over buying the jars. It is so much easier than I expected! Next week we will introduce spinach and pumpkin.

Watching the SuperBowl with Daddy