On the First Day of Christmas....

Our first Christmas celebration started at my parent's house. My brother and the girls came in town the weekend before Christmas so we got to spend several fun filled days together at my parent's house. Here're a few favorite pics from our sweet time together....

Boppa and Blaise took a two hour nap like this! (At least Blaise slept the whole time anyway!) 

Blaise loved all the colorful gifts!

Blaise's wooden trucks from his cousins were all wrapped up in duck tape! He also got some wooden instruments from Mimi and Boppa as well-all non toxic (and not made in China!) from the fabulous Nova catalog. 

"Bat Baby" with Uncle Matt!

Taco Soup

This has to be one of the easiest-yet tastiest- soup recipes ever. I got it from the BriarwoodChristian School cook book. Enjoy! (Perfect for the Super Bowl Sunday! Go Kurt Warner! ;)

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced Ro-tel tomatoes

1 can white shoe peg corn, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1 sm. Can chopped green chili peppers

(I also sauté and add a chopped onion, minced garlic, and a chopped green pepper.)

Directions:

1. Brown beef and drain.

2. Combine beef and remaining ingredients in kettle, simmer for 2 hours. Add water for desired consistency. (I do it in the crock pot.)

3. Sprinkle with cheese and sour cream when serving. Serve with Tostitos chips, Fritos or crackers.

Five Months Continued.....

Sorry about the lack of posts-we're been out of commission for awhile! After all the holiday frenzy, we flew down to Captiva, Florida for a lovely, relaxing, sunshiny getaway. But we are back now, in chilly St. Louis, and I have a bit of catching up to do with the posts! Our iphoto has been fixed, so I can now post the 5 months pics that were never shared! (And stay tuned for Christmas, Florida, and 6 months pics!)

The blocks did not stay stacked for long-they quickly got smacked down! 

Bath-time fun-I love to splash! 

This is my favorite-so sweet! Bald & blue eyed! 

Blaise found his tongue! He sporadically sticks it out, it's so funny. Ava, our 4 yr. old friend who lives downstairs, loves playing with Blaise and he just smiles and smiles at her. We like to have breakfast dates in the morning. 

Blaise and I with baby Lilly and Joanna, at our church Christmas brunch

Blaise at his first friend birthday party-cousins Chases' 2nd bday Elmo party-he loved the party hat! 

His first time in the high chair! 

He loves smiling and playing with the stuffed animal monkey that David built for me at build a bear when we were dating. (I unzipped his vest and he was wearing a diamond heart pendent-so clever! ;)  
We just can't get enough of his adorable smile and giggles! He's so much fun! 
Blaise visits Boppa at his office for the first time-State Farm Insurance in Chesterfield. Thanks, Lavada, for the great picture!!! 

Blaise plays with a truck for the first time! And appropriately, it was with Gpa Harold. 

Baby Star! Blaise & momma have fun at another baby party!

Five Months!

Our iphoto program has not been working for several weeks so I thought I'd just go ahead and post this blog w/out the pics for now. I love this pic of Mary and baby Jesus so I thought I'd share it! (My mom had it on their Christmas card this year.)

The months keep flying by as our little baby continues to grow and grow! David and I still are amazed at our little one and often look at each other in disbelief, saying, "This is our child!?" We knew we would love him and enjoy being parents, but we really were not prepared for the overwhelmingly deep love we have for our Blaise and the joy he brings to our lives! 

We really can't get enough of him. I know it's sappy, but it's so true. If you are a parent I'm sure you know exactly how we feel.   His smile, laugh, and adorable endless blabber.  His sweet breath on our faces when he sleeps, his soft smile and stretches when he wakes up.  His cooing and blabbering along when we sing to him. His soft little head that's so warm to nuzzle against our chins.  His chubby cheeks that get kissed endless times a day.  The way his eyes open with start as his body touches the bath water,  the way he splashes continuously getting water all over him and us. His slobbery little hands that reach and grab us, often into our mouths or hair. His spit up and drool that gets us in the face when we do airplane.  His open mouth that goes for our chins and noses and his pointy little tongue that he sporadically sticks out. His funny fake cough he does when he is displeased with something.  His humerous cries of protest when when we put his diaper and clothes back on.  The way he jumps and jumps with excitement when we hold him. The way he nurses furiously, as if he hadn't just eaten 2 hours earlier. The love that fills his blue eyes when he gazes at us for seconds on end and the heart melting smile he gives.  The way he cries when he wants his momma and needs only me to comfort him....  

Oh the list could go on and on!  We praise Jesus for our little boy and the love he has brought to our lives.  My heart echos Mary's prayer in Luke 1:49, "For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name." I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for Mary to carry and raise the Messiah of the world! (Let alone to birth him in a barn!) To raise him up like any other child, knowing he was Savior of the world, knowing he would suffer and die- yet also knowing he would conquer sin and redeem the world! What an amazing responsibility! 

Though I am obviously not Mary, nor David Joseph, we still have the huge responsibility of raising our son in a house that loves and cherishes the Lord.  What a huge job we have to teach Him the ways of our Father-to model his love and the treasuring of our Savior.*  Blaise is still to young to understand when David and I don't cherish Christ and model His love before him, when we are in disagreement or are simply are unkind and impatient with each other.  But soon, our little boy will be older, and he will repeat our behavior-the good and the bad.  His heart naturally is bent towards evil and sin.  He will disobey and talk back, exhibit behavior that both David and I have struggled with. Oh, how I wish he would stay a sweet, young babe forever!  But I know our love for him will only grow stronger as he grows with each day- and as we struggle through our sin natures together.  I pray that Christ will give us an overwhelming love for Him and His gospel of love and grace and that will trickle down to our children; and that He daily would grant us the grace to handle theirs- and our- disobedient hearts. 

*We've been listening to Ted Tripp's Biblical Parenting conference podcast-highly recommend! He's the author of Shepherding a Child's Heart. 

Christmas Cookies

This is the best sugar cookies recipe!  Growing up, I loved making and decorating sugar cookies each holiday with my family.  It was like an edible art project-so much fun!  It’s a lot to make the dough and ice all in one day, so I usually make the dough in advance and double the recipe.

Ethel's Sugar Cookies

 Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book (1961)

3/4 cup shortening (part butter)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Mix well shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring.  Measure flour by dip-level-pour method or by sifting.  Blend flour, baking powder and salt; stir in.  Chill at least 1 hour.  Heat oven to 400*F .  Roll 1/8" thick on floured board.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen. 

When cookies are cool, ice & decorate with the following icing.

ButterCream Frosting

1/3 c. butter, softened

3 c. sifter powdered sugar

2 tbs milk

1 ½ t. vanilla

In Uganda,  we decorated them with some of the local staff's children at the Christmas party. This is one of my favorite pictures-she wasn't sure what to think! "So sweet!" they say.