Smokin' cheese!I swear he should be a comedian...
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Benjamin's recital
The reception room set up with lots of delicious dessert foods...
It fills my heart with joy to see him play ~ every time...
Playing with a special friend, Rose. She has amazing violin talent!
Great picture!
Kirstin singing with Benjamin
Loved all her expressions throughout the song!
The Hindemith... (It was so incredibly hot in the church by this time ~ I was in the audience and getting dizzy, so I have no idea how Benjamin kept it together...)
Good turn out at the reception.
Always a pleasure to get to chat with Benjamin's original band director, Robin ~she got him started on French horn! :)
An adorable couple ~ Benjamin and Kirstin! Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter brunch!
Mom and Dad joined us at church for the 9:30 service today. It was great to have them there for Easter Sunday ~ though I'd love to have them join us regularly! This year, we decided to have brunch following church (instead of a big Easter dinner). We headed back to our house and enjoyed omelettes, bacon, sausage, and a variety of muffins plus country potatoes. Everyone decided this was a nice way to celebrate Easter and we should make it our new tradition! It was great as we had the afternoon/evening to just relax...
Benjamin had the first omelette, as he had to work at 2:00 pm. The look on my Mom's face is how she looks at my Dad quite often... (The one that says ~ not too many sweets, don't eat too much, etc) Funny, I got a picture of it!
Nicholas ~ he loves his coffee!
Definitely a casual meal...
Mom and me!
The omelette chef (and a very good one too)!
Coco loves Grandma and Grandpa
Benjamin had the first omelette, as he had to work at 2:00 pm. The look on my Mom's face is how she looks at my Dad quite often... (The one that says ~ not too many sweets, don't eat too much, etc) Funny, I got a picture of it!
Nicholas ~ he loves his coffee!
Definitely a casual meal...
Mom and me!
The omelette chef (and a very good one too)!
Coco loves Grandma and Grandpa (and often lays at my Dad's feet)!
Looks like a serious conversation...
Looks like a serious conversation... We had an enjoyable morning/early afternoon together despite the very rainy conditions on this Easter Sunday!
Thank you Lord for our family!
31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Children
► Salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” Isaiah 45:8, II Timothy 2:10
► Growth in Grace “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Peter 3:18
► Love “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 5:2
► Honesty & Integrity “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection.” Psalm 25:21
► Self Control “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.” I Thessalonians 5:6
► Love for God's Word “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” Psalm 19:10
► Justice “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8
► Mercy “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.”Luke 6:36
► Respect (for Self, Others & Authority) “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.” I Peter 2:17
► Biblical Self-Esteem “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:10
► Faithfulness “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablets of their hearts.”Proverbs 3:3
► Courage “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” Deuteronomy 31:6
► Purity “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” Psalm 51:10
► Kindness “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” I Thessalonians 5:15
► Generosity “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”I Timothy 6:18-19
► Peace-Loving “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” Romans 14:19
► Joy“May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”I Thessalonians 1:6
► Perseverance“Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.”Hebrews 12:1
► Humility“God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.”Titus 3:2
► Compassion “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” Colossians 3:12
► Responsibility “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:5
► Contentment “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.” Philippians 4:12-13
► Faith “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.” Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40
► A Servant's Heart “God, please help my children develop servants’ hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.”Ephesians 6:7
► Hope “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
► Willingness & Ability to Work “Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their hearts, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23
► Passion of God “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after Thee’ (Psalm 63:8), one that clings passionately to you.”
► Self-Discipline “Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” Proverbs 1:3
► Prayfulness “Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayfulness, that they may learn to pray on all occasions – allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede – with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18
► Gratitude “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God, the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 2:7
► A Heart for Missions “Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your Glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3
A new "blog friend" posted this on one of her blogs! She's definitely a source of blessing and encouragement and I invite you to stop by and say hi to Rebecca!
► Growth in Grace “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Peter 3:18
► Love “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 5:2
► Honesty & Integrity “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection.” Psalm 25:21
► Self Control “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.” I Thessalonians 5:6
► Love for God's Word “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” Psalm 19:10
► Justice “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8
► Mercy “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful.”Luke 6:36
► Respect (for Self, Others & Authority) “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands.” I Peter 2:17
► Biblical Self-Esteem “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:10
► Faithfulness “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablets of their hearts.”Proverbs 3:3
► Courage “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.” Deuteronomy 31:6
► Purity “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions.” Psalm 51:10
► Kindness “Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” I Thessalonians 5:15
► Generosity “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.”I Timothy 6:18-19
► Peace-Loving “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” Romans 14:19
► Joy“May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”I Thessalonians 1:6
► Perseverance“Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.”Hebrews 12:1
► Humility“God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.”Titus 3:2
► Compassion “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion.” Colossians 3:12
► Responsibility “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:5
► Contentment “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength.” Philippians 4:12-13
► Faith “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.” Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40
► A Servant's Heart “God, please help my children develop servants’ hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.”Ephesians 6:7
► Hope “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
► Willingness & Ability to Work “Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their hearts, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23
► Passion of God “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that ‘followeth hard after Thee’ (Psalm 63:8), one that clings passionately to you.”
► Self-Discipline “Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” Proverbs 1:3
► Prayfulness “Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayfulness, that they may learn to pray on all occasions – allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede – with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:18
► Gratitude “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God, the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 2:7
► A Heart for Missions “Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your Glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3
A new "blog friend" posted this on one of her blogs! She's definitely a source of blessing and encouragement and I invite you to stop by and say hi to Rebecca!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Vita-Mix "magic"
The Vita-mix my parents got me for my birthday is amazing! It's like going from a turbo-prop plane to a 777... Wow!
I'm a 'still-in-treatment, recovering' perfectionist, so this new way of food preparation is, and shall be, challenging for me ~ for I want everything to turn out perfectly the first time (though my husband will testify that I have improved greatly over the years...). I'll be sharing as I learn new things!
Beautiful organic fruits ready to blend together in perfect harmony!
Before....
AFTER!
I'm a 'still-in-treatment, recovering' perfectionist, so this new way of food preparation is, and shall be, challenging for me ~ for I want everything to turn out perfectly the first time (though my husband will testify that I have improved greatly over the years...). I'll be sharing as I learn new things!
Beautiful organic fruits ready to blend together in perfect harmony!
Before....
AFTER! (less than 30 seconds of blending magic)
I have to put my smoothies together in the opposite order I'm used to ~ liquids first, soft ingredients and then the frozen fruit and ice...
Okay, let's try to make "rice" ice cream...
Okay, let's try to make "rice" ice cream...All this consists of is ~ rice milk, vanilla extract, sugar, tapioca flour and ice cubes.
Voila! ICE CREAM!
Voila! ICE CREAM!It was pretty tasty... Made it for the first time last night. Blaine had tried a few days earlier, but I wanted him to go for 'all the gusto' the first time and use brown rice syrup (trying to remove refined sugar from our diet) and almond milk (we realized, afterwards, no one is making commercial almond ice cream - hmmm). Well, it didn't 'freeze up' really good ~ kinda-sorta... It's going to take quite a bit of experimenting, but I don't mind. ;o)
Now, we need to make soup next! Stay tuned...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me!
Celebrating 44 years of life and living!
Flowers from Blaine
Two different "birds" in this picture... Can you identify them?
Elizabeth, Blaine and I at Alki Beach in West Seattle!
On the stairs at the beach
Elizabeth amongst the pigeons ~ they wouldn't scare off though. As soon as we walked away, they all "swooped" us!
Brrrrr, it's so cold ~ Starbucks all around!
Happy Birthday to me!
Elizabeth and I
Blaine and I
Blaine discovered the Great Harvest Bread Company in West Seattle makes gluten-free bread ~ cinnamon raisin. Yum!
Apricot Bliss cake at Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont
Nicholas and me!
Birthday balloon from Mom and Dad!
Gift from Blaine's parents...
Nicholas gave me a book about "greens" ~ and he's not a fan of veggies!
Elizabeth gave me the Ikea boxes I need to build a little nightstand in our bedroom ~ a place to put my books!
Oh happy day ~ and do you see the hiking socks Blaine got for me?!
Yay! :)
Benjamin and Kirstin gave me a 1 hour massage ~ I'm so excited!
And the biggest surprise: my parents gave me the Vita-Mix mixer I've really wanted, but didn't know when I'd be able to purchase it myself. So amazing! I'm still in shock and can't believe it's in my kitchen... Thank you ~ more than you can know!
Modeling my new mixer!
Look ~ it makes ice cream!
Nicholas' amazing flaming fingers!
All of us together celebrating my birthday!
My "silly" boy and I!
...with Benjamin and Kirstin
How does he do this?
Anybody want to play? Look, I have a monkey...
Brrrrr, it's so cold ~ Starbucks all around!
Happy Birthday to me!
Elizabeth and I
Blaine and I
Blaine discovered the Great Harvest Bread Company in West Seattle makes gluten-free bread ~ cinnamon raisin. Yum!
Apricot Bliss cake at Flying Apron Bakery in Fremont
Nicholas and me!
Birthday balloon from Mom and Dad!
Gift from Blaine's parents...
Nicholas gave me a book about "greens" ~ and he's not a fan of veggies!
Elizabeth gave me the Ikea boxes I need to build a little nightstand in our bedroom ~ a place to put my books!
Oh happy day ~ and do you see the hiking socks Blaine got for me?!
Yay! :)
Benjamin and Kirstin gave me a 1 hour massage ~ I'm so excited!
And the biggest surprise: my parents gave me the Vita-Mix mixer I've really wanted, but didn't know when I'd be able to purchase it myself. So amazing! I'm still in shock and can't believe it's in my kitchen... Thank you ~ more than you can know!
Modeling my new mixer!
Look ~ it makes ice cream!
Nicholas' amazing flaming fingers!
All of us together celebrating my birthday!
My "silly" boy and I!
...with Benjamin and Kirstin
How does he do this? Anybody want to play? Look, I have a monkey...
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