Here’s my second born, Molly. She’s such a monkey—always climbing on things and is very athletic. She’s very quiet so you wouldn’t really expect her to be literally bouncing off (or more in this case, hanging from) the walls. But that’s the thing with Molly—very mysterious and complex for a four year old 
I love this photo of Lauryn! It’s so “her.” It’s bright and colorful….it’s moving very fast….she’s thrilled and yet she’s thoughtful enough to notice me standing there with the camera
I use to joke with a friend of mine about him being a tea snob. I knew I was on my way to being one also after he and his wife got me started on Montana Tea & Spice Trading Company teas. I recently informed them that I am now officially a tea snob as well.
Now, about coffee snobishness…..I used to wonder what it was about coffee that people loved so much. I liked coffee. Well, I liked the sugar and cream that you get to put in coffee. However in recent years a true appreciation for the actual coffee has been growing in me. I started to be able to tell the difference between burnt coffee at church and Starbucks (I know, that seems obvious but with so much cream and sugar…it was hard to tell)
I came across this great website that explains the true meaning of tea/coffee snob. Being a tea snob or a coffee snob doesn’t mean you think you’re better than other people because you know more about something than they do but it’s that you have a passion for something.
Well that sounds kind of pathetic to have a passion for a hot beverage but some of you know what I’m talking about.
This site tells you how to be an expert coffee cupper (or coffee taster) and tells you all about different kinds of coffee and tea. It is very fun for those of us who are a little obsessed. Coffee snobishness, here I come!
When each of our four girls were born they pretty much all looked the same. As they grew they began to take on their very own distinct looks about them. Now the older three look quite different from each other.
Lauryn is blonde and blue, Molly is brown and brown, Jenna is blonde and hazel….we’ll see what Gloria’s eyes decide to do but so far has pretty dark hair. In fact Gloria looks A LOT like Molly when she was a baby! Here—see for yourself!
1. The words “Natural” or “Organic”
Seriously—those words are like magnets. If one catches my eye I must stop and read. And if I’m in Whole Foods Market….whoa! Sensory overload!
2. Anything pink and sparkly or gold and gaudy
I think having little girls has re-awakened this in me.
3. Coffee cups
I always think I need more.
4. Health books and magazines
I’ll admit it—I’m a sucker for articles that claim you can lose 10lbs in a week.
5. Beth Moore Bible studies
I have yet to finish one but I LOVE starting them!
I’ve had lentils on the brain for a few months now and have tried a few recipes but I have a problem…they don’t taste good. I can’t figure it out—I like lots of “yucky” stuff that other people don’t like. I can pretty much trick myself into liking anything if I know it’s good for me. Lentils, however have been giving me a difficult time.
I am not giving up. I WILL find a way to like you, you little dry, flavorless, mushy pebbles of yuck!
Well after all that….haha…..I made some that were decent. It’s the third recipe I’ve tried….and the only one that was good so far.
Anybody have any good ideas or recipes? My friend told me about a delicious one that used bacon. Now, I can see how that would be good but since we don’t eat bacon….I need vegetarian lentil recipes I guess.
I used black beluga lentils. I put them in the crock pot with some carrots and green beans (kind of a lot of carrots and green beans)
I also put a few (okay like ten) garlic cloves in there.
I added a beef bullion cube (this is what I like to call an unhealthy but quite necessary ingredient—U.Q.N.—you’ll see these in other recipes)
When it was done (not much more than 2 hours….I think)
I sautéed some red onions in butter (U.Q.N.) and
Chopped some fresh parsley and
Crumbled some Queso Fresco—but you probably can’t get that up in the U.S. so you can maybe use goat cheese or feta.
I didn’t but should have put some avocado slices on top—that would have been yummy!
It was quite delicilous (no that’s not a typo–that’s my word) and very healthy. Well….except for those U.Q.N.s in there. I’m a big believer in “A teaspoon of sugar helps the medicine go down.” Actually, no….I don’t believe in much medicine and sugar is never good for you so let me change it to “A teaspoon of ranch dressing helps the celery go down.”
Here’s the colorful finished product!
Gloria's Chubalubs
No, not mine….at least not in this post.
My Dear Aunt Patty made an interesting observation a few years ago. Here’s how our conversation went:
“These are cute, right? On her…they’re cute.” Said Aunt Patty as she pinched Jenna’s chubby legs between her fingers.
“Uh…yes?” I said.
“Then why aren’t they cute on ME?” She asked.
“And also…it’s okay if the baby gets up in the middle of the night to eat, right?” I nod. “Then it’s okay for me to get up in the middle of the night for a few oreos?”
I often remember this and laugh when I look at my baby’s squishy thighs. And when DOES it stop being cute? And why?
I love you Aunt P!
My Aunt Patty
My upstairs neighbor is almost 30 weeks pregnant but has been having some problems. At one point the baby’s heart rate was low, at another her blood pressure was high. I’m not clear on exactly what the problem is but she is supposed to be on bed rest. (I’ve requested prayer for her on Facebook—just wanted to update those of you who had been praying.)
A few days ago she asked if we could watch her little one year old while she and her husband went to the doctor. They were gone from 8am to almost 5pm.
I was a little nervous about having 5 under 5 for the whole day but it was actually really fun. And the only reason it wasn’t difficult was because Lauryn was such a HUGE help. She really was the babysitter.
Here’s a poem I read on a friends blog. It’s a good reminder for this stage of life.
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,Lullaby, rockabye, lullaby loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peek-a-boo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby lullaby loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton
