Baking Up a Storm

While Ryder took his nap today (which he is still taking right now), I got into a Suzie Homemaker mood and decided to bake.
I started dinner in the crock pot-a roast with lots of onions, carrots, potatoes, and RED MEAT-I put different spices in it as well as some Tony Roma's barbeque sauce-it's an experiment so we will see how it turns out.

I also made some from scratch banana bread. I got the recipe from a book my sister in law gave me called "Any Blonde Can Cook" (You can follow Katie's website by clicking here to Catch Up with the Cullens ). It was a big hit. The recipe is as follows:
Banana Bread
1/2 c oil
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c all-purpose flour
2 t. vanilla
1 t. baking SODA
1/2 t. salt
3-4 bananas, mashed

1) Cream oil and sugar until light and fluffy
2) Add eggs one at a time-beating completely
3) Sift flour, baking soda and salt
4) Mix into creamed mixture
5) Fold in the bananas and vanilla
6) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

**You can had chopped pecans if you like the extra crunch-just fold it in with the bananas and vanilla**

*A side note-I use splenda instead of sugar so it's sugar free and there aren't the extra calories from the sugar.*

I'll post the recipe to the blueberry muffins and sugar cookies, later.

My Grass is Green...is yours?

I guess its easy to forget, sometimes, what is most important to you. What you value most. What your priorities are. You remind yourself about what you love, but when things become mundane and predictable, it's easy to wonder what color the grass is in your neighbor's yard. Sitting here, watching Ryder sleep, my world is complete and wonderful and whole. I never want to forget this feeling, the way my sweet Widdle makes me feel.
I pray you don't forget what is important to you and what makes you smile. Your grass is just as green as mine, and mine as green as yours...sometimes it might be a different shade of green or kind of grass-but it's green:)

Baby Bowen

Recently, I learned that one of the women I have looked up to since I was a teenager was pregnant. (That makes her sound "old". but she isn't-she's only a few years older than me.) I just found out that she went into early labor at the end of January and had sweet baby Bowen 12 weeks early.
She and her husband have created a CaringBridge page to stay updated but she has been so busy (as any mom who has had a baby in the NICU can relate to) and has only been able to update a few times. Sweet baby boy has had his good days and his not so good days. He has grown some but is still struggling and needs some prayers. If you could please take a moment and lift up Baby B and his mommy and daddy right now, I know it would be greatly appreciated. I know that his blood gas levels are a prayer request as well as gas in his belly from his C PAP and also his PDA.
Baby Bowen, though I haven't met him yet, is a precious new life that I am absolutely in love with already and hope that you will take a minute to lift him up to God in your thoughts and prayers today.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!!!

Today is my grandma's birthday and I want the world to know it!!!!! She has been an amazing grandmother to me these past 25 years and an amazing great-grandma to baby bear these past 8 1/2 months.
Grandma, we love you!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This Week

Well, I started classes last week. The first 5 days were an introduction to the school, how to study, the stresses of nursing classes and basically, how not to fail out. Yesterday was my first day of Microbiology and Anatomy and Physiology I. It's definitely going to be hard for me. I have to stay on top of reading and studying because sciences never came as easily to me as other courses. But, I am so excited about nursing school!!!!! (yes, I know you're not supposed to start a sentence with the word 'but'.)
Today was a pajama day for Ryder and mommy. He started daycare last Wednesday and though he only goes on days I have class, I still feel very torn about leaving him with someone else. I know he's having fun and is in very good, very capable hands but I still feel like I'm the one who should be home with him. I mean, I'm his mommy. If I had stuck with nursing at Samford, I might be able to stay home more with him now. Then again, if I had stuck with nursing, I might not be where I am now-and I LOVE where I am now. As we were playing tonight, Ryder put my finger in his mouth to chew on. PEOPLE--- WE HAVE A THIRD TOOTH!!!! He hasn't been too fussy so I didn't think about it. But, then again, he's been in daycare and I haven't really seen him during the day. I am soooo excited and sad at the same time. My baby is growing up. He isn't the same little boy I brought home almost 9 months ago.
Anyway, I'm going back to bed...it's 1:30 and I have to be able to function tomorrow. Ryder is pretty demanding ;)

How my baby calls out to me to come get him in the morning...

PS-he's fighting off a pretty big cold right now-from being in daycare and getting a tooth-so if you want to send up a quick, little prayer for him, we would all appreciate it. :)

Love and Respect

Tonight was not only the launch of our Saturday night service at Coastline Church, but it was the first sermon in the Love and Respect series. The foundational verse for this series is Ephesians 5:21 "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." The bible asks that the husband and wife submit to each other-it's a mutual submission-just as we submit our lives to Christ. The husband is the Christ figure in a marriage and the wife is Christ's bride.
That image really sunk in tonight. I am to look to Pat, my husband, as the leader of my home and I am supposed to respect him as that. He does so much for me and my baby boy, to make sure that we are okay. He gets up every morning and goes to work to make sure we have the money to live. He puts food on our table and pays all our bills.

Thank you, baby. I love you.

Project 365

I think I've given up Project 365...With school and everything going on, I don't think I can keep up:(

Sorrypro