experiencing life in your yoga pants.

With each one of your children, you only get a short season of sowing. As a mother, you have to capitalize on the opportunities that the season brings. Your time is now. This opportunity won't come around again with your child. Life is continuing to march on, one way or the other. You might feel like you are missing out on the excitement. You might feel like the world is passing you by as you rarely get showered and dressed before noon because you are busy caring for your baby. Let me assure you that you are experiencing LIFE. You are experiencing true life in its most beautiful form right there in your yoga pants. It's not exactly how you dreamed it would be, is it? You might not realize it yet, but these days of your life will be the most influential days that you will ever have!

Your time is now, dear mother. Don't miss it.

-Kathleen Nelson, Motherhood, The Heart of a Mother

five days....

the dunham diner.

menu tonight was burgers, sweet potato fries, & homemade frosties...


our new thing is english muffins instead of buns. amazing. now on to hulu & bed. night night.

windows.

turkey bran meatballs

my little lady is hilarious. her various antics have practically brought me to tears this week. do any other mamas wish they had a video camera built into their forehead to capture it all? i really do.


this is moments after taking a try of one of her favorites...turkey meatballs! she (usually) enjoys sitting in her high chair and watching me cook. i try to tell her everything that i am doing out loud. she babbles along with me and enjoys playing/banging with various kitchen utensils and snacking on cheerios or cheese. little d. has always been a great eater. she has a couple things she won't eat: 1-avocado...maybe because she consumed one a day for almost 4 months and got extremely sick of them? and 2-potatoes....not sweet, not regular, not mashed ONLY if they are french and fried does she care for them. otherwise, she eats it all...favoring broccoli, beans, oat bran, and every single fruit and also enjoying randomness like hummus, shrimp, rice, curry and even cod liver oil. ew. i am so blessed. anyways...protein is hard for the little ones. i have heard it from a lot of moms. until reagan stopped drinking breast milk i wasn't too concerned about it as she was drinking the super food of all super foods. but since last month when she was weaned, i have especially tried to amp up the protein. she tends to like turkey the most and so i have made these delicious, easy meatballs a couple of times. we all love them.

 kd's turkey bran meatballs.

1 small onion grated
4 cloves of garlic
1 egg 1/3 c oat bran (or oatmeal ground up in a blender/coffee grinder)
4 squirts of ketchup
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley or a couple of tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 c parmesan or pecorino romano or both (that's what i like to do)
salt & pepper to taste
1 package of ground turkey (trader joe's and target's usually come in 1 and 1/2 pound packages)


blend everything together except the meat in a large bowl. add meat. form into whatever size meatballs you enjoy...i like them bite size. bake at 375 for about 25-35 minutes (depends on size) on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil. enjoy alone, on a sandwich, or with tomato sauce and spaghetti!

michigan part II: the greatest new years eve everrrrrr

for months and months we looked forward to this day for a plethora of reasons. one-nobody throws a party like amanda's family and I mean nobody. two-the incredible michigan state university basketball coach, tom izzo, would be there. jd was determined to talk to him and guess what people...he did! so proud. three-we would have an amazing babysitter(thanks nans!) four-amanda would be a knock out bride... and so fun and so relaxed. being in her bridal party was such a blessing. I loved every minute. five-my ladies would be together after a tough year of many, difficult trials. I am so proud of all of you. still pray for you all the time and so thankful we could reunite and celebrate. I miss you.

cling to hope

softly I announce My presence.

shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance.  though I have all Power in heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you.  the weaker you are, the more gently I approach you.  let your weakness be a door to My presence.  whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present help.  

hope in Me, and you will be protected from depression and self-pity.  hope is like a golden cord connecting you to heaven.  the more you cling to this cord, the more I bear the weight of your burdens; thus, you are lightened.  heaviness is not of my kingdom.  cling to hope, and My rays of Light will reach you through the darkness.

psalm 46.1 romans 12.12 romans 15.13

devotional for january 8, jesus calling, sarah young

michigan part I: reunited

her first valutis Christmas, new word = doggie, cruising on her feet, built her first snowman, loves her nana, yiayia, but most of all schooner! her mom & dad relaxed...didn't really lift a finger. best friends, late nights, great food, good chats...my heart is aching for Michigan.