This is what my life looks like these days. . .

- My Brother's 19th Birthday Celebration

- Christmas Lists and Christmas Shopping (here's hoping we can be all finished by Dec. 1!)

- Cory and my first date (without Henry) in 7 months! Henry stayed with my parents and we had supper and a late night movie. We talked about our little bean but spent plenty of time enjoying each other's company. We had a great time despite the (nearly) hilariously horrible food and service and movie. Ha.

- Cleaning and Reorganizing as we prepare to cozy up for the winter. I have three closets being used super inefficiently. I haven't organized yet but it's been stewing for awhile

- Running errands: the Library, the grocery store, etc

- An accidental Fabric Shopping and Coffee with all the girls and no babies. Kate and I have been doing some grocery shopping the evenings after our babies are in bed. Last week we joined three other girlfriends for some fabric store shopping and then followed it up by too many giggles at Starbucks (if you haven't tried Starbucks new Salty Caramel Hot Chocolate drop everything you are doing right now and run to your closest Starbucks. I'm serious.)

- Aquafit with Henry on Mondays. Except for today, Henry is getting over a cold. Which brings me to my next point. . .

- Cory and Henry are getting over colds. So Chicken Noodle Soup is simmering, yet again, on my stove top.

- Cory has been successfully completing his accounting tests (and therefore has been studying A LOT) as well as a promotion at work (which has also kept him very busy).

- Organizing my digital photos on my computer. I threw in a couple of my favourite pictures of my boys just for kicks :)

Fall Ya'll!!

Tuesday was my first official taste of fall. I started the day by going for a walk with Kate, her 9 day old Matty, and my Henry. We went for a short walk during which something very peculiar happened. A few teenagers were walking just behind us when one of them said something.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

Was he addressing me?? I'm a ma'am??? Doesn't he know that I still feel like a fifteen year old. Doesn't he know that I'm still in my early to middleish twenties?? I fully appreciate the respect he was trying to show me, but I'm not a ma'am. Not in my heart. Am I?

Anyway, we arrived home, ate lunch outside on the picnic table (ah, glorious sunny fall days!). Kate went into her home to feed Matty and Henry and I decided to walk some more. We did a big round, along the canal, under the bridge and back. I walked hard most of the way - I even got a good sweat going on. It was great.

When Henry and I got home, he caught up on his napping while I attempted to steam some carrots for Henry's supper. I don't have a proper steamer so I rigged up this contraption.

It worked just fine. It took a little longer because the lid didn't seal all the steam in.

I decided to freeze it using my ice cube trays.



This was his reaction.

I think he liked it. No?

This morning I'm driving my man to the airport. He has some away business in Toronto, so I'm staying the night at my parent's home.

In between driving Cory to the airport and leaving for my parents I'm attending an accountability/encouragement meeting/Bible study with Kate and two other close friends (and Moms). We have often talked about meeting together purposefully but it took Johannah putting together a series of questions, emailing them to us, and then setting a date to get us together.

I hope you all have a great day! It's fall ya'll!!!!!

On My Stovetop

Ah, chicken soup! Fragrant, inviting, filling the kitchen, wafting out into the dining room, its invisible curls of scent reach every room and beckons to come and taste it, welcoming any visitor with its aroma. Culinary poetry, it can be as mystic and pure in its simplicity as a haiku, as philosophical as Goethe or as detailed as an epic.

Chicken soup invokes nostalgic memories of childhood - perhaps a mother or grandmother preparing it for the family or for someone suffering from yet another cold or bout of influenza. It is balsam to the heart and eating a bowl of it feels cared for, cozy and healthy. It is the ultimate comfort food.

*Read More Here*

Chicken Soup bubbled on my stove top all day Monday. My Mom's recipe. The perfect medicine for a windy, rainy, and frigid day. For my sick husband. For my sister-in-law.

I just love to see colourful vegetables chopped up and sitting in a pot, waiting to be turned into something that will fill empty tummies. I decided today that Chicken Soup, on the right day, is tied for first with bread in the oven for kitchen smells.

Tuesday

Tuesday was filled with visiting my Oma at the hospital, 40% off coupons at Michael's, diaper sales at Walmart, a knitting problem solved, errands, a successful new recipe, a sippy baby, and a new router resulting in Internet that works!

My Mom picked up Henry and I in the morning and we went to cheer up my Oma at the hospital. Henry was a real encouragement to her - little ones bring so much joy. She is healing well, but is a little confused - your prayers are still coveted!

After our visit we had a quick lunch at Ikea and then headed next door to Michael's where I used my 40% off coupons to get frames and matting for two prints I've been holding onto for awhile. Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures - I'll be sure to post photo's of them hanging in my kitchen.

Ifirst saw the print of the old man hanging in the home of my sister in law, Melissa. To me it speaks of simplicity. Contentedness. Faith in God's provision. When I found these two prints hidden in the back of a box, on the floor, at our local Christian bookstore, and discovered they cost six dollars and change I knew it was a gift to me from God. I had been waiting to receive the 40% off coupons that come regularly in the mail to purchase frames and matting for these prints. They needed to be properly and simply displayed. They'll hang over my kitchen table - I can hardly wait to put them up!

Afterwards we went to Walmart for some sale items, then to Yarn Forward as my Mom had a quick question about her knitting project. A quick jaunt to the Library, a stop at the grocery store and we were finally home around 4 o'clock.

We prepared a very yummy supper that was appreciated by all. My sister-in-law and best friend Kate gave me the recipe and it is a DEFINITE keeper. I'll be sure to post the recipe later today. MMMM

Henry is just a few days shy of being 5 months old. I was determined to hold out until after 6 months to introduce anything other then breast milk into his diet. However, this boy is desperate for food! Being in the 95th percentile for his length, I'm wondering if this big boy needs some more sustenance earlier then the average baby. Today we introduced a sippy cup filled with water and he LOVED it. I think the cold water felt nice on his gums and he was happy to have something a little different in his mouth and tummy. I'm thinking I may start rice cereal after the labour day weekend. He's crying after nursing sometimes and I think he's still hungry. He's definitely been upping my milk supply as he had been nursing very often over the past week.

Cory and my Dad spent the evening hooking up a new router (not as easy as it seemed) - I am sure happy to have my Internet connection back and working properly!

Today is a sewing day - I'll be sure to post and even include pictures if I'm successful!

Have a blessed day!

As of late. . .

Saturday was a day full of grocery shopping, cooking in the kitchen, and then enjoying the fruit of our labours. My dear friend Jo had a Girls Gourmet Lantern Party for her Birthday. It was a fabulous evening of fellowship, food, babies, and fun. Most of our husbands went up to the 'Man Loft' and left us girlies to indulge ourselves. You can see some beautiful pictures of our evening here. I'll post my Shrimp in Fresh Tomato-Mango Salsa and Cream Cheese Raspberry Torte recipe this week.

Isaiah on the left and Henry on the right.

Sunday we had Cory's family over after worship for pancakes, fried ham and bacon, with fresh raspberries and Mains' family maple syrup! We had just enough time to make and enjoy some homemade ice cream before heading off to evening worship.

My Homemade Ice Cream Appliances

Monday my mom came over for the day. Henry had a doctor's appointment - he's now in the 50th percentile for weight and the 95th for length! He's a tall young lad, but what else can be expected when your papa is 6'5?? We ran some errands, I squeezed in a little sewing lesson, we visited, ate, and talked some more. Later on in the afternoon my Mom and I prepared the Ham, Potatoes and Zucchini (a little change in my menu plan!). We enjoyed supper together once Dad and Cory both filed in from their long days at work. It was a full and fun day.

Today it is back to routine - I'm going to clean the all the floors in my home, scour the bathroom and enjoy my little man. Later in the evening my girlfriend Faye will stop by for a quick cup of tea and some catching up!

Have a good day!

Wonderful Ordinary

Henry slept from 10:30pm - 7:00am!!!!! I nursed him at 7:00am, he went back to sleep until 10am, while I made a beef stew because I had leftover round steak from my Ginger Fried Beef night. Even though it's the summer, beef stew ended up being the perfect meal because it was just enough to feed us as well as to put away a portion to send to a family in need. Also, it's been raining and thunder storming today - and beef stew is great cozy comfort food.



The rest of the day was filled with folding and putting away all our laundry, ironing my husbands clothes, visiting with my brother who spent the night. Visiting with my sister-in-law who lives in the apartment below us, washing dishes, tidying our bedroom, and making some phone calls.



Also, I went for a nice long walk (just before the rain really came down) with Henry in his fancy shmancy backpack carrier. My sister-in-law, Kate, and I both bought one at the same time at a consignment store for close to half price. I purchased with the assurance that if a few months from now I didn't like it, or didn't use it, I could return it for a full refund. Henry liked the view from the pack, and I liked that I didn't have to try to park my stroller outside while I browsed the tinsy downtown shops, or squeeze in between stalls at the market, and through crowds. I have to say, for a pack that looks so large and heavy, it is amazingly light and comfortable, and if you like to hike or shop in crowds and tinsy stores I'd highly recommend it! The picture below doesn't show it, but it comes with a canopy to protect my little one from the weather, as well as a detachable backpack.

Well - my honey just walked in the door and I have yet to set the table!!

Blessings!

PS - any advice for teething babies??? Poor Henry

A Little Bit of Energy

Henry is almost 100% recovered from his cold, and I'm just out of the thick of it.

I had a little bit of energy today so, after Cory brought home our groceries (we usually enjoy shopping for groceries together, but since I was sick he offered to go for me - so sweet!) and we started to put them away I decided to reorganize my pantry cupboards. The baking and cooking ingredients were all mixed up, and I had plastic packages that needed to be emptied into their respective jars. Food items, or anything really, are so much prettier and healthier in jars rather than plastic.

Here is my before pantry cupboards (part way through the job)

And here is the after. . .

Much better.

After that I went through all my shoes and divided them into "keep". "second-hand", and "garbage" piles. I've been promising Cory I'd do this for a long time now. I was ruthless and he was happy.

Finally, my desk in the kitchen was getting a little out of hand. . .


20 minutes later. . .

I am slowly realizing that some of the jobs I put off really only take a few extra minutes, and the results are always so satisfying.

I think Cory and I are going to go for a small walk and have an easy breakfast supper tonight (he's craving breakfast sausage with friend onions and I'm not complaining!!).

Have a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow!