The Finn Family

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars (or, an even better no-bake cookie!)

2012-02-01T16:33:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know that I perpetually struggle with no-bake cookies. You know, the yummy oats/peanut butter/chocolate cookie? The one you mix together in a saucepan on your stove and then drop onto wax/parchment paper? No baking required? So easy, right?

Yeah, I can never get it right. Inevitably they turn out gooey, greasy, and looking remarkably like poo. They still taste good, once you roll them off the paper or just take a spoon to the pan. No matter what, they REFUSE to harden or set for me! I have tried different tactics, boiling the ingredients for a certain amount of time before adding the oats, boiling the oats with the ingredients, etc. Nothing. Just add it to the list of things I cannot make (like a pretty omelet or pancake. It's not possible. Must be my [lack of] flipping skills).

Recently when I was reading one of my favorite blogs, www.moneysavingmom.com, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars. They intrigued me (I have made several different versions of homemade granola bars, by the way), and so I made a pan last week. And ate them by myself in a couple of days. I just made another pan yesterday and it is already gone! Nathan tried one Sunday afternoon after asking what was in them. "Peanut butter, oats, chocolate...kind of like no-bake cookies," I told him. After tasting them, he confirmed that they tasted A LOT like no-bake cookies--but better! I have linked to the original recipe below (that's a picture of the bars from the original source), but here's the way I adapted it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter (I use unsalted, but salted would give a good contrast to the sweetness)
2-3 TBS wheat germ
1 cup + 2-3 TBS whole oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a saucepan on the stove, melt butter together with the peanut butter and honey, stirring until they are well mixed. Remove from heat and stir in wheat germ and oats.* Allow to cool and stir in chocolate chips--or stir in chocolate chips immediately for a more consistent chocolatey taste (I can't ever wait long enough). Line an 8x8 pan with aluminum foil, turn mixture out onto aluminum foil and press flat. Refrigerate bars until set, at which point you can cut them into bars or squares. Keep in the refrigerator for 'harder' bars; they will be soft if left at room temperature.
*The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut, which I do not like. Instead I use a little more wheat germ and whole oats. You could add in something else as well.

You should try these out--I bet you won't make just one pan!! PS--look at how little sugar they have compared to no-bake cookies! That's my favorite part.

Source: themarathonmom.com via Leah on Pinterest

A bath full of Kryptonite

2012-01-31T20:24:00.002-05:00

I found this idea from a friend, who found it on Pinterest, of course :-) Georgia and Baxter each received a glowstick in their Christmas stockings, and as a special treat, the night after Christmas they got to take a bath in the dark with their glowsticks. They had so much fun, and could have played until the water was cold as ice! The glowsticks turned the bathwater a greenish color, so we joked that it was Kryptonite.

Date taken: December 26, 2011

Christmas Day finery

2012-01-21T15:46:00.000-05:00

My beautiful children, dressed up in their 'fancy clothes' for Christmas Day worship service at FBCD.

see the black and white dress? yes, that is the closest I got to a picture of the two sisters together :-)

When did she get so big?

Him too? He has taken to "smiling" like this for most pictures. I am afraid that is a little early to start with the weird poses, but oh well. See the toy clutched in his hand too? That's not unusual.

I know she's mine, but wow, she's beautiful

Unlike her brother, Eleanor has no problems cheesing it up for the camera (see pictures below!)

As I mentioned before, Nathan preached on Christmas morning at our church, so if you are interested, here is Nathan's sermon.

Christmas morning--opening presents!

2012-01-21T15:22:00.000-05:00

On Christmas morning, our church had just a worship service at 11 a.m., so we had plenty of time to unwrap presents before leaving to celebrate Christ's birth with our church family! We always enjoy being with our extended family at Christmastime, but we loved the change of pace of staying here with just us on Christmas morning, and being able to share in the joy of Christ's birth with our church body. Nathan preached the sermon on Christmas day as well, which was an honor and blessing for us! Here are a few pictures of our time before church on Christmas Day!

Our tree, which I LOVE! It's narrow so it doesn't take up a lot of space, and the colored lights are large and fun and, well, colorful--perfect for the eclectic set of ornaments we put on it every year!

I am not a big 'coordinate my wrapping paper' kind of person, but what I had on hand was red and white, and I love it...so when I bought wrapping paper after Christmas, I bought more red and white patterns. There will be different papers and bows, but the same color scheme in wrapping :-)

Waiting to dive in!

Diving in...before he realized that he needed to be able to read the tags, he couldn't just guess which present went where :-)

I am the oldest of four children, and in my family we would always separate out the gifts into piles, and then we would go around the room and take turns opening the gifts. This started because one year we all dove into unwrapping gifts at the same time, and my mom never figured out which grandparent gave a couple of the gifts. That drove her crazy, and so we had to take turns and watch others opening gifts. It can be tedious, but I love how it shows the kids even in this small way that the Christmas gifts are not all for them--others are receiving gifts, too, and we must show kindness and love by watching them open their gifts and rejoicing in what they have received as well.

Baxter's 'pile'--we keep it simple, because they get lots of gifts elsewhere :-)

Georgia guarding her stash

This is a Phillips (and now Finn) family tradition--taking a picture of each family member with their Christmas presents. It helps preserve a record of what they received each year. They aren't always the prettiest pictures, but it is a tradition!

Georgia with her play kitchen, measuring cups, books and other toys

Baxter with his Star Wars figurines, Hot Wheels, books and other toys

Eleanor with her books, teething rings, and Mommy's candy bar :-)

All aboard the Polar Express Van!

2012-01-21T14:46:00.002-05:00

I read this idea online somewhere (I posted about it on Facebook but don't want to scroll all the way back to November/December to find it now:-), and knew that we had to incorporate into our Christmas traditions. My big kids love the movie "The Polar Express", and so the Friday before Christmas they found two tickets in their Advent Calendar admitting them to the "Polar Express Van" to see Christmas lights. They wore their pajamas, slippers and bathrobes like the kids in the movie. I did not serve hot chocolate or any treats, because I wanted them to sleep when we returned, but it was still a magical time! If you can't tell by the huge grins on their faces, they loved every minute of it.

Excited about going on the Polar Express

Tickets!!

Daddy is the conductor who punches the tickets!

Unlike the movie, though, he did not punch the tickets behind his back :-)

The kids got punches that matched their age--5 for Georgia and 3 for Baxter. Daddy punched the tickets again when they got off the train, I mean, van

Below are shots of some of the lights we saw in Wake Forest. We did not drive all over town, but chose just a few neighborhood to 'hit'--and that was fine. The kids were thrilled with ANY kind of Christmas lights, even just a simple strand around a porch or in a tree. They delighted in the bigger displays too. It was a magical, memory-making, fun time with the kids that I look forward to repeating next year.

Date taken: December 23, 2011

More 'trash truck' pictures

2012-01-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

Our recycling truck driver (aka trash truck drive) is so cool in letting the kids operate his truck that we had to give him Christmas goodies. I was on a 'pumpkin scone making' kick before Christmas, so we put those in a tin and the kids eagerly awaited his arrival to give him the treats. Of course, after thanking the kids, he let them push the buttons!

Baxter's got the scones!

Georgia gets to push the button

Now it's Baxter's turn!

Jeff (yes, that's his name, I finally learned it!) is so very gracious and kind to the kids. After Christmas when we were (of course) waiting outside for him to come by, he stopped and got out of the truck. He was driving someone else's truck, he told me, and the buttons didn't work. With my permission, he wanted to put the kids in the passenger side of the truck and let them operate the levers to move the 'arm'. I of course said yes, and the kids got the huge treat of sitting in the truck! I didn't get any pictures because I was too busy watching their joy. We feel greatly blessed to have such a kind man who makes the rounds in our neighborhood.

Date taken: December 22, 2011

Christmas Trains!!

2012-01-21T10:09:00.000-05:00

Less than a mile from our house is a little 'hole in the wall' restaurant called The Border. It's the sort of place that opens at 4 a.m. and closes shortly after lunch. The waitresses call everyone "sugar" and "sweetie", their breakfasts are yummy and greasy and cheap, and you just might stick a little to your seat or table...but that's okay. The owner/operator loves trains, and puts a lot of time and effort into his front window train display at Christmas time. So one of our Christmas 'treats' was eating breakfast at The Border and watching the trains! Baxter and Georgia loved watching them race through the villages, and getting to blow the train whistle :-) Eleanor enjoyed it as well, though she really wanted to get down and crawl on the floor and I wouldn't let her.

Date taken: December 22, 2011

Pics from my IPod

2012-01-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

My Christmas present this year was an IPod touch. I have had a lot of fun using it to listen to music, write notes, send messages, watch videos and more! One of the fun features of the IPod touch is its camera. I promise I have still been (occasionally) taking pictures with my real camera, but with three busy littles it is easy to snap a shot with my IPod. So here for you are a few pictures from the IPod for you to see. Some were taken with just the IPod camera while others were taken using Instagram, which gives you different filters and frames for your photos. Enjoy these shots of our everyday life from the past three weeks or so!

Finn Family Photo Shoot December 2011

2012-01-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

Shortly before Christmas, my wonderful friend Kim took pictures of our family outside an abandoned warehouse here in Wake Forest. The sun was setting, the light was beautiful and the kids had a lot of fun exploring the overgrown field and the warehouse. I love how Kim captures little details of our family, like Eleanor's feet, or all three of us girls wrinkling our noses. Though I will admit that three littles can be overwhelming at times, I LOVE parenting my kiddos. These pictures have beautifully captured this adventuresome, joyful stage of life! Thanks to Kim--check out her website for more photos and her fun photo cards, perfect for notecards and invitations.

Finnlings' take on the BCS game at OneTrueMedia.com

2012-01-09T19:04:00.001-05:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Decorating with Window Clings

2012-01-06T16:31:00.001-05:00

For fun, we bought Christmas gel window clings and let the kids put them up on our window. They spelled out "Christmas", "Noel" and "Navidad"...but the kids rearranged them to spell whatever they wanted. This seemed like a good idea, until one of them fell or the kids put it on the windowsill and it stained my windowsill red! So, we won't be doing that again. It was fun while it lasted.

you had to be very careful peeling them off the backing paper--I love the way they concentrated

This is pure sweetness to me.

Eleanor couldn't help, but she watched while eating her breakfast. Love the yogurt mouth!

Date taken: December 15, 2011

Wake Forest Christmas Parade

2012-01-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

As much as we enjoy Christmas activities, it has been FOUR years since we last attended a Christmas parade (see the blog post about it here). Either our schedules didn't work, or we were out of town, or the weather was nasty. This December, it was beautiful weather to be outside watching the parade. We ate lunch in downtown Wake Forest and then simply walked out of the restaurant to watch the parade. Everyone enjoyed it--what's not to love about a parade?

Date taken: December 10, 2011

Cookie Decorating at the Library

2012-01-06T15:56:00.001-05:00

One of our fun activities in December was attending a Cookie Decorating Party at our local library! We love going to the weekly storytimes there, and this was a storytime PLUS a fun activity. Ms. Louise read a few books, and then we got down to the business of decorating cookies. My kids had so much fun putting icing on their graham crackers, and playing with different toppings (eating a lot in the process). Eleanor was a jewel, just sitting on the floor watching everyone else. I am so thankful for a local library branch that took the time to put this together for our children! Many memories were made and much sugar was consumed.

Can you see the cracker under there? This wasn't G or B's, but another little girl at their table. It was MASSIVE!!

Date taken: December 7, 2011

11

2012-01-06T07:45:00.000-05:00

Eleven seems like a rather ordinary number. Kind of plain, repetitive, nothing too special.

But today it is very special. Today, 11 stands for the number of years Nathan and I have been married. Eleven years that the Lord has seen fit to give us, to grow us, to make us more into his likeness as we learn to love Christ and each other more. Eleven years filled with romance, laughter, tears, joy, passion, sadness, tough decisions, pregnancies, jobs, dirty diapers, loud children, craziness and more. Words cannot begin to express how daily I am blessed by my husband. I thought I loved him a lot when we got married--but I love him so much more now. I thought I knew him well five years ago, but our friendship and companionship is so much deeper now. The growth in our marriage does not come in any way from ourselves, but from Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith and the foundation of our marriage. Happy Anniversary, Nathan! I love you so much more than simple words can express, and I look forward to many, many more years of this marriage journey with you.

photos courtesy of kd316

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

Just for fun, read our story, and see my seventh, eighth, and ninth anniversary posts. Eleanor was born right before our tenth, so there is no post about that. She was our tenth anniversary present :-)

Scones

2012-01-05T21:32:00.000-05:00

I have recently found that on days when I do not feel well, I want scones. I don't know why that is, but no one in the Finn household is complaining :-) Today I made Strawberry & Rosemary Scones, and that recipe plus links to two others is below. Scones seem like they would be a lot of work, but I have found that using the food processor makes a huge difference--it just 'pulses' everything together in record time. Also, most scones call for being rolled out and then cut into wedges, and that is the "traditional" method. However, as you may remember from my previous post about biscuits, I HATE rolling and cutting. Instead I just drop the dough, and with the strawberry-rosemary scones, I flatten them out with my fingers. Easy-peasy. Scones can be served with clotted cream or Devonshire cream, but these three recipes are just perfect without that! Enjoy!!

Strawberry & Rosemary Scones (We were served these at the wonderful Bed and Breakfast at Peace Hill--thanks, Mike and Tanya!)

2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 t salt
6 T unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 c heavy cream
1/3 c strawberry jam

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt & butter. Use a food processor to pulse the butter into the mix. Gradually add the cream to the food processor until the mixture forms a dough. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours (the dough will be sticky if you don't).

Option 1 for preparing the scones--Roll the dough into a 1/2 inch thick, 10-inch circle. Use a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, dip in flour, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on prepared baking sheet. Option 2 for preparing the scones--Drop large spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and flatten a little with your fingers.

Using 1/2 t measuring spoon dipped in flour, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a 1/2 t of jam into each indentation. Bake for 13 min or until the edges are golden brown.

Two other scone recipes that I enjoy and have used:

Butterscotch Drop Scones

And this scone recipe I found on Pinterest--I've made it many times this fall!

Source: sweetpeaskitchen.com via Leah on Pinterest

Christmas letter 2011

2011-12-24T20:00:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011 brought some wonderful changes to the Finn household. On January 3, 2011, Eleanor Ruth Finn madeher appearance in our world and our family grew to FIVE! We did not learn her gender before her birth, so the announcement "It's a girl!" was an overwhelming joy that day. Baxter and Georgia quickly took to her, loving on her and trying to help take care of her. Spring of 2011 gave us a lot of chances to adjust to life with three littles. Baxter and Georgia took swim lessons to prepare them for some summer travels, and Nathan taught a full load of classes at the seminary. After the spring semester was completed, Nathan traveled to South Asia for a mission trip. His time overseas was fruitful and encouraging to him, the students he traveled with, and the workers that he met while there. Right after he returned, we drove to Florida for our first ever Finn Family Beach Trip. We stayed for a week in St. Augustine with Nathan's parents and brother, sister-in-law and their daughter. The kids loved the time at the beach and the pool, and especially time with extended family! We decided to add an inflatable pool (big enough for all the kids, and for grownups who are sitting down) to our backyard to beat the heat and provide some summertime fun. Before the summer ended, we took a trip to Edisto Island for a getaway for just the five of us, which was fun. The fall flew by, as Nathan taught a large number of students and Leah took her first class in years (an online class at SEBTS). Birthdays abound in the fall, with Baxter's birthday in September and Georgia's and Leah's in October. The Finns celebrated Thanksgiving with friends here in North Carolina, and started potty-training Baxter around the same time as well. The Christmas season has been a time filled with parties, decorations, fun activities and eager anticipation of Christmas Day. We enjoy celebrating the fun of the holiday season while also participating in Advent, the season if longing and anticipation of Christ's coming to earth. It is our prayer that your year has been filled with blessings and evidence of God's grace in your lives. We pray that the peace of Christ would fill your hearts and lives, and that you would celebrate Jesus' birth with us! We love you all!

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4-5, ESV

Baxter is a comic book character

2011-12-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

We often joke that Baxter is a little comedian or a comic book character because he is so funny and random, and he makes the best faces ever. Here are a few of the latest stories for you:

Me: "Georgia and Baxter, what is Christmas about?" (we have been talking about Jesus' birth for a long time now)
Baxter, while jumping up and down: "PRESENTS!!!!!!"
Me: banging my head against the floor...

While walking through the neighborhood, Baxter was holding my hand. "This is my robot hand," wiggling the hand I held, "and this" wiggling the other "is my Darth Vader hand."

The kids love pomegranate, and like to eat a little bowl of pomegranate 'seeds' (arils, according to Wikipedia) as a snack or with their breakfast. Last week, Baxter stuck one up his nose. He fussed about it, and I tried to remove it, but he inhaled it back into his nose. I didn't worry about it because, frankly, I thought it would work its way into his belly. Then this morning he sneezed and something disgusting flew out of his nose. "Mommy, I sneezed pomegranate out of my nose!" And he had.

Dressed up with places to go!

2011-12-19T07:29:00.001-05:00

In early December, good friends of ours got married at our church, First Baptist Durham. The entire Finn family dressed up to attend the wedding, including very handsome matching bow ties and coats for the Finn men. Georgia LOVES weddings right now, so it is always fun to see her reactions to the bride and bridesmaids. We rejoice with Heather and David at their Christ-honoring wedding, and we praise the Lord for bringing them to each other. Enjoy our quickly snapped pictures before everyone wanted to change clothes :-)

This is Georgia in the middle of a curtsy!

The only picture of us all together--taken at the wedding before we sat down

Coolest garbage man ever!

2011-12-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

I realize that the proper term is probably something like "Waste management engineer" or something like that. But I always called them the garbage men, so that is what will work for now. Whatever his name, we have the coolest one ever.

Officially, he isn't the garbage man. He picks up the recycling bin, so yeah, I have no idea what to call him. My kids love to stand outside and watch the big trash trucks go by (often screaming "TRASH TRUCK!!!" while they do it). This gentleman stopped his truck, got out, and asked my kids if they wanted to help him pick up the trash. It is kind of hard to see in the photo, but he is letting Baxter push the buttons that operate the 'arm' that picks up the trashbin and dumps it in the bed of the truck. He will let G and B both do it, and they are thrilled beyond belief when they do. He has done this twice now, and I must say, he might be my kids' favorite person. I think we may leave cookies on the trash can next week just for him!

Date taken: December 1, 2011

Breathing again

2011-12-15T15:02:00.004-05:00

I have been absent from the blog trying to finish up my online class at SEBTS. Please forgive me for not posting as regularly as I (and you, my few readers) would like. My class is now over-completed-done-finished, and for that I am glad. I enjoyed the class, but juggling an online class with three little ones was a challenge at times. It doesn't help that I am singularly undisciplined, and that became very evident this semester. Goals for next year, perhaps?

Anyway, I have pictures from several fun activities to share with you, so be on the lookout. I intend to post them and then 'postdate' them at the end of the year so they will show up in the appropriate chronological spot on the blog. Stay tuned!! (and as always, thanks for reading and following our family. We love you)

Christmas cards options

2011-12-07T18:08:00.001-05:00

As you know, I love Shutterfly, and have been looking at several of their Christmas card options. Which do you like? Let me know--you might be helping me pick out the Finns' Christmas card!

Colorful Pop Letters Christmas Card

Christmas cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Wrapped In Stripes Christmas Card

Create from the Heart: photo Christmas cards from Shutterfly .

View the entire collection of cards.

Classically Yours Christmas Card

Christmas cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Finn Family Update, Twitter style

2011-12-05T15:17:00.001-05:00

Twitter has a required 140 characters. I thought I would give you a family update, Twitter style (140 characters or less:-)

N-trying to finish semester well w/o losing more hair or failing students who are being annoying

L-just trying to finish online class (This FRIDAY) so we can focus on Christmas fun

G-cute, precocious, talkative as ever. May one day learn to read if Mommy finds time to teach her

B-cute, precocious, talkative. Pretty good at potty-training, but only if it doesn't interrupt what he's doing. Lego Star Wars undies help

E-teething. Enough said.

Beautiful pic by my friend, Kim (www.kd316.com)

Advent Calendar 2011

2011-12-01T06:52:00.001-05:00

I grew up celebrating Advent, the season of anticipation and longing for the birth of Christ. My family went through multiple versions of Advent calendars until we finally settled on a permanent one--a wooden board filled with hooks on which hung old laminated Christmas cards that my parents wrote one activity on per day. We just wiped off the cards and reused them every year. It was a time of great excitement and fond memories.

Nathan and I purchased a cute Advent calendar at Target a few years ago that has a drawer for each day in December. When G was young, I would print out a Scripture passage, roll it up and put it in the drawer with a piece of chocolate. Truthfully, though, the drawers can't hold more than about one piece of chocolate, and with three kids, it is not as 'helpful'this year. Plus G and B are old enough to have a more 'interactive' Advent calendar this year. So after brainstorming for a little while, searching Pinterest for a time, this is what I developed:

These are sandwich paper bags cut in half. I chose to use the top half and save the bottom half for another project (maybe luminaries?). I glued the bottom closed so they became little envelopes. The kids helped me decorate a few of them, and I did the rest. I attached them to the red twine using clothes pin. Best thing about this project--I found the bags, the twine and the clothes pins at the dollar store. Cost of Advent calendar: $3 (or less if you consider I didn't use all the supplies!).

In each bag are two printable Jesse Tree ornaments. They are the same ornaments, just one for B and one for G to color each day. We will read the Scripture passage, discuss the Bible story on their level, and put the ornaments on the tree. If you look back at the first picture, you can see my 'tree' on the bathroom door--it's green wrapping paper! Also in these little bags I will put an activity that we will do (i.e., today we are going to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas) or something special like a little piece of candy or stickers. I don't want them to have candy every day, and I don't know if we will do a Christmas themed "thing" each day--but we might. I want to have fun activities as well as chances for them to share and give to others. I will be working on the Jesse Tree readings with them during the day, and at night, with Nathan, we will be reading the Christmas story from various Bible versions as well as the kids' different children's Bibles. They are at an age of soaking up knowledge and asking lots of questions and I want to seize these moments while I can.

If you are interested, I have a list of Advent readings and a link to the printable Jesse Tree that I am using on the Prayer of Hannah blog here. For adults, I would highly recommend Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, a book of sermon excerpts for Advent devotional reading. May your Advent season be filled with joy as we look forward to the coming king, Immanuel, God with us!

Cranberry-Apple-Orange Muffins

2011-11-29T14:55:00.001-05:00

After making the traditional Phillips Family Cranberry Salad (see bottom of post for recipe) for Thanksgiving, I had leftover cranberries. I asked for recipe recommendations on Facebook, and received several suggestions. One of the problems I was running into was that many things call for dried cranberries, and I had fresh. My friend Mary Kathryn (a SUPERB cook) came through with a recipe that I altered a little and made this morning. I am not going to post the original one, I will just tell you to check out this Ina Garten recipe :-)

Here's what I did:

Cranberries (probably half a bag, but I didn't measure them), chopped up in my mini chopper
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped in my mini chopper
1/2 cup light brown sugar
orange zest (I zested a large navel orange, prob 1-2 Tbsp)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I juiced 1/2 of the large orange)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

After chopping cranberries and apple, place in a bowl. Put brown sugar and orange zest in a separate bowl and rub together so the sugar is flavored with the orange zest (read this tip on Brown Eyed Baker and it was something fun for the kids to do). Add brown sugar and cinnamon to the fruit and stir together.

Beat eggs with mixer for a couple of minutes until foamy and fluffy; add white sugar, butter and vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, salt and yogurt and mix until combined. Pour off most of the juices from the fruit and stir into the batter. Line muffin tin with foil liners and fill with batter to the top of the liner (these do not rise, so do not worry about overfilling). Bake at 325 for approx. 20-25 minutes, or until edges are lightly gold and tops are set. Allow to cool and enjoy!

*Note: you can probably bake these at a higher temperature, but I just used what the original recipe called for. Also, though these seem a little more involved than 'normal' muffins (i.e. stir together in one pan), they came together quickly and have a wonderful flavor.

Starting the Christmas decorations!

2011-11-25T13:20:00.001-05:00

Nathan looks a little like Santa when he pulled the Christmas tree out of the storage shed!

The kids are so excited about the tree!!

Asking them to smile for the camera:-)

They were both singing songs--G was singing The B-I-B-L-E and B was singing Row Row Row Your Boat. It was super cute how they could both sing at the same time without messing the other up.

A glimpse of our lights!

Snapshots of Thanksgiving Day 2011

2011-11-25T13:18:00.001-05:00

The Finns' Thankful Chain, 2011

2011-11-24T21:15:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends! I hope that your Thanksgiving Day has been filled with rich blessings. This month we have been writing down something we are thankful for each day. Here is our list from November 2011.

Baxter

My blocks

Crayons

Jumping in the leaves

The floor (where he can play with his toys)

My dinner and my cheese

All my clothes

My blanket

Baxter

My toys

Mommy

My clothes

Eleanor

Georgia

Daddy

Cuddling

Rain

My Jesus coloring book

My scooter

Christmas tree

Sleeping Beauty dress

Picnic table that Papa and Mimi gave her

Stairs on the treehouse

My toys

Georgia

My wand

My tiara

Grace

Nathan

Treehouse

Dates with Mommy

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

Mimi and Papa

Georgia, Baxter and Eleanor

Mommy

Leah

Date nights with daddy

Text messaging

All my kids

The fallen leaves that rustle and crackle when you walk onthem

Auntie Ruth

Daddy

Cherry limeades and cherry cokes

Jesus Christ

Sunshine

A warm bed

Daddy is coming home

Music

Hot tea w/honey and lemon

A day of just being together

2011-11-20T22:35:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, November 19, we had a few plans. But we cancelled them. Nathan had been traveling a lot, we had not spent much time together as a family, and the gorgeous day was calling. So we lounged around in pjs. Cooked a yummy breakfast that was more like brunch. Played outside- a lot. Ate a picnic in our backyard after playing hide and seek and swinging and pretending to be princesses and knights in the treehouse castle. It was a lovely, relaxing, enjoyable day to enjoy being a family, and being together. It was a day where I wish I could freeze time, and keep my kids this small, this fun, this 'we still enjoy hanging out with mommy and daddy' age forever! We often get so busy that we do not stop to enjoy spending time together. I pray that our day yesterday would not be a rare occasion, but a regular one!

Enjoy these pictures of my silly, sweet kids:

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 20

2011-11-20T22:25:00.001-05:00

I love our backyard. It is one of the best features of our home, if not the best! It is spacious, with plenty of room to run and play. It has a swing set, a fire pit, a tree fort, a picnic table, a 'barn' (storage shed), and right now--TONS of leaves. The beautiful fall weather has given us lots of opportunities to be in the backyard, having lots of fun. Yay for space for hide and seek, swings to use, treehouses to protect, and tables to dance on and jump off of (see last two pictures:-)

Cutest UGA fan ever!

2011-11-18T22:54:00.001-05:00

Note: I am pretty sure that I have called all of my kids the cutest UGA fan ever at some point in time. And I think it applies to all of them! Eleanor takes the cake this year, though.

Date taken: UGA/FL, October 29, 2011

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 18

2011-11-18T22:46:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for "a wave and a kiss".

Months ago (I really can't remember when it started), Nathan's parents came to visit, and when they left, we all stood at the door and waved goodbye, blowing kisses and such. We have always done that when family members visit, and when we leave our families' homes. But after this visit, when Nathan went to work the next day, the kids wanted to give him "a wave and a kiss" as well. And it has stuck.

Every morning, in rain or shine, hot or cold, the Finnlings stand at the door and wave goodbye to their daddy. He backs out of the driveway, rolls his window down and yells "bye bye!" before driving off. If it is really cold, the kids will grab a blanket to wrap around themselves before waving and blowing kisses. I think I *finally* have them trained that they have to have all their clothes on to stand in the doorway :-). Occasionally they will be in the middle of breakfast and Daddy will tell them to stay put, or the weather is such that it just isn't a good idea, but more often than not, you'll find my kids in the doorway every morning. They also do this if we leave them with a sitter, or if I go out and leave them with Nathan. It is super sweet, and I hope it lasts for a long time!!

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 16

2011-11-16T18:29:00.001-05:00

Books to the ceiling

Books to the sky

My piles of books are a mile high

How I love them!

How I need them!

I'll have a long beard by the time I read them

-Arnold Lobel

Source: owlsquarepress.com via Leah on Pinterest

I love books! I have always been a lover of books from a young age. (Funny aside: my best friend and I used to have spend-the-night parties where we would each read a book the entire evening. Our moms thought it was odd, but we were quiet! AND I was often punished by having my library books taken away. Seriously.) I have to confess that my job as a stay at home mom does not give me as much time to read as I would like, but I treasure any extra reading time I get! I prefer novels with great storylines, stories that engage and challenge me and cause me to long for the best story of all (found here). I am trying to instill in my children a love of books and an appreciation of great literature. You can see a list of some of our favorite children books here. So today, I am thankful that I can read, that I have been blessed with a love of books, and that my husband enjoys reading just as much as I do (and often similar things, too!).

I am currently enrolled in a online seminary course, and all of my reading is devoted toward that right now. However, I did read a few books before the semester started, praise the Lord, and I look forward to reading more books once the semester ends. Just for fun, here are the books I have read this year:

Hunger Games, Collins

Catching Fire, Collins

Mockingjay, Collins

Take One, Kingsbury

Practical Theology for Women, Alsup

Don't Make Me Count To Three, Plowman

Jane Eyre, Bronte

John Adams, McCullough

The Help, Stockett

So You're Thinking about Homeschooling,

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows audiobook, Rowling

Five Red Herrings, George

Throne of Fire, Riordan

Love That Lasts, Riccucci

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Peterson

North! or Be Eaten, Peterson

Radical Together, Platt

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Simonson

You can also see my 'reviews' of favorite books I read in 2010

After my class is finished, I hope to read Son of Neptune by Riordan, Give Them Grace by Fitzpatrick, Kisses from Katie by Davis, and maybe a few others:-) What's on your bookshelf right now?

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 13

2011-11-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been a little difficult. It has not worked out in the way I thought it should, but I see a greater plan than mine in place, and for that I am thankful. Nathan is preaching today at Central Baptist Church Waycross, GA for their homecoming service. Central is Nathan's home church, and this is a special opportunity for him to minister to that congregation. We had planned a short weekend trip to visit his family and attend Sunday morning services.

But then Georgia's cough got worse--she had had it for several days, running a fever at least once, and it wasn't going away. Thursday morning the doctor diagnosed her with bronchitis and prescribed an antibiotic. Baxter had a mild cough too, and suddenly Eleanor was sneezing and coughing everywhere. Oh, and did I mentioned that I felt like someone was sitting on my chest? No real cough or congestion, just a tightening that I knew was not a good sign. I met up with a friend for coffee Thursday night, and when I came home, my voice was gone completely.

Friday morning Nathan and I reevaluated our travel plans. G was still coughing and sounding nasty. Eleanor was starting to blow snot everywhere. My voice was shot, and I was growing more congested and 'sick'. Baxter still had a cough, but he could breathe easily, had good color, and was generally normal minus a mild cough. So Nathan packed up Baxter and they left on their first father-son trip to Waycross while the Finn girls stayed home. I fought tears a lot on Friday. I wanted us all to go, I didn't want to be home alone, I didn't want my boys to leave me. Baxter has never been away from Georgia for that long! He has been away from me/me and Nathan a couple of times, but never his sisters. Nathan has never traveled with the kids alone before.

And you know what? Nathan and Baxter are having a ball. Mimi and Papa, Nathan's parents, are having a wonderful time showering my little guy with special attention that he rarely gets. Both of my kids love their grandparents, but Baxter was REALLY excited to see Mimi and Papa while Georgia was just so-so about it (probably b/c she was sick). Baxter has done really well traveling, and sleeping, and eating, and entertaining everyone with his Star Wars song. And for that I am thankful. There are so many memories being created this weekend, and I am thankful for that.

Meanwhile, back at the Finn Ranch, the girls are recuperating and resting and getting better. We are resting and sleeping and watching lots and lots of movies. I am thankful for this sweet time with just my girls. I am especially thankful that my children love each other. Georgia loves to play with and love on Eleanor, and Eleanor loves to 'tackle' Georgia. Georgia and Baxter enjoy being together and miss each other greatly when they are apart (they have both asked to talk to the other every day--it is so sweet).

So today I am thankful for plans that are better than mine, for children who love their grandparents and travel well to see them, for children who love each other and have so much fun together, and for a husband who braved a trip alone with a toddler. God is good.

Here are a few pictures of G and E playing together yesterday--at one point E "tackled" G :-)

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 12

2011-11-12T22:24:00.001-05:00

I love fall. Today I am thankful for fall in North Carolina--the leaves are stunning, the air is crisp and the sky is the most beautiful shade of blue imaginable. The pictures below do not even begin to capture all of the beauty of the changing colors the past few weeks! These were taken from my back deck and front porch, my own little slice of beautiful fall.

Wedding weekend festivities

2011-11-11T22:16:00.001-05:00

My best friend, Kim, got married on October 8, and I was blessed to be a part of her wedding weekend. She had just two attendants and we had a wonderful time of fellowship and preparation leading up to her wedding day.

The day before the wedding, Kim, Rachael (Maid of Honor), Ali (mother of the groom), Dianne (mother of the bride) and I went to lunch at Vivace's in North Hills. The food was delicious and the conversation was sweet and encouraging. Later the girls 'got their nails done' before the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I will admit--it was a long weekend of continual activities--but I had so much fun! It has been a joy to walk with Kim and Eric through their relationship and wedding preparations. I was honored beyond measure to participate in their wedding ceremony. Nathan and I both agree that it was the most Christ honoring wedding ceremony we had attended. We sang "songs about Jesus" as Georgia calls them as part of the wedding ceremony, heard a wonderful sermon from Andy Davis on Ephesians 5, and witnessed many people praying over Kim and Eric's marriage. Eric, the groom, is the worship pastor at my church, and I am SO EXCITED that Kim will be a part of my church and we can serve our church body together. Enjoy the pictures below of that fun weekend!

Kim was sweet enough to think about me, and give me a birthday gift with my bridesmaid's goodies--I LOVE my Boylan's sodas!

Bridesmaid goodies from Kim (the bracelet on the upper left was my stunning birthday gift:-)

Bridal luncheon--Rachael, Ali (mother of groom), Dianne (mother of bride), me, and the bride

Jeremy, Nathan and Andy cutting up during rehearsal

Beautiful, simple centerpiece for the rehearsal dinner

The bride and groom--already making the same facial expressions and gestures

Drippy candle--love it!

Kim's hair was beautiful!

Getting the final touches put on!

My gorgeous glowing friend!

Almost married!!

I was so honored and blessed to be a part of Kim's special day!

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 11

2011-11-11T20:38:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for messy floors. Just keeping it real for you, folks--this is picture of what my floor looks like more often than not. Yes, you can spot a couple of used diapers there. It happens. Messy floors remind me that I have small children who love to play, who have great imaginations, and who really don't care if anyone sees their mess! Georgia recently said, when I mentioned a friend was visiting: "Do we not have to clean? Can she just see our mess?" It was so funny and truthful and revealed what was really important--our friend was coming to visit us, and not inspect our floors (or counters, or sinks, or bathrooms...). Many days I get very frustrated at the continual mess that my kids make (you should see their room--the below picture is mild), but I want to treasure the messy moments while I have them. I hope you are treasuring your sticky, messy, real life moments as well.

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 9

2011-11-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

Today I am thankful for modern conveniences.

I am thankful for my cell phone with texting that allows me to send a quick message to my husband in the middle of a busy day.

I am thankful for my coffee pot that can quickly crank out some hot, delicious, much needed caffeine for this sleepy momma (though I will confess I love a French press, sometimes drip is the best way to go).

I am thankful for Netflix Instant Play that allows me to stream children's movies and shows for my kids when they are fighting colds and coughs and need to rest (G has been sick this week).

I am thankful for Harris Teeter Express Lane shopping, which allowed me to grocery shop from my home and send my husband to pick them up yesterday, so I didn't have to take my coughing child through the grocery store.

I am grateful for hot water and central heating and dishwashers and washing machines and dryers. I am glad that someone invented the hair dryer and the curling iron and the flatiron.

There are many more things I could list, but I will stop there :-) Must go grab another cup of coffee!

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 8

2011-11-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

See, I told you that I probably wouldn't be able to post something every day! The weekend just got away from me, and though I definitely have more than 30 days of things to be thankful for, I did not take time to blog this weekend. :-)

Today, I am thankful that I share my birthday with my eldest child, Georgia. Nathan and I had tried to get pregnant with Georgia for over a year, so when I learned that I was pregnant, we were very excited. When we determined that her due date was mid-October, I joked that she might arrive on my birthday (Oct. 21). And when her due date came and went, my 'joking' continued, as I said she was waiting for my birthday to arrive. I went into labor on Friday, October 20, but she waited until the wee hours of the morning on the 21st to arrive. Happy birthday to me! Do you know how you have certain 'things' in your mind that you want to happen, often things that are beyond your control, but you still want them? In my mind, I wanted to have my first child before my 28th birthday. I don't know why I had that particular age in my mind, but I did. And the Lord in his perfect timing sent my first child on my 28th birthday. Of course, on the years when I might want my birthday overlooked (say, Georgia's 12th), everyone will know it is my birthday :-) That is fine, though, because Georgia and I share a special day, an extra bond on top of the wonderful mother-daughter bond that the Lord gives us. We have a yearly tradition of going to the tea room for our birthday, and I pray that we will continue to celebrate our birthday together as much as we can. It is my prayer that as Georgia grows older, our relationship will grow closer and stronger, and that there will not be a time (or at least not a long period of time) that she does not want to share HER birthday with me. She is truly the best birthday present ever!

Photo taken on Georgia's 5th and my 33rd birthday, October 21, 2011. (I will post more pics of the birthday soon)

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 3

2011-11-03T22:23:00.001-04:00

No pictures today, because I don't have a picture of the item for which I am thankful.

I am thankful for my bed.

I rejoice that I have a place to sleep, a soft cushioned mattress that allows my bones and muscles to rest and recharge before the next day. I am grateful to have the means to have a real mattress on a real bed in my own room, and I try not to take those for granted. I am blessed to have a husband who shares the bed with me, and whose job provided the means to purchase the mattress and the bed. I love my dark wood, queen sized bed and other bedroom furniture that we bought--like real grownups--when we bought our house three years ago. I REALLY love my pillowtop mattress (purchased at The Original Mattress Factory-you've gotta shop there!). I think the invention of the dual-control electric blanket is pure genius in cooler months :-)

I love that we can sleep and rest and restore ourselves to wake again each day, should the Lord allow, and that each day is fresh with no mistakes in it. I am so grateful for the comfort that a good night's sleep gives. So I am thankful for my bed. I pray you sleep peacefully in yours tonight, too!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Handmade Christmas Ornaments

2011-11-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

*Note: This was published on Prayer of Hannah this morning, and I thought I would share it here as well*

I love Christmas (doesn't everyone), and confess that I actually listened to Christmas music earlier this week. I have promised my husband I won't continually listen to Christmas music from now until January... :-)

One of my dearest friends got married at the beginning of October, and for her wedding shower I made a set of Christmas ornaments. Each ornament is specific to Kim and Eric, but the ideas can be adapted for any tree any where :-) Few of my ideas are original--you can see my inspiration and other beautiful ornament ideas (and tutorials) on my Pinterest page: Pinterest--For My Tree. I hope you enjoy these ideas, and we'd love to hear about your favorite ornament, or see a DIY Christmas ornament!

This little box has a slip of paper that said "This keepsake box is for a small memento from your mystery honeymoon". Eric did not tell Kim where they were going on their honeymoon, so this ornament was a way to remember it

I cut her lingerie shower invitation into strips and put them in this clear ornament along with ribbon. Some glitter and ribbon on the cap added the perfect touch!

C is their initial, and purple was one of the colors of their wedding, so this simple felt ornament was perfect (and EASY!)

I turned their wedding invitation into a pinwheel :-)

The groom is the worship pastor at my church, so I used Mod Podge to add sheet music to this wooden cross

He's a UGA fan, so one side of this ornament is for him...

And the other side is for her, a FL Gators fan (it's a house divided, for sure :-)

Materials needed: paper, glue, glitter, ribbon for this easy ornament!

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 2

2011-11-02T16:20:00.000-04:00

*Note: the days of thanksgiving posts are not in order of importance. Just in case anyone was wondering if my kids are more important than my husband (they aren't :-)*I have said it many times before and will repeat it, hopefully, many many many more times: I love my husband. I am blessed to be his wife. I am thrilled that God saw fit, in his kindness and goodness, to give me a man who suits me so well, who complements me with my quirks and preferences and strengths and weaknesses (he compliments me, too :-). Nathan loves me even on my gross, sloppy, furry-teeth-because-I-haven't-brushed-them days. He pursues me and cherishes me, tells me about his struggles and allows me to share them. He values my opinion and genuinely enjoys being around me, even when I am unpleasant to be around. I am blessed, I am grateful, I am loved. And I love him, too!

Days of Thanksgiving--Nov. 1

2011-11-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

It's November. Halloween is behind us, and Christmas is quickly approaching (though not quite as quickly as the mall and radio stations want you to think :-). November is that month to get everything accomplished before the craziness of December...until you realize November is just as busy or busier than December! Along with countless others across the world, I am going to attempt a thanksgiving list during the month of November. Some are posting their 'thankful items' on Facebook, others on Twitter or their blogs. I hope to post here on my blog, though I will be honest and say I don't know if I will have a post every day in November. I want to be more thankful for the little things that I take for granted, and the big things that I see every day. I long to instill in my children a heart of gratitude and thankfulness, and pray that meditating on my blessings and discussing them with the Finnlings will have endless benefits.

So did you ever make a 'thanksgiving chain' when you were little? The bigs and I started ours today. When I asked Georgia what she was thankful for, and wanted to write, she said "Georgia-Me!" and she wrote Georgia on her chain. Baxter didn't really want to participate (he said "I can't say", which is his avoidance tactic) and when I gave him a list of items, he chose "my toys". So we will work on the more sublime concepts later...

And today, November 1, I am thankful for the Finnlings, these little bundles of joy that call me Mommy and give me kisses and drive me crazy and keep me awake at night and wake me up earlier than I want and call me the queen and love to snuggle after naps and tell me to stop singing and want me to kiss their boo-boos. I am blessed beyond measure.

The Finnlings' statistics

2011-10-29T09:46:00.001-04:00

This week has been a week of doctor's appointments for the Finnlings. All three had their well-checks (Georgia's 5 year, Baxter's 3 year, and Eleanor's 9 month), and Baxter had his first visit to the dentist. I am worn out after all the appointments, but am proud to say that all three are healthy and growing and just as perfect as three little kids with sinful natures can be :-)

Baxter's first dentist appointment went really well. We opted for him to sit in the big kid chair (though the pediatric dentist has a different set up if he wasn't okay with that), and he handled that well though at first he thought he was going to fall off. His teeth are beautiful and clean and cavity free! There was much rejoicing! (I think I have posted about this, but Georgia has at least two cavities and possibly more--her teeth are very close together and filled with grooves, both of which attribute to cavities) Baxter's teeth are close together, and his big boy teeth that they can see on the xrays are large and cramped, so we have been told to prepare for braces. Joy. But his teeth right now are great, and we are grateful for that. I am very pleased with how well he did at his first visit, and am so grateful to my pediatric dentist for the good care they provide!

I blogged about Baxter's injury at the doctor's office here, and mentioned that we didn't get his height/weight stats because of it. When I took Georgia and Eleanor to the doctor for their visits, I was able to pick up Baxter's info. All three Finnlings are healthy and growing well. Georgia handled her finger prick, multiple shots and urine sample really well, and Eleanor is one of the happiest, easy going babies I have seen, even at the doctor's office! We are so very blessed.

Finnlings' statistics:

Georgia--5 years
Height: 43 3/4 inches/3 ft. 7 3/4 in. (75%)
Weight: 43.5 lbs (75%)

Baxter--3 years
Height: 38 inches/3 ft. 2 in. (60%)
Weight: 35 lbs (75%)

Eleanor--9 months
Height: 28 3/4 inches (75%)
Weight: 19 lbs., 4 oz. (50%)
Head Circumference: 44.5 cm (55%)

"Mamma, I'm a big girl now!'

2011-10-26T20:13:00.000-04:00

Eleanor start crawling a few weeks ago, and promptly decided that wasn't enough for her! She has taken to pulling up everywhere she can, and this little spot by the stairs is her favorite:-) Oh, she is getting SO big!

Dates taken: October 22-23, 2011

My birthday present!

2011-10-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

My in-laws graciously sent me some money for my birthday and, at my husband's suggestion, I bought the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Blu-ray. I had planned to buy a few books or so, but this was the best idea! It came today and the kids and I have already watched a lot of it :-) Les Mis will be playing in Raleigh in February, and I am counting the days (not literally, but close...) until I get to see it again for the first time since college! Can you say Valentine's Day date?Edited to add: in case anyone in the RDU area is wondering, tix for Les Miserables go on sale the day after Thanksgiving

The perils of the doctor's office

2011-10-25T16:47:00.001-04:00

Today, I took Baxter to the doctor's office for his three year well check. He is perfectly normal and growing and developing well, as we expected. Even a couple of our concerns (his frequent "my tummy hurts" comments, and lack of, um, grown-up poopy [sorry!]) do not bother the doctor--he just seems to be a boy with a sensitive stomach.

We were in the examination room, waiting for the nurse to bring the flu vaccine for Baxter. B was pushing around the round stool with wheels that the doctors sit on, and he slipped and fell--onto the radiator heater on the floor. He banged his face pretty hard, as you can see in the pictures below--scrapes on his forehead and cheek and a small cut on his nose. Though he was screaming, no one came rushing in to check on him :-) I stepped out of the room and asked for a rag to wipe his face, and a nurse quickly got me an ice pack and offered to send the doctor back in. So Baxter got an immediate doctor's check on his injury! Verdict, nothing broken, just soft tissue bruising that may swell and turn pretty colors. Baxter left the office proudly sporting a bandaid on his forehead, showing his battle wounds from his doctor's visit.

In the craziness at the end of his appointment, I did not get the paper that shows his height/weight and percentiles. I hope to obtain it from our doctor's office in the near future, so I can have a record of his size at this age.

Sickies

2011-10-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday morning, Georgia and Baxter woke up early complaining of tummy troubles. Baxter often complains that his stomach hurts, so we might have ignored it if Georgia had not said she needed a trash can to throw up. My poor, sweet G apparently inherited what I call my 'easy eject' stomach, and she has vomited more than many little girls her age. She is old enough and experienced enough to know the signs and be ready for them. We pulled them into our room so we could keep an eye on them, and sure enough, they started throwing up about an hour later. They were so sick! It was my first experience with two children hanging over two trashcans, sometimes even throwing up at the same time (perhaps triggering each other?). They were so sick that at ten in the morning, after watching multiple Netflix shows, they asked me to turn the television off because they were too tired to watch. This is what they looked like:

Truth be told, I looked like I was sick too. I didn't bother getting dressed or ready that morning since I was staying home, and I couldn't get a shower because I couldn't leave the kids alone! But I didn't take a picture of myself :-) In the midst of the craziness of a stomach bug, I had a beautiful moment with my children. After I had turned the television off, I sat on the couch between the kids, and had Georgia and Baxter snuggling up against me. I asked them if I could sing to them, if that would make them feel better, and they agreed. So for a few treasured moments, I was able to hold my babies in my arms and sing to them like they were babies again. I loved it. I treasure that beauty in the middle of sickness. I am grateful that mommy's touch and time are still soothing to my children. I know that won't last forever! Praise Jesus, the stomach bug did not last forever--G carried the sickness over through Thursday, and was better by her (and my) birthday on Friday.

Date taken: October 19, 2011

State Fair 2011, pt. 3--Food and Faces

2011-10-18T21:55:00.000-04:00

We ate our fair lunch right behind a face painting booth, and Georgia asked to have her face painted. We have never done that before, so though it was unplanned, we decided to go for it. When she sat down and the lady asked her what she wanted, she exclaimed "A pig!" The booth had multiple 'faces' displayed around it, and she had pointed out the pig face and giggled about it, but Nathan and I were both shocked that she chose pig over 'butterfly' or 'fairy princess' or something. And yet, she didn't stop smiling once her face was painted. She loved it, and you have to admit, she is the cutest little pig ever.

Then it was Baxter's turn, and he promptly asked for a pig too. The lady painting faces suggested a cow instead, and he agreed. Again, what a precious cow I have!

Just for proof we were at the fair, a shot of Dorton Arena and the crowds

Everywhere we walked through the fair, people commented about how cute the little pig and cow were, and I cannot agree more!

They loved looking at themselves in the mirrors on Herbie

Eleanor was at the fair! She was just in the stroller most of the time

See? we did take her!

My fair treat--a specialty apple (Chocolate A La Orange)- delicious!

Date taken: October 15, 2011

State Fair 2011, pt. 2--Exhibition Hall

2011-10-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

After spending time in the Garden & Flower Show, we wandered through the Exhibition Hall. It was so cool to see the fruits, vegetables and animals, and the kids were amazed at how big the pumpkin and watermelon were. I loved all the apples, and was thrilled to buy a few in the Exhibition Hall right at the time G and B needed a snack. They were so involved in eating their apples that they hardly paid attention to the animals!

The largest pumpkin was over 500 lbs., and the largest watermelon was just under 300. Craziness!

I love apples--this display just made me happy

Checking out the cows

Chowing down on an apple

I asked Baxter what the animal was, and he said "Cooooooooooooooooooowwwwww"
Hence the funny face

Date taken: October 15, 2011

Daddy playing peek-a-boo (at State Fair)

2011-10-18T21:05:00.000-04:00

While I took the big kids up a few stairs to sit in the big chair, Nathan stayed 'downstairs' to keep Eleanor company. I looked down to find Nathan playing peek-a-boo with her. It was super cute and sweet, and the setting was beautiful!

Date taken: October 15, 2011

State Fair 2011-pt. 1, Garden & Flower Show

2011-10-18T20:41:00.001-04:00

G and B were so excited about the fair, and the Ferris Wheel!

We wandered into the Garden and Flower Show on a whim, and I am so glad we did! The flowers were beautiful, and the kids found so many fun things to explore and examine. I came away with many ideas for my future garden, should I ever have one!

Pretty flowers!

Interesting 'sculpture'

Examining the stages of a butterfly's life

As we walked through the gardens, we kept hearing a bell ring. The Finnlings were thrilled to discover where it was, and to have the chance to ring it themselves

That's a big chair!

More fun sculptures--that's a BIG bug!

Date taken: October 15, 2011

The most amazing biscuits ever

2011-10-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Though I was born and raised in the South, I will be the first to admit that my parents were 'Yankees' and as such I have not always appreciated the finer Southern things. Like biscuits. I enjoy a good biscuit, but I did not grow up eating them all the time, and I do not relish the idea of slaving over biscuits, cutting them out, etc. I prefer things simple and yummy, with as few dirty dishes as possible. So when my wonderful friend Karen introduced me to her Granddaddy Dilmus' biscuits, I was in love. Really in love. These biscuits are easy and amazing. Try them out, and let me know what you think---no kneading and cutting out involved!

Granddaddy Dilmus' Biscuits
2 (heaping) cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) salted butter (very important that it be salted!)

Turn oven on to 475 degrees, and melt butter in pie pan in oven. While butter is melting, mix other ingredients together. Pull pie plate out of oven, and pour half of the melted butter into the biscuit dough (I did not say this was a healthy recipe, just a delicious one!). Dough will be very wet and sticky. Drop dough by spoonfuls into buttered pan. Bake 12-15 minutes in 475 degree preheated oven, until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool briefly, and then turn pan upside down onto plate to release biscuits. Break apart and enjoy! *Note: additional butter for spreading on the biscuits is not necessary, though jam, jellies and apple butter all taste wonderful on these babies!

Baxter playing on scooter

2011-10-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

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Playing in the driveway

2011-10-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

We have had a lot of fun playing outside enjoying the beautiful late summer/early fall weather. Baxter and Georgia are especially enjoying their 'yard toys'--scooters, bikes, and such. They recently discovered that they could sit and ride the scooter down the slight incline in our driveway, and that was a blast for them! Check out Bax's expression :-)

Date taken: 9/5/2011

If you give the Finnlings some glue...

2011-10-10T21:49:00.001-04:00

Date taken: October 4, 2011

Baxter's birthday celebration

2011-10-01T10:13:00.000-04:00

We started off the morning of Baxter's birthday with opening a couple of presents--a Mater (Cars 2) matchbox car from Georgia and a shirt that said "Silly Monkey" from Mimi and Papa which he wore the rest of the day.

I had made cupcakes the evening before, but Georgia and Baxter helped me make the frosting and decorate the cupcakes. Baxter wanted blue, green and orange cupcakes, so we had fun playing with the colors. Some *small* amount of frosting was consumed too...

We took lunch and cupcakes to Nathan's office, where we sang to Happy Birthday and Bax blew out his 3 big candles!

That night, Baxter chose where we ate dinner--Chick-Fil-A, and then we came home to open a few more presents. Thanks so much to Mimi and Papa for the clothes and matchbox cars! He loves them!

It was a wonderful day of celebrating Baxter! He is such a blessing in our lives, and we thank the Lord for giving him to us. Happy Third Birthday, Baxter! We love you, big boy.

Happy National Coffee Day

2011-09-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

Stories about Baxter

2011-09-27T12:02:00.000-04:00

Nathan and I joke that Baxter is a cartoon character with all of his funny expressions and sayings. He keeps us amused with his imagination and delight in life! There was a time when I was concerned about his speech (he didn't talk as much as G did, or as early), but there is nothing wrong with his speech now :-)

Here are a few funny things he has said recently:
"When I turn into a daddy, I can spin the spinning wheel!" (pointing to the steering wheel of the van)

One morning, when I went to get him out of bed, he showed me his empty hand and said "Look, Mommy, it's Baby Howie. He's a boy!" He then proceed to cradle him in his hand while he walked downstairs. A couple of weeks later, he introduced me to his friend, "Dark Vader", that he also carried downstairs cupped in his hand!

He often wakes up before Georgia after naptime, and we snuggle on the couch. While sitting there, he passed gas, grinned and said "Excuse me. I passed gas quietly. I didn't pass gas loudly so I wouldn't wake up Georgia." :-)

His imagination is soaring--he put something together with legos, brought it to me, and called it his "transformers robot choo-choo train".

Last Wednesday, I let him get in the bath with Eleanor. He had a little 'waterproof' book with him, and he decided to 'read' her a story. This is how it went:
"Once upon a time, there was a prince named Baxter
and a princess named Georgia.
They got married and danced outside.
But it was stormy.
The next day they played outside
and their pants got wet. The End" (emphasis his:-)

Can't believe this little guy will be 3 tomorrow. I am so blessed to be his mother, and I look forward to seeing his character and personality continue to develop over time. I pray that the Lord will draw him to Christ at a young age, and that his tender heart will stay compassionate and concerned for others.

Eleanor the firefighter

2011-09-23T11:13:00.001-04:00

Date taken: 9/3/2011

Baxter's Turn!

2011-09-23T10:45:00.001-04:00

Baxter and Georgia like to have their picture taken (because they like to see pictures on the digital display on the camera:-), and often when I am taking pictures, one of them will say "Baxter's turn" or "Georgia's turn". On the same day I took Eleanor's Pebbles pictures Baxter wanted me to take picture of him eating pretzels. So I did :-)

Date taken: 8/30/2011

Introducing my youngest, Pebbles!

2011-09-16T10:26:00.000-04:00

I know Eleanor may hate me when she's older for these photos, but I had to put her hair in a little Pebbles Flintstones hairstyle. She didn't mind, especially since she was playing in her exersaucer, which she loves.

Date taken: 8/30/2011

Dressing "Fancy" with the Finnlings

2011-09-15T08:42:00.000-04:00

Georgia has recently discovered the book, Fancy Nancy, by Jane O'Connor. In it, the little girl loves to be fancy (her favorite color is "fuschia, which is a fancy word for purple"), but her family isn't. She decides to teach her family how to be fancy, and they all dress up and go out to eat. So, now Georgia's favorite thing to do is dress "fancy" and pick out "fancy things" for the rest of the family to wear. It often involves hats, scarves and jewelry. This is how we were all dressed yesterday. (PS--Georgia took the pictures of me. Not too bad!)

Finnlings' sizes

2011-09-15T08:36:00.003-04:00

It is the time of the year for Finn birthdays! Baxter's birthday is September 28, and Georgia's (and my) birthday is October 21. Poor Nathan and Eleanor are left out of the fall birthdays, with Nathan's birthday in May and Eleanor's in early January.

Anyway, as the kids' birthdays are approaching and Christmas comes after that (it really isn't far away), I thought I would post the kids' sizes for anyone who might be interested. You know who you are, and if you aren't interested, feel free to skip this post :-)

Georgia--
Shirts: 5T/6T
Pants/Skirts: 5T
Dresses: 5T/6T
Underwear: Child's size 6
Shoes: 11
*Note: G has long arms and torso, so if there is a question, always go bigger in size

Baxter--
Shirts: 3T
Pants/Shorts: 3T
Shoes: 8.5/9

Eleanor--
Size 9 months in everything :-)

A bridal shower for Miss Kim!

2011-09-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

One of my best friends, Kim, is getting married next month and I had the privilege of hosting a bridal shower for her in our home on August 20. It was so much fun to shower Kim with girlie goodies, eat wonderful food, and spend time praying Scripture over her. I am enormously blessed to have her as a friend, and I cannot wait to be a part of her wedding on October 8!

"Mrs. Campbell"--Kim's new name!

I have my arm out to the side because one of the girls attending did it and we all commented on how thin and stylish it made her look--so then everyone started 'posing' :-)

The hostesses, Brittany, myself, Rachael, and the honoree, Kim

Eleanor dancing and clapping

2011-08-29T20:11:00.001-04:00

She has just recently found her hands, and I was trying to help her clap to the music (hence the background clapping, and the siblings getting involved too!)

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My THREE big kids

2011-08-27T11:29:00.012-04:00

One of the fun things we like to do in the Finn house is have a 'snack lunch/dinner' while sitting on a picnic blanket, watching a movie. One day last week we set up a snack meal for G and B and I put Eleanor down beside them to get my food. As I walked away, I realized that I now have THREE big kids--look at them sitting together so sweetly!

Because there was a movie on, they weren't very interested in looking at Mommy, though I can still get Eleanor's attention :-) She LOVES to sit up like a big girl, especially with her brother and sister!

Yeah, she's pretty much adorable

To me, G and B look like all arms and legs in this picture. Goodness, they really are big kids!

Eleanor likes to check to be sure I'm still nearby. I like that!

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-27T11:02:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Irene hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina this morning, and here in the Triangle we are feeling some small effects. We should not be greatly affected outside of rain and gusty winds, praise the Lord. The Outer Banks and rest of the East Coast will be greatly affected. Please be praying for those areas that have never dealt with a hurricane before, those areas that are already saturated with water and will probably flood, and anyone caught in the path of this storm. I rejoice that we serve a sovereign God who controls storms, gives us technology to track and prepare for storms, and raises up people to respond to storms and aftermath (go disaster relief!).

This picture was taken from our front porch last night--well before any of the 'real storm' hit us:

And though we had an uneventful night for sleeping, we found this outside this morning--a tree down in our backyard! Praise the Lord that it did not hit our shed, firepit or tree house.

Caterpillars, caterpillars everywhere!

2011-08-25T20:38:00.007-04:00

Do you see them? Look closely...

They're everywhere! Caterpillars, that is! We noticed on our first morning walk Monday morning that there were a lot of caterpillars (and by a lot, I mean hundreds) in the trees across our street. We checked the tree in our yard, and the same was true--it is covered in caterpillars!

They are eating their way through the leaves on the trees in our neighborhood, or at least a few of the trees. We have checked on them each day, and they are moving up higher up the tree to eat more leaves. I stood and watched one little guy eat his way down a leaf. As I could almost hear it chewing, I marveled at the wonders of God's creation. We are keeping an eye on these caterpillars and will let you know when the butterflies/moths appear!

Have you seen Pinterest?

2011-08-23T18:05:00.002-04:00

Pinterest is a website that allows you to 'pin' pictures, ideas, and more that you find all over the web and organize it into boards. Instead of having a list of favorite links to 'one day come back to', you can pin it on a board for future reference. It is a great place for inspiration, and a huge TIME WASTER! If you would like to join Pinterest, let me know--I'll send you an invite. Here are a couple of my favorite 'Pins' right now:

Source: None via Leah on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Leah on Pinterest

First day of school for the Finnlings!

2011-08-23T16:50:00.015-04:00

Because Georgia's birthday falls in late October, she is not eligible for Kindergarten until next year, when she will be 5-almost-6. She is old enough now, though, to start doing some 'schoolwork' at home! It is our intention to homeschool our children at least at the beginning, and so when Daddy's classes started back yesterday, we started some homeschool activities as well. I have not invested in a full preschool or kindergarten curriculum yet, but instead am doing a variety of small structured activities to get us into some form of a routine.

After a morning walk, I took pictures of the kids on their first day of school. They had fun 'cheesing' it up!

Georgia needs to reinforce her knowledge of numbers, so I wrote out numbers 1-10 on index cards and had her put the same number of stickers on each card (thanks for that idea, Jennifer S!). It was also a good skill for her fine motor skills, because peeling off the little smiley face stickers required a lot of concentration. Baxter did this activity some as well, but not as consistently :-)

My main 'textbooks' for the first day of school: the Bible (we read Genesis 1), Big Picture Story Bible, and On the Banks of Plum Creek (we are reading a chapter in this Little House on the Prairie book every couple of days).

I wanted to document some things about the kids' lives, so we measured them, traced their hands, and I asked them a few questions. Georgia wrote her own name on the top of her paper--it is not perfect, but she is trying, and I am very proud of her!

All in all it was a great day!

Date taken: August 22, 2011

Oh yay!

2011-08-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

This is Georgia's reaction to hearing songs from "Little Mermaid" on Pandora. She loves Disney musicals :-)

Date taken: July 27, 2011

Buzz Lightyear Boy

2011-08-18T21:50:00.004-04:00

Baxter's turn in the favorite costume of the Finnlings :-)

Date taken: July 27, 2011

More pictures from tea time

2011-08-18T21:31:00.009-04:00

While the boys were at the baseball game, the girls went to the tea room downtown. I already showed one picture, but wanted to give you a glimpse of our fun. For those who have not been to the tea room in Wake Forest, they have a basket of hats, gloves and beads for you to wear for your tea time. Georgia loved putting on the hat and gloves (though she had to take the gloves off to hold her 'tea cup'-which actually had pink lemonade). And Eleanor had to get in on the fun as well!

Date taken: August 8, 2011

Baseball game with Daddy

2011-08-18T21:00:00.016-04:00

Last week, Nathan took Baxter to a baseball game in Burlington, NC (about an hour away). The Burlington Royals are the rookie league team for the Kansas City Royals, and the Finn men had a chance to catch a morning game before the end of the baseball season. Baxter loved the time with his daddy, watching the game and hanging out with the mascot, Bingo.

Date taken: August 8, 2011

We go together, like a wink and a smile

2011-08-17T09:20:00.001-04:00

I wrote this for Prayer of Hannah, and though I have talked about some of this on my blog, I wanted to repost it for all to see!

This morning there was a coolness in the air that gave me a small taste of fall. I love fall--the crispness in the breeze, the changing leaves, the apples and pumpkins and spices everywhere. And I love fall because for the Finns, fall is "courtin' weather". Nathan and I met and fell in love in the fall twelve years ago, and every fall season reminds us of that special time in our lives.

The story of how we met actually begins BEFORE we met. The summer before my senior year of college, I broke up with the guy I had been dating for a year and a half. That same summer, Nathan broke up with his girlfriend of 2 1/2 years. Both of us thought we were dating people we would eventually marry, but that summer those relationships ended. Both of us started classes in the fall determined not to date (Nathan), or certain that there was no one worthy of dating on campus (Leah).

In late August, Nathan was a junior transfer student at the college where I was a senior. Though we had been introduced briefly, we connected over dinner at the cafeteria the first night of classes. He winked at me from across the room--yes, he was a bold fellow!--and a few minutes later I sat down at his table. I swear that I was startled by his wink, didn't intend to sit by him, and was, in fact, alarmed that I ended up at his table. He declares that I was immediately charmed by him and his wink and had to sit with him. The entire table had great conversations that night, and Nathan and I ended up eating lunch together the next day. (truth--I waited for someone fun to eat lunch with because all my friends had a different lunch hour. I met up with one of Nathan's friend, ate lunch with him, talking the entire hour until Nathan came to lunch--and I was glad to see him, and stayed another hour!) I walked him to his post-lunch class because it was near my dorm, and I remember the professor (whom I knew and loved) grinning at my walking a guy to a class.

We had many mutual friends, and over the first couple of weeks of classes we spent a lot of time hanging out in groups. Nathan and I had wonderful 'talks', and I just found myself drawn to him. Though we were not dating, I had at least two different girls ask me if I had a claim on him, which I didn't. One day Nathan told me that he needed to talk to me that evening. I knew it was the inevitable "define the relationship" conversation, and I knew what he was going to say--he liked me a lot, but he did not want to be tied down, and our spending so much time together was sending the wrong signals. I prepared myself all day for the 'let her down gently' talk, and knew at the same time that I didn't want it to happen.

We started walking that evening, my dreading the conversation entirely, and...he didn't say what I expected. Instead of just wanting to be friends, Nathan poured out his heart to me, told me he was smitten with me (yes, he used that word!), and declared that he would like to pursue a relationship with me with the intention of marrying me. I was speechless. I asked to sit down-I remember my knees feeling weak. There was no bench, so we just sat down on a curb! I was startled, thrilled and excited all at the same time, and though it could have been scary and may have frightened some girls, I felt a complete peace. The rest was history. We spent many fall evenings together talking about life, theology, our future plans and goals. Our favorite place to 'hang out' was on the front porch of the BSU house on campus--it had several rocking chairs, which Nathan loves, for which we were dubbed the "rocking chair romance." We knew very early that we had met the person we were to marry! Eight months after meeting, we were engaged (April 2000) and eight months after that, we were married (January 2001).

Nathan and I on the porch where we spent so much time in our pre-marriage relationship (taken August 2010)

I am so blessed that the Lord led me to Nathan. The fall season reminds me of God's grace to us both in allowing us to share our lives together. I look forward to many more years with my best friend. Thanks for reading our love story!

Prayer of Hannah blog

2011-08-15T09:06:00.002-04:00

I have been reading Prayer of Hannah since the original authors starting posting a few years ago. I was honored to be asked to join their "team" last year, and have been greatly blessed by these ladies in the process. Though we are spread out literally across the world, I count them as dear friends. The Prayer of Hannah blog was just redesigned, and I would LOVE for you to check it out. We are kicking off our redesign with a fun giveaway! So hop on over to the blog, enter the giveaway, and let us know what you think! If you are POH reader, be sure to grab our button as well.

Bed and Breakfast at Peace Hill

2011-08-14T21:40:00.015-04:00

Nathan had the chance to preach at a church outside of Williamsburg, VA, in mid-July, and we took the chance to have a weekend getaway by ourselves. My wonderful sister came up and stayed with the two big kids while we took Eleanor and had a weekend at The Bed and Breakfast at Peace Hill. In God's providence, I found this bed and breakfast by searching Google. It is a farmhouse in rural VA, about 30 minutes outside of Williamsburg, run by a wonderful couple, Mike and Tanya Moore (who completely spoiled us rotten with great food and personal touches). The setting was serene and peaceful and stunning, and we cannot wait to return! If you long for a quiet retreat, I highly recommend it!

Date taken: July 15-17, 2011

Buzz Lightyear Girl

2011-08-09T22:06:00.006-04:00

A friend recently gave us an entire bag of boy 'dress up clothes'/Halloween outfits and such. Baxter can't fit into everything yet, but he and Georgia both like trying on the various 'boy' outfits like Power Rangers, Transformers, Fireman, etc. Georgia put on the Buzz Lightyear outfit and had a blast with it! (note: the ax is not part of Buzz's costume--she just insisted on playing with it)

The Finnling firecrackers

2011-08-09T21:49:00.016-04:00

Fourth of July in Wake Forest means the annual Children's Parade. We have so much fun participating in this yearly event--it is great to see friends and to join others in celebrating the birth of our nation. The Finnlings always have a lot of fun...at least most of the time :-)

What caused this face, you might wonder?

This:

Eleanor and Nathan were both at the parade, but E was in her stroller, and N didn't make it into any pictures. You had to see how cute Eleanor was for the Fourth of July, so here you go:

The Finn ladies at the Tea Room

2011-08-08T16:20:00.003-04:00

While Nathan took Baxter to a baseball game today, I took the girls to the Olde English Tea Room downtown. It was Eleanor's first time there (outside the womb, of course!), and we had a ball. More pictures on everyone's fun day later!

Forgive my absence

2011-08-01T08:01:00.002-04:00

You know, I always think the summer will be a chance to catch up on things, but our days fill up quickly, and when I have 'spare moments', I don't have any desire to be blogging! Please forgive the absence of posts, and bear with me for a little longer. We will be off the grid (without internet access) for a few days, but I promise to catch you up on the month of July when we return. Love you all!

Eleanor gets chatty at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-07-25T21:12:00.001-04:00

When E was six months old, she found her voice--literally woke up from her nap one day talking up a storm. This video captures what she sounds like :-)

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Who is this baby?

2011-07-19T16:06:00.004-04:00

Afternoon entertainment

2011-07-12T22:22:00.005-04:00

Today temperatures reached over 100 degrees, so we hunkered down inside and avoided the outdoors.

Georgia "read" Baxter a book:

Do you see the booklight in her hand? They had a lot of fun playing with that, using it to read their books (in broad daylight, of course). Then they had the great idea of getting under a blanket to read by the book light. That led to Mommy setting up a tent for them. Below are pictures of them hiding under their tent. I took the pictures through the blanket 'doors', so it isn't the greatest picture, but it shows the fun they are having.

Both kids woke up from their naps wanting to know if they could eat their afternoon popsicle in the 'castle tent'. I told them yes :-) So Georgia and Baxter had popsicles and snacks in the castle tent, and then watched a couple of Disney shows on the computer (hence the blue glow).

I think the kids will be upset tomorrow when the castle is gone (we took it down to watch the All Star Game)...this may be a regular living room fixture now :-)

Eleanor's first 'meal'

2011-07-12T22:08:00.011-04:00

Now that Eleanor is six months old, it is time to start introducing "solid" foods into her diet (solid is in quotations because the food isn't exactly solid...it's just more solid than what she's used to). So today, I got Eleanor ready:

And introduced her to avocado (a great beginner food that's high in the fats that babies need;-)

This face is not because of the food--she does this when the camera flash goes off in her face.

She likes it! See the lean forward? Eleanor would have loved to grab the spoon from me--she wanted it badly.

Yum yum yum yum yum!

My new drink obsession

2011-07-10T21:29:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Nathan and I ate dinner at Bull City Burger and Brewery in downtown Durham. The burgers were delicious, the fries yummy, and the pound cake very tasty (though to be honest, I didn't care for the chocolate sauce-shocking, I know). But the greatest find was the Boylan's soda dispenser in the restaurant. Boylan Bottling Company has been 'formulating and producing bold flavored beverages from its authentic recipes for over 100 years' (according to its website). They use pure cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, and even have a line of natural sodas. Anyway, we were introduced to Boylan sodas at Bull City Burgers and fell in love. Nathan and I have been looking for them everywhere since then.

Imagine my surprise when one day last week, Nathan came home in the middle of the morning, telling me that he had a surprise for me. He pulled from behind his back this:

Little did we know, our little corner store carries Boylan sodas! Nathan happened upon them accidentally, and now we have to refrain from stopping there every day for a soda. I love the Black Cherry and the Ginger Ale; Nathan declares that the Cream Soda is the best he's ever had. Look for them--you won't be disappointed!