1) Hate cleaning ovens. It’s a thorn. Currently, as I bake this my home smells like there is a small (yet contained) fire. Ahhh, smoke.
(If I’m trying to give up sweets, does it count to put dark chocolate chips in banana bread?)
2) I feel like I’m running my dishwasher LITERALLY every day. Oh, blah. It’s been frustrating.
Oh, random mind of mine…
Yep. It’s true. Last week, Dallas was rocked by 9+inches of snow. It was an awesome winter wonderland. The timing was superb as hubby had friday and monday off of school AND work! WHAT?! Perfection. We existed in an alternate-reality. Can we go back, please?
Thursday morning, looking down our street. But wait, there is more to come.
Our first snowman, made in the wee hours of 6:30 AM on Thursday (no worries, abi was still sleeping soundly!) – this friend was gone by the afternoon (covered in snow!)
And then Thursday afternoon and evening came…
We went up to Flag Pole, along with the rest of Lake Highlands, and just enjoyed it. Sleds made from Dell boxes and old Rubbermaid lids. We loved it. Dogs being frisky and prancing. Old and young. Just being playful.
Trying to get some speed
Peace
Backyard snowman (abi named him Josh)
Making our family…
Isn’t that amazing…the azaleas have begun to bloom
Back inside, thankful for our warmth
And, because we are in Texas…two days later…we didn’t fare too well. Especially Abi’s snowman.
Sunday was just such a good day. Overwhelmed with love really. So thankful. Thankful for the love poured over us. Love felt via family and via friends. Love for one another. For MY family. Love from our God.
Sunday morning at church, such a vivid and amazing picture of love was painted. It was a wonderful morning. From our pastor’s blog on what he taught:
Mark makes it clear that Jesus was facing not only physical death but the wrath of God for all sin. Jonathon Edwards said that Jesus was having terrible and amazing views and apprehensions.
Mark gives us a picture of Jesus “losing it” in response to these views of the wrath of God. We are given a picture of Jesus in more agony in the garden than on the cross. The emotional stress alone was about to kill him (14vs34). Jesus falls down (14vs35). Jesus asks for a way out (14vs36). He references “the cup.” The cup was the Old Testament image for God’s judgment against sin.
What do you think when you see Jesus stressed out? How do you feel when you see Jesus rolling in the dirt? What do you think when you hear Jesus asking for a way out of the very purpose that he stated was his reason for coming? How do you feel when Jesus says that he doesn’t want to drink the cup of the wrath of God?
I don’t think enough on the wrath of God for sin that Jesus faced. Can you imagine what it would be like to stand before God and to answer for every sin, crime, evil act, and injury in the history of the world that has been done against the millions of people that he created in his image and loves?
He tasted this in the garden and stayed to drink it all. He tasted the wrath of God that was going to come down on him at the cross. This makes going to the cross even worse. We know this. Think about a difficult or painful experience where you have said, “Wow, that was harder than I thought. I don’t ever want to go through that again.”
In response to all of this, Jesus said to his Father, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Oh, how he loves us!
It just set the tone of the day as such a beautiful one. I felt so loved by my husband. Thankful.
Donald made a yummy breakfast of heart-egg-and-cheese tostadas. Yummy!
My beloved valentine. Hubby taking out the compost for me! (Wearing the bow that abi thought was appropriate)
L.O.V.E
Hubby making dinner. Again, yummy!
Delicious grilled portabellas and vegetable risotto. Nicely done, my most wonderful man.
My attempt at these yummy cookies. 70% satisfied with the result. Still working on my baking skills.
(to keep us clued into reality, lest we be swept away by the evening of Valentine’s Day – abi’s sippy cup in the picture of evening at home. Made me laugh when I was importing the pictures!)
Thankful for a day to celebrate LOVE! We hope your hearts were full with the love of our Savior and of those who are in your lives. Thank you for loving our family.
Caedmon Bryant Rose
We are thrilled beyond thrilled that baby Rose has made this world a more beautiful place in just the two weeks he’s been here. We are eager to share in this journey called parenting with the Roses and can’t wait to snuggle caedmon when we see him. We have smiling hearts at the event of his birth.
We love you K, K, & C!
Photo taken from The Pioneer Woman – she’s quite somethin’
My beloved Today Show gave me a very useful piece of information the other morning. How many of us only buy the lean 94/6 beef, all the while cursing the prices of that ground chuck? Here is our answer!
Buy that ground chuck (and give yourself a pat on the back for clever, frugal shopping) and cook the meat in your skillet. Once the meat is browned and cooked, pour the meat into a strainer and pour very hot (almost boiling) water over it, catching the drippings in a pan or cup. This takes away most of the fat, essentially giving you lean meat and a much better price!
Who doesn’t like that?
*Please don’t wash your grease down the sink – bad for your plumbing and the environment. If you live in Dallas – check out the cease the grease website here
Slowly, but surely, this Michigan gal is becoming more of a Southern Belle. Well, Belle WOULD be pushing it – but I find myself enjoying things that make life in the South unique and rewarding. Thank you, Southern Living Magazine.
The pace of life is delightful, granted Dallas is a large city with many-a-NYC-transplant, but still, I found myself appreciating how many people do move a bit slower than my beloved Michigan.
People are more kind. This is where I know I’m a southerner in part of my blood: I enjoy saying Hello to people. That is not part of up-north DNA.
Plus sweet tea. I love me some sweet tea. One of my top-five favorite drinks is an Arnold Palmer (1/2 tea and 1/2 lemonade) – and I find this drink especially delightful on a day such as today: rainy and cold.
And baby does too. Hehe. She readily enjoyed sharing our drink today (extremely watered down of course.)
Recipe for EXCELLENT lemonade iced-tea aka a darn good Arnold Palmer:
Makes: 8 cups / Prep: 10 min. / Cook: 5 min. / Steep 10 min.
Enjoy!
Views of Austin this weekend:
