Flash Back Friday; Asher is two today!

This is Asher on the day he was born.
My first picture of him was taken with my iPhone.

Matthew and Melinda were kind of shell shocked.  The C-section came as a big surprise.
Asher was way across the room in his 'warmer'.







Carol and I quietly came into the room and marveled at this alert, beautiful child.





Then Melinda was feeling a little better and she and Asher had many moments of looking into one another's eyes.  It was very special.



Did you ever see such a relaxed daddy?


Happy Birthday Asher.

You are very loved.

Yaya

After three half days, Katie has a whole day today and tomorrow.

This is what she gave to me to sign yesterday afternoon.



It made me very happy and thankful to read it!

Even tho the math program they use at Blessed Sacrament makes me want to scream and shout,
I love that they focus on the same good things that matter to me and I love their bold devotion to Jesus.




Face.






In which, Katie channels Helen Keller.


****

Why these pictures from five years ago?
I don't know.  They were funny and cute.

Any one remember seeing them before?


Happy Thursday.
Wishing you a wonderful day!
Hope those of you in the path of Isaac are okay!

Encourage one another,
Donna

Let the light so shine....

This morning the light was very pretty shining on my and my chai.




Last night the light was very pretty as it sunk behind the pines.





the light



the light...



the light....




a photographers best friend.





Photograph:  to write with light



Encourage one another,
Donna

Best Thing I Ever Ate: Internet Edition

With all the pinning and reading and filing and drooling....I have not tried as many dishes as you might imagine.  I pin pretty things that are way too complicated to make.  I drool over seafood dishes that I am afraid to make (seafood scares me).
But I have tried a few things that have become big successes.

I will start with the biggest success of all.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Donna on Pinterest

The Pioneer Woman's Steak Bites.

These win.  No contest.
Want to know why?

Because of all the things I have tried in the last five years....this is the one thing Patrick will eat and he loves them.

Steak bites are in the regular meal rotation.
We all love them.

As for the rest of the dishes....

Well...mostly only me and sometimes Katie will eat them.

I don't get a lot of encouragement in this area of my life.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Donna on Pinterest

This is my favorite NEW thing I have ever made.
I use a different dumpling recipe that comes from Alton Brown.
But the flavors in this recipe are wonderful.  I love it so much and I have made it about ten times.
Katie will eat it with me, but she got tired of it by the end of last winter.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Donna on Pinterest

This pasta is out of this world delicious.
I'll stop telling you who in my family will eat this and that.
Just believe me, any normal person will eat this and the recipes to follow.

Source: plainchicken.com via Donna on Pinterest

Cinnamon Caramel Pecan Bread

yum.
easy.

Source: joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com via Donna on Pinterest

White Chicken Enchiladas

so good

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Donna on Pinterest

Poppy Seed Chicken


delish

Source: soufflebombay.blogspot.com via Donna on Pinterest

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

mine were not so pretty


***

I have a few recipes that are calling my name.....

Source: realsimple.com via Donna on Pinterest

Baked Garlic Shrimp

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Donna on Pinterest

Wonton Chicken Salad

Source: espressoandcream.com via Donna on Pinterest

Autumn Chopped Salad


Which one should I make next?

Love,
The Lonely Chef

p.s.

Source: monstermama-monstermama.blogspot.com via Donna on Pinterest

Everyone ate these.
Woo.

Seventh Grade

Today was Katie's first day of seventh grade.
Do you remember your first day of seventh grade?
I do.
My friends names were Claire, Heidi and Lynn.
The big deal at the time: who would be wearing nylons.
The school: Edison Jr. High School, Wheaton, Ill.
The colors gold and black.

Other than that.  Not many memories of the first day.  Just the walking up to the school on a very sunny morning.

Katie didn't worry about anything.
She has been practicing her sock bun.
I picked out her dress.  (No vees or scoop necks.  Length to the knee. School rules.)
Gladly she wore it.



(Ginny likes to be in the picture.  This was all her idea. I was taking a picture of Katie's first attempt at a sock bun. We watched a tutorial on Youtube to learn.)



This morning...before she put on her orange ballet flats.





Blessed Sacrament starts out with just three 1/2 days and then goes to full days.
It's nice.  I think tomorrow we will go out for lunch.

If you ever wonder why we send Katie to Blessed Sacrament,
it is because of days like today.
The church was overflowing with children and their parents.

The priest spoke of St. Monica (St. Augustine's mom)
St Monica is known for being a faithful wife and mother.
Always praying for her son.

And then we sang this song and I teared up because the words were so very perfect.

Go, Be Justice

Go, be Justice for God's people;
Teach the hardened heart to learn.
Break the bread of true communion,
Pour the cup of true concern.
Feed the hungry, house the homeless,
Catch the tyrant in their lies;
Be the Lord's anointed servant
So God's justice never dies.

Go, be healing to God's people;
Seek and share the saving call.
Be the touch of Christ for others,
Be the voice of Christ for all.
Lives are broken all around you,
And Christ has no hands but yours;
Hold in them the ones who suffer
So Christ healing love endures.

Go, be mercy to God's people
In forgiveness freely shown;
Find the stranger, call her kindred,
Find the exile, call him home.
Age to age God's mercy welcomes
With a love that will not cease;
Go, be Christ-light to God's people
Be an instrument of peace.


Blessed Sacrament.
It's a good place for our Katie to be.
Such a blessing.


Encourage one another,
Donna

My sister Cindy has moved to Wisconsin!
It is a wonderful thing. She is very happy!

Yesterday her change address announcement came in the mail.
The card felt heavy in the earthy brown envelope...I didn't know what it was.

On opening it, I squealed with delight...





Cindy's dear friends from 1canoe2 designed and surprised Cindy with this adorable card!
I called Cindy immediately to gush over the absolute cuteness of her 'new nest' card...I just knew Carrie and Beth had created it.  It is darling and perfect.

1canoe2

I can not wait to have an occasion to send neat cards...I am calling Beth and Carrie!!!

P.s.  I, of course, asked Cindy if I could share her card on my blog including the address.
She was not worried about weirdos... in fact she said, "Maybe someone will write me a letter."

Big Smile.


Encourage one another,
Donna

Flash Back Friday-Seven

The Glymans.
Jim and Esther's children.


As I was telling my new doctor my family health history on Wednesday, I mentioned that my parents died when I was young.  She was curious and asked how.  I said 'car accident'.  She wondered what happened next.  I told her that Nancy (and her new husband) became our guardians.  She was astonished.  She has four boys. She was sure they would self destruct.
I don't know about that...
But I explained that we were good kids.
We just were.
That one of the relatives probably should have stepped in...
but we wanted Nancy.
Nancy felt 'called' to do this even tho she was only twenty years old.

The doctor asked what Nancy was doing now.
I said, very well, she is a Grandma of two.
(because, of course, that is the important part)

She thought I should write a book.

It is a remarkable story.  I agree.

Funny thing, our parents weren't intentionally teaching us to be survivors
but somehow we were.

I think it was their love of life and their love of us.

We honor them with our lives.
Our stories honor their story.

Seven beautiful stories of love and family.





One Seventh,
Donna

I used to be a big dreamer.
I would sit in our backyard by the pool in the bouncy chair and dream and dream and dream and bounce and bounce and bounce.  Then I grew up a little and got married and we started a family.
At a certain point the dreaming so much about things started to grow into discontent.
Looking at house decorating magazines and house building magazines was bad for me.
So I stopped.
I needed to live in the present with my little children and my little house in our small town in northeast Wisconsin.  Living in a cottage on the ocean or a farmhouse on a hill just wasn't going to happen and I had to be okay with that.  And I learned to be okay with that.

Dreams can come true if you make them your goal in life.
My real desire and practical dream was being able to stay at home with our children.
That I got to do and I will never regret it.
The sacrifices were many and I don't regret those either.
I didn't mind learning to be frugal.
It was worth it.
Our children shared rooms and wore hand me downs.
I think that's good for them.
I wore the same denim jumper until it had holes in it.
I didn't care.

So I guess the grand houses and perfect rooms were really not my most important dream.
Cause if they were, I would have figured out how to go out there and get it.  Cause that's what you have to do.  Dreams without any passion and sacrifice and hard work will never be more than a dream.

My passion has always been my family.  I attribute this to losing our parents when we did.
It changes you.

So now this is what I dream about....

Source: flickr.com via Donna on Pinterest

Here comes Yaya!!!


I feel like a cross between the runaway bunny's mom and Daniel Day Lewis....


Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.
So he said to his mother, "I am running away."
"If you run away," said his mother, "I will run after you.
For you are my little bunny."

Margaret Wise Brown


"I will find you."


You will know that I worked hard and sacrificed a lot
if you ever do see me driving that Airstream.
It will not just materialize.
Unfortunately.

But is it okay if I cross my fingers and make a wish?


Encourage one another,
Donna

The morning got away from me....

I am so grateful for you all.  Taking the time to visit and encourage Axelle in her new blog was the kindest thing to do.  Thank you for that.  You really made her day very happy!




I had a doctor's appointment this morning.
I am very healthy.
But I am obese.

Ain't that a kick in the pants.


I look nice and thin in this picture because I am learning how to pose.
Reminds me of this.....

Happy Wednesday!

Love

Donna

Asher pictures and a new blog to visit.

Asher has a rough time with travel it seems.  His little body seems to struggle to stay healthy on trips.
He was not feeling 100% for the concert on Saturday.

But I needed to take a few pictures of him anyway.



Beautiful Melinda.



This is how Asher looks most of the time.  We all goon on him so much and try to get him to count and sing and talk.  Of course he holds back.
We are a bit much.

BUT when he does talk...oh my goodness!  Is there anything cuter than hearing children copy your words and string together sentences.

AND SAY YOUR NAME?




"That's my Yaya."  he said.

And then I melted right there.

I happen to love two year olds.
I don't believe in the terrible twos.
And so they don't exist in my world.
Never have.

So thankful for my family.  So very very thankful for every one of them.


***


Our friendly French friend, Axelle, has started a blog about real life cooking for her family in France.
She has just started out and gets about two readers a day.  She would love it if you stopped by and gave her a little feedback or just a simple 'hello'.

Here is the link to her blog:

http://welcomeinmyfrenchcuisine.blogspot.fr/


Bon Appetit!


* ***

Encourage one another,
Donna

Mumford and Sons~Stopover~Dixon, Illionis

The wait was grueling for the older folks and the youngest folks...



But Mumford and Sons did not disappoint!
What great sounds
and wonderful sights...




The shorties in the group could not see very well....
In this shot I am shooting with the camera held high above my head.

Thank you auto focus.


















Katie and Emma were recognized at the festival....
A girl named Jenny asked if I was Miz Boo from Ree's blog....she knew because of the girls.
I was sitting right next to her.
How crazy is that?









They had me at twinkle lights!  :o)






"Lead me to the truth and I will follow you with my whole life."

The kids like these songs....

The one below is from Sat. Night in Dixon.




in these bodies we will live
in these  bodies we will die
where you invest your love
you invest your life


A really cool band.


Encourage one another,
Donna