Baby Shower

On Saturday, some sweet friends at church threw Beck and a shower.  Beck slept through most of it, but I did get a picture of him in his sweet little outfit and with a smile!  

I asked him if he was excited about the shower and this is the response I got.  It was something between a yawn, a smile, and a gurgle.

Rosa Jane, my mom, and Jeff's mom having a grand ole time...probably laughing at me.

Amy, Faithe, me, Madilyn, Mandy, and Kim ( a few of the hostesses)

Thank you to our sweet church family for a wonderful shower!  I am so excited that Beck is going to grow up surrounded by an amazing super-extended family who will love and nurture him as he grows physically and spiritually.

Celebrate

We celebrated the 4th of July with my family last Monday.  We all brought a little something to eat and my mom and dad cooked ribs on the grill...very delicious.  Then we headed out for some music and fireworks.  We skipped out before the fireworks started so that we could avoid a meltdown from Beck and allow him to sleep on the way home.

My sister, Elizabeth, and Matt

 

Andy and my little sister, Rebekah

 

My parents

 

The orchestra getting tuned up

 

Beck wearing Poppy's hat

 

In deep conversation with Mimi

 

The originals hanging on the blanket

Singing the National Anthem

Check out the maestro's snazzy coat! 

 

weekend recap

So I am a little behind because this is actually a recap from last weekend, but there are pictures!

Beck's first Sunday at church

Sunday night at church for the 4th of July celebration

Clinging to Stacy when the fireworks started.  We left moments later.  I am not sure if he didn't like the fireworks or if he was just so ready to go to sleep.

My husband, the photographer

In the wee hours of the night and morning, when Beck has time alone with just his daddy, this is what they do.  

Have a photo shoot.

Thank you God

 Thank you God for little fingers and hands that find their way to just the right spot when it is time to rock.

Thank you God for wide, toothless grins first thing in the morning.

Thank you God for sweet grunts in the middle of the night telling me it's time for another bottle.

Thank you God for a little head full of hair that finds it way to just the right spot on my chest when it's time to sleep.

Thank you God for my son.

The View and a Salute

Sometimes if Beck is sleeping when it is time for Jeff and I to eat dinner, I will just lay him in my lap and cover him with a towel so I don't drop any food on him.  I was doing this last night and he popped awake.

And to get the ball rolling on this holiday weekend, here is Beck's salute to the military and all who fought and are still fighting so that we can enjoy freedom here in the grand ole U.S.A.

Just call me Martha Stewart

I have really been flexing my homemaker muscles this week in the kitchen.

Fresh blueberries = homemade blueberry muffins

Zucchini Pie (with zucchini from our garden) ~ see recipe below

 2 eggs beaten
3-4 cups of zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2-1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup margarine
1 T chopped parsley
2 flour pies
2 T mustard
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t garlic salt
1/2 t basil
1/4 t oregano

1. Cook zucchini, chopped onion, and margarine for 10 minutes.  Then stir in parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, salt, basil, and oregano.
2. In a separate bowl combine eggs and pepper jack.  Then stir in zucchini into egg mixture (let zucchini cool before mixing so as not to cook eggs).
3. Bake flour pies at 350 for 5-10 minutes (just crusts).
4. Then spread mustard and put zucchini in pies and cook 350 for 20-25 minutes.
5. Let cool 10 minutes.


And finally, my first blanching experience.  I read online that if you take the time to plant, weed, and tend to your beans, then it is only right to blanch them before freezing them.  If you don't blanch them, the enzymes will make the beans funky colored and tough.