TheKitchenCookie

  A year ago today we said good bye to Lin's Dad. In some ways it seems like yesterday and in others it seems much longer. Dad, you are missed and remembered with love. As much as we miss you it makes us happy to think of you in the presence of Jesus with a new, pain free body.   P.S. say "Hi" to my Dad for me. :)       ♥

photo credit: Sari Stoltzfus   We spent the past weekend in Dalton, Georgia watching these boys play ball. Back row 4th from the left is our son Anthony. Being the 3rd boy in a row means that you rarely get the opportunity to do something first that your brothers have not already done so this was extra special for him and for us.   To say I was excited when he hit a grand slam is an understatement!!! Seriously, I love to watch my boys play ball! Big Cheesy Grin! ☺   So. Much. Fun!!   They did quite well and were undefeated all weekend! In addition to being from three different teams when they are at home and two being from another state I'd say the coaches get a shout out too for pulling it all together!   Danny and Victor cheers to you both!   Summer is going faster than I ever remember it before but it's all good.        

It's been a beautiful day! The weather was perfect and we  had a relaxing Father's Day. The boys were busy doing there things tonight  and Serena spent the evening at Bible School so Lin and I chose a spot to watch the sunset. :)   . ♥♥♥

Grilling season is here and I thought it would be nice to grill up some of the yummy grass fed steaks we had handy. It's simple but tasty and goes perfectly with a salad and fresh strawberry lemonade.   1 cup water ¼ cup white vinegar 2 Tablespoons olive oil 6 turns of dried garlic and sea salt crystals ½teaspoon each of cumin and chipotle chili powder 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg dash of stevia 2¼ lb. London Broil   Combine ingredients for the marinade and place into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. With a fork poke holes in both sides of the steak and place into bag with marinade. Refrigerate several hours turning a few times to make sure both sides absorb flavor. Allow to come to room temperature before grilling.   Grill over high heat until both sides are seared then reduce heat until internal temperature is (this one was around 140) remove from the grill and cover with foil for about five minutes. Enjoy!        ...

    My wish for all of you as we start a new year~~   I wish you enough sun to always keep your attitude bright and cheerful I wish you enough rain so that occasionally you will see a rainbow to remind you of Gods faithfulness  I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit from being broken  I wish you enough pain so that the smallest of joys in life appear much bigger then they are I wish you enough gratitude so you will take nothing for granted  I wish you enough gain to satisfy your needs and then some to share with others  I wish you enough loss so you can better appreciate all your blessing  I wish you enough grace to forgive without reservations.   ♥Be Blessed!♥  

Every photo has a story: So every year I hope to take the perfect family Christmas photo.   Funny, because I always procrastinate about this. And... well... the guys are never actually begging to pose.   But this year I felt all organized and clever because I was going to get it done when we went to Ohio for my nephews wedding. In September, no less!   But alas, I forgot my clothes that I had planned to wear! (This wasn't the first time this year that this kind of thing had happened!) What's happening to me?!?!    I had everyone else's but mine.    So out of necessity I begged some from my sister. She was happy to share and, um, out of her 2 closets and quite a few drawers we were able to make me look reasonably presentable.   To add to the drama we waited till right before we left for the wedding and had to rush a bit... then my husbands phone rang... sigh...   Then the silliness...

  Today we celebrate the wonderful Father of my children. We are thankful that God blessed us with this particular man in our lives! We love you!   He is: Patient Gentle Kind Calm Honest Trustworthy Works Hard Organized Makes time for us all ...and the list goes on :)   I've learned from him how not to worry (although I forget it sometimes but thankfully he is consistent in this and helps keep me on track :), how to simply take things as they come and keep going. Things I really needed to learn!   How I was fortunate enough to marry a man like the wonderful Father that I had at home tells me for sure that my Heavenly Father was watching out for me!   We felt blessed today to spend one more Father's Day with Lin's Dad as well. We spent time there this forenoon and over lunchtime and while he is very ill and in pain he is always happy to see us and the grandchildren and they/we enjoy being there...

  If you need a quick breakfast that will last a long time this one is filling and yummy. I had some fresh fruit that needed to be used (Mangoes, Strawberries, and Pineapples) and had recently cracked open a Coconut and was looking for a way to use it up. I decided the quickest way to use everything was a smoothie. It was fast, really yummy, and filling.   1 Cup each of Pineapple Chunks, Mangoes, and Strawberries 1 Cup Pineapple Juice ½ Cup Coconut meat w/Coconut water ½ pkg. Advocare Berry Meal Replacement Powder 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds   Place all ingredients into a blender (magic bullet) and blend till smooth. Serves 2.     Enjoy!                                                ...

Over the last month we've celebrated Shawn's 16th Birthday several times. Once with just our family, once in Ohio with my family, and once with extended family and school friends. We rented a gym and they played some volleyball and basketball. That's Shawn going for a spike! He came home a few weeks ago from school and said "Mom today we were playing volleyball and when I went up to spike it, all the girls on the opposing team ran screaming for the sidelines!" He had a big grin on his face and I believe he got a kick out of that. From what I hear he can really pound it. But I guess if you're 6'2" and have decent athletic ability you really should be able to do that.  It's always fun to watch how your kids grow up from year to year. The character strengths that are more pronounced as they grow older and of course there is always the evidence too that our parental guidance is still needed :) He loves action, is a loyal frien...

  No.1    Gorgeous Roses!   Here at our house we have celebrated Valentine's Day 3 times now in 2013. So much fun! The first time we hosted our boys' youth group here in the basement. We had a lot of fun getting to know some of their friends better and watching everyone enjoy themselves was very rewarding! This was hosted the day after Dad-In-Laws very long (13 hr.) surgery. I could not have pulled it off without the help of my sweet friends. Some volunteered to bring food and one volunteered to help with the decor. Thank You all from the bottom of my heart! You will never know just how much that really meant to me!! All of the youth that were here (except one) invited a friend. This added a lot of fun because the group is pretty small otherwise.     These are our handsome young men with the sweet, beautiful girls they escorted. :)     Andre - Amanda Shawn - Kelsey Dessert!!     ...