our growing family....

I have been so bad about updating my blog! Since I last made a entry, I gave birth to our beautiful Gracie Elise!!! She was born @ 2:10pm, June 25, 2011! She weighed 7lbs 15 oz and was 20 in long!!! She is doing great, about to make 4 weeks this Saturday!!! She is eating and sleeping great!!! Thankyou Jesus!

My older girls, Tristan and Aiden, absolutely adore their new baby sister! They both are adapting wonderfully! Tristan is such a big help and Aiden just wants to love on her allll the time!!!

Beau and I are learning our routine with the 3 girls! And its getting easier every day! We are so blessed and greatful that we are parents of these beautiful girls!!

I am going to try this tomorrow!!!! Yum!

It is the "MM Sandwich, Adorned" on Thetasykitchen.com which is a extension of ThePioneerWoman.com! I tried putting the link, but for some reason it wouldn't let!

Growing up, I was not a fan of tomatoes, at all! But I have found a new love for them!!! I am obsessed with tomatoes, and I have to say that Beau is as well!!! I am so happy though!!! Cause now we have so many new options on what to eat!!! And this sandwich is one of them!!! We have been hooked on tomatoes with fresh basil and garlic, with slices of mozerella! I could eat it everyday, but want to try different things, so we don't get burnt out! If anyone has a favorite recipe with tomatoes, please let me know!!!

What I took from "Easter" this year...

So as Beau and I were ending our Easter night last night with watching "The Passion of the Christ", I noticed that I didn't feel compelled to cry. And I think it was because I am at a point in my life where I realize that even though it is heartwrenching to watch and to hear about Christ being nailed to "the" cross, these were the steps that needed to be taken to accomplish what He came to earth to do. He had this all lined up and knew this was going to happen, and suffered through it anyway for our sake. It wasn't like he had no idea of the pain He would endure and like he didn't know everything that was going to take place. This was His calling that He stepped up to do. He could have very easily turned everything around and put everyone in their place, but that was what was expected. He did the unexpected, and the unthinkable! He rose from the dead, not just gaining His breath back, but being dead for days. I don't think that if He would have defeated them while they were beating Him, or putting a crown of thorns on His head, that it would have had as much of an impact. But to know that someone was dead, was buried, and then days later came back to life and walked away! That is victory!
I did eventually start crying while watching it, but not with the same feelings that I have cried for before. I am just so thankful that He chose to suffer for my sins. I am so greatful that He chose to hang there in humuliation, so that we would be redeemed. I am so speechless that He chose to be the ultimate sacrifice, so that we would have the choice to do what is right!
I love the part of the movie when the ground starts shaking and the earth starts to crumble and split, and everyone looks at each other like "oh snap!", what have we done! They knew it! Right then and there! And He even chose to cry out to God to forgive them! "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do!" This is a wide spread message! He was being beaten to death, made fun of, and He chose to forgive them! But yet, we cannot forgive the person in the car in front of us that cut us off in traffic! Common people! Get real! He forgave mankind while we were YET sinners! Not saying that we have to perfect, but even IN our sinning He chooses to forgive us! "Come to me a I will give you rest."! All we have to do is "come"! Whether it be to run to Him, crying for help.....or it be we hit bottom and there is no where else to turn but to Him, crying for direction...or it may even be crawling to Him, and asking for healing for our pain....it just simply says "come" !
Christ coming to earth, teaching His ways, walking amongst the thieves and prostitutes, and choosing to be beaten to shreds, made fun of, stabbed in the head with thorns, spat on, starved, nailed to a cross for all to see for us to just "COME" to Him and He will give us rest. I am sure Jesus would have had a much easier time to just go to God and have rest. But He didn't, He made the sacrifice so that we could do just that. So, just come!

Apple and Honey Nut Cream Cheese Tart

Okay so I made this with a pregnancy craving on the brain! I had seen something similar on TV this week, but I couldn't find the recipe. So I made my own!

Crust-
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoon sour cream
~combine flour and powdered sugar
~ cube butter and smash into flour mixture until completely incorporated
~ mix in sour cream well
~ use sprinkles of cold water to make sure its to a sandy consistency
*grease pie pan or tart pan, put crust mixture in the middle and sprinkle with powdered sugar to keep hands from sticking, and smash down the dough, until it covers the pan and sides.
*bake on 400 degrees for about 7 minutes

Filling-
2 baking apples
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 stick melted butter
1 cup philedelphia honey nut cream cheese (softened)

~spread softened cream cheese on crust
~peel and slice apples, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and pour melted butter over, mix well
~ layer apple mixture (make sure to drizzle left over liquid from the bowl over the apples) on top cream cheese layer
~bake on 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then cover with foil and bake another 25 minutes.
~ let cool and serve!
WELL I DID HAVE A PIC, BUT THE BLOG WON'T LET ME POST IT!

ready for the next step....

Here I am with one daughter turning nine next month, another one turning two right after that, and also due for a baby in June! Got in my car this afternoon after having a wonderful time at the Children's Museum with our playdate buddies, and was about to head to eat lunch with them all, I got overwhelmed with how blessed I am to be able to enjoy my kids and be a stay at home mom.
Even though I love my life and love that I get to pretty much do whatever, I am at a point in my life where I am just wanting something more, hungry for a closer relationship with God, ready to achieve my dreams in the wedding business, and anxious to build our dream home!
Where do I begin? How do accomplish this with soon to be 3 kids? Do I really want to put myself out there? These are the questions I have been thinking about and praying about.....so if you are reading this, please keep me in your prayers!