*Almost* Wordless Wednesday-Kitchen Bath

Remember last week's Wordless Wednesday? This is what followed after taking that picture... :)

Apparently Ems thought her baby needed a bath too! :)

Tuesday BlogHop- Favorite Book!

Book Club- November 2009

This past Fall I felt the Lord prompting me to start up a book club for the Young Adults ministry at our church. I am SO glad that I did! I have had such a great time connecting with these amazing women and others that weren't there the night that we took the picture!

We have been reading "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan. I think that books about "religion" can be a really trendy thing sometimes. It's not so much the book that I am into, it's how challenging it is and how much it makes me think about my own faith.

I really recommend it for anyone who is feeling like their faith is stale or just wants to be challenged!

Friend Makin' Monday

Upon reading my BFF's blog, I discovered "Friend Making Monday". I have been trying to do "Not Me Monday's" which are always fun to write but if I can't think of anything overly clever then I feel un-worthy to post. So instead of "Not Me-ing" I will make some friends.

The theme for this bloghop (founded by this gal) is a new recipe! Who doesn't love a good new recipe? :) The recipe I have chosen to share is actually something my friend Roxanne made us for dinner last week. She texted me last Monday and asked if she could make us dinner while she watched Emersyn on Monday. I really had to stop and think about that.....UM YES!!!!!!!! :) When I came home on Wednesday, my house was clean, candles were lit, dinner was in the oven, and the house smelled AMAZING. And not only did she make us dinner, she even did the dishes afterwards. That is my love language. Dinner and dishes. *sigh*.

Anyways, back to the recipe! It is called "Cranberry Chicken" and it is a Schultz original dish. (Roxanne's dad is a professional chef!)

Here it is!

1 Jar of Catalina French Dressing

2 Packets of French Onion Soup Mix

1 Can of Whole Cranberries

Chicken Breasts or Tenders

Mix together Catalina dressing, french onion soup mix, and cranberries. I recommend using chicken tenders, very flavorful. Brown the chicken you use in a pan. Then place chicken in an oven safe baking dish. Pour the mix over the chicken. I pour a little sauce in the dish and then add the chicken and then pour the rest of the sauce on top of the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

Delicious! :)

SlappyCakes

Fridays are my favorite day of the week by far! They are our family day, our only full day off together. Yes, it is tough only having one day off but Brett's other day off is his Daddy/Daughter day with Emersyn and that is really special. :) This is just a season of our life too....someday we will enjoy two days off. Right now, "for such a time is this..."

ANYWAYS......

Yesterday we had one of most fun family days that we have had in a long time! Often times Fridays end up being days to run errands, get together with friends, etc. But yesterday we had no plans. Those are the best kind of days in my opinion!!!

We slept in a little because we were up so late the night before, even Emersyn! Once we got up we all got ready to go and headed to SlappyCakes, a brand spankin' new breakfast joint over in SE Portland. Brett had heard about it from one of his residents at work. (He is a property manager) We love trying new places and going on little adventures so this was right up our alley. We had such a great time there!!! You could buy pancake batter and make the pancakes right at your own table!!

The food was really yummy. Brett and I each got our own buttermilk batter and split a classic breakfast of hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and toast. It was really fresh and natural tasting food and reasonably priced too!

Excited for breakfast! (Side note: got her turtleneck at Gymboree last summer for $2. SCORE! Got her tights at Gymboree too last week, ALSO $2. Skirt is hand-me-down from neighbor/friend. Total for her outfit=$4. Whoo hoo!)

Emersyn: "So are we just gonna sit her or are we gonna order??"

"Can I have one of those E pancakes?"

LOVE this orange booth, such a sassy color!!

Can't wait for more SlappyCake adventures in our future!!

Cathedral Park Pictures

You are my sunshine...

....my only sunshine....

You make happy....

....when skies are gray....

You'll never know Emersyn....

...how much you're mama loves you....(but I'm sure gonna try to show you!!)

Yesterday we took these pictures at Cathedral Park in downtown Portland. It is underneath the St John's bridge and it is just beautiful!!

*Happy sigh* I never get tired of taking or looking at pictures of my sweet little girl. Her daddy took most of these pictures, he really has a great eye, don't you think?

Happy Saturday!!

Baby Brother

My baby brother and I.....hee hee.

My brother and I are exactly 4 1/2 years apart, to the day. I remember when my mom was pregnant with him and I insisted that I only wanted a brother, not a sister. My wish came true. This age difference was...interesting...as we grew up. He was a pretty typical "little brother", always getting into my stuff, bugging me, etc. But under it all, I know that he very much looked up to me as his big sister and now, through long intense hours of therapy, I am able to forgive him for the little twerp that he was. (Just kidding....about the therapy...not about the forgiveness..or the twerp, ha!). I certainly wasn't perfect (don't even get my mother started...), but I was usually not the instigator of trouble in our relationship. Except for the time when I told him that we should find out what happens when you climb into the dryer and turn it on, with the door open of course. I will never forget his frail 6 year old body flying through the air in the dryer as it turned....awesome memory. Or the time I caught him sneaking some Skittles from our parents pantry and I used that as blackmail for the next, oh I don't know, FIVE YEARS when I needed something. "David, will you go grab my water bottle for me". "Sis, I don't want to". "David, don't make me tell mom and dad about the Skittles..." "Okay okay, don't tell!!!!!" Hee hee. Other then that, I am certain I was always the victim, never the perpetrator. :)

I moved out right as my brother went into high school. I didn't know it at the time but he missed me terribly and he experienced very different years in a private high school as an only child (basically) then I did in a public school with a little brother at home. I tried to stay connected to him but with me working full time plus and him in high school, it was hard to find things in common and ways to stay in touch. Occasionally would come over to my apartment and spend the night, us watching movies, running to 7-11 for late night slurpees, him spilling an entire jar of nacho cheese onto my carpet, lots of good times. :)

When Brett and I started dating David was not a huge fan. He and Brett were friends and I think he wasn't a big fan of one of his friends stealing his sister. He had some bitterness issues with my state of romantic bliss and I think that made us grow apart for a short time. He bawled like a baby at my wedding, I will never forget. He is a romantic to the core and even at a young age, I think he recognized the importance of marriage and that commitment.

Shortly after Brett and I got married, David and I were able to really reconnect and it helps that him and Brett are so close too. David makes me laugh pretty much more then anyone and we enjoy the same dry sense of humor. He lived with us this summer over his break and it was fun to have him as our "roomate". He is so good with Emersyn and every day he would come home he would stop in the entry way and say "Uncle's home" and Emersyn would get a HUGE smile. In college, David has found a soul mate of his own and I couldn't be happier for him and Jenny. I can't wait for them to get married and to start planning family vacations together and watch our kids grow up.

Dave, I love you and seriously....I am sorry about the dryer incident. :)

Blog Award!!!

Awww shucks. An award?? For me?? :)

I got a comment once from this sweet gal, pointing out our EXCELLENT taste in baby names (she also has a daughter named Emersyn Grace). Thank you for the award Keely! I love reading your blog and I think your "Hot and Healthy Challenge" is awesome.....I just need to jump in and participate one of these weeks!

The award comes with strings attached however....here are the rules! :)

* Display the award logo.

* Nominate up to 9 blogs that make you feel comfy or warm inside.

* Link to your nominees.

* Let them know they have been nominated by commenting.

* Link to the person from whom you receieved the award.

Here are my nine blogs, in NO particular order or ranking....

*Thoughts and Whatnots- my sweet bloggy friend LeAnna...love reading about her sweet baby boy, her love for her family and the Lord and her amazing photography!!

*The Leaking Window -Sister Sheri is an amazing mentor to me. She inspires me to dive into the Word more and be as good of an example to other women as she is to me. Plus, her 10 year old son is the sweetest boy ever and him and Emersyn are best buds. :)

*My Journey through Motherhood-my BFF's blog. :) Our kids are only a couple months apart in age so it is fun to read what Mr. Riley is up to, knowing Emersyn isn't far behind him. Plus, she has recently taken up cooking as a hobby and is always posting fun recipes that make me hungry while I am reading about them!

*Amore Dolce- I have known this blog's author since she was a little girl, maybe 6 or 7? The Lord has brought her back into my life through some fun circumstances (she is watching Emersyn on Wednesdays now) and I am so happy to read about the lessons that the Lord is showing her during this season of her life.

*Simplifying....me- I love reading Amy's thoughts on life. She has three small kids and is always writing cute and thought provoking blogs regarding her family and faith.

*Lemonade Makin' Mama- Someday when I grow up, I pray that the Lord would bless me with the quick wit and crafty-ness that Sasha possesses. One can dream right? :) This is the welcome message to her blog: Life often gives us lemons. You can either make lemonade with them, or you can organize 'em. I try to do a little of both around here, and I hope that it refreshes you.- LOVE IT! :)We need more Lemonade Makin' Ladies in our lives, don't we?

*The Crowther's- I went to high school with Jen and have enjoyed reading her blog since I found it. :) She has a great mix of recipes, pictures of her darling little boy and posts with that display her great sense of humor!

*This is Us!- Aimee and I also went to high school and it has been fun to reconnect now that we are both married with babies. I love reading about Aimee's life, half in the US and half in Vienna! I appreciate her insights on parenting and natural living.

*Life's Little Blessings- Sarah and I ALSO went to high school together (geez, lots of those today!) and our daughters are only about a month apart. Sarah is amazing; a marathon runner, getting her master's degree, all the while raising a toddler and blogging about her faith and challenges in life.

Okay ladies, your turn to hand out awards!

Happy Thursday! :)