It's a.....

The girls made us a totally blue cake.

 So today was the big day.  The ultra sound.  I always cry at ultra sounds.  I think they are just amazing. To take a peak into the secret place and see a growing baby is sooooo wonderful.  David, Latisha, Sierra, Danika and I got to go to the ultra sound.  We brought our computer and were able to Skype Alex.  The lady doing the ultra sound asked us what we thought it was and then showed us and asked us if we could tell.  Sure enough we could.

Our new little one

They said everything looked really good.  It is so funny to look at my baby's ultra sounds.  They all look alike.  I used to think all ultrasounds look alike but after having my first ultrasound and then seeing someone else's I was surprised.  I think I could pick my babies out.  They all have these round heads, chubby cheeks,  pouty lips and little noses.  I just love it.  What a blessing.  I am amazed at how others have gotten so excited.  We are so happy to see it is a boy but would have been happy if it had been a girl.  We just feel so blessed.  Alex was teasing me and said, "so it took you 20 years to get me a brother."  Love that boy.  What a very blessed day.  We are truly thankful.  Thank you Father for your blessings.  Truly children are a blessing/miracle from the Lord.

Have a great day.

Alicia

Fall is Here

It definitely feel like fall as the brisk weather increases to quite chilly, to cold.  A sure sign is my laundry room.  Yesterday I did four loads of laundry and this morning I woke up to the baskets filling quickly.  The reason of course is as the weather gets colder the clothes we wear are bulkier and fill up the laundry baskets quicker.  Which means more laundry.  

 One of my favorite parenting times is reading books.  I love spending time cuddling and reading to my children.  Isabella is really developing a love for this time also.  She snuggles up and listens as I read and smiles up at me and even tries to make the sounds of the animals.  She will even get books, put them in "our chair" and take me to the chair.  I have made it a priority to read with her as much as I can.  She is still not talking and I hope that the books I read will help.  We had another doctors appointment the other day with not a lot more insight except she is developmentally delayed and sometimes children when they hit 4 years old just take off and start talking.  So I guess for now I'll keep reading her books, working on sign language, doing therapy, enjoy her sweetness and pray for her.  What a blessing she is.  

Only a few days until the ultrasound.  So stay tuned.  We are so excited to see our new little one and find out the gender.  The plan is to Skype Alex at college so he can actually be there with us.  Children are such a blessing.  I must say I am tired of the reference to my "advanced maternal age." I get it and I trust the in the Lord.   The other day a girl in my class I teach at church, came up to me and said "So, you are having another baby."  "Yes, I am."  "Well, you must really like children."  "Yes, I do."  She smiled and walked away.  It just blessed me and I hope it impressed on her a feeling that it is good to be blessed with children.  Have a great day and may God bless you.

Alicia

What's in a Name

Last weekend David and I went on a camping/hunting trip with a couple other couples.  It was the first time I have left Isabella since her hospital trip and I was quite nervous but everything went just fine.  We went to a place called Black Rock.  The road was dirt and bumpy and just kept going and going.  The fall colors were amazing but we were getting concerned we might have missed the campground.  When what to our wondering eyes should appear but a big old black rock sticking out next to the river. I said to David, "Do you think that is the the black rock they named the camp ground after," and sure enough as we turned the corner there was the sign.  We had arrived.  This very neat rock just standing there so magnificently just makes you wonder how did it get there.  I'm sure evolutionist have some explanation of thousands of years of work but I am so glad I believe in the Creator who made all things.  I think sometimes He just has fun and goes "How about a big black rock right... here."  Just wandering around the mountains was so gorgeous, seeing God's creation in such vibrant colors.  I'm not a hunter so for me the weekend was so relaxing.  My mornings were time with God, His word, wandering through his Creation and spending time chatting with a couple friends.   Then relaxing evenings playing games and sitting around the camp fire with our spouses.  A very nice weekend with my hubby indeed.  We are all very blessed to be surrounded by the creation of a very creative God.  Have a great day.

God Bless,

The black rock is in the background

This is the river, more of a creek right now, that ran through our camp ground.

Alicia

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty."  1 Corinthians 2:27

Pumkins...

What a lovely day and lovely weather we have been having lately.  It is quite brisk in the morning and warms up nicely through the day.  It is funny what turning on the heat does.   The other morning one of the kids commented "It smells like Christmas."  I think they were referring to the smell of the furnace and I know what they mean.  I get the same fluttery feeling when I awake to that smell.  Actually, the other morning when I woke I got all excited for Thanksgiving and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It is a very silly tradition I have had since childhood and have passed on to the kids.  Thanksgiving morning always finds us around the tv multitasking the days activities but watching bits and pieces of the parade.  Yes, that is a bit away still, but smells have a way of bringing out different memories.  The kids think it would be so wonderful to go and see it in person.  I wonder.  It looks awfully cold and crowded but I'm sure it is a fun experience to be there in person.

Yesterday I got to have a wonderful day blessed with some of my favorite people.  It seems like we just haven't been getting together with other people much lately.  But yesterday I was able to have a fun lunch with my dear friend Amy for her birthday.  Then in the evening our family got to go to one of the sweetest families, Chad and Jessica's, and spend time with them.  They just finished building a beautiful home on a lovely piece of property for their family of 8.  Their 6 kids are 8 and under and so sweet.   I was even blessed to hold their new baby and he is such a sweetie.  We are looking forward to our own new little one and the kids are counting the days down to the ultrasound (3 more weeks exactly).  

Some of our fun has been cooking with pumpkins.  I harvested the pumpkins and have been having a good time baking and filling our home with wonderful scents.  We have had pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin trifle.  All have turned out so yummy.  I am looking forward to trying a recipe for pumpkin soup tonight although no one else is quite as enthused as I am.  Better have something fun to go with it.  Unfortunately I haven't been good at taking pictures but here are a couple and some ideas for cooking up the pumpkin.  Have a blessed day.

Alicia

pumpkin cookies

 Pumpkin cookies
3/4 c butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 c cooked pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
mix well  add...
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
/2 tsp nutmeg
stir in 1 cup chocolate chips
bake 15 min at 375 degrees

pumpkin seed almost gone but quite yummy.  Toss clean seeds with melted butter, garlic salt and dash of paprika.  Bake for an hour stirring every 15 min at 220degrees

Pancakes are also fun just add pumpkin to the mix, a little cinnamon, pumpkin spice and chocolate chips and yum.

P.S.  I would like to add that it has been my experience when working with home grown pumpkins, that the puree is runnier than store bought.  So to compensate I add more flour to the mixture to reach the consistency I want.