Poor Tayva

Well, Tayva has a bit of a fever tonight. Hopefully she wakes up in the morning feeling better! I spent part of today cleaning my house because tomorrow night I am having some ladies over for a Creative Memories party. I can't wait. It will be so fun to sip hot apple cider with the ladies, and have dessert.
I am working on getting my blog ready to be able to insert recipes. Be patient--I am getting there. When I get that going, I will post the honey whole wheat bread recipe. (among others I am sure, as time goes by)

Sock and Goldfish

Today, I was getting Tayva dressed, and for whatever reason, she did NOT, I repeat, did NOT want a sock on her right foot. She kept saying, "no,no" when I tried to put her sock on. It was so funny. So, she walked around all day with just one sock on. She even took her nap with one sock. Anyway, I did finally get her sock on when I told her we were going to meet grandma and grandpa for supper. So, she knew she had to put her sock on, and then it was OK. I have no idea why she didn't want her one sock on. Children are so funny sometimes. Speaking of funny, here is another funny story from today.
Tonight Tayva and I went to my brother and sister-in-laws house to play. My mom was actually over there watching the kids, so Tayva and I dropped by for a bit. We played for a while, then Tayva decided she wanted a "ca-ca" (cracker for those of you who don't know baby language). So, we took all the kids upstairs for a snack. We pulled out a few types of crackers, and Isaac, my nephew grabbed the box of Goldfish.
Isaac looked at me, and said "Aunt Shaunna, do you know where these Goldfish come from?" So, of course, I asked, "Where do they come from Isaac?" He said, "We went to the ocean and caught a bunch of fish, then we baked them, put them in a box, and they came out like this!" They also have bug-shaped crackers, and he said, "We went outside, caught a bunch of bugs, put them in a box and baked them, and this is how they came out!"
He is absolutely the sweetest boy. He was making sure that both Eva and Tayva had "baby books" to look at. Of course, he has "big boy books" of his own. Too cute.
Oh, and by the way, for those of you who keep up with my sister-in-law's blog, I got to see Speck, Stripey, and Orange. (real goldfish) I am very glad to report that the goldfish seem to be doing just fine. They all looked in tip-top shape, so they must have figured out the feeding schedule! Which is a good thing--we don't want anymore dead goldfish! Way to go Heather and Joe!

Garlic, Garlic, Garlic!

Last night I went to a cooking class on healthy pasta and rice. (the first of 2 classes) We talked about how most pastas are slathered in cream sauces or garlic and butter sauces. This of course, makes the pasta dish very heavy and unhealthy. I thought it was amazing because we made 6 pasta dishes last night, and we didn't use any cream or butter!! At the end of class, we HAD to taste test all the different dishes. Plus, we had extra, so we got to take home leftovers too! Just to get your mouth watering, we made three different types of pasta primavera (onion and mushroom, tomato and parsley, and broccoli), Greek pasta, Asian Capellini, and Smokey Rotini. They were all very good!!!
My group was in charge of making two types of pasta primavera. Our recipes called for 16 cloves of garlic (8 for each recipe). In one of my less-than-brilliant moments, I volunteered to peel and mince all the garlic. Well, by the time I got done with all those garlic cloves, I really smelled like garlic!! (I even had a garlic press!) I woke up this morning, and said to Bob, "My hands still smell like garlic". Yep, this afternoon, they STILL smell like garlic! Anybody have any tips on how to get rid of the garlic smell on my hands?
As for next week's class, you can be sure I will not be in charge of getting the garlic ready!! Maybe we won't need as much garlic next week as we will be doing rice, couscous, and other side dishes. Should be interesting!

Yep, it is definatley fall, and Tayva LOVES to play in the leaves. Today, she decided to pick up EVERY acorn on the ground that she could find and "hide" them in the bushes. Boy, she loves to be outside!

AMEN!

Tonight Dr David Jeremiah is speaking at the civic center. Bob and I both thought it would be great to go, however, we decided that one of us should stay home to put Tayva to bed. (she doesn't go to bed very well for other people) So, Bob left, and I got Tayva ready for bed. We relaxed and read books and cuddled together. When I turned off the light by the chair I rock her in, she started crying and crying. I couldn't figure it out. I thought that maybe she wasn't feeling well, or maybe she was just not wanting to go to sleep. I thought maybe she was uncomfortable, and just wanted to be laid in her bed, so I laid her down. She whimpered for a bit, but I rubbed her back and she calmed down a bit. Then she started crying again, and reached her arms up and kept saying, "Shaunna, Shaunna" through her tears. (she sometimes calls me Shaunna because she hears everyone else calling me shaunna--she still calls me "mommy" too though). So I picked her up and tried to console her. I took her into my bed with me and held her and laid right next to her. I was rubbing her cheek, and she started to calm down just enough for her to get out the word "Amen". Just then it hit me--we didn't pray before bedtime!!! Normally, Bob comes in the room, and he says the prayer as we all three pray together. He says Amen, I say Amen, and then Tayva says Amen. That is our routine. With Bob leaving to go to Dr David Jeremiah, and being out of routine, I forgot to pray with Tayva. So, I asked her, do you want to pray together? She said "Uh-huh". So I started to pray, and she calmed down IMMEDIATELY!! I prayed that God would protect her and watch over her as she sleeps. I prayed that God would place his mightiest angels around her bedside, and I prayed that she would someday come to know Jesus and serve him. On and on I prayed, and she was silent. After I got done, she said "Amen". I could still tell she wanted me to keep going, so I whispered Psalm 23 in her ear. She said "Amen" again. I asked her if she wanted mommy to pray again and she said, "uh-huh". So, I prayed again, this time praying for Tayva and our family, and also our extended family and we prayed for each family member by name. After I was done, we both said, "Amen". After that, I could tell she was totally relaxed. I laid her in her bed, and she fell asleep. Sound asleep.
I think the spirit of those little ones are so sensitive. God is near to them. Isn't it amazing that at 18 months old she can sense that and know she wants to pray? How can you deny that there is a God in heaven when this happens? Tayva doesn't even know the difference between colors, but she knows that there is a God, and that he is mighty!! What a blessing that Tayva already knows who her maker is, and she WANTS to talk with him! Praise God for his love and faithfulness. He loves even the littlest of these and know the hairs on their head! Hallelujah!!

Recipes

I am SO excited that so many of you have commented to me on the bread I made. A lot of you have asked for the recipe. I will be posting the recipe in the near future, so keep an eye out for it. A lot of other people have asked me for some more healthy recipes that I use, so as I come across good ones, I will post them so you can feed your family healthy food as well.

$1200!!!

Bob performed his chalk art at an auction for charity tonight. It auctioned off for $1200!! We were so pleased to have donated the picture and that it brought in that much money for the charity--YEAH!!! (the charity is for children who are terminally ill)

Tayva does the cutest things everyday. I was telling one of my friends the other day that she is our new form of entertainment at night. Anyway, she is learning to count now. She is so proud of how she counts. She goes: two...two...Three!! She also holds up her index finger as she counts. Every time she says the next number, only the index finger goes up. Just the past couple days, she will occasionally put in the number one and say one...two..three. Otherwise, it is two..two..three!

Last night, my mom and sister in law and I went to a ladies house who sells Creative Memories stuff. I am SO behind on my scrapbooks. I haven't scrapbooked one day since Tayva has been born. Anyway, I figure I better get moving on it. So, I decided to have a Creative Memories party to see if I just can't earn myself a free scrapbook! I'll let you know how it goes.

TAG----I'M IT!!!

Heather, my sister-in-law at The Chronicles of Motherhood tagged me. (by the way, you should check out her blog!)

So, here it goes:

Jobs I have had:
1. Figure Skating Coach
2. Piano Teacher (still am)
3. Aerobics instuctor (wish I still was)
4. Dental Hygienist (Loved it, but needed/wanted to retire to be a stay-at-home mom)
5. Mom (BEST job in the world!!)

Places I have lived:
My parents house, a dorm room, an apartment, and now our house!
Oh, you mean what city do I live it?? I can not reveal that, for then you all will REALLY think I am a hillbilly--ha,ha.

TV shows I like to watch:
This is hard for me to answer being that I hardly ever watch TV, and when I do, I usually get so mad at the garbage that is on there, I want to throw my TV in the trash (which would probably be a good idea!) Anyway, I do have two shows I like to watch, and that is The Biggest Loser and Survivor. (On the occassion that I do sit down to watch TV, I enjoy HGTV and the Food Network )

Places I have been:
1. Cancun
2. Almost all 50 states (I LOVE Hawaii)
3. England
4. Switzerland (2x)
5. Holland/Netherlands
6. Italy
7. France
8.Germany
9. Austria

Favorite Foods:
Anything homemade. (especially if I don't have to make it--it always tastes better when someone else makes it)
Chcocolate and almost any type of homemade dessert
My mom's lasagna, peanut buster parfait dessert (oh yeah, this dessert is to die for!!), and her oh so yummy popovers
My mother-in-law's beef stew
My sister-in-law's steak and dumplings

Books I have especially appreciated lately:
1. The Bible, of course. Seems like even though I have read it many, many times, God always brings something new to light.
2. A Woman After God's Own Heart
3. Created to be His Help Meet (yes, the title is actually Help Meet, not Help Mate--it explains it in the book)
4. Raising Children that Adore God--Instilling a Lifelong Passion to Worship


Things I enjoy:
1. Being with family--Love, love, love my family!!
2. Laughing with Bob and Tayva
3. Getting a massage
4. Eating food (especailly desserts and bread) fresh from the oven
5. Learning how to be a better wife and mother
6. Family--oh wait, did I already mention that??


I tag Emily at Macaroni and Cheese

TIMBER!!!

Yep, that's right, Bob and I along with a friend (thanks for providing the chain saw, Pat!)took down a tree-and-a-half in our backyard tonight. This was my first time ever using a chain saw!! We cut down a small tree that was dead, and we took down part of another tree that had fallen toward the ground. It was pretty fun-I love my man with power tools!

Well, I am up to my eyeballs in chickens. Yes, CHICKENS! We have some friends in town that raise chickens (they have a small ranch and raise just enough for their family to eat, plus a little extra to sell.) I bought some from them in the spring, and I just bought some more from another family. I should be pretty well stocked up now! These chickens are the BEST!! We especially like them because they are raised on family farms without any shots (hormones or antibiotics) and are free to roam wherever. Our whole family loves them.

So, between cutting down trees, and a huge influx of chickens, things are pretty normal around here. (as normal as things can be with a crazy funny husband and a toddler with the best personality in the world!) With all these chain saws and chickens, I bet you all think we are really turning into some hillbillies-ha,ha. (I mean, after all, you know that were we live, we still ride in covered wagons and don't have running water yet.)

The smells of fall

This is one of my favorite times of the year. I think mainly because I LOVE the smells of fall. I love to pull out the pumpkin and hazelnut candles, and then on to the cinnamon and nutmeg candles at Christmas. I also love being outside during these cool days. Probably in part because after being outside, and the tip of your nose gets just a little cold and slightly pink, it makes it all the more enjoyable to come into a cozy, warm house with the wonderful scents of pumpkin and spice!
We certainly had lots of good smells in our house today. I made homemade honey whole wheat bread this morning. Those of you who know me, know that I really enjoy cooking and baking. (most of the time :) Yes, I made it from scratch and by hand. Ever since Tayva has come into our lives, we have a new perspective on how we eat (that is a whole other post I will get into at a later date.) Anyway, my point is that I now make ALL of our bread. So, our house smelled of freshly baked bread (which I love). Later, Tayva and I went outside, and picked some apples from the neighbor's tree. (Don't worry, they asked us to take some of the apples because they had so many. We didn't steal them. Shame on you for thinking such a thing--ha,ha ) So, of course now that I had these fresh apples, I had to make something! So, we had pork chops with caramelized onions and apples, and fresh apple cobbler for supper--YUM, YUM! We enjoyed sharing supper with our friend, and Bob's travel companion and assistant, Russ.
So, now do you see why I love the smells of fall? Anyone up for some apple cobbler?

So it begins...

So it begins..my blogging experience. I have, at times, had so many things going through my head saying, "if I had a blog, this is what I would write about today". Now that I actually sit down to write in my very own blog...I don't quite know what to say.

I know, I can tell you how Tayva learned to walk backwards. The other day we were at Kindermusik, and one of the songs had the kids jumping, spinning, walking on their tiptoes, and walking backwards. Anyway, Tayva pretty much was just staring at the older kids doing all these things and loving listening to the music. Every once in a while, she would dance and clap her hands. Later that day, we went to Barnes and Noble so we could look at some of the childrens books together. As she was walking the aisles with me, all of a sudden she looked at me and just started walking backwards! Of course, it was so cute, and I had to praise her for doing so well. Then she realized that she was doing something really cool, so she kept walking backwards pretty much the whole time (and looking at me to make sure I was watching her do her new "trick") until we left the store.

OK, so there you have it--my first blog entry. I look forward to writing more about Tayva and life in general. I am sure some days will be lighthearted, and others will be more serious. Come back and visit soon, to see what I write about next. Hmm..I better get thinking about that!