15
2010It’s been a busy few weeks and this week is supposed to be busier. Breastfeeding support group, Bible Study, Shepherding Group, Dance Rehearsal, maybe a Playdate, and a Dance Performance. Whew! But all of it is filled with grace and with people who speak grace. I am worn out by Grace.
250. My Bible Study Group
251. Sara, meeting her and her twin boys. The crazy sets of events bringing us to friendship.
252. Baby Reagan arriving safe (pleas pray as she has been sick)
253. Watching concentration that goes into grabbing a toy
254. Aeralind’s cheerfulness in the morning. What a joy to wake up to.
255. Bronwyn cuddles when she’s not feeling so well.
256. Snow melting on Saturday in time for us to get out of the house
257. Coconut shrimp
258. Hand-me-down toys
259. Blessing others with the overflow of hand-me-downs
260. Baby fragrance
261. Snuggles with my husband
262. Facebook chat with far off friends
263. Watching Derek “roughhouse” with the girls

14
2010Budget meals are my best friend right now and this one is easy, cheap, and makes a TON! Seriously, I froze 3 more meals from this. This would be great for lunch throughout the week.
Veggie Beef Soup
- Ground Beef
- Onion, chopped
- Large can of beans, rinsed and drained (your choice or omit)
- Family size bag of frozen mixed veggies
- Can of chili sauce (Hunts brand, by your canned tomatoes)
- 28 oz Can of diced tomatoes
- 8 cups beef broth (I used McCormick Beef Base)
- 2 cups cooked rice (or omit)
Ingredients
- Brown ground beef with the chopped onion.
- Dump meat and remaining ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high or low (depending on when you want to serve it) until warmed through.
- Easy peasy! Enjoy!
11
2010Sometime last month marked the day where Derek and I came together to create a little person and where a God who knows what we needed more than anything knitted that little person into two beautiful girls. I can’t believe it has been a year. A year of anticipation and sleeplessness and lessons on our selfish natures and laughter at the antics of two sweet girls. They’ve officially been out here in the world for 5 months today; I can scarcely believe it!
Let me confess that the girls current stage makes me consider doing it all over again. They are getting to be so much FUN! They laugh, they play with their hands and toys, the smile, they talk, and on occasion they roll over. When they’re tired they just curl right up over your shoulder and snuggle in. This sweetness is practically contagious.
Aeralind Grace
This little girl is so focused on whatever she is doing. I can hardly snap a photo without capturing intense concentration. She’s taken to thumping her little legs down as hard as she can at every chance she gets, but especially when she’s trying to keep herself awake. Eventually, she’ll cover her face with one hand and suck on her thumb until she falls asleep.
Aeralind rolled over from tummy to back for the first time on February 1st. I was out of the room fixing lunch and when I returned she was lying innocently on her back. She repeated her feat when I left the room to get my drink. I actually caught her rolling from tummy to back 3 times in a row two days ago. She’s pretty good at it, but sometimes her little brain just can’t remember the correct sequence of movements. When that happens, she lays down her head and complains loudly.
Aeralind can be a clown when I least want her to be a clown. She’ll start grinning at me while nursing in the middle of the night. When she’s tired she’ll gladly sit there and coo and laugh and grin at me until she almost convinces me that she’d rather not sleep.
Aeralind felt pretty yucky the earlier this week (I accidentally had dairy at a Super Bowl party) and she acts just like her Daddy when she’s doesn’t feel well. She just wanted to be held and have her head stroked and talked to in a gentle voice.
Bronwyn Hope
Bronwyn is movement caged. This little girl rarely stops moving! She can rotate herself 360 degrees while lying on her back and can do it so fast she gives the back of her head carpet burn. She loves to roll up on her side and play with her hands or more recently the hanging toys. The concentration she puts forth when trying to grab a toy I dangle above her is intense; I can see how proud she is to be able to grasp successfully.
Bronwyn rolled over tummy to back twice on January 23. I saw the first roll and her daddy got to see the second one. Since then she’s decided that she’d much rather play with her hands or whatever toy you hand to her. In fact, on tummy time now she just lays her little head down and stuffs her whole hand in her mouth.
Bronwyn hates to go to sleep for a nap. She will whine because she’s tired and then scream when you lay her in the crib. She also wakes up earlier than her sister consistently. I think she just likes having the extra attention. 😉
Bronwyn is in love with the borrowed Bumbo seat despite the fact that putting her in it almost instantly results in copious amounts of spit up. She is happy to sit on daddy’s desk and watch him on the computer. She loves sitting on our kitchen table watching me cook dinner or enjoying dinner with the two of us. She’ll smile and join right in with chatter.
08
2010234. Babies that nurse
235. 2 hour naps
236. Grown up conversation
237. Conviction
238. My Cameras
239. Random meeting in Lowes
240. Mango smoothies- Sunshine in a glass
241. Dairy-free cook books at the library
242. Clean baby smell
243. Sun dried diapers
244. Unexpected Valentine gifts from “Auntie Jen”
245. Sucking, munching, self-soothing fingers
246. Tired babies collapsing in their Daddy’s protective arms
247. Lying with him in bed, whispering
248. The smell of smoke
249. The tinkling of the wind chimes






