Sisters Part 1

God has blessed me w/ wonderful sister-in-laws! I am the only girl in my family (I have two younger brothers). And for at least 10 years, I was the only granddaughter, in a sea of boys! There are benefits to being the only girl . . . such as getting a "little" spoiled from family - but there was also something missing. Since getting married, I have acquired wonderful "sisters". I even have one of my "little" brothers to thank for giving me a sister! Over the next week or so, I'm going to be sharing recipes from some of these special ladies in my life.



I'm going to start w/ Amy. She married my brother Jeremy almost 10 years ago. I have to admit, and my family will tell you the same, I did not like Amy when she and Jeremy first started dating. I thought she was pretty uptight, and just not the right type for my brother. Fast forward to today . . . she is a wonderful person. As we both journeyed through our seasons of life, I began to discover what a truly incredible person she is. She has blessed me w/ a nephew (who reminds me so much of his daddy, that it is scary), and a beautiful princess niece. When we made the move to Indiana, it was so hard to leave Amy and Jeremy behind. Amy and I had taken our relationship to a new level. We were enjoying mothering and spending time together. We still talk to each other almost every week, and the emails flow frequently. We are each other's "venting" companion! Isn't life funny? I'm so glad that Jeremy chose her, despite my opinion. We are going back to KS this weekend, and I am so excited to be able to see her . . . and the rest of my family too, of course!! This is a recipe that everyone requests that Amy bring to dinner. It's very impressive - for someone from Missouri!! J/K!! KU ROCKS!


Cookie Salad *
1 package (4oz) Instant vanilla pudding
1 cup buttermilk**
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
8 oz whipped topping, thawed
1/2 package fudge striped cookies, broken into pieces


Combine pudding & buttermilk (will be thick). Fold in whipped topping, oranges, and cookie pieces. Chill until ready to serve.

*This can easily be made sugar free by using sugar free pudding, whipped topping, and cookies.
**To make your own buttermilk, place 1Tbs lemon juice or white vinegar in measuring cup, and add milk to measure 1 cup. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened. Continue w/ recipe.

Lovin' on the family

This picture is a little old, but I came across it and was instantly reminded of what real love feels like! This was taken when Ethan was about 6 week old. As a mother, I embrace loving my children (that doesn't mean it's always easy!). They are my responsibility and if I choose to model love, they will do the same. I'm striving to cover my children in "love prints" so they in time, will do the same to their own children, sometime down the road.


I've been remiss in posting anything these past few days . . . I've been spending time w/ my family. Natillie, our oldest, came down w/ a horrid ear infection on Thursday. We had a play date at the mall play area on Friday; came home and made Valentine's cupcakes - complete w/ lots of pink frosting and sprinkles! Last year, we tried something new to celebrate V Day. The kids and I spent the day creating a surprise dinner for Dave. The kids decorated the table, we pulled out the sparkling china and goblets, used the velvet napkins, lit candles, and dressed in "fancy clothes". We all had so much fun! I think I remember our dessert being red, heart shaped jigglers :-) How fun it is to create a "fancy" dinner, that includes all of the family!



We decided to make this a tradition. Dave and I can have our date later. This just made such an impression on the kids, that we want to make sure they experience it many more times! Tonight, the girls decided to forgo their "fancy" clothes, in fact, they almost came to dinner in their fuzzy bath robes!! The table had a beautiful hand knitted tablecloth (a gift from my grandmother for our wedding), metallic multi-colored heart garland , candles, M&Ms, and we even had sun catcher conversation hearts hanging from our chandelier above the table! No fancy food tonight, just lots of love and laughter as we shared a beautiful time together as a family ! God has been good to us, and His love continually amazes me!