I've been wanting to mention two products which I have tried from Costco that we really like. One is the Kirkland plastic wrap. It really clings well and the box has a sliding cutter rather than a serrated edge and it cuts great. It is the best plastic wrap I have ever used. The other product is the Kirkland frozen pineapple chunks. We have eaten some with cottage cheese and used the majority of it to make pineapple smoothies/sorbet. I just put some pineapple, vanilla yogurt and a little orange juice in the food processor and blend it until it is smooth. It makes a cool refreshing treat in a flash.

Many years ago when we lived in Michigan The Detroit News published this recipe for cornbread. They said that it had won a blue ribbon at the state fair. It is attractive and tasty. You might want to try it if you want to dress up your cornbread. I usually bake it in a pie plate and then cut and serve it in wedges. It freezes well when wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a ziplock bag. Reheat briefly before serving.

Topper Cornbread

1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsps. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. celery seed

Cook onion in butter until tender. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal. Stir together milk, eggs, and oil and then combine with the flour mixture. Blend just until combined. Pour into a greased and floured 9" round pan. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the batter. Top with the onions and then sprinkle with celery seed. Bake 25-30 minutes or until it tests clean. Bake at 375 degrees.

Have a blessed weekend!

Becka

Last weekend our son Mark graduated from Furman University with his master's degree in education. There were only five students receiving master's degrees and 600 some getting undergraduate degrees. He was also inducted into the Kappa Delta Pi honors society. Since the graduation was in the evening we decided to have a small family celebration at a local Mexican restaurant that Mark chose. Here are a few pictures from the event:

It rained nearly all day on Saturday so the graduation was held indoors rather than in the outdoor stadium as it had been planned.The ceremony was very nice albeit long and we are very proud of all of Mark's hard work. This is a very eventful summer for Mark and Katie with his graduation, a new baby daughter coming in July, and a possible new position in the fall.

Another event which is very minor in comparison is that Rob tried a new coffee cake recipe this past Sunday. Last week Stacy, from the blog Stacy Makes Cents had a post entitiled Ten Recipes You Must Try--take 2. The recipe Rob tried was for this Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. For several years now I have been searching for a chocolate coffee cake recipe and this one is definitely a keeper! It is delicious. Several of the other recipes look like they are worth trying as well.

I hope you had a nice weekend too.

Becka

For quite some time now I have been trying to find a good potato recipe that could be prepared in the slow cooker, especially for Sundays when I serve a ham. I tried this recipe for Hash Brown Casserole from the Eat at Home blog last week and we thought it was very good.

The only changes I made to the recipe were to cut the butter down to 1/4 cup (or 1/2 of a stick) and then to sprinkle some paprika on top of the casserole to make it a bit more colorful. I used a 24 oz. bag of frozen hash brown potatoes and I did thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. I cooked the potatoes for four hours on high in my slow cooker. I liked her tip about cooking some meat on top of the casserole too and might try that sometime.

Rob and I are still recovering from this cold or virus that we have had all week. Our symptoms have included headache, sore throat, facial pain, aches (especially back aches), runny nose, watery eyes, and upset stomach. Fortunately not all symptoms have occurred at once. The symptoms seem to vary from day to day or even from hour to hour.

Our typical schedule looks like:
have a small burst of energy and do a bit of work
eat a little something
rest or nap
repeat

We sit across the table at mealtimes rather zombie-like while eating with intermittent breaks for nose-blowing and hand-washing. Our current centerpiece is a box of Puffs with Lotion. The meals served this week have looked like something an elementary school boy would have chosen from a cafeteria--items on the menu are not chosen because they complement each other nutritionally or aesthetically, but because they are convenient and easy to prepare and serve.

We are thankful for a warm cozy home, for the availability of nutritious foods which are easy to prepare, for friends and family who love, care, and pray for us, and for the knowledge that these are just temporary afflictions. This time of illness has reminded me to be more faithful in praying for those with chronic illnesses who must face similar limitations all the time.

Becka

I think I have mentioned before that Rob usually bakes something for us every Sunday morning. He was a baker all through college and likes to keep his baking skills honed. I saw a recipe for a Pear Puff Pancake on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook website and asked him if he would like to try it since I had all the ingredients on hand. We had never eaten a baked pancake like this before but we both enjoyed it. Rob was a bit alarmed at first when he saw that it puffed around the edges but was sunken in the middle. I had seen other recipes and pictures before and was able to reassure him that this was how it was supposed to look. The only changes he made to the recipe were to use a 9" pie plate and to use drained canned pears. He just warmed the pears a bit in the melted butter and then proceeded with the recipe.

Early this week I got a call from our vet, Dr. Carolyn Anderson from The Cat Clinic, telling us about a very sweet cat who was at the clinic and needed a good home. His former owner could no longer keep him and she was trying to find him a good home. Who could resist a come on like that? We went and met his owner yesterday and were approved for adoption. We went by the clinic today and brought him home. He's about a year and a half old and is very inquisitive and friendly. Nora stopped by with one of the children she cares for and the kitty doesn't seem to be afraid of children, which was something we were concerned about. We have decided to call him Buddy. I'm sure you will be hearing much more about him in the future.

Here are a couple of pictures of our newest family member:

Becka

We started the day with fresh, hot doughnuts from Krispy Kreme--a real treat!

Our next event was to go window shopping for cats at two of the local shelters. Believe it or not, we did not come home with one. Aren't you surprised? We did see several that we could have easily fallen in love with, but we restrained ourselves. We did find out information which will be helpful when we do decide to adopt a cat or kitten again. We were actually surprised by how many cats and kittens were available or which would soon be available after health check-ups and spay and neutering.

We went out for lunch at Tony's New York Style Pizzeria. We had been there before a couple of times and had gotten their calzone--which is huge. We can split a small one and get two meals out of it. This time I had Chicken Parmesan and Rob got Lasagna. Both were excellent. They also have delicious gelato but we didn't get dessert this time. Tony's is located at 30 Orchard Park Drive if you are interested in checking it out. They do have a pizza slice special at lunch which is quick and also very good. Here's a link to their menu.

Saturday afternoon we went to the Upcountry History Museum where they were having a special pictorial exhibit about the city of Greenville. It was interesting to see pictures of some places in Greenville from the past compared to how they look now. This exhibit was to close last weekend but is being extended for a couple of months. The museum has a lot of information about the local history and has a nice little gift shop with many books and other items from this part of the state. It's also very economical--the cost is only $4 for adults at this time.

Saturday evening we also attended another special celebration--Ryan's second birthday party. Katie made him a little cake shaped like a car with Oreos for wheels. He loved his little cake (especially the tires, which he is fascinated with right now!) but he would not even try one bite of it. He also enjoyed playing with the shiny confetti which was part of the table decorations and trying out some of his new gifts. Since turning two he is talking quite a bit more and it has been fun to hear his vocabulary expand.

We forgot to bring our camera and his other Grandma, Cindy, graciously shared these pictures with us:

Here he is rearranging the confetti.

Here he is playing with some of the toys he received.

Becka

Here are our guests on the Liberty Bridge:

We spent the second day on campus visiting the bookstore, eating in the Dining Hall, visiting the Art Gallery, and attending a production of the Living Gallery program. They also visited and spoke at Rob's German class and treated the students to some delicious German chocolates. On a wonderful side note I got to meet my blogging friend Deb in the lobby just as we were leaving the performance of the Living Gallery. She, her mother, and her two daughters were here from Virginia, visiting her sister Betty. Deb has a lovely blog called Mountain Musings which you might like to check out sometime.

On Saturday we took them to some of our favorite spots nearby in North Carolina. We visited Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock and then drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Folk Art Center where we enjoyed looking at the beautiful craft items and watching a couple of the artists who were giving demonstrations. We then had a delicious dinner at the Moose Cafe at the Ashville Farmer's Market.

On Easter Sunday we had special services at church where we were all blessed by the wonderful music and messages which reminded us of Christ's sacrifice for us. In the afternoon Diana and Uwe visited our local zoo. In the late afternoon Mark, Katie, and Ryan came by for a visit and ate supper with us.

Here is Ryan in his Easter finery "rock climbing" on our neighbor Mary's rock:

Monday morning our German visitors left for a few days in Virginia and North Carolina. They will return later this week and then head to Georgia for a few days and then return here for a few more days before they fly back home.

Our German week continued Tuesday evening when our speaker for our monthly Women for Missions meeting was from Germany. I was in charge of the refreshments and took spice cookies. I don't think the recipe is actually German, but I did get it from a woman with a German name. I normally make these cookies at Christmas time and cut them into different shapes such as bells, trees, etc. and then frost them in a variety of colors. For this event I just made stars and then glazed them in white. These really are delicious cookies and I hope you will try them sometime.

Christmas Spice Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. corn syrup (either clear or dark)
1 egg
3 cups flour
2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. cinnamon
2 tsps. ground ginger
2 tsps. ground cloves

Cream butter and sugar. Add corn syrup and egg. Add baking soda and spices. Mix in flour to make a stiff dough. Chill if desired. Roll out and cut out with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 mins. Let cool and then frost if desired. I used this glaze:

Glaze
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsps. clear corn syrup
2 Tbsps. milk
2 Tbsps. lemon juice
5-10 drops food coloring if desired
Drizzle on cookies and spread with the back of a spoon. Let dry completely and store in layers with waxed paper between each layer.

I don't really enjoy fussing a lot with cut out cookies and cookie decorating but my daughter Nora has a cookie business and makes beautiful cookies. They are little works of art. You can see some of her cookies on the Facebook page for her cookie business.

Another event for the week isn't really "German" but Rob and I will be helping to set up and serve at a rehearsal dinner for the son of another German teacher this weekend. We will also be attending the wedding the following day.

The final big event is a party for a special little boy who turned two this week. I'm sure I will probably have pictures of that event to share next time.

Becka

Having an almost two year old in the house several days a week I have also noticed how toddlers can be obsessed with something. Ryan has recently been obsessed with a variety of things, including the Itsy Bitsy Spider song, the French children's film, The Red Balloon, and tires (which he pronounces "tie-ee". We took him to Costco a couple weeks ago and looked at the tires on our way in and then tried to just walk past them on the way out. We left with a sobbing toddler.

It amazes me that all three of our grandchildren (ages 6, almost 2, and 1) have been extremely fond of their stuffed monkey toys which they continue to sleep with. When Megan, Jim, and the children came at Christmas they were accompanied by no less than five monkeys! (One was actually purchased on the way here.)

For the past several years since I have become a grandmother I often peruse the video section of thrift stores looking for videos which might appeal to the children. They are very inexpensive now since many people no longer have a VCR. I first found a copy of Road Construction Ahead while doing such a search. Ryan loved that video and we watched it over and over. It was a sad day when we discovered that the tape was broken. Believe it or not I actually found another copy at the same store a few weeks ago. Knowing that video tapes of this vintage can be rather fragile I did a little research and discovered that the company that produced these videos now offers them in a DVD version. I ordered a copy of Road Construction Ahead 2 and it came in the mail earlier this week, just in time for Ryan's birthday. The company, Little Hard Hats.com has a variety of real life action videos showing how things are done and utilizing a lot of big machinery. So, if you need a gift for a little boy you might want to check out this website. The website has clips from all the DVDs which might be entertaining for you to watch with a toddler.

Here's a picture of Ryan watching the Road Construction video and pointing out all the tires:

Thanks to all who left such kind comments following the death of our cat. We appreciate your care and concern.

Becka

We knew this day would come as they aged, lost weight, became less active, stopped playing, and then showed signs of actual suffering. But still the dreaded days came too soon. We lost Adelaide in December and then Clementine just this past weekend.

So, for the first time in many, many years there are no little felines sharing our home. Will we get another cat? Perhaps, but not for a time. The cat accouterments are boxed and in the attic awaiting possible future need.

Are there animals in heaven? Randy Alcorn has an interesting perspective on this in his book Heaven. I do know that God created the animals and that He cares for them and wants us to take good care of those which he has entrusted to our care. I'm thankful for those which have given me a great deal of joy and left their paw prints on my heart.

Becka

Hearty Beef Stew

2 lbs. stew meat or a chuck roast cut into cubes
2-3 Tbsps. cooking oil
4 cups water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized cubes
6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/4" thick
1 medium onion cut into bite sized chunks (optional)
1 cup frozen peas

In Dutch oven or large soup kettle brown meat in small batches in hot oil. Try to get it nice and brown as this helps develop the flavor. Place all meat in the kettle and then add the water, tomato sauce, chopped onion, garlic powder, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots and simmer 40-60 minutes until they are also tender. Taste the broth and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you like a thicker sauce you can thicken this with 1/4 cup flour mixed with 1/4 cup water. Add the frozen peas and cook a few minutes more until they are done to your liking. Remove bay leaf and serve. This is delicious served with biscuits or cornbread.

Something new in our area which I learned about recently is The Carolina Honey Bee Company which is located in Travelers Rest, SC.

It is a new little shop which carries local honey, bee keeping supplies, products made from honey and beeswax, and bee themed items. They let you sample the different types of honey which they sell. They feature recipes and other uses for honey on their Facebook page. I purchased some honey as a gift for a friend and they packaged it in a cute little gift bag.

It's a nice little shop and I hope you will check it out if you are in the area.

Becka

At the end of this month we will be hosting a Christian couple from Germany. They visited us a few years ago and must have enjoyed themselves because they are coming back. We didn't know them at all before their last visit but we have kept in touch since then and are looking forward to their visit. They will stay with us for a few days and then travel around a bit and then come back for a few days before they fly out of Atlanta.

I did try a couple of new recipes this week that I thought I could share. I love to find recipes which call for ingredients which I normally keep on hand. Both of these recipes fit that description.

The first recipe called for chicken and broccoli. I had both of those ingredients in the freezer. The recipe is here if you would like to try it. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Jane's blog which is called Thy Hand Hath Provided. About the only changes I made to this recipe were to use Rice Vinegar and to add a little Sesame Oil right before serving. We enjoyed this over some brown rice and thought it was a nice change from the regular chicken and broccoli casserole that I make.

The second recipe called for spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, carrots, zucchini, and meatballs. I actually had some zucchini which I needed to use up as well as the other ingredients. We really enjoyed this soup. Here is the original recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. I have enjoyed this blog and have tried other recipes she has posted. Below is how I actually made it:

Spaghetti and Meatball Soup

2 Tbsps. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
pepper to taste
5 cups water
1 tub of Knorr Soup Stock
24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
large pinch of Italian Seasoning
1 14 oz. bag of frozen meatballs, thawed and cut into quarters
1 cup cut spaghetti (or other small pasta such as ditalini or orzo)

Heat large soup kettle. Add oil and when heated add carrots, zucchini, garlic, and onions. Saute until the vegetables wilt down. Season with pepper and then add the water, spaghetti sauce, soup base, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil and then add the meatballs and pasta. Simmer 10-15 mins. or until pasta is tender. Garnish with shredded cheese. It would also be good if you added some navy or kidney beans to the soup.

This is very, very good.

This is the pasta that I used in the soup. I had bought it thinking it would work well in chicken noodle soup.

Becka

This is a picture of how they wrap the individual pastries:

Here is our favorite coffee flavored pastry:

Another new item I wanted to mention is this Knorr homestyle stock base. It comes in a package with four little tubs of concentrated soup stock.

Each tub can be combined with 3 1/2 cups of water to make soup stock. I have been using this product for over a year and have found it to be very convenient for making soups when I don't have any home made broth on hand. I also like the fact that it takes up a lot less space than a can or carton of broth. It comes in chicken, beef, ham, and vegetable flavors. I have found it near the canned soups at my local Walmart. Hot soup is a good thing on these cold winter nights.

Becka

DD Nora and I drove up to Michigan last weekend to help little Maddie celebrate her first birthday. Her actual birthday is on Valentine's Day but her family party was on Saturday. We were a bit concerned about how the weather might be for travel, but both of our travel days were clear and Nora and I had a nice time together during the trip.

We got to Michigan late Friday evening after the children were in bed. Drew got a new twin bed recently and was kind enough to let me sleep in it. Here is a picture of him in a rather serious moment:

Aunt Nora got up early Saturday morning and started entertaining the children at six A.M. Here she is later in the day holding the birthday girl who is modeling the pillowcase dress that Megan made her for the event.

Megan had the food all planned out. She made two kinds of soup and Nora made one. Meg also made two salads and baked cupcakes.

Jim's sister, Sharon, made a couple of Pinto Bean Pies as a dessert choice. They contain mashed pinto beans, coconut, and pecans. Have you ever tried Pinto Bean Pie? You couldn't really tell that there were pinto beans in the pie--it was more like one of those impossible pies with coconut and pecans.

I baked a little "smash cake" for Maddie and decorated it and the cupcakes.

Maddie grabbed the little cake and pulled it toward her and then just started pinching off dainty little bites. Her Aunt Nora helped her take a big handful of cake and then she really got into the swing of things!

After being the center of attention while eating her cake she was really hamming it up:

On Sunday Maddie wore the new little dress that I had made her for her birthday. It fit her well and was very appropriate for our little Valentine.

It was a very quick trip but both Nora and I were thankful that we were able to help Maddie celebrate her first birthday and wished that her Grandpa and Uncle Topher had been able to come too. For even more info about this event Megan has a recent blog post about it too.

Becka

Have you noticed all the strawberries at the grocery store recently? To me they are a sign of spring just like the daffodils which I can see out our kitchen window. I couldn't resist buying a quart the other day and made this delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble from a recipe on Smitten Kitchen. I used some rhubarb from the freezer. Rhubarb is difficult to grow here but it is one of DH's favorites and he has a small patch in a shady area of the yard. I have also made this using other fruits such as blackberries and peaches. This would make a pretty and tasty dessert for Valentine's Day too.

Here are some pictures of the various stages:

Combined fruits:

Adding topping:

Ready to eat:

Are you making anything special for Valentine's Day this year?

Becka

The wooden cabinets in the kitchen were really bothering me. They had some scratches, nicks, and water spots. I had been contemplating what to do to make them look better for some time. Fortunately I read a post by Brenda over at Coffee, Tea, Books, and Me where she told how she cares for her wood furniture. Her husband has an advanced degree in wood science. I purchased a bottle of Old English Scratch Remover for light wood at Lowes and used it on my cabinets after giving them a good washing with Murphy's Oil Soap. It was amazing to see the difference. I'm planning to make this an annual event. I would highly recommend that you try this product if you have wood furniture which needs a lift.

Another kitchen project which I've started is lining my lower cabinets with self-stick vinyl tiles. The contact paper that DD Nora put in when we first moved here was looking pretty shabby. I've been buying a few tiles each time I go to Lowes and then installing them little by little. It's kind of tedious work cutting around all the little supports but the finished product with be worth it.

The most fun project was making a new little dress for Maddie who will turn one on Valentine's Day. The pattern I used for Maddie's dress is one that I used to make a dress for Megan when she was a baby. I made her one similar to the picture with the three colors of gingham.

I did change it up quite a bit by adding a little apron, a ruffle around the bottom, and with the addition of some yoyos and heart buttons on the bodice.

Have you had time for any new projects recently?

Becka

Over Christmas vacation while DD Megan was here she made some delicious new cookies for us using this recipe.

We all really liked them and when I found a bag of Candy Cane Kisses on clearance this past week I snatched them up and made the cookies again. These cookies contain peppermint extract in the dough and then are topped with a peppermint kiss candy. I think they would also be good with some of the Andes mint bits that are available or with a piece of Andes Mint on top. For those of you who are from this area I found that Deal Mart on Orchard Park has a lot of these candies in stock now.

I have always loved peppermint. I attribute this to the fact that it is one of the first things that I ever tasted. I was a premature baby. My estimated date of arrival was mid August and I was born on July 4th. As the legend was told to me my dad dropped my mother at the hospital and then left to go help a neighbor fight a barn fire. He returned to find he had a daughter. When they took me home my poor mother was instructed to feed me every hour. She fed me a formula (common during that era) made from evaporated milk, Karo syrup, and water. Unfortunately I spit up a great deal. The doctor suggested that she feed me peppermint water (peppermint extract mixed with water) in a tiny silver spoon. Apparently it helped somewhat. I still have the spoon and I still love peppermint all these many years later.

Whether you love peppermint to the extent I do or not, I would encourage you to try these cookies sometime when you want an attractive and delicious cookie.

Becka

The mystery soup was made from radish leaves!

Years ago when we visited with a French family in Bordeaux, France, we were served some soup made from radish leaves. Before this I would never have thought they would be edible or tasty. The leaves are very mild tasting and made a pleasant soup that we enjoyed. I noticed that French cookbooks have quite a few recipes for pureed soups. It's one way to use up lots of little odds and ends of vegetables. The green color predominates and potatoes can be used for thickening.

The other day when I was shopping for fresh produce I noticed that the radishes were nice and that the leaves looked really fresh. Sometimes they look a bit ratty and wilted even in the store. When I got home from shopping I immediately broke off the leaves, washed them, cooked them briefly in a small amount of water and then chopped them in the blender. When it was time to make the soup I made a cream sauce with 2 Tbsps. butter, 2 Tbsps. flour, a cup of milk, some pepper, and a little chicken soup base. When this was thickened I added the radish leaf puree.

Last summer I found this Victory Garden Cookbook at a thrift store while we were visiting in Michigan:

It contains a multitude of information about vegetables and it even has a recipe for Radish Leaf Soup.

Since I just had one bunch of radish leaves to work with I couldn't follow this recipe, but it did give me an idea.

Happy cooking!

Becka

Last weekend I made the soup in the picture above from something that I normally throw away. Would you like to guess what the "green" element is in the soup? I will post the answer later in the week.

Becka

We drove up to North Carolina in late November to get one last bag of apples before the orchards closed for the season. Our favorite orchard had already closed but we found a few others which were still open. We also got a few other things including a really large butternut squash. Rob helped me peel and cut it up right before Christmas and we got twelve cups of peeled, cubed squash from this one large specimen. I found several recipes for roasting squash and sort of combined a few of them to come up with the following version. It was so good that I made it three times in one week! Even little Maddie liked it.

Really Good Butternut Squash

4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
2 Tbsps. olive oil
2 Tbsps. minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
dash pepper
Parmesan Cheese

In a large bowl combine squash, oil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread in large, heavy roasting pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until tender. (I used a large, dark sheet cake pan so I lowered the temperature by 25 degrees.) Top with grated Parmesan Cheese. Enjoy immensely.

Becka

I made quite a few of these hand towels as gifts. I have a little gizmo that you use to make bias tapes from strips of bias cut fabric and it was lots of fun binding the towels with the bias tape.

Rob worked for months on this little afghan for Maddie's room and was able to finish it in time for Christmas. The pattern is called Rambling Rows.

I made Maddie a little dress with cross hatched pintucks in the bodice front.

I also made Rob's mother a new bag for her walker out of Christmas fabrics:

Grandson Drew got some Popeye DVDs for Christmas and wanted to try some spinach while he was here. Here he is tasting his first bite:

Here's his reaction. I did tell him that it might take at least ten tries before you learn to like a new food.

One of Rob's students was unable to go home for the Christmas break and he spent part of the vacation here with us. Drew absolutely loved having David here to play various video and box games with him. Here David was graciously coloring with Drew:

We did try a few new recipes over Christmas and I will try to share them soon. I'll post one final picture of our youngest grandchild, Maddie taking a bath in the kitchen sink:

We learned at Christmas that there will be another new family member this year when Mark and Katie have a little one in July. We have even more blessings to look forward to.

Drew is in kindergarten and is learning to read. Here he and Megan were reading an old family favorite, Harry the Dirty Dog:

Maddie is ten months old now. She crawls well, stands and walks around the furniture, and babbles a lot. She is not a smiley baby but her aunt Nora, Uncle Topher, and Poppie were able to coax a few smiles out of her while we were at the supper table.

This is my favorite:

Hoping you and yours had a wonderful Christmas. We were blessed to hear today that someone we have prayed for for many years has come to the Lord.
God is good.

Becka