Pictures are worth 1000 words :-)

Family Pictures

 

Look at our height difference!

 

 

February

 

 

 

Happiness

She Takes My Breath Away

 

Sometimes it's just because of her beauty.  Inside plus out.  Her long hair together with her eyelashes.  Her loving heart and caring spirit.  I just stare at her.  In awe at how she has grown right in from of my eyes.

Sometimes it's because of hyperventilation after she wakes me in the middle of the night with screaming.  Scaring me.  Crying and losing her breath as I try taking full inhalations for her to preserve her calm state.  But inside I'm gasping too, worried.

Sometimes it's from anxiety.  Concern about her growing older.  About preschool.  About her being gone from me.  Twice a week.  I try to breathe in and out, try to control it, try not to lose my breath.  Trying to hold my composure.

Sometimes it is just from realizing the incredible blessing she is.  She's ours.  She's this little blessing from above but she's ours.

 It takes my breath from me.  All of this takes my breath away.

Falltime Bokeh Fun

Fall's almost over for us here in Idaho, meaning Christmas is almost here.

I don't think the weather will be warmer for quite a while.

A WORLD OF IMAGINATION

Skyley wanted me to play with her yesterday morning so I told her I would.  When I went in her room to play, I couldn't resist taking pictures.  She was wearing my sunglasses with her princess crown and she told me that her horses were going to dance class and she wanted me to go with her.  So she made me pretend with her horse toy that we were going to dance class but first we had to take a nap.  Then we proceeded with our day at dance class.  When we were done at dance, we went to the mountains.  She told me after the mountains we were going to see the animals with Pah-pah.  We got on the airplane and went to Texas.  She then decided that it was time to read.  Well, when I tried to read to her, she told me that she was going to read it.  So she made up the words as she turned the pages.  I was laughing so hard.  She actually made up a story that went with the pictures, too.  Wow, what an imagination she has!  (Kris felt bad and wanted me to take a picture of him too.)

 

Playing with her horse.

 

Skyley's prepared for pictures.

Horse-playing Skyley!

 

Golden Granola

 

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There are a few foods for which everyone claims to have the "absolute best" recipe.  Homemade salads, guacamole, quesadillas, and oatmeal cookies are a few.  Any search for those recipes will turn up results such as: "world's best," "best EVER," "downright best."  Well, when looking at homemade granola recipes, I ran into dozens of recipes claiming to be "the world's best" and they are all comprised of about the same ingredients in different proportions.

At long last, I just went with a recipe and now I'm sticking to it (I'll adapt it each time I make it and hopefully like all the variations equally well).  I'm not claiming this is the best recipe on earth, but I will claim that hubby and I really like it.  Our preferred way of consuming aforementioned delight is as a cereal with bananas and milk and/or with blueberries.  But it also goes wonderfully just straight and dry as a snack, on yogurt, or on ice cream.

 Golden Granola
Adapted from: Abigale Detweiler

• 4 c. oatmeal (uncooked)
• 1 c. coarsely chopped nuts
• 1 c. coconut
• 1/2 cup wheat bran (optional, it adds fiber)
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/4 c. melted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 c. raisins

 Combine all ingredients except raisins in a bowl and mix well. Spread evenly on an ungreased large rimmed cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven (350°) 15 minutes, stir, and bake 10 minutes more. Stir in raisins, cool thoroughly, and store in a tightly covered container in a cool dry place.

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