My Muscle Man

Caleb flexes his muscles and makes a crazy face (accompanied by a very manly grunt). . . this video isn't the best but every time I get out the camera, Caleb gets camera shy and won't "make his muscles." Hopefully you'll be able to get the idea. . . and a chuckle.

Father's Day 2007

On Father's Day, Caleb and I served Josh breakfast-in-bed. While Daddy dined on French Toast, Caleb munched his Cheerios in his booster seat by the side of the bed. When it was time to clean up, I found French Toast crumbs in the bed and a Cheerio on Caleb's chin. The crumbs weren't picture-worthy, but I thought the Cheerio was.

One Noisy Eater!

Caleb and the Big Bear

We packed away the Big Bear today, but not without getting one last picture. . . by the next time Caleb has a photo shoot with the Big Bear, he'll probably be the bigger of the two!


Caleb (3 months old) and the Big Bear

Caleb (8 months) and the Big Bear

Holy Moly Green Guacamole!!

Does your guacamole turn brown overnight? Mine does! Or rather. . . DID. This weekend I was over at my dad's house for dinner and learned a kitchen secret that my gourmet granny taught my dad years ago. Somehow the knowledge didn't make it to me until just a few days ago.

The secret to keeping your guacamole green is in the pits! Prepare your guacamole as usual but instead of tossing those avocado pits, save them. When you're done making the guacamole, drop the pits into the dish. I'm not sure what the exact science of it is, but I guess the pits release some sort of chemical that keeps the avocado from turning brown.

On Sunday, I brought home some of my dad's delicious guacamole (pits included) and served the leftovers to guests last night. It was still as green as the day it was made. . .four days later!

Maybe this is one of those commonly known things and I was just out of the loop, but I thought I'd share it just in case!

Crawling!

Caleb has mastered crawling. He started off about 3 weeks ago with this crazy one-legged army crawl. He has progressed to the more traditional hands-and-knees variety. I am amazed at 1) how quickly he can get around and 2) how quickly he can get in trouble. It seems that out of the 1000 things he touches every day, 999 are "no-nos." However, there are a few things, like the one in this video, that I do let him touch. This "toy" is located right by the bathroom and keeps him entertained long enough for me to get ready in the morning, which means it is my favorite toy, too!

Big Day for Little Sis

My not-so-little-anymore little sister, Elizabeth, graduated from High School this weekend. It's hard to believe since I still remember her first day of kindergarten like it was just a few weeks ago.

CONGRATULATIONS ELIZABETH!

Clean Sheets

Last night Josh and I enjoyed our favorite treat: clean sheets! In the winter, we put on our warm flannel. In the summer, our white-on-white cotton ones. It is so relaxing to lay down and breathe in the dryer sheet smell. And, call me weird, every time there are new sheets on the bed, I love to wiggle my legs back and forth to enjoy the crisp, smooth way they feel.

What I DON'T love about clean sheets is how quickly my wiggling, teething, sleepy-eyed 9-month-old son can get them dirty. This morning, in a span of less than a minute, Caleb had managed to spill milk all over, throw-up, and pee on our fresh, clean sheets. How is that even possible!? He slept all night in his crib without getting his sheets dirty and yet he decimated ours in a matter of seconds.

This morning's fiasco set me to thinking. How many times have I done the same thing to God!? I go to Him in prayer and confession, asking Him to make me clean and fresh. And, He does! He patiently cleans up my sinful mess, forgives me my transgressions and puts me on the right track. Then, within two breaths of saying "amen" I wiggle and squirm and soil my freshly-cleaned-up soul with sin again. But, unlike me, God doesn't tire of changing the sheets. His mercies are new EVERY morning! What a tender, loving Father He is!

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

The upside of Caleb's mess is that I am now forced to changed the sheets AGAIN, which means we will have fresh, crisp, Bounce-scented sheets two nights in a row. I'll try not to grumble too much as I am wrestling with the fitted sheet. Instead, I think I'll use those few minutes to ask God to change the sheets of my soul.

When was the last time you had clean sheets?