Our Valentine's Day!

So you read on my last post about the mini cupcakes with pink cream cheese....but did you read all the way to the bottom of the post for the challenge?  The challenge was to do something kind/loving for someone that is close to you to tie along with the "love thy neighbor" command.  So I wanted to show you that we did indeed follow through with showing our love...

Once all the kiddies and Dad were home from school the 4 boys went out and hit up 4 neighbors to give a plate of the scrumptious cupcakes to.  Aidan and Asher had already taken off across the street by the time the photo was taken.  While they did that I was inside preparing home-made pizza dough and toppings to make our annual heart shaped pizzas:

They turned out great and it was a fun thing to do together as a family.  Asher actually ate his whole heart pizza which is impressive as he recently decided that he didn't like pizza.  It could be because it only had one piece of pineapple and one piece of ham on it??  Monday was one of the best days that I can remember...Wes came home after lunch and I got to have a little nap on the couch...showered and dressed at 2:30....quality family time and lots of giving all around.  A marvelous day!

And one final photo of our little princess when she opened up her new princess baby "Belle."  Abigail decided she would take a suck on her bottle before giving it to her baby...what a good little mama :)

Valentine Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Here is one of our new family favorite recipes.  Aidan requested them this morning, so I got baking after he went off to school. They are pretty easy to make and taste SUPER-DEE-DUPER!!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

8 oz. cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1/3 cup oil

Combine first 4 ingredients; beat well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  In second bowl, mix next five ingredients together.  Add water, vinegar and oil.  Beat until well blended.  Fill muffin tins 1/2 full of chocolate batter.  Top each with heaping teaspoon of cream cheese/chocolate chip mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

(I usually make "mini" cupcakes as we have lots of little mouths to feed here, and quite honestly I feel better about eating a few mini muffins in comparison to a few regular muffins :)  So when I make the minis I bake them for 10 minutes.  Today I used red paper liners to tie into my Valentines day celebration and I liked that much better because I hate scrubbing mini muffin pans...big pain in my buttocks....or my husbands if I "forget" them in the sink for later....  Today I added a few drops of red food coloring to the cream cheese mixture to make it pink.  I also doubled the "cake" part of the recipe today and used up the whole single batch of the cream cheese/chocolate chip mixture as I found last time I made them I had quite a bit of the cream cheese mixture left over.  I like to bake in bulk...and give it away otherwise I end up eating most of it in the night when my family is sleeping...weird I know!  So today with being Valentines day we are going to go and give cupcakes to our neighbours....

LUKE 10:27 NKJ 

27 So he answered and said, " `You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and `love your neighbor as yourself.' " (emphasis mine)

So as God's representatives here on earth, I challenge you to show unselfish love not only to those who are in your household, but to put your love into action for those around wherever you are.  

First Haircut

Pardon the interuption of the joy of Love project to take a look at our sweet little girl :)  Saturday was FIRST HAIRCUT day.  I took her to Beaners (fun cuts for kids) as her hair would constantly be in her eyes...this may have annoyed me more then Abigail :)  She seems to almost pull out her hair pretties as soon as she realizes they are there, so....off we went to get a trim.

Before...

During...yup I am loving the pink car...not to mention the stylists pink hairdo.

What would a girly haircut be without some pink sparkly gel added to the new do!  Yes, we did bring some of that sparkly goodness home with us along with some new hair pretties.  Oh how I love having a girl!

(Our little guys were quite disappointed that they couldn't come for a haircut too...is it weird that they LOVE getting their hair cut?  They go the Locker Room (hair place for "men") in which they get popcorn AND a sucker at the end of the trim.  Gotta love that haircuts are not a "battle" with them anymore :)

the joy of LOVE - Day 4

Yes I know...I am behind in my assignments.  I have removed all pressure to get them done on "date" timelines so that I can enjoy the process so thank you for being patient with me :)

what they wear.

 This is our oldest boy...11 years old...Grade 6.  His new hair-do cut and styled into a "mow-hawk" as he writes it.  He was pretty pumped about getting this haircut, and despite my protests Big Daddy took him to the salon and he was so happy with the results.  I will admit I think he looks kinda cool.  So this is the hair style that he "wears" right now.

This  is Aidan walking out the door to catch the bus in the morning.  This is what he '"wears" to school:  He is loving lots of bright colors in his clothing, always laying a hoodie underneath his winter jacket so he can be super warm (or maybe his Mom makes him?) in our winter weather.  Almost always wearing a pair of jeans, most of them have holes/rips in the knee areas...yup he likes it like that.  His Nike 6.0 high-tops have mis-matched shoe laces (by his choice) with one bright pink and the other lace being bright purple.  This DC backpack we got him when we were in Las Vegas, and it has straps for hanging your skateboard on  your pack.  Once Spring comes I am excited to see him use this feature.  

I love our oldest boy soooo much and I am not afraid to yell it from the doorway as he leaves the house in the morning...I like that it brings a smile to his face.  Love you Sonshine!!

the joy of LOVE - Day 3

Two blog posts in one day...I feel like Emma :)  And I thought with our niece here I wouldn't get on the computer...  Photo assignment day 3 (I am being upfront and confessing that neither of these photos were actually taken today...but it will have to do)

then and now.

 April 29, 2007:  His name then was Ashton (ask me about it sometime).  9 weeks premature, weighing 4lb. 3 oz. My love captured "then" on the morning of his birth.  Ventilated as he wasn't breathing well enough on his own to survive...

January 15, 2011:  His name now is Asher (meaning of Asher is "happy". Biblical: Asher, the eighth son of Jacob, was promised a life blessed with abundance).  Now he is almost 4 years old and is captured "now" having an afternoon nap on the couch.  He is sleeping because his big brother is at pre-school and is not "entertaining"  to keep him awake.  In this season of life he is best known for his amazingly long eyelashes, his "no thank-you's", his wanting to eat breakfast the minute he is awake, his Buzz Lightyear dance, his love for little babies and saying "oh he is sooo cute" in a high pitched voice, dressing himself in the morning and often putting every item of clothes on backwards, and his "I wuv you Mom, I wuv you Dad" repeatedly at bedtime.  Loooovin' this boy!

the joy of LOVE - Day 2

OK ok I am posting for yesterday, which was Day 2 of the joy of LOVE photo assignment.  You may have to be a bit forgiving as my computer time may be more limited then usual as our sweet little 2 year old niece is staying with us for the week.

how they look.

The above photos showcase another one of my loves and how she looks when:  it is after supper and time to get pajamas on.  She loves the freedom in running semi-nude and often becomes very silly.  Lots of running around the island in the kitchen and her brother join in with her as this seems to be the "fun time" around here. Amongst the 15 thousand prompts to "get your pajamas on" I took it all in last night and sat back with my camera trying to capture how she looks having fun and being silly.  I never want to forget that chub and how "thick" her legs are.  Looooovin' her at 15.5 months old!

the joy of LOVE - Day 1

My dear friend Emma and I are embarking on a journey through willette photography & more on a free photography course.  I love the title and point of the month long session called "the joy of LOVE" and since JOY is my word for the year it ties in very nicely and the point of the course is to capture the love(s) of your life and each day there is a specific topic!  I have learned that I am motivated by others, so doing this assignment with someone each day helps hold me a little wee bit accountable :)

what they do.

Here is my chosen loved one for the day - my husband.  He does many things over the course of his day...a lot of things that don't involve us on the homefront as he works his paying job as a Realtor.  But, he by far exceeds every expectation I could ask for in a husband and a father to our 4 beautiful children.  He is always willing and enthusiastic about tucking the little guys into bed.  I love how I see them crawl into the same positions as they read their "Goodnight Warrior" devotions before bed.  

My husband may be titled by others (never us) a "step-father" to our oldest son, but in his heart Aidan is his son just as much as the rest of the kids.  I say that will 100 percent certainty.  The love and connection that my "older boys" have truly is a gift from God!  

So, today as the love of my life is celebrated on this blog post doing "what he does"....I want him to know that these moments with the kiddies have eternal value and are so very precious.  Thank you for your generous, open and loving heart Big Daddy Gies.  I pray our kids have these fond memories etched in their minds forever of their special Daddy-time.

Thank you Lord Jesus that you have given our family such a special man to be the head of our household.  I lift up Wes to you as a man after your own heart Lord.  May you continue to bless and keep him and let your glorious face shine upon him.  AMEN