Home updates

We've made a few changes in the house since we got here almost two years ago. Here are a few photos. Anybody want that beautiful antique cradle??? I am not having anymore kiddos.
Love a formal dining room to entertain guests and have huge family dinners. Bring on Thanksgiving and Christmas!
A real entertainment and guest room! Come hang with us and you'll see!
I really thought I would HATE this arrangement when we looked at this house but I love being able to see what is going on in the living room while I am cooking in the kitchen!
This is my little deco corner.

The house has been a work in progress... well, at least filling it has been. Here are some pics of the house.

Fall 2010

Here is my little Owen... Not sure what is hanging out of his nose but he is such a content little guy. Always happy and dancing!
And here is Chris and Ethan carving the only pumpkin of the season. The others, this year, we decided to decorate with ribbons and by painting.
Ethan braved the ordeal of sticking his hand into scrape out the "guts" of the pumpkin.
Ethan also enjoyed just drawing a scary face on the pumpkin with permanent markers. He is such a little artist!! I just can't help but to brag about his craftiness!
And here are the pumpkins that made it to decorate our front porch this year. I think I rather like the bow-decorating as opposed to the carving method.

4 and 1 years old!!!

Owen turned one in August. So we did a double birthday party for the boys. Ethan, as he is demonstrating with his fingers here, turned four during this double party.

Aren't my boys such DOLLS!! I just love everything about them! Their best friends Preston McAbee and Felicity Buttram came to the little party to celebrate with us!
Ethan was pretty keen on blowing out the birthday candles. Owen just wanted to eat!

Spring 2010

Spring is finally here and we are enjoying every minute of it! We are outside most of the time playing, working in the yard, or just taking walks.

More Easter 2010....

Stanford Family Easter 2010

The Easter Bunny came.....

Ethan loved his Easter Basket and Owen liked playing with the wrapping paper on the candy of his Easter Basket.



We had a little Easter egg hunt in the backyard. Preston and Ethan had such a good time searching for the eggs. What a beautiful day it was!



We are so blessed to have wonderful friends and family to celebrate holidays with. This year Doug, Susan and Preston McAbee joined us. As well as, Greg, his girlfriend, Sara Senn, and her brother, Aaron Bacon. We all pitched in to make the standard large meal and really enjoyed spending time together.

Easter 2010

Easter 2010

This year we made Easter Story Cookies the night before Easter. It was a wonderful way to help teach Ethan about why we really celebrate Easter. And they were yummy! I think this will be our new family tradition....

Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter.

1 cup whole pecans

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

zipper baggie

wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer

duct tape or packing tape

Bible

Preheat oven to 300*F.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl.

Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life.

Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.

Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus's followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.

Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets.

Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus's body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.

Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!

Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!

Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

Valentine's Day Breakfast

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day full of family time. We slept in and had a wonderful pink brunch. Ethan really enjoyed it. And while it was delicious, my favorite part was cooking in the kitchen with Chris. There is nothing sexier than a man that can cook. LOL.

We had pink milk, pink scrambled eggs, pink waffles, and bacon! Yum!