Nine Months...

Chiron is now 9 months old. Oh, How my heart hurts to see him grow! Although, it's fun to see him explore the world around him and interact with his family. I love this little man!! What a cutie he is especially with that hat!!

Nathan participated in a chior festival. They went to Wakeland High school and sang two songs which were judged. They received high marks and had a great time.

Gone Fishing....

A few years ago, I was at a cemetery. One of the headstones read "Gone Fishing" . It had a picture of an early 20 year old man holding up a big fish. There is something to be said about the past time of fishing. Richard can tell some great stories of him and his Dad and/or Grandfather fishing. They make you laugh til your stomach hurts. Richard said that it was high time that he took his boys fishing. We have taken them in the past, but it had been a while. They so so enjoyed themselves.

Good Books.....

My boys have been counting down the days for the last Percy Jackson book--The Last Olympian to come out. It came out May 5. We put it on hold at the library way back. They called May 6 to tell us the book was in. My boys are so excited. I will be reading the entire book out loud--381 pages to my boys. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Bread...

There are two bread recipes that I tend to use over and over again. I love making bread. It is a hobby of mine. The first recipe my brother gave me. You can make 4 loafs in about an hour. It is a light bread that is very good for sandwiches and toast. The second recipe is a more hearty bread. And it is good!! I make this for soups and stews and toast. It takes a bit longer to make but so well worth it. This recipe makes two, so you may want to double it.

One Hour Bread

5 c. white flour
5 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. gluten
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 TBS salt
3 rounded TBS of SAF yeast
1/3 c oil (or lecithin 3 half dollar size globs directly in the flour)
4 c. hot tap water
3 eggs (optional but adds flavor)

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil, water and eggs. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix then five minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with Pam. Shape loaves and cover with dish towel. Let raise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Honey Wheat Bread

1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c warm water
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 c water
1/4 c melted shortening
1/4 c honey
2 tsp salt
5 c wheat flour (I prefer hard red wheat)

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 c warm water. Combine milk, 1/4 c water, shortening, honey, salt and 2 c flour in a bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add 3 more cups flour and mix for 5 minutes. Place the dough in a big buttered bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise until double. Punch down, and divide dough in half. Form into loaves and place in a greased bread pan. Let rise in a warm area until double. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Butter crust while warm.

Sweet Things...

I love the sweet things in life. The sweet things in life make me feel happy and loved. They uplift my soul and help renew my spirit and keeps my focus on what it important.
Here is a short list of things that I enjoy.

*I love laying in my bed Saturday mornings listening to my boys laughing and giggling with each other.

*I love the sound of sprinklers. It means that summer is on it's way and everything will be green again.

*The gift of friendship. I love spending time with good friends who cherish me. I love to laugh with them. I don't have very many friends, but the ones I have I cherish them and want the best for them. How I love my friends!

*Fresh cut flowers

*Taking/looking at pictures of my boys

*Surprises

*Good books and Great movies that are up lifting

*The beauty of the Earth. Isn't it beautiful? It is absolutely breath taking!

*I love when my husband walk through the door and says he is home!! What could be better than that?

*Good,good food

I will add more and more to this list. It is important to me to recognize gifts that the Lord has given me. I am thankful for all he has given me. I hope that I can always treasure the gifts and show my gratitude.

We went for a walk the other day and took some pics. Here are just a few. I love pictures of my family. I wish that I were better at taking them.

Daniel participated in District Solo & Ensemble Festival on April 25, 2009. The festival was held at Staley Middle School. Daniel's time was 10:40. He arrived 30 minutes early to warm up. He then went before a judge and played a solo. After hearing Daniel play the judge gave Daniel a few pointers and then rated him. Daniel received the highest rating. Boy, was he happy!! We celebrated with ice cream. Congrats Daniel on a job well done :)