Saturday mornings

We really like pancakes around here on Saturday mornings.

It doesn't happen every Saturday but that keeps it special.

Some plain and some with chocolate chips.

Adrian is almost all of the time our pancake maker around here and I am oh so thankful!

We got a griddle as a wedding gift that we really, really like.

It's a cuisinart. They're are not paying me or anything to say something nice about it. I'm just telling you because I like it.

Here is our recipe in case you're interested.

old fashioned pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt
and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and
melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high
heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4
cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Yum!

They freeze well too fyi.

Happy Saturday!

What's on your agenda for the day?

Do you have any fun Saturday traditions or semi-traditions?

edited 1/29/11: What a difference a few days make. This photo was taken last Saturday and I wrote the post mid-week and set it to publish this morning. On Thursday night we found out that the little guy is sensitive/allergic (still learning about all this) to milk, egg whites and wheat. :(

Big bummer.

As I am still nursing that means that currently I am also not eating foods containing milk, eggs and wheat. This is a crazy journey to be going down and one I had frankly very much hoped we would not have to. I have a lot of different emotions about the whole thing and not much info/knowledge. I want to learn more and know the facts (although it seems that with food allergies things are never really cut and dried).

Anyway, if you have been down this road before or know people who have or have any ideas of foods/meals that can be eaten that don't contain eggs whites, milk or wheat it would be very much appreciated! And prayers too. Thank you!!!

p.s. also if you're local and know of a good allergist or have advice on finding one that would be appreciated. Thanks!

You guys are the best!

Kelly

when mama's away . . .

the guys came up with this

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

David eating from Adrian on Vimeo.

Kelly

matchmaker, matchmaker

I don't know if all of you know or not, but once upon a time, before I began blogging, Adrian and I met online. The year was 2006.

I'll tell you, in all of the 1900s (doesn't that sound so funny to say?) my romantic daydreams all tended toward the more traditional for sure. Not once did I think of meeting someone *online*!

As we entered the 2000s helpful friends and family tried suggesting I get online but I thought it was for desperate people and I wasn't desperate. Although I wanted to get married, I had faith that God would bring me someone in His timing.

Seeing how You've Got Mail is one of my favorite movies, you would think I would have been less resistant . . . but I wasn't!

Thankfully, God works in our lives in His ways and in His timing and I decided to be open to the idea of meeting someone online because in this day in age wasn't it just as likely that God could use that avenue to introduce me to someone as it was that I would bump into someone on the street, sit next to a good looking guy on an airplane or a new guy would walk into Sunday school and sparks would instantly fly?

Well it turns out that Adrian and I are not the only ones. I was recently at a girls' night and we were all sitting around talking about how we met our spouses and the three most recently married of our group all met online! I meet so many people who met online. It's cool.

So, there is another blogger named Kelly who apparently knows the same thing about this day in time and how God is using the online world in His plans at times to bring people together for His purposes. I had heard of her blog before as she does a weekly (I think) link up party called "Show Us Your Life" with a theme and people link up and show the homes, etc.

Well, via my friend Kelli (is this getting confusing yet?) I learned that Kelly (so glad we've got some different spellings going on here!) has a heart for singles and believes that if God uses things like eharmony or match.com to bring people together, why not also blogland?

She has a gazillion readers from all over and she thought why not let people link up posts on their blogs to single people they know and just see what God may choose to do with it. She did it last year and three couples got together two of whom are now engaged.

So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to a couple of my friends.

First up, Jenni

Many of you regular readers know her in person and others of you have seen me giving her photo credits here on the blog as she takes some great photos.

Jenni and I have been friends for over ten years now. She is one of the most loyal friends I know. She is also a very generous baker & sharer of chunky monkey bread. She throws this amazing Christmas party every year with all kinds of yummy food and her house decked out to the nines. She and I bonded over Superchic[k] music. I introduced her to a world of craftiness and now she is an amazing DIY-er. She's the first person I ever knew who had a blog and now I'm a blogger.

Jenni likes to travel and makes keeping up with friendships a priority. She has her motorcycle license and would like to own a Harley Davidson one day. She cares about making a difference and is intentional about things like regularly donating blood to save others' lives.

She is tech savy and smart and loves her family including two sweet nieces. She is loyal to her church and serves in various ways.

If you know of an eligible Christian man who you think would like to meet Jenni or if you are an eligible Christian man and would like to meet Jenni feel free to e-mail me (sundrenchedmoments @ gmail dot com) or e-mail her directly at jennipearl76blog @ gmail dot com

Next is my friend Chrystal

Chrystal and I met at church several years ago. We share a birthday month and have enjoyed celebrating together. Chrystal works in HR and has an awesome family and heritage in the Lord. She loves to sing, shop, create & read.

Chrystal is one of the most godly women I know. She has such a beautiful spirit and inspires me to want to grow. She is great at talking about real stuff. She is an open and loving person. She is not one to shrink away from serving, even in less than glamorous positions.

If you know of an eligible Christian man who you think would like to meet Chrystal or if you are an eligible Christian man and would like to meet Chrystal feel free to e-mail me (sundrenchedmoments @ gmail dot com) or e-mail her directly at chrystalhayes @ sbcglobal dot net

If you know one of these girls in person, feel free to chime in about them too in the comments.

Kelly

p.s. post title taken from song lyrics to Fiddler on the Roof.

My cool friend Sarah titles every blogpost with lyrics from a Broadway show! impressive!

cutie friends in matching clothes

It was really fun when we discovered that our kiddos had the same outfit in it's boy/girl version. The mamas decided to dress them alike for a birthday party we attended last weekend.

Fun times!

Kelly

photo by Adrian

happy guys

I had some happy guys around here last night!

Go Steelers!

winter beauty

captured by my sweet husband in Colorado at my request

Kelly

beautiful sky

Thank You, God for the beauty of your creation.

Amen.

photo by Adrian

9 months old!

So much has happened this month, Little Man!

You added three more states to your list, New Mexico, Missouri and Oklahoma and had your first long road trip. We split it up into two parts each way and our wonderful friends in Tulsa let us stay at their house and you got to sleep in a crib and everything!

You got to spend lots of cousin time.

Houston cousins:

You enjoyed so much playing with your nativity that Nana and Ducca gave you for Christmas last year. You especially seemed partial to the cow and baby Jesus.

You really seemed to get the hang of opening presents.

And you discovered that often boxes are the most fun toy of all.

You got your first guitar and your face lights up when I hand it to you.

You enjoyed your first stocking from Mama and Daddy.

You got rhythm and sounds busy balls and you have been crawling all over after them. You got your first little blue toothbrush and you like to brush your two little toothies while Mama is brushing her teeth. Often this is while sitting in your doorway bouncer because that's where you sit while Mama is taking a shower and getting ready now that you are into exploring everything. You are really good at putting the bristle end of the toothbrush in your mouth.

In addition to the busy balls, wooden teethers and toothbrush in your stocking, you also got bubbles!

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas in New Mexico and you got to meet your great-grandma!

You have now met all of your great-grandparents.

You began crawling everywhere and getting faster and faster! It is so much fun and now you can go wherever you want instead of crying when someone leaves the room.

We enjoyed some great hikes while we were in New Mexico. We hiked in some snowy patches with the whole family on Christmas day and we hiked with Grandad, Uncle Edmund and Daddy on Boxing Day. You were asleep in the backpack and leaning way out to the side. A nice man from France who we saw a few times on the loop had an idea for how we could secure a couple of the straps to help you stay more upright and it worked.

You got to stay up late and attend your first Boxing Day party. You were a hit with the guests.

You also liked Great-Grandma's tree.

You are good at helping with paper work.

You pulled up to standing for the first time outside of your crib (and you've only stood in your crib once). Daddy was sitting at his computer and you went over to him and pulled up to get closer.

You learned to wave "hi" and "bye bye"!

You say "dada" and we're pretty sure you know what it means now.

This reindeer that Mama made in fourth grade hung on your door all during the Christmas season. From the time I put it up you noticed it and seemed to like it. As time went on your smiles got broader when you would see it and when you learned to wave you began to wave "hi" to it when I would get you up from a nap or in the morning. It was sooo cute!

We continued to practice "one finger" and you got it!!!

Your little duck book is the first thing you touched by yourself with one finger. We're so proud of you, big boy!

Along with "one finger" you began learning to stop and listen to Mama or Daddy when we asked you to and not to go near the fireplace. You got your first couple of spankings (not hard) but you learned really quickly and we're so proud of you for the way you're listening and obeying.

You really enjoy playing with other little kids and after a long drive to Missouri in your new big boy carseat you were quite happy to get out at our friends' house and play with their two little boys and all their toys!

more cousin time! You got to meet your Missouri cousins!

You ate country ham and eggs for the first time but Mama and Daddy didn't share the breakfast that they were introduced to on the farm, waffle ice cream sandwiches!

You love playing with your mirror.

It turns out laundry baskets are a great place for you to play right now (as long as they're in the clear of anything that you could fall over on and hurt yourself) and they give Mama and Daddy a break from following you all over the house.

We had to call poison control for the first time when you were scooping up potting soil out of the track of the sliding patio door. Thankfully they said you would be fine!

We ordered a meal just for you for the first time at a restaurant.

You and I went to meet Daddy for lunch at Freebirds and we ordered a single soft taco for you. You loved it!

We had a GREAT visit with Nana! You and she became fast friends!

Nana played peek-a-boo with you and "sack of potatoes". We went shopping in McKinney and at Target and you were an angel boy! You guys had a couple of fun play dates while Mama went to get her haircut and to Wal-mart and then again while Mama and Daddy went on a breakfast date!

You got some good hang out time with Mama and Daddy.

We love you so much, Buddy!

January 16th

What are you doing today?

After church we will have to figure out if we will do our usual lunch out with friends.

Sundays are hard as I have always heard parents of small children say.

Missing that morning nap makes things a bit more interesting shall we say.

Poor little guy, it's not his fault.

So, back to the lunch dilemma, last Sunday was pretty all around nutso. Lots of crying, hurried eating, not really talking which is why we like to go in the first place.

advice from the trenches?

After lunch either out or home we will probably go to costco.

We're running low on things like:

laundry detergent

dishwasher detergent

olive oil

dried basil

plus I want to look for frozen cantaloupe/honeydew, etc. mix.

Our little guy loves cantaloupe but the fresh ones are no good this time of year.

When does cantaloupe come in season anyway?

Anyone know where to buy it frozen?

And tomorrow night we get to go meet our friends tiny, little newborn, Michael! So exciting!

So, thoughts, comments? What are you doing today?

Kelly

dapper little fellow

photo by Mandy

Ten on Ten - January 2011

good morning!

cup

nap time break

making the bed

what can I find?

self-portrait

bedroom

diligent explorer

Daddy gives Mama a break

preparing for guests

dinner - such fun!

Ten on Ten

THE IDEA

Take a photo every hour for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of each month. Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments. Then share your beauty with us!

Thanks, Rebekah, for the great idea of documenting our days this way.

Kelly