95 years

Desi's grandpa celebrated his 95th birthday a few weeks ago. He's probably the cutest little mennonite man you'll ever meet. And wow has he seen a lot of change in his time here on earth. He's fathered 8 beautiful children and buried 3. He's grand father to many and great grandfather to many more. His absolute faith in God has carried him and his family and he looks forward to the day he can join his wife in the presence of his heavenly father. I sat and visited with him awhile and he shared a gem of a story that I will carry with me always as I really believe he couldn't be more right.
When he was a young man his father sent him out to plow the field. The field was large and he was concerned he wouldn't be able to make a straight furrow across such a distance. His father told him to walk to the other end of the field and
place a flag and as he made his way across to pick a point halfway between himself and his end goal and aim for that point. Once he reached the halfway mark to repeat
this process until he reached the end. His father cautioned him however not to look back. Just keep his eyes straight ahead. "Well," he giggled with a little gleam in his eye and his Ohio accent, "Ya know, I had to try it and look back anyways, and as soon as I did my plow came right out of the ground and I had to make a great big loop just to get back to where I was in the first place" he laughs. I took a great lesson from this story, even though he never really had to explain its true meaning. How many times do we take our eyes of the goal of heaven and look back, in curiosity, as to what we're "missing"? And how many times do we have to make a big circle just to get right back on the path towards our heavenly father? Just a thought, but I think I'd rather keep my eyes on the path I know He's laid out for me, how about you?






We'll certainly miss this man when he reaches his goal...

kind of obsessed with her sometimes...

having girltime with mommy's makeup and curling her hair, sometimes its fun to primp with my little lady...

Baby Isabella's Shower

My first niece, slated to arrive in four weeks. Couldn't be more excited to meet her. Her momma couldn't be more excited to be done being preggers. She's radiant and love her to pieces



we were laughing so hard at the way this curly ribbon reminded us of April's gramma's perfectly coiffed hair. Guess you had to be there, but seriously, her gramma's 70+ year old cheeks are so smooth you wanna lick em. Her secret, vaseline and neosporin. I've yet to try this however =) She's the quintessential 50's housewife in her golden years. Wish I had a picture of her in her hot pink pantsuit. Classic.



Isn't this blanket to die for?? Desi's aunt Vicki just whips these up like nothing. She started it Thursday night. (guess I should mention it was only Saturday am) It even has a matching pillow. So precious and what a treasure.



April serving up some of the delicious spread, homemade lasagna, french bread, and homemade ceasar salad. So yummy!



If Bella's half as cute as her big brother Sebastian she's likely to be a knockout!



and he's quite a ham too. Loves hats and the attention as well =)



and I can't forget miss Sayler Jean who's wearing big girl undies for the first time. Missy's potty training herself these days. She's the SWEETEST thing...





April's beautiful sister Anita and her 8wk old little boy Henry, we planned the shower together and it went off without a hitch.




Little Kinzley, isn't she a doll =)



All in all, what a fun day it was. Can't wait to see Bella in person!! Love her already...

just peachy!

Tried out this recipe today and it's unbelievable! So tasty and really easy. I only had five fresh peaches and it was plenty, although you could prob use a couple more. I blanched them in boiling water for 2 mins each to release the skins and making peeling a cinch! I used a little less sugar in the peach mixture, about 3/4 cup. So give it a try and Bon Appetite!!



Easy Peach Cobbler


"This is by far the best peach cobbler recipe I've found. It tastes more like the peach cobblers my mother and grandmother made. The recipe is simple to make and all the ingredients are readily available. If friends or family are coming by, I can prepare this dessert, pop it in the oven and wait for the oohs and aahs as my guests are welcomed to our home by the warm aroma of fresh-baked peach cobbler."–Member Review

Yield: 10 servings


1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
4 cups fresh peach slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).

Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.

Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

best pasta dish I've ever made...

Goodness me this was AMAZING!! I had a feeling it would be when I saw it on the Barefoot Contessa the other day. I fixed Desi a plate on the patio as he'd been spreading compost over our yard all evening, ceasar salad with homemade dressing, yummy la brea french bread, the first decent watermelon of the season, and a steaming delicious ladelfull of this pasta. He told me it was a fine dining experience, restaurant quality. Such good reviews makes the work all worthwhile. So if you're coming to my house for dinner. This will certainly be on the menu...

Nick and Toni's Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

2009, Joseph Realmuto, All Rights Reserved

Serves:
4 to 5 servings

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup good olive oil
* 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
* 3 cloves of garlic, diced
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1 cup vodka
* 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 3/4 pound penne pasta
* 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
* 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
* Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.

Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

Place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.

Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh oregano on each plate.

what's your flavah??

apparently, its gonna be lots of blue cuz we're having a BOY =) To get in the spirit I've searched for some cozy bedding and sweet little boy clothes to welcome our handsome no. 2. Can't believe it's a boy... I knew it was possible, but I was really getting the girl vibe for a few weeks. Until the week right before our US. And there was NO denying it once the lady perused the lower portion of the anatomy. Now THAT'S a BOY. So maybe I did buy a few girl things, "just in case", and maybe I'm a little blue that I won't get to get my girl on one more time. But I know this little man will be the love of our lives and honestly, the kids are so excited for a baby brother. Maybe a number four might be in our future in which case I'll be calling Mrs. Ditto for some tips =). Most likely though, this little guy will be our last... Sad day. But I will hand our future over, once again, to the Man Above, and have faith His plan is by far and away better than mine =) So here's to this little active fellow that likes to beat me up from the inside out, ha ha. Can't wait to meet my little Christmas boy.

This is the bedding I couldn't pass up "just in case" it was a super steal at a little baby boutique as it had been the display and the company was discontinuing the pattern. This will soon be for sale on craigslist.



This is the set I'm going to purchase instead with the refund fund =) I know it's so not about things when it comes to a baby, but I do love to set up a space that is serene and calm for a new bundle, it's really fun to decorate a nursery...

Missy Minu...

possibly named Sasha, this little kitty girl was rescued by my father-in-law with our little Jilly in mind. She's a sweet siamese, but wow, she turns it on about 11pm and I'm real grateful for some earplugs. We're keeping her inside for a week before letting her outside. I can't tell you how long this week feels. Litter boxes are not my favorite, nor is cat hair in my carpet. But thankfully, Jillian and Desi are awesome at emptying the litter especially the poop, gag-gasp, thank heavens its forbidden in pregnancy to do this lovely chore. Let's hope its a smooth transition. She really is a beauty though. Six toes and all...

Seven

years married, 14 years together, 2.5 kids, 1 pet (new addition) couldn't be happier... Love this husband of mine...