it's a birthday! sort of...

I've been thinking a lot about our Miss Metta and the year we've had with her.  And then I discovered the perfect documentation of our year.  All of the cell phone pics I sent to kent. The good, the bad, and the ugly.  I think it's a pretty good representation of the past 12 months of Metta.

Remember that super creepy halloween ultrasound?!  good thing she didn't come out looking like a zombie.

and that LONG LONG LONG leap day last year.  She barely squeezed herself out to be a leapling!!

and then we had a few 'honeymoon' days.  She slept a lot.  

and then suddenly it was terrible.  the broken baby.  weeks and weeks of screaming. and tears.  and not just from her.  Did I ever document the bruised baby head story?  One day Zeb stepped on her head.  It really wasn't a big deal- she was fine.  I told Kent about it when he got home and he examined her head. He discovered all sorts of dark spots and discoloration all over the top.  He was worried until I told him the spots were actually my dried mascara all over her head.  From when we both just sat and cried.  She was so difficult for awhile there.

 We adjusted and dealt with her.  Found her favorite sleeping spots.  and her favorite ways to be wrapped.


During the rough weeks- it felt like an eternity.  But eventually- she got better. less broken. a lot cuter.

okay- maybe she was still goofy looking.



but at least she started smiling eventually.  It took her a lot longer than the rest of my kiddos.  Like almost four full months to give good smiles!!

 but then she never stopped giving them!  she's still the most joyous of our children!

How amazing is that baby phase where they can sit up and entertain themselves- but not move at all.  Oh so easy and wonderful.

 oh yeah- and one day she woke up and her hair started sprouting like crazy.  It literally just happened one day.

 and then out of the blue she became a real person.

 
 and that phase that we all hate.  so many books and dvds to pull off shelves OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!

Oh- and here are a few of our rough days.  I send these types of pics to Kent just so he knows what he's missing.  and in what state to expect me when he gets home!

snotty noses, teething, colds, tantrums.

It's been a fabulous year buttercup!!  Happy birthday!!!

with this whole leap year birthday thing- it has been hard trying to decide what day to celebrate her birthday!!  We started today and I think we'll just carry on through the weekend!!

you'll never guess how many...

For having been such a bad baby- she sure has turned herself around.  she is so much fun. and she's almost ONE!  insane.    Her hair and eyes are going to be EXACTLY like mine.

and you'll never believe how many teeth she has.  It is OUTRAGEOUS.  take a guess.  I really don't think you'd guess correctly.

14!  yep.  FOURTEEN!!  our little t-rex.

have anybody else's kids had fourteen full teeth before their first birthday?!

I mean- really. look at them.  We have to brush and floss them!

two fab cold and blustery day recipes

I've got to blog these recipes so I have them on file!  we had them for dinner last week and I LOVED them both.

1/2 pound ground chicken or turkey
1 onion diced
1/2-1 envelope of onion soup mix
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 c water
3 cups beef broth
3-4 carrots peeled and cut small
1 med zucchini chopped small (with skins)
1 med yellow squash chopped small (with skins)
1 bay leaf
1 cup prepared barley (I used the quick cook stuff)

Boil veggies in beef broth and bay leaf for 10 minutes.
Saute meat with onion.  When cooked through add 1 cup water and soup mix.
Add meat and can of tomatoes to soup mix. Also add prepared barley.
Simmer all together another 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender.  Add more water/broth if needed.


Light Wheat rolls.

1 pack yeast
1 1/3 c warm water
1/4 c white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 cup melted butter
1/2 egg beaten
1.25 cups wheat flour
1.25 cups white flour

I just dumped everything in my bread maker and waited through the first rise section.  Then I removed the dough- rolled out the rolls- and let them rise another 30 minutes.

bake for 12 minutes at 400.

brush lightly with butter as soon as they come out of the oven.

Here are the instructions of you don't have a bread maker!

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix sugar, salt,  melted butter, egg, and whole wheat flour into yeast mixture. Stir in all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

I have become a tooth fairy.

I think this is as much a rite of passage for me as it is for Zeb.  It's these little things - like your first born losing his first tooth- that make you realize just how fast time flies!

The tooth was lost at the church Valentine's dance over the weekend.  Luckily the tooth fairy left a note stating she'd found the tooth at the church.  I'm inclined to believe it's still passing through Zeb's digestive tract.

what i LOVE.

                                                                   Oh- valentines day.

 a day late.  my 14 loves.  where I go on and on about what I love.

I ♥ my nerdy husband.  We really are the best of friends.  I love that he loves this valentine I sent him.  We really are two peas in a pod.

I ♥ waking up on holiday mornings!!  there's something about themed candy and a random reason to celebrate that makes me smile from the inside out.  Bring on the commercialized holidays. I'll eat the seasonably colored m&ms every time you make them!

I ♥ my miracle of a body.  Sure I have some crappy teeth and imperfections- but I love it.  I love that it does what it does.  That it can replicate DNA, build proteins, grow babies, turn my food into energy, and run 13 milers!  it truly is a miracle.

I ♥ teaching sunday school at church.  Teaching something always gives me such a better understanding of it.

I ♥ Russians.  The time I spent as a missionary in Russia was some of the greatest time of my life.  Sometimes when I think about those wonderful people and experiences- it makes me miss it so much my heart hurts.

I ♥ 'Marie's Candies'.  It's this little chocolate shop in an old train station in West Liberty, Oh, that we stumbled upon on a little roadtrip last year.  And Kent had a box of their chocolates shipped to me for Valentine's day :) what a good man.

I ♥ adventure.  And I love that kent does too.  I'm getting the itch to do something crazy soon.  If you have any good ideas- let me know :)  I'm really hoping (and praying) for an adventurous assignment from the air force next year!!

and honestly- I ♥ the AIR FORCE!  holy smokes.  this is such the perfect thing for us.  The blessings we've received  the experience Kent is getting, the friends I have,  and the future that AWAITS is. so so exciting.

I ♥ my family. I say it every year- but I've got the best.  Husband, kids, sisters, parents, in-laws, cousins, aunts and uncles.  The best church families, the best families away from family.  I've got it all.  And I realize not all people are so blessed :)

I ♥ my testimony and my ability to be on the constant road of conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It's what brightens my day and lightens my way.

I also ♥ the Book of Mormon.  Ammon and Alma are my current favorite people.  Something about their work as missionaries is so inspiring to me right now.

I ♥ my kindle.  it is amazing.  How great to be able to read in bed and NOT get up to turn out a light.  To NOT have to tire out your arm and change positions when you turn a page?!  and how great that I can just check out all of the greatest new books FROM MY HOUSE?!  no more late fees or lost books under the couch.  pure heaven.

I ♥ our ice maker.  Water tastes so much better in a water bottle- freezing cold- full of ice- after a good workout.  and I don't know what I'll do when we leave our perfect ice maker. 

I ♥ my life.



And to see the life I love-  here's a pictorial representation of our Valentine's day.

I woke the family up early to get the festivities started- so if everybody looks a little tired- it's because they are.

cool new hot wheels coloring books from the vday fairy (aka me). and a terribly annoying and really funny valentine's card from nanny annie. I hope the batteries go dead soon!!

Metta sending Kent off to work.  And wiping snot all over his uniform!!

Metta spaghetta all decked out for the day.  Much more fun to dress her than the boys!!  and look at her HAIR!!  it's sitting down! and parting!!  no more chimpanzee baby hair!!

 She's the best one to take pictures of right now. So dang cute. and so many facial expressions.

we had a valentine's party for Ike's co-op preschool.  Lots of great food and fun games.  For his v-day box he chose footballs and cupcakes.  Those two things perfectly describe this kid.  He just glued them all over and was happy as can be :)

I 'mustache' you to be my valentine.   Ike would only put is on in the corner.  And nobody else was allowed to see it on him!

his pal dalton

 ava's 'don't eat pete' candy.

 and miss quincy.  who looks like quite the natural with a mustache.