All Things Boy

This post is dedicated to my dear friend Megan who has inspired me to update this blog after merely one year of not posting! :) Thanks girl for the guilt trip and here you go: (my long distance family, I'm sure, thanks you)

Well, by now you have all heard we anticipate the arrival of our THIRD BOY in early October! We have known this for a few weeks and are getting more and more excited at the thought of our 3 little men. In addition to our excitement, Ben and I both feel a shift in the responsibility we have been given. All of the sudden we are thinking, "you don't just turn out 3 GREAT MEN on accident." If I ponder the thought long I feel overwhelmed, but then I remember these little lives were entrusted to us for some crazy reason. What an honor and yet a humbling thought! We are so grateful for God's Grace that will guide us and cover us through the seasons ahead.

The recent news has made me all of the sudden keenly aware of all things boy, in my house and in our world. I think it is a way of anticipating our future. I have embraced (in a whole new way) things like; dirt hills and that they must be climbed or destroyed, snails, bugs and reptiles can (at any time) be declared a pet, how convenient it is to take potty breaks in the backyard, that injuries WILL happen MULTIPLE times a day, that I will hear roaring like lions and tigers as a second language for at least another 5 years, we now "need" more swords and guns to insure a proper dual can take place, and so, soooo much more!

As wild as it sounds, these things bring a smile to my face. How on earth could a mother be more happy and fulfilled?... To have one more precious little boy growing into a man as he rocks in my arms.







ROCKS...they just appear and are quite scary from afar!

22 daisies Everett plucked for "Mommy" and it happened to be Mother's Day Weekend

July 2008: Good Days

Warm bath + 1 bottle of shave cream + summer afternoon baseball on TV = 2 hour nap for daddy!



Little E has not found a mud pit he didn't like! (Sy makes sure he finds plenty)



"Wanta play baby Elan?"




Baby Elan: One hansome Man!

His daddy's favorite Sunday afternoon pose...


A very proud sister!



Sue passing on to Lily the great Hair tradition: Loving family with great meals!





Morning of July 4th, 2008: Pumped up to eat pancakes in Canyon!




Hair Family Cookoff - July '08 Champ: Premium Chili Cheese Dog served on a yam. -Chef Noah

The Big Move Part 2

Well, I guess we can say that we have "settled in". Although - there is so much more to do. I am finally realizing that it will take us at least til Christmas to accomplish what I had originally figured would take us a month. That's right folks, I am extremely optimistic about what one (like myself) can accomplish. I am continually learning the lesson that I have limitations, and my family should always have to be dragged into my insane conquests. So, I am activating the skills of planning, resting, waiting, strategizing, doing things one step at a time, etc., all of which are very unnatural for me.

Last weekend we finally got our sprinkler system installed...Yay! Now we have to transplant and till the rest of the yard which will prepare it for sod. Hopefully we will do the sod this weekend ...HALLELUJAH!!! I can't tell you what a pain it is to have a dirt backyard. The boys love it!

I have begun painting the kitchen cabinets. Ug! After making a huge mistake which cost me a day and a half, I'm taking a small break. Thankfully, I am only doing one section at a time.

So much to do, so little time (and energy). But, we love our new home and can't imagine being back on Lewis Ln already. God is SOOOOOOO GOOD!

The Big Move Part 1

Our last meal on Lewis Lane.


Wierd!


Moving Day! Boys ate powdered donuts on the counter. So fun!


Maybe the most special room in the house. Ben and bro Jon built these shelves together and then when the Sy was on his way, Ben and I designed and painted this room together. Still love it! Brought my sweet baby boys home to this room....I could go on but....on to the next!


The first load: Ben and my wonderful Dad!


Ta Daaaa! Our new home sweet home.

TO BE CONTINUED....

5 MORE DAYS TO MOVE!!!

Just wanted to say... still here...a bit busy (more like crazy)...can't focus on anything but new house...close on the 30th...will be working ALL SUMMER LONG...sorry it's been so long since I've posted.

More to come!

Amy

Ev is 1 year old!

Not Much Here

Well, so much for recipes. Guess I won't post those again. I couldn't handle the response :)! Not a lot of news here lately. Back to normal life (whatever that is). We are getting our house tweaked to sell here in a couple of months. We are excited about that! We have a new kitchen floor and are doing more minor things like a new front door knob, paint exterior trim, some touch-ups in the house. Sy is already reminding me of the things we need to remember to bring to our new house! This is really funny since there is no new house yet, but he BELIEVES one is coming!

I am really excited to be starting a Bible Study I will lead here in our home for other women on a bi-weekly basis. I know it will be great because HE is great, so when you learn about Him, how can you go wrong?

So, nothing significant to say today. Just didn't want to bore you with more recipes!

By the way...hope you like the new look. Those are our feet up top. Our friend/photographer has them featured on his site if you want to check it out. In his gallery he has two wedding shoots featered. I did flowers for both.

Some Healthy Tips...

As many of you are, I am continually trying to find good and healthy things to feed my family's spirit and body. In the past few months I have come across some great finds from friends, websites, and some of my own experimentation. I thought I'd share. I would love any of your recipes too! I'm always gathering!

SWEET POTATO FRIES
Peel and cut sweet potato into fries
toss with olive oil
salt
cinnamon
brown sugar (if you feel like splurging)

Place on cookie sheet evenly and bake at 375 for 30 -45 min (til tender)

*My whole family loves these! I got this recipe from wholesomebabyfood.com when I was looking for food to feed Everett. Not only does he scarf them down...they are becoming a staple in our family! So easy too!

BROCCOLI SLAW
Did you know they sell this at the grocery store with the bags of salad. A dear friend of mine shared a recipe of hers with me and I had no idea this was available! Besides the recipe, I use it on salads and anywhere I need the xtra crunch. Broccoli is full of vitamins and fiber. Be creative and do something yummy! Here's Amy's recipe:

ASAIN BROCCOLI SLAW
2 packages Ramen noodles crushed (chicken or oriental flavors)
1 package Broccoli Slaw
4 Green onions chopped
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (sometimes I use slivered almonds instead)
2 or 3 chicken breasts (cooked, cooled, and then shredded or chopped into bite sized pieces)

Dressing
1 T sesame oil
1 T vegetable oil
3 T rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 T sugar (I used Splenda since dad is Diabetic)
1/2 t salt
1 of the Ramen noodle flavor packets

Bake crushed Ramen and sunflower seeds for 8-10 min in a 350 degree oven, then let cool. Wisk ingredients for Dressing and set aside. Combine rest of ingredients and just before serving pour dressing over it. (if you do it too early the noodles get soggy) Salt and pepper to taste, sometimes I sweeten it a bit more with sugar/spenda
You can buy just buy a low fat asian salad dressing and use about 1/3 -1/2 cup of it as the dressing.

POTATO AND CAULIFLOWER MASH- Surprisingly good. Sy ate these the night they were served and for leftovers. Find it when you scroll down to Jan 3rd entry on foodwishes.blogspot.com (link at the bottom of this page.)

Oh Happy Holidays!

What a great way to catch up and show you what we have been doing since the last post! How about over 50 pics of the Thoennes Family? Hope you all had great Holidays! We sure did. May the next year be one of New Beginnings, FULL of God's presence.

Super Fly Sy and Everett the Brave

COMING SOON: THE WONDER BOYS IN FULL SUPER-HERO DISGUISE!!!

Sunday, October 21, 2007 Under the Wings I have been involved in a great Bible study for the past few weeks. I am loving it and learning so much about God, His desire to know and be present with me, and His Word. It is Beth Moore's "Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place." I highly recommend it. I will be re-doing this very study in my home beginning in January. I love it so much I really want to share it with all of my friends. Anyway - if you are interested...let me know. In one of the lessons, Beth Moore shares a story that she read. I've really been thinking about it in light of all that is going on around me. I thought I'd share it with you. "In pioneer days, wood-burning locomotives frequently sparked fires. Wheat ripens enough to burn 10 to 15 days before it is ripe enough to cut, and sometimes the fires swept wheat fields for 10 miles. A farmer saw billows of smoke in the distance and knew his house, barn, and surrounding buildings were in danger. He set backfires and burned his own wheat fields in a circle so that when the great fire met the place he had burned, it passed around and went on. With that backfire the farmer saved his buildings but lost his crop. As he walked the burned field grieving, he saw the charred body of a hen. He tipped the hen over with the toe of his boot, and out ran a dozen little chicks. Because the mother's burned body was over them, the chicks lived. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live." - Let Me Illustrate Oh my goodness. That sweet little mama! I was thinking about how good of a mama she was to teach her little ones that when danger came to run under her wing and there she would keep them safe. If she had not taught them that, they would have all run around looking for some safety somewhere else only to perish. She was their only refuge and that she demonstrated (more than once, I'm sure). The safety was only under her wing. They had to run into it and be saved. They had to know of the shelter she provided and trust that she would be that very shelter. I am broken-hearted to know that some mothers are not mamas. And they did not shelter their chicks. Those very babies have grown up and are running around trying to find a safe place, a warm place. I'm so glad that there is One! It just makes it so much harder for them to understand what shelter is and that there is safety outside of themselves. These chicks can be saved, but they must run under the Wing. So all of you Mamas and Daddies: show your babies the shadow of your wing. Gather your chicks close and demonstrate safety and shelter. In this they will understand this likeness of God. "This is what God, our Refuge does." Let them see you run under the Shadow of the Almighty. Take refuge under His Wings. And if this blog finds you out from under His Wing, please...run under and get close. "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings." Ps. 36:7 Tuesday, October 16, 2007 Up counting sheep It's 12:20am. I was in bed an hour ago. Sy woke up and needed to potty. Soon after that I noticed it was lightly raining outside. I was almost holding my breath and waiting for Sy to notice (he's not wild about thunder and lightning). At any time he would be up mentioning the light show in his room. And there it came, "Mommy - I still need to go potty." Well, that wasn't exactly what I had expected but, nonetheless, I have to get up. Of course, while he is doing his thing, he notices..."it's raining mama." We had a mini discussion on lightning and how it stays outside even though you can see the lights through the window. All slightly interesting to my half asleep child. "I think it would be a good idea to sleep with you and Daddy." I fell for it and slid him in between Ben and me. Ten minutes later, Everett decided he was missing out. I grabbed him thinking, "we'll cuddle a bit and he'll be back asleep soon, then I will return him to his crib." Five minutes later, I can't sleep. I realize that my three boys are SOFTLY SNORING IN PERFECT UNISON! Not only that, each was basically in the same position and they were perfectly graduated from little to big. They looked as though I was in their bed! Sound asleep and mommy now wide awake. It was so funny, I had to restrain myself from laughing outloud! So, here I am, trying to wind down again and there they lie peacefully sleeping in MY bed. I think I'll go move them now. :) Tuesday, October 9, 2007 It really happened... It's official. The Martinez family now resides in Lubbock, TX. We spent our weekend there trying to help them settle in. Their home is wonderful, 2800 sq ft of ....blessed space. We had a fabulous time. My only complaint is that the weekend went too quickly. Truly, this is the perfect house for them. I love it and will love staying in it. We worked so hard and when we began to pull away, the tears came. I know that 120 miles is no big deal but right now, it seems really far. Friday, September 21, 2007 A Great Birthday! It was a great third birthday for Sy! Truly it was so great! Most of Sy's friends were able to come and celebrate with hotdogs, cake, gifts and playing football. If you missed the "footballing," you really missed out. I do have some really great pictures that just almost capture the special day. Thank you all, for loving us and celebrating Sy and the love of his favorite sport (this year). To him, the "Buffalos" are right there next to any NFL team. Go Buffs Go!!! Ev's not so into the game.............yet, that is. We went to the WTAMU game on Saturday night. This was all a part of Sy's birthday weekend. How great to have a home game this weekend! At his party we had special guest Cort Johnson (punter for WTAMU). He was so great with the kids and Sy thinks he hung the moon. He helped the kids kick the ball and then when that got old - a game broke out with the dads and the bigger kids. It was a terrific time. Happy Birthday Silas! I can't believe you are already 3! Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) Friends and Favorites Food Wishes Video Recipes The Posh Mom Life Handmade Stuff Quinn Family Harris Family Jon and Ivy The Kemps Martinez Family Blog Archive ▼  2009 (1) ▼  June (1) All Things Boy ►  2008 (8) ►  July (1) ►  May (2) ►  April (1) ►  March (1) ►  January (3) ►  2007 (23) ►  November (1) ►  October (4) ►  September (2) ►  August (2) ►  July (4) ►  June (8) ►  May (2)