Home

You know the old saying "Home is where the heart is?" I feel I am learning how true that really is each and every day. Today Rhonald and I are celebrating our 6th anniversary. I have never felt more at home than I do when I am with Rhonald....wherever we happen to be. The past 6 years have been the most exciting, fun and happy years of my life. I have grown so much and learned so much by being Rhonald's wife and I feel so blessed to call him "mine." It is amazing to look back at where we have been and dream about where we will go and know that God has had his hand in every step. I love this man with all of my heart and I cannot imagine my life without him in it. Happy anniversary baby - thank you for creating this home with me! I never want to be anywhere else!!!!

Sweet and Simple

I have been getting lots of great recipes off of other blogs lately so I thought it was about time to pay you all back! There are some days when it is really hard to get a good meal on the table and still get everything else done. My mom sent me this recipe and it was a huge hit with everyone in my house! It is super easy and fast and tastes great!!! They reminded us of meatloaf so I made mashed potatoes and salad with them.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2 lbs ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

mix all together and form into meatballs, using scant 1/4 cup each.

Sauce

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup balsalmic vinegar
1/4 cup mustard
2/3 cup brown sugar

Place meatballs in a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour sauce over meatballs. Bake at 350 for about 50 mins. They freeze well too!

He's Getting More Grown Up By The Minute

Well, no pictures to share today but I do have some wonderful news! Cole is done with bottles!!!! When I weaned Cole from breastfeeding the only way we could get him to drink any type of milk was in a bottle (and that was after days of trying). Our pediatrician recommended that we get rid of the bottles by 15 months. Cole turned 14 months yesterday and I had a true desire to get rid of the bottles. I was so anxious about this transition - Cole has never done well with change of any kind but I knew it had to be done. Rhonald and I prayed for Cole to transition well and for ourselves to be patient and those prayers were most certainly answered today. When Cole woke up I fixed his milk in a cup which he threw on the floor (but did not throw a fit). He would not drink a sip of milk until lunchtime. The 3 of us went out to lunch together and we slowly noticed Cole would take a sip of milk and then spit it out. We did not say anything to him and by the end of lunch he was so thirsty that he actually drank a whole cup of milk! Then he drank more at snack time and then, the big test came....bedtime! I was so nervous about what was going to happen and to my surprise Cole grabbed his cup from my hand and drank away while I read to him. He is getting to be such a big boy and I am constantly shocked at how amazing he is. I am so thankful this went 100% better than I thought...I pray it continues!

A Big Smile For A Big Boy

This sweet smile really speaks for itself doesn't it? Cole has been feeling a little under the weather lately....first he had a bad cold and then he cut 2 more molars (the bottom ones) which turned out to be the worst teeth for him yet! The poor baby has not been himself for over week .... until today! He was full of smiles and giggles today - it was wonderful to see him back to "normal" and feeling good. He played until he could not play anymore...he laughed until he lost his breath...he ate until he could eat no more and he slept like a log when bedtime came. It was amazing to see him feeling so great after seeing him feel so bad last week. I am so thankful for today!!!!

OH! I forgot to share that Cole now says "ball." So we are up to 3 words (besides mommy and daddy): ball, dog and duck. I can only imagine what will be next!

Family Day

The weather has been so nice over the past few days so we decided to take advantage of it and be outside as much as possible. We were out running errands today when we thought it would be fun to take Cole to the park. He is starting to be able to actually play on the playground and he loves running around in the grass. We all had a blast playing together. Cole loves the slide and climbing on the jungle gym (with just a little help). I brought along a bottle of bubbles and he truly enjoyed chasing them through the field. He actually shouted and talked non-stop as he ran after them. Cole was also very interested in walking along the bridge and looking at the creek. Rhonald had fun pointing out all of the neat things to see - trees, birds, fish, etc. It was so awesome to spend this time together and enjoy the beautiful day! I cannot wait until Spring when the nice weather is here to stay and we can enjoy it everyday!

Sitting Like A Big Boy

Can my baby really be big enough to sit in his own chair???? I know it may seem silly to some but, if you are a mom, you will understand what I mean. It seems like just yesterday he was learning to sit up by himself and now Cole can climb up in this big boy rocker and sit to watch cartoons. It is amazing how fast time is flying and how quickly Cole is changing. It is so much fun to watch him develop and learn new things but part of me wants him to stay my sweet baby boy forever! I am so thankful to be able to stay home with him so that I get to see each and every moment of his day.

True Love

I have nothing but true love for these two boys....and when I see them loving each other it makes my heart melt! I am so thankful to have them in my life. I feel so blessed when I get to see moments like this without them knowing it. I love watching their relationship grow more than anything. I love being a part of each of their lives!!!!