Easters Past

2006 (Whitney's post)

2007 (Whitney's post)

2007 (outfits)

2007

2008 (hunting)

2008 (outfits)

2008 (family picture)

2009 (egg dying)

2009 (hunting)

2009 (easter morning)

Notes:

• There is no picture of the 2009 outfits. They existed, I promise. Nat must have won the argument about the value of wrestling three boys after three hours of church.
• I was so pregnant and sick in the 2008 pictures. It's hard for me to remember those pictures without waves of nausea washing over me.
  
• I was also sick in 2006 but somehow I avoided all pictures.
  
• Thanks goes to Whitney for documenting 2006 and 2007. It's always fun to hear her perspective on things. I miss those (now) Idaho Fredins every Easter.
  

I know that this is probably only fun for me. It's just amazing to me to watch the passage of time as evidenced in these boys and their growth. The more things change...

Twins, separated by a few months?

This post by sweet sister Ashley freaked me out just a little. Her Addie looks just like Isaac. Addie is certainly a girl, with fuller lips (according to Nat). But, she and Isaac look a lot alike. It appears that I finally birthed a Donaldson, thank goodness (and no offense to the Fredins-- my first two are beautiful).

In other news, we should be back in photo business soon. We have a deadline of this weekend to either fix the computer or buy a new one (ouch!).

Irresponsible

Sometimes Nat and I don't act like grown-ups. Sometimes we stay up late watching the TV shows that Barb gave us on DVD (currently we are way into Friday Night Lights-- it kind of makes me want to move to Texas, even). While I know that I will be tired in the morning and maybe even cranky, it's good to remember that life isn't that serious. There is more to it than poopy diapers, a job search (nothing new to report here), bills, discipline and keeping the house clean. Sometimes it's fun too. Thank heavens.

Some more Noahisms

In my continuing photoless state I am forced to blog about the funny things that Noah says. This kid never leaves me short of material.

Luke and Noah have been playing "chest" (chess) a lot lately. The chess game they play involves Luke telling Noah that all his moves are wrong and Luke ending up with all the pieces.

A good friend gave us some zucchini bread today. I told Noah, "this is zucchini bread aren't you excited to eat it?" He agreed and when we were all on our way home from getting Luke from school he asked me when we could eat that "creamy" bread.

I really love that little guy.

Almost there...

About a month ago I was on the phone with Nat while he was at work when he casually mentioned that he was in the process of buying plane tickets for a conference in Portland. This was news to me and meant that he would be gone two entire weeks in about a month's time. Oh the weeping and wailing that ensued! I looked at plane tickets to see if I could get Ashley out here and mourned the fact that my mom is stuck in San Diego. I just couldn't imagine what I was going to do without Nat. You see, I am pretty dependent on this husband of mine.

Then the trip to Chicago came and went without much fanfare. The boys were good, I wasn't that lonely and I still managed to get Luke to school, the house clean and the boys stayed relatively happy. There was a happy reunion where Isaac melted Nat's heart by shouting "Da Da" when Nat got into the car.

Here I sit at the end of his Portland trip in a clean house with all three children sleeping peacefully in their beds. It hasn't been nearly the struggle that I thought it was going to be. The kids are all at pretty good stages and we have, it appears, a nice little rhythm. Who knew I was capable of this?

That said, I will be glad to have my man back. I get into bed at night and feel his absence. I miss telling him about the cute/naughty/wild/funny things that the kids did that day. It's wonderful to have someone who cares as much about these funny little guys as I do.

Here's to another happy reunion!

The Rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm of my day

I think about this little line from one of Luke's old Kindermusik songs all the time. So much of my life is made up of these little changing rhythms and routines. It used to feel like these routines would never change but I've been at this long enough to realize that the structure of my day is always evolving as these kiddos grow and change.
One little routine that I love right now is picking Luke up from school. I love to walk Isaac and Noah up to the school while Noah chatters at me about how happy he'll be to see Luke. We watch all the family members emerge from their homes and make their way to claim their little people. We all line up outside the school and chit chat about the weather, homework, and kids, feeling like comrades instead of strangers. Then the flow of kids out of the school starts and I spot my kindergartner, his coat and hat in place and, if I am lucky, the backpack on his back instead of dragging behind him. He shoots me a sly smile and we begin reconnecting, he tells me about what he did in specials and who he played with at recess. Isaac's legs excitedly kick the stroller when he spots Luke and chirpy little Noah always chimes in with, "How was your day, Luke?"

A happy little rhythm...

More Soup

Soups are in constant rotation at our house in the winter months. I usually grow tired of soup by this time of year but there are still a few recipes that are doing it for me lately.

This is a delicious recipe that we have enjoyed a lot this year. I have now put it on the "sometimes" food list because I am sure that the calorie count is a little scary. There is a lot of redemption in all the carrots and broccoli in there, however.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup:

1 T melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half (I also use whole milk, because that's what I have in the house)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrot, julienned
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half and half.
   
3. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
   
4. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
   
5. Add salt and pepper. Can be puréd in a blender or with an immersion blender but I never do. Return to heat and add cheese.
   

Yum!

My New Favorite Soup

This is a recipe I have been making at least once a week for the past couple of months. I got the recipe from my dear neighbor. I have brought it to no less than three new mamas lately. So easy and good. It was quite the topic of discussion in the comments of Jen's blog.

Chicken and Black Bean Soup:

Combine the following ingredients in a slow cooker:
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb chicken (I just put frozen chicken breasts right into the crock pot)
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
2 cups of your favorite salsa
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 can corn (this is best added at the end-- the corn can get a little rubbery if cooked all day)

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove, shred and replace chicken.

Serve with fresh cilantro, cheese, sour cream, and avocado. I really can't say how much I enjoy ripe avocado in this soup. Most Mexican food is just a medium for avocado, in my book.

Variations:

• Add a cup of rice to the mixture and a little more broth. This fleshes it out a little more and makes it more filling
• I added some fresh green peppers to it the other night. I can't say it added a whole lot to the soup but it was good to use up the peppers and upped the nutritional factor.