Some firsts

Little Evan is growing up fast...well, not really, seeing as he's still tiny as a peanut, but now he has experienced the pool with delight, pulls himself up to play the piano, feeds himself at any time (he's the best little vacuum there is, which keeps me always questioning what exactly is in his mouth), and plays chase with his big brother. So here's a few scenes from his young life:

 Smiles with great grandma Ellie

 Hairdo in the bath (yes it's curly at least when it's wet)

 The boys

 First time in one of those .25 cent rides. When Luke runs away crying, Evan has a blast!

 Dancing with the Stars

 First summer in the pool

 Yes my son plays ball by himself (at least for 2 minutes =: )

 Luke's first trip to the movies: Cars2

If I wasn't as busy with practicing piano, visiting with my Seattle sister and Ohio grandma, being sick as a dog, gardening and watering in the 100 degree heat while being sick as a dog, practicing more piano, cooking, cleaning, and spending the hottest afternoons in my parents' pool, - you know, the daily happenings of life, I think I would be content to just play with these little boys all day.

Luke says: Mommy, I have food in my mouth

Mommy says: Yes I know

Luke says: no, it's stuck

Mommy says: In your tooth?

Luke: wyes!

Mommy: should we brush your teeth?

Luke: wyes!

Stay cool!

Fresh

The grocery store could never compare with THIS kind of freshly picked, freshly washed spinach...

my little helper (look closely, for in case you can't tell, he is washing each individual spinach leaf)

 Like his father, that one. He is very careful to do things right.

And a smiler and squealer for good cheer...

Hope your day has some good memories in it!

Birthday celebrations

Yes, I know, it's been almost two weeks since my birthday, but as you will see below, it was a great one this year! Well, birthday week really =: )
My last 'big' birthday was 16...my parents threw a huge surprise party for me, under the guise of a huge party for my sister and brother-in-law who were visiting from Seattle. So ALL of our family and friends were there, and they were all in on it...tons of fun. And good memories.
I can't remember what I did for my 17th birthday, or 18th, or 19th, or 23, or 24th, you get the idea. Either school, or college was done for the summer, or getting married, or pregnant, you name it. Birthdays just haven't been one of those special days for the last decade. But of course, there have been many other special things to outshine over the last decade too, for which I'm very thankful.
But this year there was nothing in May that was exciting, or at least as exciting as the idea of doing a high tea!
I enjoy every aspect of having people over and putting on a lovely meal, when I'm not rushed. I had time to make favors ( a week before), my dear mother came to help me for 6 hours the day before, and by the time all my guests arrived, I got to just relax and sit and visit =: ) 

 I had chicken salad filled cream puffs (a delicious memory from my sister's wedding 14 years ago, see how good food sticks in my mind?), of course cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, and tomato basil tarts...

 And I got to pull down and use all my pretty teacups that I collected in high school.

 16 women were able to come, so our patio table moved into our living room to make room for all the fun!

 Need I even speak?

 Friends from over a decade ago (and still going strong!)

 Friends from less than a decade ago, and so glad they could all come!

 My oldest friends (of course not in age, but I've known these lovely ladies for 23 years!)
I'm so bummed I don't have pictures of everyone that came! But ah well, too much visiting, not enough photographing...such is my life!

It was such a huge success that I think I need to make this a yearly thing. Maybe not for my birthday, but a May High Tea does sound like music when one has just gone through January, February, March, and April with no high teas in them.

And lest you think my husband was on sweet baby sleeping duty with no fun, we had a trip earlier that week, JUST THE TWO OF US, to Hershey Park. Yes, he took the day off on the most beautiful Wednesday of them all and we went to Hershey with no children (made possible to us by Luke and Evan's wonderful aunt and uncle and grandparents!), ate at Fuddruckers afterward (where we had to dash in as two buses were pulling up in front of us!) and enjoy a pleasant drive home. Funny though how tired we were...I guess we're getting old. Although I think it was due to the fact that there were NO lines, so we just went from ride to ride with hardly any break at all.

Ok, Evan has just crawled the entire length of the hallway and into Luke's room... It might be the end of my little world as I know it, but I feel fine...
Have a good one!

Live to eat

There are, with perhaps some gray folk out there, two kinds of people in this world, those who eat in order to live, and those who live in order to eat. The former, like my mother, would be happy if God created them without stomachs and also would be happy enough eating pancakes and toast their whole life, without butter.

Not me. I belong to those souls that thrive on living our eating adventures.
I think about food.
I talk about food.
I watch shows about food.
I like looking at recipes. Even if I don't make them, I just enjoy reading them.
I like planning menus, even if at this point the 4 course meals never happen, who says I can't dream?
I like growing food. Well, I should say, planting and watering and watching those little veggies grow! I would not rob God's thunder by taking credit for something I truly can't even do (or understand). It really is a marvel that our creative God made so much to eat with so much variety!
And last, but not least of course, I love to eat!

So here's a sample of some of my latest food adventures, in all their sweet and savory glories:

 This order last weekend was for a frog and turtle themed baby shower...honestly, I've never made a 'turtle' cake before, but it didn't turn out too bad. Luckily there's a lot of people who have made frogs and turtles out of icing and cake before that I could look to for inspiration. Thanks google images!

 The little pacifier idea was just too good to pass up!

 The turtle is supposed to be sleeping on a blanket (or waves, whichever you prefer).

 Now the following is a bit of our process in creating 4 raised beds to grow lots of vegetables this year. They are all popping up now, and Luke loves helping me water (or drown) everything =: )

 

So we laid newspaper down right on the grass, put our little weed-mat-stapled-to-the- bed frame on top of that, filled it with dirt, cow poop, and peat moss, planted some seeds and plants, watered, and voila':

Now we just have to wait and see if we get to eat our vegetables, or all the creatures of the earth do.

Mother duties are desperately calling my name now, so take care and have a lovely weekend!

New discoveries

As I have not been swamped with free time lately to blog what I have wanted to share, I'm just going to dump together three blogs in one. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for stopping by to catch up with the happenings of the O'Connell household...

This March I decided to venture in the paths of what most women since Creation have had no choice but to do: Cloth diaper my children. This is a simple thing that, though it is not a pleasure to do in and of itself, saves money, saves last minute trips to Target, and makes me feel just a touch closer to the life Laura Ingalls would have lived. And somehow, though I have to still swish poop down the toilet, that makes me feel good.

Here's Mr. Cute himself sporting one of the several cloth diapers I bought, after MANY hours of research. Let me tell you, buy them new and buy them from cottonbabies.com. (Free shipping!) Ebay did not work out for me on this (cheaper diapers = cheaper material = less material = wet and messy clothes. Not good!)

Discovery number two that has made my life a tad better is the fact that Raw Milk tastes great and doesn't make me feel awful. AND the farm I get it from has been under my nose these last 20 years! 2 minutes from my parents' house there live plenty of very pretty, cute brown cows that produce very delicious milk. I'm hooked. I make everything with it now, including these lovely Apricot Love Letters with Vanilla Pastry Cream (and at over 4% milkfat, it almost is like cream =: ) Yum!

Discovery number three: my husband is a garden fanatic. Not that our little .11 acre plot of land has that much to garden, but boy when he gets an idea into his head, he goes gung-ho! Between Good Friday afternoon and that following Monday night, we now have 4 beautiful raised beds inspired by the square-foot gardening trend, with seeds that are just now beginning to burst from their dirty homes. So God willing, barring the onslaught of slugs, disease, bunnies, and small children, we may have some:

Tomatoes,

green and yellow beans, 

onions

carrots

spinach

leaf lettuce

sugar snap peas

zucchini

cucumbers

peppers

and oh yes, marigolds. They smell awful but that's the point: they are supposed to ward off unwanted rodents.
Sounds like a lot, and it is a lot, in not that much space. But we crammed them in. I love how the seed packets say "sow 3-4 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart." Yeah, so O'Connell speaking, that's 1/2 inch apart and rows 6 inches apart. But we don't have to walk between the rows, AND there's tons of healthy soil for them to thrive off of, i.e. Irish peat moss (at least I think that's where all the peat bogs are), O'Connell compost, and cow poop. What plant could ask for a happier start? So I'll keep you posted on our gardening adventure as the summer (what a wonderful word) progresses. (as well as pictures)

Discovery number 4: Ducks are able to hatch two different colors of chicks. And are they CUTE. I had the fortunate experience of witnessing a brand new gaggle on my neighbors porch this past weekend, just sitting there (she could have hatched them there for all I know they were so fresh). She didn't seem to mind I got within three feet of her to shoot a quick pic.

Ahhh....smell it! SPRUMMER! May just exudes happiness in it's new life, warm weather, fresh sunshine, blossoming everything, and pretty much is my favorite month of the year (ok, so it's my birthday month, so I guess I'm biased). But it IS lovely nonetheless, and I'm so happy it's finally here.

A couple days late I know, but anyway, HAPPY MAY DAY!

He is risen, just as he said!

"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." John 16: 21

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." Matthew 28: 6

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16: 33

"But these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:31

Bad Friday

This is what today should really be called, or worse. There quite frankly wasn't much good for Jesus during this horrible day. I want to take these few minutes to remember what Jesus endured for Me, for You, as we remember this most treacherous, terrible day for Him that loved us so greatly!

Betrayal by a close friend

Despised

Rejected

Humiliated

Mutilated

Stress to the point of sweating blood

Forsaken by his Father

Filthy with sin

DEATH

At least for me, sometimes I gloss over all these happenings, which four faithful historians described in such clear detail for us. We think of Easter as a day of celebration and Life, which it is. But it is only because Jesus Died first. Really, truly DIED.

How his disciples must have felt, not knowing (although they had been warned) that he was going to rise again. What despair, what darkness must have filled them to the brim! For two more days!

Growing up, the Good Friday service at my home church was one of the most powerful services of the year for me. When we think of all He went through because He loved us THAT much, it humbles me beyond the ability to express.

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down;

now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;

O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was thine!

Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call thee mine.

What thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners' gain;

Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain.

Lo, here I fall, my Savior! Tis I deserve thy place;

look on me with thy favor, vouch-safe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend,

For this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?

O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be,

Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee!

Bernard of Clairvaux, 12th century

A yummy reminder...

 This week I was reminded of some people I love very much simply by making a very humble dish: home made oven baked fries. (see below for this simple and tasty treat).

I don't know if this ever happens to you, but me, being slightly obsessed with food, tend to relate any food I like to a memory, a place, a person, a particular joy...

In potatoes, oil, butter, and salt, I was reminded of my sister Rebekah and her dear hubby Josh, one of my closest friends ever Blonnie, and my brother -in-law Matt. So let me briefly introduce you to them:

Matt  is currently stationed in Hawaii serving our country in the Navy, and right now is God-knows-where doing God-knows-what for God-knows-how long. So please pray for him. He has a sweet fiance' and family that loves him and is praying for his Safety and Health.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Matt holding his two (at the time) nephews.

Next up on my sweet memory list is Blonnie, one of my dear friends from college, who now lives in Hawaii with her Army husband Joe. After spending four years eating with her, I can safely say that I have a pretty good idea of what she likes to eat. And now that she is also eating gluten free, any time I find myself eating something yummy without wheat I think of her.

 This is from Blonnie's wedding over a year ago...haven't seen her in person since. Have GOT to remedy that soon!!!

And last but not least, meet one of my sisters:  Rebekah and her handsome husband live in Chicago, and it is her birthday today! Happy Birthday to you Weeebekah! (as when I was young that is, sad to say, how I pronounced her name!) Last year I got to go see her for a sisters reunion over her birthday,  which was wonderful! We ate out at an absolutely wonderful rib joint, and had french fries and ribs till our sides were bursting with joy and fat.

 This is from our trip last summer: Luke and auntie getting some real bonding time in =: )

SO WHAT'S UP WITH THE FRENCH FRIES? You ask.

Well, it's really quite simple. All of these dear folk love them (who doesn't), and Rebekah gave me the salt: if you look closely, there is Black Hawaiian Salt from a delightful spice shop in Chicago generously sprinkled on them.  

Sometimes it can be the simplest things that can bring a smile to my face...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oven Baked Home Fries

4 medium Russet potatoes, cut into 10-12 wedges each

1 TB. oil

1 TB. butter, melted

1 tsp. kosher salt, OR black Hawaiian salt

Soak potato wedges in hot water for 10 minutes. Dry with paper towels, and then coat evenly with oil and butter on a large sheet pan. Roast for 25-30 minutes or so at 450, tossing every 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and serve. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Sunshine on a cloudy heart

Today is supposed to be happy. I have two beautiful children and a husband that loves me. I have a God who created me and loves me so much he gave HIS son to die for my sin so I can be free...in this life and the next.

When I think of how much I have to be thankful for, I sit in awe. And yet,

"Each heart knows it's own bitterness, and no one else can share in it's joy." Proverbs

You know those days. Out of the blue (or sometimes not so out of the blue) come depressive thoughts. Loneliness, even if one is surrounded by people. Tiredness, even when you've had sleep. Jealousy, even when you're content with what you have. Sick children, even when it seems like they just got over being sick. Frustration at mundane duties, when yesterday they did not frustrate in the least.

Into such a day as this, Jesus came through the voice of a child to me. As I was sitting eating breakfast whilst Evan is crying for no good reason (at least to me), complaining inwardly how lonely and tiring life can be, Luke pops out (in between coughs) in a cheerful voice:

Rejoice, baby Evan, Rejoice

I kid you not!

Silly me for ever forgetting, even for a moment, that Jesus knows my heart, and he knows how to bring it joy. 

Each and EVERY day.

"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Where?

Down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart to stay!"

Rachel Ray... with kids

I was recently catching up on some Ina Garten and Rachel Ray at my dad's house ( I'm such a cooking show-aholic that yes, I have him record some of them so I can fill up my food-loving cup once in a while).

First I must say that I truly miss some of the "Great Masters" of the nineties...I grew up watching Julia Child, Jaques Pepin, and Marianne Esposito. I must be frank that some of the Food Network shows are a bit too flashy and celebrity infested for my taste. It is only food, and though I ADORE food, sometimes the over dramatization, crazy language, and nausea inducing camera movements get on my nerves. But when you're desperate, you're desperate.

So there I was watching a 30 minute meals show with Rachel Ray, and she whips out some chicken appetizer with Thai dipping sauce, couscous with raisins and curry with a quick shrimp-curry-coconut-peanut dish and shredded lettuce on top and you know what hit me? There needs to be a disclaimer on these cooking shows:

"Time frames are only for those who have no children around, and does not include clean up"

Seriously Rachel Ray (or anyone on FOOD Network) I'd like to see you make a three course meal with 27 ingredients AND little children hanging all over you, one hungry toddler whining, er, nay I say,  yelling 'RICE PUFF, Please, RICE PUUUUFFFF mommy!' and the other just plain crying for lack of undivided attention. (I'm sorry Evan, but mommy has to eat sometime...) If she could make a nice 30 minute meal under THOSE circumstances, she'd have my respect for life. 

As it is, the only show I've seen with a child involved was Jacques Pepin with his 30 some year old daughter. Enough said.

Nonetheless, I have found it possible to cook with my children because of two inventions, well, two inventions and one necessity. Most days, I cook, eat, and clean up with the help of these things:

Did you know homemade playdough takes less than 10 minutes to make WITH children? And it's average lifespan of distraction is about 30 minutes?? It's a miracle.

Bouncing baby = happy baby = happy mommy

And on very special days, like today, when BOTH of them are taking naps at the same time, and God gives you a healthy dose of inspiration (or just the joyful prospect of cooking in peace)...Good food happens:

Tuscan Sausage and Potato Soup

Chicken pot pie with Butternut squash and Green Beans 

( I think cooked rotisserie chickens are my new friend)

Cut up tons of stuff for taco salads

And a lemon bundt cake.

Just so we're clear, this NEVER happens. But I think I really need to be much more of an afternoon-nap cook than I have been. It's so much more efficient and less stressful. And when dinner time comes, no whining for rice puffs can happen if there's a delicious meal at the ready. 

Hope I've inspired you to cook or bake something delicious for your family today...

"Life's a drink. Drink it up."  Cheers~

Out of the mouth of babes...

You know those days when all you want to do is, oh I don't know, get dressed? Brush your teeth? Eat? Lofty goals I know. But amidst crying, whining, poop, floors so crunchy I wonder how the mice haven,t found us yet, disciplining, tripping over you name it, sometimes it seems like quite a feat to do these simple things not only for myself (and let's face it, sometimes they don't all get done everyday) but also for my children.

Yet it is into these snowy, sleeting spring days that God meets us. Not in some amazing, extraordinary life lesson, necessarily, but in that still small voice. The whisper. The moment (and I mean fleeting moment that you have to grab onto for dear life sometimes) of peace he brings into your life so that you can say with unmistakable confidence "Yes, he does care for me!"

Today that still little whisper came in the form of a song. Often, as it turns out, the songs I find myself humming and singing are praise songs I learned when I was a child. You would think I would remember and sing all the new songs from worship team we've been learning, all the amazing songs I learned in choirs in college that we spent hours pouring over, or humming the latest great hit from the radio. While these songs DO pop into my head quite often, they don't knock nearly as much as the hymns and little 'kids praise' songs I learned over 20 years ago. The super simple words, or the super simple melodies with deep words I didn't understand at the time, but now can glean great words of encouragement from...

So here is the song I find myself singing this afternoon. 

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven, 

To his feet your tribute bring; 

ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

Who, like me, his praise should sing? 

Alleluia, alleluia! Praise the everlasting King.

Fatherlike, he tends and spares us; 

well our feeble frame he knows; 

in his hands he gently bears us,

rescues us from all our foes. 

Alleluia, alleluia! Widely as his mercy goes!

Angels, help us to adore him;

You behold him face to face; 

Sun and moon bow dow before him,

dwellers all in time and space.

Alleluia, alleluia! Praise with us the God of grace!

Henry Lyte, 1834

So here's to teaching my children songs about Jesus starting NOW, so that when they are older these words will not depart from them. For "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger." Ps 8:2 I don't think any of us will ever fully understand the power of praise!
Andree' Seu, a writer for WORLD magazine, puts it this way: "This is heaven's secret weapon- a child's worship. Those of least account in the world (have the power to) hamstring principalities and powers with a song, ...God is 'enthroned on the praises of Israel' (Ps.22). His presence with joyful rule in your life awaits your decision to speak out words of thanks and worship - on your bed, in your car in the shower, against your foul mood..."

So with whatever your day holds, may your thoughts be drawn to words of praise, uplifting your spirit and bringing a smile to your countenance.

Happiness Homemade

What a great title for a book! Here are some encouraging words from it that I wanted to share to brighten your day. For whoever you are, wherever you are, we all crave a beautiful home.

"Our time here is short. 

We can pass through this life but once. 

As we pass along, let us make the most of life. 

The work to which we are called does not require wealth 

or social position or great ability. 

It requires a kindly, self-sacrificing spirit and steadfast purpose. 

Our sphere of influence may seem narrow, 

our ability small, 

our opportunities few, 

our acquirements limited; 

yet wonderful possibilities are ours 

through a faithful use of the opportunities of our own homes. 

If we will open our hearts and homes 

to the divine principles of life, 

we shall become channels for currents 

of life-giving power. 

From our homes will flow streams of healing, 

bringing life, and beauty, and fruitfulness..."  

Ellen G. White

Thus our homes can become a little piece of heaven on earth.

What's been going on in your home? I'd love to know~ My home is always open to calls, visits, and skyping =: )

Sending a little homemade happiness your way~

I'm Flying!

It will never cease to amaze me that no matter how your day, week, month, or year is going, a part of a song can all at once transport you back into another world. You know what I mean. For me, this happened absolutely out of the blue last week when I thought I turned on Winnie the Pooh for Luke, only 5 minutes later to hear the music of Peter Pan, the Broadway musical, ringing in my ears. (The wii must have been hooked up, since we get netflix through that). Anyways, after hearing the end of

Tender shepherd, tender shepherd
Let me help you count your sheep:
one in the meadow, two in the garden
three in the nursery, fast asleep.

Listen here if you care to go back 20 years when this was made (or more)!


I decided to sit down and enjoy a musical that I seriously had not heard of or thought of in, oh, 15 years, and yet I could still remember most of the words. Scary!

I'm flying (flying, flying, flying)
Look at me, way up high, suddenly, here am I
I'm flying

Never mind Peter Pan is a girl! As I watched  I had my sisters and brothers there with me, long ago, watching and singing along in our living room with me. Seriously, I skyped my sister in Seattle to watch a smidgen with me =: )

What musicals did you grow up with? What songs make you magically 15 years younger?

Cheers~

Highlights of January

Some people hate January. It is always the sicky, cold, icy, dreary, long, dark month after the happy and festive December month full of family and friends.

This January was particularly full of colds and coughs and tired, cranky, teething children as well as a tired, cranky momma, who uttered shallow but nonetheless heartfelt prayers of "help, Jesus, help" just to drag herself out of bed.( It did not help either that Ed started a new job, which we are very thankful for, but the downside is he works til 7 every night and Saturdays too...boo!)

But amidst that month were some wonderful glimpses of sunshine, which you can peruse below. I was especially excited to see some friends I have not gotten to see in far too long. Friends from college days, and gung ho (how in the world do you spell that) musicians to boot!

We'll start with the cutest little guy first...Evan is now 6 months and has a tooth! And he loves to bounce as you can see:

My dear friend Kelly (who sings like an angel) came to visit me right after Christmas. Luckily her mother-in-law lives 5 minutes away so hopefully we'll get to have visits every now and then =: )

 Two friends from Houghton (that I haven't seen in almost 4 years), Lily in the middle, and Chelsea on the right, met me at an Olive Garden in Collegeville before going back to North Carolina where they are both studying for masters degrees in voice. How wonderful it is to sit and chat for two hours eating white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and talking about music, school days and old friends, music, God, and more music!! What a treat:

 This sight is enough to warm my heart several times over on the coldest of winter days:

 I was trying to get a picture of his tooth, but this is the best I could do:

 At the end of January, after Ed came home noticing how 'sharply' guys dress at Worley, I decided to take matters into my own hands and go buy him clothes (since he didn't have the time to do it). I hit the jackpot! Not only did I buy him 5 whole outfits that match, look nice, soft, ON SALE, etc., they FIT him AND he likes them! Check out my handsome other half:

 This is what Luke and I did (emphasis on I, although Luke dictated to me what to draw) one particularly dreary cold day - we made cards. Although I must say I cannot draw worth beans, so I pretty much copied from one of our favorite little kids books called "Barnyard Dance" (thanks to Rebekah!)

 And yes, when there are not nice walks outside, and no playgrounds to be had, and no friends available for playdates, and too much snow and ice to make anything outside the door possible, we watch movies. (What did people in the olden days do without WordWorld and Pooh????) I need to tell you, much to the chagrin of my husband, that these boys even enjoy Pride and Prejudice because there's so much dancing!

Now that February is almost over, I've got to now think about posting about some of the highlights of this month....I'll get to it eventually. Right now a snack and some baby crying is calling my name. Until next time...

Hey, only one month from Monday until the first day of Spring...We can do it peoples!