Golden

Savoring these days. Fidget will soon be 9 and the Pres is always off on another trip. These are the golden moments.

Sweet Daddy-O

For Father's Day I made the Pres these divine cookies. Homemade Nutter Butters! What better way to tell him we're nuts about him?

 
When we were first married and had almost no money, it was a big deal when he would get Nutter Butters from the grocery. We just didn't have a lot of money for extras like chips or cookies. God has blessed us so much in the following years. Not just monetarily, but with a relationship growing closer to Him and each other. 

Now that we have a bit more, we could buy cookies but don't, as I like to bake and generally keep sweet things coming out of the oven. I think it was worth it to try these, even though they are softer, the filling sweeter, than the packaged kind. They're better than the package, but as the Pres pointed out, they're sweet enough you can't just sit down and eat 30 in one sitting like you could with the package...Not that we would. :) Here's the recipe for Homemade Nutter Butters, thanks to Cookies and Cups blog. 

Notice I forgot to take photos once they were baked and made into sandwiches with the sweet confectioners sugar and peanut butter icing. We were too busy eating!

Mother's Day

There's nothing like your own kid for making you feel special. I wrestled with myself long and hard before saying I'd start up at Fidget's karate dojo. And half the time I still feel like a geek out on the mat. But it looks like she doesn't see that at all. I like that  in the card she's made me look slightly malicious, as if I could really put the hurtin' to a bad guy. Maybe I could by now! After all I've been in karate for about 6 months now. But karate kickin' mama or no, it looks like Fidget loves me anyway. I think getting her perspective of me now and then is refreshing. How much better if I saw myself as Jesus sees me, every day. 

I am so blessed to be my little kid's mama, but I was blessed way before that: Jesus saved me from countless hurtful things and dangerous situations when I was young, just so He could bring me to a saving faith. Then He gave me a husband and a whole new life. Being a mom is just the icing on the cake. But the icing is oh so good!

Thanks, Lord Jesus, for making me a new creation, set apart to be conformed to your likeness, no matter how long it takes.

Work in Progress

This shore scene in oils is due June 15. I am pleased with how it is starting out. I am working with umber and bleached titanium in the rocks, and predominantly Prussian blue,Bonnard blue and sap green in the water.We are scheduled to move at the end of June so this may be my last painting in Rhode Island. Today we get to pick up Fidget's Christmas painting from the local museum where it's been in a show for several months. She is looking forward to getting it back. I am beginning to look forward to our next house and thinking about the paintings I'll hope to do there. 

It was such a gorgeous day yesterday, especially for a Mother's Day. Fidget and the Pres rigged a hammock up for her in the yard, and he did some studying while I painted. Then he grilled some country style spare ribs and we topped it off by biking into town for gelatos. I am so blessed to have this family. God is good. 

Rejoice and Be Glad- Harbor View's 2nd Annual Appetizer Weekend

I recently realized it had been over a year since our family's first annual Appetizer Weekend. It was a smash with our family and helped me focus on celebrating our family. Lately I've been busy making lots of baby booties for friends' babies, and this causes me to think about our family as well. God made our family, each of us, to be here together, and these people are such a blessing to me. I want them to know I am pleased to be the wife and mom that God made me to be. So, naturally, that means it's party time!

Here are the mini crab cakes before frying. The recipe said it made 32 but it made more like 40.

Rotel cheese dip (Fidget's request) simmering in back and in front pan, ground pork for steamed dumplings and spring rolls.

Hot stuffies (stuffed quahogs or clams- see this month's Martha Stewart Magazine, p. 140, for the recipe I'm going to try next time) from Anthony's of Aquidneck seafood market. Delicious!

Mini crab cakes frying in a few tablespoons of butter. The recipe I have looks like it came from Bon Appetit, but it isn't listed in their online recipe index.

Steaming the dumplings. A recipe I picked up on one of those twirly racks in the produce section at Walmart probably 10 or more years ago. 

The first of the golden shrimp and pork spring rolls.

Here is one of the Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps. I couldn't find chile paste anywhere in town, so I used hoisin sauce and these were so good I am going to make them again soon.  

Here's the menu from this weekend's Harbor View 2nd Annual Appetizer Weekend: 
Fresh Cut Veg with ranch dip
Hot Stuffies (stuffed clams with chorizo sausage)
Mini Crab Cakes
Steamed Dumplings
Spring Rolls
Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms
Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps
Spinach-Parmesan Dip with Bagel Bites
Rotel and Cheese Dip with Nacho Chips

 I love to practice hospitality. And I love giving. In all that I don't want my family to get lost in the busyness of serving others and showing them the love of Christ. So though I make dinner every day, sometimes I like to practice hospitality on my family and show them how special they are to me.  

Seize the day, I say. After all, This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24

Pie for Breakfast and Past Valentines

Here is what is left of the strawberry pie after we had anniversary pie for breakfast. You must try pie for breakfast if you never had. It is a special way to start the day. You wouldn't do it every day, and that's what makes it so great. 

Here also are some valentines and anniversary treats from years past. We almost always try to do something special for each other.

The Pres made the cedar heart coat rack for me our first anniversary. The heart pillow I made the year the Pres was heading out to deploy to Haiti as an enlisted heavy equipment operator. What memories these things bring!

 We knew we'd only be here one year, so we didn't put all our valentine treasures out. The heart rack had been put away for a long time. Maybe we will actually put it up and use it at our next duty station.

Anniversary

Here's the 20th Anniversary card I made for the Pres. Our big day is tomorrow.

 I used some old postcards I found with policemen on them and signed it from the Ol' Ball and Chain.

 

The words are sewn using my Bernina sewing machine with the quilting foot, the feed dogs lowered and the darning setting on.

Inside is a chain I made, a padlock I found down at the shore as well as a bottle opener that looks reminiscent of a key, which I got from a blacksmith at a festival one time when the Pres was deployed during our last duty station.

I am so glad God has kept us together all these years. I wouldn't want to spend them with anyone else. It is humbling. We aren't great. And we haven't always even been that great at being married. But God has shown us favor. In this we rejoice!

"...you are precious and honored in my sight..and I love you." Isaiah 43:4