Chocolate + Salted Caramel = Bliss

As the New Year approaches so do resolutions....many involve healthified eating.

This post does not.

If you are like me and love all things chocolate......then get your mixers started.  This would be perfect for a New Year's party.....you know, get in one last indulgent-bust-your-pant-button-bite. And then start your resolution.....or

NOT.

I mean, someone will have to eat the leftovers (if there are any).  And who can resist leftovers when salted caramel is involved. Not me. I apologize for squashing any resolutions before they even have a chance to survive. But in all honesty this is much more fun...and delicious....and addicting. 

One bit of sound advice.....serve this chilled, not after sitting out for an hour like I did. It becomes a bit sloppy and loses it's truffle-like texture. I don't usually serve sloppy, but couldn't resist with this one. Also, you can't possibly go wrong with such a short ingredient list, use the best chocolate and you will be good to go.

Oh. And for all you pregger ladies out there..... you should make this and eat a slice Every.Single.Day. If you think I'm nuts then listen very carefully to this new study. 

"In 2004, researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland did a study with around 300 pregnant women to rate their stress levels and rate of chocolate consumption. Half a year after birth, the mothers came back and had to log their young ones behavior within a few categories, including soothability and fear. The babies of mothers who had eaten chocolate daily during pregnancy had a more happier disposition and were more open to new situations"

So maybe this wouldn't be the wisest choice of everyday indulgence.....however, I did in fact eat dark chocolate every morning during my pregnancy and my baby boy has the sweetest disposition of any baby I have every met. Coincidence? Apparently not. I'll take it. And another slice please.

So eat up ladies (prego or not....who says babies are the only one's who need a good disposition?)

Flourless Chocolate Torte:

Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
8 large eggs, cold
1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

Topping: 

Whipped Cream and Salted Caramel Sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325° F and adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position.  Grease the sides of an 8-inch springform pan
and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with heavy duty foil and set in a larger baking pan.  Bring a pot of water to boil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles to approximately 1 quart (about 5-10 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Heat until smooth and very warm (about 115° F), stirring once or twice.  Fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible.  Fold in half of the remaining eggs, and then the last half, until the mixture is homogenous.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Pour enough boiling water into the larger pan surrounding the springform to come about halfway up the sides of the springform.  Bake until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center reads 140° F, 22-25 minutes.(I ended up having to bake it about 10-15 extra minutes to get the right temperature.)

Remove the springform from the water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow the flavor.  The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Right before serving cover with freshly whipped cream and serve drizzled with rich Salted Caramel Sauce. Then sigh. And be thankful of the soon-to-be happy disposition that will soon follow. 

Pondering joy

So I am back from my hiatus.  The absence  was not intentional but was kind of unavoidable.  See, I got to go home and be with family for 2 weeks.  As soon as our soles hit Portland soil we got swept up in seeing family, eating good food, freezing our tails off at Zoo Lights, missing my husband, wrapping gifts, ripping open presents, feeding my little boy (that in itself should be a full time job....my boy can pack it away!), catching up with friends, laughing with Grandmas, coffee with mom, rubbing my sister's growing baby belly, but most importantly taking time to celebrate the true Joy of the season--Jesus. Without his glorious birth we would be nothing, have nothing, and our future would be a big black nothing. But because of his humble birth and life we have everything to be thankful for and everything to be joyful of.

I cannot imagine life without my Savior.

He was born in a stinky stable that I might have life and live it abundantly. So live it I will do, but not without the absence of an eternal perspective. He has given me so much joy.....

He is the reason for this season......

 

"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)

comfort on a plate

I'm having one of those days. You know the ones where all you want to do is curl up in your sweats and watch Christmas movies....with something yummy to eat.....

Something like this would do.

Unfortunately, this isn't on the menu until Friday....but would it be bad if I told you I just made this last week? I am already fully anticipating that cheesy, gooey, crisp on the top and all melty-goodness in the middle.

Mister Magoo is looking forward to it too.

This is him last week before he gobbled up his first taste of homemade mac n' cheese....notice that sad little tear under his left eye....

So sad. :(

Nothing a little cheesy goodness couldn't cure.....

He gobbled it up, I gobbled it up, we all gobbled it up.....Thanks once again Pioneer Woman you have created a mac n' cheese masterpiece!

If you need some comfort food to soothe your soul, or chase away the rainy day....you need to try this.

The Pioneer Woman's Baked Macaroni and Cheese:

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme
• Crushed plain or seasoned bread crumbs
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Instructions
 
Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top. I added the crushed bread crumbs and shaved Parmesan cheese to add more texture to the finished result. Yum.

Whoa Jane!

I don't know how Sundays work in your family but here they always seem to fall somewhere between a mad dash, sleep-deprived and rejuvenating day. It's a mad dash in the morning to first of all, wake up, and then get showered, dressed, diaper bag packed, puffs restocked, and a snack easily accessible for right after church (for Cole, not me.....although I wouldn't mind a snack.)  People say a baby changes everything but little did I anticipate how much more work it would be to get everyone to church on any given Sunday.  And no one ever told me the anxiety that comes with dropping your baby off in the nursery, especially when you have to peel those nubby little fingers gripping your neck and then the lower lip.....oh, that lower lip how you grip and rip my heart every.single.time. Cole never seemed to have separation anxiety, until now. And so do I.....which only amplifies the problem. Thankfully we have found a church that feeds and refreshes our weary beings, and makes missing naps, pouty lips and havoc-induced afternoons well worth it.

But it sure goes against our earthly beings.

How easy it would be to just stay in our sweats, make pancakes, put Cole down for his morning nap on time and have a happier little man the rest of the day. And in all honesty, sometime we do just that.  But then I am reminded of a story my mom told me about when they had their first baby (my older brother) and how every single Sunday they would pack my brother up and listen to him scream his lungs out all the way too church and all the way back home. And then he would come down with a snotty nose, croup, and a nasty cold the week following. But did that deter them from going? No, they were determined to raise their family in a Christ-centered home, and in doing so meant not giving in to the obstacles that would make that goal seem tainted or not as important in the given moment.  Thank you mom and dad for instilling in your family the importance of putting Christ first even when it clearly was not the easy route.

I have much to be thankful for.....I don't have a screamer. And while going to church throws my sweet boy off of his normal schedule and usually produces a not-so-happy-little-camper.  I am confident that the the blessings will far outweigh the hassle of a kinked up schedule in the long run. Keeping that in mind makes days like yesterday a little bit more bearable. 

we definitely did not have a Cole like this:

I grew weary (could also have something to do with my total lack of sleep this past week, thank you insomnia.) I stayed home from our Sunday night Bible study because my little stinker would not go down for his nap, he was cranky, I was cranky, we were cranksters and we both needed a nice long nap.  But then something happened, something God knew we both needed.....a good, gut-wrenching laugh.

It all happened so innocently, I was giving Cole his evening bath and he was playing and splashing around.

I don't remember what happened, I think he made a big splash and got water everywhere to which I proclaimed-- "Whoa Jane!" And then,

Belly laughs. Head tilted back and deep from the core laughing. 

Cole's response was so addicting that I kept saying "Whoa Jane!" over and over again, always producing another round of roaring laughter.

God knew we both needed that.

So we laughed our way through the rest of bath time and to my surprise the usually two-person job of getting him lotioned, diapered, and PJ'd up went so smoothly and quickly that I had him down for bed and fast asleep in record time.

Ah, my soul rejoiced! Thank you Jesus.  And thank you "Jane".

 

This is my life

 And this is what my little man has been up to lately:

At his one year appointment he was 21.3 lbs, 28.5 in tall, and his head circumference was 18 in. 

He had his first big bleeding boo-boo, he sliced his finger while flipping over our scale, he took it like a big boy and I think I cried more than he did. 

he LOVES to go up and down our stairs, the only problem is that he usually wants to go down when I want him to go up, and he want's to go up when I want him to go down...nothing a little puff bribery can't solve!

He is starting to repeat a lot of things I say, the first clear word being "dirty" I couldn't help but chuckle....seriously, of all the words I say he chose "dirty". :) 

He also says his own version of "I love you," "thank you" "good job"(he usually whispers this when he turns the lights on and off) "mama" "dada"and "doggie".

He is starting to point with one finger vs. four fingers (to be honest, this kind of makes me sad, I loved it when he would tuck his thumb under and point all 4 stubby little fingers at what he wanted)

When asked what a lion says he will respond with a whispered "ar-ar" he says it so soft and sweetly.

He loves to sign "more" and would sit in his high chair all day long asking for more cheerios if I let him...the kid has a bottomless pit for a stomach!

Speaking of eating, he is not a dainty eater and can usually clear his tray in about 5 seconds flat.  I am always worried he will choke because he likes to "chipmunk it" as my brother-in-law says, meaning crams his cheeks full of food and will continue to shovel food in until it's gone....usually two fists at a time...and for the record he has never choked (knock on wood).

He still will have nothing to do with meat....perhaps we have produced a vegetarian.

Blocks are currently his favorite thing to play with, he LOVES to knock down towers, and fill and dump out his block box. 

Actually I think cell phones and remotes may trump his blocks. While my in-laws were watching Cole while we went on a date they let him play with their cell phone...it was all nice and dandy...until he figured out how to turn it on and call people....they took it away and tried to distract him.  we came home maybe about 45 minutes later, and the first thing he did when I picked him up was start pointing to the counter where the phone was hidden and saying "dah, dah" (which means I want that!). He doesn't forget or give up easily.

Yes, he is extremely persistent.

He also has mastered a toy similar to a shape sorter that makes music.

Cole definitely has a love of music, while playing he always keeps several music making toys close by and will continually push buttons to make music at all time.

Recently he has started trying to hum along and will do a little bob up and down dance.

He likes to dance on command.

I sing to him before he goes down for his naps, and lately he has started to hum along with me, it is so precious.

I think he is in the process of dropping down to one nap....it's been pretty hit and miss lately. I mostly try to just pay attention to his cues and will put him down for a second nap if  he acts like he needs one.

we are working on weaning and he currently only nurses right before bed and first thing when he wakes up.

He is getting stronger and stronger on his feet and will walk with a walker and holding onto my hands, he will also stand for a little bit on his own.....but still very much prefers crawling.

He is still my little sidekick and likes to be by my side constantly, I am trying to encourage him to be a little bit more independent. Usually when I do this, I will find him in a corner "reading" a book.

he is beginning to get a definite opinion about what he likes and doesn't like.

Currently his biggest dislike is getting his diaper changed. I spend more time staring at his bare buns in the air and trying to corral his octopus-like arms and legs that sometimes by the time I get the diaper back on I am done and he is done.....so this is the final outcome.

I suppose it could be worse.

Good thing he is so gosh darn cute! 

All in all he is growing and changing everyday, I love seeing his little personality develop.  We have our moments but for the most part he is extremely easy-going and such a loving little boy. My favorite is still when he crawls over and nestles up next to me for "snuggies and lovies". 

I could give him snuggies forever...I have a feeling that too will come to an end one of these days. So for now I will soak them up as much as I possibly can.

Thankful.

We have been busy here eating lots of good food, sharing lots of laughter, hanging with dear family and soaking in all the blessings life has to offer.

My in-laws were kind enough to drive all the way from Portland to join us in Boise for Thanksgiving this year. Both Kyle and I were very excited to host our first holiday together, but with that excitement also brought along some pesky little nerves. I enjoy cooking ALOT and will try many new things but for some reason the turkey has been the one thing that I have hidden from my whole life.  It's big, it's slimy, you have to pull necks and stuff out of the cavity, and visions of a dry-as-bone-Griswold turkey danced in my head. Well, I decided this was the year I was going to conquer my fears, I used this recipe for the turkey.  And for the most part it turned out pretty good...a little dry for me, but nothing some good gravy (thanks to my sweet mother-in-law) couldn't fix. I couldn't have done it without her help, she calmly talked Kyle and I through the cleaning and preparing the bird. 

Having Kyle's parents with us just reminded me again of how thankful I am to have such amazing in-laws and how I look forward to many more holidays together.  One of my fondest memories of the weekend was our ongoing card battle of hands and feet (I think that is the name of the game).  Nothing like a good competition to bring a family together! Just for the record,  I totally made up for my shameful loss on the first night....in fact, I think I just might have dominated at some point,the at "some point" being the key phrase here. :) Anyways, who's keeping track?

Here is a recap of the wonderful day....

Fresh out of the oven.

The Hot Butcher

The Thanksgiving Spread

Some Bubbly Apple Juice

Staring down the food and waiting....

The mashed potatoes were his favorite, the turkey was ejected.

Helping daddy work off the turkey!

See? Helping, tough job.

Yay! We did it! Thanksgiving Success!

We have so much to be thankful for this year.  I owe it all to my Lord and Savior who has provided beyond our wildest dreams, without Him we would be nothing, have nothing, and would not be able to experience the peace and joy that He has graciously bestowed upon us.

As I sit here I am reminded of one of my favorite verses as a child:

Psalm 100:1-5


A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
 ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
 ² Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

My prayer is that we will continue singing this within our hearts, even when life gets crazy and out of control (as it undoubtedly will). And that those we are surrounded by will see God's faithfulness and love so that they too will be able to "Give thanks to Him and praise His name".  

this will warm your tummy

Holy smackaloni! So I have the most wonderfully tasteful recipe to share with you today. The weather has been dropping and dropping this week which makes me yearn for warm, comfort in a bowl food. I don't know what made me stop and do a double take at this stew recipe, I usually can't stand the very thought of stew. Perhaps it was the fact that there was no cheap red meat included. Whatever the reason I am sure glad I went out on a limb and simmered up a pot.

Doesn't that just look cozy? I really need to learn how to style my food better to make it look more appetizing.....but the truth is, by the time i am done cooking I want to eat, and then I don't feel like fiddling around with the leftover food to make it look pretty. Perhaps someday I will learn. Until then I will keep drooling over other bloggers pics such as this one from Picky Palate. Besides, I don't have cool spoons, napkins, or those anthropology glasses. Sigh.

Anyways....

If you are looking for the perfect balance of hearty and healthy, this stew has it all! I followed the recipe almost exactly except I added a bit more liquid, used poached chicken breasts, included some dried rosemary, and a little extra seasoning for good measure. It reminded me of a different take on a chicken pot pie, but without the pie.....until I added....BISCUITS!  I decided to make them last minute and am totally glad I did, they rounded out the meal and were dreamlike quick!

The recipe originated from Cooks Illustrated which means that it has been tested and approved multiple times. And I should also mention they are now "Kyle tested and approved" as well.....whooo, good thing.

The only thing I did differently was I chose not to brush them with melted butter, I prefer to cut them open and smear it on the inside.....but do as you wish.

Best Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Yields: 12 biscuits ( I only got 11)

You need:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 stick + 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• parchment paper

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Melt the 1 stick butter and let cool about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and the buttermilk, and stir until clumps form.
5. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients until just incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Using a ¼ cup dry measure, scoop out and drop 12 balls of dough onto the baking sheet (this is easier if you spray the measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray).
8. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 14 minutes.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.
10. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter before serving.

Notes: This recipe is from the November-December 2007 issue of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine.

You know what would have made last nights meal perfection? If I would have served this for dessert...

 

Oh yeah, you can't go wrong with a warm apple crisp topped with vanilla bean icecream and caramel drizzle.  I would make this every day if I had a never ending supply of apples. You can find the recipe here Apple Crisp. Great, now I am craving a bowl like mad......Enjoy Friends!

The Urgent Diagnosis

So I totally had one of those over reactive mom moments this past weekend.  I feel like I have done pretty well this past year keeping a level head and not getting overly worked up over minor issues.  While I hate to admit it, I have to credit most of that to my husband. When I dial up he tones me down....

For example: The night I went into labor he was fast asleep and I was pacing back and forth timing my contractions. When they got to be a few minutes apart, I woke him up.....much to my despair, instead of flying out of bed and rushing around like a mad man gathering our hospital bags and such  (you know, like in the movies....) Instead, he calmly rolled over and said, "maybe you should lay down and wait it out awhile longer."  Um....you can probably guess how well that went over. I'm sure there was some hormonal-about-ready-to-pop attitude and threats of him having to deliver the baby in our own bed if he wanted me to "wait it out awhile longer".  It's all a little hazy.....

It was a precious moment.

But in Kyle's defense he heeded to my attitude and calmly loaded up his whale-of-a-wife and drove to the hospital while I cried on the phone to my mom saying "I can't do this, it hurts....I'm done!"

Bottom line, I'm a weeny in the midst of pain and I tend to dramatically over react in certain situations. And my husband doesn't. Which I am extremely thankful for...otherwise I'm sure we would have paid more visits to the ER and Urgent Care this past year that would have all been completely unnecessary.

Here is what happened Sunday night:

My usual happy-go-lucky little boy went from this....

To a red-faced, feet-kicking, bottom-of-the-belly screaming little being.  Kyle and I passed him back and forth trying to soothe him but he only got louder and more persistent.  we offered a bottle, food, infant Tylenol, books, singing, peek-a-boo's....and nothing, I mean NOTHING was phasing him in the slightest.  Finally, out of desperation I said I'm taking him to the Urgent Care.  Surprisingly Kyle agreed. Our little boy was completely out of character and I wasn't about to "lay down and wait it out".

We loaded him up, drove two seconds to the Urgent Care and carried him in. And would you believe the moment we sat down to check-in he started smiling and flirting with the Medical Assistant.

Then he started belching.

So take a wild guess what the diagnosis was?  Gas.

Yep, we took our kid to the Urgent Care for gas. I think he actually enjoyed the experience and thought it was cool...he played with the doctor's stethoscope, laughed when they took his heart rate, loved the crinkly paper he sat on, waved and smiled to the pretty girls as we left hanging our heads in embarrassment.  Oh well, when all was said and done at least I could go to bed at night knowing that there was nothing terribly wrong with our precious baby.  Would I do it again, absolutely...I would rather be the over-reacting mother bringing her baby in for gas than to not do anything and be regretful of it later.

So yes, I will be that kind of mom and will work on holding my head high in situations such as this.

A Momified week

I just realized that I have neglected my blog for several weeks now and the truth is I had better things to do....and perhaps I couldn't get my pictures to download because I am very bad with change....especially when it comes to new computers. My darling husband helped me get squared away, so I'm officially back!

My mom came to visit! So of course I dropped everything so I could truly enjoy every moment with her. We tromped all over Boise and I was able to show her some of my favorite spots around town.  But I think we most enjoyed laying low with coffee in hand and some yummy treat in the other. And of course Cole LOVED having his Nana's undivided attention. I absolutely melt with how delighted my boy gets when he is around his Nana.  In fact, he enjoyed her so much that he refused to go down for his afternoon nap all week long. I suppose in some crazy way he knew that his time with her was limited and he was determined not to miss a minute of it. I don't blame him, she is pretty darn special.

She has since left us to head back home, and I am now pouty and sad and more homesick than I was before she even came.  So in honor of my mom I am going to heed to her suggestion of dedicating a post entirely to my menu for the week that she was here.  I tried to make a very diverse menu as I know my mom likes to try new things.....it was a little like a tour around the world as we sat down for dinner each night.

Mom, this is for you......

Monday:

Snack:  Pumpkin Scones

(Source: Sweet Peas Kitchen)

 Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

(Source: Eating Well)

Tuesday:

 Lasagna Soup 

(Source: A Farm Girls Dabbles)

Ummm....this soup is A-Mazing!

Wednesday:

 Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos

(Source: Skinny Taste)

Thursday:

Kai Kang Dang (Chicken Coconut Curry) 

(Source: All Recipes) 

Friday:

Mom watched Cole and Kyle and I got to go out on a DATE NIGHT!  Thanks Mom!

Saturday:

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

(Source: Good Life Eats)

This tastes like eating dessert for breakfast, and it's healthy!

 Then I kissed my mom good-bye and proceeded to mope around the house all day....alright, fine....I'm still moping and counting down the days until I get to go home for Christmas. 

Love you mom!

One sweet monkey....

So I know everyone always warns you that once you have a baby time goes by faster than a speeding bullet. But seriously? A year? Already?  I cannot believe that Cole is now a big-boy-one-year-old. I am super tired and am having trouble putting into words the love I have for my little boy. (me, unable to find words? I know, it doesn't happen often.) So I will just say this:

I simply love him more than life itself.

It's true, I would gladly give my last breath for those sweet cheeks. Thankfully God isn't asking me to do that. So instead, I decided to throw him a birthday party to celebrate the joy that he has brought into our lives.

Oh, so much joy.

Here is a recap of the blessed day!

I fell in love with that sock monkey hat and decided a sock monkey birthday party would be absolutely perfect! I have this strange obsession with themes.....I think I may need professional help.

I also loved the idea of a cookie and milk underlying theme since up until this moment my little monkey hasn't had any other liquid besides breast milk and water (see? I told you.....theme mania) Out of that idea sprung the Cookie Dough Cupcakes and milk bar.

Apparently the mister loves sweets as he ate every last crumb and licked his mug squeaky clean. This was the first time he had any sugar besides fruit....you could literally see it pulsating through his veins!

We also had a candy buffet bar where everyone had the opportunity to create their own goody bag to take home with them.  I loved that it added a fun and whimsical element to the party. Plus, it's more fun when everyone gets to load up on their favorite candy rather than just having to deal with what they were dealt.

It was such a surreal day....a day mixed with excitement, sadness, joy, disbelief and so so much love. I cannot wait to see where God will take our little boy throughout is life. I pray that he will grow and mature in a deep and passionate love of our Creator.  May he choose to love others above himself and may his sweetness be a constant reflection God Himself. I have no doubt there are great plans to be made for our little man, and I consider myself blessed beyond belief to get to walk alongside him as his adoring mother( I'm sure he will appreciate that during his teen years....)

Here's to our sweet little monkey..... Mom and Dad love you to pieces!

(Now where are my tissues?)