I don’t think I ever told you about this miracle.
They’re twins.
They built my faith.
We call them Noah and Nadia.
At 18 weeks in the womb I went in for a routine appointment and assumed I would receive a sonogram.
To my surprise, my doctor told me it wasn’t time for a sonogram.
So I did as any pregnant lady would, I cried.
I kept crying.
Then I cried some more.
Little did I know my male OBGYN didn’t like to see me cry.
He did it…the sonogram.
I was dilated….really dilated, and at 18 weeks pregnant, I needed a Cerclage.
The Cerclage worked….. but not for long.
Noah and Nadia were born at 25 weeks 4 days gestation.
Noah weighed in at 1lb 12 oz
Nadia a tiny 1lb 8.5 oz.
There were even more tears.
I cried a LOT!
But something happened and it was quite the miracle!
John 4:48 Jesus said unto him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe”
]]>Just a quick update, if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may already know that my camera is Broke! Not like a little broke where I can have my husband make a few adjustments to make it work, but it’s all the way finished. I have a Nikon D3200 and there aren’t many qualified Nikon technicians on this side of the Atlantic so I’ll have to send mine off for at least 90 days
It has put me in quite a tizzy.
I had already been looking into getting an upgrade, but it would be a pretty big investment. If you know anything about Nikon cameras the 3000 models are the most affordable out of all the series, and it works great. However the 500 models are amazing, I mean it does everything……and some more.
Either way I’ll have to figure all this out over the next few weeks but in the meantime I plan to stay busy here on the blog regardless.
I’m still going to post pictures of what’s currently happening in my kitchen. It will be very casual and laid back! I’ve been trying tons of healthy and grain free dishes and want to share some of that as well.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!
And remember….. keep all your valuable items in a safe place!
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Dating can be a lot of work by itself, when you throw in kids a mortgage, a long marriage, stressful jobs, and did I say kids, it becomes even more of a hassle. It’s so easy once you’re married and “settled” into life to complete the daily duties without much passion or variety. There so much to do it can feel impossible to give extra time and attention to anything, let alone a marriage that is working just fine.
Is “just fine” enough? I mean we talk, we have no major issues, we kiss in passing, and routinely say “I love you”, but I want our love to be extraordinary not ordinary. I’m big enough to understand it’s not reasonable to expect college years carefree love. Because we have a bunch of care now. However, I think we can conjure up a bit more passion within our marriage.
Between practices, homework, cooking and cleaning, I feel a bit anxious at home, like there is always something I need to be doing. It’s best I remove myself from the environment to get fully relaxed.
So for our date, to grandparents house we go. Luckily my peoples live about an hour up the road. So the plan was dropping the little ones off at my parents house and the hubs and I having a foodie adventure in Washington DC.
We wanted to take the metro from Springfield, VA which is how we normally do it, but it was almost 8 PM when we reached the metro station, and the cupcake shop I just had to go to closes at 9pm.
Without taking the chance of getting there too late we decided to drive into Georgetown, and hoped to find some sort of parking.
Well we made it in time but the line was wrapped around the building. When I first saw this line I thought to myself “ain’t no way”!
Although I had no interest in waiting in line, I did want to take a picture of all the other silly folks waiting for a CUPCAKE! I reached for my DSLR and strategically positioned my camera to get a high view of all the waiting cupcake lovers, picture perfect with one mistake. I left my memory card at home! Well at least I could still use my cell phone…not!
My phone was completely dead and I had no way to charge my phone in the car.
Without my camera and phone I had no way to document our foodie adventures and no way to reach our planned food spots without the GPS. I couldn’t waist an entire night so I figured I might as well get some famous cupcakes.
Now I was one of those “silly folks” waiting for the cupcakes! We waited over an hour for a Georgetown Cupcake.
More importantly after being completely disconnected from all technology I was able to talk and connect with my husband while waiting in that line. We just talked, and laughed and laughed and laughed.
We have a great time together and he cracks me up! My husband could care less about some cupcakes but he waited in that line with me and didn’t complain. He cracked a few jokes on me and the rest of the cupcakes geeks but he never complained. I could tell he was enjoying me as well.
He did request that we make one more stop to The Famous Ben Chili Bowl. We had just enough charge on his phone to get there and we made it. I had a chili cheese hot dog and he had a chili cheeseburger with chili cheese fries. My husband said it was good but not as good as mines, he’s such a sweet talker. He knows just how to get me going.
After we ate at Ben Chili Bowl we rushed back to our car, it was sort of unclear whether it was parked illegally or not, but we took the chance and parked there anyways. Well DC parking enforcement made it clear when they slapped a $100 parking ticket on our windshield that we were illegally parked. They even checked the “towing requested” box! A couple more minutes and we would have been stranded in DC without a car.
Connecting one-on-one without distraction was refreshing.
When I explained all of the nights occurrences in the most dramatic way possible to my parents my father very subtly pointed out the hickey on my neck. Then he joked that the date couldn’t have been THAT bad! Embarrassing!
Luckily despite our late night we got up in time for church. My brother and his fiance received the right hand of fellowship at church, which was awesome. They are still dating and watching them gives me a reminder of how my husband and I used to be and how “I want that old thing back!”
I’m happy we are realizing how important it is to stay connected. Rather than waiting for the kids to go off to college, I plan to live my best married life right now in the present with my main man.
I ate cupcakes for breakfast the next morning! They were greatly deserved :)
Check out the Ladies responsible for this link up here….
]]>It’s MLK day and I’m going to keep this REAL Short and even SWEETER!!
For MLK day the twins and I are planning what we’ve been doing the past 3 years, picking up trash of the side of the road! :/
Yep that’s what we do, and trust me some of these roads need it here in the capital city!
More importantly, I want them to remember this day as a day of honor and remembrance of how selfishly and bravely MLK served his country, and his people, and that it’s important, no matter how small or grand that we all serve!
So I’m hitting you with this Pecan Pie Recipe, because Pecan Pie was MLK favorite dessert and yes baby, it is celebration worthy!
I have been making this for years,
I remember thinking and guessing what could go into a pecan pie???!!!!
Coupled with the remnants that were my pantry and refrigerator at the time, I just put everything together and it turned out good, so I’ve been making it like this ever since.
It boasts a sweet and gooey inside and my favorite, a crunchy pecan top that takes the dang cake, or in this case the PIE!
This pie is so simple, I just mix everything up, pour it into my prepared pie shell, pop it in the oven and go on about my business!
What you’ll need……
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 cup light corn syrup
4 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter
3 eggs
1 Tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecans (I used half in the picture but prefer chopped)
Mix the brown sugar, flour, and granulated sugar together.
Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Pour in prepared pie shell and bake at 35o° for 50 minutes or until center reaches 200°.
Let pie sit for at least one hour…and that’s pushing it, just be patient it’ll be worth the wait!
If you’ve read my bio you know I have an undergrad degree in Urban Studies, when I started, the major was Urban Studies and Geography so included in the curriculum was a bunch of Geography/Earth Science classes, one thing I didn’t forget was discussing Luray Caverns which is here in Virginia.
Why in the world have I never been to this place, was my initial thought, I am a native of Virginia and both my parents had visited as a curriculum requirement when they were in school.
Still as the years have passed it’s always slipped my mind as a possible vacation spot for our family.
So when I saw that it was just a half an hour from our resort, this holiday, I knew it was pretty much now or never for those Caverns and I!
I just couldn’t see us (mainly my husband) excited about spending time and money on a trip to Luray Caverns, which is quite a ways from where we live. We decided to make the short trip over from where we were staying and be done with that item on my bucket list!
Now this may not be the type of thing that gets most people going but it was as beautiful and mystifying as I’d always imagined.
To be 100 feet under the ground with beautiful cave, unique rocks and beautiful architecture relishing in the fact that none of it is man-made is makes it that more beautiful!
I just marvel in the wonders that all our nature have to offer, this place was no exception, just absolutely marvelous! God’ work is beautiful and extraordinary! Watching it makes all the daily nuances and hiccups in life seem minuscule, and I LOVE IT!
Here’s a few picture of the beautiful Luray Caverns, nestled in the Shenandoah Valley Region of Virginia. If you want more history, science and information on the Caverns check out their website here!
Check out my fat head, he’s on mission ruin the pictures!
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The fam and I are on a holiday getaway! I left my laptop at home, gosh dang-it,and we are enjoying the change of scenery and time together!
I’ll have a bunch of pictures and stories of our holiday in the days coming, including a kitchen tour, with details on how I organize and navigate my modest sized kitchen!
Stay blessed and thankful this holiday!
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We have been full on embracing the new season this year and I have fell in love with a plethora of pumpkin recipes. The recipes I’ve made using canned pumpkin have been delightful, but I wanted to see if using fresh pumpkin would taste different or make things more difficult. I took the opportunity to take Elle to the pumpkin patch. So on our way home from a soccer game Saturday I spotted a sign for a pumpkin patch, and decided I would take her first thing Monday Morning . It was at a church cute and quaint just the right size for my little pumpkin to run around and play. She found some pumpkins she liked, I found some I liked and I was ready for some fresh pumpkin desserts and savory meals.
She was very serious about getting the right pumpkin!
So this is not exactly what it likes like, don’t kill me for it but I wanted to share a little back to school and kid updates. The family and I are getting adjusted to the new school year, I like both of the twins teachers and although we’ve already hit some bumpy spots with my twin lady, it’s been an overall smooth transition to 1st grade.
As for on the home front the little ones’ and I have been trying some new Montessori techniques with math and science, and Elle (our baby girl) is READING!
She’s been ready for almost a year now but recently she has been pushing me to teach her.
I was resistant at first, because I’m still working with her big sis on fluency and expression, and getting her to read was such a challenge.
I wanted to give Elle more time enjoying story time with just mommy reading no work. As time went on I realized I couldn’t hold her back because she was advanced and I needed to act on her enthusiasm to read while I had the chance. Not to mention the previous battles have been a bit discouraging for me, as I am not equipped to teach special needs students!
It’s been pretty simple to say the least. Mommies Pookie is a reader at the tender age of three, I hate to brag but her birthday was only 2 month ago! I guess every child really is different, and as time goes on I see it and appreciate it…well 98% of the time anyways.
Now on to the pretty stuff! I made these fried balls with cocoa powder, and freshly brewed coffee.
Because I made them in the spur of a culinary inspirational moment, I wrote nothing down.
I’m not sure I could replicate them, considering I always remember, down to the teaspoon the recipe and directions when ever I cook, I’m pretty sure I was stressed during these treats.
Anyways, here are the pretty pictures don’t be too disappointed there’s no recipe to go along with.
Plus I plan on making them again with a few tweaks maybe even a divine chocolate dipping sauce!
]]>Red Velvet Waffles are another new love of mines!
I know it has been a while and I intend to get back in here more often but between trying to get
the kids back and ready for school and a vacation planned last minute I’ve had no time to spareto
take pictures and share some delcious recipes. I however have continued to make them, in silence, left
alone, in meditation to release from the daily hustle and bustle of last minute summer fun, back to school shopping, and trying to get the twins refreshed on all of last year while preparing for what’s ahead this year. ……With all that being said I have a new cokkin’ love…
drum roll please……..DOUGHNUTS! I have been making them like crazy! This past month on any given night you could catch me up to 12 am frying up some tasty flavor variations of those fried doughs. Trying to perfect the craft of doughnut making along with finding the perfect mix of flavors to share with you lovelies.
I wish I took some pictures of the first ones compared to what I’m making now. I still have some tweaking and I really want to incorporate some bacon, maybe even some chocoalate but for now I’m sticking with the basics and trying to master that. Wish I had some pics to share of my lopsided and some unidentifiable geometric shape of a doughnuts I made (unfortunately for you and your sense of humor) I (fortunately for me) forgot.
Either way I hope all my other moms summer went smooth, and I wish everyone an Educational school, year and pray that everyone has fun learning and growing….AMEN!
So I’m kinda feeling Red right now which explains these two random pics, also I have been experimenting with beets, they are so healthy for you but I don’t know what to do with the things.
Doing some experimenting with fresh Beet recipes!