Cookies

Today was a cold and dreary day - the perfect day for making homemade cookies. This is the first time I have braved doing something like this with Nate. It actually went pretty well and Nate had a great time, which is what really matters.

Immediately after I snapped this picture the measuring cup went flying and most of the flour that was in it. That was our biggest mishap, so I guess that's not too bad.

I think Nate may have had the most fun playing in the water.

He also enjoyed squeezing the dough.

Nate didn't get the concept that you had to gently pick up the cookies. Instead he would just scoop up the dough.

I don't have any pictures of Nate decorating the cookies because he got too preoccupied with the sprinkles. Then they all started getting stuck to his hands and he didn't like them as much.

Here are a couple of our finished cookies - a pumpkin and a cat. I had bigger and better decorating ideas, but by the time decorating rolled around icing and sprinkles seemed like the way to go. :)

Pumpkin Patch

There are a couple of pumpkin farms in our area and we've been to both of them this year. Early last week we went to one of the farms with my friend Rachel and her daughters, Brooklyn and baby Madelyn. Nate and Brooklyn had a blast riding the trailer to the pumpkin patch and picking out a pumpkin.

A couple of days later we went to the other pumpkin patch. Nate had a great time riding the train and looking at the animals in the petting zoo area. They also have three large tepees. Nate had to go inside each one at least a couple of times. Most of all, I think he just enjoyed being able to run around outside.

We ran into some friends from church and this is their son, Micah and Nate looking at all of the small pumpkins. I think they were Nate's favorite since he could pick them up.

These are my two favorite pictures from the afternoon. It is getting harder and harder to get good pictures because I cannot get this busy boy to sit still for more than about 2 seconds.

Fall Beach Trip

We went to the beach a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time. Last October I got the cutest pic of Nate and Darren holding hands and looking at the ocean. I thought I would get another picture of them doing this to show how much Nate has grown the past year. Nate would have no part of it.

The weather was good for the most part, but this was by far the nicest day. The sky was that beautiful blue that I think of when I think of fall and the water was gorgeous. I love how this picture shows the vastness of the ocean compared to Nate. It reminds me of the lyrics of the song Ocean by Ten Shekel Shirt that says "There's something about the ocean - makes me rise up and praise."

These were a couple of my favorite pictures from our trip. I didn't even try to get any family photos. They say choose your battles and I didn't feel like choosing that one.

Toward the end of our trip we were in Publix and I spotted this Super Why doll. Nate LOVES Super Why. I knew that I had to get it for him. When I showed it to him, I don't think he quite knew what to think about it. He just walked around the store holding it and giggling. It was pretty funny. In this picture he and Super Why are watching Thomas. Thomas is also becoming one of his favorites.

Here are a few more fun pictures. Nate had such a great time playing in the sand and the water. He loved building sand castles with Darren. He actually loved for Darren to make the castle so he could immediately destroy it. He also loved to chase seagulls, except he called them seasulls.

Jesus Loves You

Today I attended my uncle's funeral (my dad's sister's husband). He was diagnosed with acute leukemia a few months ago. He was only 61 - way too young to die. My heart is broken for my sweet aunt and cousin. I am also sad for my dad. They lived next door to my parents and he and my dad had gotten to be pretty close the last couple of years. They were enjoying their retirement together. They say that every cloud has a silver lining and the silver lining in this cloud is the the fact that he was a great Christian man and we all have peace knowing that he is no longer suffering and we will see him again in Heaven. This doesn't mean that our family isn't hurting, but it is definitely comforting.

As I sat at the funeral today my heart was breaking for my family; but it was breaking more for the lost - people that don't know Jesus. So if you are reading this and you don't have a relationship with Jesus I want you to know that Jesus loves you - and it's not just a warm fuzzy saying. Our society has turned Jesus into a "good" man from a fairytale or some people believe that he's just a myth. There are also some that believe that He is God's son, but they don't know Him and have a relationship with Him. I want you to know that God is real. Jesus is God's son and he lived a perfect life on this earth. He died on the cross for you and me as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. And the best part is that he conquered the grave and rose again. This isn't a warm and fuzzy story, this is real truth. It is also real truth that if you don't know Him, your family and friends will not have that peace of knowing that they will see you again in Heaven. I will be there and I want to see you there and Jesus is the only way that's possible.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 10:9, 10 - That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved...for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Romans 10:13 - For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

If you are still skeptical and this all sounds too good to be true, I recommend that you read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. Mr. Strobel was an atheist on a quest to prove that Jesus was not God's son. He wanted the answers to questions like How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence for Jesus exist outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event? He finds the answers to these questions and many more and is now a believer in Jesus Christ.

If this is something you want to talk more about, please contact me at darrenandjulie@centurytel.net.

Snugglebuggin'

Before Nate was born Oscar and Emmy were my babies. They have honestly been pretty neglected the last 2 years. Don't worry they always (well, almost always) have food to eat and water to drink, but they are not the pampered pooches they used to be. This morning they were "snugglebuggin'" on the same pillow and I just thought it was too cute. I guess it's about time they get some blog time, since I don't think I have ever done a post about them.

County Fair

There were lots of tractors at the fair and I think Nate sat on almost every one of them


Nate loved this toy chainsaw


Milking a "cow"


First merry-go-round ride