Toddler-struck

I was struck once again today by the beauty of children.

My friend Dawn and I visited our Nepali friend, Durga this morning. Each of the three of us has a toddler boy- ages 19 months, 20 months, and 4 years. Elisha was very shy at first, as it was a new place, new faces, and he was a little out of his element. What was beautiful to watch was his face light up when he saw Saureb, the 4 yr. old, hiding behind a semi-transparent curtain. It was as if he realized at that moment that Saureb was just like him. A little boy who loves to have fun. His face broke out in his signature adorable smile, he scrunched up his nose and said, "Funny," over and over, laughing when Saureb would come out from behind the curtain. What simple joy! Watching the boys play together was such a delight. Saureb can speak not much more than 10 words in English, and yet they had so much fun chasing each other, playing with balls, and being boys. He is getting to the age where he can actually play with other children, and it is so fun to watch. He is very attached to Aiden, the other boy his age there today- Dawn's son. They see a lot of each other, as Dawn is a good friend of mine and part of our house church group. Eli has begun crying when it comes time to say goodbye to Aiden and saying his name repeatedly. It's so fun to watch them grow together.

This afternoon I was having some "me" time during Elisha's nap and just kind of chilling on the bed with my laptop. I had heard E begin talking and knew he had woken up but hadn't gotten up to get him yet. The next thing I knew, after recalling that I had heard a small noise resembling a crash, our bedroom door was being pushed open by a barefoot toddler who looked at me shaking his head and saying, "Night night. Sleep." The momentous moment happened, friends. He got out of his crib alone. I knew it was only a matter of time, as I have caught him of late putting one leg over the edge. I'm afraid for what naptimes will look like from now on when he does not want to sleep. It will probably be time to transition to a toddler bed- hopefully around his 2nd birthday, which is rapidly approaching!

Here's to hoping the groundhog does not see his shadow tomorrow! Happy February, everyone! One month closer to springtime. :)

Thoughts on Whole Living for 2011

I received my first issue of Whole Living magazine today. I won a subscription as a reward for accumulating points from Stonyfield Farms organic yogurt products. It is very encouraging and I love it already. Here are 10 thoughts to ponder this year that I plan to post somewhere visible in our home.

1. Make this the year you follow through.
2. Invigorate body and mind: exercise until your spirit soars.
3. Other people may have opinions about where your life is headed, but only you have the power to prove them wrong.
4. The path to fearless living goes straight through the roadblocks, not around them.
5. Seek out foods that sustain, nourish, and warm you.
6. Creativity goes beyond sheer artistry; it takes courage to express your ideas.
7. Disagreements offer invaluable insights. Don't avoid them- study them.
8. To truly detoxify your lifestyle, think about what you can add to it, not just take out.
9. The coziest homes aren't merely filled with stuff; they're designed to bring people closer.
10. An ending doesn't have to be sad. It's the only way to begin something new.


**********************************
The way I see it, resolutions may last a month or two, but it is never too late to re-visit habits we wish to create. As Lynn J. states, "Instead of making New Year's the only time I reflect on my goals, I make the first of every month a new beginning. I think of a few small things I want to accomplish (drinking eight glasses of water a day, exercising four days a week) and write them on the dry-erase board on my refrigerator..." This is something I hope to pursue. How much more would we accomplish if we were to consciously remember the small ways we want to make a change in our lives and re-visit them at the beginning of every month or even every other week if need be? I think we could stay on track and achieve little goals, eventually amounting to larger ones, quite effectively.

Here's to living wholly!

**********

PRICELESS TODDLER TIME

Fun moments with Elisha:

It was such a joy tonight to watch him eat ice cream. He ate everything on his plate at dinner (amazing!- and probably because he refused lunch and was ravished), so we thought it fit to give him a little treat. He ate mint cookies & cream frozen yogurt with a smile and a laugh between each bite. How beautiful it is to watch children discover the simple joys in life!

A Fresh Start

I've been inspired to revive this blog. A new look and new ideas. More to come soon!

A Day Off

I've come to the conclusion that a day in which both husband and wife are free from work-related duties on the same given day (in other words, off) is a wonderful thing for a marriage.

Between three jobs the both of us hold, this phenomenon doesn't happen often for my dear husband and I, but when it does, it is extremely refreshing. Not only do I feel relieved from baby duties, meaning dearly beloved can help put Elisha down for a nap, etc, but it is wonderful to be with each other for 24 straight hours! (Given, 9 or so of those may be spent sleeping, a most highly revered activity itself).

Today Elisha turned 9 months old and Tim and I both had off work. We did a tae-bo workout together this morning (I'm really coming to love the workouts he's treasured for about a year now) and after lunch, took Eli in for a photo shoot at Tim's photo studio. Here are some thumbs (sorry, I can't show them any bigger due to copyrights).







We had a lot of fun.

For Valentine's Day, Tim & I started something fun we hope to continue for a good while, and I plan to blog about the things we do. I read the idea online. We created a "Fun Jar", listing on slips of paper fun things we've always said we'd do or have wanted to do. We will pull one each month around our anniversary day (the 21st) and promise to do it within a week or so. I am excited! We have some fun things to do together. [spoiler alert: eat a whole half gallon of ice cream together! oh boy! if you know the two of us, you know this is no small feat. we are heath-conscious to the max, and so it will take some careful planning of meals/calories on that day, haha! but nonetheless, that will be a great one.]

Here are some pictures from the blizzard of 2010, the 2nd storm in a week to slam us in February.





We had SOOO much snow!

Looking ahead to a busy weekend full of good things [unfortunately, not all of them include my husband]. But I am so thankful for his hardworking provision for us. Here's to showing it more often. :)

Oh, what a wonderful world

Snow. S-n-o-w. Lots of it. This weekend we were pounded with what the President has dubbed "Snowmageddon." We have close to two feet! And it took a great effort to shovel ourselves out of the house and car. But oh, it is beautiful! And I have enjoyed the time "snowed in" by creating delectable dishes, watching a few flicks, cuddling with my hubby and baby boy- a welcome reprise from running all over the city.




My forte of choice in the kitchen lately has been soups. I have created several Adriane originals, including (but not limited to) French Onion with Chicken, African Peanut Chicken Stew, and something I call Pot of Gold Soup- with chicken, cream of chicken, cannellini beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and a few other vegetables. I just LOVE experimenting with new things. And what is better on a cold snowy day than a bowl of piping hot soup?

I've tried to bake bread recently as well, but it seems my bread machine is quickly failing. If anyone knows of someone who is looking to give one up, here is a willing recipient! :)

Tim and I have been going through a "Praise & Worship" devotional together. Something he said as we talked last night really struck me. We were discussing the question, "What does it mean to you to come to Jesus as a little child?" Tim referenced how our parents always provided food and brought in money and we never worried about finances or where our next meal would come from as a child. He reflected that to him, that's what it means to come to Jesus with childlike faith. Dependence upon Him, trusting without a doubt that He will provide for our every need! How beautiful. Thank you, Jesus, for loving us so deeply.

The baby boy is awake and I shall go fetch him! <3 Peace to you!

Comfort food

Comfort food. What comes to mind when you hear those two words? For some it is cheesy dish of macaroni or a thick beef stew. For others it is something as simple as yogurt and granola or a bowl of favorite cereal.

For my hubby and I, it is curry. The smell of curry is comforting, Tim told me today as lunch simmered on the stove. "I know it's going to be good if it smells like curry," he exclaimed, always sure that anything with curry powder has to be good.

Today I tried out a new Indian dish: Chicken Korma.
E.x.c.ellent. Feel free to experiment!

Chicken Korma
(by Jemima Madhavan), courtesy of Taste of Home

1 large potato, peeled (if desired) and cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 cinnamon stick (3 in.)
1 bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot or equivalent of ground ginger
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 1/2 can of canned diced tomatoes)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. plain yogurt

Place potatoes in a small saucepan and over with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain.

In a large skillet, saute the onion, cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves in oil until onion is tender. Add the chicken, garlic, curry and ginger; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and potato.

Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from the heat; discared cinnamon, bay leaf and cloves. Stir in yogurt. Serve with rice if desired.


Every bite was like heaven for me. Next time I will double the recipe so we have leftovers!


Today our house church meeting was really wonderful. Every Sunday I am blessed by the family community of our fellow group members. They are so authentic and genuinely full of love. This morning what really spoke to me the loudest was Jesus' love for us in his walk to the cross. He did not offer up one word of protest or complaint or even claim to innocence when condemned before Pilate. He kept quiet out of submission and love. He willingly gave himself up for us. How precious is He.

May this week be full of blessing.

Soujourner

My.honest.heart.

Sometimes...
I miss my baby boy when he's in bed at night.
Most of the time...
My heart feels ready to explode with love for this baby boy.
Sometimes...
I feel disheartened.
A lot of times...
my faith is weak.
Sometimes...
I feel disullusioned with prayer.
Sometimes...
it feels like said prayers hit a wall.
Sometimes...
I feel that I could be doing so much more.
Most of the time...
I have to be content with being a mom and realizing that is a lot.
All the time...
I know that I need Jesus.
Sometimes...
my hubby surprises me.
All the time...
I learn new things about him.
All the time...
Life is changing.
Most of the time...
I am on board.

Some of the musings of my heart.
Que Dios les bendigas.