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At breakfast...

Mommy: Jonah, do you want some chocolate milk, too?

Jonah (2): No chocolate milk, Mommy. Just chocolate.

Celebrating 30 Years

30 years. Really, it's not a lot at all. But I am thrilled to say that that is how many years I have been blessed to journey on this Earth. Today, I felt so treasured. One of the best days... Ever. Simply because I was surrounded by people who love me. Ones that I love, and treasure, and value more than anything. And it was a day for me to remember. Where I came from. What I have. And to offer my thanksgiving to the Lord, Who is the One that has gifted me with my breath, and my beautiful family. I sit at the end of the day on my 30th birthday, thankful for all that has been, all that I have, and all that is to come...

Etta, Emily and I enjoying our girl time in the hot tub!

Emily and Baby Etta whisked me away this morning to enjoy a delectable feast, (prepared by the Master Chef, Emily) of mango-tango-black bean salsa, YUM, and an Amazing chicken salad, and Mimosas! YUMMY! Em had everything set up with her mother and father in law to have us come to their place to enjoy their HOT TUB! Steve and Cathy had everything set up and ready for us girls! Emily's sister-in-law, Molly, has been home visiting and joined us for our morning Girl Time! Molly, you are SO MUCH FUN! Thank you for sharing it with us! Emily,you are a gift to me. I am so thankful for your friendship!

After I came home, I pulled out a recipe for this cake that I have been holding on to for weeks! It is a Moist Lemon Cake, with Lemon Frosting and Blueberries! It was YUMMY!!!

Yes, I am lighting my own candles, so Matt could get pictures... Matt was incredible... He let me sleep in, and then decorated the house, just like I do for all my boys. The Boys were so excited to throw me a party! The Little Boys woke me up in the morning singing "Happy Mommy To You, Happy Mommy To You!" It was the BEST!
Getting ready to make our wishes... I can't think of anything... my wishes are all there in the room with me...

Daddy was the BEST! He took the boys to the store to get all our party supplies, including the silly straws, and party blowers!

Noah

Caleb

JonahWhat a day... What a gift!

On Ageing, Part 2

When lighting all 30 of the candles on my birthday cake...

Noah (2): WOW! That's A LOT of candles!!!

Defeated

After I spent some time doing evening chores, and Matt read several stories to the boys, I sat down for a quick break...

Noah (2): Mommy, read more stories!

Mommy: Noah, Mommy's just gonna sit down for a few minutes by myself.

Noah, snuggling close by with the books: I sit by yourself, too!

March Madness

It is pretty unusual for Lewiston to get snow in March. We are in a deep valley, that often traps in heat... Drive up the hill, and it's much colder and gets much more snow. Drive down into our wonderful Valley, and you'll have Spring arrive a full month earlier than up on the hill. Natives to the area call it a "Banana Belt". After this last winter, I am laughing even harder than I did when I moved here from Hawai'i. But, the boys sure did enjoy our Pre-Spring Surprise!

They LOVE making snow men. I must admit I have a fond affection for them, too. ;o)
Who wouldn't want to hug the friendly fellow?

Caleb, just stay away from flag poles.

BIG smooches from Jonah!

Everyone pitched in!

Daddy is the Snow Man Making King.

Jonah Honors Birthday Month...

Besides the boys singing 'Happy Birthday' to me several times a day... (after a very long standing joke between my husband and I, which started many years ago as he began to make fun of the fact that my wonderful mother took birthdays 'over the top'... which she did. And I am eternally grateful to her for it... he has fondly referred to the month of March as "Birthday Month", as the years have gone by, so has the growth of the "birthday month" joke. The boys caught on to this rather quickly and have been having fun with it all month long)...

During a conversation with the Little Boys today:

Noah: There's Jonah, Mommy, and Noah!

Mommy: Yep! Hey, do you know what Mommy's name is?

Jonah: Yes. Birthday.

Wholesome Blueberry Pancakes

As part of my marathon training, I have been experimenting with lots of recipes to see how I can alter them to fuel my body rather than just fill it. I have finally come up with a pancake recipe that I LOVE, and, as an added bonus, so do my boys... I wanted to share this recipe with you, so you can try it yourself, in your attempt to make healthy choices, and still celebrate the joy of eating! Marathon training, or not!

Wholesome Blueberry Pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat/whole grain flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon honey (Did you know that you can substitute honey for sugar? I do it all the time and love it~ it is a natural, healthier alternative to sugar ~ another hint... if you have a Winco, their blackberry honey in the fill-it-yourself bins is A-mazing.)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons baking powder (Look for the aluminum free kind)
1/2 teaspoon salt (sea salt, not coarse, but finely ground like regular table salt, is best)
1 cup blueberries (okay, so I like a little more, but I am trying to be conservative for recipe purposes... It would look weird if I said to put in three giant hand fulls of delectable blueberries.)

Top with: Butter (Not margarine) & Agave Nectar*

Mix all ingredients, spoon onto HOT griddle, cook until dry around the edges, turn cook other side.
*I just made the switch to Agave Nectar in place of syrup. Let me tell you, it sounds WEIRD, but is simply fantastic!!! It is the color and consistency of syrup, and is actually sweeter than sugar. But, it has a low glycemic value so it will not cause a spike in your blood sugar. This is especially important for training, as you don't get that temporary high from 'sugar' and then a let down... You can find it at health food stores, and it's really not too spendy! This months GREAT FIND! ;o)

ENJOY!!!!

Experiment with this! Instead of blueberries, add apples and cinnamon, or with electric mixer add in bananas and walnuts... YUM! Let me know if you have any delicious alternatives!