30 Days of Thankfulness {Day 2}

I am thankful...

For Micah & McKenzie.  It's Friday, but I spent the night building towers, having "tummy time," reading stories, and watching "Thomas the Train" - and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Halloween 2012

30 Days of Thankfulness {Day 1}

I am thankful...

For the best husband and dad our little family could ever have.

At just 3 months, little. Kenzie just lights up when she sees her daddy. And Micah has serious hero images of his daddy. He asks me where daddy is and when I tell him "at work" he asks "driving ambulance?" He is so proud of his daddy already!

And as for me, I am so blessed to have married my best friend! :-) 

Homemade Flour Tortillas!

We got to celebrate Nan's 80th Birthday a couple weeks ago, and we had a total blast.  I come from a very small family, so it's always fun to see my Eli's side all together.  Nan (his maternal grandmother) has 4 children, 15 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren (plus one on the way!) and although not everyone could make it, it was still a HUGE party!























And, those of us who were still around the next morning got to experience a real treat, Aunt Delia's Homemade Flour Tortillas.  Oh yum!  Eli hadn't had these in over 15 years, but he still remembered them fondly, so I was very happy Delia was willing to share her famous recipe with everyone!

This makes 50-55 tortillas!
8 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup shortening
3-4 cups hot water
1/2 cup flour (for flouring counter when rolling out)

Mix first 3 ingredients well.  Add shortening & mix until evenly distributed.  Add water gradually.  Dough should not be stick -- if too wet, add additional flour as you knead.  Knead dough for 3-5 minutes until soft and firm.  Make dough into golf size balls, let sit covered with plastic for 10 minutes.  Roll our, cook on hot skillet.  (I used my electric griddle, and it took about 2 minutes per side).

So, I finally got to try this on my own the other day.  I halved the recipe, my kitchen was covered in flour, and my tortillas ranged in shape  from ovals to Africa to hearts (not at all perfect circles like Delia's!), BUT they were delicious!!!  I am never buying store bought tortillas again!!!

Happy One Month McKenzie!

One month ago, we welcomed the most gorgeous baby girl I have ever laid eyes on into the world.  She was fashionably late (2 days past her July 30th due date) and had to be evicted (via a scheduled C-Section) just like her big brother!  Since that day, McKenzie has totally stolen our hearts and has made the most perfect little addition to our family!  I just can't believe she's a month old already!  I can't believe her newborn clothes are starting to get so tight... it seems like just a couple hours ago she was totally SWIMMING in them.  Ahh...

She is such a sweet, easy-going baby. We are so blessed!

A FEW FUN FACTS:

• She is named after her uncles Caleb McKenzie Casey & Nicholas Lawrence Hosack.
• The purple dress she is pictured in here is the first outfit we got for her.  Eli and I stopped at Kohl's on our way home from our ultrasound to buy her her first dress.
• She gained 17 oz in one week after we were released from the hospital!  YAY!
• Micah loves to give her lots of big wet kisses and he calls her "Baby."
• She eats every 2-3 hours during the day, but at night she usually goes 4-6!  I'm a happy momma.
• She makes very funny squeaky laugh sounds.
• She has Daddy wrapped around her little finger.   ;-)

People always ask us "Who does she look like?"  or "Does she look like Micah?"

I don't know.  She looks a little like Micah.  I think she looks a little like me.  Micah is a Daddy-clone, so I'm hoping I might have a little bit of stock in this one, but what do you think?

Book Review: "Work, Love, Pray"

Work, Love, Pray: Practical Wisdom for Young Professional Christian Women by Diane Paddison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly almost put this book down about 1/3 through. I had bought it after reading part of it on a blog somewhere and thought it sounded intriguing, but I was starting to get disappointed in the beginning. The first 1/3 to 1/2 of the book is a necessity (I now see) for Diane Paddison to establish her credibility as a very successful business woman, but I was looking for more advise and less autobiography. Now, however I am so glad that I stuck it through and learned where Paddison was coming from!

The second half of the book makes it so worth it, so KEEP reading!!! After sharing her personal stories, Paddison really gets a lot more practical and encouraging on HOW you can balance your faith, family, and career. And why should we even bother with the balancing act? She says, "We don't give God only our spiritual selves when we surrender to him. We give him everything, and that includes our talents, our gifts, and yes, the part of us that goes to work every day" (location 1722).

Another great quote: "I'm far from perfect and have experienced my share of the dry times, but when my faith is strong and I am closest to God, the benefits spill over into my family and my work. I am a better parent, better spouse, and better worker when I put God first" (location 2088). AMEN!

Paddison sprinkles the book (the last half anyway!) with great verses to reference. She writes, "the best way you can become a shining light for Christ is to be the best employee in the company (Colossians 3:23)." This is one of my favorite verses that has gotten me through some pretty bad jobs in the past - it says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" (NIV).

Her advise covers everything from finding a good church family, growing an accountability group, making Bible study a daily habit, physical exercise, putting your kids and husband first, financial concerns, spiritual retreats, business conferences, travel, boundaries, and more! I have so many highlights in my Kindle edition and have a long list of websites and books that she referenced that I want to check out! Many of her suggestions are listed on the website of Diane Paddison's non-for-profit ministry, 4word. She also has a blog there that I have begun following.

I recommend this to any Christian woman (18+) who plans on spending ANY time at all in the work force. Eli and I are so fortunate that with our jobs and schedules, we can be stay-at-home parents with full-time jobs; but I still find "doing it all" and "having it all" to be quite challenging at times, and this book has been very encouraging to me! Hope you will find it to be so too!

View all my reviews

Waiting...

Well, a lot has happened in the Casey family in the last month, so here's a quick update!

Eli has been back to work for almost a month now (went back June 26th) and has had no complications or setbacks after his miraculous recovery!  Luckily, he is at a relatively slow station and he does not have to do any transfers on his own.  He is basically acting as a first responder on all his calls, so even in that God has taken care of us more than we could have thought to even ask for!  The nystagmus is still present, but is much better (according to Eli) and may continue to get better.  Before Eli's surgery, I read a book called Conquer Chiari and in it, the author mentions that his symptoms still flare up in the summertime (even after a successful surgery) due to the heat and humidity.  Considering that we are having one of the hottest summers ever, that could be what is going on...  Anyway, he'll go back in for a follow-up appointment on August 15th so we'll know even more then probably!

As for this little baby girl, we are still waiting...  

I have to admit that it is VERY difficult being patient at this point.  Micah was 10 days early; so for some reason (I know, totally illogical!), I thought for sure she would be early too!  Well, she might still be, but we're 7 days out now and I had a doctor's appointment today and showed no real signs of being close (no dilation, effacement, etc.).  So, please join me in praying that this little girl gets the show on the road in the next 10 days or so.  Because I had a C-Section with Micah (you can read the whole story here), conditions have to be pretty good for my doctor to allow me to attempt to go natural this time.  Fortunately, so far everything has looked good.  Kenzie is healthy, my C-Section scar is healed nicely, I don't have any complications, BUT they will not induce me, so if she is too late in coming, it will be another C-Section for her too.  (For the curious, my doctor will not induce me because the pitocin-induced contractions are so strong and have been known to tear open old C-Section scars, so it has to be natural contractions or C-Section.)  I was terrified of having a C-Section with Micah, but luckily I learned a little humility and grace from God who taught me that He can bless us with a healthy baby in ANY scenario He chooses, so while my hope is a natural delivery this time, I'm a lot more open and willing for whatever God's plan may be!  Though I confess I hope He acts soon!  LOL!  It is HOT here after all!

Blueberries!

Thursday, May 31st was some of the most beautiful late spring weather we could ever ask for in Kansas!  So, several of us headed out to The Berry Patch - a local summertime favorite - located at 223rd & Stateline where you can pick blueberries all summer and blackberries late summer.  I have been going since I was a very little girl with my mom and grandma.

And ever since I was a little girl, I would diligently fill my bucket (while eating as many from the bush as I could) so that Mom would make her delicious blueberry pie.

We continued the tradition with Micah and he was very helpful!  He ate a few green berries, but soon realized the blue ones were the way to go (as you can tell from the blue juice all over his face in the picture below):


And like his mommy before him, Micah very much appreciated the blueberry pie!