Snippets

Life is so crazy. I say I am going to update our family blog all

the time. Never do!

So here is a quick drive by while I wait for my next assignment today. (Im back to the school district)

-Sophies 4th birthday is Thursday. What?!?! How did t

his happen?! We are hitting Como on Thursday and then the cabin and then doing a small friends gathering at a local pool later in September.

-Liam is almost two. This week he initiated two monumental changes on his own. 1. Pooping in the potty (for which is he SO proud of himself, he thinks he is the coolest dude ever) 2. Got rid of his nuk. Just stopped asking for it. I honestly think he just forgot. Sweet and bittersweet all at the same time, my baby is growing up!

-I worked all summer at Deaf blind services MN, my normal job at ANU and did the photography thing with Kevbo. It was CRAZY

-We did get several trips up to the

cabin. Including one two week trip around the 4th.

-Liam hates the church nursery. Anyone have any advice? I think he will just need to get over this with time. Sigh.

-Busy busy with the photography business. Check out our most recent pictures at www.facebook.com/kjbphotographyanddesign.

-We are having a fall mini special- check it out, theres only a few spots left!

-I am done at DBSM for the most part and am back to the school district in morning kindergarten with one of our DB students.

-Kevin is doing daycare for my friend who is a teacher. He will tell you he is just like any other stay at home Mom, with a side daycare and photography business. :-)

-Kids moved the bunk beds. Love it.

-We need to order Sophias curriculum for this year and get going. She is anxious to resume school activities.

-We are thrilled to be starting back Sunday school in a few weeks with our parenting and marriage young family class.

-We went to the fair once and are dying to go again. If only there were more time and money trees....:-)

-Sophia went to VBS and loved it!

-We hope you all are well, if we have disconnected this summer, we deeply apologize. We still read everyones blogs when able and we think of you and pray for you all often.

Heres a ton of photos to finish it up

(some are cell phone pics, forgive us!)

Where I've been

I have disappeared off of the blogging grid for a month or more now.

Its been a VERY busy month! :-) We decided to try and dive into full time photography after lots of prayer when Kevin lost his job in March. Its been quite the adventure! Kevin has been snapping and editing and I have been in search of props, poses and clients! :-) We are having a lot of fun. Its so nice to see your husband doing something he loves and is gifted at.

I have also been working my 40 hour a week intervenor job, picked up some home work with some of my old students, and continuing to teach the kiddos and be their Mommy. We have still be doing projects and crafts, I just don't have the energy or time to document and post about that at the moment. :-)

We are thrilled to have some sunny warm weather again. Went to the park and had a picnic with the kiddos today.

Here are a few photos Kev has taken this past month. Check out our facebook if you are interested in more info about us:: www.facebook.com/KJBPhotographyanddesign.com or www.savorthesemoments.com (our not very developed blog) or email us @ Kevinjamesbeyer@gmail.com if you want to set up a session! :-)

Wednesday

16 lawn bags full of leaves. 8 large trash bags of our clothes dropped off at Families Helping Each Other. Two kids full of fresh air. One Four hour napper. One fridge totally cleaned and wiped down. One new pair of little girl shoes. Four growing feet. One interview complete. Two applications filled out. Loaded with grace. Wednesday.

Seeing Stars

"Two Men looked out through prison bars; one saw mud and the other saw stars."

Lord, help me to see the stars.

1,000 Gifts

29. For friends who borrow books, thanks Becky for "Calm my Anxious Heart"

30. For unemployment coming through. His provision never fails.

31. For our Gather Around the Table group from Church and a great time of fellowship last night.

32. For playlands

33. For time with Daddy who "can't go to work anymore. Why won't they let you come to work Daddy?" We are making the most of his time off.

34. For my parents and unexpected gifts in groceries. Generosity and hospitality gifts abounding.

35. For sweet Gabby and Gods hand in her birth. Praying for her to start eating on her own. Praising God for her life.

36. For my in-laws loving on our kids while we were away last night. We love you Grandpa "Keef" and Grandma Pat.

37. For fresh fruit season approaching.

38. For my childrens health. Blessed.

Our past few weeks

I've been a little MIA here recently. Seems all of us have been sick the past three weeks or so! Started with the kids and I getting a cold, then it lead to Kevin getting sick and then Liam ending up with a sinus and ear infection. Poor guy. Topping it off was a strange fever that's been coming and going for Miss Sophia the past three days. Today was the first day that everyone has been healthy and its been great! :-)

Little Liam just broke my heart being so sick. He is normally the most snugly and smiley guy you could ever meet. But being sick he was either sleeping, crying, or throwing himself on the ground in fits of frustration. It was hard to know how to comfort him. It was also hard for me to know at the end if he was still sick or stuck in the pattern of fit throwing. But thankfully it is over and he is back to being my funny little man.

Some of his favorite phrases right now are:
-"UH-HUH, I DO!!!" This is no matter what you ask "Liam, should we go outside?" "UH HUH I DO!!!" "Liam are you hungry?" "UH HUH!! I DOOOO!" "Liam, do you want to play with trains?" "UH HUH, I DO!!"

-"I'll do it" Anytime you ask anyone else for something he jumps in yelling "Ill do it!!" Too cute!

-"Yah, OKAY!" He walks around repeating over and over "yah, Okay! Yah, Okay!"

-"We'll see, maybe!"

He is just repeating any phrase he hears. It makes us giggle. I post too many Sophia pics and stories and so I included the picture of our sweet Man this morning. Ready for Spring and the Twins to start! Go Twins!!

Flourless chocolate cake

I've made this cake a few times now and been really impressed. I made an almond chocolate ganache (Chocolate, pure almond extract, cream, and butter) to put on top and then added strawberries. It was great! This recipe would be fabulous with fresh raspberries or a homemade raspberry sauce over-top. Its incredibly rich and dense so I'd recommend that you would cut your slices very thin! Enjoy!! :-)

• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

(I found the recipe here)