Sunday, February 20, 2011

My 30th Birthday Surprise!!

Tim did a fabulous job this year for my Birthday. It was the big 3-0 and I was feeling a bit ambivilent about it. Whatever -we all get older right.? The actual day was on January 13th on a Thursday night, and I thought we were just going to celebrate quietly with homemade pizza Thursday night and a dinner out just the two of us Saturday night. It turned out to be MUCH MUCH MORE!

It all started with Friday afternoon when he told me that He and his friend Ryan would be coming over to the house around 2pm to hang out for a bit and catch up. Which to me meant that I wanted to make sure the house looked half decent and that I am not in my sweatpants and a tank top or nursing a child when they walk in-ha!

Well, he walked in by himself (said Ryan would be there later) and he handed me a card that said a lot of sweet things, but ended with the idea that this would be a Birthday that I would never forget -hmm... Then he said my present was out in the hallway! I was like, WHAT?! What would he get me that was too big to bring in and wrap?  So I opened the door and saw my best friend DAWN from Boston was standing in the hallway! I flipped out!!! I was screaming and hugging Dawn and then hugging Tim - yahoo!!! What a wonderful surprise! You may have seen the video that he posted on facebook - that I will not post here. I looked a bit too ridiculous ;)  He had worked out all of the details with her husband and Nate agreed to fly Dawn out here and to watch the kiddos for her. Thanks Nate!



It was so wonderful because we got to to hang out and catch up for a few hours before we left for dinner. Tim had told me that he had planned reservations for Dawn and I to have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants here in Chicago-  Hot Chocolate.
 So we drove out there together casually ad when we walked in, the hostess walked us the whole way back to the this little curtained in room and I noticed familiar faces just as everyone yelled -surprise! I was SHOCKED for the second time that day! I had such a lovely time with all of my girlfriends enjoying some fabulous food and warm fellowship. My dear friend Kelly had helped to organize it all for Tim and had decorated our little room so beautifully!
Thanks Kelly for all of your help!
The whole gang - so fun!

Kim and Helen

Katie and Claire

Stacey and Kelly!
Dawna and I :)

To DIE FOR Mac and Cheese!



Great Burger Dawn got

Fabulous Chocolate Dessert and Hot Chocolate of course too!

Then  Saturday night Dawn watched the girls so that Tim and  I could go out for dinner just the two of us! Tim knows me so well and planned the best weekend ever for me with all of my favorite things ;) It will certainly not be a Birthday that I will soon forget ;) Thanks baby - you're the best!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Rose is 5 Months old!

Rose is growing up so quickly. We have just been loving these days with her. Her personality seems very laid back and happy ;) She is very patient for the most part and hardly ever cries unless she REALLY needs something or has been injured by her sister ;()




Here are some of Rose's fun facts for the FIFTH MONTH of her life :)

* Early in the month she rolled over from back to front one time. But then this morning, she rolled from her back to her belly, then over again (in the same direction) from her belly to her back. I found her across the room! I was laughing so hard. She is getting to be on the move!

* Still her favorite thing is to lay on her back and kick her feet straight in the air and make the best noises!

* She has found her toes! She will grab her feet with her hands (when lying on her back) and pull her toes into her mouth. Maddy did the same thing and it just cracks me up!

* She is loving the exersaucer and the bumbo these days. She seems to like the upright view without having to hold herself up by herself.

* We have NOT started cereal or baby food YET. I am dragging my feet on this one - not totally looking forward to it -haha!

* She has been making the best sounds lately Lots of looooooong sounds some b's - but mostly "ahhhhhhhhhhhh" -not yelling or screaching though - just cute sounds - I LOVE it!

* Each morning when I put her on the changing table to get her dressed and change her, Maddy pulls up her little read plastic chair and watches the process. It's adorable because both girls are head to head and Maddy will say, "Good Morning Baby Rosie!" and Rose will just SMILE and SMILE! That is one of my favorite times of the day!

* Unfortunately she has finally reached the stage of not sleeping anywhere anymore. I blame that on sleep training and I guess her age too. She sure does love her bed! But I suppose the benefit of sleep training is that she won't cry when I put her down and usually gets herself to sleep in about five minutes!
 Notice the toys piled around her? Maddy wanted to be sure she had plenty of things to play with ;)

*Again, unfortunately, she has been waking up around 5:30 or 6 (when she used to sleep in until 7:30!) But that has only been for a few weeks - so I a hoping it's just a growth spurt. Fortunately though, I can sneak into the girls' room, grab her, bring her into bed, nurse her and then lay her back down in the bassinet in our room and she will fall right back asleep and Maddy doesn't even wake up. Or if she does, she will go back to sleep. So I am thankful for that!

Rose - you are such a blessing from the Lord to our family and we are so thankful for you :)

Friday, January 28, 2011

A Chicago Christmas

I know Christmas is long gone already, but I just had to post some pics of our fun day we had downtown during the holidays. First, we stopped by Macy's and looked at all of the Christmas decorations inside and tried to warm up a bit before our next stop. 



 Then we looked at all of the window displays outside.
After that, we walked a few streets over to the "Christkindl Market" here in Chicago. It's a Traditional  German American Holiday Market.  It was freezing, but we still had a blast! It was so cool  because it was like a little village down beneath all of these towering sky scrapers!


WE got some hot chocolate and a apple pecan pastry and walked around the shops. They were so quaint an fun. I really enjoyed myself. It was not Tim's thing, but he was so sweet to tough it out ;)
 The girls and I went inside of "Santa's Workshop" to get a picture with Santa. I was glad there was a bit of a line because the "workshop" was heated! Here is Mrs. Clause ;)



Merry Christmas - haha!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Chicken Roulade from "Food Loves Writing"

I just tried a new recipe that I found on "Food Loves Writing" - one  of my all time favorite food blogs! Shanna T'koy is  a friend of mine and she is a talented writer and chef! I always enjoy reading the blog posts and come away with some amazing and practical ideas!


This Chicken Roulade really wasn't too hard to make - it took a little bit of time, but it was WORTH it!  Tim, our friend Ashton, and I just LOVED it! Tim rated it a 9 out of 10 - which doesn't always happen! You should totally try it.

I did use spinach and actually just used grated Parmesan/Romano (you know from the can) that I had in the fridge. I also made a double batch of the spinach filling and tossed it with some tri-color spiral pasta along with some more parmesan for a side dish and it was really great.


Here is the recipe  from "Food Loves Writing" if you want to copy and paste it into a word document like I did!

Chicken Roulade
Adapted from Spinach Tiger
Serves about four.
Notes about this recipe: I really wish I had used Pecorino cheese like Angela did, but I was trying to work with what I had on hand, and that was mozzarella—I would def do the Pecorino next time. Also, although I used spinach, I think chard would give a sharper flavor contrast.
Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, flattened*
Olive oil for browning meat
Flour (I used white spelt)
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons nuts (Angela used pine nuts; I used slivered almonds)
2 teaspoons dried fruit (I used cranberries), soaked in water
1 bunch spinach (or chard), washed and chopped finely
2 teaspoons pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated
Sea salt, black pepper to taste
Directions:
*To flatten the chicken, put them in a big Ziplock bag and use a cast iron pan or something similar to flatten them as much as you can. Then, salt them and set aside so they come to room temperature.
Prepare the filling: Heat diced onion and oil in pan. Once onion is softened and almost golden, add the garlic and cook for about a minute, being careful not to burn. Add nuts to toast, stirring pan. Drain dried fruit, dice and add to pan. Add in stalks of greens and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add in leaves, continuing stirring pan, incorporating all ingredients. Turn heat off. Greens will continue to cook. Do not overcook. Allow to to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Assemble the chicken: Sprinkle cheese on flattened chicken breasts and then top with the prepared greens mixture. Roll up as tightly as you can (don’t stress about it like I did; it will all work out) and tie each with three strings of kitchen twice, one in middle and one at each end (or however you want to tie them to keep these babies closed).
Roll the tied chicken in flour. Pan fry until browned, turning to each side. Finish in hot 375-degree oven for 10 to 20 minutes.
Allow chicken to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Friday, January 07, 2011

Healthy Girls


I am thankful for two healthy girls today. We came home from a wellness visit at the pediatrician and Maddy is two and 34 1/4 inches tall and weighs 22 lbs. Rose is 4 months and is 25 inches and weighs 11 lbs.  2oz. The doctor says they look fabulously healthy and that makes a mama happy :) Plus the colds and Pink Eye are gone. Praise the Lord! I never seem to be as thankful for health until after we have all been sick, ya know?

Friday, December 31, 2010

"Rosie Rose" and a bit of "falalalala"

Rosie Rose (as Madison says) is 4 months old! Seriously?! 1/3 of the way to ONE?! Time seems to be flying by these days with two little girls.



We are on vacation in PA right now and enjoying every moment with family and friends. WE head back Sunday. It’s been so fun to watch the girls with their cousins. The craziness has grown exponentially over the years.

Here are some of the Baylor cousins(there are 8 total now)
 And here are some more (we didn't get a photo of all of them together at once this time)


Here are the Jordan cousins:

It has been a wild time, but so fun watching all of the kiddos play together!

Rose 4 month updates:

  • She has found her hands and loves to look at them and suck on her fist/fingers/or thumb (no preference at this point). She also likes holding both of her hands together in front of her –it looks like she is praying – so sweet!

  • Started grabbing at toys and putting them in her mouth

  • She LOVES lying on her back and kicking like crazy until she spins around. She coos and makes fun noises that Maddy loves.

  • She loves her sister and giggles and smiles at her a lot. This is the two of them Christmas morning! This picture shows how easy-going she is. She is literally rolling off of Madison's lap and she is just as happy as can be ;)

  • She loves to bounce on Daddy’s knee and squeals and giggles

  • She purses her lips together and make a “B” sounds while blowing little bubbles – Maddy loves it and I have to admit, it’s pretty cute!

  • She is on a 3 hour eating schedule and sleeps from about 8/9pm to 7:30 am in her sister’s room. Although, I usually wake her still to give her one more “dream feeding” around 10/11 before we head to bed. The girls have been doing great still sharing a room at night. They don’t wake up til morning! They don’t share during nap time though; I still have a bassinet in our bedroom for Rose during the day, so that Madison can still play in her own room.


I will be taking Rose to the pediatrician this next week, so I will have to give some new updates on her height and weight, but I have a feeling she is growing faster than Maddy did – but we’ll see! 

We love you "Rosie Rose"! You are a very happy, easy going, and sweet baby girl and we are so glad you area a part of our family ;)

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!

May we all be reminded of the incarnation and be filled with Joy that Christ came to the world as a baby and went to the cross to save sinners such as us. Merry Christmas!

TWO!!

It really is difficult for me to fathom that TWO years ago, we met you
Madison Hope Baylor!

 Here you are on the first day of your little life: December 22, 2008
Our hearts  were smitten by you immediately darling. 
We couldn't snuggle you and stare at you enough!

Here you are at 1 year old: December 22, 2009
You continued to thrill our hearts with your fun and active personality. 
You were the life of the party for sure!



And at 2 - such a big girl! -December 22, 2010
We literally could not love you more sweetheart! You are a big sister now and such a loving one!
You are the light of our lives! There is a wonderful sense of life and determination in all you do. 
You sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" so beautifully!
Whatever emotions you are feeling, you let us know all about them! 
We love you so much ;)

Madison, your Daddy and I love you so very much and thank the Lord that you came into our lives 2 years ago! May the Lord continue to bless you and care for you each year that you grow older!
Love, 
Mommy and Daddy


We did a My Little Pony birthday party for her this year with a few of her little friends. She hasn't watched any of the movies or shows but she sure does love her ponies and pony castle that she has!

  The kiddos played "Pin the Rainbow on the pony". They more or less just walked up there and put their sticker on. For the bigger kids, we spun them around before they put their sticker on ;)






All the kiddos together!

It was so fun watching her run around the house with all of her little friends! I just can't believe how quickly the time is flying by with these two girls of ours. What a good reminder to treasure the small moments with them while they are little ;)


Saturday, December 18, 2010

Happy 30th Birthday Tim!!!

Oh my word Tim-30! Really?! Haha- I can tease about him being SO OLD because I turn 30 in just a few weeks :) 

Seriously though, I am just crazy thankful for my dear husband. We've had some really great times together (and continue to ;) -He is my best friend and I just love his companionship! He is seriously the best Dad to our girls that I could have ever asked for and he works so hard at his job so that I can have the wonderful opportunity of staying home with our sweet girls while they are young. 
I could never repay him for that! 

We have been together since we were 16, so that's nearly half of our lives now! I love the history and life we have together. Don't get me wrong - it's certainly not perfect. 
No marriage ever is. 
It's hard work sometimes, but it is certainly worth it in the end! 

Here is a quick snapshot of our last 14 years together:

Age 16 - Best friends already, started dating by going on a double date 
with my twin and our friend Zach

Age 17 - Still dating (Although broke up nearly every summer :)

Age 18 - seniors in high school now, graduated,  headed off to freshman year of college together in WI (oh and we broke up for our whole freshman year too ;)

Age 19 - sophomore year - got back together - continued our studies and made some really great friends

Age 20 - Juniors - got engaged during Spring Break in NYC -very romantic!

Age 21 -Seniors! Wedding planning!

Age 22 - got married 2 weeks after college graduation! Moved to VA to begin seminary.  Tim started the business "Finishing Touches Painting and Pressure Washing" with Jordan Heijermans. I started my first year of teaching at GCA teaching 2nd grade.

Age 23 - Tim continued seminary and started teaching high school theology and Greek. I began coaching high school soccer, and moved to teaching 4th grade.

Age 24 - I continued to teach 4th grade,  Tim continued seminary and continued teaching high school theology and Greek. 

Age 25 - Tim took a year off seminary, but continued to teach. I continued to teach 4th grade and we both coached high school soccer girls together. We really enjoyed that break from seminary and got to spend lots of time together and with friends as we prepared to move to Chicago.

Age 26 - Moved to Chicago to finish Seminary at TEDS. Tim worked as a barista at Starbucks and I taught 3rd grade at HFLS in the city and began my Master's degree in teaching.

Age 27 - Tim continued at TEDS and started to work for the church part-time as well as a barista at Starbucks part-time.  I finished my last year of teaching and continued to work on my degree
 (do you think we love school or what?!) Then Madison arrived!

Age 28 - Tim graduated from TEDS with his MDiv - began working for the church full-time.  I stayed home with Madison and continued to work on my degree. 

Age 29 - Tim continued to work full-time at the church in a new role. I continued to stay home with Madison and continued to work on my degree while pregnant with Rose. Rose arrived on the scene!

Age 30 -Happy Birthday Babe! I'm enjoying the ride with you :)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Counterfeit Gods

Before I had kids, I used to post quite frequently about books I was reading. But to be honest, I am just not reading as much these days as I used to 2 years ago!  But today Tim had a day off and while the girls were napping and snow was falling outside, we decided to brew some coffee, turn on some Christmas music and read. I have to say, it was one of our most enjoyable "Home dates" ever!  I am reading  Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters by Timothy Keller. So far it has been spiritually and intellectually stimulating.  I am only about 30 pages into it, but I am encouraged and convicted by Keller's view on contentment and idols.


He defines an idol like this:
" It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give. A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that ,should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. An idol has such controlling position in your heart that you can spend most of your passion and energy , your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought. ...An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, 'If I have that, then I'll feel my life has meaning, then I'll know I have value, then I'll feel significant and secure'". 

He talks about how good and natural desires of our hearts can so quickly become idols that become our identity and purpose. 


A way of determining your idols Keller says is often by looking at your nightmares, "What do we fear the most? What if we lost it, would make life not worth living? We make 'sacrifices' to appease  and please our gods, who we believe will protect us. We look to our idols to provide us with a sense of confidence and safety."

Personal identity has been something I have struggled with since I was a young girl. I have found my identity in my good works, in my husband, my children, a clean home, beauty, and even my "spirituality". Throughout my life these idols have shifted and yet the root has remained the same -I am not finding my true identity in Jesus Christ.

Keller says it this way, "We need to find a way to keep from clutching them [idols] too tightly, of being enslaved by them. We will never do so by mouthing abstractions about how great God is. We have to know, to be assured, that God so loves, cherishes, and delights in us that we can rest our hearts in him for our significance and security and handle anything that happens in life."

This is the desire of my heart, that I would rest in Christ each day for my joy, contentment and purpose and that my girls could see that and follow me as I follow Christ.

He continued to speak to the fact that many times we end up losing the thing that we cling to most vigorously and through that experience our faith is built up as we lean on Christ for strength.

He says it this way, "You don't realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have"

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

The Girls are Officially "Bunkmates" Now :)

I moved Rose into Madison's room last night. I was so nervous about how it would go, but it went as well as could have been expected! Tim and I spent much of the evening chatting with Madison about how Rose would be sleeping in her room, and that she needed to be a big girl and be quiet and stay in her bed no matter what ;) 

I forgot to get pics of them in their room together, but I will post some soon. I really would like to get their new name plates up and organize a few things first. so here are a few I took of them the other night after we decorated for Christmas!



I put them both down at the same time (around 7:30pm) and there was some noise from both of them for a little while (maybe 15 min) until they both fell asleep! Then I snuck into the room at 10:00pm to get Rose for another feeding. Maddy woke up and was confused - but Tim just comforted her and explained that Rose needed to eat. 
Then Tim snuck back in around 11pm to put Rose back down. Maddy woke up again, but I just told her Rose was going back to sleep and tucked her back in. Rose and addy cried for less than a minute and they both fell asleep again and slept until 7:30am!!! I am not sure who woke up first, but I heard Maddy talking first, so I went in to get her and she was still in her bed and Rose was awake happily kicking in her crib ;) I am sure there will be some tough nights ahead - but not a bad start. 
Praise the Lord!