by Sarah | Jun 23, 2011 | All About Molly, Crap, Random
(Arachnophobes beware)
The other day Riley rushed up to me with big eyes.
Holding her hands a foot apart she informed me…
“There’s a spider THIS BIG in the bathroom!!”
“THAT big?” I asked, grinning.
She nodded seriously, still holding her hands that far apart, “THIS BIG!”
In truth it was about 5 inches from long leg point to long leg point, a big spider…but I just thought it was so cute that she thought it was THIS BIG.
The spider was not harmed, I left her alone where she was (hey, she kills bugs, which we have too many of). Whens he came down from her ceiling perch to disrupt my shower she still was not killed. I gingerly picked her up by one leg and carried her outside to release her into the wild. She has since returned and taken up residence in the corner of the kitchen. She is welcome, and unless absolutely necessary will not be harmed…
and she’s still THIS BIG.
by Sarah | Jun 21, 2011 | All About Kennedy, Special Needs
Angel was a mere two months old.
Adorable.
Small still – almost preemie-like.
I had just fed her, holding her until she fell asleep.
I set her in the car seat I let her nap in.
Set a blanket over the car seat to shield her from the bright light of my bedroom and settled back to read.
It wasn’t five minutes later.
There was a sound.
One I will never forget.
Choking. Wet. Gurgling.
The blanket was thrown aside and I saw my precious baby twisted and still, eyes wide. Not breathing. Not moving.
We were in the car and flying to the hospital within a minute – no small feat with three kids
That was the day I ran into the ER in tears screaming that my baby stopped breathing.
Never have I seen that ER team move that fast.
Never have I felt the terror of wondering what had happened, fearing the worst.
They feared a seizure and ran tests.
She was in the hospital for 48 hours.
In the end, my baby was okay. We never really knew what happened. Perhaps it was reflux, choking on her own spit up thanks to her dysphagia. No infection was found.
But I will never forget the sound. The sight. The ER visit. The terror.
It helps me remember how lucky I am that she’s here. That they all are.
by Sarah | Jun 19, 2011 | Photography, Weekly Winners
All taken w/ Canon Rebel XS.
The weather this week has been gorgeous so I’ve been outdoors most of it. Unfortunately many of my pictures did not come out. Still struggling to get used to my new camera and lens. However, I did manage to get a few I was happy with.
Look at you, madman! Screaming you are thirsty and dying in a desert, when all around you there is nothing but water. ~Kabir
“O Tiger-lily,” said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, “I wish you could talk!”
“We can talk,” said the Tiger-lily. “When there’s anybody worth talking to.” ~Lewis Carroll
His sanguine spirit turns every firefly into a star. ~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Jellicle cats come out tonight, Jellicle cats come one come all, the Jellicle moon is shining bright, Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball. ~T.S. Eliot
The man who has seen the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight has been present like an archangel at the creation of light and of the world. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
If we had a keen vision of all that is ordinary in human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow or the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of that roar which is the other side of silence. ~George Eliot
When I am happy, a sparrow’s chirp is delicious to me. But it is not the chirp that makes me happy, but I that make it sweet. ~John Ruskin
Every one is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. ~Mark Twain
Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
You can find more pictures over at my flickr account.
That’s all for this week. Head on over to Lotus‘ digs to see more!!
by Sarah | Jun 16, 2011 | All About Family, All About Home, All of Us, Community, Random
Last week I got a last second request to go to my brothers house to babysit my two youngest nephews. I left my riot-act at home and hightailed it over to his place. His house is about 2.5 times bigger than ours. Open, spacious, uncluttered.
By the time I got there one nephew was in bed. Two hours later the other went down.
The house was quiet.
It was a Friday night, 9PM.
I stepped out onto their front porch to relax in some of the beautiful night air…
And silence.
No kids running around screaming.
No neighbors calling hello.
Going to each others houses.
Sharing a drink.
A laugh.
Conversation.
Silence.
I thought about my neighborhood and how at about that time all the neighbors would be out doing all of those things. The kids would be playing, racing bikes, running and screaming.
And once again I remembered.
How lucky I am.
Our house is too small.
Overcrowded.
Definitely over-cluttered.
But our neighborhood.
It’s special.
And there’s no place else I would rather be.
by Sarah | Jun 14, 2011 | All About Home, All About Me, Random
Most of my baking craziness comes out in December when I make hundreds upon hundreds of cookies that my family could never possibly eat all of.
In the fall I go crazy with the bread baking.
The summer doesn’t usually lend to a lot of baking. The heat of the stove on top of the heat of weather just doesn’t lend to enthusiasm toward baking.
Some days you just need to.
I wanted to make cupcakes. Something beyond boring simple cake.
Out of that craving came these. Delicious. Moist. Flavorful. Yum.
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
Make them.
You won’t regret it.
Recipe: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 c. Flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 c shortening
- 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 5 egg whites
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 c milk
- 1/2 c pink lemonade concentrate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix flour, salt, & baking powder (I always sift mine together into a separate bowl).
- In stand mixer beat shortening until it starts to fluff then very gradually add sugar, mixing well between additions.
- Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Add egg whites 1 at a time.
- Beat in vanilla.
- On low speed add in dry ingredients, lemonade and milk in alternating additions (about 1/3 or 1/4 at a time). Mix until just blended.
- Divide batter among baking cups, filling about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Remove and cool on cooling racks.
- Makes 24 cupcakes
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 c. Cut Strawberries
- 3 Tbs Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 Sticks Butter (room temp)
- 1/2 c. Heavy Cream
- 2 c. Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare strawberry coulis: Strawberries & granulated sugar in saucepan and cook until juices begin to release. Cool then blend in food processor or blender.
- In mixer, whip butter until it starts to fluff, add coulis and then heavy cream.
- Add in sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency.
Quick notes
I didn’t have heavy cream, so I used 1/4 c. milk. Frosting is still delicious & fluffy, but it would definitely improve with heavy whipping cream.
by Sarah | Jun 12, 2011 | Photography, Weekly Winners
All taken w/ Canon Rebel XS.
Our neighbor asked us to store another car for a few days, one that he’s going to be painting. As long as this gorgeous car is hanging around, I figured I should get some pictures. It’s a ’67 Camaro. One car I would kill to have.
You can find more pictures over at my flickr account.
That’s all for this week. Head on over to Lotus‘ digs to see more!!
(Arachnophobes beware)
