Aaron turns 2 & Crabcake recipe

So last Sunday March 21st was Aaron's 2nd birthday! I still can't believe my baby is actually 2 yrs old now, the time has gone by way too fast! It has been an amazing 2 years as a mom. I adore this little boy so much, he has taught me so much about myself and I am amazed at how much he has learned himself. Isaac & I have learned that while parenting isn't always easy it is so very rewarding. We can already see him learning and desiring to obey his parents. Yes of course like any toddler there are days where he is very strong willed, but most days he is a very happy obedient little boy and we are very pleased in him. It is our desire that he will grow up to obey out of a strong love for the Lord.
We had a great birthday party for him with just family and a few close friends. It was a beautiful day, in the low 70's so we were able to spend the whole day outside. It couldn't have been better!









Today he had his 2 yr checkup and Dr Robertson said he is doing great!! He is off the charts in height, he is the average height of a 3 yr old and by "predictions" he will be between 6'1" & 6'4". The dr was very impressed that he is potty trained and at his vocabulary. So we are very happy! :) He is healthy and doing great! We couldn't ask for anything more!

For dinner tonight we had crabcakes and they were delish! I can not take credit for finding the recipe because it was given to me by a friend, but it is so good I had to share!!

12 oz. can lump crab meat
1/3 c. minced onion
1/4 c. minced green pepper
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/8 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs

Empty can of crab meat into bowl. Remove any shell. Add onion, green pepper, parsley, Old Bay seasoning and baking powder. Mix well. Add mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, egg and bread crumbs.

Form into 3 inch patties and place them in a greased broiling pan or non-stick broiling pan. Broil 3-5 minutes on each side until brown. Makes 4 servings.

A taste of spring & danishes!!

So the past week the weather has been AMAZING!!! We have been spending so much time outside and its been so nice! Aaron is growing up so quickly and he is just so much fun! We have played with sidewalk chalk, he loves going down his slide and counting the steps as he goes up. He loves taking the soccer ball to Isaac and telling him "kick it to the sky" and Isaac sure tries.... its only went in the neighbors yard once and she was nice to quickly come out and get it back to us! :) Today Aaron & I went on a walk while Isaac was at work, it was a beautiful day!! Aaron was in his wagon with is veggie straws, water and book and he enjoyed the walk as much as I did! It was actually probably the longest walk we have ever taken.... the day was just to nice to pass up, especially since starting tomorrow we are supposed to have several days of rain!


So today also marks day 9 of me doing the 30 day shred and can I just say that I feel GREAT!! Seriously I feel so much better than I have in a long time, just motivated to get out and do stuff! I wish I would have started working out sooner, but better late than never! :)
Today also included maybe my favorite mom moment yet!!! Aaron & I were baking brownies and I was melting some chocolate on the stove, so I told him not to touch and he said "make mommy and papa happy?" I said "yes, when you obey it makes mommy and papa very happy" he said "and Jesus" I said "yes Jesus really likes it when you obey" he said "cause Jesus loves you".... then I cried... seriously for about the next 3 minutes I could barely talk to the boy! Even now thinking back on it, I get a little choked up. I love him so much and am very blessed to have this life that the Lord has blessed me with. It is my ultimate prayer that Aaron grows up understanding the love that God has for him and desiring to live a life that pleases Him.



Also a quick thank you to everyone who prayed for us those 3 months that Isaac was out of work and for praying as he has started his new job. He is finishing up his 2nd week with FEMA and so far he loves it! Please just keep praying that he will continue to love it and that it will be a stable job, its been a crazy year for us job wise.. so security here would be great, if not we know God has something better.
I can't end without leaving a quick recipe. Yesterday I made Raspberry Linzer Cheese Danishes for breakfast and they were sooo yummy, the recipe came from an Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.
4 oz cream cheese , softened
1/4 cup marzipan or almond paste (i used almond paste)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg, seperated
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed & refrigerated
4 tsp raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 to 2 tbls heavy cream



1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, preheat to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer , beat together the cream cheese and almond paste on high for 1 minute. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, Beat in the egg yolk , vanilla and salt.
2. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface & roll out to form a 10 inch square and cut in 4 equal squares & place on the prepared baking sheet. Dollop the cream cheese mixture evenly in the center of each square, top with 1 tsp jam. In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork , then lightly brush some of it onto the pastry. Lift 2 opposite corners of each pastry and cross over the center, overlapping slightly; pinch to seal. Brush the tops with more egg white and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
3.In a small bowl , stir the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and the heavy cream with a fork until smooth; drizzle over the cooled pastries. (i didnt have any heavy cream, so I didnt do this last step and they were still great)

It's a blessing to be a blessing

So last night I drove 3 girls from our chuch teen club to the nursing home in Martinsburg to do some visiting. We got there and at first we just talked to one of the coordinators then we started visiting. The first person we visited was a lady named Stella, she was a hoot. We couldn't stop laughing.. she would tell us all we had pretty teeth and then show us her empty mouth, she even got Chloe to feel how hard her gums were... HILARIOUS! Then she would tell Cate that she had a "rich mouth" cause she has braces, lol. She was very sweet, told us all about her husband and how the first night the were married she asked him where she was supposed to sleep and he said "your my wife you sleep with me" and she was very shocked at his answer! So cute! We talked and talked with her, she told us all she loved us and gave hugs and kisses! She wants us to come back and paint her fingernails pink and bring her gardenias.
The 2nd person we visited was a younger lady, 42, named Jen. She was very funny and... outspoken! ha ha She said several things that made me blush a little! But it was when we walked away from her that a worker said "ya'll probably just made her year" well knowing that made my year!
Next we visited a lady named Pam who was very sweet. She has a lot of burdens right now though, it has been a little over a yr since her husband passed away and she is missing him very much. Her daughter is missing right now and she has a grandson who is very far from the Lord. She was just so heartbroken, it was so sad, but such a blessing to bring some joy to her.
It was a great night out and I am so proud of Cate, Chloe and Kaylee for wanting to do this! They are hoping to go visit at least once a week. For them to see this need in their teenage years is amazing to me! What a big heart they all have!!