V day

This year Bill did something really sweet for Valentine's day. He and my brother Jake made a gormet meal for Me and Jake's girlfriend who came up from chicago for the weekend! They made roasted garlic and chicken stuffed crust pizzas! Salad with home made croutons! It was amazing!!!! Sorry i forot to take a pic, but trust me, it was fabulous!
Ethan got a goodie bag of candy and monster truck chocolates. And a card FULL of "car" stickers from his great gramma Joe! And chocolates from Grandpa wayne and gramma Deb! What a lucky little guy! Oh and Levi is almost sitting up! (with the help of his boppy pillow!)

Ethan

I just love my little Ethan. Looking back at his life, he is such a little miracle. being born two months too early, you would never know! He's such a a blast. He's talking more and more and in full sentances which is SO fun! He can tell me what he wants and what he's thinking! He loves his little brother too which is so sweet, he says to me the other day "mommy, Levi is my best friend"!!!!
Ethan- 3 weeks old (right after getting out of the NICU)

Came across this one of Ethan and couldn't resist....

The growing boys

Both boys have been relatively healthy this winter, and about a week ago,they both came down with NASTY colds. Sunday Ethan seemed to be getting progressively worse as the night went on, so i made a call to the "on call" nurse... She asked me a series of questions...how fast was he breathing, his temp (which was 103.8 under his armpit) and a raspy hacking cough...She advised us to bring him to the ER right away.. So we took him in at 10 pm, called in re-enforcements (mom dy and darse bills sister). They were so sweet to come to the rescue that late at night! Anyways, he ended up with a discharge diagnosis viral pneumonia and the start of an ear infection. He is on the mend now, but the last few days have been long and i am begining to feel like a hermit, and wondering if winter will never end! Not to be too negetive, we are very blessed to be as healthy as we have been.
Levi is rolling around like crazy, i am going to have to start looking into buying a gate for the stairway! This week we started giving him banana's and applesauce. He did not like it. Here are some pics of our growing boys!

To my husband

In light of Valentines day i wanted to do a special blog post to my husband. He is amazing. to say the least. I want to share with you a poem that he wrote me a few years ago.

Take the red pill.
Step through the looking glass and down the hole.
You are leaving kansas when you walk in the door. Unlock the door the key is at hand
Only two keys exist in all the land.
One from a diamond the other, blood pierced hands
Two with access, You and He, to the deepest part of me
Look inside as you step past the sign
See the lighthouse;follow it to the haven inside
Between the trees the lighthouse sits
That is where the road begins
On the path i wait for you, upside down as i am sure you are
Hand extended reasy to guide through the twisty maze called my life
The trail twists through tunnels and hills
Forever hold this hand and guide you i will
Past paradise on the mountain top, waterfalls, palm trees, and a tiki hut
through the swoops and curvs and dips in the road
We come to the center, this is my world
Forever changing, giving, filled with stories untold
See the sun and moon joined together at the hip
Time suspended, moving fast on our crazy trip
Going in and out and all around with the love now in my life that i have found
Together forever we take the chance to stop and see
You were not the only one to use your key
Before you came, so did he, Bliding, swooping, and soaring, guiding me
He is soaring by, circling the sky, ready to swoop;forever in his eye
When troubles arise, we call on He and swooping down He picks up you and me
We soar together on high until the troubles below us die
Then diving down we all go, landing amidst the waves of the meadow
He returs to his post, ever watching he will be
As you coninue to walk my world with me.

5 months old!

levi is 5 months old! He can roll over, laugh, sleep ALL night, say "da da" and "goo goo" and i gave him his first haircut, it was more like a trim. but still.
Soon we will be registering Ethan for preschool in the fall at Zeeland Christian! He is going to love it! He can already count to 20, say the whole alphabet, and he is completely potty trained! I am loving his new found independance. He usually wakes up around 7am, and he knows how to turn on his cartoons, get his cheerios, get dressed, and even brush his teeth while i sleep til 8! or until Levi wakes me up. He is such a big boy!

Carrot Cake

2 cups Flour 2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 cups cooking oil
2 tsp baking soda 2 cups grated carrots (Food processor works great)
2 tsp cinnamon 4 eggs
1 tsp salt 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

1 3 oz pkg cream cheese 1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup warm milk 1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease and flour a 10" spring form pan. Mix together the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 slices cooked ham or prosciutto
4 slices swiss cheese
1 T butter
Fresh parsley

1. Use a meat mallet to lightly pound the chicken about 1/8 of an inch thick.

2. Place the Ham or Prosciutto and a slice of cheese over the chicken breast and roll. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

3. In a 10-inch skillet cook the rolls in hot butter over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. or until no longer pink in the center. Turn to brown evenly.

4. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley, and remove the toothpicks to serve.