sister comparison :: 4 months

Because it's just too fun to put together these monthly comparison's... here's a 4 month shot.

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Steph's Pick | Postponed

Here's a little honesty for you...

Between packing, writing (check out some of my recent writing on the Family Matters Blog - Brave Sunglasses and Shoes off at the Door?), working, planning for AZ Mom's Night Out, packing (did I say that?) and simply caring for this little munchkin

and her sister I just haven't had a lot of time to do anything else. Imagine that?! ;)

The "anything else" includes pretty much everything I'd highlight on "Steph's Pick" - cooking, product reviews, reading, etc.

Don't worry... I'll be back soon...don't give up on me just yet. Just give me a few weeks :)

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a home tour

One of my very favorite {blog-reading} things is when bloggers post tours of their homes on their blog.

I don't know what it is about touring a virtual "friends" home. Maybe it makes me feel like we could be friends in real life? Like I could picture myself having dinner at their table or having a cup of coffee with them in their little reading nook. Whatever it is - it's just dang interesting to me.

Now I know I have posted pics here and there of our condo, but never have I taken you on a "tour" per-say. Well... wait no longer :)

You see we are moving in a little over a week so there's a bit of a bitter sweet underlying message in this post. Here are some bitter & sweet thoughts...

Bitter -

- This was the first home we purchased.

- We brought both of our girls home to this cozy space.

- We've called this place "home" for the past 5 years so there are tons of memories.

*tear*

Sweet -

- We're just outgrowing our 2 bedroom, 2nd floor, no garage space home.

- We're moving to a home that has a lawn (YIPEE!) and has 4 bedrooms ( double YIPEE!)

Without further ado....I invite you to picture yourself coming over for a cup of coffee at our place RIGHT NOW....

Here's what you'd see...

Full Disclosure: Yes - these pics were taken for the MLS, so NO - our home never looks this clean.

*****

In case you care : Two of my top pick virtual tours are Sherry and John from Young House Love (of course - how could I not include them?) and coming in a close second is Michelle from 4 Men and 1 Lady.

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we laugh in this home

When your children leave the home, what words do you want them to use to describe your home?

I've been thinking a ton about this lately.

As we mentioned in Elsie's Dedication Blessing - two of the things that we certainly (with no exception) want our home to be marked by are 1) a passionate love for Jesus and 2) an unquenchable love and concern for others.

Those are non-negotiables.

But one other thing I was reminded of the other day during bath time was the importance of laughter in our home.

Nora reminded me of the great gift of laughter just the other day.

It was nearing the end of her bath time when Nora asked me to spray her mouth with our diaper sprayer. (yes - I did say diaper sprayer - stick with me). Now I have no idea what even made this simple action so hilarious but after fulfilling her request, we both immediately died laughing.

Now I'm not talking my child is being silly so I'll laugh with her type of laughing. I'm talking full on belly laughs that result in tears of joy and the hiccups. For BOTH of us. It lasted for a good 5 minutes and then it was over.

While putting Nora to bed that night I said a prayer to the God who created laughter. I thanked Him for the moment just a few minutes prior when my sweet little Nora and I were laughing with one another, and asked that He would bless us with 100+ more moments just like it in the coming years.

You see, there is something special about laughter. It may seem cliche but Laughter really is the BEST medicine.

My prayer going forward is that our home would be full of laughter. And not just your every day kind of chuckles but the laughter where tears are running down our cheeks and we're helping one another try and get rid of our hiccups.

*************

And just in case you need a little chuckle yourself (don't we all?) - check out Elsie's face in the following picture... she must have gotten the memo! :)

Love my girls!

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a sweet one word reminder {amen}

I'm constantly in awe of how our God is so attentive to details. And I'm equally amazed at how the Spirit (our Helper) is always ready and willing to speak to our hearts at every stage of our lives.

Let me explain.

For you church going folk...I'm curious if this has ever happened to you.

This past Sunday our worship leader, Jason W, led us in worship by singing Manifesto by The City Harmonic. (GREAT song by the way.) Now I've sung this song a number of times in the past, but never has it spoken to my soul like this past Sunday.

If you simply read the lyrics of the song you'd find that at least 50% of the words are "Amen." Over and over again.

In the past, if I'm being completely honest, I've found my mind wondering to my grocery list or scheduling what I am going to do during nap time during this song. I know... terrible... but true. Not yesterday. Yesterday it was as if the words "amen, amen, amen..." were EXACTLY what I needed to be singing (and what my soul needed to hear).

You see "Amen" is one of those words that very few people even know the meaning of. Because I'm a dork and love a good word study, I know that "Amen" in both Hebrew (OT language) and Greek (NT language) means "so be it" or "let it be so."

'amen - אָמֵן verily, truly, amen, so be it, let it be so

Now for those of you who know us well, you know that we are in an extended season that could easily be marked by the words "Let it be so."

And I'd venture to guess that a number of you reading are also in a similar season.

It's certainly not an easy season...but because God is a trustworthy God, I love that I can rest in the simple word "Amen" and pray that my soul would find comfort in the sovereignty of God Almighty.

My prayer today is that you can rest in that truth as well.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

"Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, 'Amen!'"

- Psalm 106:48

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Steph's Pick | Southwestern Sausage Quiche

I don't like eggs.

Not one bit.

I don't like them scrambled. Or fried. Or sunny side up. Or sunny side down (is there is such a thing). And I certainly don't like them in a casserole or quiche.

That is until yesterday.

You see I was the last person to sign up to bring food for MOPS and of course the only two items left were two egg dishes. Hehe. I had to chuckle that I'd be making my very first egg dishes for other people.

Turns out one of them was pretty decent. It was actually quite delicious (if I do say so myself).

A Southwestern Sausage Quiche. I just might be turning over a new leaf.

Southwestern Sausage Quiche

From PlainChicken on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/2 lb sausage

2 eggs

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies (Ro*Tel), Drained

1 whole unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet, cook sausage until well browned. Drain off grease and set aside. Whisk together eggs, ranch dressing, sour cream and milk. Add sausage, cheese and Ro*Tel. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into prepared pie crust.

Bake 1 hour. Allow quiche to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

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♥ cookie dough ♥

Confession time...

There's no hiding why we make cookies in this home...

for the dough!!!

And in case you're interested.... we've been using Kiley's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (thanks Kiley!).

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an {indoor} amusement park

Upon receiving Nora's baby book, I noticed there was a "First Amusement Park Trip" page. Now I'll be honest - I thought (and still think) it's a bit weird to have this in a baby book. But because I'm a gotta-fill-out-everything-in-the-baby-book kind of girl I was itching for Nora's first amusement park visit.

We finally had our first opportunity on Labor Day. We had just learned about this new indoor amusement park for kids and figured it would be a fun family outing. So we hopped in the car and off we went.

Now believe it or not - Nora was a bit skeptical at first and wasn't too crazy about trying any of the rides but finally we were able to encourage her to try the swings.

Here she is getting ready for her very first amusement park ride to begin...

And of course a {funny to us but maybe not to you} video...

Now between the swing ride and the little choo-choo train ride Nora was in HEAVEN! She specifically stayed on the train ride for about 10+ rides in a row and was all smiles each time. Too cute!

Our trip to this little amusement park has made us very excited about an upcoming trip to Disneyland that we're planning with the family. Adelyn and Nora are going to LOVE it!

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elsie's dedication & blessing

This past weekend we were honored to be able to dedicate Elsie at our church.

Now they've changed things up a bit since we dedicated Nora. One of the main things that has changed is that the parents are asked to write a special blessing that they read to their child the day of his/her dedication.

We were encouraged to read the book "The Blessing" by Gary Smalley and John Trent (awesome book - I'd totally recommend it) and pray through the blessing we want to give our children as they grow older.

Here's our blessing to Elsie Grace:

Sweet Little Elsie,

What an incredible blessing you are to all who know you! From the moment we found out we were expecting we haven’t stopped dreaming of all of the great things God has in store for you.

Elsie Grace – today (and everyday of your life) we commit to raising you in a home that is marked by true greatness - a passionate love for Jesus Christ that demonstrates itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others. We pray that you would grow up with a desire to personally know Jesus and that you would serve people with the same love Jesus showed us by dying for our sins on the cross.

As your middle name designates - our prayer also is that you would come to fully understand the truly amazing grace that our Heavenly Father has given those who know Him and that you would grow up to be a woman that is full of grace and truth.

Elsie – we are confident of God’s great plan for your life and so grateful to be able to call ourselves your mommy and daddy.

With much love and humility –

Mommy & Daddy

Thanks so much to all who were able to be with us at church this past weekend - both friends and family. We're so thankful for the incredible people God has put in our lives who also have committed to helping us raise our girls to love and serve Jesus with all of their hearts.

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make it work

I'll admit - I've only watched one season of Project Runway, so I'm a bit under-qualified to use PR Host Tim Gunn's famous phrase "Make it Work." But that doesn't mean that I don't think that there is some great truth in those three little words.

In actuality I really do think that in everyone's lives we're constantly "Making it work" - whatever that might mean for your family.

Right now for me "it" means (just to name a few)...

- my exhausted, still hugging baby weight body

- the "just didn't turn out right" dinner

- our broken dishwasher

- the french pedicure turned - eh - I have no idea what to call it now

- and finally - we're making a two bedroom condo work with our 4-person family by putting our little Elsie in our closet :) Complete with necklace mobile and personal fan. She's living the high life, huh?

Here's a sneak peek...

**I post this picture solely for our documenting purposes

What is your "it" right now?

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Steph's Pick | Happy Tots Organic Superfood

It's official... I'm starting a "Mamas of Picky Eaters Anonymous" group.

After seeking advice on Scottsdale Moms Blog this week via my post "Mommy SOS | Picky Eaters" I'm happy to have found a group of ladies that love (wink, wink) meal times as much as I do!

You see, Nora is a picky eater. Ugh... so sad about that because I'm a bit of a foodie. Here's how Urban Dictionary defines a foodie...

Foodie - A person that spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch ingredients and exemplary preparation.
A foodie is not necessarily a food snob, only enjoying delicacies and/or food items difficult to obtain and/or expensive foods; though, that is a variety of foodie.

And of course a picky eater is probably the furthest from a foodie by definition. So needless to say we've been having a little battle each and every day around the hours of 8 am, 12 pm and 6 pm.

Well I'm happy to report that thanks to some great suggestions on the above mentioned Scottsdale Moms Blog post we've at least found something that Nora will eat (that contains veggies) - Happy Tots Organic Superfood Pouches!!! Yipee!

Now do I want to have Nora eating these for the rest of her life? - No! But I figure it's at least working now. Like so many things in parenting you sometimes just gotta to do what you gotta do to get through the day ;)

Note: I'm also looking into purchasing a Sili Squeeze so I can make my own little pouches for Nora (at a much lower cost of course).

All for now... just a little something to consider if you too find yourself in a picky eater situation.

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a little {video} glimpse

I love to take video of the girls for no reason at all but to capture these precious moments of their lives. It doesn't have to be anything extremely noteworthy that I'm planning on documenting... just their sweet little faces (dirt/spit up and all in most cases) is reason enough to pull out the camera on a consistent basis.

Of course it's fun to take video of Nora when she's being my little barista or when she's eating a Popsicle. But I also love videos like the two below that show the good, the bad and the ugly (all in less than 2 minutes in Nora's video).

Consider these video's a little glimpse into what our days look like (minus the donuts of course - that was a treat).

First, here's Nora...

And then Elsie...

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Steph's Pick | Loving the Little Years

Very rarely do I post a book review on this blog. It's not that I don't read (I actually read a lot) but more that I don't know of too many books that I feel are worthy of one entire post.

Well - things are a-changing today ladies (and gents for those of you men who read our blog).

A couple months back a college friend of mine (hey sweet Lynette) suggested that I read Loving the Little Years. I'll be honest - initially I just assumed this was another parenting book. Don't get me wrong - I love me a good parenting book (heck, I even work for a parenting ministry so of course I love parenting resources). But there are times when I just feel overwhelmed with all of the books I should be reading... and all of the things I should be doing with the girls. When I start feeling like that I often just take a little break from reading non-fiction and switch over to my much loved fiction books.

Well this time around I'm so glad I took Lynette's advice. I purchased Loving the Little Years and within a couple days found 6 other young moms who were willing to read through it "with" me. I say "with" because let's be honest - long gone are the days of book clubs for me (tear). Instead we meet up for play dates and between "we don't hit our friends" lessons and sips of our triple shot vanilla lattes we talk briefly about the book.

Within a couple of days I received the book in the mail and was especially pleased to read the back cover:

"I didn't write this book because mothering little ones is easy for me. I wrote it because it isn't. I know that this is a hard job, because I am right here in the middle of it. I know you need encouragement because I do too.

This is not a tender reminiscence from someone who had children so long ago that she only remembers the sweet parts. At the time of writing this, I have three children in diapers, and I can recognize the sound of hundreds of toothpicks being dumped out in the hall.

This is a small collection of thoughts on mothering young children for when you are motivated, for when you are discouraged, for the times when discipline seems fruitless, and for when you are just plain old tired.

The opportunities for growth abound here but you have to be willing. You have to open your heart to the tumble. As you deal with your children, deal with yourself always and first. This is what it looks like, and feels like, to walk as a mother with God."

Phew. It sounded like exactly what I needed.

You see, as I sit down to write this I am anticipating the wake-up call of 2 little girls. There are toys sprawled out across the entire living room floor AND kitchen (no - I didn't clean them up during nap time). And yes, I probably could recite the Going to Bed Book. I know what motherhood in the trenches looks like.

With wisdom and humor, and in 20 very short chapters (think 3-5 pages each) Rachel Jankovic reminds us that sometimes when the attitudes are bad and everyone is crying the first person who needs to repent is Mommy. God is using these mischievous little angels to make us more like Him. Yes I did just use "mischievous" and "angels" in the same sentence. :)

While reading this book I literally laughed and cried. I will be reading it again soon, chapter by chapter, taking notes and absorbing ideas. In fact, I will probably read it every year. It's just that good!

So if you're a mom of little one's I would STRONGLY encourage you order this book today. It really has been food for my soul over the past few months.

***************

Read more from Rachel Jankovic:

DesiringGod :: Motherhood is Application

DesiringGod :: Motherhood is a Mission Field

DesiringGod :: Motherhood is a Calling

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Elsie {August} Happenings

So I certainly can't do a Nora {August} Happenings post without following it up with an Elsie {August} Happenings post, right?! ;)

Despite being a bit bug-eyed in the above pic, she's pretty cute, huh?!

Here's a little about Ms. Elsie...

• 3 months old!!!
• Learning to smile and coo = precious.
• Rolling a lot! She rolled for the first time at 3 weeks old (for those of you who are not familiar with baby milestones this is VERY early for a baby) and she's been rolling ever since. Essentially if you leave her on the ground you can be assured she will not be in the same position when you come to check on her.
• Has taken up residency in our master bedroom closet. You see we live in a small 2 bedroom condo. We've always wanted to keep Elsie in our room until she starts sleeping through the night (we've had no such luck - yet!)). She was getting too loud in the bassinet right next to my side of the bed so I had to get creative. Luckily the bassinet fits really nicely in the closet. I actually figure she probably likes it as it's quite cozy and my necklaces hang on the wall right next to her - it's like a make-shift mobile.
• Her tummy issues are finally getting better. Thank you Jesus! This of course makes her so much happier.

And finally - because so many people ask - here's a pic of Nora and Elsie at 3 months old. It's always so fun to compare pictures of the girls.

What do you think? Do they look like sisters?

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Steph's Pick | City Moms Blog Network

Yes... I know...this isn't my usual "Steph's Pick" recipe or product pick but please stick with me because this is something I'm SUPER excited about (which of course is why it is labeled a "Steph's Pick").

Some of you may remember my Start your own Local Moms Blog post back in May. Well I'm pleased to report that as a result of our SMB Media Group Webinar in June we now have THREE Sister Sites up and running...and more importantly - reaching the moms in their communities!

Dallas Moms Blog, Peach State Moms Blog and the Quad City Moms Blog are run by local moms that love their cities and all their cities have to offer families! If you live in any of those areas OR know anyone who live in them please be sure to direct them to these awesome resources.

We're so thrilled with how things are going that we're wanting to invite YOU (mamas and mamas-to-be) to be a part of the action!

If you're interested in the possibility of joining the City Moms Blog Network - visit our “Start a Sister Site” link. We're currently taking registrations for our next City Moms Blog Network Webinar on September 17th. During this Webinar Joy and I will cover the logistics of setting up a SMB Sister Site, Content Management, Working with Local Businesses and Event Planning basics. At the end of the webinar attendee’s will have the opportunity to move forward with partnering with us as a Sister Site.

Email me at steph@scottsdalemomsblog.com for more details! We'd love to have you join us!

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Nora's {August} Happenings

It's been a busy month for Ms. Nora (and Elsie of course but we'll wait to do a different post for her)...and we still have a couple weeks left!

Here's a little Nora happenings update...

Just last weekend Nora and Alan went on a daddy-daughter date to Barney LIVE in Concert. Yes - you read that right. Our little Barney lovin' Nora got to see the big purple guy LIVE :) I think it may have been the highlight of her life thus far ;)

Not only did she get to go with her daddy BUT she also was joined by two of her dearest little girlfriends - Reagan & Colette (and their daddy's too of course).

Let's just say these little girls had the time of their lives... dancing...clapping...singing... all sorts of things. And I'm pretty sure the dads enjoyed themselves too, right?!

And as with life, all good things must come to an end...

Just two days after her roof-top Barney experience Nora had quite the scare.

At the end of Nora's nap-time I heard a very loud bang coming from her bedroom. I of course ran to her door to see what had happened and found the door locked! (Nora just recently learned to lock herself in her room - this was the 2nd - and last- time she's done it. We've since changed the door handle).

I spent the next 5 minutes trying to open the door with anything I could get my hands on. Luckily Alan returned home from work just in time to kick open the door (that's my hubby) and found Nora's dresser on the ground and our sweet little Nora scared to death in her crib.

We're still not sure exactly what happened, but we're certain that God had his guardian angels protecting our little girl as somehow she escaped the incident with only a bruise on her cheek.

Here are a couple pics to document her battle wound. The first was taken about an hour after everything had happened and then second before bedtime that night.

Needless to say we're telling everyone that has children to 1)flip your door handles around so the locks are on the outside (it will save you a heart attack) and 2)bolt your furniture to the wall. We of course learned these two lessons the hard way... as with much of life...but we're making our mission to encourage others not to make the same mistakes.

Nora is recovering quite well.

And lastly... I've recently trained our new Keurig Barista... and I LOVE it!!!

Here's a (fairly lengthy) video of one of her earlier coffee making endeavors.

Stay tuned for an Elsie update soon!

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Steph's Pick | Top Kids Snacks

Ever since Nora started eating solid foods it seems as if my diaper bag has become more of a snack bag. And I'm not saying that I just stick a large container of puffs in the diaper bag and call it good. I'm talking lots of different kinds of snacks!

You see one thing I've learned is that it is especially important with spirited/strong-willed children to give them options. For example: Do you want to wear your pink or yellow bib? Do you want to climb into the car by yourself or have mommy help you? Would you like to color or play with your ice cream set? Would you like apples or grapes? Or peas or corn? The list is endless. I probably give my sweet little Nora 50 different decisions to make any given day. I'm still choosing the two options but she is then making the final decision.

The reason I mention this is because this is the exact reason why if you took a peak into my diaper bag you'd find 5+ snack options. :)

Recently I posted a "Mama Question of the Night" on Facebook (I've been doing this ever since Elsie was born simply to encourage moms to share their experiences on various topics). The question was : What are some healthy snacks you give your kids on the go?

Below is a Top 10 List of Healthy Kids Snacks. Some are idea's submitted via Facebook and others are one's taken from my bag of tricks (or bag of snacks...hehe).

Top 10 Healthy Kids Snacks

• Nuts - pistachios, pecans, etc. Note: be sure to take special note of the child's age and allergy recommendations for this snack. We buy the large bag of de-shelled pistachios from Costco and it's great.
• Fruit Leathers/ Cliff Fruit Twists
• Frozen Fruit - I love this - especially for the summer. Stick grapes, berries and melon in the freezer in little baggies. Grab one before heading out the door to be used later for a cool refreshing snack.
• Cheese - string cheese, sticks of cheddar cheese, etc.
• Apple Slices - My new favorite thing is the pre-sliced apples from Costco. They last forever and require no prep work. Very easy for an on the go snack.
• Frozen Go-Gurt - Freeze gogurt like a Popsicle.
• Dried Fruit - raisins, cranberries, cherries...you name a fruit and I'm sure you can get it dried (or DIY if you're super motivated).
• Veggies Sticks - Alright... I'll admit. These aren't the most healthy things in the world but Nora just loves them. You can buy them in a uber-large bag at Costco.
• Mini Peppers - Nikki says they sell them at Costco (totally going to have to try this).
• Puffs/Cheerios - a staple for lots of moms.

Do you have any healthy snack ideas to add to this list? Comment below.

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Steph's Pick | Bacon Wrapped Dates

Eh??? I'm sure that's what you were thinking when you read that I was blogging about Bacon Wrapped Dates! Although I'm a self professed lover of anything wrapped in bacon, the minute I heard the word "date" I wasn't (initially) interested.

However, I was introduced to these little sweet and savory bites at last month's Scottsdale Cooking Club (thanks Claire) and because I've decided I'd try EVERYTHING at our SCC meetings, I grabbed one for my plate.

Let me tell you folks.... these are DELICIOUS! And so easy to make. So easy that I've already made them and have plans to make them again really soon.

Thanks again Claire for introducing me to this super easy appetizer!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 16-ounce package of Applewood Smoked bacon (regular thickness-not thick cut), cut into thirds
1 8-ounce package of pitted dates

Directions

1. Wrap each individual date in a strip of bacon until each date is fully wrapped then place toothpick in the center to hold the bacon and date together.
2. Place tin foil on a cookie sheet pan and then a cookie cooling rack on top of the cookie sheet pan. Place your bacon wrapped dates on top of the cookie rack and broil until bacon is fully cooked. (Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn)
3. Once they are cooked take out and cool for 5-10 minutes.

Makes 25-30 bacon wrapped dates.

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what's in a name? | elsie

~above pillow designed and created by a dear friend, Amy J.~

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

- Proverbs 22:1

After Elsie was born a number of you asked how we came up with her name. Well wait no longer...Here's how...

There were a number of things we took into consideration when deciding on her name:

- Does it "go" with Nora?

- Is it popular?

- Does the meaning align with something we believe in?

- Do we like it?

We started looking for names on the Social Security Administration Baby Names Website. First we searched the Top 200 names of the 1880s. Obviously Nora is a bit "older" name (although it is making a come-back) so we went as far back as the SS Website would take us. And that's where we "met" the name Elsie (#55).

Although I liked it a bit more than Alan (he had some coming around to do), neither of us had ever

a) heard of the name (no - we hadn't ever heard of Elsie the Cow) or

b) know anyone with the name Elsie.

So it met a number of our qualifications right from the start... it "went" with Nora, wasn't too popular and we liked it.

Now for the meaning....

Elsie - my God is a vow or God's promise

Perfect!

Our prayer is that Ms. Elsie Grace will grow up to fully understand the many promises that our great God has given to those who trust in His Son Jesus! And that she would come to know the incredible grace given to us in Christ Jesus. May these things be the aroma of our homes and our hearts. Amen!

And a sweet little video of the little peanut...

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a baby shower {for michelle}

No two words get me much more excited than the words BABY SHOWER!

Honestly... what can be better than the new mom-to-be glow mixed with a good party to honor that special lady?

Upon hearing that my sweet friend, Michelle, was expecting, I immediately started thinking "What kind of baby shower would she like?!" You see one of my very favorite parts of planning a shower is considering what the mom-to-be might like and not like.

Here were the things I knew about Michelle after having known her for going on 8 years...

Dislikes: Cheesy Games, anything that puts a lot of attention on her, anything boring/dull (because she's as far from those two words as anyone I can think of)

Likes: Delicious and well displayed food, tasteful decor

So... we browsed the web and came up with a Dessert & Drinks party idea with a Teal, Black and White theme.

The "event" started off with this invitation...

Here are a few pics of the food {and decor}...

Here's the menu:

Mini Cappuccino Mousse cups

Mini Chocolate Mousse cups with raspberry garnish

Chocolate Peanut Butter cups

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Strawberry Marscapone tartlets with balsamic reduction

Key lime tartlets

Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate shavings

Brie with orange fig spread

Creamy Roquefort w/ Bordeaux Cherries

And this is the best picture of the drinks that I got. We served White Wine Sangria, Blue Hurricanes and Jones Soda Co. Sodas (raspberry lemonade and cream soda flavors).

And it just wouldn't be a party without a group pic:

Shout out to Jennifer R for the AWESOME food, Brittany for the great decorations, Lindsay for hosting and Denise for working out the logistics of the game. Working with a "team" of ladies is the best!

We couldn't be more happy for Mike and Michelle and can't wait to meet Baby Boy B. in a little over a month.

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