The Busiest Time of Year

 Elyse meeting Santa Claus for the first time. 

 Elyse and Addyson. 

 Aren't my boots stylish? 

 Elyse was more interested in her boots then having her picture taken

with Kyleigh and Jakob. 

 We introduced organic oatmeal cereal, mangoes, and sweet potatoes. She still prefers breastmilk over it all but she is doing really well with catching on. 

She also has her first 2 teeth coming through her bottom gums. 

 Christmas morning with my side of the family. We celebrated in Louisville, KY and loved 

all the fun memories of games and GREAT food!

My Little Wooden Blocks

 One of the fun things I like to play with. Mimi and Grandpy Hoover, this is what I bought from your gift certificate that you gave me.

Baking Bread and Bathing Baby

 Beginning the first of the year I am starting a home-based baking business. I made this Chocolate Chip Challah bread as a test run. Boy was it yummy! I am sending out monthly bread newsletter with the list of breads I am making for that month. Then I will deliver in town and ship out of town to customers. I am really excited about this new adventure. 

 My Brod & Taylor bread proofer. 

 The finished product of the Chocolate Chip Challah Bread. Here is the recipe: 

Ingredients

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 c. sugar and one pinch

7 c. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 T salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil, plus more for coating the bowl where the dough will rise

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Set aside while you measure out the other ingredients or until frothy. 
• Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour in yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 egg, the vegetable oil and 1 cup warm water; stir until combined(the dough will seem watery). Gradually stir in the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour. Mix in the chocolate chips. 
• Turn the dough out on to a well floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth, about 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a large oiled bowl covering the bowl with plastic wrap and placing in a warm place until doubled in size. 1 to 1hour and 30 minutes. 
• Once the dough has risen then remove dough from bowl and separate into 3 balls. Roll each ball out into a rope that measure 16 inches long and is about 2 to 2 1/2 inches in width. Then on a piece of parchment paper place each rope side by side and pinch them together at one end. Then braid the 3 strands. Once braided pinch the dough together at the end. 
• Place the loaf on a baking sheet. Beat the remaining egg with 1 Tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash all over the surface of the dough and then place the loaf into the oven. Bake until golden brown about 30 minutes. Cut and serve warm with butter. T

 Tip: This makes AWESOME french toast!

 Offspring is doing so well in the sitting up department. She is no longer being bathed in her baby bath but sitting up by herself in her bathing safety seat in the big tub! What a sweet wet baby. 

 One of her rubber duckys lights up and she loves to watch it float around the tub. 

 I just want to kiss her little cheeks every time I see them. Don't worry I do. 

She has a big belly just like her daddy. Love it!

Our Decked Halls

Christmas decorations are up and we are ready to celebrate. We are so excited that this is our offspring's first Christmas. It has been so great to see her reaction to all the lights we have around the house. We truly are blessed!

 She loves the lights. 

Love our Walks

 Blue keeping an eye on the squirrels. 

 Offspring enjoying her walk to see the horses. 

 We have been so fortunate it has been in the lower 60's and sunny. What a great week of walking!!!

 Blue running like a mad man. 

Thankfulness

At this time of the year I like to reflect on the many things for which I am thankful. I could run down a list like most people do, but instead I am just going to sum up my year in a few words grace, dedication, love, and trials.

It all begins with God's undying and irreversible grace. Thank you God for sending your very precious loving Son to take on my many sins past, present, and future. I never truly understood the sacrifice you gave until having my own little one. The most amazing thing about it all, is that like all little ones, Elyse's soul has been in your gracious presence before you gave her to us. Every time I look into her eyes I am reminded that you are in control and without your grace I am not able to exist each and everyday. With knowing that your grace surrounds me I am able to be the wife, momma, daughter, friend, and Christian woman you desire me to be. Being all these people to different people takes dedication.

Dedication to decorate my home with love and laughter, as well as a good meal or two. Having the most dedicated husband to work as hard as he does to supply us with the income to have the nice things that we have. I know this has been hard for me to grasp this year because I have always been one to help with finances.  I understand now with the birth of our first child I wouldn't want this any other way. I am blessed BEYOND words with the most amazing, trustworthy, and loving man I have ever met.

"The greatest of these is Love." I never knew how great this word was until we had our first child. Of course there is the ABUNDANT love I have for my little sweet Elyse but my love for my spouse has grown exceeding as well. Ever time I look, kiss, or laugh with my sweet baby I am reminded that all of this would not be possible without God, spouse, & love. This all is good and appreciated but then there come the trials.

Why the tests and trials? I thought I was finished with these once I was out of school. Not the case. In the most recent week I have cried, I feel, more than any other time in my life. My trial is the fear of the unknown. Can this be a trial? Yes! I have come to cherish the Bible verse Phillipians 4:19 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understandings. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths." The pouring out of every part of my being is that the Lord will direct my path and that He will show me all the way through this trial. It is my belief that without trials there would be no need for God's grace, to show dedication, or to know love. So, yes I am thankful for all these things... even the trials.

Love & Smiles

 Because of these moments is one of the many times I love being a stay-at-home momma.

Spouse's New Toy

 This weekend has been so fun. Spouse purchased a new UTV called a RZR and it has been so much fun to ride around on. Pet loves a good ride.

 Best buds taking a ride around on the property. 

 Riding off into the sunset. 

 Offspring and I rode together with spouse and loved every minute. I squealed having so much fun that when I looked down at offspring she was smiling really big. 

 I can see it now. "Dad, I want to drive. Come on, please!!!!" 

 One of the many things I am excited about is that we are getting a tiller to add to the back of it and it will till my garden in half the time it does to use my walk behind tiller.