Brenna's Baptism

Brenna was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 29, 2009 by her Daddy. Watching a child sit, all dressed in white, eager to be baptized is such a good reminder that we are all children of a Heavenly Father who loves each one of us dearly.

And here she is all perfectly clean. We asked her throughout the day, "Are you still perfect?" and she would confidently respond, "yup," and I'm pretty sure she was right. By the next day the answer turned into "I think so." We love our Brenna. It is a joy to watch her grow up and learn to choose what's right.

Summertime-Time for some Home made Fresh-Mex!

Try these. They are so, so good!

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

 (From Bon Appetite magazine Feb09, to The Californian, to me, to you)

15oz can black beans, drained 1/2 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp salt 

5 corn tortillas 

1 tbsp lime juice 

5 tsp olive oil, divided 

2 cups coleslaw mix, or shredded cabbage 

2 scallions chopped (I used green onions) 

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro ground black pepper, to taste hot sauce, to taste 

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Combine beans, cumin, and salt. Partly mash with fork. Divide mixture among tortillas, spreading evenly on one side of each. Set aside. 

Combine lime juice and 2 tsp olive oil. Add coleslaw mix, scallions and cilantro. Toss well. Season with pepper and hot sauce (if you want a kick). Set aside.

In large skillet, heat 3 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tortillas in a single layer (in batches if you need to), bean side up, and cook for 1 minute. Fold the tacos in half, then cook for about another minute per side until golden brown. Fill each taco with a quarter of the coleslaw mixture and the feta cheese. 

Muy delicioso!

Snow from Awhile Ago

We had a hot day at the ballpark yesterday and it made me think of you all who just got snow this past week. So to show a little sister solidarity, (and because I never posted anything from my trip) I thought I'd share some pics of my winter snow experience. Reagan and I got our passports and went up north in January to the great frozen tundra of Edmonton, Canada to visit Aimee-lia and Justin and their little darlings. It was c-c-c-cold there, (somewhere in the minus twenties, I block it out after I hear the minus part) but perfectly cozy in the house and the mall and the aquarium and the yummy place we ate sandwiches, donuts and cocoa. 

We really weren't outside much, just to get into the car and back to the house mostly. (Most of the homes there don't have attached garages and some don't have garages at all. . . I don't get it.) Fortunately she and her cousin Zach had a great time playing together inside. Unfortunately, my picture of the two of them is blurry. I bundled Reagan up one afternoon to play in the snow for a little bit, a very little bit. We were maybe out there for ten minutes and then I took her little nose and cheeks back inside before they froze off; I've heard that can happen, though usually it's a different body part being referred to.  

Here's Reagan with all her babies. The cousins, Kara and Kate, arrived just before Christmas and the baby dolls came on Christmas. Reagan was very attentive to the babies, especially making sure they had their pacifiers. She knows the joy that comes from one of those. Isn't it funny how the babies and the dolls are each dressed in green and pink? We didn't stage that, really. 

Me and the adorable armful. Twice as much to hold and love and change and feed, and since I am the auntie I only got to do the holding and loving and a little bit of the changing. So fun! 

Reagan adding a bit of color to the winter white. In about fifteen steps Reagan will make it to the back door on which hangs a plastic bag of full of dirty diapers frozen solid. Who needs a Diaper Genie when you've got the Diaper Abominable Snowman right outside your door. I just got a kick out of that. So glad we went, hope to make it back again sometime . . . during the Summer. :)

Snacktime

I unpeeled a banana this afternoon.

I noticed it had a little bruise and recalled the long drop it had suffered from my careless hands to the bottom of the grocery cart yesterday. 

I felt guilty. . . and a little sad.

Then I ate it. 

Tis the Season. . .

. . .to be ball-y. Cameron has started his rookie season in the Wildomar Little League. He's on the Padres, (inspite of all his Phillies gear. That's just because he is Roy's son.) and couldn't be more excited. The practices have been entertaining so far. Everyone runs wherever the ball goes. It looks a little more like soccer or football, but I'm sure they'll get it by the end of the season! Maddie is playing softball. She's loving the game, and the uniform. Maybe I'll post a picture sometime in the next six months!