Lake of the Ozarks

This past weekend we took a mini vacation with the Moore family to the Lake. We stayed at a small fishing resort, rented a pontoon, did some "hiking" and fishing, although the fish were not biting. We all had a wonderful and relaxing time. I took 63 pictures of the entire weekend, so I will attempt to cut that down and and only put a few on here.

It's Official!

This one is going to be trouble!

We had a wonderful ultrasound last night and found out we are going to be blessed with another girl! We were able to bring the kids with us and spend some quality sonograph time with our little girl. We saw her playing with her toes, yawning, drinking and chewing on her hand. She moved tons and it was exciting to see. She looks normal and healthy and we are so thankful for that. Patrick and Ella loved watching their baby sister and Patrick even requested to see her heart and spinal cord!

Busy Weekend

This weekend was very busy. We had a wonderful time and have slept the sleep of the weary each night. We had fun, worked on the house and visited with friends. I took pictures of some of our doings, but not nearly all. So here are just a few of the things we did this weekend: played at a "big,huge playground", went to Grant's Farm, planted a tree, planted flowers and sprayed my wicker furniture black.

Black Bean Soup

This is by far the best Black Bean Soup I have tasted. After adding sour cream and cheese of course! It is also lowfat and easy,easy to prepare! It says 4 servings, but I think it is more like 6-8 servings. You can also use Rotel instead of salsa. I also made mine in the crockpot and let it simmer all afternoon.


1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups fresh salsa
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 16-oz can refried beans
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped(optional)

Heat the oil in a saucepan or large pot over medium heat. Add the salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.Add the refried beans, black beans, and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Top with some of the remaining salsa and sour cream and cilantro(if using).
Calories:150 Fat:3g( 2 sat.grams) Sodium:830mg(whoa!) Carbs:28g

More Easter Pictures

And the Baby is......

WE DON'T KNOW!!!! I know, a big let down, isn't it? We are feeling a little disappointed too. The baby had its legs closed tight the entire time and the sonographer said she couldn't tell for sure. On one shot, she said, well, maybe a girl, but there is a foot in the way. So, for now, we are thinking girl. We have afriend at church who does sonography for a living and has offered with each child to do a more extensive look (bringing in dvds, videos, if you want to record). So I will be calling her and hopefully know for sure in the next two weeks.

Dyeing Easter Eggs

Boy or Girl?

April is one step ahead of me! She already has a vote ticker on her blog, and I don't know how to do that. I was going to post this later this weekend, but mind as well do it now. My doctor appointment is Monday and I think we are going to find out. I am getting rather excited. We already have one of each and so I am eagerly waiting to see what the Lord has given us this time around. Plus, it is easier to pick names when you know the sex, and since we can't agree right now on names, narrowing it down may be just what we need.
So.... have at it, what will it be?

Turkey Hill

While James went bike riding this weekend with a bunch of guys ("I am so sore, I feel like I birthed a baby!"), my friend Tracie and I took the kids to Turkey Hill along with Shayne and Payton. We had a good time riding horses, playing on the playground and visiting old friends.