Author: admin

This afternoon we got to go visit the Bennetts again (now that they are home! yay!) to oogle at the sweet twins. Gabriel is pretty much infatuated with his cousins. It’s so cute. But then again… we’re all infatuated with them, it’s just a necessary reaction. 🙂

Gabriel was playing with his toys earlier, then was excited about removing his socks & staring at his hands. Have I mentioned that he also waves hi/byebye now??

Gabriel, seeing Hannah and desperately wanting to touch and cuddle her! So cute.

He loves the babies’ heads, and I love this picture of the three grandkids together.

Grandmama with Noah, right before she got to help give him some lunch.

Five pound angels!

Noah & Hannah’s nursery — including the amazing changing table Grandpapa made. The cribs are in the works now! 🙂

Grandmama with her two grandsons; Ashley with her two babies.

Baby Photo Shoot!
 
I love these family pictures. 🙂

Time for a boys photo shoot!

Maybe this one is my favorite of the boys.

Praise the Lord!! Our God is good and faithful, and has brought our two newest family members safely into our arms.
Colin & Ashley Bennett are now the ecstatic, overjoyed parents to beautiful & healthy twins,

Rejoice with us over these wonderful olive shoots we have the privilege of loving. 🙂
And please pray with us for God’s grace to continue abundantly upon the Bennett household.

 
L: Hannah (she looks just like Ashley)
R: Noah (he looks just like Colin)
 
L: Auntie!!! loves her niece and nephew.
R: Gabriel, meeting his best friends.

L: I love this picture of their precious little faces!
R: Gabriel is already excited about his best friend Noah, and teaching him all kinds of things about being a boy.

L: Auntie with niece
R: Uncle with nephew

L: Grandpapa and Grandmama and Colin… and Hannah (wide-eyed!) and Noah (sleepy!).
R: I love this picture of Colin and his little son.

I am a happy lady right now: a warm fire is glowing in the woodstove, I just ate a great bagel (rare treat), the smell of freshly baking bread in the oven, and my little Gabriel is sitting here excited about spoons. He bangs them, gnaws on them, drops them so he can pick them back up… his excitement over something so small is contagious.

And right now, that contagion has bitten me. My “something small” is the Beaba Babybook I mentioned I got for my birthday a few weeks ago. Well, I am babysitting a friend’s active 2 year old today but didn’t want that to keep me from getting something done in my home too. He’s afraid of the vacuum, so I had to pass that up. And since I don’t want him getting into my cleaning supplies, the bathrooms will wait to be scrubbed until tomorrow. So I decided baking and cooking was today’s task. So! He “helped” me make bread, and thankfully Gabriel didn’t mind just watching. 🙂 And then I decided to make a few batches of baby food.

According to the Williams-Sonoma website, regarding my awesome Beaba Babycook: “The French baby-food maker that has won praise throughout Europe is finally available to American families. This compact countertop appliance multitasks as a steamer, blender, warmer and defroster to prepare fresh, healthy meals for baby. It starts by steam cooking vegetables, fruits, meat and fish in less than 15 minutes, preserving their vitamins and flavors, then purees or blends them to your desired consistency.“

And let me just tell you: it’s so true. I made a batch of peas, a batch of carrots, a batch of sweet potatoes… and then steamed (without pureeing afterward) sweet potatoes for us to have for dinner tonight. Since I teach on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, I have to make dinner early in the day. Not only did I make Gabriel enough food (it’s now frozen into cubes and stored in separate ziptop baggies) to last for a couple weeks, I also used the thing to prepare some of our own adult dinner! Pretty slick if you ask me.

I still have mixed feelings about the fact that I started solids so early. Nine months was the earliest I would let myself to do, but was hoping to make it twelve. Oh well. God guides each day and shows us where we need to bend our “plans.” 🙂 So since I was only half-hearted about this in the first place, days like today make me so happy. I know that I am able to make healthy food for my son, using a steaming method that keeps in vital nutrients (especially when I add the steaming water back into the food as I puree it). Plus, it’s easy enough that I can make baby food while caring for my baby in addition to watching someone else’s 2 year old AND making bread at the same time!

Pretty good, huh? 🙂

Family baking day!!

Have I mentioned how much my baby loves his sippy cup? He loves regular cups too… but they’re messier. 😉

And have I mentioned how much he looooooves music?
And how he passionately plays his xylophone? (best toy ever, apparently)

And it was Grandpapa’s birthday yesterday, so we got to visit him at work for a surprise lunch. Yay!

Dinner at my parents’ place on Sunday afternoon was lovely, including all kinds of delicious things to eat & drink.

Then yesterday I had morning coffee with Dad, lunch & shopping with my mom, hung out a little with my sis-in-law, and then got a fancy dinner date with my husband in the evening. What a fun day!

While my mother and I shared salad, a panini, and their famous Pommes Frites (not to mention drinking Carmellas) at our favorite local French bistro/cafe, Gabriel “feasted” on his own lunch of peas and carrots. It was his first time tasting peas, so I thought the bib was appropriate. Haha.

Me and my man.

For my birthday yesterday I was given some awfully fun new domestic “toys” I mean tools — Wustof knives, knife sharpener, cheese/chocolate/nut grater, coffee paraphenalia, and more…
But what I wanted to show off to y’all is my Beaba Babycook from Williams & Sonoma (among other places). I seem to remember Erin mentioning this once on her blog, and I never really looked into it. But whoa — it’s so much easier than doing stove & food processor. I’m already in love with it, and I’ve only been using it for a couple of days.
It might just be my new favorite thing in the kitchen.

((happy sigh))
New domestic toys –ahem, I mean, tools — make my life so much nicer. 🙂

I did it! And I am utterly pleased.
I made a batch of baby peas and a batch of baby carrots — froze them in ice cube trays, and am storing them in labeled ziptop bags in the freezer. Woo hoo!! And it was only $0.44 for the peas and $0.50 for the carrots, and then whatever a little water and a little propane and a little electricity cost. For 16 cubes of peas and 20 cubes of carrots! So pleased. 🙂

If anyone has any tips on making homemade baby food, let me know. I’m new to this.
Like… do any of you cube/freeze fruit, or do you always mash it fresh? How about adding citrus juice to keep avocados or bananas from browning? Do you thaw a cube in the fridge, on the counter, or in the microwave?

Well anyhow, it was so fast and easy and cheap. This little mama is quite thrilled right now. 🙂

My handsome Gabriel David, all tuckered out.

Since he’s nine months this week, we finally bought a box of rice cereal! Gabriel was pretty excited for the first three or four bites… we’ll see how it goes after this. I also got some fruits and veggies to start making baby food too. Wheeee! A new mommying adventure begins. 🙂

My dad was being sneaky, and took pictures of Gabriel having his first communion on Sunday. He loved it! And he loves being able to participate even more. His favorite part of Sunday worship is the singing though. He “sings” right along, and everyone within five pews can hear him. 🙂

He was pretty excited when we visited Auntie and Uncle the other day.

This was the gourmet dinner my husband made me, complete with chocolates and candlelight, for Valentine’s Day. Woo hoo!! Go Husby, go!! 🙂

And the sweet & simple Valentine’s breakfast, courtesy of me. 🙂 Heart shaped pancakes and strawberry smoothies.

And these are Gabriel, enjoying his child-sized rocking chair from his great-uncle and fam. It sits beside the adult-sized wooden rocker in our living room now. So cute! and beautifully made, too.

So these…
 
…are surprise [drop.dead.gorgeous] red roses from my adorably romantic husband.
Why?, you ask.
Because two years ago tonight he proposed to me.
Yep, and all the rest is an amazing book of God’s providence & romance.

Love you, sweetie. Here’s to waaaaaay more than two. xxx

We had SUCH a fun time at the shower yesterday for Ashley, Noah, & Hannah! Here are some pictures as concrete evidence. 🙂

The garlands hanging here say “Handsome Baby Boy” and “Precious Baby Girl” — I made them for Ashley for Christmas. And the “Noah” and “Hannah” name signs were made by Colin & Ashley for their nursery. We just borrowed them for decorations. 🙂

Everything was half pink and half blue — as much as possible! Here we had pink and blue jelly beans; then two kinds (plain or mint) of Double Stuffed (haha — pun definitely intended) Oreos, dipped in colored chocolate.

We also have onesie-shaped cookies (decorated girly & pink or boyish & blue), Twin pretzel bites (two bite-sized pretzels stuck together with pink and blue chocolate), a coconut flavored cake in which the batter was pink & blue swirled (and obviously decorated super duper cute in pink & blue by Grandmama), Twins in a Blanket (a bend on the common Pigs in a Blanket snack of bread-wrapped li’l smokies), and Twins in a Wrap (two Asian-marinated water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and brown sugar). Yummmmm! Also: coffe and punch (cherry limade punch with a fruit ring).

Yay for the happy Mommy and Daddy!!

Here’s my mom with Ashley & her cake.

Here’s the table set-up before ladies arrived. See that huge, amazing diaper cake? My mama made that! Wowza! 225 newborn sized disposable diapers, with dozens of little baby items to decorate it: socks, onesies, pacifiers, wash cloths, headbands, hats… I don’t even know what else. 🙂

And here’s another angle — judging from the pile of gifts, this was definitely taken after people arrived. 🙂

Here, I was orchestrating the Dirty Diaper game. I love watching people get queasy about looking at diapers with melted candy (we used Baby Ruth, peanut butter cups, Raisinets, Snickers, and 100 Grand) in them. Too funny. We also played a word scramble (twin themed!), and Sweet Baby Concentration which I half made up and half found online (my new favorite shower game).

L to R: Auntie Melissa and Cousin Gabriel, Grandmama Bennett, Mommy Ashley & the Twins, Grammie Schmidt, Aunt Whittney.

Still on doctors orders to lie low and keep her feet up… but she was allowed to come to the shower, hurray! So she kept her feet up even while opening presents. What a trooper. 🙂 Maybe bedrest isn’t so bad, after all. 😉

I gave her the thumbs-up for something… Hm. And Gabriel enjoyed sitting between me and our friend Mrs. Peterson. He loves to sit like a big kid.

Here’s my mister handsome!!

The musical mobile that matches her bedding sets — from Great Grandma.

Gabriel was enamored with this gift — it was from us (two Bumbo seats, one pink & one blue!) so he had been playing with it the evening before and again during the shower. He was playing it like a drum, as well as crinkling the wrapping in his hands over & over & over… 🙂

NOAH

Rest, Comfort, Peace

Genesis 5:29 – This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands.

Genesis 6:8 – Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 6:9 – Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:22 – Noah did all that God commanded him.

Genesis 9:1 – God blessed Noah, making him fruitful and multiplying him.

Genesis 9:9 – God said He established His covenant with Noah and with all his descendants.

Hebrews 11:7 – by faith Noah moved with godly fear and became an heir of righteousness.

2 Peter 2:5 – God saved only eight people, including Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness.

 

COLIN

Young creature/cub; people of victory; dove; virile (characterized by a vigorous, masculine spirit)

 

HANNAH

Gracious; favored; grace of God; favor; grace

The Lord visited Hannah – 1 Samuel 2:21

Hannah was a woman of prayer – 1 Samuel 1:13

She pours out her soul to the Lord – 1 Samuel 1:15

The Lord remembers Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:19

The Lord grants her the desires of her heart – 1 Samuel 1:20

Hannah realizes that her son belongs to the Lord – 1 Samuel 1:22

Hannah is prayerful and poetic – 1 Samuel 2:1-10

 

LADONNA

Lady of the home; lady

 

BENNETT

From the medieval name Benedict, originating from the Latin “benedictus” meaning “blessed.”

 

 

Prayer:

 

Ashley, I have a word of blessing for you today.

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42).

Genesis 49:25—may the Almighty God bless you from heaven above, from earth beneath, and from your womb.

 

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”—we see this throughout Scripture—2 Samuel 6:18, Psalm 118:26, Matthew 21:9, Mark 11:9, Luke 19:38, John 12:13.

 

As children of Christian parents—Colin and Ashley—these children are coming in the name of the Lord. These children are covenant children and God’s blessing is to them. And to their children. And to their children’s children. By giving birth to these little babies, Ashley is spreading forth the Gospel not only to one more generation, but to generation upon generation. Ashley, may your children rise up and call you blessed (Proverbs 31:28). And may God have mercy upon these babies, for they are His (Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16).

 

Now, let us come with humble hearts before our Lord and pray for Ashley and her babies.

 

Father God, we come to you in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Bless us, Lord, today as we fellowship and seek to bless the Bennett household. Send Your Spirit and hear our prayers. Be quick to answer and faithfully grant our requests in Christ’s name.

We enter Your courts with thanksgiving and praise today (Psalm 100:4), for these babies—Noah and Hannah Bennett—and their mother Ashley. We thank You for giving us this time of celebration, the means to shower them with gifts, and for safely bringing each woman to this celebration today. Bless our efforts, Lord, and provide for some of the Bennetts’ physical needs and also for joy & encouragement for Ashley today.

Give grace and strength to Ashley as she continues to hold these babies in her womb. Give her patience to lie low, give her courage to give birth, give her joy in motherhood, give her rest in weariness. Grow her faith.

 

Grow also, good God our Father, the faith of Noah and Hannah. These are Your children: do not leave them or forsake them (Deuteronomy 21:6, 8). Even as You have fearfully and wonderfully made this little girl and this little boy, knitting them together in the days You have recorded (Psalm 139:13-16), be their Lord even today and reveal Yourself to them in the womb (Psalm 22:9-10). You are God and You alone are able (2 Corinthians 9:8). From the mouths of Noah and Hannah, Lord, proclaim Your strength and power (Psalm 8:2). Teach them to honor their father and their mother (Deuteronomy 5, Ephesians 6), and to love their neighbor as themselves (Luke 10:27).

 

For Noah, Father, we beg of You to make him into a righteous man of Christlike character. Even like his biblical namesake, O God, find favor with this boy (Genesis 6:8). May he walk with You all of his days, following Your commandments (Genesis 6:9, 22). Make him a fruitful man, multiplying him, and continuing Your covenant through his faithful line of descendants (Genesis 9:1, 9). Make Noah Colin Bennett a faithful man, faithful Christian, faithful son, faithful grandson, faithful husband and father and friend: fill him with fear of his God and King, making him an heir of righteousness and proclaimer of Truth (Hebrews 11:7, 2 Peter 2:5).

 

For Hannah, Lord, we likewise beg Your mercy. Visit this little girl with Your grace and favor. Pour out Your Spirit upon her (Isaiah 44:3). Make her a woman of patience and prosperity. Bless the work of her hands and the toil of her loins. Mold Hannah into the likeness of a corner pillar in a palace (Psalm 144); strong and faithful while graceful and beautiful. Remember Hannah, O God, and grant her the desires of her heart (1 Samuel 1:19-20). Give her a poetic tongue and an ever-prayerful heart (1 Samuel 1:13, 15; 1 Samuel 2:1-10). Cause Hannah LaDonna Bennett to be a submissive daughter and wife; a diligent woman of prayer and service; a faithful woman, Christian, daughter, granddaughter, a faithful wife and mother and friend. Give her joy in being a weak vessel (1 Peter 3:7), and teach her to gain strength from Your Spirit (Ephesians 3:16).

 

In all of these things, O Lord our God, hear us and fulfill Your will through our petitions. Keep Your hand upon the Bennett family, giving extra portions of grace and patience to each member. Provide through Colin’s diligent labors, nurture through Ashley’s loving service, and bring joy beyond measure through these little babies.

 

By the power of the Holy Spirit and clothed in the blood of Christ, we pray. Amen.