Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Best for Baby

1 Peter 2:2 (New International Version)

2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.


We had such a treat yesterday at Project HOPE. Misty Singelton, an ADN student at TVCC, has been doing her service project at our place for the past few weeks, and she did a lab and presentation yesterday with some of my girls. She taught them how to make their own baby food, rather than buy the prepackaged kind (like Gerber and such).

She purchased $10 worth of prepackaged baby food, which was 10 packages; enough to last a 6 month old for 3 days. She also purchased $10 worth of fresh produce, which is enough to feed a 6 month old for about 4 weeks. It was amazing. She onlycooked half of what she bought for this presentation, and we had 40 servings prepared already.

I took pictures all along as she prepared the foods. Baking the apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, and acorn squash makes them squishy enough to then be pureed in the blender or mashed with a fork. Things like bananas and pears don't have to be baked at all...just mashed or pureed. You don't have any preservatives, and the flavor is SOO much better. She had the girls taste the prepackaged version of each food first, then the fresh alternative. The fresh ones won every single time, hands down.

She said that if you spend one day a month, about 2-3 hours preparing all the foods, you will have your baby's food for a month at your convenience. Once the purees are prepared, they are put into regular old ice trays and covered with saran wrap or the equivalent. Just write on the outside what you've put in the tray and you are all set! Pop them out and thaw at your convenience.

All the recipes she shared were at www.wholesomebabyfood.com. There are tons of them there; she just did the basic "first foods" for us.

It was a blessing for us and our girls. Pass on the website to anyone you know who has a baby! :)















Friday, March 27, 2009

United Way Fish Fry

Matthew 15:33-37

33His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"

34"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."

35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.

36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them
and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people.

37They all ate and were satisfied.


From 11:00am to 12:30pm today, go by the firehouse at city hall and pick up a catfish lunch for yourself and a friend or two...the City of Terrell is helping to raise funds for the Kaufman County United Way. Each lunch includes catfish or grilled chicken, side dishes, dessert, and a drink for $8.00. You'd spend that on lunch anyway, so let it go to a good cause! :)

I hope to snap a photo or two as they cook today. If I do, I'll post it up later. Have a great day!



OK, so I didn't get to shoot any pics of them cooking...but I did take a pic of the fabulous meal before eating it all up!!! :)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

2 Years...in memory of Byron V. Black, 6/25/67 - 3/25/07



Jeremiah 49:11

11 Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives.
Your widows too can trust in me."


It's almost impossible for to believe that it's been two years since my husband died. Two years ago this morning, just about at this time, my world changed forever. I was looking back at an email I sent to various friends about that day. It's posted below for reference.

Two years later, we are coping as well as anyone could expect, I suppose. I know the boys miss their daddy terribly. There have been so many things that have happened in their lives that I wish he was here to see or participate in...football games, band practices, soccer, basketball, girlfriends, school assemblies, drivers ed, baptisms...but I know he was watching from above and smiling all the while.

We're going to New York, TX today to the cemetery. We don't go often, mostly because it's so far away, but also because I know he's not really there, anyway. We'll go by and pick up Byron's mom (she lives in Athens) and go out to the cemetery and then to lunch or something. I plan to take a few pictures today out there. Charlotte will be 80 in May and I want to get some photos of her with the boys every time we are together. I'll post as soon as we get back.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your prayers.


Email sent 3-31-07

I have tried to think of ways to help sort this whole surreal event out in my mind, and it was suggested to me by my pastor to reach out for strength. I am asking for your prayers, if you are a person of faith, or your positive energy, if you have alternate beliefs.

On Sunday morning at 7:23 am, I found the love of my life unresponsive, blue, and cold in our bed. He had passed during the night sometime, while we were sleeping. I found myself in some strange fog, calling 911 and performing CPR until paramedics and a physician arrived. The doctor, who had left his shift at the hospital and was on his way home when he heard the call, came to me while the paramedics were working and told me that "this was not going to be a successful resuscitation." Those words didn't register in my mind. I begged him to try everything he could, so they took him to the hospital and tried for over an hour to save him. There was no hope...and the doctor came out to explain to me and my three children that he was gone.

I cannot in a million years imagine how I am going to spend the rest of my life without him. He has been there for me for so long that I don't remember life before he was there. This has been an unimaginably hard week, and every minute I think it might get the slightest bit easier, something happens and I see him...I hear a song, or smell something familiar...it's just so hard to even breathe sometimes. I have cried until I think I can't make any more tears. There are just no words that can explain why a 39 year old man's heart would stop in the night. I am so angry...and lost...and forever broken.

I keep trying to be as strong as possible for the boys, but it is so hard. They're handling this better than I expected, but that's the beauty of the resiliency of children. Our oldest is much more acutely aware of the depth of this loss, as he and his dad have truly been best friends.

We have a wonderful network of extended family, friends, and church members who have come out en masse to comfort and assist in every way possible...but nothing is filling this gaping hole in my soul. At this point, I cannot ever imagine it being filled again. After days of constant activity, and people coming and going from my house, I find myself alone with my thoughts this evening. Please help me understand why this has happened...and how I can get through the rest of my life without him.


Sunday, March 22, 2009

Oreo Again (you might need to get used to that)

1 Corinthians 13:13

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.



I can't help it if he's just terminally cute and is a great model. ;)

Here are some pics of day 2 with Oreo.





Saturday, March 21, 2009

Skywatch Friday

Psalm 57:8

8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.





...well, actually Saturday morning...this is my view over my back fence every day. It was much nicer before they put up those power lines, but I must admit, I like electricity. ;)



Happy Spring and have a wonderful weekend!!!!!

Meet Oreo

Genesis 1:25

25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Meet Oreo, our newest family member. He is almost 6 weeks old. He is a Great Pyrenees. This young man will be quite large but totally awesome with the boys. He runs around like a spotted cotton ball with legs. We are already in love. :)





Friday, March 20, 2009

Hey Jersey

Judges 5:3

3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to the LORD, I will sing;
I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel.


Hey Jersey is a great local band. The guys are Matthew, Dustin, Collin, and Cale. They are quite talented and were nice enough to let me give them a photo shoot in Downtown Terrell on Thursday. It was a great opportunity for me to experiment with band photography, and I think they will be happy with the results. At least I hope so! :)






Thursday, March 12, 2009

Soccer Season

Ecclesiastes 4:9

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:


Soccer season is upon us. J.P. is playing for Team Barcelona, and is looking to be a pretty good ball handler so far. His teammates have played longer, I think, but he's working hard to help make this team all it can be. Go Barcelona!