family update

We started 2021 with four new additions to our family. Yes, FOUR.

(No, they aren’t all puppies. )

Two puppies and a toddler, and a blue and gold Macaw rescue. 

We decided to take in a stray pup that we had found , after nobody came forth to claim it at the shelter; we were offered the opportunity to adopt a sweet Chinese crested shitzu mix.

AND:

Our neighbors Labrador had a litter of puppies, and they blessed us by … GIVING us one of the females.

Now, for the toddler.

I can’t say too much about him because he’s our foster son, HOWEVER I can tell you that he’s three weeks older than my son, so now I have unrelated “twins”.

The bird we have been waiting on, there is a local bird rescue that we have been visiting (and got a few birds from) My husband has always wanted a blue and gold Macaw, and the rescue owner was keeping her eye out for one that’s just right. Obviously we needed one that loves people, big and small. 

I love rescue birds…. they somehow “know”…. 

Over the past few years, my life has shifted in so many ways; I no longer have the time to bake perfectly footed macaroons and elaborate cakes; much less photograph them. Nowadays, my days are a constant rotation of laundry, dishes, diapers, meals for kids, and cleaning up between it all. I know, you’re probably thinking “what about time for yourself?” And, although that is hard to come by, I have managed a few ways to squeeze in a few precious moments of stillness. Here’s how:

• I wake up at 4, and get out of bed at 4:30am. In those 30 minutes; I pray over my family and the day ahead, and collect my thoughts to face the day ahead.  I won’t lie: Some days are really hard. I have to facilitate a Zoom call three times a week for a two year old that has no clue who is on the other end, and field questions and comments  from a parent that hasn’t had her child in nearly two years. I get questions about what he’s eating to whats that noise (I have other kids, dogs and birds) to her telling me how to parent… (I have a license to parent…so……)  Those are some of the difficult tasks at hand, and those days I have a sense of anxiety and dread that sometimes shadows my cupcakes and butterflies attitude. (haha) 
• I LOVE audiobooks and AirPods. It’s tiny snippets of escape after getting Frozen songs stuck in my head
• I stay up an hour later to watch a show with my oldest daughter (we love When Calls The Heart) 

I do, however still love baking. Nowadays it’s more cooking, though. Family meals for our family of seven, I’ve become a huge fan of cozy casseroles, crisp salads, colorful stir frys, and anything in the instant pot. Of course, the kids don’t always love the salads, that’s when my Homemade spaghetti o”s come into play. 

Her’s a sneak peek of upcoming recipes: