We are ready for Spring!

It was a beautiful day today! What a better way to celebrate warmer weather than with a chicken nugget picnic at the park! Bummer that it won't last. "They" are calling for snow showers on Saturday. Boo!!! Maybe that darn groundhog was right.

Moving along

Would you consider this crawling?!

Chili Cookoff pictures...

Apparently there was a trophy for the chili cookoff...but we didn't get to take it home and display in the middle of our dining room table.

The cookoff was on Friday the 13th, hence the Jason reference. Didn't want you to think that Dan works with a bunch of axe murders. At least I don't think he works with a bunch of axe murders, I've never asked.

Next stop...Food network!

In November, Dan entered my chicken chili into a chili cook off for his division in his company. Out of nine chilies, my chili got second place! Not too bad. Well, last Friday was his company wide chili cook off. He wanted me to enter my chicken chili again. This time the competition was a little more fierce, there were 5 different categories...beef, pork, hot, poultry, vegetarian, and other (don't even want to know what's in that!!) to make a total of 34 different chilies competing. Wasn't sure how my little simple chicken chili would hold up.

Dan called me after the competition to let me know that (...drum roll please...) my chili won the poultry category! I thought that was pretty cool. Then he went on to tell me that it was also the Grand Champion!! It beat out all the other chilies in all the other categories to take home the grand prize! Ain't that grand?!

So maybe I won't be the Next Fo*d Network Star, but I am a star in my own kitchen! Or at least that's what I tell myself. Us stay at home moms will take all we can get!

Hmmm...wonder what I need to do to enter that little Pillsbury Bake Off thing?

Naptime

This is what happens when we get up at 6!! Come lunchtime we are little tired...


Untitled from Rebekah Eekhoff on Vimeo.

I shoulda just kept my big mouth shut!

On Sunday night while the guys were watching the Super Bowl, and the ladies were waiting for the next commercial we started talking about sick kids. I said, "I feel blessed to have never had any stomach flu or any g.i. issues come through our house." The moms looked at me in disbelief, "you mean, you have never had any of your kids throw up?" "Nope," I said, "we've had colds but none of the yucky stuff."

Now, why did I have to go and say that? I should have just listened to the conversation and kept my trap closed. Because sure enough on Tuesday night while I was at bible study, Dan called. "Taryn is throwing up, what do I do." Honestly, I didn't know. "Get her off the couch and wrap her in towels!" I remember one of my friends doing that with her kids.

Thankfully she slept well last night and was in good spirits this morning. But after breakfast, another bout and again after lunch. Needless to say I only gave her some juice and pears for dinner.

So I'm not going to say that I hope the other kids don't get it. Nope, not gonna say it.

What's in a name?

Little did we know two years ago how much a little girl would rock our world. We already had one daughter who was easy and compliant so we thought we were just awesome parents. But, as we all know, God has a way of humbling us. Enter Taryn. It should have been a clue when we decided on her name which is Irish means "rocky hill." I wonder if she would have been different if we named her "still waters" or something like that. She was just a high maintenance baby. Oh how we loved her, but oh how we loved her when she was finally asleep! Even now Taryn is our "busy" little girl. She doesn't sit still for more than a few seconds. I often say that she gives me the most joy, but also the most angst and usually within just a few moments of each other.

Ready to go home from the hospital

1st Birthday

Her blond hair and blue eyes sparkle with energy. She loves to play hard, but is always willing to crawl on any lap to read a book. She exerts her will and is so proud of herself when "I do it!" She loves her sister and thinks her little brother is pretty cool too. Even though this little fireball is only two, I can tell she will be a girl who will be passionate about what she does. I am excited to see how this one will grow up. Will she use this energy to tell others about her Savior? Will she use her busy hands to serve others? Will her heart be soft towards those who are hurting? Will she use her will to stand up for what she knows is right? Will she boast not in herself but boast in the Lord?

Mickey is her favorite these days.






Happy Birthday Pumpkin!!!