How He Loves us

As Valentine's Day approaches my friend reminded me of something that not only rings true in my life but also in Kevin's. As much as Kevin and I love each other, our love can not and will never compare to the love of our God, Adoni. Below are the lyrics and video to one of our favorite songs. It is by John Mark McMillan and it perfectly describes what Kevin and I feel daily through the ups an downs of life here on earth. There are always tears shed at some point throughout the song because we are so thankful for God's love for us and we desire with every part of our being for others to know His perfect love and grace! 

 

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane
I am a tree
Bending beneath
The weight of his wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these
Afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize how beautiful you are
And how great your afflictions for me

We are his portion
And he is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meats earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart burns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way
He loves us

I thought about you
The day Stephen died
And you met me between my breaking
I know that I still love you God
Despite the agony
See people they want to tell me your cruel
But if Stephen could sing
He'd say its not true
Cause your good

The Nursery

Kevin finished this awesome painting in the nursery. I love it so much! 

I wish I could get better pictures but it's hard to get the right perspective. You'll just have to come see it for yourself! We put the paper lantern up and will soon have the bedding my mom's making for the crib. It's slowly coming together but we are getting so excited! Here is another picture:

Thank you Noni & Gramp for the Glider!

Butternut Squash Bisque

Tonight I made this wonderous soup that I found in a magazine! 

Here's the recipe and enjoy:

1    2 1/2 - 3 lb. butternut squash  (or 3, 12oz. pkgs. of frozen winter squash, thawed)
1/4 c. butter
1 medium onion
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
48 oz. of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 c. apple cider or apple juice
2 -3 tsp. red curry powder  (or more if you like)
1/2 c. sour cream
3 oz. smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded

1. Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. In 6qt. Dutch oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fresh squash (if using frozen squash add with apples and broth later), onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Add broth, apples, and cider/juice, and curry. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 25 minutes or until apples and vegetables are fully tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. When slightly cooled, puree in pot using an immersion blender (or puree in batches in a blender; return soup to pot). Blend in sour cream. Heat through. Remove from heat; stir in shredded cheese until melted. Top with bacon, celery leaves, and/or shredded cheese.

My notes: If using a blender to puree in batches, blend small batches and hold lid tightly down with dish towel. Otherwise the steam from the hot soup will explode (i mean it!) and it will burn you. Lesson you only need to learn once, haha. Also, you can make this a day ahead of time which I suggest because it takes awhile to make. Next day, gently reheat on low, stirring occasionally and make sure it does not boil.

A Comfortable Fit

For the last few months I've been caring for a 1 year old little girl at her home and next week will be my last week. The Lord truly blessed me with that job when it was needed and I am so grateful for how he provided for our needs. 

 Now, I'm transitioning to being a stay at home mom. Starting in March I will be caring for my good friends little girl, Adrianna, who is 8 months right now. She is such a great fit. The other day I took care of her and it was a good practice run with her at my home. Once our Baby K comes I'll take some time off and then take Adrie back. I'm sure she and Baby K will be good friends! hehe 

Here are some pics of Adrianna!

I am thankful the Lord has once again provided for our needs in such a great way!