instagram

My friend has this great app on her phone called instagram...and then sends me these great pics. Our little Lainey-Lu.

cacao

In Hawaii they pronounce it /cuh-cow'/ which is the plant we get our cocoa or chocolate from. My neighbor grows these in her backyard and brought these fruits over to us. So I was determined to make some chocolate. Once I researched it and realized I didn't have the equipment to make creamy chocolate, I decided I would settle on a coarse cocoa powder that I would add to smoothies for it's antioxidants.  

So here are the fruits. The flesh of the fruit (there's not much there) tasted sort of like mango.

Then we dried the beans for a few days until they turned a light brown. After that we roasted them in our oven until they started popping and smelling like chocolate.

 Once they cooled we removed the outer shell until you had just the nibs left.

And then I ground it up in my coffee bean grinder until we had this powder.

11 months

Our baby is a month away from turning one and I can't believe how fast it's gone. Her new things are that she is up to 7 teeth now, says "yes" and "shhh", can "bark" like a dog and can stand on her own and take a couple of steps. Don't think she'll be walking any time soon but she's making progress. She has been my least independent kid and would prefer to be wherever I am...she loves her mama. Her favorite place is right on my hip so that it makes it impossible to get much done. But it's only a stage right? And before I know it she'll be running around with the others and too big for me to even pick up. We love this little girl and can't wait to see what next month will bring!

run for Evan

My dear friends little boy went to be with Jesus a year ago. I know it has been a year full of grief and anguish for them.  They are very open about how much pain they still feel, how much they miss their little boy and how either of those emotions don't get better with time...it's just figuring out how to live life now without him. At the same time they give God the glory and honor and cling to His promises day after day...His mercies are new every morning. I love this dear family and their friendship and was honored that they asked our church to participate in a 10K run/walk to honor his memory. 

This picture is of me and my walking buddies at the end of the race. I came in 2516th place.

eating guava

This girl seems to take after her brother Jude. Guava, yummy!