Pinterest Love: Rainy Day Activities

It has been a rainy week on the Trail.  I. Love. It.  I don't know what it is, but something about a rainy day makes my heart happy.  I love cuddling up with a blanket, my cup of coffee, and playing with Luke or reading a good book.  There are all kinds of other things that you can do on a rainy (or snowy) day with your kiddos.  I found some great pins with ideas for Moms or Dads to do with their little ones on those inside play days.  Enjoy!

click here to pin...baby play with fabric scraps

click here to pin...this list is pretty incredible and creative

click here to pin...rainy day mum blog; i just found it and love it!

click here to pin...i love this idea; luke and i might try and make one of these as soon as i run out of paper towels

click here to pin...another pin from rainy day mum and it's an awesome one!

A Pretzel Kind of Sunday

Sunday afternoons are the perfect time to make homemade pretzels.  It's a nice, lazy, fun project to take on while you're lounging around.  I think it's one of the only 'projects' Kevin truly enjoys on a Sunday afternoon, and I'm with him.  Luke was able to try his first pretzel (sans salt) and lets just say his Daddy was proud.  Luke liked his pretzel just about as much as Kevin and he gobbled it up.  You will find the recipe for homemade pretzels below.  They are great with mustard or melted cheese, but we really like them warm and plain.  Hope you try!

Homemade Pretzels

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 T sugar
2 t Kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
4 T unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk, beaten
Pretzel salt

Directions
1.  Put warm water, sugar, salt in stand mixer.  Sprinkle yeast on top.  Allow to 'foam' for 5 minutes.
2.  Using the dough hook attachment combine the flour and butter with the yeast mixture.  Mix on low speed until combined.
3.  Change speed to medium and mix until dough comes off of sides, about 5 minutes.
4.  Remove the dough from the bowl, oil the bowl with vegetable oil and return to bowl.
5.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour.
6.  Bring 10 cups of water to boil and add baking soda.  While the water is getting hot, work dough on a well oiled surface.  Cut into 8 pieces.
7.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and brush with oil.
8.  Roll out each piece into a 'rope'.  Turn the 'rope' into a U-shaped piece and cross the two ends over each other to make a pretzel shape.  Place onto a parchment lined sheet.
9.  Place pretzels into boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds.  Take out with flat spatula, place on parchment paper, and brush with egg yolk.
10.  Bake at 450 degrees for 12-13 minutes or until brown.

before going in the oven, after the baking soda bath

they aren't perfect, but they're yummy!

his first bite

pretty sure he enjoyed it!

Labor Day

Yep, it's true, I'm just getting to posting about Labor Day.  Labor Day weekend was a whirlwind of activity.  My mom was in town to watch Luke because Kevin and I had a wedding on Saturday night.  It was great to have her around for a few days and it was fantastic to have a mini break.  I believe I have the best job in the world for me, but I still enjoy a break every now and again.  Pastor Mark just spoke about rest about a month ago.  God took a break on the seventh day and He tells us to do the same.  Genesis 2:2 states that 'So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.'  When Pastor Mark talked about resting on the Sabbath, he made it clear that the Sabbath doesn't have to be on Sunday and it doesn't mean that you have to put your feet up all day.  God created the Sabbath because He wants us to take time to enjoy life and do the things that make us happy.  My Sabbath is a date with Kevin, taking a family walk, pushing Luke on the swing, shopping with my mom, taking an afternoon nap, sitting outside on a cool night, taking a break from social media and email.  

While my mom was here I definitely was able to rest.  On Saturday morning, my mom and I went shopping.  There is just something about shopping with your mom that never gets old.  It's one of my favorite things to do.  That evening Kevin and I headed to a beautiful wedding with great friends.  The next day we were able to go on a short date to the Old Market and enjoy the cool day.  

Monday was family time with Kevin's family and it was nice to have a family picnic on the patio.  We grilled out and made homemade ice cream.  It was a perfect ending to a restful weekend.  Kevin and I are trying to observe a Sabbath more in our house, which means resting once in a while.  Living on a farm makes that a bit hard, but we think it's worth it.

grandma kathy and luke

date day!

making ice cream

this sweet kid

enjoying the beautiful weather!

four generations

Random Picture Friday

Where have I been and what have I been doing with my life?!  Well, you see, the past week has been just a tad bit on the busy side.  It has been a fun busy: Bible study, cooking club, gender reveal party, office work, first MOPS meeting, getting ready for a baby shower...all in the past five days.  Whew!  

Blogging has been on the back burner for the last week; and let's be honest, it's been on the back burner for basically the entire summer.  But, today it feels like fall on the Trail and I am ready to get back into the swing of things.  Starting with this Random Picture Friday.  I have done Pinterest Love in the past on Fridays, but I'm going to switch it up a bit and rotate Pinterest and Random Pictures.  I have to keep it interesting...and basically it gives me a reason to get all my phone pictures organized on my computer.

Random Picture Friday will consist of just that...random pictures from the past week.  Basically it's Instagram for people that don't have Instagram, which includes my Mom, Grandma, etc.  I think they will enjoy these Random Picture Friday posts.  

HAPPY RANDOM PICTURE FRIDAY!!

luke and kevin on grandparent's day

our daily ritual

luke's first homemade pretzel

this is why a video monitor is essential!

visiting my sweet friend paula and her third baby boy; cruz james!

9 month schedule

Luke's 9 month schedule is primarily the same as his 7-8 month schedule, with just a few changes to what he is eating.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

7:30 a.m.: Wake up and nurse

8:30 a.m.: Breakfast (egg yolks, toast, cheerios, fruit, yogurt)

9:30-11:00 a.m.: Nap

11:00 a.m.: Nurse

12:00 p.m.: Lunch (whatever Mom is eating)

1:30-3:00 p.m.: Nap

3:00 p.m.: Milk from sippy cup (4-5 ounces)

5:30 p.m.: Dinner (whatever Mom and Dad are eating)

7:00 p.m.: Bedtime routine (bath, pjs, story)

7:15 p.m.: Bottle (4-5 ounces) and Bed

Here are some random phone pics!

luke with lu and karagin...love them!

amelia and luke

Luke hits double digits

Luke is one month older; he has hit double digits today at 10 months old.  This month went by way too fast, probably because Luke is changing by the day, or more like by the hour.  That big head of his is soaking up everything he sees, smells, tastes, hears, and touches and he is learning things at rapid speed.  See below for what Luke has been up to this month:

• At his 9 month check-up (yes, we were a bit late) he weight in at 17 pounds 10 ounces (12th percentile) and was 27 inches long (10th percentile).  His head is still in the 100th percentile at 49 centimeters.  (I am thinking he is going to have a hard time wearing hats.)
• Luke is a fast kid like his Daddy.  He is crawling everywhere.  One of his favorite things to do is crawl to Mommy or Daddy and pull himself up to stand between their legs.  He thinks he is pretty darn big.
• Speaking of pulling himself up, he does this constantly.  He loves to walk between the ottoman and couch holding on to both sides as he goes along.
• Luke is nursing twice daily.  He is working on taking formula from a sippy cup in the afternoon.  He still wants Mom and Dad's help to hold the cup.
• For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Luke eats with Mom and Dad.  He loves meat, bread, and yogurt (who doesn't?), but gets a little picky when it comes to what fruits and vegetables he will eat.  Green beans and broccoli are not his favorites.
• Luke's favorite word is 'Dada', but he doesn't quite know what it means.  He is working on his m's.
• Throwing balls is a favorite of Luke's.  Anything that is round, no, anything that he can pick up, is something that can be thrown.  He has even shown us some frisbee skills lately.