Counting My Blessings

Here I am enjoying yet another delicious dinner provided by one of the sweet ladies at church. It's been three and a half weeks since I had a full night of sleep and sometimes the temptation can be to dwell on that and use the excuse to explain away my irritability or impatience with Ryder. But, in the midst of this challenge, as in all trials, I'm seeing the goodness of God in drawing me to Himself. 

Interrupted and sometimes sleepless nights have caused me to spend more time in prayer for my little family. Little energy has reminded me how I am constantly dependant on the One 'who upholds the universe by the word of His power.' Meals provided by gracious friends indicate how supported and blessed we are. Visits from loved ones never fail to encourage me. In fact, just last weekend a dear family from my hometown (Abbotsford, BC) took the time out of their spring break - and a huge detour out of their way - to drop in on our family here in Fallon. What a wonderful surprise! I couldn't help but be reminded of the verse in Proverbs 25 - 'Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.'

This morning another friend came over with a hot breakfast dish and beautiful cheery flowers to brighten my day. 

As women, it can be so difficult when we're exhausted to see beyond out immediate feelings and emotions. I'm still a work in progress too, but I find that when I look for the blessings coming from raindrops as well as the sunshine, my joy is fixed on what I know to be true and not just the circumstances of my day. 

How about you?  What will you count as a blessing today?

Beautiful Nevada sunsets

Sweet Ryder lovingly making necklaces for baby brother

Waking up to these two little cuties

Bright sunshine that beckons us outdoors

More walks with these boys and Dixie

Dinner prepared by a sweet friend - yum!

Like All Good Things...

Like all good things, Grandpa & Grandma Apperson's visit came to an end. 

But before we saw them off to the airport, we had one last fun adventure - this one with Ryder's entertainment as our focus - a morning at the Reno Children's Museum. This was a first for us and we were only able to explore and take advantage of a fraction of the activities due in part to our schedule but mostly because Ryder was so fascinated by the water activity that we didn't get to everything.

and then watch them dump into the mining cart.

They loaded rocks onto the conveyer of a mining activity...

The airplane was a little bit scary.

Playing at the water table with Mimi.

Riding the pony with Mama.

Monday saw a few fun activities as well. Ryder enjoyed watching Jungle Book (well, just some highlights) for the first time.

And I had the bright idea to make these cute little Sugar Cookie Easter Egg Nests that I found on Pinterest. Unfortunately, I had only mixed the wet ingredients together with Little Mister Lynden needed to be fed, and so Mom actually did all the work and here are our cute little treats...

Of course, it doesn't hurt that they're filled with Cadbury Mini Eggs!

We sure are going to miss Pop and Mimi! In fact, Ryder woke up from his nap today calling their names to come and get him out of bed. I ended up being the 4th request. :) So thankful for my sweet in-laws and all the help they were these past two weeks!

Here's our little happy family!

Baby Lynden Photos

Those of you who know me pretty well know that I'm not overly sentimental. I try not to hang onto 'stuff' and though it's getting harder with 2 kids now, I want to live a pretty minimalist lifestyle.  Before Ryder was even born, I decided to just take lots of pictures and not spend time scrapbooking, writing in baby books, or collecting a lot of things (clothes are the exception, and I tell myself that since I started with #1, we'll get lots of use out of all of them :).

So, I never did get professional photos of Ryder taken and I wasn't planning on starting with Lynden. And then a photographer who is new in town sent out a request for models of newborns, promising free digital copies to anyone who would let her use the photos to advertise her business and add to her portfolio.  

I may not be sentimental, but I do have a hard time turning down a deal!

Here's Baby Brother...

Our New Chicken House

Saturday was project day for the boys. Braden and his Dad worked all afternoon on designing and building a chicken coop for our 10 little chicks.

Here's the nearly finished product. We need to pick up a few more shingles for the roof tomorrow and the particle board is going to need a coat of paint as well, but it now houses our little chickens.

I'm so proud of my handyman and now
we're one step closer to fresh eggs!

Springtime Fun and a Trip to Lake Tahoe

It's hard to believe that another week has ended! Sweet Baby Lynden is now over 2 weeks old. Already, we couldn't imagine life without this little guy.

On Monday Ryder, Pop, and I enjoyed free ice cream cones at DQ while running some errands. Ryder's was especially small, but he enjoyed every lick of his first very own ice cream cone.

When I saw these daffodils on sale at Safeway, I just had to have them. They remind me of growing up in beautiful Bradner with it's daffodil fields and stands. <3  They also remind me of the spring break when I was in high school and decided to pick daffodils at a farm near our house. I was a senior on the basketball team and determined to buy a $300 letterman jacket. But that's another story... :)

We enjoyed what sunshine we got with a few trips to the park. Ryder is becoming more adventurous and daring. After just a few minutes, he was climbing the tall ladders by himself and scooting himself down the slides - and some of them were pretty steep!

We went for a few walks with the grandparents. These mountains are reflecting a beautiful sunset. There's something absolutely breathtaking about this barren desert at sunset.

And then today we packed everyone up (minus Braden, who had to work) and went on an adventure to Lake Tahoe. Here are the boys all ready to roll...

We found a sandy beach with a great view of snowcapped mountains on the north side of the lake. 

 We'll look forward to coming back here during the summer. 

Time to go find some buckets and shovels!

Beginning Another Week

Another week has begun at the Apperson home. Another week with two sweet little sons. Love my boys!

I finally got around to trying a new sandwich bread recipe. My sister recommended this particular recipe from a local (BC) cookbook that was published just a few years ago called 'Mennonite Girls Can Cook.' After my Pioneer Woman cookbooks, this one is my favourite. I haven't tried many of the recipes, but it sure does have an awesome Paska (Easter Bread) recipe and this bread was totally fool-proof - just what I need!

Ryder was an excellent baking assistant and the finished product was the softest, lightest, and fluffiest bread I've ever made. I already have plans to try it with whole wheat flour next time.

Then in the afternoon, I had a few errands to run. I took advantage of Mimi's offer to watch Lynden while Ryder, Pop, and I stopped at a few different shops, including DQ, where we picked up our free small cones to celebrate their 75th Anniversary.

Our Week In Review

It's been a fun and busy week. Having Grandpa & Grandma Apperson here has definitely been a lot of fun for Ryder and a big help to me!

Here we are picnicking at the park.

Lynden enjoyed his first picnic too!

Baby Lynden has received countless kisses from big brother.

We enjoyed the company of friends for a barbecue and horseshoes on Saturday night - not to mention a beautiful sunset.

And after church today, Ryder and Pop could be found having a grand old time (and dirtying up their church clothes) in the backyard.