Quiet Endings

We spent Christmas in Spokane this year. My brother and niece as well as my sister were up from Texas so we all converged at my parents home. It was good to be together.

We've been striving to make Christmas more and more simple as the years come. Thankfully, my parents are in on it too. Geoff and I stuff each others stockings with small, mostly edible gifts but don't do anything outside of that. We got Jaron a little pot and pan set. We didn't exchange gifts between parents or siblings. It was fantastically simple. I don't miss the volume of gifts. I don't miss shopping. I don't miss the gift bags, the bows, the wrapping paper, the clutter. We budget for Christmas - putting a sum of money away each month and each year we take a percentage and give it towards Advent Conspiracy. This year we got to give even more of it away.

The year is wrapping up quietly. Geoff has a lot of vacation to use (you know, we save it all up - just in case a miracle happens and we get to go to Burundi . . . ) so he's been working half days and spending extra time at home. There are a lot of hopes and dreams that we have for the coming year. The main hope is that we will be able to travel to get our kids in Burundi. There are still some hoops to jump through to do that - but we hope that this is the year . . .

What were you doing 6:30 am on Saturday morning?

I was just telling my mom last week that I was surprised we hadn't had any trips to the ER yet. Jaron tends to move at lightning speed and the concept of body control is not on the radar yet.
Saturday morning bright and early Jaron tripped on Rosies bed in our bedroom and fell into the corner of our dresser. It was small but deep, slightly gaping and "T" shaped. So I called my personal Peds after hours (a.k.a. my mom:), texted her a picture and she said confirmed that yup - we probably needed stitches. We headed out the door to the ER (urgent care wasn't open for another two hours). We stopped at st*rbucks for coffee and scones on our way - does that make me a bad mom? :)

Here's our little buddy with 5 stitches. Poor little guy!

Let me tell you though - he's got a lot of fight and a great set of lungs. It took three of us to hold him down and he screamed the whole time. It was heart wrenching to hold him down but easier than watching someone else do it. The ladies in reception and everyone in the waiting area were so sad for him - yes, they could hear him at the front desk even with the door closed.

We like to start our weekends with a bang :)

Everything Cookies

We are loving this recipe for "cookies". They're perfect - Jaron feels like he is having a treat and I know that everything in them is good for him! We make a batch and then freeze them for snacks through the week!

Everything Cookies
(adapted from Bob's Red Mill "Health Cookies")

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (or wheat bran or ground flax)
1/4 cup milk powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)
3/4 cup honey (or brown rice syrup)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup raisins (unsulfured)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Stir flour, wheat germ, powdered milk, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
In separate bowl beat together butter, peanut butter and honey. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture, mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet2 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes four dozen.