Dustin's Third Birthday

Since we had just relocated to Louisville, we had a very small celebration for Dustin's third Birthday.  He was very fortunate to have his grandma Riggs in town who was hanging out with Dustin for the week before he started school.

Mickey Mouse landed his plane right smack in the middle of Dustin's birthday cake.

Dustin opened lots of fun presents.

Super exciting!

Dustin got a new sand box with a bunch of toys for his birthday!  

Jackson enjoyed the water pirate ship!

Dustin's Birthday-- Take 2

I think that mommy and daddy had just as much fun as Dustin celebrating his birthday last weekend with a few friends!

We had a Diary Queen ice cream cake with these Whoopie pies (super yummy) and a few snacks; Dustin opened presents and then we headed to the pool for some water fun!

Cake and Whoppie pie:

Train cut out bouquet:

Dustin and Adam head to the pool:

Jackson hanging with Ms. Lisa and patiently awaiting the arrival of his playmate, Baby Caleb:

Dustin and Lauren "bumping" in the pool!

All the kiddos pile on Tim in the pool (sweet baby Ella is in the foreground):

And, here is Dustin playing with his new toy from Mommy and Daddy...a train table!

Dustin's Second Birthday Party -- Take One

We have had a wonderful time celebrating Dustin's two years of life!  There has been so much celebrating that I'm going to have create 3 separate blog posts to cover it all!

The first celebration took place in West Virginia, at Dustin's Grandma and "paw-paw" Riggs' house.

These cupcakes were so good that I will have to post the recipe, soon!  Dustin really enjoys trains, so I made some little cupcake toppers with train cutouts and that had sayings such as, "Choo, Choo, Dustin is two" and "All Aboard, Dustin is 2".

Here is a photo of the spread:

Here is a close up of the 12 month photo banner that I made for the party.  This idea came from Annies-eats.  I just adored it, since his relatives were able to enjoy photos that showed how much our Little Man had grown over the prior 12 months.  His daddy and I enjoyed taking a little trip down memory lane, too!

Dustin enjoyed playing with the balloons at the party.

Both of his Great Grandmothers were able to attend the festivities!

His grandma Riggs got him a push bubble mower--he loves it!

Dustin and his cousin Landon enjoyed playing on the bridge and sweeping up with the new broom from Grandpa and Grandma Pickens.  (They also got him a vacuum, which he also LOVES!)

Overall, Dustin thought his train party was pretty cool!

Happy Birthday Dustin!

To me, a celebration is a mark and reflection of a joyous occasion.  An overflow of life that is portrayed in vibrant hues.  Today, we celebrated Dustin's second birthday!  What a joyous occasion!  I am reminded with this birthday, as I likely will be with each birthday and perhaps through the mere passing of time how blessed we are to have this Little Man with us today, how he is the living proof that God does work miracles, that He does answer prayer, that He does work for those who call Him Father, that His love for us is beyond imagination and so, so much more.



We are amazed with every passing day how fast this Little Man of ours is growing, is learning and is teaching us. 



Click here to view a slide show of Dustin's two years.



Dustin--you are a special little man who your mommy and daddy love beyond measure.  Happy birthday, sweet angel.

The way to a little boy's heart

Most folks know that I love to cook, have a serious addiction to chocolate and am mildly obsessed with a food blog called Annie's Eats.  So, it should come as no surprise that any post with triple chocolate dreamy looking pleasantries sends me into a compulsive frenzy.  There is but one obstacle adoring man who prevents my household from overdosing on sweets and entering a chocolate coma.  Tim has attempt to remove sugar from his diet and thus, from our house.  He does not use sugar in his coffee and attempts to avoid sweet treats. 

Boring!!  Especially for me, with my penchant for baking tasty deserts and my ability to take in an additional 500 calories daily since I am breastfeeding baby Jackson.  How many people can throw in an additional 500 calories each day?  I figure the very best use of those calories is through chocolate deserts!

This particular chocolate cupcake has three layers of chocolate.  It includes a chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and a chocolate cream cheese icing.  The recipe, found here, contains 22 ounces of chocolate and 3/4 cup and 6 tbsp. cocoa powder.  That is a lot of chocolate!  Overall, the cupcakes were pretty good, although the cake part was a bit too dense and dry to be included on my list of favorites.  Next time, I think I will try another chocolate cake recipe!

They say that the way into a man's heart is through his stomach.  That old saying sure does apply to little boys, too.

 This is Dustin, enjoying his chocolate cupcake.  After he ate a few bites, he said, "I love you momma!" 

A Whole Lotta Sugar

During my pregnancy with Dustin, I found myself enjoying lots of Starburst candies. Jackson, on the other hand, had me craving chocolate--in any shape, form, size and color. Of course, don't let me mislead you into believing that it was the pregnancy with Jackson that created this obsession with chocolate.

Chocolate and I are old acquaintances.

Alas, my now post-prego state still seeks out the sweet comforts of that chocolate. The challenge--I live with a husband who, for some crazy reason wants us to be more healthy.

Lately, I've been convicted that I need to fully live my life in the here and now--enjoying today, creating special memories and not putting off for tomorrow the joy that might be experienced today. I read this message just last week -- aptly put. I certainly do not want to live the postponed life! And, on Sunday listened to a sermon in part about living out the abundant joy today that God has before us today.

How does that relate to chocolate?

Not so much. But, the way I see it, there are two ways to apply this message to my fond affection toward that smooth brown tasty treat--I can either begin to honor the temple (my body) that God has for this time granted me to perform his will on earth. Or, today I can enjoy that lovely piece of chocolate (I mean, why should I put off that joy for tomorrow).

And so, below is a photo of my recent chocolate endeavor (please pardon the poor i-phone quality photos that are all posted on this blog entry):

This recipe is from annies-eats.com. I recommend that you drop everything (after finishing reading this blog, of course), run to your kitchen and whip this up. NOW!!!




(Maternity leave has given me time and opportunity to bake some sweet little treats!)




And, what would a post be absent a few photos of the sweetest sugar in the Anderson household?

Jackson on his playmat--we tried some tummy time. He instantly passed out. Mommy quickly rolled him back over (after taking this photo).

My little funny face.



Dustin and Daddy. What you can't see is that Dustin shortly thereafter kicked his Daddy out of his chair.

Dedication

This weekend the boys were dedicated to God. What a special moment for Tim and I!

Our hope is that we will raise our sons in accordance with biblical principles, that they will stand upon a firm foundation of faith in Christ and that they will do mighty works to expand the Kingdom of God!

A few photos follow:

Dustin Nathaniel -- "May you thrive like a green leaf because you trust in the Lord." Proverbs 11:28

Jackson Tyler -- "May you choose wisdom rather than gold and understanding rather than silver." Proverbs 16:16

What's up with Little Man lately?

Little Man is just a little over 15 months old! What in the world has he been up to these days?






I can hardly believe how fast my Little Man is growing up! This is such a fun age because it seems like every day reveals a new moment, a new little something learned, a new expression or something fun for mamma to adore!
























What's up with you:

• You are still wearing size 4 diapers;


• You continue to eat very well--although one day you like carrots, the next, not so much! You love graham crackers, yogurt, yogurt melts and toddler cookies for your snack;


• You took your first steps just a few Fridays ago and continue to take more and more steps everyday--you love hearing us clap and cheer you on;


• Household items have become your toys of choice (see photos above and below--pots and pans, laundry hampers...);


• You enjoy playing with other boys and girls your age and are so sweet to them;


• You have a mouth full of teeth -- sometimes you enjoy having them brushed...other times, not so much;


• You enjoy bubble baths and have copied mommy in putting the bubbles all over yourself;


• You continue to drink 3-4 6oz sippy cups full of milk every day. Sometimes you are lazy and require us to hold the sippy cup for you, although we know you can hold it all by yourself;


• You love climbing the stairs to get to your bedroom--even more toys;


• You continue to take at least one good nap a day and sometimes an extra short nap, too;


• You are in the 75-90 percentile for height and only in the 25-50th percentile for weight (what can I say your long and slim);


• You are wearing size 18-24 month clothing;


• Your momma and daddy love you beyond belief!

Laundry basket...maybe one day I'll be mommy's helper!

Falling asleep playing with my toys!




















Mommy and Dustin on our geocashing train ride! Fun times!