Our 4th!

Happy 4th of July!



Thomas helped me grocery shop for ingredients this morning and we made the tastiest, melt-in you-mouth Hazelnut Latte Cheesecake ever!!

Hazelnut Latte Cheesecake

1 (7oz) pkg chocolate biscotti, finely crushed
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup ground Millstone Hazelnut Cream Coffee
5 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 (16oz) container sour cream
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
Stir together first 3 ingredients. Press on bottom and 1 inch up sides of a lightly greased 10-inch spring form pan.
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire rack.
Microwave whipping cream at high for 1 1/2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in coffee grounds and let stand for 5 minutes.
Pour coffee mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl and let cool completely.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy duty electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups sugar, flour, and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Add eggs and egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.
Stir in coffee mixture. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake at 350 on lower oven rack for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325 and bake 1 more hour or until set. (Cheesecake will begin to darken around the edges but the center will still slightly jiggle). Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 1 hour.
Stir together sour cream and 1/3 cup sugar; spread evenly over cheesecake.
Bake at 325 for an additional 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cover and chill 8 hours.

I'm not sure, but I think Joe was trying to butter me up so I woudl pick him to be our first taste tester!




Then, as we do for every 4th, we hung out with Matt & Robbie!

After we grilled out and shot off a small bag of fireworks that Joe and Thomas picked out at a local fireworks stand, the rain started coming down. We moved inside and Thomas took up a game of "football golf."



Joe & Matt found the recliners and watched boxing and made small talk about us (grown-ups only) getting away for a weekend in Vegas to see a real fight front row.



... and Robbie cooked!

Call the press! Who cares that these were only frozen smiley-faced french fries? That was an act of love!! Robbie + kitchen & cooking = never happens.... so we felt honored!





Catherine loved the smiley fries!



The men:

Freedom

After reading the following question on my friend, Meghan's blog, God is certainly tugging at my heart today.

Since it's the 4th of July today, What does the word "Freedom" mean to you?


On this Independence Day, I think it would be good to read what many of our American forefathers had to say on the subject of our nation.

Patrick Henry – "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

John Quincy Adams – "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: that it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

Thomas Jefferson – "The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion in the world that deals with the heart."

John Adams – "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people...it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Abraham Lincoln – "My concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God’s side."

Benjamin Franklin – "He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity will change the face of the world."

The reason America has been great is because of its Christian moral foundation. As we are losing that foundation, we see the fabric of our society deteriorating. Real liberty is about freedom in Christ.

"Jesus said... 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, 'We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free?' Jesus answered them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:31-36

I'm having a "Why didn't I think of that?" moment.

Introducing a $120 diaper changer....





Here is the website. What do you think?

early morning dip

This is where I enjoyed my morning cup of coffee today! Ahhhhh.... sweet relaxation!

Plan B- I forgot MDO was out for the 4th!

I had to go to Plan B this morning when I realized Thomas didn't have Mother's Day Out due to the 4Th of July holiday.

We played outside with Angela, Porter & Naomi. Then, after Thomas took a dirt bath- yes, literally- then he had a real bath.

We spent the rest of the day at The Discovery Center and Barnes & Noble before Catherine had swimming lessons.

The next Ethopian baby boy for adoption will be the newest member of our family!

My sweet cousins, Clay and Tracy are #1 on the referral list for an Ethopian baby boy! I am so happy for them. I can't wait to meet this sweet little baby!!

I also can't hardly wait to see how God works so perfectly, placing him in our family--- and we can give Him all of the glory! It's a precious, but hard process that they have had to go through. It requires a humble heart, a willing spirit, a quiet patience that eagerly waits to hear God's voice leading them for each baby step. It's disturbing- in a glorious way. It's a total surrender of your life, your family's life, to God's will.

My prayer is that God's voice will disturb us all into helping the weak.

When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 61:2b

In you the orphan finds mercy.

Hosea 14:3

Never take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure that I will hear their cry.

Exodus 22:22-23

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

Romans 8:14-16

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4-6

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

Psalms 10:14,17-18

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do.

Deuteronomy 24:19

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!

Matthew 25:40

Here is a link to their blog.

Catherine floating- ISR

I can't say enough good things about ISR, Infant Swim Resource. It's a survival swim course that teaches the child to turn over and float when they fall in the water.

Thomas took the classes when he was only 20-month-old and I knew immediately that Catherine would be enrolled as soon as she could crawl.

Here is Thomas floating at 20-months-old.



Here are a few pictures and videos from Catherine's class yesterday. (13-mo-old)

TWPA: Pictures that tell something about me

This week's assignment at The Dressing Room is to take pictures of anything that tells something about you.


Here we are!



Sunshine warms me up inside!



Green grass makes me feel peaceful!



This hangs in my hearth room, What a great reminder....

IMPERFECT CROSS, PERFECT SAVIOR



I love anything and everything that my babies make for me. These are little treasures I am holding onto.


Glorifying God through art is a way I love to spend my free time.



Little fingers made these prints all over the mirror in our foyer. Mommy loves those little fingers!



You can always find me in my kitchen... I like to stir things up!




You've heard the saying, "Instant human, just add coffee." That's me!