Graduation Celebration - Caelen

Ok, I must admit that at first I was kind of nervous about Caelen's graduation, but it ended up being fantastic. . . although it did make me kind of antsy when the rain clouds rolled in and we got a thorough drenching fifteen minutes before all of the guests were supposed to arrive.  God knew exactly what he was doing though, and everything cooled off right before the party got started :D

I am so proud of the young lady that Caelen has become.  It took a lot of nerve for her to get up in front of a hundred people and give her speech, but she did it (very well, I might add), and made us all proud.  

I thought this was neat - Men from each phase of Caelen's life got up to challenge and encourage her to be bold and courageous in this new page of her life.  

 . . . And then Caelen had to give a brief speech on what she planned to do now that her high school education was over. . . although she was extremely nervous, it was fantabulous!  :)

God blessed me with a beautiful sister (both inside and out) that I am so thankful for.
{for more photos from the graduation, visit my photography blog: Bloom Photography}

Easy and Quick Blueberries/Blackberries Muffins Recipe

It's one of those rainy, wet days when your dog is looking pitifully at you, on the other side of the door, 

when you feel like curling up with a book in a cozy little nook somewhere, 

and waking your little bro up to go pick blackberries in the pouring rain way out in the pasture . . . 

one of those kind of days, you know???

~ ~ ~

With all of these soggy blackberries that Ben and I collected, I have decided to make my favorite muffin recipe this morning.  It is from a Kid's Recipe Book that Caelen got when she turned 10, but I guess that's why I like this recipe so much . . . because it is simple and tastes SO GOOD!!!  =D

Recipe for blueberry/blackberry muffins:

Ingredients:

1/2 stick (1 stick) butter

2 cups all-purpose flour (I use 1 cup white, and 1 cup wholewheat just to make it more healthy)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbl baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries (of course, I used blackberries, and the muffins were great!)

Directions:

1.  Put butter in the microwave until completely melted.  Set aside.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 F and put paper liners into 12 muffin cups (or you can spray down the muffin pan with non-stick spray)

3.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.

4.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk, egg, and vanilla.  Using the same fork, beat until well blended. 

5.  Add the milk mixture, melted butter, and blueberries (or blackberries) into the flour mixture.  Using a spatula, stir gently until the ingredients are just blended.  

6.  Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the muffin cups.  

7.  Bake the muffins until they are golden and have risen nicely, 18-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and place it on the cooling rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Enjoy!

7 years to the day

7 years ago, Mom and Dad went all the way to Russia to pick you up.  

7 years ago, your siblings were waiting anxiously at the airport for their little brother to come home.

7 years ago, I got to proudly walk you into church for the first time to show you off to all of my friends.

7 years ago, Mom was trying to teach you English, and you wouldn't stop saying 'bidetos' and 'myettos' for potatoes and tomatoes . . . (cracked us all up)

7 years ago, we were all put in quarantine for months until the doctors could figure out what kind of 'sickness' you had (it turned out to be not so bad after all)

Before the beginning of time, God knew exactly what family he would be putting you in, at the exact time, at the exact place =)

7 years ago, you were a HUGE blessing, and nothing has changed since.

I love you Andrei Vitaliavitch Bogdanov Edmondson (AKA Ben)

(3 years old in Russia)

(4 years old in America)

(Now) (10 years old)

(This Morning)

Trying my hand at grad pictures

If you have visited Bloom any time recently, then you will have noticed the utter lack of portraits or really any pictures of people on there.  Mostly, I think my "photography comfort zone" is in the landscape and random if you know what I mean ... but it just so happened that one early morning (really early) Caelen decided that she wanted to graduate . . . and then of course, she got it into her head that she might need some grad pictures . . . and then she thought,
"U...Hannah....Could you  . . .  "

Of course I loved the chance to go out and take some more pictures, but like I've said...people pictures are not my expertise :)

Thankfully, they turned out alright.  Tell me what you think, and PLEASE give me some pointers all of you 'perfect picture bloggers' out there....yes, I know you are out there somewhere because I sometimes look at the pictures on your blogs and break the tenth commandment (thou shalt not covet - Exodus 20:17)

My next post really should be on contentment...

{My Beautiful Sister ~ Caelen}

{Isn't she gorgeousness?} 

In this one, she is holding our new mutt pup, Calcium Bicarbonate . . . yup, we actually named our dog the chemical name for chalk...at least I think Calcium Bicarbonate is chalk...

A tad bit behind . . .

Uggg...you know those days when you look at all of that stuff that you have gotten behind on and think; how in the world am I EVER going to get it done??? 

Unfortunately, that is where I am stuck at the moment . . . Chemistry, Geometry, History . . . it's all piled up over Spring Break and this (awesome) Easter weekend.  Somehow I've got to find a way to wrap everything up before the end of May...which doesn't give me a whole lot of time, but it was good to be reminded this morning in my devotions that:

"The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry..."

and

"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."

~Prov 10:3-4

Even when I'm feeling a bit ok, really behind in what I'm trying to get done, God always makes perfectly sure that all of my needs are supplied for. . . but just so I don't take that cue and run with it, he also adds in a caution not to sit back and relax...waiting around for him to bless me; he has called me to be diligent and hard working.

So... yep, I do have a whole bunch that I need to catch up on, and yes...I am still feeling kind of behind, but it is encouraging to know that it can be done as long as I go at it with "diligent hands" and he will supply me with the grace {and energy} to do it.  :)  

 ~

{Oh yes, I thought that I would show you my little Easter surprise that I got this past week}

{forgive the bad pictures, they are the only ones I could get . . . my camera ran out of batteries before I could take any better ones}

{I'll be sure to get more as soon as I'm recharged :) }

Father Daughter Retreat 2012

Sad!  This post is a little late . . . ok, a lot late, but hey, at least I'm getting it in at all  :).  Things have been extremely, no insanely busy around here as we get ready to take our Spring Break (yeah!) and travel for Apologia , working conferences (which will keep up very busy for a long time)  

Anyways, about the Father Daughter . . . 

Beautiful - check

Good talk with Dad at breakfast - double check

Inspiring - check²

{The outdoor games were canceled this year because of the rain, so we got to see the butterflies :) }

{Met some friends}

{Inspiring Conferences -}

 It was SUPER convicting to hear again about the importance of the relationship of brothers and sisters from Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin}

 {The High Tea is always a highlight}

{So Dainty ...}

{Walks with Dad}

{Flowers}

Of course, if you are going to be staying at the Callaway Gardens, you are going to see and have to take TONS of pictures of flowers...

It was super good to go this year . . . very relaxing and refreshing I must say.  I encourage all girls of any age and background to make it out at least once with their dads while this sweet time of girlhood is still here.  It is sooo worth it!  :)

In Christ Alone,

Hannah Girl

Saturday = Spring Projects

It's SPRING!!  

sunny Spring day = Saturday!  

Saturday = projects outside

{A couple of old trees finally met the dirt today :( }

Saturday projects = working jeans

working jeans = dirt <3

dirt = fertile ground finding for Mom's garden

{I found the place where we used to keep the horses very appealing ;) }

gardens = new foods and fruit trees

{Thankfully the frost didn't kill our lovely peach tree}

Love,

Hannah Girl