Life is BUSY these days!

I just wanted to take a few minutes and post a few pictures of the kiddos. Life seems to get busier everyday, and most of the time bedtime can't come soon enough! I love my kids, but boy, do they wear me out! Anyway, here's a few new pictures to remind you all the the Finkbeiner Family really IS alive and well. :)

Mac's first haircut

Our little man FINALLY got his first haircut. In July, when the rest of us got our hair cut, I wasn't QUITE ready for him to get his haircut. I know, I know, it's just hair, right? Wrong. It means he's growing up and quite frankly, I'M NOT READY FOR THAT. But as the shag kept growing, I knew it was time. Here's the "before" picture.

Whew! Check out those fly-aways! And to think, there were people who didn't think he needed a haircut yet. Crazy kids.

So he did pretty well, surprisingly. He held real still for the first few minutes, started to clap for the next few minutes, and finally brought his hands out from under the gown when Jody started to cut his bangs, mainly because it was itching his forehead. The only crying episode was when I tried taking his bink away to get a picture. MISTAKE. Anyway, short story long, here's the final product.

Isn't he adorable?? I sure think so. :)

Life moves so fast!

Where has the time gone?? I haven't posted since Mac started walking. SHAME ON ME! Anyway, Mac has his first birthday. We had a little get together with several good friends and my parents. Mac was WAY more excited about his new toys than his cupcake. He grabbed a few handfuls of frosting but that was about it. He was more enthusiastic about his new "Cars" themed inflatable ball house than anything else.

 Holly really got into singing "Happy Birthday" to Mac :) 

 Watching Holly and Owen play with the ball house instead of eating cake. 

Mac's new John Deere dump truck from Grandpa and Grandma Evans. 

Kieth and I have also visited Hawaii since I've last posted! We were accompanied by Josh and Michelle White, and we had a blast. My favorite part of the trip, if I had to pick something, was probably walking the beach with my hubby. How can you beat those sunsets? Here are some of the highlights. 

 Fish tacos at Lulu's Bar and Grill- probably my favorite meal of the trip. Pineapple slaw and homemade salsa= YUM. 

 At Pearl Harbor and the Fourth of July. 

 Pineapple. Mmmm. 

 The marina just outside of the second hotel we stayed at.

 Visiting the North shore. 

 Trying to stay dry at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Kieth and the emcee.

Mac is officially mobile!

My little man Mac is turning into my big boy Mac all to quickly! As of yesterday, he is a WALKING MACHINE. He took a few little steps at my parents' house this weekend while we were there visiting for Memorial Weekend, and yesterday he was walking all over Carol's house. Watch out world, here he comes! (And watch out to ME, it's time to REALLY baby proof the house!)

My beautiful family is changing so fast! Mac is ten months old tomorrow and just cut his first tooth this week. This past month he's decided he can stand and now creeps along the edges of all the furniture fairly quickly. He'll be walking with in the month I'm sure! Holly's maturing before my eyes. She turned 4 on April 9th. We had her birthday party several weeks later (due to some maintenance at the pool the party got postponed a week) and she had a GREAT time! She's able to write her name beautifully, albeit sometimes it's completely backwards. You could hold it up to a mirror and it would be perfect! Kieth's school year is coming to an end, which means the nice weather is just beginning. We've enjoyed several evenings in the backyard with the kids and had a bible study group bbq this past weekend. My job is keeping me pretty busy lately, but hey, it's job security! Just wanted to jot this quick update to let the world know I'm still here. :)

Enchilada Lasagna, AKA "La-Chilada"

This is one of Kieth's new favorite recipes. He decided that Enchilada Lasagna was too much of a mouthful and dubbed it La-Chilada.  It was one of those recipes that you see in a magazine and think "Hmm, that looks interesting..." and forget about it for a while. I'd written it down and put it in my recipe card box and was one day in search of something that I already had all the ingredients for and I re-found this one. As I said before, its now one of Kieth's favs! So...here you go:

La-Chilada

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (if you're not into spicy, go with regular diced tomatoes)
 1 can green enchilada sauce
1-2 tsp cumin, to taste
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
6 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar

In large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. In a small bowl combine egg and cottage cheese; set aside. Spread 1/3 of meat sauce into a 9x13 pan. Layer with 1/2 of the cheese blend, 3 tortillas, cottage cheese mixture, and 1/2 the remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. YUM! :)

And here's a picture of Mac and Holly, just for fun!

Mac's appointment and the memory of Hope.

Mac had a checkup last Wednesday, January 25th. My little man is getting so big! He's 16# 10oz now, and 25.5 inches long. He got all his shots and did pretty well. I'm glad though that we don't have to get anymore until 12 months now. He'll have another "well baby check" at 9 months to make sure he's doing well. He's rolling all over the place now and is starting to sit on his own a little, when placed that way. He's eating lots of veggies and a few fruits. I just started (within the past week) the fruits and he's loving those of course! I'm making most of my own baby food, which is surprisingly easy. I bought bags of frozen peas and green beans, cooked them until they were super soft, threw them in the blender with some water, poured them into ice cube trays and froze them. After they were frozen, I popped out the "ice cubes" and put them into zip-loc freezer bags. Super easy way to store individual servings! When I need them I just pop them into the microwave. I've also baked squash and sweet potatoes and pureed them and frozen them. It's fun to mix and match the veggies. He's not real fond of the green beans so I sneak them in with something he finds a little more tasty. :)

On a more serious note, its the month of February. And in my life, February is not my favorite month. On February 8, it will have been two years since we got the diagnosis that our baby Hope Catherine was terminally ill. Diagnosed with Cystic Hygroma with fetal hydrops and most likely Turner's Syndrome (they were unable to diagnosis this without genetic testing but was the suspected cause of the cystic hygroma) the doctors were surprised that she'd even made it this far. I got to carry her for another 3 weeks before Jesus took her home. On February 26, at 25 weeks pregnant, we discovered there was no longer a heartbeat, and on February 28, 2010 at 5:15am our beautiful baby was born. We got to spend several hours with her in our arms, which was oh so bittersweet. Leaving the hospital 24 hours later with no baby in my arms was one of the HARDEST days I think I'll ever have here on this earth. Only with the love and peace of Jesus Christ and the love of my family was I able to get through each of the following days.

We'll never completely understand God's plan for Hope in our lives but I do know this. I have two BEAUTIFUL children now who are incredibly special in their own ways. I have an amazing husband who loves me despite my quirks and faults. God has blessed me beyond measure and I'm reminded each day to share his love and how precious this life is. Our days here on earth are numbered, and it's what we do each day that matters most to Him. I know that our experience with our daughter has brought me closer to Him, and made me more bold in sharing the Word with others. If one life has been changed for the Lord because of Hope, then I know her purpose was fulfilled. My beautiful little daughter, Hope Catherine, will never be forgotten.

The kiddos...and Christmas

I never posted about Mac's 4 month checkup! It was on December 9th. He weighed 16 pounds even and was 25 inches long. He's quickly approaching his 6 month check up, which is this coming Thursday, the 26th. Holly and Mac are going to have their pictures take on Thursday also. It would normally just be Mac's 6 month pictures, but Holly did NOT want to be left out when I told her it was going to just be Mac. So, even though we had them taken together at Mac's 3 month pictures, we'll have them done again. Should be fun! Above are two recent pictures of the two of them together.

We celebrates Christmas with Kieth's sister, Karla, and her family this year. This was the first time having them here with us for the Christmas holiday and it was a BLAST! Holly got a new play kitchen and shopping cart from Santa, a cash register from Gramma Katie and Papa Rich, play food from Auntie Karla and Uncle Fred so she's all set now to make anyone a fabulous meal! She and Mac got tons of other goodies and had an awesome Christmas. We got to spend Christmas evening with my parents so it was a great holiday!