Grandma Junker passed away yesterday. It hit us a lot harder than we were expecting. We went up to Parkersburg for a big Junker reunion for lunch and then had a big birthday party for Grandpa Charlton at the same exact park for supper. Just one of the many perks of having 2 sides of the family from the same area! We found out at the end of the 2nd gathering. I'm sure it was not RJ's ideal to find out with so many people around (he's a private guy) but I'm thankful for the timing of it, so we could be around his *very* loving family. And it's times like those that make us all closer, ya know? RJ got to spend quite a bit of time at the hospital during the day and I'm so glad he did. When she passed away, all of her children had made it in time to spend those last moments with her. One of RJ's aunts commented on how special that was-that after bringing each one of them into the world, that they got to be with her at the very end. The timing of it all was really great. There was so much family in town because of the reunion so a lot of us were able to be together at the house that night. We're thankful that she is no longer suffering today and is with our Jesus! But we're sad too and will really miss her. She was a great lady and loved her family so much. We certainly haven't made every Junker gathering over the last few years, but that family sure knows how to party. There was constantly a Junker family gathering of some sort full of her good home cookin'.

Please pray for the family. She left behind a husband who loves her so much, and of course many others.

We got home pretty late last night and we ALL slept in this morning. Even Henry!! He went without a nap yesterday and didn't fall asleep in the car until 10. We went out for a late breakfast this morning and had some errands to run afterwards. He couldn't even keep his head up in the stroller so I had to hold him in the store. They're both still napping now...and I don't expect to hear a peep for a while.

*Oh, and the photo above is Henry. It's hard to tell sometimes! :)

Taco

I love me some tacos. I make them quite a bit-especially in the summer. Mexican always sounds good in hot weather! Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You can make your OWN taco seasoning. Crazy, I know! I used to only make tacos when I had a packet of seasoning, which seems to often get forgotten at the grocery store. They're just such tiny little packets and a lot of times they slip right through the cart so you don't even notice it. So the other week I wanted me some tacos and, like usual, had no taco mix, and that's when it hit me. It was genius! I figured I could google it and find a recipe to make it up myself. Wow. I can't believe it took me 29 years to figure this out. Oh, you can? Well, you'll have to just keep it to yourself and humor me for a second. Here is what I found:

Taco Seasoning

2tsp minced onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic
Mix into 1 lb meat with 1/2 cup water. Then of course, you can up or lower any of the ingredients depending on your taste. This is a bit spicy with the pepper, but really good.

So there you have it. I'm sure you've all had this figured out for years, but just in case, I wanted to share it with you so we can all enjoy tacos more often.

I threw some clothes on before I came downstairs this morning. About an hour ago. The shirt felt really strange, but hadn't taken the time to figure out why. I just now looked down and realized it's on backwards.

See, I'm a little slow sometimes.

Instant cure for a bad morning....

Things are getting better around here. Well, it always helps to put a fancy dress on, right? Got my other camera to download some pictures for once and put Harper in her new dress I got for $3 at a garage sale last week. It's for a wedding we have this fall....hopefully it still fits in 2 months! The sweet bonnet is actually for her Christmas dress. Yes, of course I already have her Christmas outfit.

If only they made this in adult size.

I think she likes it!
Oh, this sweet little thing. I kind of think she's going to be a girly girl.

My camera is dead and I can't find the charger. Grrrrr.....

Henry has become increasingly whiny this week. Today topped the cake. Out of complete frustration I put him back to bed at 8:15 and he actually fell asleep in about 2 seconds. Now the question is......is there something wrong with this kid or is he just tired? Thank goodness he fell asleep because I was about to pull out all the remaining hair on my head. The hair that hasn't fallen out lately, that is. Did any of you moms lose hair after having a baby? I kind of remember this with Henry, but it just started a few weeks ago and I'm afraid to use a brush. Does it end when I'm bald or when she's done nursing?

Harper is taking her morning nap as well so I've got some peace and quiet.

Angel Food Cake update: It still tasted pretty good, but did not rise nearly high enough. I was so paranoid of over beating the eggs that I believe I under beat them. I already bought a dozen more eggs so I can try again. It's fun to make. Easy. Very "diet" friendly. And makes RJ happy.

Next on the baking list: Low Fat Fudgy Brownies. Could they possibly be any good??

Shoot. Henry's not asleep.

Angel Food Cake

RJ's Grandma Junker makes the best angel food cake. When we visit them, about 9 times out of 10, there will be a fresh cake made. Have you ever had angel food cake that is still a bit warm? And have you ever noticed how the crusty brown top is the most superb part of the whole thing? Everyone loves that cake, but I think RJ is the biggest fan.
We went up to Waterloo yesterday to see her in the hospital again. She's not doing too well and probably doesn't have much longer, so I'm glad we went to see her even though it was hard. So today while the kids take their nap, I'm going to bake RJ an angel food cake. My very first attempt! I bought an angel food cake pan at a garage sale this summer and it's just sitting there waiting to be used. I know it will not be anywhere near Grandma Junker's, but that's not really my goal.

Here's the recipe I'm going to use.

Today is good. Henry is playing in the porch with play-doh and blocks and bringing me lunch and birthday cake. It's delicious.

My baby girl has been working so hard to get from her back to her tummy. She figured out the opposite trick a while ago. Last night while we were visiting with one of RJ's cousins and the kids were playing, she did it! I was so proud. So she's officially a roller. I just saw her do it again this morning so I think it's a trick that's going to stay around.

Harper,

On August 6th, 2009, you rolled from your back to your tummy.

And I love you.

Mommy

I just experienced the smoothest Craigslist transaction of all time. I listed my mother of a stroller Wednesday afternoon and had a response within an hour. They came and got it last night when they said they were going to. That right there is the key. I don't think I've ever had someone pick up the merchandise on the first try. Then before I went to bed I noticed someone had just posted a sit and stand stroller in like new condition. She was having a garage sale on the south side, so I dressed the kids (in the same clothes they wore yesterday, stains and all) threw on my glasses and drove very quickly, yet responsibly, over to get it....IN THE POURING RAIN. It was still there so it was all worth it. I sold my stroller for $75, got this one for $80. Perfect.

And it's not even lunch time yet.

Catching Up....

We've had quite the week here and in the midst of all of it, I didn't feel like taking the time to blog, but want to catch up before I get too far behind.

The car: It all worked out! We were on the phone asap the next morning and the dealership said they were going through with all their pending transactions so we zoomed over at 11 to pick 'er up. We are really enjoying it. It was our first big purchase with the whole family. Our other car and house were purchased when it was just the two of us. It made it more fun this way. Just discovered today, however, that our mammoth double stroller is a little too snug of a fit so I'm going to try and sell it on Craigslist and get a Sit N Stand instead. I've wanted one of those for a while anyways, so it's all good. Anyone need beautifully, big a double stroller in really great condition?? Maybe someone who has a mini-van?:)

Good bye, Jeep. We really enjoyed you. You were our last piece we had left from our short time in Minneapolis and that makes you special. You were about to die, needed new breaks, and never got your window replaced from the break-in. But we still loved you. Please understand that we had to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers, because believe me, you were no where NEAR worth $4500. (More like only $500)

Hello, cute new car! I love these little hatch-backs and now that we have one, I notice them every where I turn. We went straight up to Waterloo after we picked it up and got 29 mpg. That is awesome! Much better than our other car and MUCH better than the Jeep.

A few weeks ago I hit a clearance at the dollar spot at Target. Don't you just love when that happens? This cute little puppy was $.50 and provided a great 2.5 minute activity. I'll take what I can get. He was loving the whole glue thing, so I let him glue on random things to a piece of paper. It was great.

I love watching his little hands work.


We've been going to a book club at my bro-in-laws house for the past couple of months and the last one was on Sunday so we finished it with a lovely meal. I made the dessert:

Apricot-Blueberry Tart. It was delicious. The audience. She cheered me on quite well.

One of my favorite new perks of having a lap top is having it in the kitchen with me while I cook. The ingredients. It called for almond flour, which was quite expensive at Hy-Vee, but I splurged anyways. Anyone know where I can get it cheaper??


The result! *Almost* as pretty as the picture on the blog.

Yesterday was my favorite family day of the summer so far. RJ took the day off and we headed back to Adventureland with our free tickets! We dropped Harper off at her aunt's house to make things easier and just took little Henry. We went on all the same rides as last time and a few more, including the Raging River. I was worried that Henry would freak if he got wet, but he did great. It was SO much fun. We came home and took naps and then headed to Salisbury House for a tribute concert for Louie Armstrong with some family and friends. It was fantastic time and such a lovely place.

This shot was right before we got out of the car to go to A-Land....and then I kept the camera in the car so I didn't have to worry about keeping it dry. It was a good decision.

So we've had a great time here lately, but the one sad news is that RJ's grandma is not doing very well. She's on "comfort care" which means they are no longer doing anything with her cancer and just trying to keep her comfortable. She's been in the hospital since last week when they discovered she had blood clots in her lungs and legs (probably from the surgery). So, please pray for her. We were able to see her on Friday and will hopefully be making another trip up sometime this week/weekend.

Now, I'll try to get back into the swing of blogging more regularly!!