Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The First Few Days of Life

Hi everyone!  I'm Isaac!

This is my proud daddy!

I love him a lot!

Sometimes I practice my boxing positions.

My first bath.


It wasn't my favorite activity.

Getting dried off was much more enjoyable.


I LOVE to be held!

Cool like Dad.

Snoozin' with Mommy.

Don't mess with me - I'm a Britton!

And I'm tough!

Well, sometimes.  I'm also very sweet!

Ahh...this is the life!

Snoozin' with Daddy.

A little smile for the camera.

Isaac the little ball.

I love to suck on my hands.

They always taste so good!

Happy with a full belly.

Time for a little nap!

Until next time...


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Introducing...

Isaac Nathan Britton!!!
8 lbs. 14 oz.
19 1/2 inches long

Born at sunrise on February 25, 2013

Thank you so much for your prayers!  We are immensely grateful for our precious baby boy's safe arrival in this world after a long, hard labor.  God is so good!

Recovery from labor has been challenging due to tremendous pain in my pelvic region and difficulty moving/walking, but I am slowly getter better.  More pictures will be coming soon as well as Isaac's birth story.  Thank you for your patience in the meanwhile as we rest up and enjoy life with our new baby!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Labor Has Begun!

Just wanted to let everyone know that a baby is coming soon!  I have been in early labor since 4:00 this morning and things are now intensifying noticeably.  Contractions are coming stronger and closer together.  We will probably be leaving for the birth center soon.  Your prayers would be appreciated!

Stay tuned...

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Lamplighter Sale!

Dear Readers,

I just wanted to get the word out that Lamplighter Publishing is running an amazing sale right now on their audio drama books as well as eBooks.  Until Sunday night, February 24, you can purchase 7 audio books for $7!  These sets normally sell for $180-$200!

For those who may not be familiar with Lamplighter Publishing, they publish Christian books for children and families that were originally written in the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s that are full of character-building lessons and Godly morals.  I own a number of their books in my personal library and really appreciate the quality of the stories!  This morning, however, was my first time to hear a sample of their dramatized audio books.  I was quite impressed!  I am looking forward to listening to them all during upcoming nursing sessions with a new baby. :)  They will also be quite enjoyable for long car trips and keeping busy children occupied profitably in the future.

Check out the sale here!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Skiing at Sipapu

On Thursday, Nathan had the opportunity to go skiing for the first time since moving here to Taos!  We are surrounded by five major ski resorts, so skiing is quite the popular sport in this part of the country.  

The Christian school where Nathan coaches basketball takes a group of students on skiing field trips at the Sipapu resort several times throughout the winter months, so this last time, my husband decided to join them on the slopes.  I tagged along too, so I could watch from the lodge. :)

Getting suited up.

Nathan getting his boots fitted to his skis.

That's a lot of boots!

Tyler - a.k.a camouflaged monkey boy.

Love that hat!

An ice castle at Sipapu.

The small lift up to the practice slopes.

There they go!

And here they come again!

Nathan had skied a couple times in Michigan many years ago, so it didn't take him long to get the hang of things again.

He started out on the bunny slopes and ended the day on black diamond runs.

The big lift up the mountain.

Fun times!

Nathan and Tyler

Heading back up...

Friday, February 15, 2013

38 Weeks and Ready to Pop!

Things keep rolling along beautifully with the pregnancy!  

We can't wait to welcome our little boy soon!
It could be any day now...or still several weeks!


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Recipes to Share!

I wanted to pass on some favorite recipes that have been on our menu this week and really tasted good!

Lentil Soup - an old favorite!

Katrina's notes: I love this recipe because it is super easy to make, tasty, and so good for you!  Lentils are a great source of protein, and if you are pregnant, you know it's all about eating enough protein each day!  This recipe makes quite a bit, so I usually halve it for our small family, and even then, we have leftovers.  You can easily freeze extra, though!  The measurements for the vegetables are very flexible.  Also, 2 tablespoons of salt is a little too much, in my opinion.  I usually start with 1 tablespoon and add more if needed.  Enjoy!

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 sticks celery, chopped
2-3 cups carrots, chopped
3 quarts water
3 cups lentils
1-2 tablespoons salt
pepper to taste

In a large stew pot, sauté onions, celery, and garlic.  Add the water, lentils, and carrots.  Bring to a boil. Simmer 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender.  Add seasonings at the end.


Angel Chicken - a new favorite!

Katrina's notes: This recipe is compliments of our friends, the Holt family.  They gave it to me when we got married, and we have found it to be super yummy!  Plus, I love good crock pot meals!  Last night, I made this recipe with only half the chicken (2 breasts) but the full amount of sauce.  I sliced the chicken up to stretch it further so it would feed three people and that worked well.  Having the full amount of sauce was perfect, so if you halve the recipe, don't skimp on the sauce!  It's what makes this recipe so delicious!  In fact, if you use the full amount of chicken, I would double the sauce ingredients.

4-6 boneless chicken breasts, frozen is okay
1/4 cup butter
1 Italian seasoning dressing mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup white grape juice
1/2 tub cream cheese
1 package angel hair pasta

Put chicken in the crock pot.  Create the sauce: over the stove melt the butter, stir in the dressing mix.  Stir in soup, juice, and cream cheese.  Cook until combined.  Pour over the chicken and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Serve over hot, cooked angel hair pasta.

Another Baby Shower!

On Sunday after church, we headed over to the Taos Christian Academy for their monthly enchilada fundraiser lunch.  When we walked in the door to the gym, I was showered with blue balloons!  To my surprise, Nathan's basketball team and their families had joined together to give us another baby shower!




It was very touching to see these families rally around us with such joy and celebration as we prepare for the arrival of our little one.  The Lord has been so good to provide for our baby's needs through so many generous people.  We are truly grateful!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Thought for the Day

A quote from my husband's latest sermon:

God's Word reveals God's mind, so we should learn it.
God's Word reveals God's heart, so we should love it.
God's Word reveals God's will, so we should live it.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

A Baby Shower!

Today, the ladies at our church here in Taos hosted a baby shower in celebration of our little boy's coming arrival!

It was a sweet time of fellowship, activity, and the blessing of gifts!

One of the activities was tie-dying onesies.

Isn't that a creative idea?

The hostesses went in together to give us a Pack 'N Play!  This is where our little guy will sleep for the first part of his life in our room before he graduates to his crib in the nursery.

Waiting for guests to arrive...

Ellen and Jeannie


Getting started on the tie-dye project...





Ladies visiting...

Artists hard at work...





Time for gift-opening!


We received many nice gifts...like these baby toiletry items!

Clothes.

Books.

More clothes!


Bibs.

A hand-made quilt.

A crocheted blanket.

One of the ladies made this hat from all the gift wrap and bows!

Quite stylish, don't you think?

The sweet ladies who blessed us so generously!