All the Kids :)

Yesterday, I was reading some photography tips, and decided to try them out.   Ryan and Ashlyn had dressed up in their "country" clothes earlier that day.  So we decided to do a little photo-shoot.  We ended up taking pictures of all of us.  So therefore, here are all the Alexander kids. :)

Here is a picture of Ryan, it took about twelve shots to get this one.  The adorable wiggle-worm!

Here is Ashlyn.  The girls in the Alexander family all have green eyes, so when Ashlyn was born we were happy that the tradition would continue (A fun fact, all the girls have green eyes,and all the boys have blues eyes:)).

At the beginning it was just Ashlyn and myself taking pictures, after the boys saw what fun we were having they decided to join in. :)

Nathan. with his sky-blue eyes.

Trey,  at first he didn't want his picture taken.  I got him though!  Afterwords he is like "Hmm, not bad." :)

Trey even snapped one of me, I think it turned out well.  I hardly ever have pictures of myself.  I am always behind the camera not in front of it. ;)  Also, can't you tell that all of us have been blessed with freckles? :) Definitely a family trait. :)

Have a nice day!

In Him,

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Today Ryan turned seven today (hence the number "7" pancake :). I know I say this about all of my brothers, but he is so adorable! He is such a sweetheart, and is always doing little things to help me. :) I love all my brothers and sister, I am truly blessed!

Have a nice day!

In Him,

Brr! It's Cold!

The Grasshopper Story

"We was ketching grasshoppers, and we was missing some. Ashlyn ketched one and it was good. Then we ketched one, but it had a baby on top. And the last one we ketched, we ketched it. It was perfect...but it cut in half. That it... Wait! And we going fishing. See ya! Ashlyn ketched one."-Ryan

This made me laugh so much, Ryan is so funny. These are his exact words, I love it! As I type this they are running around trying to "ketch" some more grasshoppers and crickets.

"Fee-fie-foo-fum! I smell the blood of an English...

...Cricket!!"-Ashlyn :)

"We katched one!! Oh Yeah!" -Ryan :)

(advanced catching equipment: Plastic Cups) :)

Have a nice Sunday!

In Him,

Ryan's Birthday Party

Ryan's birthday is on September 30, so we decided to celebrate a little early with a party on Friday. We invited our grandparents over and made breakfast...for dinner! Ryan said that he wanted cinnamon rolls and pancakes for supper. So we decided to go all out.We made the cinnamon rolls of course, and pancakes (on the top plate are buttermilk pancakes, on the bottom plate are blueberry pancakes), an egg bake, a cake, and bacon. It was great, and everyone was full after-wards. :)

Ryan also picked out his cake, he wanted it to be a "campfire" cake. We got the idea from the Disney family fun website. It turned out pretty cute, although the fire was a bit...multicolored maybe?
We used ding-dongs covered in powder sugar for the "coals," fruit roll-ups for the "fire," and two pound cakes covered in chocolate frosting for the "logs."

Here is Ryan opening up one of his presents. Memaw is explaining to him how to use it here. ;) He put his money in it and then asked "can we go shopping tomorrow please Mommy?" :)

Needless to say, Ryan got his wish and we went shopping on Saturday (it was raining anyway so we couldn't work outside)...

looking at prices :)

Anyway, after opening presents, we all went to the music room to sing and play.

It was fun, and Ryan was happy. :)


In Him,

Yum! Cinnamon Rolls

Yesterday I made cinnamon rolls for Ryan's Birthday Party (more on that later). The recipe I used is from Marie Madeline, and was pretty easy to do. I took this picture after they had been rising the second time for just thirty minutes. They turned out really good, so I wanted to share the recipe.
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"Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls"

-1 2/3 cups warm milk

-2 Tbsp. yeast

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 stick butter, melted

-2 eggs

-1 1/2 tsp. salt

-6-7 cups unbleached flour (used half white, half wheat)

-cinnamon (about 3 Tbsp.), brown sugar (about 8-10 Tbsp.), and melted butter (almost 1 stick)

Combine warm milk, yeast and sugar. Let sit for five minutes. Then add melted butter, eggs, salt and four cups of flour. Mix thoroughly, add remaining flour. Dump out onto a thickly floured surface and knead well, (about 5 minutes,) until a soft dough is formed. Oil bowl lightly. Let rise for one hour. (Here comes the fun part!) After dough has risen for it's hour, roll out into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4 thick. Slather melted butter rather generously all over rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on according to taste. Simply roll the rectangle from one long edge to the other tightly. Slice (about a 1/2" thick), place in greased pan and let rise for another hour. (Make sure not to place your cinnamon rolls too closely in your pans, or the insides will pop up!) Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

If you'd like to... while your cinnamon rolls are still nice and warm, top with icing. To make icing, simply combine powder sugar, milk and vanilla until you have a nice smooth consistency. Pour over rolls.

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I added a little bit of Pumpkin pie spice to the filling, and to the iceing and it tasted really good!

I hope you enjoy!

In Him

Enjoying Photography

Over the few years my one other great interest besides the Lord, and my music, has become photography.

A storyboard I created of my favorite things. :)

I love being able to capture a special moment or time with a photo, especially since I kind of have a hard time with words sometimes. A pictures can show or describe a time and place easily, much easier than with words of my own.



I am so glad that the Lord has blessed me with my camera, and with people willing to be in my pictures.

My little sister, she loves making funny faces.

Also, that I am able to take pictures of God's creation.

Such as this rose, I am afraid it might be one of our last on this bush.

Anyway, I hope you have a nice day!

In Him,

Happy Independence Day!

I just wanted to take a quick minute (or two, or three...) to celebrate this important day. I don't think I have ever realized how important this day was, until the past few years. I began to see how amazing was the works of God in the freedom of our country. How he put every piece in place and helped those important men to write the Declaration of Independence and to found our country on the principles it needed.

So, I just wanted to say...

Happy Independence Day!

May God work use us in a way to glorify Him.

Have a blessed day,

My Problem

I can't describe what happens to me when I get on to post on this blog.

I start out with a wonderful idea, think about it for awhile, and then I do....nothing. :|

"Oh, I will write it tomorrow," I say, "I'm too tired..." Really? Then what explains the hour long of playing the piano after getting off the computer. Or the two hours of reading a new book. I think I have a problem, it is called...

Procrastination (Duh, Duh, Duhhhhhh) :)

You see, as I have gotten older, I have come to realize that I don't always do things right off. For example:

"I think I will clean my closet tomorrow, that way it will be nice and organized..."

Next morning,
"Awww, well, it looks fine enough, besides I need to go practice my piano." ;)

So, what am I to do?

First off, God has given me my time, and he expects me to use it wisely. So I need to own up to the fact that I have this problem, and work towards "eliminating the problem" as Daddy would say.

Secondly, one day I am going to be judged, and I am going to be held accountable for the ways I have used my time. And, instead of standing up in front of God and saying "Yep, I did as much as I could in the time you gave me," I will say "I was a good steward of my time, and of everything you have given me."

So I have been working on my "problem," and as a result of that...this blog post. :) I had regretted trying to get on and start writing again, simply because I didn't "feel like it." But now that I have actually written this post, I "feel" so much better. :)

In Him,




P.S. No harm intended to pianists, I myself am one so I was giving an example of what usually happens (should I say happened :) to me. God Bless, Kristin

Chick Days!

It's chick days in the Alexander home. These are some pictures of our twelve Rhode Island Red chicks. They are our egg-laying chicks, we decided we aren't going to process these (thank goodness! :). We also have twenty-five broiler chickens. I can't remeber what kind they are right now though. :)

I must say, they are really cute!

In Him,

A girl and her hat...

One day before church, I let Ashlyn borrow a hat I had gotten from T.J. Maxx. She looked so cute in it I decided to have a impromptu photo shoot with her. We had so much fun! All of the poses in these photos Ashlyn made up herself as we went along. I didn't even half to ask her to do anything. I love my little sister!

In Him,

Happy Resurrection Day!

Christ The Lord is Risen Today

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Happy Resurrection Day! Remembering Christ's death and resurrection! Also how Jesus paid it all for us by dieing on the cross.