my hero

12 reasons why Jonathan Daniel Grooms is the world's best dad:

1. He loves Jesus.

2. He makes all the right voices when he reads books.

3. He knows the ticklish spots.

4. He teaches them verses from the Bible about God.

5. He acts thoroughly shocked after seeing the same trick done for the 15th time.

6. He shares his ice cream.

7. He prays with them every night.

8. He donated all of his jelly bellys he got for Christmas to the pee pee in potty reward jar.

9. He swings with them and swings them "higher daddy, higher!"

10. He will change poopy diapers...even really bad ones.

11. He is someone worth following.

12. He is our Hero!

and i could keep going! I love you, Jonathan!

a little pink

In our home there is very little pink... i think i have one shirt, and there are two random bowls. Those with little girls in their homes probably would be shocked.

But today i made my first purchase for our baby girl, a journal. Yeah Pink! For those who don't know the news, we are in the early stages of adopting a precious orphan girl from Ethiopia.

Last night as a lay in bed putting my youngest, Jeriah, to sleep i was overwhelmed with tears thinking about my little girls mom and all she must be feeling having to give her child away. I don't know our little girl's story yet, or her face, or even if she is born, though she is probably growing in the womb right now being knit by my GREAT GOD!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

Even though i have not met her, i have so much to say to her. I have a journal for each of our children that i write random thoughts, prayers, stories in. So here tonight... my first pink little gift for my baby girl.

The other day reading through Psalms... i found this verse...

God places the lonely in families. Psalm 68:6a and that is my prayer for the estimated 143 million orphans out there tonight.

momos

Today i made my first momo!

"What is a momo?" you ask. A momo is a Nepal dish they have during celebrations. It takes a few hours to make but the fun part is in the making. Everyone joins in the cooking and fellowships as they cook together. Recipe below for Curry and Momos.

It is amazing how much joy and fulfillment an afternoon with friends and the smell of Nepali food can give me. I have loved people from around the world and their cultures since I was a child and longed to be anywhere in the world the Lord would place me and now in this season of being here in Roanoke, Virginia God is bringing the world to me.

Momos

makes around 40 + momos - easier if you have several friends to join you in the preparation.

Momo Stuffing:

1 lb of chicken boiled and shredded (keep the broth)

3 tbsp of oil

1 Cabbage finely chopped and kneaded

finely chop the following (processor works well*)

2 tomatoes

4 tbsp coriander

2 stalks of peeled ginger

2 tbsp cumin

5 cloves garlic

1 hot pepper (optional)

salt to taste

Mix all ingredient together well (except for chicken broth).

Momo Bread:

several cups of Whole wheat flour

3/4cup + of water (depending on how much flour)

oil

With hands kneed flour and water in a large bowl to make dough. Do this for around 10/15 minutes adding oil and flour until you have a good dough ball formed. Roll into long link. Separate link into quarter size balls. Flatten the balls with rolling pin to make small thin flat discs. This whole process could easily take one person 1 hour plus.

Place stuffing inside momo bread discs and fold in half sealing edges lightly with a little water tucking the end inside the fold. Now the folding is hard to describe but the end result looks like this....

Steam on stove top for 10+ minutes over broth from boiled chicken and 3/4 cup of curry. (Afterwards the broth the momos were steamed with make a delicious soup or dip!!)

Curry (to dip the momo's in):

8 tomatoes chuck chopped

1 big purple onion chopped

1 or 2 hot peppers chopped

1 or 2 garlic cloves chopped

salt to taste

Fry onion, peppers and garlic together until onions are clear looking (around 10/15 min). Add tomatoes and salt bring to a rapid boil for 20/30 minutes.

*P.S. A processor or chopper is a highly recommended gift for any South Asian friend

The fun it in the make and the eating.

Enjoy!