First of all, I will share the exciting news! Our 16th grandchild was born on July 29.
Jayden Jax was born to daughter Lovina and Daniel weighing 6 pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches long. He was born three weeks early due to Lovina having preeclampsia. He had a short stay in NICU but mother and baby are now both home and doing as well as can be expected. He joins sister Brooklyn, 11 months. She is not too happy to have to share her daddy and mommy with a brother. She’s still a baby herself so she needs extra love as she transitions into having another sibling. Daughter Verena kept her with them during the three nights that they were in the hospital. She loved being with Verena. During the day I helped spoil her. She’s such a sweetie and so easy to love.
Daughter Loretta and her children came over one day and 1-year-old Kylie and Brooklyn both wanted the same thing. It was a slinky and Brooklyn won. With both girls pulling on it needless to say the slinky does not slink anymore. Haha! Brooklyn loved when Uncle Kevin teased her. When she was in her walker she would run behind the table and peek out at him. Kevin would act surprised to see her and she would giggle. Kevin told her now she can be a big sister to Jayden like Lovina was to him. Lovina and Kevin were 15 months apart and the two youngest in the family. They kept each other entertained growing up. Right after Daniel, Lovina and baby Jayden were home from the hospital, Joe and I went over to meet out new grandson. Jayden evened out the grandsons to granddaughters … eight of each. Daniel Ray and Verena brought Brooklyn back home. She had met her little brother the day before. Dustin, Loretta and children took her with them to the hospital to meet Jayden but she wasn’t too thrilled about it. Jayden has a head full of black hair and has already won our hearts. Lovina will be a busy mother with these two sweeties.
All is quiet right now and I’m writing while flopped back in my recliner resting my leg. Everyone went to church which is walking distance from here. Although Daniel Ray and Verena took the horse and buggy as they are visiting another church district at his uncle and aunt’s place. I had a little accident last week when I had a fall landing on cement. My right knee was gashed open and bruised pretty bad. It is hard to bend my leg. I have been wobbling around here and have the knee bandaged. Although it is getting better each day it is so tedious that I was afraid if I go to church I will somehow bump it. While trying to decide what I should do, son Kevin voiced his opinion.
He said, “Mom, I think it would be better to stay home and think of God, then to go to church and be thinking of your knee.”
Leave it to him to make a smart remark like that, but he keeps life interesting. He doesn’t let his handicap get him down. I need to get healed up because canning season is in full swing right now. Joe said he won’t stay at church for lunch and come home to have lunch with me. I already know it will be something easy. Unless Joe makes lunch and then of course it will be something on the grill. That’s his favorite way of cooking.
I baked this coffee cake last week and it was gone in no time. A good way to use your abundance of zucchini. God bless!
Zucchini Coffee Cake
1 1/3 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. oil
1 large egg
1 C. buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
1 T. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C., peeled and grated zucchini (squeeze out excess moisture)
Cinnamon sugar topping: crumb together in a small bowl.
1 C. white sugar
1 T. cinnamon
2 T. melted butter
Mix brown sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk, vanilla and salt. Add flour and mix then add zucchini. Pour half of batter into a greased 9×13 cake pan. Add half of the cinnamon topping then repeat batter and rest of topping.
Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cake will bounce back up when gently pressed. Top will be crunchy and textured.