Believing Boldly

Snow Day

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday I was woken up by Colton, who came to my bedside saying, “Mommy! Mommy! Its SNOWING! Its SNOWING!”. The little guys has been asking me for weeks if it is going to snow. We have had such a mild winter which I have really enjoyed, but I have wished that we would have one good snow just for him to enjoy! This is technically our second snow of the year.

It was super cold Saturday and the wind was brutal, but I knew we had to get outside for a few minutes before our minuscule snow melted all away. The four of us bundled up and headed out. You will notice that Claire was really not prepared – or at least momma was not prepared for Claire to be playing in the snow! She does not have any snow pants or boots and prior to Saturday it had not crossed my mind to buy her any! I triple layered her and hoped she would not get too cold. She did not seem to mind!

They had such a great time. One of Colton’s favorite things to do in the snow is to make snow angels… however, he calls them “Colton’s” ha ha ha. Ahhh, the difference a year makes – he is getting so big!

Claire watched Colton play and Daddy shovel snow off the patio in between picking herself up time and time again… New Balance are not ideal shoes for playing in the snow… boots – yep, that is on my shopping list!

Look at these happy faces! They had so much fun!

I think this is their cold faces!

Puzzles & memories

2012-02-14T13:53:00.001-05:00

Over the past couple of month Claire has really started enjoying puzzles. Watching her put these puzzles together makes memories flood back into my mind…

She remind me so much of Colton more and more every day…

Happy Valentine’s Day

2012-02-14T09:19:00.001-05:00

Valentine’s Day is such a sweet holiday… literally! Between all the chocolates, flowers, and proclamation's of love February 14th is a happy day. I am reminded today though of the greatest love of all, the love of our Heavenly Father. He loved you and me so much that He gave his ONLY son to die for our sins! I thought today would be a great day to share this video with you (again).

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Quiet Time

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Claire and Colton are totally opposites in some aspects. The biggest difference is that Colton prefers for you to play with him or at least be in the same room where he is playing. Claire on the other hand, she can entertain herself all day. I normally do not worry about her during the day unless I hear it get really quiet…. that usually means she is up to something.

Recently, I realized I had not heard her playing or chatting in a while so I walked into the playroom to find her like this:

She was snuggled up in her chair with her blanket and Minnie!

So sweet!

Silly Girl

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Claire has never really taken a pacifier. She used one off and on for a while when she was in infant, but nothing consistent. So you can imagine how tickled I was when she came walking through the house like this:

Such a silly girl!

Stream of consciousness–Busy Busy

2012-02-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

I have been missing from my blog lately, but only because I have been so busy at home. January has been a not so healthy month for the Brooks household. Colton and Claire both came down with the croup and it lasted about three weeks. Everyone is healthy and back to normal now!

At the end of the year I took a small leap and decided to start my own work from home business. I was super nervous and skeptical about doing it, but everything has taken off and now I am as busy as ever! Now I just have to find the balance between being a wife, mom, and my new business venture. This is going to be a learning process, but hopefully I will have it all in order soon!

Recently, I met a group of ladies at a Busy Bag Swap. Have any of you ever been to a Busy Bag Swap!? It is so awesome – hopefully I will get a chance to share more later! At the party I met several moms who like to run and who were willing to get up at the crack of dawn and push out a few miles! It has been so awesome to have new moms to run alongside! Three of us are training for April half marathons – funny thing is we are all doing different races. Brooke who was the host of the party is doing the Louisville Half Marathon – she is a blogger and mom of two as well! You can find her blog here.

Yesterday we went to see a new dermatologist. Claire has a large birth mark and I was just not happy with the dermatologist we had been seeing – they were not thorough enough for my liking. My thoughts on the previous dermatologist were confirmed after yesterday because the new physician was SOOOO thorough. She examined the mark with a magnifying glass, measured inside and outside marks of the birthmark, she talked with us extensively about our options, and even took pictures. After leaving her office I felt a big sense of relief! It is always nice to find a great physician. If you live in the Knoxville area and you are in need of a dermatologist check out Dr. Grande and The Skin Wellness Center.

Sunday I did something really bad and totally out of character… I bought a gallon of Blue Bell Happy Tracks Ice Cream … the gallon of ice cream only lasted four days!! I had no idea what I had been missing!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T13:23:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday because quite frankly words are just not necessary…

In case you are wondering, these are his daddy’s shorts.

Dip

2012-02-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Claire loves apples….

and she really loves when she can dip it in peanut butter!

John 3:16–Video

2012-01-31T13:37:00.001-05:00

Of all the things Colton has learned this year in pre-school the scripture that he has memorized is by far the most important. These scriptures are nuggets of God’s word that he will take with him all of his life.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I have!

Reading

2012-01-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

Colton has always been our book lover and now Claire has follow suit. This is her sitting on our bed reading “There’s A Wocket In My Pocket”.

When she is reading it almost sounds like she is whispering. Most days she can be found in her room on her blanket in the floor surrounded by books and her baby. Love her!

Cell Phone Pics

2012-01-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

This week I was scanning through the pictures on my phone and could not believe I still had some of them… I wanted to share!

Claire was four months old in these two pictures. We were driving to the beach… I think maybe she was just starting to teethe. The first picture cracks me up every time I look at it. She was so terrible on that car ride! We drove halfway and stopped in Atlanta and finished our trip to Destin the next day … she has never been a good traveler.

This little guy though – he has always been the best traveler! It is so weird now to see Colton with a pacifier! Uncle Tom taught Colton how to give a thumbs up … he did this forever! In this picture he was giving Daddy two thumbs up while he was pumping gas.

I have SO many pictures of Claire with her feet in her mouth!

Eating at a Oyster Bar in Destin. This was moments before Colton vomited EVERYWHERE! The waiter was so sweet – he came and cleaned it up!

The picture above we were on our way to a fall festival at one of the local schools. I think the picture below was one of Claire’s first times in a shopping cart without the car seat.

I remember taking this picture – this was Christmas 2010 and Colton loved his Tennessee Santa Hat. I am sure he was probably standing there (at the Lake) watching Farm Animals (Baby Einstein movie) … he looks so little!

This was one of my favorite outfits on Claire! She is actually wearing that same hat right now while she is playing out on the patio.

These are blurry, but still cute :) … She has always been a busy body.

Just love that look!

Go Big Orange!!

Riding in the cart at Sams. Notice the blankie in tow – where we go the blankie goes.

She has always been a Daddy’s girl – this is Daddy multitasking on a Sunday morning before Church. Isn’t he a handsome dude!

February 2011 – her first really bad boo-boo… Pretty sure this was entirely my fault :(

For some reason I think this is in the pediatrician office waiting room, but I am not totally sure and for the life of me I cannot figure out what she is holding.

He is such a cutie pie! Gobble gobble him up! This was March 2011 – hard to think that he has changed that much!

Love that smile and her hat!

This was Claire’s first girly moment. We were in Atlanta visiting family and going to the aquarium. Claire pulled my make up bag out of my suitcase and made herself at home in the floor.

Yes, we shop at Sams a lot :) … our friends actually tease us about it. As most of you know they mark your receipt as you walk out the door. Well Colton has to hold the receipt and they have to put him a smiley face on it – he gets so excited!

This was the weekend of my Father in Laws and my birthday… this is the last birthday that I choose to acknowledge – I a currently 29 and holding! I was enjoying Papaw’s Tennessee snuggie and a nap … Claire just wanted her Daddy – go figure!

Okay, I often take pictures of my kids sleeping in the car… I am not sure why, I just do. Both of these were after trips to Knoxville to visit friends. They may have even been after swim lessons which absolutely exhausted Colton. Once again, totally weird to see that pacy in his mouth!

Claire 11 months old drinking her nighttime milk in our bed… she still does this every night.

This is the bridge going over the Lake where my husband’s father lives. It is the most beautiful lake when it is full and it was certainly full when I snapped this photo.

It is rare that we buy ice cream. Very rare. On this day Chris darted through the drive thru at a Buddy’s BBQ and bought a cone for us to share. Colton said, “momma what’s that?” … so I let him have a lick. Needless to say he LOVED it, but about 6 licks later he was over it.

This was 2 months before Colton turned three. This was probably his third haircut! Yes, my children take forever to get hair!

Here we are … at Sams again. Claire loved the Baby Bjorn and it certainly made shopping with two little ones a lot easier. I miss carrying her around like this.

July 2011 - Holding Hands… too precious!

She insisted on wearing these sunglasses to dinner …

These two were exhausted after a day of shopping (Dec. 2011).

This is our fifth family member. Claire’s new baby doll. I had to put a stop to Claire taking the baby to bed with her because she would just play with it… so guess where the baby has to sleep – Mommy & Daddy’s bed.

yes… its blurry … but I had to post this. Chris’ mom has a super long driveway and Chris use to always let our nephew Bryson drive up it … now Colton does – just sweet memories for us.

I think it is time for me to get a phone with a better camera.

Valentine’s Day–Free Printable

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love Valentine’s Day. Not that we need a reason to show love, but it is still fun to be a little mushy and overboard one day a year! Last year I bought the movie Valentine’s Day and it really got me in the mood to celebrate – I highly recommend it! To help get you in the mood I have created these free printables! Enjoy!

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Glowing Skin anyone?

2012-01-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

How do you get soft hair and glowing skin? Well, I think Claire may have the answer!

It started at breakfast with a banana … then lunch with an avocado and she finished the day by rubbing sweet potatoes all in her hair and on her face. I turn my head and before I know it she is covered in food!

Yep, I love this girl!

Odd

2012-01-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

What is odd about this picture?

When waking Colton up from his nap I sometimes find him like this… with his socks on his hands!

This is not something he wakes up and does… oh no … he falls asleep this way! Need proof??

Crack me up! Are you digging the argyle arm warmers!? Ha ha ha!

This was him Sunday after his nap… he was not happy to be woken up by my flash, but hey – it was way too funny not to photograph!

Cheering!

2012-01-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

We were thrilled to watch Tim Tebow play in and then win his first playoff game!

There were plenty of high fives to go around as we watched Tebow score!

Not too shabby of a game for someone who they said would never go in the first round of the NFL draft.

As we sat around the table eating pizza and watching the game we were cheering… “yeah Go Tebow!!… Go Broncos!… wooo hoooo!” and all of a sudden Colton said, “Yeah!! Praise the Lord!!!” Chris and I were so tickled we could barely contain ourselves! It was the most precious moment ever.

Now we’re cheering on one of our favorite Manning brothers – Go Giants!

Lately

2012-01-23T15:31:00.001-05:00

Lately I have been super busy nursing sick toddlers. Colton and Claire seem to be passing a nasty cold back and forth and this second round has been terrible. Colton has had a nasty cough for about two weeks and missed almost an entire week of school. Claire is still dealing with the nastiness and just wants to be held and rocked and I am happy to oblige.

Lately I have been sticking to my running goals and Chris has been joining in on the running. We were even able to squeeze in a five miler together yesterday!

Lately my darn planters fasciitis has been acting up again! I have been stretching, icing and whining a little more lately! The Knoxville Half is a race I really want to finish, but after the way my foot hurt on my run yesterday I am doubting I will be able to make it to the start line.

Lately we have been attempting a little decorating. It is a running joke (of my own) that I have a hard time putting together a good outfit let alone decorate a house … so it is baby steps for me! We had new drapes made for our kitchen and the playroom – I am in love with them!

Lately m sweet husband has been so patient with me as I sort through the fine details of drapery - rings or no rings, puddled or floor length, holders or tie backs … you get the idea!

We finished getting up our drapes in the playroom this morning, but not before Claire had a chance to help!

This was her last night helping Chris:

Look at that face!! She was so excited to be playing with Daddy’s measuring tape!

Chris is such a good little teacher. Granted Claire is only 20 months old and does not understand the proper use of a tape measure, but that did not refrain her Daddy from telling her anyway. It was such a cute little father -daughter moment.

Chris finished up hanging our drapes this morning and Claire was right there by his side offering a helping hand.

So what have you been up to lately??

Calendars Jan-Mar–Free Printable

2012-01-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

Recently I created and posted January – March calendars with a notes section… here you can find April, May and June.

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Click here to support 'Ms. Alesha Medical Fund'

2012-01-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

Click here to support 'Ms. Alesha Medical Fund'

Contact pages–Free Printable

2012-01-16T13:33:00.001-05:00

Inside my home management notebook I felt the need for a contact list. All of our contacts (phone numbers, mailing addresses, email addresses) are housed on my computer in my outlook so if Chris needs Contact information for someone he has to come to me. This way if I am not here he can flip open our notebook and voila.

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Valentine’s Day Crafts

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine’s day is one of my favorite holidays. It is so much fun to celebrate those you love! Colton being in preschool makes these type of holidays even more fun! I have been looking for some cute ideas for his classmates or his “friends” as he refers to them.

If you have a toddler you are sure to have plenty of broken crayons and now you can salvage them! Buy a silicone heart candy mold, chop up crayons and put in the mold, heat 230 degrees for 15 minutes and voila! So cute and no waste. The only thing is I have heard that the washable crayons do not work as well trying this process and the washable is all I buy.

Here are a few other cute classroom craft/gift ideas! You can click on the images for the source of the photo or go to the bottom of this post.

I have never seen Valentine’s colored candy corn, but I am sure it exist – if not you can always use some other type of candy. I love these cards and plan on doing them for the grandparents.

The flower pop idea would be cute for even grandparents too. I love this idea for the gold fish – you could go simple and just use zip lock bags. This may be a better idea for older kids who would really get the joke.

These two are my favorites!! So much so that Colton and I will probably do both of these for his class. I purchased embroidery thread last week at our local discount fabric store and since Colton has 17 classmates I think we may try to get a start on these soon!

For Colton’s teacher I thought we could do some white chocolate covered pretzels and put them in a cut jar like this one! Maybe mod podge hearts on it instead!

I love these cute little bookmarks! They are made from paint chip cards. I thought this would be a cute idea for my Sunday School girls.

Sources of Post:
Crayon Hearts – source
XO XO Candy Bag – source
Be Mine Card source
Flower Pop source
Fishy Valentine source
Bananas For You source
Have a ball source
I dig you – source
Friendship Bracelets – source
Pretzel Jar source
Bookmark source

Running Safety

2012-01-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you live on the east coast you probably have not heard the News Story about Missing Montana teacher Sherry Arnold. She went out on her morning run last Saturday morning and virtually vanished. Yesterday, Sherry was found dead. This story is devastating on so many levels and reminds me why it is so important to have safety in mind when going out on runs.

My favorite time to run is early in the mornings, however, I have always been wearing about running at that time alone. Yes, an abductor could take two women, but it is less likely. I actually will not run in an secluded area alone even if it is the middle of the day.

Here are some basic safety tips that I have compiled.

Always make sure someone knows your running route. I always tell Chris where I will be running, what type of route I plan to take, and an approximate time that I will be gone.
Carry your cell phone. This can be rather annoying especially considering most of us have media phones (blackberry, Iphone, etc…) – but it is still a good safety measure. I tuck mine inside my running tank. If you run on a college campus there are generally safety call boxes – be aware of their locations.
Identification – carry some type of identification on you. Road ID has become very popular. They have bracelets, shoe ids, and even dog tags.
Run against traffic. If you are running on a road or side of the road be sure to run against traffic so you can see oncoming vehicles.
Reflective material – you want to make sure that you are visible. Did you know that most all motorcycle accidents happen because drivers of vehicles say they did not see the motorcycle? I am sure this is the same for runners. There are tons of reflective belts made for runners.
Pepper Spray – this could be used not only for self defense with people, but also with animals.
Intuition – I believe whole heartily in trusting my gut! If something does not feel right, then it probably isn’t. Here is a great article I came across on just that.
Ear buds are a no no – Until recently I was never a fan of running with music. There are a lot of races that actually ban headsets and for a good reason – your safety. It is important to be able to hear your surroundings. If you do “have to have” music be sure to only use one ear bud and keep the volume low.
Running Partner – this is the best suggestion I could ever give…chances are you are less likely to be attacked if you are running with a partner.
Changing up your route will not only help you from getting bored, but you will also detour anyone from knowing/learning your schedule.

Awesome Kid

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

He is such an awesome kid… I am so blessed to be his momma!

I Will Take It

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before Christmas I never got a good picture of the children in front of the tree… so New Years weekend I tried to get a few. Chris was in the bed recovering from the stomach virus and Colton was laid up on the couch watching Polar Express not feeling well.

so it was just Claire and I.

She was being rotten and not in the mood to sit in the chair and have her picture snapped… so I moved to a different room and assembled my version of a drop cloth.

Once she spotted her baby it was all over. There was no way she was giving that baby up!

I had to get creative (not my strong suit) so I said, “Claire lets hide the baby…” I knew she was not going to give the doll up without a fight (and what is the point in fighting over this) so we hid the doll under her dress.

At this point I am cracking up and getting her to look at the camera is virtually impossible – she is only focused on her baby…

She was too busy comforting and shushing the baby to care about smiling.

This picture was the best I could do … I will take it!

Muah! Love my girl!

She Loves Him

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

This little girl loves her daddy… no, I mean she really really loves her daddy!

When he is home she will not have much to do with me. If she gets hurt only daddy can kiss it and make it better… if he leaves the room she is right on his heels. She loves him!

Entryway Makeover

2012-01-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

Our entryways are anything but desirable. We have a front entrance and a back entrance. The back entrance is the one that is used most often. Our front entrance opens into the children’s playroom and has carpet so we prefer for the back to be used. Since we have moved into this home, the one thing I have wanted is an entryway makeover. Somewhere to hang our coats/jackets and put our shoes. We lack storage.

At 3 1/2 years old it is time for Colton to start learning some responsibility – such as hanging up his own coat and backpack and putting his shoes in their appropriate place. Were in the middle of a playroom makeover so what better time to add an entryway piece than now!?

I have had my eye on this Pottery Barn piece for a few years. It has a place for storage to hide your shoes, umbrellas, or whatever else you need to stow away as well as a spot for hanging outerwear. This past week Chris ask me to get the dimensions and he was going to have it made for me. My hold up has been that I wanted something low so Colton and Claire could hang their own jackets.

A bench of some sort is a must. You can sit on the bench and get your shoes on and then as I mentioned before you can stow something away in the baskets below. So I have went searching… Pinterest offered lots of ideas!

Then bam!… there it was! I saw this and knew this was it!!

I have scoured the internet looking for the source of this picture to no avail. Other bloggers source it back to other bloggers, but I cannot find the actual origin of the picture. It actually reminds me of something from Pottery Barn. Oh, but I love this! I love everything about it! I LOVE the old antique pew and the crown molding turned into a coat hanger shelf. My plan would be to find low basket to go under the pew and Colton and Claire could climb up in the pew to hang their jackets.

When doing some internet searching I discovered Remodeling Guy. His website it amazing and full of do it yourself ideas with step by step instructions. He has a post for this crown molding coat hanger!

First step – find my pew! Strip it and stain it! Then on to my coat hanger shelf!

Here are some other ideas that I really liked too! I love how this blogger (Emily Clark from designed inspired) used her children’s art work above their coat hangers. My children are not really creating this type of artwork, but as soon as they are I plan on framing several pieces for our playroom.

source

I also really like these framed printables and plan on doing something very similar.

source

For now I am off hunting for an old antique church pew.

Christmas Night

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Normally we do lunch at my in laws Christmas day, but this year we pushed it to an early dinner. Here was Claire enjoying the music.

We were so happy that all of our family made it in for the holiday. All of Chris’ siblings live out of town, but Allison and Billy get the prize for the longest drive … they made the seven hour haul on Christmas Eve just to see me ;)… ha ha

Poppy received lots of love from Colton and help from Claire when opening his gifts!

This was baby Keylee’s first Christmas and Colton and Claire gave her lots of attention… Claire kept going over to her and saying (over and over), “baby…. baby” … its so darn cute! She does this in church too.

In no time flat wrapping paper was everywhere! Watching the little ones (and the no so little anymore ones) unwrap their presents was so much fun!

Colton made out with a John Deere fishing rod that he loves!

And Claire… well she got her baby!

I cannot even begin to tell you how much Claire loves her baby… she has become our 5th family member. :)

4 generations

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Whenever possible I love to get a picture of these four handsome guys! How blessed Colton is to know and have a relationship with his great grandfather!

This one below was from Colton’s first trip to the beach… a trip to the beach sounds really nice right now!

Christmas Morning

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

I’m a little late on getting our Christmas posts up, but it has been kind of hectic around here since Christmas. The holidays were nice. Chris and I both were more excited than we have been in years. Colton is older so he understands more and the children have each other to enjoy the Christmas season.

The holiday was spent a little different than what we are use. This was the first time in twelve years that I did not wake up at the Brooks’ house for Christmas and was my husbands first time ever! Christmas fell on a Sunday and our house is 30 minutes closer to our church than my in-laws so we thought it would be much easier to stay home. Also, this way the children could open their gifts from us before church on Christmas morning.

Chris and I were most excited about their new chairs. They loved them too … Claire darted right for Colton's though... it was too funny. Once we got them in their designated chairs we started opening gifts.

Like most toddlers they enjoyed taring open the gifts more than actually seeing what was behind the wrapping paper.

Colton received a John Deere tool belt and Claire a Tea Set.

Then Claire got her new Skip Hop back pack and Colton Lincoln Logs. We have determined that it is going to take a lot more patience before he is ready for the Lincoln Logs. For now I have enjoyed them more than he.

We have limited ourselves to getting the children only three gifts for Christmas. It is so easy to go overboard and so easy to make Christmas about gift “receiving” so we needed something to help us keep it in perspective while still enjoying the gift part of Christmas. When Jesus was born he was brought three gifts (Incense, Gold, and Myrrh) so we thought that buying three presents for each of them was very appropriate and in the future we can explain to them our reasoning while reminding them about the birth of our Savior. However, we really never said anything about stockings and I had so much fun stuffing the stockings full of fun little surprises. I particularly enjoyed when Colton saw his watch.

We finished up the morning with a wonderful church service. I love when Christmas falls on Sunday … it feels so appropriate to be in the Lords house on the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Then it was off to Papaws!

Laughter Makes a Heart Merry

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas… I love to laugh and when we are with family laughter is almost always part of the day.

My silly father in law showing off a few of his Christmas gifts. We bought him the UT Polo pajama pants… I would actually love a pair of those for myself! The photo below was from our family photo shoot back in October. It is our first picture with all seventeen of us together! We hope to do this annually!

This spring our family will grow to 18!

Yep, here is my sister-in-law Katy in all of her pregnant glory!
She was so excited that her shirt fit over her baby bump!

Merry hearts and a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Repeat

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I think my father and mother in law enjoyed our VOLS tribute so much last year that they had to find a way to repeat it this year… so they bought us all matching shirts.

V…..

O…

L…

V.O.L.S! Go! Vols! Go!!

Am I seriously the only blonde?!

We love our Tennessee Vols, but we remember that Jesus was the ultimate volunteer. He gave his life for all of mankind!

Climber… Who me??

2012-01-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

Colton was not a climber, but for this girl… finding her in situations like this is totally normal!

At my father in law’s house she like to climb the steps and sit on top of the hot tub!

Seriously a stinker!

First Snow

2012-01-08T14:30:00.001-05:00

We had our first snow of the year last week. I would call it more of a light dusting, but it was enough snow for school to be called off for Tuesday. Colton was so excited when he saw the fun white stuff and could not wait to bundle up and get out the door.

There really was barely even enough snow to play in, but this little guy did not mind. He had lots of fun!

I could not find his mittens so he wore mine.

They kept his hands warm and toasty. After he came in from playing I found his mittens in his coat pockets – right where I put them so I would not lose them… ha ha.

I was busy preparing dinner so I kept Claire inside, she was not happy to be watching from inside and made every effort to escape into the cold.

Colton kept saying he wanted to, “make a Colton” … this is what he called a snow angel. I was beyond tickled when I looked out and saw him doing this!

Hopefully we will have at least one big snow and he can have lots of fun like last winter.

“oh rats momma! If you are not going to let me go out then I’m getting rid of this hat!”

“Thanks momma for letting me play in the snow!”

Persuaded (II Tim 1:12)–Free Printable

2012-01-06T13:40:00.001-05:00

We went to a funeral of a dear church member just a few days ago and on his obituary the family used this verse from Second Timothy: “For I know whom I have believed and I’m persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day”. This is one of my favorite verses and is one that I cling to in times of despair.

Another church member, a dear mother of two young children was diagnosed with stomach cancer about two months ago and just this week the doctors told her that her situation looked bleak – the chemo is not working and the tumor has grown. Alesha (the mother) and I are almost the same age, she has two very young children (younger than mine) and she is one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. My heart has been overwhelmed and so burden for her. When I think of her and her young children my eyes swell with tears, but then the Lord brings me back to this scripture.

Second Timothy was Paul's last letter written to the church. In my opinion he was one of the greatest men mentioned in the New Testament. He was in a prison cell virtually alone and yet Paul found it within him to share the good news of the gospel. That God loves us and He sent his son to die for us (II Timothy 1: 9-10) and in verse 12 Paul expresses his confidence in the one true God. Paul experienced suffering and anguish while in prison, but he trusted in the power of the Lord. It is obvious by his words that Paul had an intimate relationship with Christ. Friends, I say to you if your situation looks desolate, trust in the one in whom you have believed and he will keep you until the day of his coming. I ask that you please put my friend Alesha Goodlett on your prayer list.

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Goals … Resolutions

2012-01-05T09:44:00.001-05:00

New Years resolutions have never been my thing. Statistically speaking most New Years resolutions end by January 4th. I do however like to set goals. Running goals have been on my mind lately. A half marathon had been a goal of mine forever, since before I was pregnant with Colton and FINALLY last year (so weird to say) I reach that goal.

For 2012 I have been thinking about new running goals. Initially I said I would like to log 1000 miles this year, then I sat down and did the math and realized that 1000 miles was just not realistic for me. A more realistic number, a more reachable number is 500 miles – big difference, huh!? So… I am reaching to log at least 500 miles this year. I am currently at 4 so we will see how it goes. Ha ha.
Also, for 2012 I want to run a 2:10 half marathon. I would like run at least two half marathons, maybe three if I can fit it in. There is nothing like hitting double digits on the pavement. My 5k PR is something that I would like to drastically improve as well. Currently my PR is 27:20, a sub 25 minute 5k is my goal for this year and I feel like it is very achievable. There are a couple of 5k’s that I really want to do this year, one of them being the Fireball Classic in Knoxville in July. Last year I ran it with two of my sisters in law and we want to make this a yearly tradition.

In order to keep me on track and accountable I have mapped out my training schedule. For my last half marathon I used Hal Higdon’s Novice Half Marathon Training Schedule. I prefer Hal Higdon’s training programs because they focus on distance, he has many different options and best of all they are free. Hal now has a Novice 2 training schedule – something in between a Novice and an Intermediate program. Training in the winter is going to be super tough for me so moving to the intermediate program is not right for me right now – maybe this summer/fall. I am really excited about this program because it also focuses on pace, something I did not do last time. So here you go… here is my training schedule:

Would you like to ran a half marathon April 1st!!? If so please feel free to use this training schedule for yourself! Also, what are your goals for 2012??

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Stream of Consciousness

2012-01-04T13:58:00.001-05:00

Life has been kind of hectic around here since the holidays and I have had very little time to sit down and blog. We had a very different Christmas this year. It was nice and not as hectic as usual, but I have a hard time getting use to different. More on that later

Organizing blogs are my new obsession. I am so amazed by how many bloggers out there have such amazing organizing and home decorating ideas. Not only are they great ideas, but also some that are very inexpensive. Our playroom and my office space is on my list to get a nice makeover – I cannot wait to show you the before and after pictures!

While organizing is on the top of my list, so is purging! I have been throwing out stuff left and right! Sweaters I have not worn in years, nick knacks that have not seen the light of day since we moved into this house – its all gone! Colton and Claire’s closets have been cleaned out too, this however makes me sad. What really made me sad was when Chris pulled out all the baby food jars from the kitchen cabinet – to think that we will not need baby food again. Ahhh… I am not a hundred percent sure yet if I am ready to say with absolute certain that I do not want another little one. I guess we will see what 2012 brings.

On another note I am now back to running. Just today I laid out my training schedule for our first half marathon of 2012. I have mixed feelings about doing this half marathon. It is the Knoxville Half which is April 1st which means winter training! My favorite time to run is 5:30am outside and as we all know the temperatures in Tennessee in February are dreadful – making it outside to run at 5:30am does not seem too likely. So… I guess I am going to have to suck it up and enjoy the treadmill a day or two a week.

There are tons of new posts flowing around in my head and I hope to soon get them all for your viewing… until then I leave you with this:

Calendars–Free Printable

2012-01-01T15:28:00.001-05:00

I have been cleaning and organizing as much as possible lately. My first task has been to go through Colton and Claire’s closets and drawers and put up the clothes that are too small for them. When putting the clothes in the Rubbermaid containers I made a mental note to make a physical note (a lot of note taking… ha ha) that in March I need to get out their too small spring/summer clothes to sell. Then an idea hit me – not completely original, but an idea nonetheless. In my calendar section of my Home Management Binder I need a monthly calendar with a notes column. The Notes section will almost be a “to do” list of sorts. So for March I will write, “get out and sell spring clothes”. I went ahead and made calendars for January through March:

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

2012 Year At A Glance–Free Printable

2012-01-01T11:52:00.001-05:00

Here are a few 2012 Year at a glance calendars. I needed one for my Home Management Binder so I thought I would make a few and share with you. Enjoy!

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

If you cannot tell by this cute little face, Colton LOVES to make gingerbread cookies. After making them last Christmas he talked about it for months so I was excited to make them again with him this year.

He was a great helper…

Even though he became a little impatient with the process…

We ended up with a few decapitated ginger bread men, but they were still delicious!

Home Management Binder Cover–Free Printable

2011-12-30T12:04:00.001-05:00

When I can squeeze in a moment in between taking down Christmas decorations, wiping noses, cooking meals, doing laundry and everything else that falls on my lap during the day I am working to complete our Home Management Binder (formally known as Family Binder).

My binder needed a cute cover so I have been working on a few.

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Stressed? Free Printable

2011-12-28T16:24:00.001-05:00

Are you stressed? I am. But I found something similar to this on Pinterest and wanted to create a printable to hang on my fridge to remind me of God’s word…

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

My Girl

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

After Colton gets home from school Claire loves to go through his backpack. He has a Skip Hop Zoo backpack too. I loved this little Owl backpack and had to get it for Claire for Christmas!

She likes Colton’s watch too!

The funny thing is… she started carrying it like a purse! My girly girl loves her bags… love her!

Like Mommy

2011-12-27T15:38:00.001-05:00

Chris and I have been working with Colton on telling time so when I saw this cute little watch in the clearance bin at Gap I had to buy it for him as a stocking stuffer.

“oh a watch!”

“now I can run like mommy!”

That was seriously the highlight of my Christmas!

Choo Choo!

2011-12-27T11:13:00.001-05:00

Colton has suddenly fell head over heals for his train set. Aunt Becky gave this set to Colton last year… she bought them for her son 20 years ago! I love these type of hand-me-downs, they are priceless.

For the past two weeks this is the only thing he has wanted to play with.

Chris was off all week last week which worked out perfectly for all of Colton’s “train work”.

Chug-a chug-a choo choo!

2012–Free Printable

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it is the day after Christmas. Can Christmas really be over? Is 2012 actually just a week away! Shew… where does time go!? To help ring in the new year I made these 2012 printables. Please enjoy!

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Christmas Play

2011-12-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

Colton’s school play was wonderful! They had been practicing for weeks so it was so nice to see it all come together. Colton was one of the three Wiseman.

All of his classmates were so adorable walking down the isle to the stage.

The lighting is horrible and I need some photographing lesson so needless to say I did not get a lot of great photos.

Some of the girls said a poem, one girl (Colton’s “girlfriend”) said John 3:16 and they sang two really cute songs. The first song was, “Wasn’t it a mighty day! Wasn’t it a mighty day! Wasn’t it a mighty day when Jesus Christ was born!” … they sang this just as loud as they could – it was the sweetest thing ever! Colton loved when the audience would clap (there were probably 2,000 people there) – he would jump up and down and clap too!

It was a super fun night filled with great music about our Savior’s birth.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T20:54:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Rotten Girl

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

So this is her new thing… throwing EVERYTHING out of her crib when she should be taking a nap!

I walked in and she said, “fix it momma!”

“who? me??”

Yes, I’m a rotten girl!

After Dinner Fun!

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Is there anything better than wrestling with daddy!?

I think not!

Random Pictures

2011-12-21T20:50:00.001-05:00

Claire broke my point-and-shoot camera (imagine that… not the first camera she has broken) so before trashing the camera I pulled off all the old photos.

I cannot believe I had not posted some of these before. This was back in October … the kitchen door was open and before I knew it Claire had darted to play in the rain. She was enjoying herself so much that I did not have the heart to pull her in before taking some pictures and letting her enjoy herself some more.

My friend Christine always makes jokes about how my kids appear to be double jointed. There were a few weeks when occasionally I would walk in to get Colton up from his nap and he would be without his shirt… I will have to say though that this position was a first. So sweet!

She loves to play in my makeup!

We pulled out this bouncy seat for my new little niece and Claire decided she wanted to sit in it… she uses it all the time now!

Claire wanted to use the Boppy!

I cannot remember for the life of me why I was wanting to take a picture of Colton this particular morning before school. I do remember however that Chris was irritated with me because they were running late and it was pouring outside and I wanted to take a picture… ha ha

Purse – check, Ming Ming – check, Shopping Cart – check! She loves that purse!

Enjoying a few minutes with daddy!

Sunday School … And Another first

2011-12-20T10:06:00.001-05:00

Claire loves to go in Colton’s Sunday School class with him. Colton still wants Chris or I to be in there with him (I thought this would stop once he started school) so when I am on “duty” I take Claire with me. Colton’s teacher is so sweet and to my dismay she always has lots of goodies for the children. Last Sunday morning when I though it would be okay to let Colton and Claire share a Sweet Sixteen Powered Doughnut.

This was Claire’s first doughnut and she was thrilled to be eating it!

She enjoyed every last bite of it… all the way to the crumbs…

Now, if we can just not make this a habit!

Monthly Bill Tracking–Free Printable

2011-12-19T15:22:00.001-05:00

My goal for 2012 is to stay really organized. I started this fall with creating a Family Binder where I can keep everything in one place. Monthly Bills, meal planners, calendars, and so much more. I have been using a bill summary sheet like the one below for about two years. It is now printed on yellow paper and place in the very front of my binder – that way I can just open up the binder and right away see which bills need to paid.

When I receive a bill in the mail I open it and put it in the front pocket of the binder and write the bill in with the due date on my summary sheet. This also serves as a quick reference sheet in case I need to ever look back and find a method of payment, such as a check number for a particular bill.

Some bills I hard code in my bills for the entire year. For example our mortgage payment is always the same and always due on the same day, so I go ahead and write in the amount and due date on every month. For other bills I write in the name of the bill, but do not write in the amount until I receive the bill.

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Christmas Letter

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mix it… mix it… mix it…

Healthy Snack–Hummus

2011-12-16T13:58:00.001-05:00

Yes! We really like hummus!

Hummus is one of the best snacks you can eat. It is great with carrot sticks, pepper sticks (green pepper, red pepper, etc…) or even crackers. Colton enjoys his hummus with Octagons. When trying to eat healthy hummus is one of the best things to keep in your fridge!

Pouty Face

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is his pouty face… to be precise this is his, “mom I’m trying to watch cartoons please stop taking my picture face”. I love all his faces!

Christmas Play–Video

2011-12-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

Colton’s school Christmas Cantata was last night. The few minutes that Colton was on stage I think he really enjoyed himself. See for yourself:

One Purse

2011-12-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Because

one purse

just

is not

enough!

Christmas Presents

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the first year where I feel like Colton is starting to grasp the concept of gift giving. We have been talking about the gift of Christ and the birth of Jesus regularly. Chris and I both do not want Christmas to be about the “magic”, but more so about the miracle that is Jesus. In doing so we also want Colton (and Claire) to understand the importance of giving – not just receiving.

So I decided that we would pick up a few small gifts for Colton’s classmates, or “friends” as he refers to them. He had so much fun stuffing each bag with odds and ends like pencils and stickers as well as cars for the boys and hair bows for the girls!

Monday we took the gifts to his school. As we were walking into his classroom he was so excited, “my friends are going to love their presents” he said with such glee. After school he was excited to tell me that he got to hand out the gifts and everyone was, “soooo happy”.

Matthew 10 tells us “freely you have been given and so freely you should give. Giving is definitely one of the best parts of Christmas!

Welcome Home

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when I found out that Chris’s flight home was going to be early enough that the children and I could pick him up!

Colton has accompanied me a few times to the airport to greet Chris, but this was Claire’s first trip. Most of their flights do not land until really late … too late to have these two out.

We arrived a little early so the kids a time to play at the terminal. We have a small (only one terminal), but very nice airport.

The big wide open space offered lots of room to run …

and look for airplanes out the window.

Chris called when his plane landed and we anxiously waited for him to walk through the gate. Colton and Claire kept yelling for him.

And FINALLY … they arrived!

Papaw got to Claire first, but she had eyes only for Daddy!

These moments… are absolutely priceless.

Now this is definitely a happy face!

Road Trip Game–Free Printable

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Are you traveling for the holidays? Do you have children traveling with you? Sometimes it is so difficult to make the time pass, but maybe this can help! I know I use to love playing the license plate game while heading to the beach in the summer.

Now, you and your children can use this map to help make the license plate game more interesting. When they (or you) see a license plate you can color the state. Just something fun to help you pass the time!

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, I realize this post is way past due… My plate has been FULL lately with not so much time for blogging.

We had such a nice Thanksgiving. It was very low key which included some chicken feeding …

And piggy back riding!

This is our nephew Bryson. It seems like yesterday he was Colton’s age and spending the night sleeping in between Chris and I. Up until we had Colton Bryson stayed with us all the time… generally every other weekend.

He is such a sweet kid and this day he was having fun riding Colton around piggy back.

Claire even wanted in on the action…

She enjoyed looking at the chickens, but not so much feeding them… She really enjoyed her new purse that aunt Becky bought her.

I will spare you the details of the rest of the weekend – it involves the stomach bug… something that hits our house every year around Thanksgiving.

Skype & Books

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

We are so thankful for Skype! It is one thing to be able to talk to Chris while he is away on business, but it makes it so much better when we can see him!

This was day seven of Chris’ trip to China. We were getting ready for bed just as he was getting up for the day.

I put the computer on the children's table in the playroom so they could get close. Claire climbed up in her chair with “Little Miss Muffet” in hand… Chris recited the entire book from memory while Claire looked at the pictures.

Chris got stuck when he came to “The House That Jack Built”, but no fear, Colton was there to help! Colton amazes me by the number of books he has memorized.

Needless to say we are super thankful for technology!

ReFueling

2011-12-13T09:56:00.001-05:00

Have you ever watched a movie or perhaps the news and seen one jet in the air in flight refueling another jet? I have always been so intrigued by this maneuver.

photo courtesy

Could you imagine being the pilot who’s aircraft is in need of refueling? Nervous would be an understatement. I am sure for these pilots this is not that big of a deal. Apparently, aerial refueling has become so popular that there are companies and divisions of the military that do just that thing.

Well friends, I am in need of some serious refueling. Seriously, I would love to be able to hook up to some machine or perhaps another person and zap… there you go, refueled. Let me explain. About two weeks ago Chris left for a business trip to China. You would think that after eight years of traveling (literally) to the other side of the world I would be use to it, but I loath the day that I get “use to” my husband being away. He is my best friend on earth and when he is not around I get lonely – fast! Not to mention the fact that he is such an enormous help with our two boisterous toddlers.

His trip was the shortest trip he has taken, nine days. Prior to him leaving I started to psych myself out. I kept telling myself things like, “its only nine days… that will fly by. You will be able to get so much done around the house that you have been wanting to do. Its only nine days, that’s a short trip. Nine days… that is means he will only be gone for one weekend – you don’t get to see him much during the week anything.” Seriously, it was almost like talking myself down off a ledge. But hey, you have to do what you have to do to get by and for me it is psyching myself out. ha ha.

After weather delays pushed his trip back an entire day he finally took off on Wednesday morning almost two weeks ago. That evening as dinnertime rolled around the loneliness hit me like a ton of bricks – I was really not expecting it. Dinnertime is usually when he comes through the door greeted by two eager little ones who are so excited to see Daddy home. He always greets me in the kitchen with a kiss and helps me finish up dinner… ahhh I missed him so much. As cliché that it may sound, at that moment I felt like I had a hole in my heart. You would have thought that my husband never traveled by my reaction of his absence.

Pulling myself together I made it through the next nine days by a thread. For the first five days Colton’s behavior was the worst it had ever been. The only thing I could contribute it to was that Chris was away and Colton too was lonely and sad. Between being exhausted from not being able to sleep because my bed was empty, dealing with an unruly toddler which was totally uncharacteristic of him, and entertaining another whiney toddler I was on the verge of tears daily.

That Saturday my girlfriend ask me to come to Knoxville to visit with her family – she had planned crafts for the kids and she knew I needed a change of environment. As we loaded the car Claire fell and busted her mouth… this was what finally did me in! Once I cleaned Claire up and we were all in the car on our way I broke … I broke into tears and struggled to pull myself together. I called a great friend and she talked me down, prayed with me and helped me put life back into perspective. Looking at it now I am a little embarrassed of my meltdown, but I guess we’re all entitled to one once in a while.

The next week was much better and partly because we were counting down the days until daddy arrived. That Friday Chris made it home safely and we have been thrilled to have him back home. As happy as I am that he is here, I am still exhausted… tired… burnt out… low on fuel. Praying for a fill up soon.

Pitiful Face

2011-12-12T07:12:00.001-05:00

If this is not the most pitiful little face then I just do not know what is.

This is Claire in the car after she busted her mouth on the pavement. This was her first time really getting hurt and it put me over the edge. She is such a trooper and only cried for a brief moment, she was most concerned about getting into the car with Brother and watching Ice Age!

Love. Her. So. Much!

Colton’s New Favorite Song–Video

2011-12-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is Colton’s new favorite song! It’s a wonderful worship song and I finally managed to catch him on video singing it.

Yeah… I cannot believe I am showing the messy (its undergoing a makeover) playroom on the world wide web, but I really wanted to share this video!

Auction Craft II–Fingerprint Tree

2011-12-02T15:45:00.001-05:00

This item was my favorite thing in Colton’s school auction. It was super easy and pretty inexpensive. I ran across these trees on etsy and knew I had to use them for our school auction.

My first thought was to use paint for the thumbprints, but then I found inexpensive stamp pads in the scrapbooking isle and knew that would work better. I bought several different colors and let the teachers choose what they wanted to use.

This tree is from Colton’s K3 class:

This teacher decided to put the name of each student inside the thumbprint. You will never believe what this picture went for! I think the final bid was $600!

The other teacher did two trees, one tree without the names and then another with the names to use as a legend. I cut around the shape of the second tree and used double stick tape to attach the legend to the back of the frame.

I purchased new mats because I did not like the ones that came with the frame. The round mat was a pre-cut mat from Hobby Lobby which set me back about three dollars. The first mat my mother in law cut to fit the frame. All in all these beautiful trees cost about $30.00 to put together. I’m thinking these would also make great Christmas presents for grandparents!

At The Cross

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was one of those no good, very bad days. It was one where I wish I could just go back to bed and hide under the covers. With a family to take care of throwing in the towel is not an option. While making lunch and trying to hold it together I just started singing… I honestly did not know I was singing until Colton ask what the song was. It was the Chorus of At The Cross:

“At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!”

I am so thankful for old hymns and even more thankful that the Lord puts them on my heart right at the perfect moments. This song was originally published in 1707 by the famous hymn write Isaac Watts. It is crazy to think that we are still singing songs that were written over 300 years ago.

The verses of this hymn are praise worthy:

Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sov'reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man, the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While Calvary's cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do.

I am so thankful that He paid a debt I could not pay.

Family Hug

2011-12-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend I tried to go through my computer and clean up my pictures. I have a tendency to just click, click, click with my camera in hopes of getting a good picture and then end up with a ton of pictures that I will never use or multiples of the same image/scene. While going through my photos I ran across this one from this summer.

We do what is called the ‘family hug’ in our house… its one of Colton’s favorite things to do. Chris can be holding him and I walk bye and he will shout “family hug, family hug” … its these sweet moments like this that I love the most! I have no clue who took this photo, but I am so pleased they did.

Recipe Binder–Free Printable

2011-12-01T10:34:00.001-05:00

Digging through a recipe box has become so aggravating to me so I have decided to do something about it. I am in the process of creating a recipe binder. Nothing too fancy, just simple easy to read recipe pages to be put into a letter size binder. Also, I constantly come across great recipes on the internet that I want to print and use – with a binder this process will be more simple. No more re-writing the recipe on a 4x6 card, now I can print the recipe, hole punch it and voila!

Here are some pages to help you get started on your own binder!

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Gift Labels–Free Printable

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

It is just about time to start gift wrapping. I like to wait until I have almost everything purchased and then sit with a Christmas movie on in the background and wrap them all at the same time!

Instead of purchasing labels I thought I would try my hand at making my own. You can purchase Avery Full Sheet Sticker and print the labels there or you can print them on cardstock, hole punch, and use a cute ribbon to tie it on your package.

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Isaiah 9:6 printable

2011-11-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite scriptures and what better way to share it and celebrate it than with this printable. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like this printable for yourself click on the image – it will open up in a new window. Then, right click and choose to “save image as…” and save it to your computer.

Believing Boldly–Tim Tebow

2011-11-30T10:19:00.001-05:00

Its no secret that I love college football. I love the passion of the game and the elite competition that comes with the SEC. When Tim Tebow made his college football debut with the University of Florida everything within me wanted to not like him simply because he played for Florida. Hey, were SEC rivals, its just part of it. But the fact is, he is just so darn likable!

For me it was initially the way he played the game – he had/has the heart of a lion, of a champion. He was/is a competitor in every since of the word. It was exciting to see him play and a thrill to hear him talk about the game of college football. I remember the first time I realized he had scripture written under his eyes in paint, I thought, “oh cool”… but as time went on we learned more and more about his faith. About how he spent his summers on mission trips with his father and his genuine love for the Lord. How could you possibly not want someone like this to be successful?

As Tebow has made his entrance into the world of the national football league it seems his faith has been talked about as much as his passing game. You actually have people asking, “does Tim Tebow’s expression of faith cross the line?”. The critics have been relentless and the mocking has been like grade school antics. Detroit Lions players Tulloch and Scheffler mocked Tebow during their game with the Broncos by doing what they have termed “Tebowing”.

Jen Floyd Engel from Fox Sports Exclusive wrote a terrific article called Why the heck do we hate Tim Tebow . In the article she post the question, “What if Tim Tebow were a Muslim?” If he were Muslims and was turning toward Mecca to give thanks to Allah – would he be mocked then?? Would people be ridiculing his faith then!? And if they did, what would happen!? Well, we know what would happen – the media would come out by the masses criticizing those who were mocking. She sums up her article by saying “We have become so enamored of politically correct dogma that we protect every minority from even the slightest blush of insensitivity while letting the very institutions that the majority holds dear to be ridiculed. And this defense that Tebow invites such scrutiny with his willingness to publicly live as he privately believes calls into question what exactly it is we value.”

Tebow has handled the critics with grace and humility. The bottom line is this – he makes people uncomfortable because his belief in our Lord is real and it is visible! This is what I call Believing BOLDLY!.

There is no doubt that God has a plan to use this young man in a mighty way. Tebow has said before (I’m paraphrasing of course), “I am His instrument to be used as he sees fit”. Friend, God wants to use you too! He has a plan for all of us. So I urge you (and I urge myself) live you Christian life with boldness and zeal – let your light shine!

Oh yeah, Go Broncos!

Her First Slice

2011-11-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Pizza is one of Colton’s favorite things to eat. Normally on the weekend we treat him with a couple of slices. Last week I was super busy with preparing for Colton’s school auction so Friday it was a no-brainer to stop and pick some up for dinner.

I placed Colton a piece on the table where he normally sits and turned to finish my conversation with Chris. The next thing we knew this little chick – who has not ever really had anything more than a few bites of crust – was up in his seat chowing down!

All we could do was crack up … and let her enjoy her first slice of pizza!

The Great Santa Debate–Re-Publish

2011-11-29T09:01:00.001-05:00

Its that time of year again ... yep, everyone is talking about Santa! So I am biting my lip and deciding to republish this post:

Before having children of my own I never would have imagined that there would be such a great debate over the tale that is Santa! To be honest I never gave Santa much thought until we approached our first Christmas together as a family of three in 2008. We had several people make mention and ask us if we were going “to do” Santa with our children. This question provoked much thought between the two of us and a quick mutual decision not “to do” (doesn’t that sound so weird) Santa. I really did not think it was a big deal until I told a close friend and her response was, “if Colton ruins Christmas for my kid I will be so pissed!” (Friend, if you’re reading know that I love you!!) To be honest with you I was a little taken back and lacked words to respond. For those of you who know me, I know that may come as a shock. Had the conversation taken place now I think I would be better equipped to respond and respond in love.

Now, before you roll your eyes in disbelief or think I am a terrible of mom because I’m taking the “magic” out of Christmas, just give me a couple of moments to explain where I’m coming from. First, let me give you a little background… you may be surprised to hear how different the experiences of Chris and I were:

Growing up I never really remember a time when I thought that Santa Claus was real. My parents never made a big deal about him. I knew that my parents bought the gifts under my tree, and I realized that Santa and his sleigh pulled by flying reindeer was simply a story. Let me also explain that I was not raised in church. Yes, I went to church on occasion and I attended Sunday school for a short stint as a “bus child”, but my family was never active members of any church. With that being said I do not think that I fully understood the true meaning and magnitude of Christmas until I was a teenager when I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and became an active Christian. Yes, I knew that Christmas was supposed to be the time when baby Jesus was born, but I did not have a true understanding of what that meant.

Surprisingly enough (or maybe not) my husband’s experience was quite a bit different. Chris was raised in church from birth and came to know and accept Christ when he was eight years old. He recalls Santa being a big deal as a young kid. His parents were divorced when he was five and both homes did the Santa routine. Santa came on Christmas Eve dropped and dropped off a special gift for each child. Chris says he really do not remember when this whole routine came to an end (probably when his youngest sister finally realized Santa was not real) and surprisingly enough he says as a child he does not think that he really understood what the ‘real’ meaning of Christmas was. Christmas Eve has always been spent with Chris’ mom’s family. It was there that they sang some Christmas songs and read the Christmas story from the bible, “but for us kids”, Chris says, “It was just something we had to get through to wait to pen presents. We were never really explained in detail of the great importance of it all.”

I recently started a discussion in a Blog Frog community I’m a part of about this very topic and was amazed by the number of moms out there that feel the same way I do. It was actually very encouraging.

Our main reason for not encouraging this myth (other than the fact that it is a myth) is that Santa is invisible and God is unseen by human eyes (invisible) and we did not want there to ever be any question down the road about God being a “story” just like Santa. Yes, granted if your child is raised in a strong Christian home the likely hood of this happening is probably slim, but you never know and secondly, I do not want my son or daughter to ever question anything that I or their father tell them. A lie is a lie regardless as to why.

Christmas has become such a commercial holiday with way too much emphasis on getting and not giving. We were given a savior on Christmas morning over 2000 years ago and in our home I want that to be the focus. In order to help with this Chris and I have decided to make it a tradition to only do 3 gifts for our children and to each year read the Christmas story and explain about the 3 wise men bringing gifts to baby Jesus. I keep hearing over and over about the “magic” of Christmas, but honestly I do not want to focus on the magic, but rather the miracle of what Christmas represents.

Needless to say I am really taken back by parents who would freak out that another child might spill the beans about Santa for their kids. Let’s just take a moment and flip the scenario around. What about a kid who does not have Santa, or maybe even Christmas (Jews for example) at home and they are being told by your child “Santa is coming to my house to bring me gifts for Christmas because I have been a good boy/girl”. What is the difference here between your child and my child? Why is it okay for one and not for the other?

Granted there are no real answers here, but there should not be judgment being slung in either direction. I think a fellow mommy blogger said it best when she said, “Expecting our children to not talk to one another about what they believe is just asking for them to grow up to be adults who cannot listen to one another at all.” Talking to others about what they believe is one thing I want for both of my children as they get older. Whether they are talking about whom they believe to be the best football team or most importantly what they know and believe about Jesus. We are never too young to be a witness for Christ!

So to sum it all up, I in no way think that “doing Santa” is wrong, even for Christians, but we, the Brooks family have just chosen not to. This does not mean we will not read “The Night Before Christmas” or attempt to get our children’s picture taken with Santa and we will make an effort to be sensitive to the wishes of parents who decide to make Santa an active “member” in their Christmas celebration. On Christmas morning we plan on celebrating with a birthday cake for Jesus and join together in singing happy birthday to Him and then we will read the Christmas story and try our best to somewhat explain it to our 2 year old. We want this to be a yearly tradition in our family. Then we will let them open their three gifts from mom and dad.

Update to this post:

December 6, 2010

So I received a lot of buzz about "The Great Santa Debate" blog post. I received this message from a friend and mentor:

Last year our pastor and his wife who have taken the same approach to focusing on the real birth of Jesus and not the story of Santa had a complete run in with their first child's baptist pre-school. The pre-school was angry with them because their son (who was a first year in pre-school) with honest sincerity kept telling the teacher there is no santa when she was trying to really play it up with the class. The school made the biggest deal about it and was really mad at the parents for their son not playing along. He is so sweet and was just being honest. He didn't understand why they were all trying to "Be good" so santa would bring them presents and "sprinkling reindeer food" out for Santa's reindeer, etc. They ended up just not returning to pre-school after the holiday break because they were osterisized so much over it. It was really a tragedy because she just tried to avoid Santa and the school just made it such a part of their crafts, etc.

This is just sad and absurd on so many levels!

Imagination

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Colton LOVES his dinosaurs. His infatuation for dinosaurs has been going on forever. My mom found these plastic dino’s in the dollar bin at wal-mart and they are one of Colton’s favorite things to play with. Colton know the name of all of them – Tyrannosaurs Rex being his favorite of course.

A few days ago he ask to get up in my bed with his dinosaurs and so I obliged. While I was picking up in my room he was talking and playing – it was the cutest thing ever… watching his imagination run wild. At first he was “covering them up so they would not be cold” and then they played hide-n-seek.

He’s such a cutie! Even if he does close his eyes almost every time I try to take a picture… I really need to learn to use my camera on manual mode!

auction Idea–Praying Hands

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our school auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year. This year I really wanted to incorporate some classroom “crafts” to have in the live auction. While searching the internet I saw so many amazing ideas, but when I ran w this picture I knew I had to do this!

Source: Cavalier Pride Auction

Running short on time I knew that doing this and having it framed was not an option. My first thought was to do a photo book, but then I ran across another great photo collage on Pinterest.

Source: Bits of Everything

Bits of Everything is an awesome blog where five different sisters share all their great ideas. On this particular post one of the sisters shows you how to make a fun photo collage using a black foam board, mod podge, and some of your favorite photos.

Here is what I created:

I will admit that my first go round was a big flop! My biggest mistake was that I used Matte mod podge and I used WAAYYYY too much! The mod podge streaks, but if you use the shiny opposed to the matte you get a much better look without the streaking. I also used a very small foam brush and I think it would have been easier with a larger brush.

This project was so simple. Using a X-acto paper trimmer I cut the pictures to size, in this one I used 4x4 photos. Then I used permanent double stick tape to secure the pictures down before using the mod podge. Then I put on a layer of mod podge and let it dry completely. Finishing up the project I put a legend on the back so parents would know who’s hands were who’s.

Last minute (the night before the auction) I decided to make a second one using another set of class photos. This time I put the pictures on a piece of canvas rather than foam board. The look of pictures was much nicer on canvas, however the double stick tape did not work as well on the canvas as it did on the foam board. If I were doing it again I think I would try to glue down the pictures with the mod podge first rather than using the tape.

Both of these projects (I did not take a picture of the one on canvas) cost about $10 each to make and raised a couple hundred. I call that a successful project!

My Little Indian

2011-11-27T18:30:00.000-05:00

My mother in law is fabulous with the sewing machine … and here is proof!

Colton got to dress up as an Indian or Pilgrim for his Thanksgiving feast at school. Deciding on an Indian was a no-brainer for us and my husbands mom made this fabulous Indian costume in one day. She’s crazy like that… haha. I may be biased and that is okay because I do have to say that he was the cutest Indian ever!

My Sticker

2011-11-27T15:08:00.001-05:00

Yep, I’m a total dork, but now a dork with a 13.1 sticker! :)

My Little Guy

2011-11-26T16:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, he was the sweetest little man ever while having his photos taken. Today, he is a sick little guy. Please say a prayer for my Colton that he will feel better very soon.

Christmas Photos Sneak Peak

2011-11-25T16:44:00.001-05:00

Today we had our Christmas pictures taken. I am blessed to have great friends with great talent! My girlfriend Christine shot our photos last year for our Christmas card and it was a no-brainer to ask her to do them again.

Colton was more cooperative for these photos than any we have ever done. He has a total ham! Here is the proof:

Could you not just squeeze those cheeks!? We cannot wait to see the rest!

Drawing

2011-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned lately that he like dinosaurs??? haha…

Can you guess what he is doing here?

He was off playing alone in his playroom and Chris spotted him trying to draw his Spinosaurus. Just too darn cute!

A Running Fool

2011-11-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Up until about two months ago I never ran with music. I have had running partners who ran consistently with their IPods, but I had no desire to add noise to my workouts. Once I was left to run solo I thought I would give it a try. We had an old IPod at the house so Chris uploaded me a playlist and off I went. It did not take long for me to become hooked.

That old IPod lasted about a month – I fried it by putting it inside my sports bra! No fear though, my wonderful hubby surprised me with a new one! I was totally willing to use his and let him get a new one, but he thought differently and bought me the new Nano, in orange none the less!

I love my new IPod and I especially love the playlist he has made for me. The running playlist is packed with upbeat praise and worship music.

My last long run before my half marathon was last Saturday. The weather was perfect and I was shooting for 10 miles, something I had done the previous two Saturdays. My runs takes place on a beautiful college campus right down from my house. Around 8 1/2 miles I was on the back stretch of the campus with the most amazing view of the mountains. For the past hour it had been me and the Lord and my IPod. My run had gone perfect thus far and when I realized I was going to make it to double digits again the excitement ran through me like lightening. Ahh… then I started listening to the words of the new song playing:

I love the Lord for He head my voice
And answered my cry for mercy
Because He listened to me
I will call upon Him as long as I live
What shall I render to the Giver of life and who all things are made
What shall I render to the One who paints the oceans blue
Jesus Christ

As if those words are not enough then comes the chorus:

I will lift up a cup of salvation
Call on the Name of the Lord
How do I repay the life that You gave
I'll call on the Name of the Lord
Lift up a cup, You have already poured

At this point all I could think of was how merciful and how great the Lord had been to me. My hands stretched to the air as I was running offering praise and worship to Him … the GIVER of life. My surroundings were the last thing on my mind for that brief moment. Then there is was, a car load of college students! They drove by with a girl in the back seat hanging out the window fist pumping and yelling at me “yeah!! yeah!!”. I could not help, but to crack up! They must have thought I was a running fool. To tell you the truth though, I did not care.

Sometimes in our Christian walk others are going to think were foolish. Maybe it is because we believe in the one true God of the bible or maybe it is because of the way we worship. Its important for us to remember that we are not of this world. Scripture reminds us that the Lord has called us to come out of the world (John 15:19) and be separate (II Corinthian 6:17). It is not always to do, I know for me it is a daily battle.

Friends, I want to encourage you! Children of God go out and do not be ashamed to give the Lord the praise that he so rightfully deserves! If you are reading this and you do not have a personal relationship with The Giver of Life I beg of you to find someone who can tell you how to accept Christ in your life, I am also always here to help and give guidance where I can!

Much Love!

Love of Books

2011-11-22T13:00:00.000-05:00

Colton’s love for books goes back as far as I can remember. When he was still in the crib, he would wake from his nap and immediately want a book. He would sit in his crib flipping through his favorite books for as long as I would let him.

Claire’s love has seemed to come on a little later, but nonetheless she is now an avid book lover! In perfect toddler style she has her favorites “LaLaLa” as she refers to one of her favorites and “Special” which is a Veggie Tales Book that she loves.

Seeing these two sit like this next to one another enjoying a good book makes my heart melt!

Butter Toffee Popcorn

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I would be making it this winter! I normally make Almond Bark for friends and delivery guys, but I think this popcorn will make great gifts too.

Mel from Mel’s Kitchen Café is showing it here in a plastic gift bag with a cute bow or you could also put it in a Chinese take out box! I love this idea! If you need a recipe Mel’s Kitchen Café is the place to go. She has anything and everything you could ever need. Appetizers, Rice, Pies & Pastries, Snacks, Sauces, Side Dishes, and so much more!

*Note: you want about 18 cups of popped corn. I’ve found that about 1/4 cup of unpopped kernels yields about 5 1/2 to 6 cups popped corn. While the recipe calls for 3/4 cup unpopped kernels, be sure to only add it a bit at a time in shifts according to your popcorn popper so the kernels don’t burn.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup unpopped popcorn kernels, white or yellow
2 sticks butter
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2-3 cups roasted, salted peanuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Grease two large rimmed baking sheets and set aside.

Pop the popcorn kernels, in shifts if needed to ensure your popcorn popper doesn’t burn the popcorn, and place the popcorn in a large bowl, sifting through to remove the unpopped kernels.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When melted add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring. Once the mixture starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for 3 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thickened. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will bubble so be careful. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and mix slightly. Add the peanuts and mix well but gently (so you don’t break apart the popcorn) until the popcorn is evenly coated and the peanuts are distributed through the mixture.

Turn the popcorn out onto the baking sheets, spreading into an even layer. Bake the popcorn for one hour, stirring and tossing every 20 minutes. Move the bottom tray to the upper rack and vice versa each time you stir. The popcorn will deepen in color and harden a bit as the caramel bakes and sets. Cool the popcorn to room temperature. Store in an airtight container. I’ve found the popcorn will keep, stored tightly, for 1-2 weeks.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Café

Pop your popcord and then sift through the popcorn to get all the unpopped kernels out (unless you like to get dental work done!) and put the popped corn in a large bowl.

In a saucepan, melt the butter

add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.

As it heats slowly, the sugar will dissolve and the mixture will appear smooth.

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for three minutes.

This is how the mixture should look right when it is removed from the heat after it has simmered for three minutes.

As you add the soda and vanilla, the mixture will foam a bit so be careful. I don’t want anyone suing me for hot bubble injuries. No offense.

Pour the caramel over the corn and with two wooden spoons or the like, start mixing. Add the peanuts after mixing for just a bit.

Mix until the popcorn is well coated.

Spread onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake and try to let cool before devouring!

Enjoy!

You can also keep updated on Mel’s great recipes on Facebook – go check her out!

13.1

2011-11-21T14:18:00.001-05:00

I have so much to say about my first half marathon that I almost do not know where to start. I guess we can start with this picture.

My goal was 2:10 and I was really worried that if I did not make it in that amount of time that I would be so upset with myself – because I am so darn competitive! Well… I have say without reservation that the extra 10 min does not even matter to me now. It gives me something more to aim for next time. I will say though that this is my slowest pace ever!

The way I felt yesterday was anything, but ideal for a run like this. Had I felt this bad on a normal training run I would have cut the run short and headed for the house. Cutting it short, or even walking for that matter was not an option for me – so I chugged along and crossed that finish line arms pumping.

I am incredibly grateful to my supportive husband for all he has done to help me achieve this goal. Without Chris and the help of the Lord I would have never been able to do this.

Maple Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-21T09:01:00.001-05:00

Lindsey Bell from Hot Polka Dot is our second (or is it third??) Canadian to be featured during the 30 days of desserts! She is writing to us from Alberta, Canada. Lindsey is an artist, she enjoys baking, cooking, writing, art, and of course design. You can learn more about her and her artsy creations on her blog, Facebook, and of course you can follow her on twitter. One of her dessert creations is this Maple Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Bread!

Maple Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place a rack in the middle. Butter a 9 inch loaf pan then fit a piece of parchment paper inside the pan with a little overhang to grasp easily. Set it aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.

In a larger bowl mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, maple syrup, egg and oil. Add the dry ingredients and blend until it's just combined.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and pumpkin pie spice then cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles pea sized chunks. Toss it with the chopped pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.

Bake it for 30 – 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for about 5 – 10 minutes before lifting it out using the parchment paper overhang to cool completely on a rack. Slice and enjoy!

dirt

2011-11-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

I like my kids clean… all the time. I am not a fan on the dirt…

Its okay mom… its just a little potting soil on my mouth! uggg!

The Zoo

2011-11-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

Last week we took a morning and went to the zoo. It was a perfect day – the weather was marvelous. My favorite exhibit on this trip were the red pandas:

Colton’s favorite part (like always) was the carousel.

Claire really enjoyed it too.

The three of us were thrilled that Daddy was able to come along.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

2011-11-18T07:08:00.001-05:00

Natalie author of The Sweets Life has a blog full of great recipes and restaurant reviews. On her blog you can find recipes for nutritious dinners all the way to your favorite desserts. Natalie and I share a love for running and it was after an injury that kept her on the sidelines that she started her blog in August of 2009. You can also find Natalie on Facebook and Twitter.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches
from Sing For Your Supper
Ingredients:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup white sugar
-1 tbsp vanilla extract
-1 large egg
-1 large egg yolk
-1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
-buttercream frosting (I used leftover from these cupcakes)
-sprinkles
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325F. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until creamy. Stir in the flour mixture until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand with a wooden spoon.
3. Roll cookie dough into small 1-inch balls. Bake for 7-8 minutes (mine took more like 9 or 10 minutes), until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Pour sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Once cookies are completely cooled, spread buttercream frosting on the bottom half of cookies. Sandwich together and gently roll the sides in the sprinkles to coat.

Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands

2011-11-17T14:02:00.001-05:00

I never had to worry about climbing with Colton. Oh, but Claire is a different story! She is a climbing machine. She love getting into Colton’s bed and now she does not bother waiting on Chris or I to help her out – she has taken matters into her own hands!

What am I going to do with this munchkin!?

Crock pot Apple Crisp

2011-11-17T09:11:00.001-05:00

Leslie from Lamberts Lately has offered to share her crock pot apple crisp recipe. Anything that can be made in a crock pot I am definitely a fan of! I actually met (so to speak) Leslie when she designed my blog. She is a school teacher by day and a incredible custom blog designer by night. Her prices are very reasonable and she is very prompt and helpful. If you are in the market to have your blog designed, you can check out her design site here.

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup margarine, cut into pieces
1 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and chopped
2 squirts lemon juice (I used pre-squeezed.)

Directions:

Mix everything oatmeal and above together. This should look like a crumb mixture.

Mix next four ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the apples in the crock pot. Cover with lemon juice, then add the corn starch mixture.

They should look something like this.

Then, add oatmeal mixture to the top.

Cook on high for 2 hours, covered. I didn't do this, but you might want to put it in the oven just long enough to brown the top (maybe 10 minutes?)...I uncovered it and cooked for 30 minutes, but it ended up not as crispy as I'd like.

Serve with ice cream!

Enjoy!

Apple Fritter Bread

2011-11-16T10:29:00.001-05:00

Lisa is the author of Flour Me With Love and she has blessed us with this amazing recipe! I could almost smell this dessert as I was typing out the recipe! You can also check out Lisa in her community and Facebook.

Apple Fritter Bread

Ingredients are as follows:

Dough:

3 C flour

1 package yeast

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C water

1 egg, beaten

3/4 C milk

1/4 C butter

Filling:

6 apples, peeled & diced

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 C brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. cornstarch

Glaze:

1 Tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 C powdered sugar

3 tsp. half & half (or milk)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 bread pan.

In a skillet, cook apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, vanilla, butter, cinnamon & cornstarch until mixture is thickened. Set aside to cool.

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles; remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; set aside.

Put flour, yeast, brown sugar and salt in a bowl, mix well.

Add the water, egg and milk/butter mixture.

Mix until dough forms into a ball; knead for an additional five minutes. On a well floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle.

Evenly spread apple mixture over dough. Cut dough into even squares (I got 20 from my dough).

Carefully stack pieces of dough onto each other forming four piles. (use a spatula, it makes stacking much easier!)

Place piles of dough into prepared pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes; until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.

Mix butter, vanilla and powdered sugar into a bowl. Add half & half; stir until you get a creamy consistency.

Pour on glaze and allow to setup for a few minutes.

Pull some apart and enjoy!

Apple Tarts

2011-11-14T12:53:00.001-05:00

Meg comes to us from Ontario, Canada. She describes herself as a baker trapped in a world of numbers and spreadsheets. I myself love numbers and spreadsheets! Meg has a darling blog call Sweet Twist of Blogging where she shares some wonderful recipes for not only sweet, but savory dishes as well. I plan on trying out her Vegetarian Quinoa Chili very soon! You can follow Meg on her blog of course, but also on Pinterst, Facebook and Twitter.

When Meg is not crunching numbers she has a cake business. So if you are ever in Ontario and you need a cake be sure to check her out! For now she is leaving us with this great recipe for Apple Tarts! Enjoy!

Apple Tarts – Makes 6 – 6 inch tarts

Dough (Yields enough for 12 tarts)

· 1 cup + 1 tbsp (250 grams) shortening, room temperature

· 1/4 cup (50 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

· 2/3 cup granulated sugar

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon lemon extract

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1 large egg

· 75 ml milk

· 1 2/3 cups pasty flour

· 1 2/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

Apple Filling

· 4 Medium apples – cored, peeled and sliced

· 2 tbsp all purpose flour

· 1/3 cup granulated sugar

· Juice from half a lemon

· ¾ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1) Make the dough: Combine the first 6 ingredients of the dough in a large bowl/mixer bowl. Beat together until incorporated and smooth. Add egg, beat to combine.

2) Add the flour, beat on low. While beating slowly add the milk. Beat until mixture is starting to come together.

3) Turn out dough onto a flour surface and bring together with your hands to make two round discs. Cover with saran wrap and chill for minimum 1 ½ hours.

4) Make the filling: Combine apples and lemon juice. Sift flour, sugar and spices over the apples and toss together. Set aside while rolling out the dough.

5) Line a baking sheet with parchment/silpat. Preheat oven to 375F.

6) Remove one disc of dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your table/counter top. Roll out the dough to 1/4 thick. Cut out 6 inch circles. (I used a 6 inch pan and a pizza cutter, doesn’t have to be exact)

7) Place one circle on the baking sheet, layer the apples slices in the center of the circle. Leave about a 1 inch around the apples and fold up the extra dough over the apples.

8) Repeat with remaining discs and apple slices.

9) Bake for 45-50 minutes. Dough with be golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Grandma Skinner’s Snickerdoodle Recipe

2011-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

For someone who does not allow much sugar into their home I am really tempting myself with all these desserts! It has been so hard not to run to the store and buy the ingredients for each of these recipes.

This recipe comes to us all the way from sunny Dallas, Texas. Faith the author of The Stirring Place loves to blog about design, art, books, food, fitness and travel. All things that stir her! We are all fortunate enough today to glean from Faith’s grandmothers kitchen. This is her cookie recipe that Faith has tweaked just a bit… I hope you enjoy!

Grandma Skinner's Snickerdoodle Recipe
Makes approx. 4 dozen

1 cup ~~Crisco~~ (sorry Grands) butter, softened
1 and 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (I use Mexican vanilla but any kind will work)
2 and 3/4 c flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon and 3 tsp white sugar (can be brown) for rolling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together in separate bowl and add to creamed mixture. Chill for 20-30 min. Roll into Tablespoon size balls and then toss in the cinnamon/sugar mixture, coating the dough evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned but soft.

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Makes approx. 1 & 1/2 cups

8 oz cream cheese, softened (OR 16oz for a thicker consistency if you prefer a dip/filling less squishy...very technical terminology)
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (you can also use 1/4 cup pumpkin for a thicker consistency.)
1/4 c brown sugar
1/8 c white sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Adjust sugar to taste (I prefer less sugar since the cookies are sweet.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

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Remove from fridge, spoon about 1 tsp of cream cheese onto the flat side of the cookie. Press another cookie onto the cream cheese to make a sandwich.I still prefer to dip...or gobble them up plain...but David is a sandwich man.
The end result will look something like this...but with a slightly wetter filling unless you made the above adjustments. It's really a texture preference so make it how you like:

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Disclaimer from Faith: These are not my pictures. My camera is dead and I can't find the charger anywhere. *frustration*
But this really IS my grandma's cookie recipe (the pumpkin cream cheese is my own).

Pumpkin Bread Pudding–Vegan Dessert

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Were only ten days into our 30 days of desserts campaign and I am already learning so much from other bloggers. I love meeting (even if it is just virtually) other bloggers with such talent as Hannah at Bitter Sweet.
Hannah is a vegan connoisseur who has two published cookbooks. Her first cookbooks is Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Seasonand My Sweet Vegan: passionate about dessert. Who knew vegan could taste so good!? As if being a published author was not enough, Hannah is also quite the photographer. You can check out her photography portfolio here.
Meanwhile, check out this scrumptious dessert!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
1/2 Pound Crusty Bread
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
3/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
Pinch Salt
1 Cup Plain Soymilk
1 Tablespoons Dark Rum
1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger, Chopped Finely
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
First, slice your bread into 1 inch cubes, and set aside.
Whisk together the pumpkin puree, cornstarch, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Once smooth and thoroughly combined, slowly drizzle in the soymilk and rum, and stir until the mixture is homogeneous. Toss in the bread cubes and crystallized ginger, and use a wide spatula to gently coat the bread with the pumpkin. Pour the lumpy mixture into your prepared pan, and smooth the pieces down into an even layer. Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature for the liquids to soak in a bit, and then bake for 45 – 50 minutes. The edges should appear set, but the interior will remain quite soft and moist. Good bread pudding should be very moist, so be careful not to over bake it!
Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. You can either take the time to make nice, neat slices like I did, or just grab a large spoon and scoop it out onto plates. It will taste good no matter what, so it doesn’t matter if it’s bit a ugly! Serve warm with caramel,whipped creme, or maybe even fudge sauce.
Printable Recipe

Gooey Butter Cake

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Julie Blanner from Coordinately Yours is our first blogger to send in a breakfast dessert for our 30 days of dessert campaign. On her blog Julie shares inspirations and tips for entertaining, celebrations, weddings, lifestyle and home. Among many of her accomplishments, she has been featured in several wedding publications as well as several features in the Kansas City Star. Julie can also be found on Pinterest and Facebook. If you are looking for inspiration and ideas be sure to check her out! For now she is leaving us with this delicious dessert!

Gooey Butter Cake

Step 1 Ingredients:

Golden Butter Recipe Yellow Cake Mix

1/2 c butter, softened

2 eggs

Step 2 Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 lb powdered sugar

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x12" pan.

Mix cake mix, butter and eggs until thick and smooth. Creating a slight wall, spread mixture in pan {best with your hands}. Mix the remaining ingredients on low until smooth. Pour over cake mixture. Bake 35-40 minutes, leaving it slightly gooey. Garnish with sprinkles of powdered sugar, cool and serve.

Enjoy!!

Mamaw

2011-11-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

They love their mamaw!

Sharing

2011-11-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

This picture is just too funny not to share!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

2011-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

My husbands favorite snack cake is the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies so when I saw this recipe I knew it was one I had to feature on my blog. This recipe comes from Monica H author of Lick The Bowl Good. Monica has been blogging about her love for baking since 2007. Not only does she enjoying baking, but she also has a love for photography. Monica has a daily photo blog called Natural Lighting.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

For The Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
3 cups Quaker Oats, old fashioned, uncooked

For The Filling:

8 oz. mascarpone cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3-4 Tablespoons honey
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

For The Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together butter and sugars til creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add combined flour, soda, cinnamon, salt. Mix til fully incorporated. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful's onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack.

For The Filling: Combine cheeses in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer til creamy and lump free. Mix in desired amount of honey. Then stir in sugar til sweetened to your liking.

To Assemble The Cream Pies: Place about one tablespoon of filling on one cookie and top with an additional cookie. Gently squeeze together to allow the filling to come to the edges. Don't press too hard or the filling will ooze out.

Refrigerate overnight to allow the cookies to soften and the flavors to meld together.

Makes about 24 cream pies.