Our Little Life

Black Bean & Corn Salad

2012-01-07T06:20:00.001-05:00

After yesterday's scone post, I'm redeeming myself a bit with something healthier.
This is a super quick, yummy side dish to anything Southwestern-- tacos, enchiladas, etc.

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad
One can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Half of a 17 oz. bag of frozen corn, slightly thawed. (I used a mix of yellow and white corn--yum!)
Half an Onion, diced (red onion would be great but we only had white.)
2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
One ripe Avocado, diced
Pinch of Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Pinch of sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for flavors to meld. If you are making far in advance, add the avocado right before serving. Serve as as salad or with tortilla chips.

Warm up with Cranberry Orange Scones

2012-01-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

I know it's January and we are all supposed to be behaving ourselves, nutritionally speaking-- but it's also COLD outside and in the midst of all the yogurt and salads we are enjoying with a new love lately, here is a scone recipe I came up with over Christmas-- it would be great for any chilly morning or afternoon with a steaming cup of coffee or tea. If they seem a bit complicated, know that they come together very quickly.

Cranberry-Orange Scones
Makes 8 large or 16 small scones

2 cups of Flour
1/4 cup of sugar (I used raw, but regular is fine too)
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
Grated Zest of one Medium Orange

Pulse the above ingredients in your Food Processor several times to sift and combine.

Add 5-6 Tbs. of Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces and pulse again.
Add 2/3 cup of sweetened, dried cranberries and pulse again 2-3 times to incorporate.

In a small glass measuring cup, add one egg to 1/2 cup of Heavy Cream and whisk with a fork. (Now here's where I feel the need to explain-- I have ALWAYS made these with Half and Half instead of Heavy Cream even though the original recipe calls for cream. Always. Then, over Christmas, I found myself with cream and without half & half. So I bit the bullet, and can I just say--- WOW. It made a HUGE difference in the texture, and the fact that these scones lasted for days without drying out. However, I will say that the half & half is fine and makes a nice (though not quite as flaky) scone. So do whatever you wish. :)

Add liquid/ egg mixture all at once and pulse a few times to ensure it comes together. Your scone dough will be kind of crumbly but moist.

Dump out the dough directly onto a lightly floured surface or wax paper and pat it into a circle (divide into 2 circles if you wish to make small scones.) Form into a circle as best you can and then use a sharp knife to cut into 8 wedges. Move wedges to a Parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425' for 12-15 minutes until just beginning to lightly brown.

Before Baking-- they are a bit flat

They plump up nicely in the oven

Remove scones to a wire rack to cool for about 7 minutes and prepare glaze. These are perfectly yummy before the orange glaze, but it does add a whole other level of deliciousness!

Orange Glaze

1 cup of Powdered sugar

1-2 tbs. of fresh orange juice (from the orange you zested. If your child ate the orange while you were making your scones, plain ole' OJ is fine too.)

Mix the two together in a bowl until you get a nice thick-ish consistency.

Glaze consistency

Set your wire rack of scones right back on the pan you baked them on (so the parchment catches your excess glaze) and drizzle glaze over them. They will set up a bit in just a few minutes and be ready to eat!

The finished product

Contentment Lessons from a Toddler

2011-12-17T07:42:00.002-05:00

It's nothing new that children as small as Lucy can hear something you say once, and then repeat it at the appropriate (or inappropriate!) time. But during the last few weeks, God has used her to remind me of a very important lesson just with the simple fact that she has been repeating something I say.

Often when we are grocery shopping together and we get ready to finish up and check out, I say, "Okay! We have everything we need.. we can go now!" I never realized how often I say it or how much she is understanding.

A couple of days ago, I was sitting, making a list of the gifts that we had bought and the ones we still had yet to buy while she was playing in her playroom. I must admit, I was slightly stressing over all that we still "had" to do on the budget we had. Don't get me wrong, we drastically cut back this year... mostly out of necessity. I was worrying that by making a simple Christmas budget this year, we would leave someone out or hurt someone's feelings... I worried that I wasn't doing enough for my own parents and in laws when they have all done so much for us... I was thinking that maybe we should buy Lucy another small toy...

Enter Lucy with her pink shopping cart and a purse on her shoulder.
"Mommy! Look! I have EVERYTHING I need! I have everything I need, Mommy!"
I look down in her shopping cart and I see her sippy cup of milk, her favorite doll, and a book--and a hot dog bun from her kitchen set.
At first I just smiled at her in disbelief, knowing she couldn't possible be reading my mind but still knowing that the One who made her did.
Luckily, I recovered and said something like, "You sure do! are you having fun?!" to which she replied, "YES."
And she wheeled around, happy as can be, and went about her playing in the other room.

In the past couple of days, she has said this phrase several times and each time, I try to really HEAR her and be reminded, that "YES, she does." SO DO I. SO DO WE ALL. This year, we have enjoyed several new, fun experiences with Lucy since she is a bit older and more able to understand--but even with all of this, I realize, "Enough is enough." Meaning, we have enough. What we can afford to do is enough. Praise God, she is not quite at that point where enough does not feel like enough. But she will be soon, because she is human. My prayer is that we will continue to reinforce the fact we are happy and healthy and loved with what God chooses to PROVIDE for all of us. And we have enough. And if we were to be totally honest, enough is kind of an understatement. We have more than we NEED.

Because massive amounts of stuff or not, (preferably not!) we have Everything we need!

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-08T13:53:00.000-05:00

Giving Baby Sister a Kiss...

or maybe trying to talk to her, I'm not sure. Lucy thinks she is literally inside my belly button. So she has started poking her finger in any time it is exposed (which is NOT very often.) :)

Wordless Wednesday: Happy to be....

2011-11-16T08:44:00.002-05:00

The Mommy of this little girl!

(with one more on the way!)

25 Weeks!

2011-11-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

We're growing!!!

I'm a little stunned at how fast this pregnancy is going by! Last night I was laying in bed with multiple pillows (Have you ever tried to prop yourself up to sleep because of a cold and try to keep your back comfortable while still sleeping on the Dr. approved 'side' WHOA!) and I was saying to Lance-- "I'm only 25 weeks!" And then I realized how only 15 weeks remain and so many of those will be taken up with the Holidays! WOW! It will be baby time before we know it!

So all that to say, I haven't been great about keeping up with the stats-- other things keep

taking my attention :)

25 Weeks Pregnant

Gender: It's a GIRL! Abigail Grace.

Due Date: February 20th (but probably a bit before that since she will be scheduled-- so maybe Valentines Day!)

Cravings: Ice Water; Orange Juice; an occasional sweet tea (With a lot of ice!) Fruits of any kind but especially red grapes, strawberries (too bad they're NOT in season and hard to find!) and definitely PINEAPPLE! Other than that, whatever my body is craving/ needing that day--but I also find myself wanting a lot of vegetables. I've always loved them but now I feel like I could eat them at every meal! Eating is so much more enjoyable in this trimester than it was in the first, that's for sure! Another somewhat strange craving I have is bagels. Some days I HAVE to have a good bagel. (Really missing Bruegers here in GA!)

Movement: Definitely! She moves most in the evenings when I'm finally quiet and settled down for the day

but last night, I thought for sure she had friends over for a dance party!

Funny Moments:

Every time Lucy catches a glimpse of my growing tummy, she says, "Do you have my baby sister in there?" Last week on Halloween she woke up with a terrible stomach bug and we were sleeping in the same bed, (at my mom's house) and as I jumped out of bed to try to get her to the trash can, she vomited, cried, and then said, "I need a drink.... do you have my baby sister in your tummy?" It was pitiful but so sweet that she was still thinking about it at a time like that! She has made this pregnancy so much fun with her little anecdotes. I can't wait to see what she really thinks of little Abby.

Stuckey Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T09:02:00.001-05:00

This year my mom made Lucy's Belle Costume for Halloween. It was beautiful and was a HUGE hit with Lucy. She kept saying, "Mommy, I'm a REAL princess!" She was able to wear it to two parties and then she was sick with a stomach bug on Halloween so I don't think she even has a clue what trick-or-treating is but we still had fun. Lance was a trooper and dutifully handed out the candy I had bought and was able to meet a few of our neighbors. And yes, one little girl actually did the whole, "trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat, if you don't, I don't care..." well--you get the picture. We were both shocked that kids still do that. Things don't change that much I guess. :)

Here's a few pictures from our Pre-Halloween celebrations:

She really was happier than it seems... we were in my parent's tree-house so she was a bit distracted.

Not a very good picture of "the bump" but it's there... I promise.

Princess Belle Stuckey

Personally, I'm glad Halloween is over. It was fun and all, but I'm tired of having to avert Lucy's attention away from scary decorations every time we go somewhere. Even the big spiders in the Publix bakery were troubling her. She is SO my child. :)

( I did teach her, "They're not real. They are happy spiders for decoration.")

And so she said it every time after that. cute.

Wordless Wednesday: Abigail Grace!

2011-10-12T13:23:00.000-05:00

Here she is.... well, the back side of her anyway.
She was a bit cozy and refused to turn around for the camera.

Saving Money when Printing Coupons & Favorite Deal Sites

2011-10-06T09:21:00.000-05:00

Now, we all know there is a wealth of printable coupons out there on the internet--many of which you are allowed *TWO prints per coupon (allowing you to get multiples of a good deal, or when things are Buy-one get one free)
But recently, I was noticing the amount of copy paper I was going through! If I printed from a site like Target, the coupons would fit several to a page, but if I printed from a manufacturer's website, such as the salad dressing below, the entire page would be practically wasted. Especially if they take the opportunity to fill the rest of the page with advertisement.

SOOO, (and yes, I just figured this out!) I have started doing 2 things to maximize my paper "real estate"

1. Before I cut the coupon out, flipping the page over and rotating it and feeding it back into my paper tray to print another coupon on the back or on the bottom. (I know, obvious-info here-- but I promise, it just occurred to me last week and I felt silly for not doing it sooner!)
The second photo below shows how the coupon is once on one side, once on the other so I can cut both!

2. The second thing is, I have started keeping a tray of recyclable sheets of paper that have one side blank, whether from a marketing letter in the mail, the 2nd page of a recipe I print or whatever. MANY recipes end up going over onto a 2nd page, just with two sentences of information. Then I just gather these sheets up and feed them in my printer before I print coupons.

Again, I know this wasn't extremely exciting-- but in an effort to save our families a little money by couponing (not to the extreme, of course. :) I watched that show for the first time this week--YIKES.) we can maybe make that pack of copy paper go a BIT further.

What are some of your favorite deal/ coupon sites?

Mine are Frugal Coupon Living
              Faithful Provisions
              Couponing to Disney
              Totally Target
              And my ALL TIME FAVORITE! I Heart Publix (There is also an I heart Kroger as well I think.)

Wordless Wednesday: Fall means enjoying the Publix Pilgrims

2011-10-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, Publix Grocery came out with this adorable commercial (s?) about little Pilgrim Salt and Pepper Shakers. They became so popular, that people wanted a set of their own so they started producing them at the Holidays. They have since stopped, I believe.. but my sweet mom bought me a set a few years back and now Lucy is LOVING playing with them. I'm not sure how many Thanksgivings they will make it through but we're making memories in the mean time! :)

In case you want a trip down memory lane, here is the commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVLOydduvqg

And here are a few shots of my own little pumpkin enjoying them!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

2011-09-26T07:38:00.000-05:00

One day earlier this week, Lucy and I opted to stay at home instead of fight the rain so I settled in to make Vegetable Soup and homemade bread for supper. Soup and Bread makes one of the BEST meals ever and I am always looking for more great soup recipes. This one will definitely go in the "recipe notebook."
I'm including a link to the original recipe in case you want to compare, since I made several changes based on our tastes. Let me know if you try it and like it!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
(adapted from Ellie Krieger)

1- 15 oz. can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 Large onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced
Sliced Mushrooms (How ever many you want, I had four leftover so I threw em in!)
One small box of frozen lima beans, drained and thawed partially
2 cups shredded Zucchini (She said to use one small diced zucchini, but I had shredded in the freezer.)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp salt (I didn't use quite this much, I just did it to taste. a pinch at the beginning and a pinch at the end)
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
32 ounces low sodium Chicken Broth (Or Vegetable!)
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with the juice
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/3 cup grated parmesan (for garnish-- don't leave this part out-- it's so good!)

In a small bowl, mash half of the cannellini beans with the back of a spoon, set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over med-high heat. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5-9 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes and lima beans and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole white beans and the spinach and cook 3-5 minutes more until the spinach is wilted.

Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

She's Baaaackkkk...

2011-09-25T14:10:00.000-05:00

I've been kindly reminded by not only my husband but also one of my best friends that my blog was.. sort of dormant. So, in honor of the new Fall Season, lets sweep away the cobwebs and catch up, shall we?

Oh my word. I just looked back to see when my last post was. Two MONTHS ago. Sheesh.
Okay let's do a fast forwarded-version of catching up.

My last 2 months in Pictures:

Lance and I both celebrated birthdays at the end of July...

Publix baked my cake since I wasn't feeling up to it..

But then I DID muster up the culinary fortitude to bake this cheesecake for Lance's special day. I'm so glad I did but let me just say, it will be a LONG time before I ever make anything THAT calorie laden again. HA! Half of it went in the freezer! But it was good, and He, of course is worth it!

We enjoyed a little hometown fun one Saturday with a trip to our local farmer's market and riverwalk... (Note: all farmer's markets are NOT created equal. Still spoiled from the NC State Market, but it's better than nothing!)

Took a little impromptu overnight Girl's trip to Savannah to meet my mom... and have Dinner with Paula of course!

Someone finally moved from a highchair to the booster seat at the table. I know, it was past time--but she's still so petite we didn't notice!

Made this soup... Easy and delicious-- recipe definitely to follow (THIS WEEK!)

Made this bread.. it's our old standby but we LOVE it. We make two loaves at a time and freeze the second one for a few days later. One loaf doesn't last very long between toast, sandwiches and general eating!

Had a visit from Grammy--picked out our pumpkins and mums.. finally got the Fall decor out!

And last but not least, Jam sessions with Daddy!

OH, and did I mention, we are having another BABY??!!!! We go on Tuesday to find out if pink or blue is in order! We are unbelievably excited. And as a matter of fact, now that the cat's out of the bag on the blogosphere, THAT explains my lack of posts! But I'm feeling MUCH better now, so hopefully we are back to "normal" for a while. Whatever normal is. :)

A reflection on a Thursday

2011-07-28T07:34:00.000-05:00

"Can a woman forget her nursing child,

And have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

Your walls are continually before me." --Isaiah 49:15-16

These verses are a great comfort to us all as we rest in the peace that comes from knowing our Heavenly Father loves us more closely than even the most dedicated mother could. As a mother who loves so fiercely, this rings true with me and brings me to a sober remembrance that He is God and I am not. I cannot help but think of the baby that we would have welcomed into our family this week and find rest that though we never knew the baby's sex or name, God knew from conception. He knew and He loved and He numbered that child's days and was faithful. As much as Lance and I think and hope that we will always remember this little brief life, we KNOW that God will never forget.

And with so much to be thankful for that God has already given, we look forward to learning to Trust Him more fully with the children He has entrusted to us. I heard a new mom put it this way, "I hope to continue to learn to hold loosely while loving lavishly," as she spoke of her newborn son. So very true. Blessed be the name of the Lord who not only takes away, but also GIVES.

Nine Months.

2011-07-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

It was NINE months ago this week that we packed up this truck and moved to Georgia. It just does not seem like it's been that long until I look at how much Lucy has changed. Lance and I realized we have been here for over 1/3 of Lucy's life. Speaking of Lucy, Lance and I would both agree that of the three of us, she is the only member of our family that has the right perspective. More on that in a moment.

     For all that we went through getting to this stage of moving, getting a job, settling down, I have to be honest and say that it's been H-A-R-D to adjust. Really. Downright difficult many days. I cringe even as I write this because I know so many of you reading it are the ones who faithfully prayed with us and encouraged us as we waited for God to open a door and move us. And then in His perfect timing He did, and here we are. And we have never doubted that HE moved us and we are in HIS will to be here. But in our own human weakness, we have struggled with making it Home. Sure, we've bought a home and made it our own--and we love it, but if we're being honest,(and apparently I am) it's not easy to settle.

    You know how people always say that the place where you start your life will always hold a "special place" in your heart? Well, for us, that is doubly true. For me Wake Forest was not only the first place I lived outside of my parents roof but also the place I formed many friendships, not to mention the place I became a girlfriend, a fiancee, a best friend, a wife, and a mother once I met Lance. Yes, I guess you could say it has a special place in my heart. Most days, as I try to give this new city my all in energy and heart, that "special place in my heart" becomes a huge lump in my throat. But we're trying. And more importantly, we are TRUSTING. God has blessed us so here and we are helping each other focus on those blessings and the knowledge that He has a plan for us here. And far be it from us to stand in the way.

   Lucy, on the other hand has had it down pat from day one. She never questioned us when we packed up her toys & moved them several states away to a quaint little townhouse in Georgia... and then again four months later when we moved her and all her stuff to a house down the road. And from the day after we moved in, when we pull up in the driveway, she says "HOME!! We're HOME!!!" Then a few months later, when we had the house painted, she began saying "BLUE HOME!! We're HOME!!" Amazing how she accepts everything with the joy and faith of a child and doesn't say, "Umm.. are you SURE we live here now? Mom?? Dad?? Because, this sure doesn't feel familiar."

Huh. My Two year old GETS it. Better than I do.

Oh, that I would trust my Heavenly Father the way she skips happily along, trusting us. Completely secure. Completely at peace. Completely LOVING today. I hope I will be just like her when I grow up.

And now, for those of you who have stuck with me and read this far, a little smile for you, because you've earned it.

Our Disney Trip Shutterfly Book

2011-06-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Our Disney Trip Shutterfly Book

2011-06-29T07:37:00.001-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Nothing says summer like Pesto...

2011-06-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

Basil Pesto

This morning I took a moment to cut enough basil from our two little plants to make a jar of pesto for the freezer. I love being able to pull out fresh pesto in the middle of fall or winter when our basil plants are hibernating!
This is my favorite Pesto recipe so far and it's pretty easy to throw together. It freezes well, even in a glass jar if you leave enough head space at the top. Before it went in the freezer though, I saved out a couple of tablespoons to go on some hot whole grain pasta for lunch.. YUM!

(*You will need a food processor for this recipe, if all you have is a small one-cup chopper, make the recipe in two batches.)

2-3 cloves of garlic
2 oz. of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (You can substitute the pre-shredded, but please do not use the stuff in the green can.)
1/4 cup of pine nuts (We actually use almonds, because we always have them on hand and they are a bit more economical.)
2 cups of Packed Basil Leaves, washed and dried
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp of salt
1/8 tsp of freshly ground pepper

Turn your food processor on and drop the cloves of the garlic through the top opening. (This will result in a good mince.) Then add the nuts and the cheese and blend briefly until the nuts are ground up. Add the basil and pulse again. Add the oil in a slow steady stream through the top opening. Stop half way through the oil. This will result in a thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then add however much oil you need to reach your desired consistency up until you have added it all.

Add the salt and pepper and then taste for flavor. If the pesto tastes flat, try adding more parmesan or a pinch more salt.

Use the pesto right away or store it well covered. If you are storing it in the fridge for a few days, pour a small amount of olive oil on top to slow the discoloration.

**This recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma book of Sauces

Wordless Wednesday: There's a First Time for Everything!

2011-06-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: First French Braids!

2011-06-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

FIRST FRENCH BRAIDS!!!

A couple weeks ago, we had the blessing of spending a few precious hours with some dear friends when we were both visiting family in Jacksonville at the same time. Courtney took the time to painstakingly braid Lucy's hair. Court is a braiding genius and

I wish I would have been watching her so I could replicate this hairstyle on Lu.

So cute!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Somebody had a Bumper Crop!

2011-06-01T18:11:00.000-05:00

Here's what my kitchen looks like tonight...

Summer Corn was on sale for an amazingly low price-- so we stocked up to have corn later in the year.

AND, it was the perfect opportunity to make this great RECIPE! A great "out of the box" side dish to bring to a Summer Soiree!

Our Favorite Chocolate Cake

2011-05-27T09:36:00.000-05:00

My little girl turned two yesterday and today I am busy baking cupcakes for a Cinderella party tomorrow! We are so excited and busy but I had to take a moment and share our favorite recipe for chocolate cake with you! It takes only minutes longer than a box cake mix and tastes so good!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
(From the back of the Hershey's Unsweetened Chocolate Box)

2 cups of Sugar
1 3/4 cups of All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I use applesauce every time and it's GREAT!)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup of boiling water

1. Heat Oven to 350' Grease and Flour two-9-inch round cake pans (or in our case it makes 30 cupcakes.)
2. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of your electric mixer. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 min. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin.) Pour into pans.
3. Bake 30-35 min. (cupcakes bake only 22-25 minutes) or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Cool Ten minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

For the Frosting, you can use whatever you like but our favorite is Hershey Bar Icing from Amanda and her mom. It is sooo good.

Hershey Bar Icing:
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of regular sugar
1 cup of powdered sugar
12 oz. of whipped cream or cook whip
2-3 Hershey Bars, grated

Mix all ingredients together well and frost your layers or cupcakes! Store in the fridge if possible, it makes it so good!

I'm linking up to Kelly's Korner and her SUYL-Desserts!

Have a great weekend!!!

May 26, 2011

2011-05-26T07:25:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today, I got up, went to work (feeling slightly HUGE) :) and then went to an afternoon Doctor's Appointment... Several hours later, this bundle of beauty and joy joined our lives.

6 lbs. 11 ounces... 19 3/4 inches long and the softest little head of hair.

an instant Daddy's girl of course...

And then the night we brought her home from the hospital she looked so content in her own little bed... and I sat and stared and stared at her...

And before we knew it she was ONE!

And now here she is, in her best "Ta-DA!" pose.

Our girl is really getting bigger every day. In the last 6 months, she kicked the paci habit completely (we were just doing it at bed-time) and has really started making strides in the potty-training department.

Her vocabulary has just exploded so quickly that I have lost track of all the words and phrases she says. It's so funny at this age, it seems as though they watch you do something or say something once and they can repeat it. Sobering thought, isn't it?

She can count to 10 but usually it's "1-2-3-7-8-9-10" We will keep working on the others. :)

She knows her colors and all her main shapes and can identify so many different things. What a joy it is to teach her and watch her learn!

Her favorite meals are Chick Fil a and Spaghetti. HA! She is definitely a girl who knows what she wants and can tell you what it is. We are still working on expanding her eating-- and slowly but surely, it's happening.

She is a true blessing every single day and we are so very grateful to be her parents and to be able to raise her to Love God and Love Others.

Spaghetti Bake

2011-05-24T12:09:00.001-05:00

This recipe was shared with me in college by my roommate, who got it from someone else, who no doubt, got it from someone else. I have changed several things about it--and I would LOVE to share it with you! This is one of my "go-to" meals especially when cooking for someone else because it is such a crowd-pleaser!

Spaghetti Bake

One Large Family Size jar of Prego (45oz.)
One Regular Box of Spaghetti, boiled and drained
4 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz. of Sour Cream
2 cups of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Italian Seasoning (Basil, Oregano, etc.)
Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese (Such as comes in the green can)

Preheat Oven to 350'
Once your Spaghetti has been drained, mix in the cream cheese and the sour cream and sprinkle a small bit of your three seasonings (Italian, Parmesan and Garlic) Stir to incorporate the cream cheese and sour cream into the hot pasta and try to eliminate any clumps.

In a Glass 13x9 baking dish, layer a bit of the sauce--just enough to cover the bottom of the dish.

Layer the pasta mixture with the sauce mixture several times in the dish. Each time you top with sauce try to make it cover the edges so the pasta does not dry out or get crispy in the oven. Half way through, sprinkle half of your mozzarella cheese on and then finish out your layers ending with plenty of sauce for the top.
Once all your sauce and spaghetti are gone, top with the remaining mozzarella and then a bit more parmesan and italian seasoning.

Bake at 350' for about 20-25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.

Allow dish to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Meals and Memories...

2011-05-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me relatively well would say that cooking for people could very well be my "love language." I LOVE that aspect of hospitality and I always have. I know there are many ways you can serve and bless someone but for me, preparing a meal for loved ones is at the top of my list. (In fact my husband will be the first to tell you that he weighed a bit less when we first met than he does now--what can I say? He was a bachelor eating bowls of cold cereal and calling it a proper meal! Ha!)

Tonight I have the rare opportunity to prepare a meal for some long-time close friends of ours who enjoy cooking (and eating!) as much as we do and I am a mix of ecstatic with a little bit of nostalgia mixed in. You see, this girl and I? We've shared many meals over many years. Many. And as I sit here, I cannot help but remember so many of them.

Some of my very best memories in college are of sitting with this girl... eating and chatting. It's a wonder we didn't gain more weight!

We discussed the drama of life with bagels and coffee and leather couches.

We braved the cold of the snow like true Florida girls with bowls of chili and playing cards and lots of laughing.

We shared tea and scones at the super girly place down the street. In fact, we shared a luncheon there just hours before she wed her great husband.

We shared early Thanksgiving dinners for several years in a row with this couple and those meals remain some of my favorites.

She brought me her famous chicken and rice when my daughter was born and I instantly felt more like myself again.

And just 6 short months ago, we shared several of our "last meals" (for awhile) together when we prepared to move here.

Days later, they helped us move here and we drank one last cup of coffee together while organizing our new kitchen.

And now, they are embarking on their own BIG journey. A new exciting adventure awaits them as they have faithfully waited for the Lord's timing and direction. He is taking them somewhere they have never been before for at least a season of life.

And our home happens to be a small stop off the interstate. And I couldn't be happier to be able to fix them a home cooked meal. I may have had the meal planned out for over a week--but to tell the truth, we would enjoy PB&J sandwiches just as much-- as long as we could share them together.

Mother's Day: Then and Now

2011-05-10T09:25:00.000-05:00

My First Mother's Day- 2009 Just Weeks before Lucy was born! (WOW.)

Mother's Day 2010- The day Lucy was dedicated at EBC in Raleigh

Mother's Day 2011- Augusta, GA

(I would like to point out that apparently, we really got our money's worth out of our dresses! HA!)

Lance and Lucy completely spoiled me and we had a great day together. Worshiping together at our church (which we absolutely love) and then lunch at home with some new dear friends and then we relaxed together. I am so thankful to be Lance's Wife and Lucy Mom-- God has truly blessed us and we continue to be amazed by it every day!

Finer Things Friday: Beach Baby

2011-05-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

Today I'm linking up to one of my favorite bloggers over at The Finer Things in Life.

After growing up a Florida girl, I have no idea why it has taken me this long to expose my almost two year old to the beach!!! This past week we had a brief amount of time in Myrtle Beach and so one morning, I jumped at the chance to take her. We only stayed about 30 minutes-- but hearing her say "Wowwwww!" when she got her first glimpse of the water was certainly a FINER thing!

Little Sandy Feet

Crazy beach hair-- I love it!

Cinco De Mayo Recipes: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2011-05-04T07:40:00.002-05:00

Since tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo, (Not to mention, the National Day of Prayer!) I wanted to share my favorite Enchilada recipe. I received this recipe about ten years ago when I was working at the bank and it has been one of my favorites through the years. I have tweaked it several times based on what we have or like at the time but this is the basic recipe. It's a winner in my book, because I really don't like red enchilada sauce and it does not have any!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

One Package of Medium Flour Tortillas (we like mission but I think I might make my own this time-- I'll let you know how it goes!
One Packet of Taco Seasoning (this I usually do make myself-- just because I know what's going into it.)
One Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
4 oz. Cream Cheese (Half a brick-- we use low fat.)

One onion, diced small
Other Vegetables, cut into bite sized pieces (we like to use mushrooms, spinach and we have even added drained black beans.)
One lb. of Boneless, Skinless chicken, cut in bite sized pieces (In a pinch, you can certainly use a rotisserie-- just take it off the bone and shred it.)
8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese (you won't need all of it.)
8 oz. Sour Cream (you probably won't use all of this either, but you may want it for garnish!)

In a saucepan, mix together the soup, taco seasoning and cream cheese. Heat on medium until the ingredients begin to melt together in a sauce. Add milk as needed. Lower heat to low and stir as needed to avoid sticking. This will be your creamy enchilada sauce.

In a large skillet, add a small amount of olive oil or pam and then add chicken. Cook chicken pieces until brown on all sides but not over done.. a few minutes on each side. Add onion, saute for 3-4 minutes and then add other vegetables (if using.) Cook until crisp- tender adding a pinch of salt if necessary.

Drain any excess liquid (this is especially important if you use spinach.) and then add two large handfuls of shredded cheese and then stir. Add about a half a cup of sour cream. Mix to incorporate.

Prepare a 9 x 13 Glass dish by spreading a thin layer of the enchilada sauce reserving plenty for the top of the casserole. Working one at a time, take a tortilla and place no more than a 3-4 tablespoons of meat-veggie-cheese filling and then roll the tortilla up tightly and place seam side down in the dish. do this until you run out of filling, placing them side by side as tightly as you can. If you want to make less, use a small dish so they will be compacted nicely. Top with the remainder of sauce and then sprinkle extra shredded cheese if you like. Bake at 350' for about 20 minutes until the cheese and sauce are bubbling. We garnish with sliced green onions, sour cream and cilantro. You can cut into squares or serve them by enchilada.

*** I also use to make this for a vegetarian friend, substituting cream of mushroom for the chicken and ramping up the veggies instead of meat!

Also try our favorite Salsa recipe!!!

And here's one for taco seasoning!

A New Favorite: Low Fat Banana Bread

2011-04-21T14:26:00.002-05:00

I am always anxious to try a new banana bread recipe and this one is a good one. The technique is a bit different as you roast the bananas (still in the peel) in the oven first and then let them cool. This brings out so much more flavor and sweetness that you can dramatically reduce the sugar and oil or butter needed. DRAMATICALLY. If you follow the recipe, you will get a yummy loaf of traditional banana bread without the high calorie content. Enjoy!

Low-Fat Banana Bread
Makes one 9x5 loaf

4 Large Ripe Bananas
2 Large Eggs
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 cups of All purpose flour
1/2 cup of sugar (as opposed to the usual cup or cup and a half!!)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs. vegetable oil (as opposed to the usual stick of butter!)
2 ounces of low fat cream cheese (cut into 4 pieces and chilled)

Roast Bananas on a rimmed baking sheet at 325' for 20 minutes until the skins are completely black. Remove and set aside to cool. Leave oven on.
After bananas are completely cooled, peel and mash them. Measure 1 1/2 cups. Discard any excess or save for future use. (Mine had quite a bit of liquid but it turned out great!)

Whisk Eggs and Vanilla in a small bowl. Using an electric mixer on med. low, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt together until combined. Add oil and cream cheese slowly, one piece at a time. Mix until the cream cheese incorporates and resembles small pea-sized bits. Slowly add egg mixture while mixing and then add bananas and beat 30 seconds.

Scrape batter into a greased loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown. Cool for ten minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Store in the Fridge for a few days.
The recipe advised us to wait an hour and let it cool. We did not. :)

**Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine

Disney Trip 2011: Last Disney Post I promise!

2011-04-15T07:41:00.002-05:00

Just some photos!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our Disney Trip (and Tips!) - Part Three - Don't Miss and Link Love

2011-04-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

Things I would not miss (especially for a child's first trip to Disney)
(Many of these are Magic Kingdom Based so if anyone has any tips about other parks, feel free to include them in the comments!)

* Arriving as close to possible to "Rope Drop" at the park. There is a special kind of excitement that cannot be duplicated at this point in the day at Disney. Not to mention, you can hop on over to rides you most want to ride and catch them before EVERYONE else. At this time of year, rope drop is usually around 8am or 9am but check this Disney Site for exact information and times. (Oh, and grab a Times Guide when you pick up a map at the front of the park. This Times Guide will list show times and give helpful info as to where and when you can find certain characters!)
* Getting Lucy her first pair of mouse ears! Right in the Magic Kingdom Town Square, there is a little shop called The Chapeau Hat Shoppe (right next to the candy shop--smells divine!) where you can purchase the standard mouse ears and have them embroidered or you can even design your own mouse ears! We chose to have the standard black mouse ears (in the infant size--because they are generously sized!) and had the traditional script font of her name. This cost about $15.00 total for the hat and the embroidery at the time when we went earlier this month. I considered it my own souvenir because I was more excited about it than Lucy was--but she ended up loving them and still wants to wear them!
* I know I mentioned this yesterday but taking some time out to sit in the shade and share a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar. This was one of the things that Lance remembered from his childhood (not me, I was allergic to dairy!) and we just had to do with Lucy. She loved it as much as we did and it was sweet and simple.(well simple.. except that we spent almost $6.00 on Ice Cream-- but hey, it's vacation, right?! One treat like that a day is to be expected, I guess! And it was worth it!) I almost enjoyed this trip more than any other because we HAD to take it slow and just enjoy every little moment.
* The Fireworks Show When we first arrived and realized the fireworks weren't until 10PM, we thought the kids would never last that long.. but they did (thanks to a hefty nap) and once the fireworks began, everyone forgot how tired they were. I have heard several people say that if you can get there early-- the tables at Casey's Hot Dogs on Main Street are a great place to watch the fireworks show. They take down the umbrellas and supposedly the view is fantastic. I don't know for sure because we were late getting there but try it and let me know!
* Riding the Train around the park in the hottest part of the day. The train lets off in Frontierland (right near Splash Mountain!) and Main Street, USA and it was a terrific way to rest and cool off for a little bit. It's kind of a good break for mom and dad since the kids have so much to look at.
* Take the Pictures you want to take! This may seem obvious, but I kept my camera very handy and not the in the bottom of the bag so that I didn't miss anything.
* Try the Town Square Theatre on Main Street for Mickey or the Princesses but book a Character Meal for the one you "must" see.
We got a fast pass for Mickey while we waited to see Cinderella. Although, I will say this, we did not see Minnie Mouse. We asked several cast members when she would be there with them and they all kind of knowingly smiled and said "Hmmm.. we NEVER know when she will show up!" (So coy!) Of all the different times I heard how the "cast members are there to help and make your day perfect" this surprised me. So at one point, the man out front said that Minnie was in there with Mickey so we went in and apparently he was misinformed. Clearly Minnie is in the CIA. We didn't book a character meal but Lucy did not seem to miss Minnie once we saw a statue of her. Ha! Love that kid.
* Call the Front Desk and ask if Mousekeeping can clean your room in the morning before lunch time on days you will be going out to the park and returning after lunch. I did not do this and I wish I had. We returned back to our room both days to put Lucy down only to discover that housekeeping was just about to clean our room. we had to decline the service and just request clean towels. Not such a big deal, but I will ask in advance next time. I'm sure they will work with guests on this.

Well, I could go on and on about EVERYTHING that was my favorite but I will stop there and just say, enjoy every second of it! Remember your kids will be kids and don't expect them to act like adults. If YOU don't feel like standing in line in the heat for 35 minutes... don't expect them to do it without a small amount of possibly uncharacteristic whining. :) I can't tell you how disappointing it was to hear some smarmy Dad or Mom (not Lucy's of course.. most of the time. Ha!) make some ill-tempered comment about how much "fun" they weren't having. AND, I saw one Mother riding the Tea Cups with her 5 year old daughter while TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE!!!!! I almost said, "Hey! Hang up your phone and take a mental photograph of this moment! Soon she'll be 21 and gone!!!" Well, Not really. Okay. Whew, Soapbox over. Clearly that struck a cord with me.

And Now, for the Link Love!!! These are helpful blogs, articles and links that helped us plan!!!

If you have any others, please share them!!

1. The Mom's Panel Advice (Great tool on the Disney Website!) Ask them anything, but first search to see if someone already has! I certainly wore out this website!
2. MouseSavers Subscribe to their email updates!
3. UnderCover Tourist (For ticket Deals!)
4. Traveling with Little Ones (From the Disney Parks Website)
5. AllEars
6. Check out this Disney Junior Site for Printable Coloring Sheets to get your kiddos excited on the way there!!
7. The Couponing to Disney Blog's Disney Training Articles helped me a lot as well!
8. Affording The Mouse
9. DIS Unplugged Disney Blog
10. Chip and Co (I didn't utilize this one as much but perhaps I could have.)

My Little Hawaiian Mousketeer

Fun with Dad on the Carousel!

Our Disney Trip (and Tips!) - Part Two - Traveling with Littles

2011-04-13T13:53:00.002-05:00

*I apologize in advance for the many details! Most of this might be obvious to many, but I hope this helps someone in some way at some point!

Disney World is one of those great places where there really is something for everyone. Though I'm not sure how much of our trip Lucy will remember later in life, I do not regret taking her at this age. We have some wonderful pictures and memories! Growing up in Florida, I was able to go to Disney several times; however this was my first trip to Disney as a parent and it was a completely different experience. Here are a few things that I learned along the way.

1. Plan ahead as much as possible. This might seem obvious, but it's true. The Disney website is a lot of help in this area. You can pretty much find out about every single ride, shop and restaurant in each park by doing a little digging.
Dining: **Also, AllEars has a great tool on their sight containing menus from most of the restaurants as well. We did research ahead of time to get an idea of a few different places we might like to eat each day, and made sure they were reasonable and had options for the kids.
**If you think you might want to do any table service meals, MAKE RESERVATIONS as soon as possible. **Also, put the Disney Reservation Number(1-407-939-3463) in your cell-phone in case you need to make any changes while in the area.

Rides and Attractions: Try to map out what you plan to do each day building in plenty of time for breaks, rest, meals, etc. (It may take more time than you think.)
**This Disney Tool was a great help to us in planning to take little ones. We were able to find out which rides were appropriate and which might be too scary. Also, which rides have height requirements. You can also customize your own maps here!

2. Be Flexible if the Plan needs Re-Tweaking (or to be thrown out all together!)
This did not come as a surprise to us at all but we definitely needed to have "Plan-B" mentality on us most of the time.
We only planned to do one park over two days in a row because 1)we wanted to take it slow and enjoy our first trip and 2) we had a limited amount of time. The first day went great, the second day it POURED down rain.. so we packed everybody up and took a trip to IKEA and the Mall. Not at all what we planned, but it worked just fine and we all had fun together.. (which was the point anyway.) Then on Wed. we went back to finish the Magic Kingdom and the weather was absolutely perfect. All that to say, I wouldn't have originally planned to do it that way, but bad weather or not, a day thrown in there to just get up a little later and be a little more relaxed did everyone a lot of good. I think when we go back I would purposely build in a day just to hang around the hotel pool and enjoy the resorts. They are so nice!

3. RELAX.
This goes along with the 2nd point, but don't try to do TOO much with little ones. Especially toddlers or younger. They will be tired and frustrated and so will you. Remember that Disney or no Disney, they have basic needs and they are used to eating and sleeping regularly. We had a MUCH better time when we left after lunch, went back to the hotel, let them rest (and us too!) and then traveled back before or after Dinner. You will know how your child (children) are and what they can and cannot handle, so plan that accordingly. Just be prepared for the fact that they may do either a little better or a little worse than you imagine. And, have fun! We rode rides in FantasyLand for the majority of one whole day but that was what Lucy absolutely loved. Take time to sit in a shady spot and share Mickey Ice Cream Bars together! (But do it towards the later part of the day, cause you'll probably be out of wet wipes after!!)

*I know this has been a bunch of information but I hope it has been helpful. Come back tomorrow for Part 3: Things I wouldn't Miss and More Helpful Links!

Our Disney Trip (and Tips!) - Part One

2011-04-12T08:32:00.000-05:00

Where do I begin?!?
I will say this, all the hours of planning and researching; the saving of little bits of money here and there-- it was all 100% worth it to constantly see this look on Lucy's face...

(She was pointing at the Mad Hatter's Teacups -- even though we had been on them SEVERAL times!)

I utilized several blogs, websites and online tools (which I will gladly share) to gain information as we planned our trip. Most of these were helpful once we decided when to go and where to stay and for how long.

We arrived in Orlando on Sunday afternoon, got checked in and then went to the Downtown Disney area for dinner and a little fun. We walked around and then visited the World of Disney Character Store. (Which is huge, by the way.. the largest Disney Store in the Resort. It's TWELVE rooms of fun stuff to look at kept us and the kids busy for awhile.)

Where to Stay:

Like any other aspect, this depends on several things, but most importantly your budget. Because of the structure of our trip, we had the opportunity to spend half of it within the Disney Resort and half off the property at an Embassy Suites so we were able to compare different aspects of each. We traveled with some friends of ours and we were able to get a very good deal on two rooms in the moderate resort. We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort on the Alligator Bayou Side. It was very relaxing with a "Deep South" Feel. The main pool area was beautifully done with a playground and water slide. One of our favorite aspects though, was the River Boat Ferry that took us from our hotel, down the river to Downtown Disney.. very charming.

The bridge from our building to the main lobby area, ferry landing, restaurants, etc.

the view from our front door

Here's an article on the benefits of staying "On Property" at Disney. The owner of this particular blog has an entire Disney Training Section which I found to be extremely helpful.

All that being said, the two nights we stayed off site were very nice as well. We were only a couple miles away, drove right in, (paid parking: $14.00 a day) and then rode the shuttle and the Monorail right up to the front gate of the Magic Kingdom. Both were fun experiences. (The Embassy Suites offered a shuttle but the times weren't often enough for us so we drove and it worked out fine.)

**Keep in mind the importance of the ease of transportation if you are traveling with small children. For us, leaving mid-day for a nice long nap made all the difference in the world for Lucy, and by extension, her parents. :) Coming back at night was so fun since we were fresh and ready for round two!

Come back tomorrow for "Traveling with Littles"

Where We've Been and What We've Been Doing...

2011-04-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

We have just returned from the "Happiest Place on Earth" and we are currently undergoing what can only be described as Vacation Detox. HA! Lucy is getting reacquainted with obeying and we are all getting reacquainted with eating right and having non-vacation responsibilities-- but it sure was fun!

I am planning a couple of different posts sharing our pictures and a bit of information I learned which you may find helpful if you are planning a similar vacation with your toddler.. but in the mean time, enjoy the above glimpse into Lucy's first look at Cinderella's Castle! She was enthralled!

Publix Baby Club Freebie!

2011-03-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

If you live in a state that has a Publix Grocery Store, (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee) and you have a child under the age of two, you should join the Publix Baby Club!

As soon as we moved here, I joined online and though they do send you some nice little money-saving coupons, the real deal was this FREE book they sent me. It's a encyclopedia-size American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to caring for children from Birth to Age 5. The book has a $20.00 value but I received it at no charge a couple of weeks after I went online and joined the Publix Baby Club. I would imagine that most of you that live in one of these states know about this deal already-- but I was really shocked at how nice the book was! And in our house, FREE Books are better any day!

Wordless Wednesday - Sunny Memories

2011-03-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

Here we are up to our eyeballs in rain the last few days so I thought I would post a few pictures from when we were having sunnier weather last week!!!

My Little Diva

What a treat to have flowers blooming that we didn't have to plant!

The view from here...

Thankful Thursday

2011-03-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

I love quiet Saturday mornings with these two!

Free Dinner from Earth Fare Supermarket

2011-03-17T13:45:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been to Earth Fare? It's a cute, relatively small "healthy supermarket" chain which happens to be very close to our new home. When we moved here from NC, we were happy to see an Earth Fare since we had one in Raleigh and any taste of "home" was welcome!

They have an A-MAZ-ING deal going on right now! If you hop on over to their website and join their email list--(go to Welcome Home) they will give you a coupon for a FREE dinner (*with a ten-dollar purchase) The free dinner consists of one whole chicken (from the meat dept.); a 1-lb. bag of organic, whole baby carrots (from the produce section of course!) and One lb. of russet smashed potatoes (already prepared in the deli area)

WE found this to be a terrific deal, even with having to spend $10.00-- which we spent on some of their other great produce deals, by the way. They have a good produce department.

So we came home, roasted the chicken in our oven for an hour, roasted those carrots up with cherry tomatoes and a chopped leek, (YUM!) and heated the mashed potatoes. DELICIOUS! AND, we now have bones to make stock and chicken for another recipe!
If you live in either, the Augusta area, Raleigh-Durham, Columbia, Charleston, Tallahassee or one of the other locations... consider this deal!

And now for your viewing pleasure... here is what we did with our free meal:

Thankful Thursday

2011-03-17T07:43:00.000-05:00

I couldn't pick just one...

Helping Daddy eat his breakfast before work...

Miss Priss

Silly Face

Her new "smile" face. Where did she learn to cheese like this?

Our new little corner of the world

Safe Sleep

2011-03-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

I worried about my daughter nearly every day of the 9 months I was pregnant with her. All parents worry to some degree, but I worried to a fault. To a sinful fault. All of my fear was centered around one central idea, losing her to SIDS. I read as much information I could get my hands on, I devoured any literature I could find, all the while being overly concerned about what I could DO to keep her safe. Then she came and we did everything we could to keep her safe. We kept her in a wearable blanket that zipped up, we kept her in our room for much longer than I would like to admit, we checked on her during the night--boy, did we check on her! Every night that we laid her down, we prayed over her that the Lord would hold her safe in His arms. We did just about every single thing that the AAP recommends. Literally, she did not get to sleep with a blanket or anything until one week before her first birthday. I was hardcore about it. I remember giving her a blanket a few days before her birthday and she just snuggled right under it, as if to say, "Finally!"

I remember when she got to be about 8 months old, we would put her to bed on her back and she would flip over to her tummy before going to sleep. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that a couple of times I would wait until she fell asleep and flip her back over, only to check on her later that night and flip her over again! Eventually, my sweet husband gently helped me realize that if she is strong enough to flip back and forth like that with ease, she is probably okay to choose her own sleeping position. (we still put her to bed on her back though!)

I certainly wouldn't take back anything we did and I do not feel that we were anything but first time parents doing what first time parents do. And actually, somewhere down the road when we have another newborn-- I cannot say that I will change anything about how we try to protect them. I sincerely pray though, that my mindset will be one of more peace and trust instead of nagging fear and doubt when it comes to the safety of my child. Because some where in the last year I felt the freedom of having a toddler instead of a baby and how wonderful it was not to worry so much at night... and then I realized all of the many, MANY things that "could" happen. And in that moment, as I thanked the Lord for keeping her safe thus far, I was reminded of the very true fact that our safety comes from God himself and not from the AAP. It's very important to be educated. God has placed us in the position to protect our children from whatever harm we can-- but they belong to HIM. He has a plan for their lives. He is in complete control. And even now-- as she is nearly two years old-- as I sit here writing this post, I praise Him every time I hear her little "sleeping sighs" through the monitor and rest that she is in HIS capable hands.

"Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted." Job 42:1

Should I Be Concerned?

2011-03-01T19:01:00.001-05:00

House Update: Oh what a difference Pressure Washing makes!

2011-02-25T08:56:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, my amazing in-laws came and helped us pressure wash and remove the massive amounts of mildew from our new nest. This was one of the first major projects that HAD to be done. Enjoy the before and after photos! (Cleaning the gutters made a big difference too!)

Before

After

Wordless Wednesday- Going Green at the Grocery Store...

2011-02-23T08:33:00.000-05:00

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-10T09:46:00.000-05:00

I don't usually do this but today...

I am extremely thankful that when Crayola says "Washable" Crayons, they mean business.

Yesterday, Lucy drew me a nice picture on our kitchen counter with a red crayon (she was supposed to be coloring in her coloring book.. but you know how it goes, I got distracted and turned around to... ART.)

Since we are still in our townhouse I was slightly concerned and I said something like, "Oh No, Lucy-- you must not color on the counter-- only on paper!" (...with what was probably a VERY concerned look on my face) She just looks at me as I walk over with paper towels and 409, buckling down to scrub away at the stain. (I'm so smart, I thought I would "demonstrate" how long it took to clean off and thus make it very clear why she shouldn't do that again... silly me...) So, as most of you might already know, the crayon comes RIGHT off. Just like that. Amazing. So Lu just looks up at me as if to say, "Really, Mom? You made a big deal over that?" I had to walk around the corner so she didn't see me laugh.

Just another little "First time Mom" lesson... but really, Crayola, "Thank you!"

Wordless Wednesday - Bag Lady

2011-01-26T12:16:00.000-05:00

Guess what?

2011-01-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

We just became HOMEOWNERS!!!

Let the painting begin...

She is Her Mother's Daughter

2011-01-15T17:46:00.000-05:00

Sweet Tea Thief.

I know Christmas is Over but....

2011-01-14T07:07:00.000-05:00

This is just so cute!

Our Christmas Memories

2011-01-11T19:46:00.001-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's a colander.

Having Ourselves a Merry Little Christmas...

2010-12-14T08:37:00.000-05:00

Watching a bit of Charlie Brown's Christmas-- She loves it!

Lucy went to visit her Nana and became buddies with Santa at the Christmas Party.

Our Tree. I love it. Most of the ornaments are up high-- except for the "touchable" ones. Lucy gets upset if she comes out and the lights are not on. It's so funny, she notices right away. I could do an entire post on our tree. I would like to add more to our tree. I think it needs ribbon. I am one of those people that never could do a theme Christmas tree because I love how all of our ornaments are different. Most of them tell a story or remind me of a special time. This year when we unpacked them, there were several that our dear friends in Wake Forest had given us or made for us. Those are some of my absolute favorite.

Last week, Lucy brought me two shopping bags and her coat and then proceeded to wait by the door... still in her pajamas. HA! I love my little shopper.

Our Nativity. I would like to find more nativities in the future and have them all over the house-- for now, we have two. This one and Lucy's---

Which she LOVES. Love those Little People products.

This is how she usually plays with it. Her mom straightens it when she's not looking. :)

My favorite Christmas decoration of all.

Another Valley From Which to Give Thanks...

2010-12-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks after we moved to Georgia, I found myself reflecting one day on trials or "valleys" and the goodness of our God. After almost 18 months of uncertainty about where and when the Lord would lead us, we were all of a sudden, where He LED us.

And then we went, and here we are.

As I reflected on all that God had done to provide for us a way to move, a place to live, a church to attend, my favorite grocery store nearby, not to mention a very good job for Lance-- I was blessed beyond speech. So many times I sat down at my computer to share these joys with you and all I could do was Praise God and Thank Him for His timing.

Not many days went by before I found myself just the teeniest, tiniest bit homesick. Not for Wake Forest necessarily... though we DO miss it. But homesick for the trial. I found myself actually missing that feeling of knowing little else except that "God is GOOD and we trust Him." Both of those things are just as true today as they were six months ago, but I know I'm not the only one who finds it less of a struggle to completely RELY on Him when we have so many unanswered questions then when things are a bit smoother. It is in those times that our relationship has the potential to grow so sweet as we are constantly and painfully aware of our helplessness.

I can honestly say that I PRAISE GOD for those many days of knowing very little of our future. I know that there will be a piece of those days in every day to come as we look to Him for our every need. Though it seems as though we were just in a period of unanswered questions, I thank Him that we find ourselves in another right now. I thank Him that there will undoubtedly be many more.. and that He will be faithful in every one.

As for today, I do not know why God chose to take our precious unborn child after only a handful of weeks of rejoicing that we would, again be parents. I don't even know what to say but that it hurts my heart. But I will rest in the promise that He is good and we trust Him. My heart is filled with joy that this sweet Stuckey Baby will never know pain or suffering and that He or She has already seen our Lord face to face. And I cannot deny the fact that I am thankful for every little and big reminder that we are completely reliant on God for our every need. I am ever grateful for His grace. And I am even more thankful (if that's was even possible) for my Lance and my Lucy.

And for you... and your prayers.

And since you've patiently read through these many paragraphs, I shall reward you with a picture of our little family. :)

Just a few shots of Lucy's antics...

2010-11-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

She slips in undetected and steals the silverware basket and then runs off giggling....

Ready to run....

Oh and look what we discovered just miles from our home...

I know. WOW.

Christmas Cards and Shutterfly

2010-11-17T08:47:00.002-05:00

I LOVE this time of year and I LOVE sending photo Christmas Cards. For the last few years, we have always sent Shutterfly Christmas Cards. They have so many great designs to choose from and the cost is always affordable for what you get. I use Shutterfly for all photo gifts, I tried other websites for awhile and I quickly learned that Shutterfly was the only way to go for me. Here are a few of our previous years Christmas Pictures just for fun:

This was the year we were expecting Lucy.Thanks Leah for the shot!

Photos Courtesy of the amazing Amanda George!

This year, we had photos taken by Pam Weber and I cannot wait to get our Christmas cards in the mail. I highly recommend Shutterfly for great fast service and beautiful cards!

These are a few of my favorites for this year:

The middle one is my absolute favorite!
Head on over to Shutterfly and pick out YOUR Christmas Cards today!

I will receive 50 Free Christmas Cards for writing this blog post. If you would like to share on your blog about Shutterfly's Christmas Cards, you can write a blog post about it, go here to sign up and you will receive 50 free Christmas Cards as a gift!

Wordless Wednesday: Now and Then!!!

2010-11-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

So..... Lucy was supposed to be a ladybug this year-- but when we put her costume on, it was WAY too Big and WAY too short. That kid definitely has her Father's Genes. :) So, after only being in our new place for 48 hours, we broke out last year's pumpkin costume!!! Enjoy the flashback!!

2009: 5 Months!!

2010: 17 Months!

Guess What?!!!????

2010-10-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

That's right-- We are MOVING!!!!

Lance just accepted a job at Augusta State University in Augusta, GA as an Instructional Technology Analyst. Basically he will be helping to develop newer and better curriculum for the University's Online Learning Department. This job is not at all what we would have thought we would be doing at this time-- but we are overjoyed at the provision of our God and the opportunities are truly endless; Lance feels entirely honored to be chosen to join the ASU family. We are excited to see all that God has for us in Augusta!

We are still "processing" this news but we are beyond excited! It looks as though Lance's first day will be November 1st so we have much to do to close up everything here and find a place to live. Those of you who have been earnestly praying for our job situation-- well, you may find a space in your prayer life now that God has provided-- (HA!) if so, please feel free to pray that He will continue to guide us and will show us where He would have us live and also guide us to the church family He would have us join.

Breaking out the FALL clothes!

2010-10-05T08:01:00.000-05:00

Cooler weather means many things... for this little girl, it means tights and sweaters!!!

Summer Reading Update

2010-10-05T03:01:00.003-05:00

Now that Fall has begun and Summer is fading into great memories, I guess I should confess my shortcomings and rejoice in a few victories where my summer reading list is concerned.

A Lineage of Grace
~~by Francine Rivers: I have enjoyed several of Francine River's books and this one is excellent!~~ I have not finished this one yet. I'm about half way done.. it's very good but I keep getting distracted by other things.

Taste and See: Savoring the Supremacy of God in all of Life.
~~by John Piper. A wonderful compilation of 120 short meditations from John Piper's A Godward Life-- I have loved reading a short section of this before going to bed at night~~. Still reading this one as well-- it's a short section for every day. A great way to end the day.

To Kill a Mockingbird
~~by Harper Lee. Somehow I have lived 28 years and never read this Southern Classic. I found this nice hardback copy for two dollars at a used book store and I look forward to diving into it!~~ Have yet to begin this one.

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. In the last month or so, Lucy has really grown into her personality-- well, that pretty much covers it. Lance and I feel the need to read a couple good parenting books and hopefully, stay one step ahead of her. HA! I haven't gotten very far in this one either.

Feminine Appeal
~~by Carolyn Mahaney~~
~~I am ashamed to say I started reading this book when I was still pregnant with Lu and somehow before I finished it, I misplaced it. It has been found and added BACK to the pile. GREAT book so far~~ I am getting very close to the end of this book. It's a wonderful mix of practical and spiritual advice for wives and mothers who wish to glorify their God and bless their families with their lives. I have gathered much from it.

The Grand Weaver

~~by Ravi Zacharias.~~
~~The book deals with the sovereignty of God in all of life and seeing His hand at work all of our life events. I haven't started it yet, but it looks good!~~ This is the first book I have read by Ravi Zacharias but I have found it to be hugely encouraging-- especially in the midst of circumstances beyond our control that can be faith-testing. I have come face to face again with God's Gracious Sovereignty and it has helped me to keep my eyes on Him.

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table

by Molly Wizenberg
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I finished it last month and I just enjoyed it so much that I have passed it on to a friend. The book gave me a very REAL desire to go to Paris and to cook almost every single recipe therein. Oh, and it inspired me to try a chocolate croissant for the very first time. Big mistake. Huge. (Note: if you were going to try one, get it from the Fresh Market.. Oh, and buy one for your husband so he can have his own.)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Year 6)by J. K. Rowling.I've been putting this one off since it is so huge an undertaking... I have put myself on "big book" restriction until I finish a few of the others... But it seems like the perfect book for chilly evenings that are destined to be coming our way! I've read it before and I know I will enjoy it again.

A life-changing Greek Salad...

2010-09-23T10:29:00.001-05:00

One day, several years ago I was working at my part-time job and in walked a really cute "new guy." We started talking... I'm pretty sure I started blushing... work suddenly became a lot more interesting.

A few weeks later, he slid a stack of little yellow post-it notes across the desk and asked for my number in a very suave, "catch you off guard so you won't say no" kind of way. I gave it to him.

A few days after that, He asked me out to lunch. He just asked me. ME. I called my mom on the way and told her that "I wasn't sure but I thought that I might be on my way to a date."

I remember consciously trying to not flip my hair too much. I remember the shirt I wore-- I still have it somewhere in a drawer-- you know that place where you keep all the clothes which seem to have a bit of magic left in them? It still sits there, reminding me of that day and what it felt like to sit across from him and share a meal for the very first time.

I ordered Water and a Greek Salad and we talked about a dozen random subjects which we seemed to have all in common. Somewhere in the middle of that life-altering salad, I remember stealing a glance at his unbelievably blue eyes and wishing he might ask me out again.

He did, in fact ask me out again. That was about four years ago-- currently he sits on the other end of our couch watching football and somehow not minding that my feet are very lazily settled in his lap.

It's funny how, in one moment, your life can change forever.

It's funny how, one day you're completely 100% single with no changes on the horizon.. and then.... all of a sudden you're not.

It's funny how, for several years, I was afraid I'd never get to check the "married" box on information forms... and now I cannot imagine my life without Him.

Somewhere in the middle of the whirlwind that was those first 8 months, I began to realize that there was a very real possibility that I might never go on a "first date" again. As we grew closer, I began to entertain the hope that He was the one God had planned all along. All those days and nights I had wondered how and when God might "act" in this situation of life-- and then without the slightest bit of notice, He did. And it was so very worth the wait.

** Photo by the amazing Casey Chappell

In the little things...

2010-09-16T20:49:00.000-05:00

Brief PSA: I apologize in advance for not having even a smidgen of "news" on the job front. Though we have found ourselves in the midst of a few new adventures this month in that department, nothing has come to fruition yet.. and so we continue waiting.

In periods of uncertainty, I find comfort in resting in the truths that I do know, rather than anxiously weaving through the facts which I do not. I DO know that God is working. I DO know that He is faithful. I DO know that He has called us to this time of waiting and that when it is over, He will bring us out of it. I DO know that we are serving and ministering right where we are right now. I DO know that although I cannot be the wife and mom I desire to be right now, I am being the best help-meet I can-- by working. I DO know that though I cannot see where or when or how, He will act-- and we will be thankful that we waited on HIS leading.

I DO know I am a slow learner sometimes.

For example, although this one particular (seemingly astronomical) prayer request of our family has not yet been provided, He is always providing for us. The big things make a large impact on us... there have been many "big things" over the last year or so that have shown us God's provision in very big ways. But sometimes, it's in the little things that God really touches my heart. And when I say touches my heart, I mean He shows me His love and provision in such a gentle way that I go away feeling some what foolish for having spent those selfish hours worrying about our future.

Last night it was in the pajamas.

I was upset with myself because all of Lucy's warm pj's (she's been sleeping a lot better in warmer pajamas lately) were in the dirty laundry hamper and then while switching out her closet, I pulled a pair which we had bought for her over 10 months ago to wear this season, out of a storage box. It's simple, I know... but that's entirely the point in this case. I'd been all concerned that I had not anticipated her needs and done laundry that evening. I was feeling guilty for not "taking care of her" properly and then I turn around and God took care of her "need" almost a year ago and placed the solution there for when she needed it most. This is an incredibly simple illustration of the fact that I am indeed a slow learner. But better a slow learner than not a learner at all, right?

"I know that you can do all things. And that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2

Happiness is..... Pigtails!

2010-09-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: Where our recent travels have taken us...

2010-09-01T07:52:00.000-05:00

15 Months Old!!!

2010-08-31T12:22:00.000-05:00

Oh sweet Baby! I cannot believe you are 15 months already! Today when we left the Doctors office, we scheduled your 18 Month visit and I almost got a little teary-eyed!!! You are growing so fast and we are loving every minute of it. Here's what you have been up to lately, Baby:

Making Lots of silly faces and grinning so hard you squint your eyes shut! (This is one of my favorites!)
Giving Kisses to Mommy and Daddy, all of your favorite toys and everyone else you love-- I just can't get enough of this either!
WALKING!!!! You just started walking these last couple of weeks and though you are still cautious, you're getting faster and faster!
You wear size 4 diapers and you are wearing mostly size 18 months clothes... except you are a skinny minnie!
You love green peas-- and you still have yogurt every morning for breakfast. You have recently also enjoyed more fruits such as blueberries, strawberries and peaches. You still love those Chick Fil a nuggets when we give them to you also! Last week I gave you orange juice for the first time and thought it was very good! We love when you enjoy something you make this little "MMMM!!!" sound-- it just cracks us up every time.
You are enjoying books more and more each day-- especially the Nut Brown Hare books. I cherish the times that you crawl up in my lap and give me a book to read to you.

Lucy, you are 31 1/4 inches tall and in the 75% for height! You also weigh just over 20lbs. right now and though that is a little bit small, we have good plans to fatten you up a little bit before your nexrt appointment. Hmmm... maybe now is the appropriate time to introduce you to Organic Chocolate Milk!!!

We love you sooo much and we praise God for the grace and love He shows us through you!

The Lord has done great things for us; we are GLAD!"

Psalm 126:3

Wordless Wednesday: 3rd Anniversary

2010-08-25T09:16:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: Bed Head

2010-08-10T20:38:00.000-05:00

All I can say is, She comes by it honestly.

Just us Girls...

2010-08-05T13:33:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: My 14 Month Old!!

2010-08-03T18:50:00.000-05:00

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

Somehow in the midst of playing together, Lance ended up with a box over his head and Lu thought it would be good idea to sit on the top of the box and trap him in. Those kids.

Summer Reading

2010-07-27T08:29:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I have a small, thought somewhat still significant addiction to books. I have often thought that I sometimes enjoy the idea of reading a new book than actually reading one. I LOVE the smell and feel of a new book... or even an old book for that matter. Though I usually find myself short on reading time, I still cannot resist beginning books, but for some reason I cannot stick to one at a time. I am currently in the process of reading several books and as I hope to finish several if not all by Fall, I thought I should share them... for accountability's sake if nothing else. That way, I will remember I told you about them and will be prompted to "stay on task." What are you reading this summer??

A Lineage of Grace
by Francine Rivers: I have enjoyed several of Francine River's books and this one is excellent!

Taste and See: Savoring the Supremacy of God in all of Life.
by John Piper. A wonderful compilation of 120 short meditations from John Piper's A Godward Life-- I have loved reading a short section of this before going to bed at night.

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee. Somehow I have lived 28 years and never read this Southern Classic. I found this nice hardback copy for two dollars at a used book store and I look forward to diving into it!

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. In the last month or so, Lucy has really grown into her personality-- well, that pretty much covers it. Lance and I feel the need to read a couple good parenting books and hopefully, stay one step ahead of her. HA!

Feminine Appeal
by Carolyn Mahaney
I am ashamed to say I started reading this book when I was still pregnant with Lu and somehow before I finished it, I misplaced it. It has been found and added BACK to the pile. GREAT book so far.

The Grand Weaver
by Ravi Zacharias.
This is one of the books I spotted in my local LifeWay store on sale for $9.99 and I just couldn't resist it! The book deals with the sovereignty of God in all of life and seeing His hand at work all of our life events. I haven't started it yet, but it looks good!

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table
by Molly Wizenberg
Lance found and gave me this lovely little gem for Christmas last year and though it took me months to finally crack it, it has to be one of my all-time favorites. Though each chapter/ story is only a few pages, the author shares much of herself within these few words. Some bits are funny and anecdotal while others are rich with the tragic emotion of losing a loved one. In all, she shares how food and cooking have shaped her life and helped form her experiences. I literally have found myself laughing to myself while reading it's pages. Last night I kept interrupting Lance (who was reading a bit of History before bed) to share witty paragraphs. I cannot wait to finish it!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Year 6) by J. K. Rowling. Yes, I am a kid at heart. When Lance convinced me to read these books, we were engaged-- so I humored him. :) But I was instantly hooked! It's not the first time he has rightly suggested I do something! I read most of them in very little time and now that the last movie will be coming out in the fall, I decided to re-read the last two. They are a bit darker than the preceding books so I try not to read it for days on end. :) They are VERY well written.

Fickle.

2010-07-20T13:58:00.000-05:00

It's raining. a lot.

I love rain.... sometimes.

Times like right now. When I can sit at my desk... all warm and cozy and work away... or take a small break to write this down.

Ahhh, rain.

Although, I reserve the right to change my mind around 5:00PM if it is STILL raining and my new haircut gets drenched, thus rendering me... no longer bouncy and cute but.... frumpy, dumpy and a couple more of the other 5 dwarves.

At which point, I will burst through my front door, drenched and sighing, and exclaim, "I HATE rain!"

And Lance will remind me that we need the rain and he will tell me to go change.

At which point, I will do so and then I shall bake-- a birthday cake.

One year ago...

2010-07-15T15:27:00.001-05:00

One year ago this week, I was spending all my time snuggling with a little mitten-cuffed Lucy

Now, I have this little summer beauty-- no more restricting mitten cuffs for her-- She's on the MOVE!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-07T20:22:00.000-05:00

Crispy Peanut Butter Cup Bars

2010-06-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

You know those little peanut butter balls that often pop up on a Holiday pot-luck table around Christmas time?

The ones with peanut butter & confectioner's sugar, rolled into little balls and dipped in chocolate? You know the ones... sooo good. Sooo bad for you.

Yeah... I'm a big fan of those.

I found this recipe for something very similar-- but in my opinion, far superior because they are WAY faster. Basically you mix all the ingredients (except the chocolate) in a big bowl, press it into a 13 x 9 dish, melt the chocolate (I use about 1/2 as much chocolate as called for--- and it was plenty rich enough!) in the microwave, spread it on top and refrigerate the entire dish until the chocolate hardens. Then you cut them into small squares--they are rich-- and serve.

I only ever make them when we have to take something somewhere... basically because eating the entire pan of them would be my weekly calorie allotment... and that's just not a very good idea in the middle of summer.... not to mention bathing suit season.

Photo courtesy of www.Tastykitchen.com

While on this topic, you should definitely hop on over to the Tasty Kitchen Website. You will find a treasure trove of recipes, many by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, herself. This particular recipe has been listed by someone else, but I love trying Ree's recipes! Her Cinnamon Rolls are some of the BEST I have ever made or had! This site is one of my all-time favorites for culinary inspiration. Try it out!

The Lucy Stands Alone...

2010-06-24T20:42:00.000-05:00

Just for the record, she stood up on her own... I just couldn't get the camera fast enough! Such a little cutie. I cannot get over her "wide stance" though... perhaps she wishes to follow in mommy's footsteps and be a cheerleader...uh-oh.. let's hope not.

Finer Things Friday

2010-06-11T10:49:00.001-05:00

Taking part in Amy's Finer Things Friday today!!!!

My finer thing is pretty simple...

What's better than greeting summertime by swinging at Grammy's ???

This little happy smile is truly a Finer Thing!

Hazelnut Iced Coffee

2010-06-09T15:31:00.002-05:00

** Note, after making this iced coffee again, I realized I gave the wrong amount of sugar--- reduce the starting amount to 1/4 of a cup and taste it before you add more!! I hope no one ruined their iced coffee!!

There are few things better on a hot summer day than something cold and refreshing--- what better way to celebrate summer than with a tall (and by tall, I do not mean the smallest size at the local coffee chain) glass of Iced Coffee?

Iced Coffee jogs several good memories for me:

1. My first interaction with the wonderful stuff was at age 12. Wanting desperately to be older than I was, I begged my mom to let me drink coffee. She, knowing me better than myself, made me a small glass of sweet, creamy, vanilla-colored iced coffee. We sat with our glasses at our sunny kitchen table and talked about something very grown-up... I was very sophisticated. I think I probably took three small sips and decided I like pink lemonade better-- but it still made for a great memory!

2. Fast forward about 10 years to college in North Carolina... I lived with two amazing roommates who also happened to be friends. One of them (you know who you are, C.L.!!!) began making this a-MAZ-ing iced coffee for us all throughout the warmer months and E and I were officially hooked. There weren't many days that these girls couldn't be found sitting in their 8 o'clock class trying to stave off lethargy with iced coffee and brown sugar pop tarts!

To this day, a good iced coffee brings back very fond memories of friendship and laughter...

Though I've never really had a good recipe for it, the amazing Courtney recently helped me get re-acquainted with the yummy beverage and I would like to pass on the recipe to you!

Good Iced Coffee should be sweet, creamy and very cold! I cannot stand to go somewhere that claims to have "Iced Coffee" and they pour hot or lukewarm java over ice and then expect me to add my own sugar to the tepid mixture and make it the right consistency. (Note: I'm not really that High Maintenance... it's just sounds that way.) Haha!

Iced Hazelnut Coffee

One large 8-cup pot of strong brewed Hazelnut coffee (or any flavor you like-- check out the Fresh Market for some excellent flavors!-- My current favorite is Decaf Hazelnut-- )

Sugar (to taste... start with about a quarter of a cup for 8-cup pot)

Milk (I like to use a bit of half and half to make it slightly rich and then the rest 2% Milk)

Pour the coffee in a large pitcher, add sugar and stir. Add Milk until it's the desired color you like. Taste for sweetness, add more sugar if needed. Stir again until sugar is disolved and then place in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Serve over lots of ice in a pretty glass!

Keep in mind, whenever you have a partial pot of coffee left over in the morning, don't throw it out!!! You can do this and have a delicious treat the next morning instead of having to talk yourself out of swinging by Starbucks!!! This is WAY more cost effective and you can drink it in your P.J.'s!!!

Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies

2010-06-02T17:00:00.001-05:00

This recipe (from the back of the Tollhouse bag) is excellent!

I think the key with them is to make them kind of small and then they are a little bit thicker and the texture is perfect.

Also, I learned a little trick from Joy the Baker, that if you make a large batch of cookie dough--- you can freeze the individual balls of dough to bake later. Take a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, measure out as many "dough balls" as you can fit without them touching, pop the cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour or two. Then, once the dough balls have frozen- drop them into a gallon size freezer bag. When you have visitors and have the need for freshly baked cookies or you just get a craving yourself, simply remove however many you want and bake at the required time-- no thawing required.

This little tip has been great for our household... basically because I can rarely rationalize baking an ENTIRE batch of choc. chip cookies--- but a few at a time, definitely! A bag of frozen cookie dough balls or a plate of fresh baked cookies also makes a nice little gift for someone who is under the weather or could just use a little pick me up! We even took some to a friend who had recently had a baby so that when the meal rotation ran out, they would still have a nice little treat in the freezer. (And need I even point out, how much cheaper it is than buying ready-made cookie dough?? Not to mention lacking in shelf-stable preservatives.)

Okay, on to the recipe:

Choc-Oat-Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 sticks of softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I cut this back a bit.. they were still plenty sweet.)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick or old fashioned oats
2 cups (12 oz.) Nestle Tollhouse Morsels Semi-sweet (If you use milk chocolate, cut back the sugar a little bit more.)
1 cup chopped walnuts (pecans would also be good...)

Preheat the oven to 375' degrees

Combine the flour, soda and salt in a small bowl.
Beat butter and both sugars in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute and then move to wire racks to cool completely... But not too completely.... because you cannot beat a warm chocolate chip cookie!!!

Lucy's 1st Birthday: Part One!

2010-06-02T16:30:00.000-05:00

Lucy Turns One!

The day began with a breakfast of blueberry pancakes and a gift--(Lucy's first cell phone)

We had a great party that evening--

Lucy had a wonderful time playing with her little friends!

This is about the extent of how messy she got... Lu was NOT thrilled with getting messy with the cake-- I was completely fine with that-- after all, she is her mother's daughter!

The next morning we headed to Florida to party with our family---
stay tuned for more photos of the weekend!

Important Post Regarding Child Safety

2010-05-25T17:00:00.023-05:00

Please take a moment to hop on over to the 2DewDrops Blog and read this important post about child safety...

Tara, a pastor's wife and the mother of TWO sets of beautiful twins utilizes her blog to share her life with others for the purpose of encouragement and exhortation. I have learned quite a lot from the ministry of Tara as well as from her Mom, Linda (who I was privileged to work alongside for a year and a half!) They are a very sweet family and this post is especially helpful. I hope you will take time to read it.

The past few days...

2010-05-25T08:25:00.000-05:00

We have been....

Enjoying the first veggies from our backyard patio garden--- a yellow squash and a zucchini!
(I'm so proud of my husband and his green thumb!)

Searching for recipes... ahem. Doesn't she look mischievous?

Making Birthday Preparations!!!! Tomorrow our little Lu turns ONE!!!

A note to Lucy

2010-05-21T16:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Lucy,

At exactly this time one year ago, I was doing this:

This weekend, I intend to do this:

GET READY FOR YOUR FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

I fully intend to spend 95% of the weekend preparing to make pink cupcakes and deciding which pink shirt to wear and touching up my pink toenails and getting pink plates and napkins ready and making your pink birthday banner (and finding a pink shirt for your daddy to wear!!! HAHA, don't tell him!) and enjoying EVERY single minute of it. You will always be my baby but you will never have a first birthday again-- I accept that I am going overboard and I plan to whole-heartedly enjoy being over board!

Let's get ready to party!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday little Joseph!!!

2010-05-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

Two whole years ago today, our sweet friends welcomed Joseph Jr. into their family!!!

We Love you "T" Family!!!!

Lucy's 1st Birthday Photo Shoot

2010-05-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

The lovely and very talented Pam took these beautiful shots of Lucy this weekend at our favorite local park! Lucy was a trooper and Pam really knew how to get a wiggly little girl to sit still, having two little darlings of her own. I CANNOT believe Lucy will be ONE next week!

Lucy's Dedication Day

2010-05-12T12:29:00.001-05:00

When Lucy was just a bun in the oven, Lance and I searched for a verse for her that expressed our prayer for her life. After careful consideration, we settled on Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” There is much truth in this chapter of the Bible and it gives what we believe is a biblical mandate for being Godly parents and having a Christ-centered home.

I get a very substantial lump in my throat every single time I read Deuteronomy 6 and I ponder the amazing privilege and responsibility of being a parent. Verses 7-9 talks about the frequency with which we are to teach them, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” I cannot read this passage and not deduce from it that I am to be in constant teaching mode to my child, whether by the words that come out of my mouth or by the way I live my everyday life and the ways in which I fulfill my daily commitments. What a challenge! Reading this I am learning more and more each day the truth in the statement that the greatest gift I can ever give my child is to be a mother with a growing relationship in Christ. Otherwise, the task of raising my child in the Lord is insurmountable at best. I need God's strength and grace every single day in this.

       Lance and I have put off dedicating Lucy in church just because we have been "waiting" for the time when we were in a more permanent situation-- some time in the last month or so, we realized it was time to publicly share with our church family our desire to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. These sweet people we worship with at Emmanuel have been behind us as we have been married and now have become parents. Many of them have prayed for us along the way and certainly lifted us up during this job situation. Dr. Heisler, our interim pastor at EBC, (have I mentioned what a blessing he has been to our church? God provides!) helped us in sharing our desire to parent rightly with our church on Mother's Day. He clearly shared how we do not see our child's dedication as a salvific event but as a way for Lance and I to commit ourselves publicly to raise Lucy in a Christian home and to point her to God with our lives. He helped us to humbly ask our church family to come alongside us and to pray that we would have God's grace and wisdom as we parent. It is our sincere hope and prayer that we will always be found faithful as Godly parents and that she will come to know Christ's love and salvation for herself one day.

      Many of you have prayed for us and with us as Lucy came along and as we have searched for a job-- Thank you for loving us so. We would covet your prayers as we continue down this road.

Mother's Day... Then and Now

2010-05-10T12:41:00.001-05:00

2009--- Just days to go!

(WOW, by the way-- It's easy to forget how huge one can be and feel!)

2010-- Loving being a mother!

Homemade Marinara Sauce

2010-05-07T01:39:00.001-05:00

For quite a long time, I was a big believer in jarred Marinara Sauce. Prego was my favorite and it certainly still does in a pinch. I have, however, in the last couple of years enjoyed making my own Marinara as I can often make a big enough batch to freeze half and be able to serve it later. Making your own sauce often proves cost-effective and is a great way to utilize whatever fresh herbs and vegetables you have on hand. I tried several different variations of a recipe before deciding on the one below as my current favorite. As with anything else, it can be tweaked to your family's preferences. We like a thicker marinara sauce so this works for us-- but feel free to change it to make it your own!!! (Unfortunately, I do not have a recent photo-- but since I know that photos really are the reason some of you read this blog, I have attached a photo of an Italian Soup I made with this sauce as a base-- perhaps I will share this recipe sometime soon.)

Cindy Lou's Marinara Sauce
1-2 tbs. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced (or minced if you like)*
1/2 an onion, diced
1- 6oz. can of tomato paste
1- large can (28 oz.) of crushed tomatoes
1- 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of fresh basil, diced*
1/4 cup of fresh oregano, torn*
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbs. Sugar
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese*

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, saute the onion and garlic in the Olive Oil over medium heat until aromatic. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly until the onions and garlic are coated. Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce and stir well. Add the remainder of the ingredients and heat well while stirring constantly. Lower heat to low and simmer while covered for at least 25 minutes so that the flavors can deepen. Stir occasionally. Serve over hot pasta; as a base for Italian Soup; or you could just stand over the stove and eat it with a spoon...

This sauce freezes and reheats beautifully! Occasionally, we will make a double batch of this and meatballs and freeze them both separately only to warm them up another day for a quick and easy dinner-- Just boil pasta and there you go-- instant dinner!

*Note: In many instances, I have used dried herbs, garlic, onion and Parmesan when I have not had fresh ingredients on hand. This does not affect the taste and often makes the sauce more convenient to make--especially in the winter when our herb garden is dormant!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T02:52:00.001-05:00

My big little girl!

Tiny Changes...

2010-05-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

         A few days before Lucy was born, my sister in law gave me a piece of advice, "No matter what any one says, you hold your baby as much and as often as you want. Don't worry about "spoiling" her-- just take the time you are given and hold her as much as you want-- because before you know it, she'll be too big to want to be held." I have mentioned before how I have followed that piece of advice and have been very glad I did. Although I read many different opinions on putting your child to bed awake and letting them fall asleep on their own, I confess I did not do that.
         For the entirety of Lu's life, I have taken the last couple hours of her wake time every night and have held her. When it's almost bed time, she gets a bath, pj's and a bottle and I have held her until she drifts off to sleep-- usually during the last few sips of her bottle. After a few stolen moments of holding her close, we put her down in her crib and enjoy the rest of the evening together. So many of these nights over the last 11 months, I considered doing things differently whether out of concern for her sleep patterns or out of guilt over other responsibilities since I was gone during the day. I never changed things and now I am so glad I did not. In the last few weeks, during her bottle she has started to squirm and so we began taking her upstairs, praying with her and putting her down in the crib. The first few nights, we expected her to fight it, but she has just rolled over and peacefully gone off to sleep. Now that those long extended cuddling periods are all of a sudden few and far between-- I'm so glad I listened to my heart as a mother and not to the experts! (Sidenote, I ALWAYS follow the AAP on just about every topic. For example, Lucy has just now been given a blanket at night-- no taking chances there!)
        It's interesting how quickly things change and evolve. I hope I am forever aware of the fact that ALL we are guaranteed is today. I hope I continue to cherish every single moment, every single giggle, every single time I get splashed during Lucy's bath time, every bit of delight she shows when we play together, every time she is feeling under the weather and she needs to cuddle with her mama, every single moment is a gift-- even the current moment, as she is actively trying to unplug this computer's power source as I scramble to finish my slightly poignant thoughts. HA! I love my life. Even though it's actively changing. I love it and I love them.

Wordless Wednesday: Cracker Barrel Advertisment Star

2010-04-28T13:34:00.000-05:00

Oh, who wouldn't buy a Cracker Barrel Rocker if it came with one of these little cuties???

11 months old...

2010-04-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

People always give the same piece of advice to a new mom--

"Hold on to every moment, it goes faster than you think."

When I was first told that, I remember thinking.. "Sure. It will go by relatively quickly-- but does it really if you're expecting it to?" Umm, I was dead wrong.

Time does not go by at a relatively slowish pace.. Oh, no-- it SPEEDS by at a lightning fast pace! I sincerely have no idea where the last 11 months have gone. I feel like I was just lying in that hospital bed, pinching myself and trying to believe that I indeed had a child.

And not just any child, the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on.

She was so soft and sweet and pink. She was the epitome of the most perfect shade of pink I had ever seen.

A few seconds later, I'm sitting here addressing invites for her FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Yes, my little Lu-bug is a busy little bee these days. She is crawling all around the house at a pace that clearly communicates she is on a mission! She has been eating more and more solids and seems to be enjoying them!

She recently tried (and loved!) spaghetti; blueberry muffins; chicken nuggets; green beans and just about anything lately! I caved and gave her a first french fry yesterday-- and she LOVED it. :)

We probably won't make that a habit though!

We continue to echo this verse within our home:

"The Lord has done great things for us; we are GLAD!"

--Psalm 126:3

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T12:41:00.000-05:00

First Speeding Ticket.... Ever.

My little 10 month old...

2010-04-10T11:53:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe her birthday is less than two months away!

What a wonderful year it is has been.

God is so good and we are so thankful!

Resting....

2010-04-02T02:59:00.000-05:00

Jesus I Am Resting

By David Hampton and Jean Sophia Pigott

Jesus I am resting resting

In the joy of what Thou art

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee

And Thy beauty fills my soul

For by Thy transforming power

Thou hast made me whole

Oh how great Thy loving kindness

Vaster broader than the sea

Oh how marvelous Thy goodness

Lavished all on me

Yes I rest in Thee Beloved

Know what wealth of grace is Thine

Know Thy certainty of promise

And have made it mine

Simply trusting Thee Lord Jesus

I behold Thee as Thou art

And Thy love so pure so changeless

Satisfies my heart

Satisfies its deepest longings

Meets supplies its ev'ry need

Compasseth me 'round with blessings

Thine is love indeed

Ever lift Thy face upon me

As I work and wait for Thee

Resting 'neath Thy smile Lord Jesus

Earth's dark shadows flee

Brightness of my Father's glory

Sunshine of my Father's face

Keep me ever trusting resting

Fill me with Thy grace

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

Keeping it Clean at the Stuckey House!

2010-03-26T14:47:00.000-05:00

Lovely Kelly is hosting Show us Your Life Friday on Cleaning Tips!

I have to admit that I am easily won over by the cleaning and organizing sections of Target... I love the prospect of a fresh, clean home. Even more now that Lu is on the move.

Though the actual getting it done... that takes some extra discipline for sure!

1. The best piece of information I have been given regarding being a working wife and mom is

"Never underestimate the power of 15 minutes."

My best friend told me that when I was pregnant with Lucy and having one of those days.

I have found it to be true.

Taking just 10 or 15 minutes before you go to bed, or even first thing in the morning is a lifesaver when you find yourself short on time and long on... well, dirt. I have really tried to remember this and put it into practice and it really seems to be helping me and my home!

2. I LOVE Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner in Lemon! I bought a big thing of it from BJ's and I use it for so many things. I invested in a few empty spray bottles and made my own slightly diluted cleaning solution. I'm sure you can do this with vinegar and water.. but I love the lemon scent and it feels like everything is so much more clean!

3. We use Scotchbrite Sponges in our kitchen (no dishwasher. boo!) and since we have to trade them out every week or two, I save them under the sink and then use them to clean the bathrooms. They scrub the tile really well and we feel like we get double duty out of them!

When I feel I am out of fresh cleaning advice, I check out REAL SIMPLE.COM for tips and hints. They have an entire cleaning section and a featured spot removal guide for things really get messy!

P.S. I dare not mention cleaning or cleaning products without publicly praising my wonderful Husband for all that He does around the house during this season in our life and marriage. Regardless of the fact that I often get frustrated that He is the one doing all the things I feel are "my job" He is SUCH a big help and I am most GRATEFUL for the blessing he is!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

MORE

COATS

or JACKETS

or SWEATERS!!!

YAY!!!!! Spring is HERE!

Monday's Must Have: Tomato Paste in the Tube

2010-03-22T12:03:00.003-05:00

Today's "Must Have" is pretty practical and not at all exciting... unless you just love Italian food--

which I do.

I love to make it. I love to serve it. AND, I love to eat it!

I have noticed that many recipes (whether Italian or not) often call for a small amount of Tomato Paste. At some point in the past, I realized I was buying a small can of tomato paste every time I need a Tablespoon and then having trouble deciding what to do with the rest. I hate waste-- and throwing away the rest of the can definitely felt wasteful.

Then I found this product, Amore Tomato Paste in the tube. This was a great little product for me, as I could squeeze out a small amount of this super-concentrated paste for sloppy joes, meatloaf or whatever, and then pop it back in the fridge for next time! It goes a long way and has proved to be very convenient as one of those, 'have on hand' items. Many grocery stores carry it on the top shelf, and it will usually cost about 2-3 dollars per tube.

I will say, that when I make marinara sauce, I do not use this, but use an entire small can of regular tomato paste merely because it is more cost effective. If you really want to plan ahead, you can buy a case of it here! Twelve tubes for $26.77 comes out to a little more than $2.00 a tube! I definitely plan to do this if we move somewhere that does not carry it at a good price!

This may be a little silly for a "must have" but we have enjoyed having it on hand-- perhaps you will too!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

You have no idea, kiddo.

A little note to my little girl...

2010-03-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

Dear Lu-

Thank you for being such a constant source of joy in our lives.

You daily remind us how good God is and how very blessed we are.

On the worst of days, when we are tempted to doubt His plan for our lives--

your happy giggle is a sweet bright spot at the end of the day.

God has graciously given us you and we are honored to be your parents.

You cause us to reflect on all He has given and not on the fact

that He has not seen fit to give us a job just yet.

On the long days when I want nothing more than to rush ahead and quit my job to be your

stay-at-home mommy-- you greet me at the door with a 100-watt smile and I realize

that I would rather spend three hours a day with you than none at all.

You are, in short, a beautiful treasure and we cherish you, little girl!

Monday's "Must-Haves"

2010-03-15T06:00:00.007-05:00

Today's must have is from Crate and Barrel-- which I absolutely love and will miss when ever we move elsewhere. They seem to carry many functional things-- many of which do not also carry a very high price tag. I once found small juice glasses for .75 cents a piece there-- so cute. We had four... now we have 2. That will teach me to buy only just enough. :) Anyway, they were adorable with oranges etched on the side and the phrase, "squeeze me." Love them. But, I digress.

These Parker Mini Bowls are adorable and functional. They scream "springtime" and we have already put them to great use several times! I chose the Mimosa, Provence and Macaw for our little kitchen and we have used them for small servings of dessert, soup, snacks, even prep bowls for cooking! And at $3.95 a pop, they are an inexpensive little Spring upgrade for your table or kitchen! (BTW, they also carry a large 5-piece set of Parker mixing bowls, and if we had not too many bowls already, I would have seriously considered them as well. What can I say? I love dishes and serving-ware!)

I have to admit that in our current economic situation, both as a country and as a family, an item has to work on several levels to be considered a "must have." And still, the term is a bit of stretch. There are few "things (i.e. people)" that I must have and they are currently both sleeping peacefully. Never the less, I have thoroughly enjoyed my little bowls, and I think you might as well!

Little Stinker

2010-03-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

Someone has discovered the fun in unrolling the bathroom tissue. Lovely.

I love her cute little mischievous face though.