Growing Pains

Motherhood is hard. I don't know if I was naive or just didn't pay attention growing up, but I never knew the struggle involved in raising children. When I was pregnant with Hannah I had visions of a cute, happy baby always playing, eating all her food, sleeping well, etc... Oh brother, what was I thinking!? Don't get me wrong, Hannah is such a blessing but it's not all rainbows and flowers. Sometimes it is and other times it's messy floors and tantrums.

We've had a couple of rough days this week and I was in tears when Jeremy came home last night. I just felt defeated. At 19 months, she has taken on a mind of her own. She doesn't like to eat meat, she gives us kisses but then promptly wipes away our "cooties", and she has just discovered hitting. She is usually an angel but I think the combination of bad behavior has really gotten to me. All of this leads me to be less patient and irritable right back to her which in turn makes me feel worse. I am the adult, I need to be setting the example to her and teaching her to be patient and loving, even to people who don't deserve it.

This morning during our family bible study time, Jeremy reminded me that Jesus paid for our sins. Not just the sins in our past but the ones we currently commit and the ones yet to come. He chose us before the foundation of the world and He knew of the great sinners we would be but He chose us anyways.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

"It is crucial as a mom to ask God for moment by moment wisdom" - Lysa  TerKeurst

I am so happy to be a mother. When the tantrum ends, and she gives me one of her sweet smiles, I know it's all worth it. This is my calling, hard as it may be, and I need to rely on God to help me raise this little rug rat. And in those times when I fail, to rely on Him to pick me back up because this mama can't do this alone!

Quality Time

“The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.” -Thomas Jefferson

This past weekend I was blessed to take an extra day off to spend a little bit of quality time with Jeremy. During the week and even on the weekends, it seems to get so busy that it doesn't feel like we spend all that much time together. Not this weekend though, because we made an extra effort to make this one different.

Our plan for Friday was to go to a local corn maze. Neither of us had ever been so it seemed like the perfect thing to do. We wrote down the directions and headed out the door. But about 20 minutes into our trip we realized we were lost. After about 40 minutes we headed back home. It was lunch time by then so we had some delicious pho, from one of the friendliest restaurant in town might I add. :) And then it was round two of 'operation: corn maze'. We made it to the farm, ate some honey sticks and took some fun pictures. What gets me is that we finally made it to the corn maze and then paid to get lost in the maze. Sounds silly to you too?!

On Saturday, after a quick trip to the gym and a delicious breakfast at my favorite juice bar we headed for the theater with my Mom in toe to see the movie Courageous. Let me just tell you it was AMAZING! Worth every cent of that very expensive movie ticket receipt! :) There aren't that many good movies out these days so I'd highly recommend going directly to your nearest theater and watching it now!!

And finally on Sunday, we went to church and then we spent the rest of the afternoon cooking together and having quiet time with the Lord. We still had plenty of things on our 'to-do' list but we did them together and it was wonderful. I have the best husband ever! We even have plans for another extended weekend together real soon!

Summer Delights

Summer has finally arrived in Seattle and this weekend was filled with the many of joys of this time of year.

Jeremy got home from work early on Saturday so he came over to my Mom's house and we each got to work making dinner. Jeremy worked on the drink, I worked on the fruit salad and Mom made the main course.

I love using fresh fruits and veggies to make super easy and super yummy meals. Take these for instance: For a cool mocktail to help beat the heat, add 1 can of coconut milk into your blender. Use the option on your blender to get the mixture good and frothy. Next add 1/2 pineapple that has been sliced into the blender. Add a little agave to taste and your ice and blend it all together. And for a refreshing fruit salad take 1 watermelon and a bunch of mint. Mince the mint and add to the cubed watermelon. Toss and enjoy. See, so easy but the results are DELICIOUS!!



My Mom also made my new favorite salad: a BLT salad. How smart is that!? They are good on bread but even better as a salad!

8 slices chopped and cooked bacon
4 cups sliced green-leaf lettuce
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup low-fat croutons

Dressing
1/4 cup light mayo
1 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. agave
pinch of black pepper

Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Then, in small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: toss salad with dressing. Makes 4 servings.

And after church today it was too nice out to just go home, so we made a trip to the local zoo and enjoyed looking at God's varied and sometimes goofy creation.








Loving our summer so far and looking forward to enjoying more of it. I hope you also had a joyous weekend!

Inspired

The last few weeks or so I have been getting inspired for all the crafts and goodies I will be making these holidays. I'm gearing up to start working on them this weekend. I have not had a weekend at home in a long time, I'm either running about shopping, visiting family and friends or going to some event. I have marked this weekend out with my Mom to get groceries at Costco and then go home to bake and craft. What a joyous day it will be! :)



What about you? What holiday crafts are you working on?

Vintage Filler Tutorial

This last weekend, my Mom and I went to the Ruffles and Rust antique show. Tons of great vendors were there with some of the best in vintage glam. Although I LOVED what they were selling, my pocket book did not like how much they were selling for, so my thing at these events is to soak up all the inspiration I can for fun DIY projects and such. I picked up an old beat up vintage book for just such a project:


Vintage filler is as easy as 1,2,3. First you'll need 1 shredder, 1 vintage book (or any paper of your choice) and start shredding; it's that simple!

This fun filler can be made out of old books, old sheet music or anything really! If you have old papers or books that aren't old and you want that vintage look, try tea dying the paper. Once you have your shredded paper filler, you are ready to use it in decorating around the house or in gift bags for presents. Whatever you end up using the filler for, I know you'll love it!

Open if you Dare! a halloween giveaway

I can hardly believe it is October already! Is it just me or did it come quickly!? This month I have a wedding, my hubby's birthday and my Mom's 50th birthday on Halloween. Lots to plan and celebrate!

I'm sending out the invites for my Mom's bday today and they turned out really cute. I LOVE Picnik! I have been using that program in conjunction with the paint app to make the invites, food labels, etc. I'm addicted to it!

The theme for my Mom's bday party is 'A Haunted Mansion' based off of the ride at Disneyland. She wanted to go there for her birthday but our funds are not allowing that so we'll bring Disneyland to her!

While looking for decorations for the party I stumbled upon these adorable cupcake holders and toppers from Meri Meri. I love their little party packs. They make throwing a party easy, extra cute AND it all comes in a handy little box ready to go. I picked up an extra "Open if you Dare" party packs and I am giving it away to one special person who shares their favorite Halloween memory or any tips/tricks they've learned while using picnik.com. The deadline ends on Friday, October 8th at 9:00am. I can't wait to see your answers; see you on Friday!

P.S. On a side note, although I know Halloween originated in pagans worshipping the god of the dead, and is actually a pretty scary glamorization of evil (think murderers, severed heads, and all those super revealing women's halloween costumes) I am taking a break from my halloween hating to celebrate my Mom's special day. Our party will only be PG rated I promise! ;)

Weekend Update: 3-day Weekend Edition

That extra day off sure gave me a LOT more time to devote to some fun stuff that I don't usually have the time to do. That means craft time, of course!


My best girlfriend and brother & sister in law will be graduating in a few short weeks, so with my extra day off I made some very cute cards for them, if I do say so myself.

I've also started on baby gifts for my friend, Iris. I have so many ideas and can't seem to choose one so I will give a preview of all my creations when I get them all done. You never know what she'll need so in the spirit of the boy scouts, I will 'be prepared' with a gift for all her baby needs!

Early Monday morning, my Mom and my Aunt and I went to a local cemetery that is the resting place for some 5,000+ U.S. soldiers spanning from WWI to Vietnam and Iraq. We helped put a flag at each of the headstones in remembrance of their service and sacrifice to our country. What a joy to be able to spend that time with my family reflecting on what the generations before us have done to ensure our freedoms; that's what that day is all about. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

Weekend Update

This weekend was pretty much the best weekend, from start to finish, in a long time! It started off with dinner with my dear friend, Iris, who is expecting her first child. I'm so excited for her and of course now I have babies on the brain and will be making some lovely little presents in the near future for the baby shower!

Then Saturday was double fun with a chic antique flea market and then game night with the youth from our church. And in case you haven't played it yet, you've gotta check out 'Loaded Questions'. Quite possibly the greatest game ever. My husband loves yelling games (taboo, pictionary, last word, etc...) but this one requires some creativity and a whole lotta funny!

And finally, Mother's Day; it was absolutely gorgeous out so we got to enjoy the pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob and rhubarb crisp & play games with my Mom and little brother out in the sun. I love Seattle in the spring!! And I love you Moms (Mom and Mom-in-law) <3

Making my list and Checking it Twice

I know it's not Christmas time, but it's spring time and that means lots of fun and exciting events and activities coming up. As we are less than a week before Mother's Day, I am making last minute decisions on menus and gifts for my Mom and Mom-in-law.

I am very indecisive about the particulars but now that I am back home, I have all week to figure out the final details. I won't be sharing them until after Mother's Day as either of them could be reading right now :)

But for those of you not sure sure what to get for Mom, check out these beautiful and oh so tasty lavender filled baskets. They have all kinds of goodies made by my sister-in-law, and they are delicious if I do say so myself!


There are also graduations and birthdays coming up so I will be busy brainstorming and crafting this week and then enjoying a game night with the young people at our church this weekend. Very excited to be back in the crafting/party planning saddle again!

Doggies & Garage Sales

For the last week I have been doggy/house sitting for a family friend. Because of this, I have been away from my own home and my sewing machine and other crafting goods. I feel like I am going through withdrawals. Even though I don't have a lot of crafting time as it is, being away from it and not having the option is giving me an itch that will have to be scratched as soon as I get back on Sunday!

In the mean time, I was on a walk with Bella this past weekend and I came across a garage sale. And not just any garage sale but the special kind where they tell you that you can fit as many things in one bag for $5. $5 dollars!!!! I had to get my Mom in on the action too! We went away from there with a few bags full of goodies. So much so that my husband who was coming home at the time, had to stop by and pick them up as we couldn't make the walk home with all of it! He's was good sport!


If only every dog walk could end this way :)

Simple Things

There are many simple joys that I just can't get enough of.. waking up to my husband's kisses in the morning, reading God's word before my busy day, and of course my morning coffee.

Today I was able to enjoy some other simple pleasures like picking out some gorgeous spring tulips for our kitchen table and making some delicious AND insanely easy cookies with my Mom.

Crispy Lemon Drop Cookies

Ingredients:
1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1 cup rice krispies
1 cube butter
1 egg

Mix all ingredients together and form into small balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 9 minutes. Enjoy!

Junktabulous Weekend

This weekend was a huge success. Mom and I were 3 and 4 in this LONG line of ladies waiting to look at all the junktabulous goodies at the awesome vintage inspired flea market. Since we were within the first 30 people, we got goodie bags with charm bracelet and all. We even got our photo taken with our stash. What a better place for a Mother-Daughter date!? We needed some good bonding time together and this was too much fun!

Mmm, great catering and the vendors sure put a lot of work into their products and displays. We can't wait until the next 'Come Junk With Us' event!