November 23: Eva's Party & Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

We had Eva's 1st Birthday Party today, and she liked the cupcakes!! Homemade cupcakes for the win! :) She was SO CUTE "opening" her presents! She was very opinionated, which kind of surprised me, and got excited about each and every one, wanting them opened immediately so she could play with them. She kept saying, "Mom!! Mom!!" I think she says that when she wants something, too, because she sure wanted those presents. Mom is a pretty universal word, after all. I have to say, I think she had a great time!!

I had some helpers with the cupcakes.

The birthday girl. I had a hard time getting a good picture of her because she wouldn't stay still!

Who turned 1? Who?

Little cousin friends.

Lunch! Pizza, peas, and carrots.

Sadie liked the presents, too! 

Happy Birthday to you, Happy birthday to you!!

Score!!! :)

 The aftermath.

Playing with her new toys.

The party was just a small family one, and I definitely didn't go all out this time. I had grand plans of "healthy" cupcakes with beet-dyed pink frosting and cute decor, but sometimes Pinterest is overrated and it's okay to just have simple birthday party. Can I just put that out there for ya'll? As much as I love all that stuff, I just wasn't feeling it this time. And she's 1. She don't care.

But the cupcakes, although not whole wheat, were homemade, very good, and even kind of cute. Here's the recipe in case you wanted to try them out for yourselves! The batter is silky, smooth, chocolatey heaven, and it produces a rich, delectable cupcake. I'll call them Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes because they have cinnamon and coffee in them. When my husband and I honeymooned in Mexico {almost 10 years ago?!?!}, the coffee they served at the resort always had cinnamon in it, and that's apparently a Mexican thing. So there you go. I frosted them with a homemade cream cheese frosting, but feel free to use what you like! Enjoy!

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

{yields 24 cupcakes}

1/2 cup {1 stick} butter, softened*

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2-3/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled

1/2 cup whole milk*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the muffin pans with liners. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed. Once eggs are fully incorporated, stir in the vanilla. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk/coffee mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through. *To make a dairy-free version of this recipe, substitute coconut oil for the butter and almond milk for the whole milk.

Simple Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks {1 cup} butter, softened

1 package cream cheese {8 oz}, softened

5 cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar a cup or two at a time until fully incorporated. Continue to beat a few minutes longer until very white, light, and fluffy. Yields enough frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes. Then lick the beater, bowl, and spatula clean because it is Just. So. Good. I'm sure it has nothing to do with all that butter and sugar. Nothing at all. 

You're welcome.

November 21: A Day and a Year of Eva

Happy 1st Birthday to our little Eva!! I CANNOT believe it has been a year already. She's cute as can be and has been a joy this year. She is well loved and truly is a "giver of life." Here was her day today:

She waved bye-bye to her daddy as he left for work. :) There were some photo bombs by Toby, yummy food, and lots of sibling love. AND she said mom for the first time! I didn't include a picture of her eating the cake, because, she DIDN'T. I'm not sure whose kid she is. We'll give it another go on Saturday, and I'll let you know how it works.

And here's my day:

Toby said, "Mom, an alligator was in my belly because I have green poops." Where do they get that stuff????



Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last year. There were probably hundreds to choose from, but here's a handful of good ones:

Brand new, moments after birth. I'll never forget her laying in just her diaper under that warmer with her dark eyes open and her long fingers moving, just taking in her new world.

A brand new little sister. :)

One of the first of many kisses to come.

She was the baby Jesus in the Christmas program at church last year. She slept the whole time!

I remember holding her under the kitchen light and asking my sister if she thought she had red hair. She does. :) I've been waiting a long time for a red-haired baby!!

LOVE. One of my favorites of all time.

That little face...

Cheese!! They both look so little here...

Little snuggle buddies.

She adores her big brother. 

She eventually got used to tubby time.

Ruby likes to play school. Eva doesn't.

The pink girls.

Silly face.

Siblings. Another favorite of all time.

10 months old

Peek.

'

Little fingers and toesies.

She LOVES to swing.

 And I love to tickle that belly. :)

November 14: What to Be When I Grow Up?

This morning I went to a Pampered Chef party. It was really fun, and I'd been looking forward to it all week--good food, catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while, and shopping. What's not to love? Anyways, the consultant said she started over a year ago in the hopes of earning $300-400 extra bucks a month to help her family. As a stay-at-home mom, I've often thought a few hundred in extra income would make a big difference for us, too. But she said that the job has exceeded her expectations, and even though she's only doing an average of a show/week, her income is about 3x that.

So I thought, wow. That's a pretty good gig. I think I'm potentially considering becoming a consultant, which is something I never thought I'd be interested in. I enjoy cooking and would certainly use the products, I enjoy speaking, it would be a job I wouldn't have to spend much time on, and it would fit into our family's schedule. She said you can do as many or as little shows as you'd like; it's completely customizable. Something to consider, at least.

But is this my dream job? No. My dream job, at least at this point, would be becoming a bestselling author, traveling around the country {or world?} to do speaking engagements at women's events, and encouraging women around the world to find their identity in Christ and pursue the purpose and plan He has for their life with abandon. But that job doesn't currently exist for me now, maybe not ever. And if it does exist, the paycheck is quite a long way off.

So this stirs in me a couple things. I haven't worked outside the home in so long {7 years?} that I think I've become almost afraid of getting a job in a way, for fear that I'll mess it up and fail. I know that I "work" and that raising children is no small task, but I don't get a paycheck and they can't fire me, as much as they'd like to some days. ;) Job security. 

But seriously. I don't get in trouble if the dishes aren't done or laundry isn't folded. It does make my life and the lives of those I live with easier if I keep up with things, though. So I think, what if I start this Pampered Chef thing and can't tow the line? What if I muck it up? I have trouble keeping my life together now, and I want to add to that orders and parties and scheduling stuff?? What if I write a book and put myself out there, and no one likes it??? What if after all that work {with no paycheck!}, it gets rejected?? All that time down the drain with nothing to show for it. What if they come hear me speak and they don't like what I have to say?? What if they think they were better off just flushing that $40 they paid for the retreat down the toilet?

So the fear paralyzes me. I allow it to make me lazy and selfish. If I don't try, then I can't fail. If I don't put myself out there and be vulnerable, then I can't get hurt. My heart can't get stepped on. So I settle for this mediocre, comfortable life with no great risks. Because you know what I think my real fear is??


What if I succeed?


What if I take that risk, and people like it? What if they would buy the book? What if I could make a difference with something I had to say? Now, that, my friends, is what's truly terrifying. Because then, people would expect things of me. And what if I couldn't live up to that expectation or dropped the ball? All these questions and doubts...

And then I remember, the Lord hasn't given us a spirit of fear but of courage and strength. Fear can be paralyzing, but I don't want it to cripple or define me. Yet, it is terrifying to step out in faith sometimes, isn't it? What makes all the difference is that the God who is asking me to walk by faith is good. And faithful and just and true. He has a plan for our lives, to give us a hope and a future if we will follow Him and obey. And if I succeed at all or ever in this life, it had better not be in my own strength but in His, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.



So what say you all? Thoughts on the Pampered Chef gig? I know some of you are consultants--do you like it?

Or should I write with abandon and no paycheck {basically, what I do now}? You know, if you think so, you could always share me with your friends. Maybe they will like me and want to hang out with me, too. ;)

Or should I try to do both?

November 5: Cabbage & Noodles

I may or may not have started listening to Christmas music on Pandora today. Don't judge. We had a fun play date with Miss Emily today, and it just so happened that I made her delicious recipe for cabbage & noodles tonight for dinner! If you like cabbage and bacon {who doesn't like bacon??}, then this one is for you!! Cabbage is in season and very cheap, as are noodles, so this is a great, frugal meal. 

Now, I changed up the ratios a little, making less, because I wasn't sure if my family would like it or not; and if not, I'd be stuck eating a LARGE amount of cabbage for the next week. That wouldn't work out very well for anyone, if ya know what I mean. The basic recipe is very versatile & would work with whatever you had on hand! I added some balsamic vinegar to mine {and I thought about blue cheese, too?} because I love the taste combination with the cabbage and caramelized onions. And I just happen to think vinegar makes everything better. It's a sickness. Anyways, here it is!

Miss Emily's Cabbage and Noodles

8 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped

2 large heads of cabbage, shredded

3 medium onions, halved and sliced 

2 1-lb bags of egg noodles (we use Mrs. Weiss's Kluski variety, but whatever you like will work)

Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy on a large, heavy-bottomed pot.  Remove bacon and set aside, leaving drippings in the pot.  Add onions to pot, stirring to coat in the drippings; cook 5-7 minutes over medium heat, until just soft.  Add cabbage to onions, stirring well to combine.  You may need to add the cabbage a few handfuls at a time, depending on the size of your pot.  Cover and cook over medium heat until the veggies reach your desired level of doneness (we like them pretty well caramelized, but do what you like).  When the veggies are done, add the noodles and enjoy!

Notes:

*Add whatever veggies & seasonings you want - it's a very flexible recipe!

*Add some Parmesan cheese if desired.

*Dumplings can be used in place of the noodles.  

November 4: Thankful for Today

Today I'm thankful for today. Redundant, yes, but true. Today, the present, the moment, the now. And being thankful for today, throughout the day, I ended up with a lot of pictures. I figured I'd mix it up a little & just put them all up, as there's more then would fit in a collage anyways.

I'm thankful for lazy mornings at home, watching the kids play, and snuggles with my littles.

I'm thankful for holiday magazines. I love them!! Each year I can't wait until they come in the mail, & I read every last page, idea, and recipe. My mouth waters, the creative juices start flowing, and I start planning how many things I can fit into the next two months. I can't bring myself to throw them out, so I end up with a collection. I just recycled a big stack of them when we moved, so perhaps it's time to start another collection. :)

I'm thankful for a house with a fireplace, {something I've always wanted!}, and this book. It's been awesome!

I'm thankful that it was a chilly, beautiful fall day today. The best kind of day in the whole world. And I suppose I'm thankful for pajama days, but I left the house, so I'm not sure what that says about me... If you see me on What Not to Wear, this might be why.

I'm thankful for the holidays, decorations, a Savior who makes the holidays meaningful, and little boys who are full of wonder, awed by Christmas trees that have changing lights. "Mom!! Look at this one!! Watch. You'll see."

And you saw this coming: I'm thankful for Starbucks and holiday drinks!!!! My first gingerbread latte of the season. Oh Starbucks, my taste buds love you, but my wallet does not... For now, I will bandage it up and keep going, but after the holidays we may need to part ways for a while... 

Unless I get Christmas money. 

#onlyfourmorestarsandigetafreedrink

#ithinkicanithinkicanithinkican

"Mom!! Look at this!! It's so beautiful!"

I'm thankful to be reminded of the joy involved in taking the little ones out of the house sometimes. I tend to be a homebody in general. There's always so much to do, and it's just easier not to lug everyone out and about. But it's wonderful to see the excitement in their eyes, hear the joy in their voices, and watch them experience the world. We had fun making small memories today. 

I'm thankful for the crazy, flailing walks back towards mom when she needed some reassurance at the play place. Kind of like a moving fall. It's the first time she's been to one in a long time, and definitely while walking. She would explore a little, come walking back for a hug, and venture out again.

Peek-a-boo.

I'm thankful for kids who come home from school and love playing with their siblings. And they play really well together, for the most part. I enjoy all the running and laughing. :)

I'm thankful the kids have a big brother who fills the role well--he protects, nurtures, encourages, helps, and looks out for them. He also gives them a lot of grief, which I'm sure is also in the job description. 

I'm thankful that they are learning in school and are able to complete their homework every night. I'm not thankful for the homework or homework time. That, my friends, is for the birds.

I'm thankful for my sweet little boy who says the cutest things. Tonight I lost my temper with Clayton after he repeatedly disobeyed, and I was pretty angry. After Ben came up, I walked away for a little while and he tucked them in. Toby told Ben, "I need to tell mommy something." Ben said he would tell me because I needed a minute right now. Toby said, "Could you tell her 'rainbows,' or something nice? Because she's really angry..."

And I'm also thankful for my husband, even though we were fighting tonight. I almost snapped a picture of his bald head on the other side of the bed for this caption, but I figured he wouldn't appreciate that. :)

So, I'm thankful for today.