Really Quick Post!

Elouise LOVES to be outside. Matter of fact, if you don't let her go outside, she'll ram her baby stroller into a door to get your attention. I'd say the girl gets her outdoorsiness from her daddy! This is a short post but thought I'd put some recent outdoor pics up!

The above picture is sooo precious. Finally got the hair in PIG TAILS! They didn't last long, but they sure were cute!

Aww, here we are pushing our stroller down the street! She could do this ALL DAY LONG! I love it!

Oh and her new thing to do is say, "Hiya!" That's her way of saying, "hi".

The Busy Life of US

 First things first, time has FLOWN BY! Elouise has been keeping us "uber" busy and I can't believe how much she has grown. Here is my precious little girl!

 Elouise is soooo interested in everything. Be it the dogs, going outside, remote controls, iPads, iPhones, anything that starts with an i apparently, and she LOVES Nilla Wafers! Yes, she still loves her necklaces - no matter what time of day or what outfit she has on!

She loves being outside no matter how cold it is either! It is a toasty (ahem, er, STINKING COLD) 29 degrees here in the state of "today it's suntanning weather, so tomorrow it's going to snow". She still insisted on standing by the back door pointing outside. So being the loving mother that I am, I thought to myself, "Well if she wants to go outside THAT bad, I'll take her out in her Cozy Coupe and she'll want to run back in as quickly as she came out." So, let me just cut to the chase, and tell you I was WRONG. She threw a screaming FIT when I brought her back in. I'm talkin' Wal-Mart backbends on my kitchen floor. As I took one look at her, giggled, and walked off....

 Oh yeah - SIDENOTE- This little girl that loves everything does NOT have a liking for Santa Claus at Bass Pro Shops. She was all hunky dory until we set her upon his lap. She was not a fan of the "eyes how they twinkled". Not a fan....not a fan. They told me we would take another picture if we wanted to try again in 30 minutes, but once again, being the loving mother that I am, LOVES crying Santa pictures. They make for funny memories. Don't judge me!

Ah yes, but back to the things she does love - our European shower. She loves that she can walk right in. Matter of fact, if you start a shower and she hears that water, you can bet she will RUN, that's right, I said RUN to the bathroom. She then attempts to take off her own diaper. This usually only sags the back making her resemble a trusty plumber. But once we help her out, she's in the shower LOVING EVERY MINUTE. If you don't take her clothes off and YOU proceed to get in the shower, she'll show you! That cute outfit with that freshly changed dry diaper suddenly is soaking wet and her diaper weighs more than a small puppy.


Another thing she LOVES, SHOES!!!!! It doesn't matter if they're three sizes too big, adult shoes, any shoes......she will bring them to you and you MUST put them on her. Remember that Wal-Mart baby I so lovingly described earlier? Yep, she turns into one of those. She loves any sparkly or squeaky shoes especially! I tried to upload a video but it was taking forever!

I'll leave you with a pic of one more thing she loves -

Ho Ho Ho

Ho! Ho! Ho! 

Merry Christmas!

Well, we are now gearing up for our second Christmas with Elouise. Who would have thought it would go by so quickly?? Elouise is a blast now. Not to say she wasn't fun before, but every day, she is getting more and more of her own personality! She is walking, saying Mama and Dada, talking on the phone, wearing her necklaces, etc. I think it is so funny that my daughter will take any bow out once she discovers them in her hair, but as soon as she wakes up in the morning....she looks for a necklace to put on. The girl LOVES to wear necklaces. She is precious! Recently, I went shopping with my mom to Kohls, and we were having a tough time getting Elouise to be patient with us while we did some shopping. Low and behold, once we stopped in jewelry, the girl was in her element. She loaded herself up with necklaces galore! Everyone walked by and said, "Ah, look at that baby with all the necklaces." I say everyone, but I'm pretty sure the people in charge of the jewelry were thinking that I better plan on paying for it all or putting it all back in it's precise place. (Although, I'm not really sure that there IS  a precise place for anything at Kohls! Oh well, they have mega sales so I'm a customer!) 

This is the first Christmas that we don't have to travel! We are able to stay in our area and celebrate this wonderful holiday. In holidays past, we always had a 4 hour drive from Idabel to Edmond. That's if Josh was even in town! Thankfully, Josh now works for Chesapeake and is home ALL the time. It's kinda fun learning how to be married all over again. All we have ever known is him traveling constantly. Now, I have turned into QUITE the housewife. I have dinner ready at 530ish (emphasis on the "ish"), try to clean the house during the day, take care of the grocery shopping, the baby, the dogs, YOU NAME IT. I am still learning though! Not gonna lie - Pinterest has helped me get some good recipes, cleaning tips, etc. So fun! (And addicting)

Okay and now I'll leave you with a delicious recipe that I got from www.tastykitchen.com. This is the Pioneer Woman's Blog. They're called....

KNOCK YOU NAKED BROWNIES. 

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I Used Duncan Hines)
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• ⅓ cups Evaporated Milk
• 1 Jar or squeeze thing of Caramel Topping
• ⅓ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (I used Hershey's Special Dark!)
• ¼ cups Powdered Sugar

 

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans (I omitted these in my recipe), 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
Then, pour caramel over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

*Adapted from the standard/classic “Knock You Naked Brownies” recipe. These brownies don’t really knock you naked…but almost.

Delicious Breakfast Meal!

Okay, if you're like me, you prefer a nice hearty breakfast. Bring on the bad food and load up on calories. However, while I love those types of breakfasts, I very very very rarely allow myself to have one. Because afterwards, I feel SO guilty.
I found this recipe recently that is SO delicious but still on the healthy side. You can adapt it to your own sweet palate. It is from the website, Annie Eats. Here ya go:

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

Posted in Breakfast

I feel like I’ve been holding out on you guys. It hasn’t been intentional, but I’ve been making this baked oatmeal over and over for the past few months and I can’t believe I haven’t shared it with you yet. My feelings regarding oatmeal have made a complete about face in the past year or so. Before, I thought it was bland and pretty much only liked it if it was mixed into a cookie. Then I learned to use mix-ins or toppings to jazz it up a bit. Not long after, I was introduced to steel cut oats and I started eating oatmeal almost weekly. Previously I had tried a few recipes for baked oatmeal but none of them were much to write home about. That is until I tried this version.

Three reasons why I love this recipe and you will too: 1. It is quick and easy to prep, 2. It’s healthy, 3. It is very easily adapted to suit whatever fruits are in season and what you have on hand. I have made it so far with the original combination of bananas and blueberries as well as peaches with raspberries, nectarines with blackberries, and most recently with apples and cranberries. The natural sweetness of the fruit as well as a bit of maple syrup is all this really needs to be a tasty and satisfying breakfast, and it reheats well as leftovers on subsequent days. I do add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to the apple and cranberry version to offset the tartness of the berries. You can also use different types of nuts depending on what you have around or what you prefer. I’m thinking a summer version with cherries, apricots and almonds could be pretty great. This has become a staple in our breakfast menu and as you can see here, it is a hit with the boy as well

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir with a fork to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

I CAN'T WAIT!

Okay, so I LOVE refinished antique furniture. By love, I mean that I wish I had the patience to sand and paint EVERY piece of furniture in my house. But sadly, I don't. I also do not know the right "techniques" to do. I have tried to do refinish furniture and sadly have failed. I actually bought a dresser on Craigslist.org and had a friend paint in "Crystal Blue" and glaze and distress it for me! Cheater, I know. But low and behold, I stumbled across a blog of a woman in Edmond that teaches CLASSES on how to do this. Refunk My Junk is the name. I am now enrolled in the class for October 22nd. Oh my....my furniture is in for a DRASTIC overhaul. Yee-Haw! Peruse her page and check out all of the AWESOME refinishing jobs. I LOVE IT! If you're in the Edmond/OKC area, she also has a booth at Beaucoup Boutiques (for all of you long time Edmonites, this was the old indoor soccer place across from the roller skating rink now turned Thunder practice place). Enjoy!

Two Posts in One Day?! Have I lost my mind??

I know what you're thinking, I must be going crazy. Hillary posted twice in one day? The truth is, you're not crazy - I am. I had to take a quick shower (I had gym "yuck" on me) and now...I'm back.

ELOUISE IS ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

After you have a baby, everyone tells you to cherish each moment because the time truly flies by. But NO ONE can tell you how quickly it goes. There is truly no way of telling any parent. . . it is just something that each parent has to experience on their own. A true blessing. (Got a little teary eyed with that thought).

Okay, like I just posted in big, bold, pink letters....Elouise, our baby, is one. We had her birthday party on Sunday. It was so much fun. I actually found that I really really enjoyed planning, designing and decorating for the party. I ended up making all of the decor (except the chinese lanterns...thanks Hobby Lobby!) and the food. What a sense of accomplishment. We had food for an army and it turned out to be perfect. I got a recipe from a great friend for these "Roast Beef Party Sandwiches". Like most of my recipes, the ingredients look....interesting. Not the most intriguing blend, but throw them all together and WALA! They are delicious. I ended up tripling the recipe for these sandwiches and used the Hawaiian Sweet Dinner rolls instead of the Rainbo ones they suggested and they were perfect. I also cut out bread in the shape of hearts and made little heart shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kiddos. I discovered that although the party is for a one year old, the other children there may not be too keen with the adult-like sandwiches. When in doubt, opt for a childhood favorite. Not gonna lie - caught some adults (ahem...Daddy), eating some PBJ's too. No worries, I had plenty. Each slice of bread made one sandwich. Then I had animal crackers, pretzels, and grapes, too. I ended up ordering the cupcakes from Sam's (30 for $13...who can beat that??). I had tons of people asking where I got the cupcakes from because they were so good. Guilty secret...got em from Sam's. Delish! I made cupcake toppers for each cupcake, too. Just some added cuteness, I thought. Like I said, it may have been a one year old party, but the kids still need stuff to do. I bought sidewalk chalk, bubbles, play do, big bouncy balls, a ball pit, and balloons. Bring on the fun. The kids had a great time. (Throw on the Dallas Cowboys game inside for some male birthday party fun...).

All that being said, I discovered I love throwing parties. As long as I leave myself ample time to plan and prepare.......which I did. I may start planning for something else now! Yippee!

Well, Hello There!

First off, can I just say I should get a prize???? That's right. Drumroll please......Hillary Love is awarded the prize for WORST BLOGGER EVER! Yay! (and the crowd goes wild!!!).

Laugh it off - in all seriousness though - I have done a flawed job at keeping everyone posted. Don't get me wrong, I read blogs daily! I just fail to post on my own. Slap on the wrist and moving on -

Soooo many things have been going on in the world of The Loves.

First, as posted on my previous blog post (eek do I dare say it was JULY 9TH?!?), I am back to my "roots". We have moved to Edmond, and it has been a wonderful move. My husband was a bit apprehensive about the move from his hometown to mine, but let me just say that he is LOVING IT! He is always busy and gets to go to do so many fun things.

One nice thing that has happened is that we FINALLY found a church that we both really really are passionate about. There is something there for both of us and a powerful nursery ministry for Elouise. I have even been going to Mom's Group on Monday mornings! It has been such a blessing. My parents go to church there, too. My dad even plays with the orchestra on Sunday mornings. He plays the guitar - if you're there, listen for him. If you're not...you lose. In our Mom's Group we are doing the study For Women Only....okay if you HAVEN'T done this study...DO IT. It will rock your world . Back to the nursery ministry - Elouise LOVES it. She has a great time on Sunday mornings and then again on Monday mornings. We have even stepped out of our comfort zones and signed up for the Parent/Child Dedication. Josh and I attended a class that discussed the need of raising your child in a Christ centered home. We both feel strongly about this. We will be "dedicating" Elouise in front of the church on October 23rd. We feel so blessed to be part of this wonderful church family.

On to the next topic - JOSH WORKS IN OKC NOW! It was a major decision and one that we did not take lightly, but Josh decided that it was time to part ways with ExxonMobil. He has worked for them for 5 1/2 years and they have been a wonderful company to work for. He has learned so many valuable things from them and they have been great employers. However, that being said, the time away had begun to take it's toll on our family. For the first 4 1/2 years of his employment, he was stationed in Piceance Creek, Colorado working on a natural gas rig there. We griped about the 2 weeks on/2 weeks off schedule (Side note: Military wives, you have my utmost respect and awe. I don't know how you do it, but you all are some strong woman!), and we hated it. However, our reality was put into perspective when he was scheduled to begin rotating to Nigeria. He worked 4 weeks on and 4 weeks off on an oil rig off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria. With Elouise growing up and changing each time we blinked, Josh decided it was time to look for a job closer to home. Since we moved to OKC, his job offerings were a lot larger than what they were living in a smaller town. He applied with several companies and decided on a job with Chesapeake Energy. He now works in Oklahoma City and is the "Corporate Emergency Response Coordinator". He loves what he is doing now and is eager to continue to learn more. We love having him home in the evenings and weekends. While it is an adjustment going from single mom every few weeks to having my husband home all of the time, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love having my family back together! Seeing Elouise's face light up when he walks in after work, you just can't put a price on those things. (Not to mention that he looks SO handsome in his corporate attire...)

Okay my next post is going to be about the big 1st birthday bash - Gotta break these things up - Nap time is only so long!