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!

We are now "Edmondites"!

Finally! We are now Edmondites! We have made the move, Josh has been here for a month almost, and we are LOVING our new house. We are still trying to make everything "fit" and "work" in the new house. I have this problem with HAVING to get it all done immediately. I'm forcing myself to take it slow, enjoy the new house, and THEN decide where things should go. FAT CHANCE! We are loving the new neighborhood, too. We live right across from a city park (with a 2.75 mile running/walking/biking trail), have a neighborhood pool and park, and great neighbors! Yesterday we exercised by running/walking around the park. Today, we are going to the pool. Well, actually, Josh is going golfing first at the golf course around the corner, and THEN we will go to the pool. It's so wonderful. We have also found a wonderful church here, too. This is a HUGE deal for us...a church we BOTH agree on and love. It is called Crossings Community Church. It is a nice mix between my Church of Christ raising and Josh's Baptist/Methodist raising. Elouise goes to the nursery there, and has just "graduated" to the 9-12 month class. She is finally getting out of the "everytime I leave my Mommy I cry" phase.
More pics and movies to come.............

Sun Shiny Day!

Who knew the velcro could be this much fun???

Sunny Saturday

Elouise is eight months old now! Ah! It goes SO fast! People tell you that it goes quickly, but no one can actually relay into words HOW quickly it goes. Elouise is now starting to crawl. We are really good at crawling backwards and in a circle, but not so much on the forward crawl. She's getting close though! She knows how to wave and say hi! (Except her hi is more like haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, but she does know that when you wave your hand you're supposed to talk). Sorry this is so short, but nap time is almost up!

Love until next time!

Hillary Love

God is so good!

God is sooo good! We sold our house! After a year of it being on the market, our house has finally sold! We left the day after we sold our house and headed to Edmond to find a new one. After a few "no's", we were not very hopeful about finding a house. We knew that we wanted a newer home, but didn't want to rent for 6-12 months while waiting on our house to be built. It was a God thing, and while driving around, we found one! It is almost complete. We got to pick out granite, backsplash, lighting, and carpet. It is so "us"! We can't wait! Here is a pic of the outside without the sod and flowers (and outdoor lights).

Happy Mother's Day!

I have been waiting for this day for...forever. I have always known that I wanted to be a mommy. Starting when I was a little girl barely walking, I carried a baby doll. I always imagined what it would be like, and I can tell you today, on my first Mother's Day, it has surpassed that childhood dream of mine. Being a mommy is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I know it's just getting started and getting better each day. God has truly blessed me with a great mother and other wonderful motherly examples in our family to look up to. Each woman in my family is such an incredible mother in their own individual ways. Starting with Ghee, the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman, she set the bar high. A mother and grandmother that showed unrelenting love and patience for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends of the family that she considered her own. Next my Aunt Betty, who has taught me that no matter what, family is the glue that holds it together. She loves each of her children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and it shows constantly when you are with her. My Aunt Trish: the mom that would let you buy any cereal at the grocery store - WITHOUT a coupon! :) Haha - but my Aunt Trish has shown to be the type of mom and "Gabby" that I have never seen lose her cool and patience. Now I know she probably had to come down on Connie, Cindy and Todd, but never do I once remember her losing her cool. What a great example and Godly woman she is for her family. She is so giving and such a wonderful asset to our family. Now, to the woman that I aspire to be, my mother. My mom has shown me what it takes to be a mom. She made sure we always went to church, had dinner together in the evenings, and I'll never forget that she always made sure she was there right after school to pick us up...snacks in the cooler. How she juggled everything going on, I'll find out one day. She did it all with grace and poise...and she still does. She has made it a point to attend all of the dance recitals, competitions, soccer, baseball, football games, concerts, you name it...she tried her HARDEST to be there. She is a wonderful mother, and now has the opportunity to be an amazing "Kaki" to my sweet daughter, Elouise! I love all of the mom's that I have been blessed to have in my life.Now here are some pictures of MY first mother's day....

I am so blessed to have this amazing, vibrant, energetic and just so darn cute little girl. Elouise Kathryn Love is more than I could have ever asked for. I love her!

Happy Belated Cinco De Mayo!!

Yeehaw! Oops...maybe...arriba!? Okay for all of you that love to cook or just love Mexican food, have i got a recipe for you. I made Cinco de Mayo dinner for a friend of mine that recently had a precious little boy. Here was the line up:

1. Guacamole

2. Chicken Enchiladas

3. Beef Enchiladas

4. Sopapilla Cake

-------> Let's say we had TONS of leftovers.

The guacamole was Paula Deen's (I added Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder to taste)

The beef enchiladas were from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook....if you don't own this cookbook, go to www.amazon.com and BUY IT NOW!

The chicken enchiladas were from a cookbook called Cooking by the Bootstraps. Here is the fabulous recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 c chopped onion

1/4 c butter

1 (8 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

6 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 T milk

1/2 tsp cumin

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

12 (7-in) flour tortilla

1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Saute the onion in the butter in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the green chiles. Combine the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture near the edge of each tortilla and roll to enclose the filling. Place the tortillas seam side down in a greased 3 quart baking dish.

Combine the remaining green chiles, soup, sour cream and 1 cup milk in a bowl and mix well. Spoon the soup mixture evenly over the tortillas. Bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake just until the cheese melts.

Makes 12 enchiladas

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And sopapilla cake deliciousness....I do not claim that this is healthy for you one bit, but if you make it, I can guarantee, you'll not have leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 cans of crescent rolls (do NOT, I repeat, do NOT use generic...ick)

2 (8 oz) boxes of cream cheese (softened)

2 cups of sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 can of pie filling ...your choice. (We use apple, peach, strawberry...whatever you prefer...I like apple the best)

1 stick of butter (melted)

Cinnamon to taste

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350.

Line the bottom of a well greased 9x13 pan with one package of crescent rolls.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla together.

Spread the cream cheese mixture along the crescent rolls in the pan.

If you choose to use pie filling, now is the time to put the pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture.

Top this with the other can of crescent rolls.

Combine the melted butter and remaining sugar (1 cup) together in a bowl and pour over the cake.

Sprinkle to your liking with cinnamon.

Put the cake in the oven for approx until top is browned. The butter and cake will still seem "shifty"...but as it cools it will get better.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.. Mmmmmmm......

More Pictures

More pictures because the last post wouldn't let me put anymore!

The Little Princess!

Okay, okay, okay...I get it. I'm a terrible terrible blogger. However, in my defense, we have been out of town for the past five weeks! I haven't done much of updating anything except mine and Elouise's wardrobe. A girl's wardrobe should always be updated....or added to...whichever you choose to think! So a little about the precious little girl in our lives (or as Josh calls her his "Sugar Pie Princess").

Elouise is growing SO fast! She is now sitting up, mimicking everything we do, and evolving into a little diva! She definitely has a personality! A precious one might I add!

Never Been More Applicable Than Now...

Many of you know that Josh is now working in Nigeria. He is gone for 28 days and home for 28 days. I am still trying to wrap my head around this all. He left Monday and we didn't talk through email until last night. At one am (7am Nigerian time), my Bible lesson came through on my email. I haven't slept much since Monday and I saw it come through. I just read it and can not believe how God works in such amazing ways....the most applicable message for this point in my life.

Fearing the Unknown 29 Mar 2011 by Micca Campbell “Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before.” Joshua 3:4a (NIV) Do you ever fear the unknown? Perhaps it’s your health or the uncertainty of your future. Maybe it’s the decisions your children will make about following God or following their peers. Fearing the unknown can cause us to spend precious energy anticipating the worst-case scenario. There are two problems with this type of fear: • The future is not here. • The future is not ours. While the future may be out of our hands, it is not out of the hands of our faithful trustworthy God. When we face a worrisome unknown situation, we can look to Joshua as an example of how to trust God in the face of uncertainty. It’s recorded in the first chapter of Joshua that before Moses died, God passed the baton of leadership to Joshua. The Israelites had been wandering in the desert for 40 years under the guidance of Moses. Now, their journey was almost over. Just beyond the Jordan River was their promised land — the land that God had guaranteed to Abraham and his descendants. Upon reaching the Jordan River, Joshua and the Israelites set up camp by the stream and awaited God’s direction. Much like their meeting with the Red Sea, God had to make a way for them to cross over the river. On the third day, God told the officers to instruct the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (where God’s Presence abided) to follow it because they had “never passed this way before” (Joshua 3:4). In essence, God was saying: Follow Me and I’ll see you through this unknown territory. That’s not all. The people were instructed on how closely they should follow the ark. Without this instruction, the people would have crowded the ark and God wanted every person to be able to see His presence faithfully leading them through the unknown valley. What greater encouragement could they have than this, that the Lord was their God, a God who was with them? You see, friend, the Lord understands our fear of the unknown. He realizes that you may be in a situation that you’ve never passed through before and you’re afraid. It may be the first time you’ve been without employment. Maybe you’ve just been diagnosed with an illness or your child is in rebellion. You’ve never been down this road before and you don’t know which way to go or what to do. God will guide the way. Joshua’s life was unpredictable and full of unknowns much like yours and mine. Yet, he successfully resisted fear by keeping his focus on God rather than the events surrounding him. Just as God guided the Israelites through unknown territory, He will guide you and me, too. As He promises in Isaiah 43, when we come to a place we’ve never passed through before, God is always present to help us. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (v.2-3a, NIV). Even though the children of Israel were not told how they would pass over the river, the people went forth in faith. We too can move forward in faith sharing in the promised presence of God leading the way through our unknown circumstances. Dear Lord, thank You for Your promised presence. It comforts my heart to know that I am not alone. Lead me, Lord, through the unknowns in my life. Make Your path clear and I will follow it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I'll See You At The Party

My Bible Lesson this morning.....Thought I'd Share.... I’ll See You at the Party 20 Mar 2011 Melissa Taylor "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." John 10:10 (NIV) She asked to see the family, so of course, we complied with her request. After all, this woman, now in her ninety-second year of life, had earned our love and respect. Just nine months ago, she was independent, full of energy, and involved in life. Now she was calling her family together to say, "Good-bye." We were saddened by Little Granny's announcement that she was ready to meet Jesus face to face, until she added, "Put away those sad faces...I am happy! Keep smiling." Many would not understand her joy in the midst of the knowledge she was dying. But Little Granny knew something about where she was going. I took my kids to see her to say their final good-byes. They hugged their great-grandmother and told her how much they loved her. She told them the same, her words faint and weak. When it was my turn, I leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I love you," I said. To which she replied, "I'll see you at the party." At first I thought she might be disoriented. But as I looked at her through my tears, I realized she was thinking very clearly. Little Granny was on her way to "the party" in heaven, her eternal home. I get the joy that Little Granny felt over going to the party. I'm so thankful that after this life journey is over, I'll join her at that party. But even in the joy of eternity, death is hard. It's hard on us who are still here. My mother died one year ago. The ache that burns deep in my heart is like none I've experienced. She was my best friend, and now she's gone. Just today as I was grocery shopping, I caught a glimpse of the apple turnovers that she loved so much. We used to eat them topped with vanilla ice cream. I broke down right there in the frozen food section. I so badly want to enjoy an apple turnover with my mom. That part of my life is over and I'm left wounded. The only peace I have is that Mom is at the "party" and one day I'll join her. Until then, I must live my life. I don't mean get through life; I mean really live life. As Jesus says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). My Life Application Study Bible's commentary puts it this way: "In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives right now is abundantly richer and fuller. It is eternal, yet it begins immediately." Sadly, too many of us spend our lives waiting to go to the party instead of living for the party – right now. We realize that our life here on earth is not always what we wished for but then we settle for a dull, just-getting-by life instead of the spiritually rich and abundantly full life Jesus offers. How do we live that full life with so many trials? We stay close to the One who has promised us life; we stay close to Jesus. We remain in the Word of God and apply His promises to our lives. It doesn't mean all of our pain will be removed, but it does mean we can live full and free lives. Little Granny said, "I'll see you at the party." Well Little Granny, I hope you are having a blast up there! And in memory of you and my mother, I think I'll have a little party right here of my own... a Jesus party, where I will strive to do just what He said and live my life to the full! I hope to see you at the party!

Look What I Did

As I posted before....I need a hobby. Don't get me wrong, Baby E keeps me busy. However, I feel like I could be doing productive after I workout, do the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house....

So I took on a project.

It is simple, but I am proud!!

Go Stars!!!

Just a picture of Elouise at Uncle Rich's baseball game!
A friend of mine makes custom outfits for children so I had her make one for Rich's baseball games. On the back, it has his number! Go #16!

Valentine's Day

Yay! Valentine's Day is here! For Valentine's Day we did the following -

1. Woke up to Daddy bringing me a new espresso machine (I think he got tired of seeing Starbucks charges on the bank account if you ask me!)

2. Drank our coffee...

3. Elouise and I ran around town. We got Josh a gift certificate for a massage, got some wine (I got this...no worries, Elouise didn't), got some groceries, .......

4. We made heart shaped brownies for the neighbors. It was a beautiful day so we "strolled" down the street and delivered two to each neighbor. By the way, for the BEST brownie recipe, try The Lady's Brownies by Paula Deen. These are my absolute favorite. I always make sure that I have the ingredients for these at all times. Hey, you never know when you'll need to make a last minute thing of brownies!

5. Made dinner for Josh. Josh has been doing the Arbonne detox diet and has lost 20 lbs. However, he has been CRAVING pizza so badly. So Elouise and I decided that we'd make him a pizza for Valentine's Day. To be specific - a heart shaped pizza!! It was delicious.

HL

I NEED A HOBBY!

All right, so before I get rolling on what's been going on in our lives, I just need to say that I NEED A HOBBY! We are just now getting "in a routine" and I'm figuring out that I spend a lot of time wondering...what can I do now??

Now before you go thinking that being a stay at home mom is a cake walk - let's get one thing straight! Keeping Miss Elouise Kathryn happy and smiling is a FULL TIME JOB. Ha! She is an extremely happy baby and we have sooo much fun, but goodness....

So every morning we wake up ... have coffee... have breakfast.. watch Kathie Lee and Hoda on the Today Show (don't judge me...guilty pleasure) and then E usually falls asleep for an hour. WORKOUT TIME!!! I have been soo proud of myself. NO MORE BABY WEIGHT!!!!!!!
Then what?!? I need a hobby.......

So I found this blog..... http://mrspriss.com. I clicked on DIYs and Tutorials and found so much to do.. As soon as I can get to a craft store, YARN WREATHS and FELT ROSETTES for EVERYONE!!!

So, if at Christmas, you get a yarn wreath, ACT SURPRISED!

Inspiration

So as many of you know, we are struggling to sell our house. Since we listed with a realtor in October, they have shown it ZERO times. It is very disheartening. Through this process, I have flip flopped on being angry and then realizing I need to trust God and not be angry that I haven't gotten what I wanted yet.
The house we built in Edmond has sold. That temptation has now been lifted from our path. It was a pricey temptation, but none the less, it has been removed from our path. We know this happened for a reason. It was heartbreaking to lose that "hope" that we held on to, but we know we built that house out of haste without much prayer and petition. We did it more for us and didn't rely fully on God to tell us what to do. We knew in our hearts it was like the foolish man building his house on the sand. But I guess we thought that God would make it work. Much like in the song, "God will make a way where there seems to be no way..." Unfortunately we didn't realize that the way that God will make for us wasn't with a hasty decision. We continue to lean on God during this process. With that house out of our sights, I have noticed I have been able to focus more on Elouise. I'm not stressed with the thought of moving...I know it will happen one day...in GOD'S timing. As Ghee would have said, "Perfectly perfect" timing.

So I started a fast to focus and redirect my thoughts from things on Earth to things above. Since I can not physically fast - I did a "Facebook" fast. I found myself getting on Facebook for meaningless reasons just to kill time. So a facebook fast was a great thing for me. Today's reading really struck a chord with me. It is Psalms 27.

It's about time!!!

It's about time! I haven't blogged in almost a month!!! Oops!
Alright - here we go!
Elouise is now almost 4 months old. Goodness it has flown by!! She changes every single day. She is now focusing a lot more and smiling ALL the time!! She is a very very good baby. She lets anyone hold her and will smile or just look around. If she gets fussy, it's for GOOD reason, i.e., food, sleep...the normal stuff. She can hold her head up no problem now and is sleeping through the night.
We recently had our first "sick baby" experience. We noticed something was right with her. She was extremely whiny which is not like her at all. She whimpered all the time. Finally we noticed that her cheeks and nose were all red. We took her temp and it was over 100. I immediately called the doctor. She said she figured it was just a "bug" and called in a prescription. We didn't sleep at all that night. We checked on her every 2 hours. We were extremely worried. The next day she was slowly getting back to normal. She wasn't completely well, but her smiles were increasing. Her temp broke at 4 am. She finally, after two days, was back to normal.
Josh and I recently started the Arbonne Detox Diet. I can't do all of it because I still feed Elouise, but in one week I have dropped 5 lbs and can get on my size 4!!!!!! All by helping Josh do the detox! I can't wait to see what it's like after 28 days. Josh is doing it "full blast" so I can't wait to see what HIS results will be like. I just KNOW it will be fantastic!!

Our house is still on the market after lowering the price AGAIN. Nothing is really moving down here at all. We just keep praying and hoping that eventually someone will come along. As everyone says, it just takes one. Just one buyer...
We need prayers with this situation. It is extremely discouraging. We pray that God will provide the buyer for our house and also continue to be with us and keep from getting discouraged. It's all a test of faith for sure!

Love -

HL