Holiday traditions

We adopted a new holiday gift giving tradition this year. I absolutely love it. Every year, after wrapping my gifts I've been faced with the "is this enough" attitude which takes away the joyful giving aspect of Christmas. 

A friend told us about what her family does...We decided to exchange four gifts: something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read.

I loved exchanging gifts with Alex this year. 

Alex 

Want: a shooting date (Grace free)

Need: dress shirts

Wear: cowboy boots 

Read: Life after death by Dinesh D'Souza

Rheanna

Want: kitchen aid stand mixer, date night (we went to Reel Club, Chicagoans- it's a favorite of mine)

Need: kitchen aid stand mixer ;)

Wear: a little dress from The Loft

Read: The Pioneer Woman's new cook book 

Hopefully, Grace enjoys growing up with this tradition and she won't come to expect a slew of gifts Christmas morning.    The reason for the season is the birth of our savior and this allows us to focus on that while still showing each other the love and joy that goes with exchanging gifts.

Tomato & goat cheese

After several dinner parties under my belt, I've come to realize that many people have their staple appetizers. You can ask any of my friends, this is my staple. 

10 oz package of grape tomatoes 

1/3 cup of olive oil (make sure the entire bottom of your pan is covered)

2 tbsp chopped mint 

1 tbsp minced garlic (adjust to your liking)

Combine all and bake for 40-60 minutes at 350. Make sure tomatoes are easily mashed. I usually mash lightly with a fork so someone doesn't bite into a tomato and squirt someone else in the face.

Serve with fresh, warm artisan bread with  goat cheese smeared on it. 

The Holidays In Pictures

Hey y'all,

 I've missed you! With the start of the holidays and the wrap up of my bible study, I have had a difficult time sitting down to write.

Here's what's been going on:

 

• We visited No Label Brewery with our neighbors Jamie and Keaton. Blessed by these two! :)

• My pride and joy: my apple pie. I made it the week before thanksgiving and froze it. I took it out of the freezer a couple days before I needed it, brushed it with egg wash and sprinkled with sugar. Not to brag but it was pretty tasty.

• Our little baby tree this year. Next year it'll be back to the routine of chopping it down. 

• Grace loves the tree. We have had to move ornaments high on the tree because she was obsessed with carrying a few around. I love that she loves these decorations.

• Babies! A few close friends have had their babies in the past month. I am in love with them all and am fighting the itch to have a baby.

• It's been cold here in Texas! The temps have been in the thirties and with 100% humidity most mornings... it's that bone chilling cold. We are in for a rude awakening when we head back to Illinois.

 

• Baking, and lots of it! We have been busy making tons of treats to share with others. Buckeyes are Grace's favorite because she can lick the beaters for those puppies (no eggs).

• Sebastian came! We had a lovely visit from our German friend Sebastian. He came to make our first Thanksgiving away from home a memorable one. We loved his stay with us! Move to Houston, friend!

• Grace made one of these for both her grandparents. It was tough to not be homesick. My fear was that it would be treated as any other day and it definitely wasn't. I made us all get dressed up and it felt so special :)

• I ran my first Turkey Trot! It was so much fun. Now that I am aware of how much butter goes into everything, I think a run is absolutely mandatory!

• Our Thanksgiving dinner with a few additional things. I was fat and happy after this meal!

• Getting dinner ready. What troopers and a HUGE help these guys were. Sorry, Alex is taken but Sebastian on the other hand... ;)

• My beautiful friend Jennifer. Came over on TG just in time to help with the gravy crisis. Love this sister in Christ.

• We visited Discovery Green and Grace had her first snow cone. She LOVED it and also loved playing in the fountain.

• She wants a new stuffed animal y'all. I am just having the hardest time picking one out.

• The best birthday gift ever! After my bible study, I have been absolutely fascinated with all things Paul. The letter Alex wrote is incredible. I am blessed with a selfless and loving man to do life with.

• I'm 27 now! Late twenties!

• The feast of St. Nicholas is the eve of my birthday. We started this tradition last year with Grace. Alex has celebrated every year growing up.

• After my birthday dinner :) Thanks to the Franks, we enjoyed a childless dinner.

• Grace meeting Santa for the first time! She liked the jolly old fella until I started walking away...

• I met the Pioneer Woman. She's beautiful and sweet. Excited to make some of her goodies!

• Did a little shopping with these gals. Grace had many requests. We did get her a child's mason jar sippy cup which she is loving!

• The Second Baptist puppet show was amazing!! Grace was in awe! New traditions, yay!

• Our little family :)

• Went to the Katy Christmas festival Saturday and G spotted this gem.

Katy is really feeling like home to us. We have some strong established friendships with some incredible, inspiring people. Praise the Lord for Him keeping his hand on us and helping us every step of the way in this transition!

Thanks for checkin' in :)

Weathering the storm

I have been struggling the last week thinking about possibly writing this post. I think about how social media can make such personal matters public, whether you're ready to address the matters or not. I have been thinking about Grace and her cousins and how their whole lives are documented by social media and how one bad decision doesn't just go away like it might have when we were young. My heart breaks for our youth (and adults alike) and the publicity their bad decision receive. These thoughts remind me to model where I find my value. Grace will learn more from my actions than words and I have been reminded to be conscious of getting my value from being a child of God.

Through pain and "pull back" this week, I had friends reach out just to let me know I was in their prayers. I feel like God prompted these friends one way or another and many were spiritual mentors to me... I just cannot chalk that up as a coincidence. I think it's God knowing our needs before we ask for them and delivering when we do. Alex is the best leader of our home. He encouraged me that though I am hurt, I'm not helpless in prayer. I humbled myself and found peace in prayer and asking others to pray. And God delivered.

I came across some things in my reading that I found timely. In my study last week, Beth Moore talked about weathering a storm due to another person's poor judgement (in reference to the shipwreck Paul experienced on his way to Rome). I loved her tips for surviving these storms. 

• Don't pull up the anchor (stay anchored in Christ, the one who holds us steady until the storms begin to rage). 
• Don't give way to the storm (we feel helpless but don't give way to the storm, give way to the Master of the seas). 
• Throw some cargo overboard (storms complicate life enough, ask God to simplify and clarify and throw old cargo overboard).
• Throw tackle overboard (storms serve an important purpose, they help us to see what man-made solutions we are substituting for depending and getting to know God).

Flipping through The Screwtape Letters this week gave insight into the heart of evil. This is coming from the perspective of the devil, "Hatred, we can manage. The tension of human nerves during noise, danger, and fatigue, makes them prone to any violent emotion and it is only during question of guiding this susceptibility into the right channels. If conscience resists, muddle him... Hatred is best combined with fear. Cowardice, alone of all the vices, is purely painful- horrible to anticipate, horrible to feel, horrible to remember." Basically, rereading chapter 29 of the book enabled me to conclude that it's best to try not to understand evil. We are all capable of it and we see evidence of it every day in the news. I think it's best to just realize we are all flawed and the best we can do is pray for each other.

I am thankful for my faith in God and those in my life that will pray for me and my family. In times of helplessness, that's all you can do. Psalm 62:5 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him."

Busy week and a blessed heart

I love the 30 days of thankfulness! It has been such a great opportunity for me to reflect on all of the blessings that God has given us and pick just one to share. It's so much more refreshing to focus on the positive!

We had fajita Friday this weekend followed by gelato at La Centerra. There was live music on central green so we brought a ball from home and played while listening to music. It was lovely :)

She loves riding high!

Saturday, I woke up to Grace banging on the door to our bedroom. Alex got up early with her and while getting some things put away in the kitchen, Grace wondered where I was....so she decided to bang on our bedroom door to see if that's where I was hiding. It was precious and sweet to wake up to her coming to me for a change. We got our running clothes on and went to Terry Hershey Park for a shady and cool morning run. Following our run, we went to City Center for coffee and to explore Kitchen Aide Stand Mixers. I am asking for one for a combination birthday/Christmas present and am so excited about the possibility of getting one someday.

So excited to finally put our Houston Parks book to good use!

In the afternoon we went to our neighborhood Harvest Festival. Grace and I went on a couple of rides and she got her first face painting. I made a pizza and went next door for a Pinterest party that my neighbor hosted. Everyone was asked to bring a dish to share and Jamie had two crafts for us to complete. The company was great, the food was delicious, and the crafts were super cute. Here's the one I finished:

She's got a ladybug on her face! :)

Sunday, we went on a run when we woke up (our house woke up at 6:30 due to the time change) and then headed to church. We had a pretty low key day filled with study, a little housework, grocery shopping, and a nap.

Monday morning Grace and I went to "Mommy Mondays" at La Centerra. We were ready pretty early so we decided to go to the shopping center and walk around a little. We grabbed a cup of coffee at Starbucks and sat outside to enjoy the cool morning. An adorable, Asian, pregnant woman stopped by to chat with us about when her baby was due and talked about her move to Houston from China. She every so timidly asked question after question about when Grace reached different milestones and humbly mentioned she didn't know much about children, how to raise them, etc. My heart was so sad for this woman. She lacked confidence and feared she wouldn't know what to do with her baby on the way. I could totally empathize with this woman... regardless of being around tons of babies and children, I too feared parenthood. It is so different when it's your child, you really don't want to mess them up somehow! We exchanged phone number and I encouraged her by telling her that no one really knows what they're doing, you just try your best and pray for wisdom and grace. If you see a pregnant woman in your near future tell her she looks beautiful (because she definitely doesn't feel that way) and be an encouragement to her! Don't tell her to get her sleep while she can. Love on her... because she's well aware her whole world is about to change.. for the better!

"Mommy Mondays" was super fun and a great chance to catch up with Sarah and Ryan. Grace is so brave and wandered all over, checking out the toys other kids brought. Her favorite was the maraca! Following MM we went home and put up Christmas decorations! The Christmas music is on at our house and I looooove it! It's the holiday season guys!

Monday night the Franks watched Grace so Alex and I could have a date night. We went to a little Mediterranean restaurant called Ephesus. It was delicious and we received lots of attention from the staff. I highly recommend it if you're local! It was so nice to enjoy a dinner with Alex as husband and wife. Our night out really enforced the commitment to invest in our marriage. A wise friend shared that you need to constantly invest time in your marriage because in a heartbeat your children are grown and out of the house. You don't want to be left with a stranger you're married to!

My date night dinner. It tasted as good as it looks!

Tuesday I hosted our ABF's playgroup at my house. I enjoyed chatting with the other mamas and watching the kids play. We had a couple with a new baby over for dinner. Holding their new baby was so sweet and reminded me just how fast time goes. Grace loved Kate and giggled and looked at her endlessly! She's been so sweet around younger babies and it melts my heart. But no, we are not giving Grace a sibling in the near future. :-P

Grace cuddling with ALL her stuffed animals and watching Praise Baby

Wednesday, we went walk/running with Jennifer and Carolina in the morning. We enjoyed our walk and chatted but unfortunately, got caught in the pouring rain! We got soaked but it was a good excuse to come home and get cozy. Last night, I had a few neighbor girls over for dinner and a chance for our kiddos to play. It was lovely and I went to bed feeling so blessed that God has placed us just where we are!

We had bible study this morning and you guys (wouldn't "y'all" sound so much better here) know how much I love it. On my drive home I talked with Alex about how blessed I feel to have so many inspirational women in my life. Godly women that love their husbands and children and are such role models that live with intention. Hash tag blessed. Hash tag I love feeling inspired. Hash tag Texas isn't so bad. 

A Month of Thankfulness

This week has been a busy one! I find myself becoming more of a protector of Grace's nap time (another thing I said I wouldn't do because I wanted to protect MY freedom to go out when I needed to). I'm finding that unfortunately, it's just not worth stretching this poor, exhausted baby ...when she's tired, she's tired and angry. It's okay though, it's teaching me to be productive at home during that time and also allows for quiet time and that folks, is priceless.

Monday, Grace and I went for a little bike ride. We found a new park a couple miles from our house that is covered. Grace loved the slide and running around. Here's a picture of her posing at the bottom :) Take notice of her outfit Illinois friends... it was 80 degrees out!

Monday after Alex finished working, we met at the gym and Alex was pleased with BLTs for dinner.

Tuesday we went for a run and juiced in the morning. I've been experimenting with ginger in our juice and it's incredible! Grace was helpful in making the kale, cucumber, carrot, apple, ginger, lime juice. Her helping is also known as sitting on the counter taking bites out of apple slices and  handing me things to put into the juicer but she sure does enjoys drinking the finished product :)

Alex had a work dinner Tuesday so Grace and I had a girls night eating breakfast for dinner. After Grace went down I got a ton of stuff done around the house while watching "The Wonder Years." Alex was so sweet and pitied my cereal for dinner and brought me guacamole from the restaurant he visited.

Wednesday morning Grace and I woke up and baked snicker-doodles while watching "Hocus Pocus." She wasn't as in love with the movie as she was the cookies but one day she will love it! We attended the play group for our Sunday school class later in the morning. There was a great turn out and the costumes were absolutely adorable! I wish I had taken a video of the chaos that ensued from trying to get a picture of all the kids but instead got a picture. Precious:

The rest of Wednesday consisted of going to the gym, making salsa, and homemade pizza crust. Unfortunately though, when I went to make the pizza, I realized I didn't have pizza sauce. I improvised with oil, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and coastal cheese. I used the pioneer woman's pizza crust recipe as it came highly recommended from The Closet Therapist. She knows her stuff... it was amazing!

Halloween was super fun! We had bible study, lunch while watching Earnest Scared Stupid (Alex and I love the Earnest movies) and got prepared for trick or treating. We had chili dogs and sweet potato fries for dinner and I made a large pitcher of fall sangria (recipe below). We visited a few houses on our block but couldn't venture too far. It was a great opportunity to meet the neighbors we hadn't met yet and socialize with the ones who have become our friends. We shared the sangria and enjoyed the 75 degree evening. Here's our pretty ballerina :)

Last year, a friend inspired me to commit to 30 days of thankfulness. I try to have a thankful heart but learning my new role as a mother and becoming a stay at home mom, it wasn't always easy to see the silver lining. This did wonders for my spirit.... Every day, I will post something I am thankful for on Facebook. A couple weeks ago, I worked on this craft to encourage me to "give thanks." 

Directions:

I used a margarita glass to trace and cut circles from scrapbook paper.

I printed "give thanks" from a word document, traced a circle with a smaller glass, and glued the white letters onto the scrapbook paper.

I punched holes in the scrapbook paper and thread twine through the holes. Viola, a sign, ready to hang!

Fall Sangria Recipe:

1 large apple, cored, sliced

1 large orange, thinly sliced

2 tspn. fresh lemon juice

1 container of fresh, organic apple juice or cider

3 oz of brandy

3 oz of vodka

1-2 bottles of cider beer (my favorite is Angry Orchard)

Place all ingredients in pitcher except beer. Serve in a tall glass over ice, topped with cider beer.

Testing

Grace is currently testing her mother and father. She knows the things she's not supposed to touch and climb and throw. Yet, repeatedly she is testing us to see how we react. Her favorite thing while eating is sitting in her high chair, taking a drink and then dangling her cup over the edge of the high chair while looking us directly in the eye. It's like she's thinking, "I'll drop. I can do it. I am in control here."  It is so hard to hold a straight face and be consistent about what we say "no" about. Look at this face... Too sweet and innocent to ever cause trouble right? Right.....

Before I became a mom, I remember saying that I would be a "yes" mom. I've come to realize how hard it is to always say yes to this child. During "Moms & Mentors" at my old church, I learned that discipline is an act of love. As much as I hate giving Grace the pat on the hand, I know she responds to it and it's helping her learn boundaries and keeping her safe. I try to keep in mind proverbs 13:24 "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." I know it's controversial to some and you have to decide as a parent what works for your child. We've come to realize that Grace has a strong will and quite the personality already. I checked out James Dobson's Bringing Up Girls from the library this week and cannot wait to read it and get some take always.

Today, I needed some encouragement and a friend posted a link to this video. I hope you love it as much as I did:
http://www.faithit.com/moms-kids-video-confession-touching/

Monday, we tried our hand as being parents of two. We watched Carolina so Gustavo and Jennifer could have a date night. It was a blast. The two girls played so sweetly and I'm so happy the Franks could have a night about them! :)

Tuesday we went running/walking with Sarah, Ryan, Jennifer, and Carolina in a nearby neighborhood called Cross Creek Ranch. It was a gorgeous 60 degrees and cloudy. Ah, the illusion of fall. Cross Creek is located about 10 minutes from our house in Fulshear. This neighborhood has been designed to be a "retreat," it's supposed to feel like the country with tall grasses, trees, and wildflowers. Here's the view from a lookout spot.

After our run, we went to story time. The theme was shoes and unfortunately, Grace has blisters on her ankles and wasn't able to wear shoes. After story time we went to a little cafe for a treat and coffee. Good times all around.

Wednesday we went to Costco which was a struggle. I have been trying to stick to a strict budget and we're nearing the end of a long month. I made a list for Costco and stuck to it which was HUGE for me :) Wednesday night we had an evening play date with Sarah and Ryan at our house. We had pasta, enjoyed each other's company and watched the babies play together. Both of our husbands have commitments on Wednesday nights. Thankfully, I'm blessed to have someone to spend the evening with. It makes time go much faster. 

Thursday we had bible study in the morning followed by a nap for Grace, a long run for me, and a trip to the library. Friends came over for Dragon's Breath Chili. The wife is pregnant and loving spicy foods so we thought it would be a good opportunity to make this. We all loved this recipe (I don't do the bacon grease thing and substitute 1.5 lbs of ground turkey and 1 lb of spicy turkey sausage for the meat). Grace plays well with their boys so we had a little down time to just chat with the couple. 

Friday was a rough morning but we powered through. Grace is getting some teeth in and she's SUPER fussy. We brought dinner to a couple who recently had a baby. Food = the greatest blessing to new parents!

We met Alex at the gym after work. After the gym we went to the Franks house for dinner. They made delicious pasta and were so sweet despite our baby being so cranky. After dinner we went to their clubhouse for a little fall festival they put on. They were showing a Charlie Brown movie on a projector, had a bounce house, and other games that were beyond Grace and Carolina. We headed back to their home for Mexican Train and chaos with the babies. Here's documentation of it:

Saturday, our whole house slept in until 9! Jackpot! We spent most of the day painting our wall in our living room, strapping the TV to the wall, and boxing in my garden with wood from a palette someone threw out. Here are some pictures:

Saturday night we went to dinner with another couple at Lupe Tortilla. It was lovely fellowship and excellent food. Following dinner, we had a movie night in our backyard with Hocus Pocus. We had some treats, cool weather, and wonderful company.

Sunday we went to church and had lunch at Chuy's. It is a hot spot after church and provided us with bellies that were full beyond reason. It was incredible! Not quite as good as Heaven on Seven's vodoo chicken enchiladas but a great substitute. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and studying. Bonus of having chili for dinner = chili dogs later in the week:

I hope everyone's weeks are off to a great start. In case it started off rough, here's a recipe (courtesy of Kelli) to give you a pick me up:

Snickers Dip

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese (softened)

8 oz. container of whipped cream

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 full size snickers bars (or to your liking)

Combine all ingredients in the food processor.

Chill for a few hours (or over night).

Enjoy with graham crackers or pretzels. :)