This was the lovely song playing on KLOVE online this morning...it gave me the burst of energy I was needing to begin the crazy schedule that is ours for the next 4 days! Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice!

Sugar Cookies

Thursday night after our family watched another Hallmark Christmas movie...I decided to bake some sugar cookies for a "midnight" snack! Not the wisest of choices when you start them at 8pm...they really did turn into a "midnight" snack. ;) But, they are ever so worth it. Simple, quick, and they turn out almost perfect every time. 

Here is the recipe:

SUGAR COOKIES

3/4 cup Butter, at room temperature
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups Flour 
1 tsp Baking Powder 
1/2 tsp Salt 

*Whip butter until creamy. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. 
*Add flour, baking powder, and salt. 
*Form into a ball.

*Wrap in lightly floured plastic wrap.
*Chill at least 1hr (this is the secret to perfect sugar cookies).
*Roll dough on floured surface, cut, and bake at 400° for 7-8 min.

Makes about 2 dozen...depending on how thick you make your cookies. 


I double my recipe! (And since no one ever has a big recipe and I have to do the calculations myself while baking, I'm adding the double recipe for big families) :)

Sugar Cookies-Doubled

1 1/2 cups Butter, at room temperature
2 cups Sugar
4 Eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
5 cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

*Whip butter until creamy. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix well. 
*Add flour, baking powder, and salt. 
*Form into a ball.
*Wrap in lightly floured plastic wrap.
*Chill at least 1hr (this is the secret to perfect sugar cookies).
*Roll dough on floured surface, cut, and bake at 400° for 7-8 min.

Makes about 4 dozen...depending on how thick you make your cookies. 

Buttercream Frosting  

12 oz Butter, at room temperature
1 lb Powedered Sugar, sifted
1 - 1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

*Cream butter with the paddle attachment in your mixer. 

*Add the sifted powdered sugar ... once the mixture has come together, stop and scrape the bowl and paddle attachment. 

*Turn your mixer up to medium speed and paddle for about 5 min to make the mixture light and fluffy. 

*Turn mixer to low and vanilla and if you want to add any other flavorings; once incorporated return mixer to med speed and continue to paddle for 2 more minutes.

~I use little plastic containers to divide up the frosting and add the food coloring. If you're like me and want a lot of colors to choose from, be wise in your coloring choices. By that I mean...you don't want to have to make a ton of frosting just to have color options. So for me, I frosted all the Christmas trees first with the green, and a few mittens. Used up as much green as I was going to, then added a few yellow and red drops, to get brown for the tree trunks & gingerbread men. Make sense? Any other time I would have just made brown to begin with, but then you're left with a lot of wasted frosting...that adds to the expense, and the waste...not good. So make a plan! :)

Here are a few pics:

Don't mind the white ones...those were the "midnight snack" ones. ;)

Hope you enjoy these as much as our family does~ 
Heather 


 

Thankful November Day 29

Day 29- I am thankful I chose to take a leap of faith in June, and Change the Game for my family. It was the absolute worst year financially for our family. Normally Bob is slow during winter months with work, and it always picks up in March/April. Well this year...it was June, and there was still not much work...that's 6 months of no work. Can you say we were all but freaking out. You can't run a family with 13 hrs a week of work. You start drowning...and it just continues to set you farther and farther into debt. I hate debt...period. What were we to do? 

I looked into going to Nail Tech school. I figured I could sacrifice 3-6 months of my life with my kids to go to school and it would be something that I could do out of my home, while still being with my kids most of the day. {Plus, I really love having my nails done, and I have always wanted to know how to do "what they do!"} I had my school all picked out. Their website had all the costs listed. Bob had ok'd my crazy idea. My mom offered to watch the kids while I went to school. I had prayed long and hard about this decision. I specifically prayed that if it was not the Lord will that He would slam the door on this idea. {I need a slam, not a light closure to really know it's HIM} Well...I sent an email requesting information on enrollment...and a few days later a sweet girl called me back. To my utter shock...there was no Nail Tech classes being offered! What?!?! Their website had everything on there, including the times classes were offered! She said they put all of that up for when the GET a teacher. Really?! I was sad and disappointed that God had slammed the door. He answered my prayer, but not in the way that I had wanted. What now?! 

Waiting another month, trying to figure out a way to work, yet stay home with my kids, homeschool, and be mom.  Bob and I prayed continually about what to do. Work was still a joke. Debt was still piling up. I was still without a hope for a job. One day I asked a gal I know what it was she was doing {I knew she worked from home, homeschooled, and had a big family. And let me tell you, that took so much courage (or desperation) on my end} That day changed our life forever. I leaped in faith. Blind faith. I worked hard, and worked around my kids nap time, and in the evenings, from home, with no day care expenses. I very quickly matched Bob's income. And Bob and I are now focused on changing the game for our family. Since then I have helped many moms reach their goals, and continuing to help more. All while helping pay off debt from those terrible 6 months, and medical bills we acquired over the last 3 months. Every good gift comes from above and we pause daily to thank God for bringing my friend Janice into our life to not only give us hope...but to completely change the game for our family.

That is something to be forever thankful for...

Thankful November Day 25

Day 25- Today I am thankful that my husband, after 13 yrs of marriage or 13 Christmases, finally put Christmas lights on our house! Ahh...pure bliss! Such a beautiful sight. I don't think he even understands how much this means to me. Every year I have begged and begged for him to put lights on the house, then it turned into the kids begging along with me {pathetic, I know}...always to be disappointed. One year I had my dad come over and put them up with me...and that was the one and only year we have ever had them..because it was cold and yucky, and too much work! lol. A lot of the reason for his veto to the lights was probably was due to the fact that lights are not a big deal to my hubby. It's more of a chore than a treat. And thankfully when he was done, he thought it was very much worth the effort! 

{Which translates to: "We'll be getting them next year too!" insert happy dance!}

 Icicle lights are my fave! Warm white icicles...are just beautiful...classic...and will warm your heart. I know, they're just Christmas lights, but don't they evoke inside of you something so pure, so innocent, so joyful?! Ahh, well they do in me. They just give a pretty glow to an ordinary structure. They turn a play house into a fairytale cottage. The kids were so thrilled to have colored icicles in their play house. They go out as soon as it's dark, with their blankets and mittens and read books out there, or draw up their Christmas lists while snuggling in blankets dreaming about Christmas morning. 

 

I would so go sleep out in that play house...if it weren't so cold! ;) 

Blessings~Heather 

Thankful November Day 24

Source: littlereasonstosmile.tumblr.com via Gaby on Pinterest

I am thankful for my neighbors. I do not love living in a subdivision. Yes, there are a few perks, but that's it...a few. Our neighbors would be the one major perk! God placed us in the perfect spot for living in one. There are really only a couple houses with kids near us, a few singles, but mainly newlyweds.

One of the singles has become a very dear friend....we actually would consider her family, if someone asked ;) She is a dream of a neighbor! Always looking out for us, us looking out for her. Her parents come to visit, and the kids flock to them like grandparents...it's very sweet.

Then we have a family with 2 young girls. They have become friends over these last few years, and are always a blast to have a game night with, chat in the front yard for hours, share my love of cloth diapering, talk sports with Bob, and are just good friends!

Our next door neighbors...are our perfect neighbors! They really are the best. They love our kids. They are young newlyweds, and they are just the sweetest couple. They are kind enough, and young enough, to find it more amusing then frustrating to receive an egg or a lime over the fence on occassion. They keep our baseballs and bouncy balls and play a game with them before they give them back (all while the kids laugh and hang over their fence). They truly are the best neighbors...ever. She will trade the kids flowers and tomatoes for a smile, and even give the kids one of their puppies....they love her (and him)...especially Gabe, Shelby, and Addie. Always a kind smile for the kids and makes them feel important.

Another family across from us has 4 kiddos. They run and play with ours, creating hours of imaginative play in the backyard, and we really enjoy their company as a whole family...they're great.

The single guy across the way is always there to trade plant starts, and funny stories.

There is a single (frat house, type house) guy, with a bunch of roommates. They are fairly quiet, and nice. When you wave, they wave. When you have baseball fundraising cards, they buy them up, no questions asked, and say, "Good luck! We miss playing ball!"

Then there is the neighbors with the young son. They are great to chat with and the kids will ride bikes in the front all afternoon with him...they always have fun with him.

Another neighbor offered Ty his first job this summer, mowing their backyard and picking up dog droppings. Ty was beyond excited to feel like a real man ;) Work is what makes him tick. Saving those dollars has been his mission. And thanks to the neighbors (whether they know or not), they have been a part of teaching our son, responsibility, finances, and a servant type heart. That is a great and wonderful thing.

So we are truly thankful for the dear neighbors that surround our home, and make living in close quarters very livable! :)

Thankful November Day 23

I have gotten behind again...and I'm not going to try and catch up, or I'll just laps another time. ;) So I beginning from today...

Day 23- Today I am thankful for the Charlie Brown Christmas App for our Kindle Fire! What an adorable app! It's on sale here at Amazon.com for $2.99! That's a great deal, in my opinion! It's an interactive book. It will read to them, they can decorate Christmas trees, throw snowballs, and it uses all the characters voices while it's narrated (you have the option to turn the narration off, you find hidden ornaments throughout the book to add to your tree...just very cute!

 Hope you are all recovering from your turkey comas...I  very much enjoyed our spread yesterday. Our included: Turkey, cranberries, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing & dressing, creamed corn, green bean casserole, rolls, green apple jello stuff, jello jigglers, Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Ciders, and last but not least...pies: Pumpkin, chocolate cream, & strawberry rhubarb! It was delicious and surprisingly...not overwhelming. :) How was your's!?

Thankful November Part II

Day 7- I am thankful for the beautiful country side! Living in the desert has helped me to really, truly, appreciate the beauty of God's creation. When we go back to visit family on the west side of the state, the color of the trees and shrubs just ignites a color showcase in your eyes! It is so lush, so green, so beautiful! The fall is my most favorite time to witness this color showcase...red, orange, green, yellow. It's magnificent. The drive to the west side is also beautiful when the too extremes collide. You have color sprinkled around the desert landscape. Trees start to slowly fill in the barren land. The farther you go, the lusher it becomes...

 

Day 8- I am thankful for Lincoln's first baseball game. He enjoyed himself so much this summer! I think it was from all the games he attended of his brothers. He really seemed to like it! It was one of the first nights that it wasn't 90° at 9pm at night. It was a very pleasant evening. The kids enjoyed themselves...they ran the field during the 7th inning stretch and were rewarded with free pizza coupons from Pizza Hut...that was the highlight of their evening. :) So here we are at Mr. Linc's first Dust Devils game. 

 Day 9- I am thankful for the Dust Devils! We were able to spend the afternoon watching one of their practices earlier this year. A few of the players were having batting practice when Gabriel asked if we could come in a watch. They said, "Sure, don't see why not!" They were kind and talkative to the kids. The coaches were very nice...there were even coaches from the Colorado Rockies there looking at the players to see which they should pull up to the majors! (THe Dust Devils are a Rockies farm team). They spoke with Ty and Gabe and wanted to make sure they were having a good time watching, and that they were learning from what they saw. It was really quite nice of them. They even gave them a practice ball to take home...the simple things...that's what life is about. 

The boys checking out the practice.

Day 10- As much as I get tired of baseball...I am thankful for our boys opportunities living here. They are a part of a great organization that really has a great thing going. I didn't realize how much so, until I spoke with my friend Diane today and we were discussing the pros and cons of living away from everyone. Well, this is a definite pro on my list. Sports scholarships will most likely be the way our boys get to college. I'm not against an academic scholarship, I just am a realist...our boys are talented. They have a natural ability to learn the game without having to spend every single day doing it through out the year. I remember during the summer, once AllStars was ending, I mentioned to a mom on the team that I couldn't wait to box up ALL the baseball gear and not see it again until next season! Her jaw dropped and she said, "Seriously? Even their gloves?! They won't be playing fall ball, or doing any clinics?" I then lied...I know it's not good...and said, "Oh, well not the gloves!" Seriously...ALL the baseball gear goes away and the boys have time to just detox from the long season. I have always said, "If it's God's will for them to get scholarships, and to be great at something...He'll give them the natural talent." No need to be spending a ton of money and time on clinics and needless things when your kids are 9yrs old. I can see to do those types of things once high school is closing in, but not at this again. It burns a kid out, then they never want to play again, and they have lost all their love for the game. 

Ty and his friend Jayden

Ty's AllStars team took 2nd place in their tourney

Day 11- I am so very thankful for my Secret Sister! I love the fact that I have someone praying for me! We all need prayer, and I for sure always need prayer! It's so fun to receive a card in the mail with a little note from my Secret Sister, saying they are praying for me. My dear Secret Sister also sends out sweet treats, like my caramel apple that was delivered to my door. As well as a Red Robin & Roasters gift cards. Such a sweet thought and treat to get!

The best caramel apple I have ever had! So delish!

Day 12- I am thankful for coffee! I hated coffee, until my friends here drank it so much, that I felt left out not drinking it! lol Definitely an acquired taste. But I do love it now. Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha...blended...hot...whatever way...year round...I LOVE IT! My friend Janice says, "It's a Christmas drink!" Not for Heather...I'll take it all day, any day! A little bit of joy in a cup! ;) Although a blame them for my waist line that has been destroyed! lol {Because I had nothing to do with "picking it up and drinking the liquid deliciousness, with whipped cream and as big as I can buy} ;) hehe

Peppermint White Choc Frapp & Mexican Doughnuts!

Storage Idea

If you are like me, you always have a bunch on Huggies diaper wipe containers lying around. I hate to throw away anything that could be used for storage (since being organized sometimes costs a small fortune)! My hubby started using them for his "shop" in the garage, for nuts and bolts (so really the credit goes to him!) and odds and ends that you don't want to get rid of, but no place to put it.

One of Bob's storage containers.

Perfectly stores nail and screws...just pop them through the slot on top.

One of my storage containers...labeled on the outside.

It holds large glue bottles as well as glue sticks.

The slot on top makes it easy for the children to put them away...even the little ones.

 

If you are a stickler for a uniformed look...using all one color, such as white, will help it look more together and not so miss matched. I used this container for the children's school closet. It can get VERY messy and putting the little things away just helps that much more with keeping a somewhat organized school closet.

Blessings~Heather

What a Day...

"Wow!" Is all I can say for our Saturday. What a day...

We had a few things to get done at Costco, grab lunch, and then get cleats for Ty. We accomplished the first task, started our next (lunch) and I called home to see how things were going with Alexis and the others. This is what I heard, "Mom, Addie is bleeding and it's really really bad! I think we need to call an ambulance!"

Not words that this mom was expecting, or ever really wanting to hear! "What!? What happened?"

She didn't know, because she didn't see it happen. All she knew was Addie was "covered" in blood, there was blood on the floor, and it was a lot coming from her chin (a hole, as described by Alexis). Now mind you, we were at least 20 min. from home at this point, our lunch had just arrived, and Bob & Lincoln were already in the car, once Bob heard what I was saying to Alexis. Ty and I just looked at each other and grabbed a to go bag, and ran for the door!

I call Alexis back, and she is hysterical at this point. "What do I do?! I think she needs an ambulance!" I continue to question her and tell her to keep a towel on it and pressure. All she kept saying was, "It's bad mom, really bad! {Sobb}" I hear all the other kids crying and hear Addie wailing....breaks a parents heart to have your little one in pain, and possibly a severe situation, and not be there to help.

Here's the "Reader's Digest" version...I called my mom, and every neighbor I could think of and no one was home to run over and check. I missed the call saying that a neighbor was on their way over, and Bob said, "It is better safe than sorry, call 911". Alexis was so panicked that we thought for sure it was extremely serious. Bob drove as fast as we safely could, if you count 90 mph on the freeway, as safely, home. And we prayed. Thankfully the situation was not as dire as Alexis thought it was...your head bleeds a lot when punctured or cut, we were told by the Dr., so I'm sure it looked really bad! The paramedics had arrived and were checking her out, saying in deed she will need stitches and to take her to the ER. We were not thrilled at the panic that had raced through our hearts over her distress call, but were very thankful for understanding paramedics, and a 4 yr old who was not bleeding to death.

We loaded Addie into the car and headed to the ER where she showed us how the power of prayer works! I have to say that it was a miracle how calm and pain free the whole ordeal was at the ER. We kind of begged for them to "super glue" stitch it, because Bob and I both have been through it and it's nothing we would want anyone, especially our children to go through, but they insisted that it would need "real" ones. It was far to deep and in a bad spot (with chewing and speaking).

Here are the pictures of our 2 hr stay at the ER:

 The Dr. irrigated the hole...which looks ridiculously painful! Flesh flapping and revealing how truly deep it was. When he first started he asked if either of us had a guess as to how many. I asked Bob how many stitches his face took, 25 was the answer, so I guessed 5. Bob guessed 8.We all kept reassuring her saying, "You're doing great, Addie! You're so brave!!" Then I'd say about 20-30 min in, I heard her breathing deeply and her legs started to twitch a bit. I started to wonder if it was beginning to hurt her, then it dawned on me and I said, "I think she's asleep!" We peeked and sure enough, she was. The Dr. said that was a first for him! Bob and the Dr. swapped "scar" stories. :)  Lincoln was very intrigued by what he saw. He kept talking and squeaking and kicking his feet whenever he looked over at Addie.

Snoozing away!

 

Here's Sleeping Beauty all stitched up.

He cleaned her up and added some antibiotic ointment...and sent her on her way.

Final tally...9 stitches...Bob won...

 She was begging to hold "Baby Lincoln" as she so lovingly calls him. Addie was telling Daddy all about how she was "standing on the coffee table and did a spin trying to make it to the recliner...and she moved (meaning missed)...and that's how I got this Daddy." She was a bit upset about getting blood on her new deer shirt Grandpa had just sent her. The Dr. thought it fitting to have blood on a deer shirt! lol I couldn't agree more! :)

 We happily drove her to My FroYo yogurt shop for a much deserved frozen yogurt for her bravery. Daddy read her all the flavors to pick from and she chose Strawberry Banana & Cake Batter.

 You can't forget the animal cookies! And Sprinkles! And Nerds!

Addie enjoying a bit of sunshine on a spoon. :)

 As we drove back from the the ER, Bob spoke exactly what I was thinking, "This type of stuff really makes you think of how much we take for granted everyday (even every second) we have on this earth. It could be taken in an instant..."

Wow! We are so blessed to have Addie, our rambunctious, loving, spunky, sassy little girl still in arms reach. By the time we got home she was already bouncing all over the house, making us gasp with fear that she was going to smack her chin into something. Maybe we adults need to have a little more "kid" in us? They get hurt, they get up, they move on. And they trust! We told her it was going to hurt a bit and that she needed to be brave for the doctor. She said, "OK" and that's exactly what she did. She trusted us that it was only going to hurt for a bit, and that it would be OK...tell me that's not a glimpse into how we should be trusting our God! Children are just happy it wasn't worse than it was, and that the worst is over. It didn't steal her joy. So many times we adults allow things like this to steal our joy!

And to end our day, we had a long family meeting about how to react to "emergency" situations. What is a true emergency, and what is not. How to look at something and figure out how to describe it size wise, with say a quarter, or a bowl, to help us on the phone to figure out if a "ton" of blood is really puddles on the floor, or just a handful. How to think before we freak out and how the others don't help the situation when they keep crying saying, "Alexis, she's going to die!" (that would have been from our Gabriel...his heart is too big for his little body...poor little guy.) And to most importantly for the children looking on while big sister helps out, PRAY!

Psalms 5:11-12 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

Blessings~Heather

As we found the next day, Addie must have smashed her tongue. There aren't any bite marks, but her tongue is really bruised and a bit swollen on both sides. But besides it being a bit uncomfortable eating, she is a trooper!

Mondays

  I don't know about you, but I usually am not the biggest fan of Mondays. It's the day to catch up on everything that was put aside on the weekends. The day to get back into the swing of school work and chores. The day to do all the laundry we can.

  This morning I woke up to this:

Shelby added this to the microwave (metal included) thankfully I caught her before she decided to try out the buttons!

Lovely toilet drawings...NOT done by the 2 yr old...but the 6 yr old!

The lovely 2 yr olds morning canvas handy work...yes, that's permanent marker.

And here...

Oh yeah, and snow! Friday it was in the 60's! My hope of spring approaching has been flushed down the toilet...

AND while writing this blog post...the 2 yr old dumped her cereal all over her brother and the carpet! Thankfully he didn't mind!

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

²⁸ Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint. 

This is my prayer this morning....

May your day have begun better than ours! 

Blessings~Heather