Santa Grahams

I've really been trying to make new and fun things that I've found on Pinterest lately. Last night, I created Santa Grahams as a special treat for my kids and my husband. The original idea comes from Pillsbury, but I changed it a little based on what I had on hand. Here's what I used:

Honey Graham Crackers, halved
Frosting (powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, red food coloring)
Mini-Marshmallows(halved)
Mini-Chocolate Chips (for the eyes)
Red Fruit Rollup-(cut into triangles)

Spread frosting over graham cracker. Quickly arrange marshmallows into beard and hair. I rolled marshmallows to give Santa a mustache as well:) Place chocolate chips for eyes (I thought brown was more appealing than the red eyes below). Place fruit rollup triangle on top for the hat. Add a small drop of frosting at top and finish of with another marshmallow for the hat.

Christmas Time

I made these Christmas Tree Cupcakes the other day for our church's bake sale. They weren't quite as beautiful as I didn't add the extra decorations. I was told they were quite delicious (I made my own buttercream icing). Isn't it fun making Christmas goodies! I've recently made some of my Pinterest recipes and I'm trying to get back on track with making a new recipe each week. I'd been quite sick in recent weeks or my kids had been, so we ate a lot of quick fix options. If you have a favorite new recipe, please share it with me so I can try it out on our little family!

Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

This one comes from a long time family friend, Joy Reimann. She passed this one along to me when Jonathan and I were married, but I just recently made it for the first time. I remember eating these at her home, surrounded by lots of friends.

1/2 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. softened butter
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. gran. sugar

Combine in large bowl and beat until creamy. Add 2 eggs and 2 teas. vanilla and beat. Then add 1 c. flour, 1 teas. baking powder, and 1/4 teas. salt. Mix and spread into a greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle 1 c. chocolate chips over top. Put in 350 oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife through to marbleize. Return to oven for 15-20 min.

She also shared this verse with me:
The wise in heart will be called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Proverbs 16:21

Pear Sauce

I recently received a huge bag of small pears and tried to come up with more ways to use them. (I'm the only one that will eat them in my house.) I decided to try making pear sauce. Now, my idea was that I would make it similar to applesauce with no added sugar. So, I set to work.....
Now, these pears are the size of figs, so I had to cut up quite a few in order to barely fill my pot. Most recipes that I found said to add 1/2 cup water; however, my pears were quite hard, so I ended up adding two cups. I cut and cored all my pears, added them to the pot and slightly sauteed them to start their cooking process and lock in some flavor. Then, I added part of my water (I ended up adding more since they weren't cooking down.). Once the water boiled, I turned it down to a simmer with the lid still on to steam the pears.
After adding more water and about one hour, my pears were finally soft enough. I mashed them with a potato masher. Then, I put them in my blender and blended away until it was a nice consistency. I poured this into a freezable container and let it finish cooling with the lid off before I put it away in the freezer. I saved some for myself and added some cinnamon. While still warm, it was yummy! However, I gave a taste to my husband (who doesn't like pears) and he said it was okay.
So, pear sauce? Sure, if you like pears....If you don't have anyone else who will eat it, don't make too much. Or, if you have a baby on baby food, try making your own. Also found out that you can make pear butter from pear sauce!

First Day

My Oldest

First Day of Preschool

 Silly Guy!

With little bro

Recipe Resolution-1st Recipe

I've decided to make a recipe resolution! I know, it is September, kind of a weird time to be making a resolution, but I feel stuck in a rut. Time to make some changes! Namely, what we eat. Now, I try to eat healthy as much as possible, but that is not what this resolution is about. My resolution is to try a new recipe each week. It may be from any catagory of food. I have all these recipes I've collected from magazines that I'm determined to try. If they are a hit with my family, it will make it into my recipe book.
Yesterday, I made my first new recipe, Orange-Ricotta Softies:


Ingredients:
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 stick softened butter
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 15oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
5 T orange juice
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
zest of 1 orange (optional)


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate large bowl, set aside. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Mix in eggs. Add ricotta, 2 T of the orange juice and vanilla and beat until combined. Mix in dry goods until just combined
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 mins or until lightly browned around edges. Remove and let cool slightly on wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: stir together powdered sugar, orange zest and the remaining orange juice. Spoon about 1/2t glaze onto each cookies and spread over top. Let stand until glaze is set.
Makes 60 cookies

Verdict?
Big hit with everyone in the family. My four year old, almost two year old, and husband cannot get enough!

Libman Freedom Spray Mop

This isn't one of those reviews where I received a product for free to endorse...I simply picked this product up from Target based on numerous customer reviews. I wanted a product free of buying constant refills (I'm an owner of a Swifter Wet-Jet). I had run out of refills for my Swifter and decided that had to be a better way. I researched steam mops and refillable mops. Right now, I can't afford the steam mop that I want, so I decided to go the spray mop route. I researched online on various websites and decided to try the Libman Freedom Spray Mop. I was excited too because of my allergies to use something I could use chemical free. So, today was the test. It had been a month since I mopped my kitchen (I was doing lots of research before I could decide which one to buy;)). I have two young children and lots of mess. I filled the container with vinegar and warm water. Then I went to town. I used less than half the tank to clean my kitchen and dining. It was wonderful! Everything is so clean and no chemical smells! While I have yet to wash the pad, it collected so much dirt and grime, I'll be tossing it in the wash. I'll let you know how it holds up. Love my Libman!

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend, we took a trip to a pumpkin patch about thirty minutes from our house. We've been there before, but it was fun to take Josiah this year. Activities included a hayride, swings, petting zoo, face painting (which my boys wouldn't do), pumpkin painting (again, Payton wouldn't do), and several other small activities. Josiah enjoyed most of the activities, but got very sleepy. Here are a few pics from our fun time!

Fall is Here

Fall is here! So, officially, but in Texas...what does that really mean? Well, we have cooled down into the eighties this week, so I guess that means fall. I just was thinking about all the beauty tips I've seen recently and though I don't really have much expertise in the area, I thought I'd share a five of my most recent favorites.
1. e.l.f. Waterproof Eyeliner Pen: This "liquid eyeliner" is SO easy to put on. Straight thin lines or a bold statement are easy to apply. IT IS SO CHEAP! Only $1, so give it a try!
2. Coconut Oil: I've recently added this to my nighttime routine as a moisturizer. Just a little goes a long way!
3. e.l.f. Essential Brightening Eye Color: Again, only $1. It may not be the most rich, luxurious color, but it has good coverage and lots of colors to choose from.
*I've been looking for their mineral collection, but haven't found in in stores yet, but would love to try it.
4. Clinique Work Out All Day Makeup- Fairly decent coverage and stays on even when you sweat.
5. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup- Very good coverage for $10-12. Doesn't clog pores and SPF 20. I've used this since college.

February 2010

What to say!? It has been an amazingly long time since I posted during my bed rest. It only lasted one week and then....Josiah arrived! He has been such a blessing to our family and one of the great loves of my life. Josiah was born Nov. 9th at 4:18 pm. Such a quick delivery! Helps that I didn't even know I was in labor until I was sent to the hospital for observation. My mom flew in the very same evening and just missed Josiah's delivery. Mom stayed for about a week to help out, but then had to get back to her job and life in Idaho. My mother-in-law came shortly after for Thanksgiving and was a huge help with Payton. My mom came Dec. 9th and then, we flew together back to Idaho for Christmas. Flying with two kids is an adventure for sure! We made it though and enjoyed Christmas with all my family. Jonathan and I had quite a time getting back to Austin after Christmas, but got back in two days of flying....Well, at least to San Antonio, where Jonathan's dad picked us up from the airport and drove us back home. Jonathan's family was here and we had a "2nd Christmas" with them. Time has flown by since then.

I have my hands full with a very active three year old. THREE! Can you believe it!? Payton turned three at the of January! He loves being a big brother, though we have had our share of jealously. Josiah is my little Sunshine Boy...as his smile is huge and he laughs with delight over the littlest thing. He rarely cries...compared to my other baby anyway :) I'm trying my best to give them all the attention they need and deserve and keep up with household stuff. I'm still enjoying MOPS and being on the hospitality team. We have recently seen a lot of growth in the "young adults" at church and have many new children that Payton enjoys playing with. We now have a study on a bi-monthly basis with all these great people and recently started having play dates for the kiddos. Really, it is more for the moms, but we'll never tell.....SHHHHHH.

Jonathan is still working at Dell and we count our blessing as he makes it through all the job cuts. I still long to be back in Idaho, but have come to terms with where God wants us for now. We are hoping that as the job market improves, Jonathan will find a job that uses the education he has worked so hard for. We've also seen three of our teens saved in the last couple months at church and love seeing these young lives changed for the cause of Christ. Jonathan is such a great teacher for these kids! We are currently studying world views with them, which is put together by the president of Cedarville University.

We are looking forward to all of the great things God has for our family!

An Update....Finally

Being on bed rest, I am finding things to do that require sitting. I just decided that I should update my blog after many months of not posting a thing. Facebook has truly taken over as my main form of communicating with extended family and friends.

I am currently on modified bed rest, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our second son, Josiah. He is due at the end of November, but I am kinda hoping that I won't have to be on bed rest that long. His nursery is almost ready, although he will be rooming with us for a couple months in a bassinet. We are currently trying to get Payton to sleep all night in his big boy bed, in his room. He usually makes it half the night before running in to our room. He is a cuddler for sure. I have discovered that Payton's main love language is physical touch, so I try to give him lots of hugs during the day. He frequently comes and asks to cuddle with me. One of Payton's favorite things to do before bed is watch an episode of Corner Gas with Jonathan. He sings the opening theme song, which is super cute. Jonathan has been watching Corner Gas to wind down at the end of the day and Payton has adopted this as his routine as well.

Payton is now 2 1/2 and getting taller all the time. I'm just waiting for his little waist to get a little bigger, but for now, I have to buy adjustable waistband pants to keep them on. He is so busy that he burns off every bite of food he puts in his mouth. One of his most recent discoveries was pineapple. He loves it!

We recently moved to a smaller town and are discovering having a longer commute. It is very peaceful out here with the "woods" behind us. Payton really enjoys having a yard and a garage. Jonathan has started working out, almost every night, in the garage and Payton thinks exercise is the best! He loves to do squats and the downward dog. The yard is not Jonathan's favorite, as he now has to mow and deal with the local pests, fire ants. The yard at our new place was in quite terrible shape when we moved in, so we have lots of work to do. I am looking forward to planting flowers in the spring to make it a little prettier.

As we get ready for Josiah's arrival, Payton is adjusting well and seems to be ready for his little brother to get here. We'll see how he feels about him when Josiah actually comes:) I am really excited to have two little ones this Christmas and know that Payton will really enjoy it this year. We get to spend Christmas in Idaho with my family and "hopefully" some beautiful snow.

I have really been enjoying MOPS again this year. I am on the hospitality team again this year and wish I didn't have to miss the meeting this month. Payton has enjoyed the play dates with MOPS and has started to ask if he can have a play date.

Payton has several little friends at church now, which has been wonderful for him. There are an equal number of boys and girls now, so he gets interaction with several personalities. He really enjoys Sunday School and asks to go to church on a regular basis. He also enjoys going to football games with his great Aunt Lisa and Uncle David. He loves to cheer for his favorite teams. Jonathan loves it and is looking forward to next baseball season so that they can enjoy the local games together.

Jonathan is still working at Dell and is looking forward to trying to use his MBA to further his career. He is also working with the high schoolers at our church and is such a wonderful teacher. We are both looking forward to what God has planned for us!

Payton and Rachael

THIS PAYTON AND HIS GOOD FRIEND AT CHURCH, RACHAEL. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME HE EVER SAW A LADYBUG. HOW CUTE!

Our Recent Activities in Photos

Payton's new rocker from Cracker Barrel

New hair cut courtesy of Mom

Payton with Daddy before the big race

Payton sleeping through our walk along the river in Rockford

With Grandma and Aunt Liz in the Rockford Rose Garden

Inner Space Caverns with Aunt Elizabeth

Up in Cambridge, ID, playing in the pool with Aunt Danielle

Lunch in Round Rock with Grandma Swanson

Playtime

This is Payton playing at Ready, Set, Play! He also stars in their commercial. He is getting so big and already 18 months old. He can do all sorts of things like spinning in circles, walking backwards, climbing on everything, and being a big helper. He loves to laugh and make funny faces.

Baby Product Reviews

I've decided to review baby products that we have used with Payton in order to give other moms some ideas of what to buy and what products you shouldn't waste your money on. I see new parents registering for their babies and often yearn to stop them and give them some advice. I will review eight products today and will add until I run out. Hopefully, someone will find this helpful.

Rain Forest Bouncer- I would give this product three stars out of five. It has a great vibration option and baby can produce sounds through moving objects. Payton didn't ever stay in it for long periods of time.

Graco Swing- Five out of five stars. Awesome! Six different speeds and great music. My 15 month old tries to climb in it still. Great battery life.

Rain Forest Swing- Zero Stars. Horrible! Motor moved the swing an inch or two at the most. We thought the plug in feature would be great, but without the swing moving, what's the point?!

Graco Pack-N-Play- Five out of five stars. Don't know what I would do without it. Holds up to abuse from an active boy and folds up for quick packing.

Little People Barn- Great sounds and babies love to carry the life-like animals around.

Little People Noah's Ark- Hard for a 15 month old to open the doors, but love the animals. Helps teach matching with pairs of animals.

Little People Wagon with Blocks- Shaped like a school bus. Large blocks that are easy to build with. Payton even loves to sit in the wagon to play.

Little People Fishing Boat- Sinks in the tub, maybe better for older kids.

Giving Up

I just thought I would let you all know that I'm giving up on posting pictures on here. I have spent countless hours trying to upload pics with no luck. However, I do need to update everyone on our family and Payton.
Jonathan is in his last semester of school! He should have his MBA completed on May 9th. We are so excited about his graduation and our future opportunities because of his faithfulness. God has given me a very smart husband! He is also still serving as our treasurer at church and teaching the high school class. Work continues to go fairly well. Jonathan just received a raise and is up for a promotion. Very exciting!
I am still staying at home with Payton. It is amazing to me how challenging it is. I have definitely been stretched and have had battles with loosening up my perfectionist personality. MOPS has been a blessing to me this year. I have met some truly wonderful ladies and have been asked to serve on the Steering Team (a leadership position) next year. I am trying to open up to new friendships, which has also been hard since I tend to be a bit on the shy side. Payton and I are exploring the nearby parks on days when we have nice weather.
Payton is growing so much! He is walking and running all over the place and will be 14 months on the 31st. He loves to play with all of his toys. His favorite seems to be his shape sorters, but has recently discovered the wonderful world of balloons. Payton has a very strong personality which continues to be a challenge, but he is so loving, that you tend to forget his sassy times. He loves to go outside and explore. He loves to jabber and his favorite word is "da-da". He also says hi and duck.
Jonathan and I are trying to start a once a month get-together for our young married couples at church. Pray that we can get this off the ground so that we can nurture some friendships between Christian couples. There are not a lot of people our age that are faithful to church, so we think this is an important ministry. Well, I think that covers pretty much everything.

The Reason for the Season

NOW in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:1-21, NASB

Christmas Tree

You Should Have a Blue Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays represent a time of calm, understanding, and peace. You avoid family fights, and you don't get too stressed out - even when things are crazy! You like to make Christmas about making everyone's life a little bit better. You don't get caught up in greed or commercialism. You're too sincere for that. Your blue tree would look great with: Lots of silver tinsel You should spend Christmas Eve watching: It's a Wonderful Life What you should bake for Santa: Chocolate chip cookies

What Color Christmas Tree Should You Have?

Oh My Goodness

I just realized that I haven't blogged in a long time! Time has just flown by recently. Let's see, I guess I have a lot of ground to cover. November was marked by Payton standing on his own for the first time. He just thinks he is the coolest now. My parents were down at the beginning of the month for a few days. We did lots of shopping! We went to Rockford for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time. Thanksgiving was at Jonathan's aunt and uncle's house. There were so many kids running around. Payton played with Eli and tried to play with Anna. It was pretty funny to watch. Payton also got his first hair cut from Max Hafeli in Rockford. My big boy! December got off to a rough start. Payton and I both have been sick, back and forth to the doctor. I am actually going back to the doctor tomorrow. This cough just seems to be kicking my butt. Payton took his first steps this month and is getting a top tooth in as we speak. Jonathan finished his fall semester with terrific grades, once again. He will be graduating in May with his MBA! Can't wait until he is done! He will be traveling two days a week to San Marcos for his classes next semester, so he will be gone even more! We are seeing to light at the end of the tunnel though. Well, I think that pretty much covers our lives. We will be flying to Idaho for Christmas. Pray that we make it okay and that Payton doesn't fuss too much.

Okay, so...COMPLETELY AWESOME

We drove up to Dallas last night with Justin and Nathan to see a fab concert. Switchfoot and Reliant K were in concert together and let's just say it had to have been the best concert I have been to. I have been dying to see Switchfoot for years and finally got the chance. Relient K came out after a band called Ruth. I really enjoyed hearing Relient for the second time. They are so energetic and just fun to listen to. They played a song from their Christmas album that is coming out this week and I want to buy it. It is totally different than the rest of the Christmas music I have. On to Switchfoot....They are just the best band of all times. At one point, Jon (the singer), jumped up and grabbed a cymbal from the drum set and started playing it. It turned into this huge instrumental masterpiece with lights flashing everywhere. That was my favorite part. I just wish that they could have played longer, but it was such a great time. We did have to get back to Payton, who had a great time with his uncle and aunt.