Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home.  ~Edith Sitwell

I am counting down the minutes to the weekend. I am excited to be home, watch movies, make dessert for a special lady's birthday, work out, read my Bible, clean the house and get in some good R and R with my Hubs.

As you know, I am not a fan of winter, but sometimes it is nice to just give in and stay home. I have already begun to daydream about my garden. I can't wait to be planting flowers, picking fresh herbs and talking to the butterflies as they flit by. But for now, I will embrace winter's blessings and bundle up by the fire.

Have a lovely, warm weekend!

Singing for Joy

{Pinterest}

 My heart craves joy and peace. And these winter months make me crave it even more with the cold temps and cloudy skies. Thankfully, this winter has been kind. I love sunshine, so during these dark months, I strive to find the light in the darkness. 

One positive I have found is that the winter allows for quiet hearts and self-reflection. God has been searching my heart this new year, and revealing to me His truth, love and even joy that I can find in Him. There is much sadness in our world, and you will easily find it if you should turn on the TV. But, God has created a desire for me to find joy in His word. And joy I have found. He knows me so well and provides me with all that I need. 

Joy. I know I said it already, but I crave it. And not only have I found it in His word - I am reading through the whole Bible. It is one of my New Year's resolutions  - but I am finding joy in the dark months of life. One wouldn't think they would find joy in the story of Adam and Eve, but there is! God has given me new eyes, and I feel like I am reading and hearing the story for the first time. I guess it could be because He is teaching me about Grace and there is so much joy to be found in that. 

Grace. I crave and desperately am in need of Grace.

I've also found joy in two little girls getting adopted by a lovely family. Both little sweeties just celebrated their birthdays and express so much joy in the video their parents made for them. 

There is joy in a baby's smile...

And I find that there is even joy in the changing of a baby's diaper. 

What a lesson about humility for both parties.

Conversations that bring about repentance and forgiveness; bedtime prayers with my husband; letters of encouragement to friends in need; songs of worship; cooking dinner for loved ones; and the sharing of laughter with friends all reveal joy. Grace upon grace.

I am thankful for the grace that has been given to me during these winter months. The darkness has given me time to dwell in the light of savior. And I have tasted such sweet joy, love and grace.

{pinterest}

I hope you find joy, grace, faith, hope, and the greatest of these, love during these winter months.

"My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for JOY." ~ Psalsms 63:5-7

January Photo Challenge

One of my New Year's Resoloutions was to live more intentionally in all realms of my life - relationships, finances, faith, art, work, etc. I thought doing a photo challenge might hold me accountable and be fun along the way. And I was right. It has been fun AND challenging. When I look back at the photos, I can remember that day clearly. January was a actually a pretty fun month, and that's saying a lot coming from me who typically loathes January. But the photo challenge has helped me to enjoy and appreciate the little things in life more, look for excitement and creativity in all things, and realize how incredibly blessed I am.

Good bye January 2012. It was nice to meet you.

And now, I'm excited to discover the challenges that February will bring!

What's not to love?

The Hubs and I love to embrace our roots, specifically our Irish roots. Even non-Irish folk love to say there Irish especially on St. Patty's Day. But, we took it to the extent of visiting the motherland, and getting engaged on the Cliffs of Moher. You might remember this little beauty.

Yea, that really happened, and it was awesome.

Our love for Ireland brings me to my Hubs' birthday cake, which I created thanks to the help of Smitten Kitchen. The recipe is originally for cupcakes, but I tweaked here it and there to make the Hubs the the most awesomely delicious birthday cake EVA!

The cupcakes are awesome too, but the ganache melts into the cake and it is truly to die for.

Guinness Chocolate Cake with Jameson Whiskey Ganache and Bailey's Irish Cream Frosting

 So I made everything the same. Yup, didn't change a thing when it came to the ingredients. It was perfect exactly the way it is. But I did change the way I cooked the cake.

I greased 2 cake pans (cake pans for 2-layer cakes - don't know the exact size) and evenly poured the batter into the cake pans. Then, I cooked the cakes for 40 minutes. Next, I spread the ganache in between layers after letting the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Once the ganache was on the bottom layer, I added the top layer and started spreading on the icing. We immediately cut the cake, ate a piece or four and passed out on the couch. It was the best sweetest thing I've ever eaten. 

So go make it. Like now. You won't regret it. And you're welcome.

If it ain't one, then it's the other

Well, I'm sick. Not by far what the Hubs had, but I am sick enough to be annoyed by it. I've got a sore throat, headache, and restless legs = sleeplessness. However, I did go to bed at 7 p.m. last night and woke up at 7 a.m. the next day. It was good, but not full sleep. I kept waking up periodically through the night, but was still dreaming while awake. I think the Hubs was annoyed by it because it resulted in me getting up a lot and kicking my legs around. Hopefully, tonight will be a better night's rest, but at least I got some rest out of last night's sleep marathon.

I had a request (YAY!) for my chicken noodle soup recipe, but to be honest, I stole it from the Reames bag and barely tweaked it.

Reames Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
With minor tweaks by me to make it extra fatty for my poor dehydrated Hubs.

• 1 pkg. (24 oz.) Reames Homestyle Egg Noodles
• Rotisserie chicken - removed skin, bones and shredded with a fork.
• 2 cups carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 8 cups water
• 8 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• Milk
• 1/2 cup flour

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, add olive oil, carrots, celery and onion and cook till tender - about 3 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, boil 8 cups water and then add 8 tsp. of chicken bouillon granules and mix together. (I didn't have any chicken stock on hand, so I made it with what I had :))
3. Add parsley, thyme and pepper, stir and cook for one more minute. 
4. Add the chicken broth, shredded rotisserie chicken and bay leaves to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
5. Add noodles, cream of chicken soup and 1 cream of chicken soup can filled with milk, and return to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and cover; simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until done.
7. Meanwhile, mix together 1 cup of milk and flour and stir together till smooth. Add to noodle mixture.
8. Continue cooking over medium heat until thickened and heated through.

And tada! YUMMY Chicken Noodle Soup :) We were done eating it this weekend, so I froze it, per my mother's instructions, in freezer bags. May have to bust some out tonight!

The sun's in my heart

image via pinterest

Brrr! It is a cold, rainy Monday, but thank the GOOD LORD there is NO SNOW! There's some positive thinking for ya on a Monday!

image via pinterest

On another positive note, I saw the first signs of Spring this weekend. Flower buds! I'm not sure what they are yet, but they are sprouting, and I'm sooo excited and soooo ready to work in the yard again! Along the same lines, Mr. Mole (yea, remember him) has been busy this winter tearing up our yard. This spring and summer, I will not put up with his tricks. I will catch him, and put him in the neighbor's yard - 2 birds with one mole?

Whateves, spring is coming and if I think hard enough, I can remember what it feels like to have the sun shine on my face. {sigh}

Happy Love Fest Day

image via pinterest

Seven years ago today I went on a date with my husband (then just this cute guy I had a crush on). Little did we both know that the first date would last for 7 + years.

I recall the "second" time I saw my husband. Our first greeting was at a frat party. He was a studly high school senior and I was a shy freshman in college. He got all up in my business with his "sweet" dance moves. I was not impressed and a bit overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. The classic definition of a meet cute, if I do say so myself!

Our second meeting, however, was only experienced by me. He was strutting his stuff happily down the streets of greek town. As he passed me, he had the biggest smile on his face. "I wish I knew him," I thought to myself. He reminded me of the Colbie Caillat song "Oxygen" - "I met a boy who had a dream making everyone smile." A week later, we "bumped" into each other at a campus event. He asked me out on a date 2 weeks later. Little did he know, he asked me out on the days of all days to ask a girl out - Valentine's Day. "What balls this fella has," I thought. While he does have quite some gumption, he also has a poor memory. This somewhat ballsy man actually didn't know it was Valentine's Day at all. Later realizing the situation, he quickly grabbed a rose from a local market to greet me with at the door. He also washed his truck and put his name in at the restaurant 2 hours beforehand. He has washed his truck and put his name in early at the same restaurant every year since :)

Happy Valentine's Day and 7 years, Hubs. You are a trip and know how to always keep me guessing. Looking forward to many more years of love and laughter.

Bedtime Routine

image via heidi burton

I have a new addition to my bedtime routine. After taking a shower, applying lotion to my face and legs, brushing teeth, taking meds and removing contacts, my new bedtime routine addition is to wrap myself in a robe and drink tea in bed with my eucalyptus candle lit. What a wonderful way to prep oneself for sleep :)

A looong winter's nap

{sigh}

How did we spend the Snowmagedon?

{yawn}

Oh ya know...

 watching the birdies play in the snow...

building tents, drinking hot cocoa and smoking stogies...

taking naps...

drinking hot tea...

and cooking up some DELISH-ous food.

Happy Friday!

In the depths of winter

Winter Song 

by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles

This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon,
it rolls in from the sea

My voice; a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light,
to carry you to me.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love

They say that things just cannot grow
beneath the winter snow,
or so I have been told.

They say were buried far,
just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
cause youre not where you belong;
inside my arms. 

bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
bum bum bum bum bum bum
bum bum bum bum bum bum 

I still believe in summer days.
The seasons always change
and life will find a way.

Ill be your harvester of light
and send it out tonight
so we can start again.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
cause youre not where you belong;
inside my arms.

This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon
it rolls in from the sea.

My love a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light
to carry you to me.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

Give me sunshine!

Vitamin D supplements are not enough to get me through winter. 

I think Patrick Henry once said it best, "Give me sunshine or give me a tanning booth!" or something to that affect :)

Good grief...

Don't know about ya'll, but this short week has worn me out!

Looking forward to some relaxation and snuggling :)

 

Happy Weekend, my loves!

Winter Blues

"Ohhhh fuuuuudge."

Snow. It's coming. Ugh. I feel for this cat pictured above. He is about to go CRAZY on whoever plopped that snow on his head, no doubt. That's exactly how I feel about snow. Such is life.

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness

and just be happy!

Guillaume Apollinaire

Happy Friday, friends!

Change of heart

I was already to be a grump today. You see, I'm not a fan of snow unless I'm watching it fall from inside the comfort of my home with a cup of hot cocoa, or while skiing or sledding on it. So when, I awoke today to find an additional inch or two on top of an already 5 inches of snow, I crawled back in bed for 30 more minutes. 

With eyes done up, but not awake, I somehow stumbled across this little gem of a blog that changed my mood, attitude and heart...AND, I might have even drooled a little.

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

Image via Brown Eyed Fox

God also gave me this Bible verse today:

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“God didn’t give us a spirit that makes us weak & fearful.  He gave us a spirit that gives us power & love.”  ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

Here's to a happy, bright, albeit WINTRY day!

We're all fighting to survive

Image via The Wheatfield Shop

One of my New Year's resolutions is to read books. I came upon this resolution by the realization that now that I'm no longer in school, I have to keep reading if I want to keep learning. Whether its the newspaper, online news, fiction, non-fiction, what have you. I need to keep reading, learning and growing.

The book I'm currently reading "How to Communicate: The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Personal and Professional Relationships" sounds so wonky, but so far is a good read. I chose to read this book because I'm in the communication field and let's be honest, I could always use help with being a better communicator in all my relationships.

The book begins with the importance of listening, and goes on to discuss steps to effective listening. In the section about "Listening with Empathy" was a little nugget that is sort of a "duh," but a good duh. The section begins by saying "There is only one requirement for listening with empathy: simply know that everyone is trying to survive. You don't have to like everyone or agree with them, but recognize that you do share the same struggle."  Is it weird that I was comforted by that thought? Sometimes I feel like everyone else has their head on their shoulders or has life all figured out. And then I wonder, how do they have it all figured out at my age, and what class or lecture did I miss? Maybe I wasn't listening. Oops.

I like to think that everything that I experience, see, read, feel, etc. is God trying to tell me something. Lately, I've been praying and asking God to open up my heart and help me to love others more with reckless abandon and without fear. Maybe, this is God working on my heart. At least, I'd like to think so.

So come on God! Pull me closer to love!

A toast

Welp, 2010 is almost over. It's been a good year. I got a promotion, a raise, and a new job within the same month, I got married, got a new set of parents and a sister, got a house and a yard to plant flowers in, went to Hawaii, scuba dived with turtles and had my first Christmas with my Hubs.

It really was a great year. But with the passing of yet another birthday (am I seriously 27!?) and Christmas, which seems to fly by faster and faster every year, a lot of questions and thoughts come to mind. One of the thoughts that is constantly in my prayers and thoughts is "what is my purpose in life?" Big question, I know. And of course, only God knows the answer and will reveal it in his timing, BUT...I'm really hoping and praying that answer comes soon.

I'm not getting any younger (last night, I purchased my first anti-wrinkle product!) and I'm just really beginning to wonder what is it that I'm living for? What is waking me up and motivating me to live every day? When will be my last day on earth? How many New Years is it going to take for me to finally achieve my resolutions!? Morbid thoughts, I know, but they have been weighing heavy on me lately.

One thing I do know is that I don't want to just let life pass me by. I hate how the big, important moments in life always seem to just fly by and become memories that I can post photos of on facebook...But, I also know I can't live for those days either because the majority of life is made up of the mundane. I want to live my life with purpose...all of it, the big important events and the mundane. But how?

Not sure when this happened, but I've become addicted to online shopping always looking for the next big thing to purchase. I think its the affect of nesting. I just want to add more fluff to my "nest," but if I'm honest all the new fluff really doesn't make my life any better.

Instead of investing in the superficial, I want to invest in my husband, friends and family, and myself, and by myself, I mean working to become a more involved citizen, and a stronger woman both spiritually, physically and mentally. I want to read a book and actually make it all the way through even if I only gain one nugget from it. I want to be more adventurous and go on a trip with the Hubs and my friends on a whim. I want to not be afraid to make the first move with a new friendship and actually follow up there after. I want to focus on strengthening and nourishing my body with physical activity and fresh food, rather than sitting on the couch in a food coma. And, I want to know God better. I want to really know him, and live my life for him instead of how I think the world wants me to live.

I want to keep my word. Last night, the Hubs and I were discussing about how one day, we want to go to Spain and drink sangria in a creepy hole in the wall bar hidden in an alley, travel to Prague to pick up some awesome mulled wine spices, and sky dive in Australia and swim the Great Barrier Reef. I stopped the Hubs immediately, and said "Let's not just say 'someday we will do this and that' because who knows when our someday is up. Let's instead say 'we will do this and that' and make plans to actually do it.

No more wishing and hoping through life. I've only got one chance at this, and I don't want to waste it.

So here's to 2011!

Wishing you more happiness
Than all my words can tell,
Not just alone for New Years Eve
But for all the year as well.