Thankful Trees and Thanksgiving Memories

As Daisy is gets older, my desire to create holiday traditions with her grows.   I have so many fond memories of making Christmas count down chains, setting up Nativity sets, creating advent calendars, teddy bear cookies, thankful thoughts in a jar etc. with my Mom. 
  

 This year I made a thankful tree with scrap book paper that I had lying around and I taped it up on a bare wall in our dining room.  I cut out dozens of colorful leaves and kept them on the table all November long.  Each morning Daisy sat on my lap (by her choice) at the dining room table and I wrote what we were thankful for on two leaves and then she got to stick both of our leaves on the tree.  She loved sticking the tape on the leaf and then smacking the leaf on the wall with her fist...lovely.  She is three after all.  What I especially loved about this daily ritual was hearing all of the adorable things that she came up with..."Thankful for baby Jesus because he was so cute.  Thankful for Minnie because she is my friend.  Thankful for pencils because I like them.  Thankful for God because he is with Jesus.  Thankful for Disney because the princesses live there.  Thankful for Vince (her neighbor friend) because he is my husband...(LOL)"  And so on.  I LOVED starting each day off doing this activity with my daughter and focusing our hearts and minds on thankfulness.  After she scurried off to watch her morning show, I would continue to sit at the table and read my Jesus Calling Devotional, while sipping my coffee and have a quick moment alone in prayer.  It was such a peaceful routine (and fun!) and that peace carried me through each day.  So thankful.

As I am writing this post, Christmas is rapidly approaching.  Now more than ever, amidst all the craziness and business I want to remember how powerful it is to start each day off in praise and thanksgiving.  I sat in a sunbeam in my living room this morning (I'm like a cat or a dog that way) and made a point to tune out the ridiculous to do list, all the presents that still need to be purchased, all the parties that we need to attend, late nights ahead, lack of sleep, all the baked goodies to be made, all the errands to run, packages to mail, extra phone calls to be made and so on.  I breathed in gratitude and exhaled praises.  Thank you Jesus that I already have all that I need.  Thank you Jesus that we have food and shelter.  Thank you Jesus that I am warm on such a chilly morning.  Thank you Jesus for loving me today and giving me peace in the midst of the hustle and bustle.  Focus my heart on what really matters this holiday season.  Focus my eyes on all that I have and not what I think I need.  I have you.  I have all that I need.  Thank you Jesus.  It's rather miraculous that a few minutes of giving thanks and praising can turn an entire day around. 

I took these pictures below right before we took the Thankful tree down at the beginning of December.  Daisy asked if she could be in the pictures and she brought her hot chocolate along.  Her expression had me busting up.  There is never a dull moment when this girl is around! 

she totally jumped in my shot...little stinker.  But honestly, it's much cuter with her hot chocolate face in there right:).

We had the special treat of having Uncle Jeremy, (my brother-in-law,) in town during Thanksgiving break.   He lives out in California and we see him once or twice a year usually.  Daisy went through a good three year long phase of being very wary of any man besides her Daddy.  But, it appears that she has finally turned a new leaf because she was all about her Uncle Jeremy this visit.  She wanted him to hold her non-stop and she asked him to do everything with her.  He bought her a Snow White ornament which she pretty much carried around for 3 days non-stop  She was pretty happy as you can tell.  

 We also dragged Jeremy out to Christmas tree hunt with us.  We went to 3 different places and we kept striking out.  We finally went back home treeless and took a lunch break.  Jeremy was a trooper and helped to entertain Daisy which was awesome. It's always such a treat to have extra set of helping hands around to keep our lively girl entertained.  It's always hard to see family go but, we look forward to seeing Uncle Jeremy again early next year when he flies back out to welcome his second niece who is due late January.  We are all very excited to meet Avery!

One of my favorite traditions is getting together with our good friends, The Morris Bunch, on Thanksgiving.  I think we have spent about 5 Thanksgivings together now and it's been such a blessing to have friends on the East coast that we can spend a special holiday with.  We met the Morris family about 10 years ago when we lived in California.  We were all newlyweds and we all attended the same church.  It was a fun life season.  The military brought them to the East Coast and our family moved this way to buy a home and settle down.  We are a few hours apart but, we've been able to get together a few times a year and they are always good times.  I love watching their kiddos grow up and Daisy has so much fun playing with their three boys now.  I am so thankful for good friends.  The kind that you can roll out of bed in jammies and bed hair and feel comfortable around.  The kind that you can have deep talks about life, marriage, family, faith and God and no one gets ruffled or takes anything too seriously.  The kind that have seen you at your best and your very worst over many years and have loved you through it all.  

Yes, so thankful for good friends and I know that Daisy loves the extra attention she gets from three charming boys.  

The kids took turns playing a game or two on the ipad with Mike. 

I made Elissa do all the cooking...because let's face it, she actually enjoys cooking. I wasn't completely useless. I took pictures of her slaving away. And I am kidding, sort of. I did make the mashed potatoes and popped the lids off the sparkling cider. Elissa came up with this amazing brine mixture and then the brine bag basically ruptured and all the liquid spilled everywhere. Not fun (though it was hard not to giggle at all the commotion from the sidelines...eek) BUT, the turkey still turned out delicious and moist! Yeah! That was pretty much our only hiccup over the Thanksgiving holiday so I'm not complaining:).

I like to stick the kids at a separate table in hopes that the adults might get more than two words of conversation in without being interrupted. I even covered the kiddie table with paper and set out stickers and crayons to keep the kids distracted and allow for a longer and more enjoyable meal time experience. The kids did awesome. The meal was delicious. The company was perfect.  Score!

Elissa tried out a new sweet potato recipe and it was SO SO good.  Definitely a new fave of mine. She also did a fresh green bean casserole and OMG so much flavor and so much healthier!! I really would like Elissa to be the permanent Thanksgiving chef going forward. :)  Thoughts, Elissa?

Might I direct your eyes to the marshmallow fruit salad up front on the plate below.  That was one of my Grandma's recipes and I spent probably 20+ Thanksgivings at her house eating that delicious salad.  It will forever be a staple in our Thanksgiving dinner as well.  Preparing it, looking at it and eating it all made me feel a little closer to her this year and I really needed that.  It's only been a little over a year since she passed and the holidays are especially hard because my life is saturated with her wonderful traditions.  I still haven't quite figured out how to move on without her presence and her at the center of the traditions.  It's hard to make a new norm when the old was so familiar and such a huge part of my life but, somehow we just press on, one day at a time.  But, oh how I miss you to the moon and back Gram.

And though it looks like we are miserable...with the exception of Elissa...:) I promise you that I was simply concentrating on how delicious the food was that I was stuffing in my mouth mid photo op.  I definitely killed the Norman Rockwell vibe that we could have created in this shot but, Elissa is on it!  hehe  The food was SO GOOD. I ate a lot, lot.

Happy. Happy.  And on that note, If I recall, we watched several episodes of Duck Dynasty together after the kiddos went to bed.  It was a great Thanksgiving!

What Doesn't Kill Yah Makes Yah Stronger!

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Casey on Pinterest

* Wednesday night I was just fine and had been running around the house with my munchkin and laughing with my sister Jess.  No more than an hour later as I sat down to watch American Idol I was struck with the most intense wave of nausea and then my kidneys started aching so badly I fell to the floor in a ball of misery and pathetic-ness (my new word) and then proceeded to roll around from 8 PM until 2 AM.  It was hands down the worst pain ever next to labor and in fact I would not hesitate to compare it to severe labor pain.  I've had a kidney stone in the past but, I have never experienced any severe pain when they have tried to pass, maybe just a mild or dull ache in my kidney area.  This was a nightmare.  I would get maybe 5 minutes of relief and then a new wave of pain and nausea would cripple me again.  Talking hurt, breathing hurt, moving hurt but, not moving hurt too...awful, awful.  My husband truly was a super hubby and he took great care of me which was such a blessing because I was worthless.  He got me snacks, water, pain pills (which didn't help), and checked on me frequently.  It wasn't until I had a heat pack on my stomach and on my kidneys (thanks for the suggestion Gram!) that I got a tiny bit of relief (at 2AM)...that and eating crackers helped for some reason.  It's been a rough week to say the least.  So, all that to say that I will never again bash a guy if he wants to compare kidney stone pain to labor pain....ladies trust me when I say, it's true.  It really is that painful if the stones are large or are having trouble passing.  God forbid but, if there ever is a next time, I will go to the hospital immediately instead of trying to be my usual anti-hospital self and I will ask them to zap the suckers out.  I did get to the doc. a few days later and they prescribed me nausea meds which I haven't taken and they also said that the stone or stones may not have passed yet.  Fun times.  And I know I've said it before but, can I just say again how being really ill and being a mommy just don't mix.  Sigh.  Have you ever had a bad experience with kidney stones?

-(in reference to the pictures below) One of my favorite crock pot meals is a slightly modified chili recipe that a friend gave me.  It calls for beer, chocolate syrup and a variety of seasonings along with kidney, black and white beans and I also add corn and hamburger.  I usually simmer my chili on low for about 6 hours in the crock pot and then serve it with a boat load of shredded cheese and sour cream.  Extra healthy!  Anyways, Daisy LOVES my chili and we ate it for every lunch and dinner for nearly 3 days straight.  She would eat her entire bowl and then ask for mine...my kid likes to eat.  She has gotten so good about feeding herself too.  She makes little messes and I assist her occasionally of course but, I am really impressed with her accuracy!  We were having such a great time together at the table this particular night.

*In other news my hubby and I had a nice long chat today and a great time of prayer afterwards.  I am always, always so thankful for those times that we share together even when the things we have to discuss aren't a bed of roses.  I love communication and I love when communication is carried out in a respectful manner so that each person can come away feeling loved and affirmed.  And prayer is always such a powerful way to close out a time of discussion.  It's a way of asking God's blessing over everything that was said and seeking His will in all of it.  I know that I will always have so much to work on and my hubby knows that he does too and it's so awesome to say to the Lord in prayer, "here's our mess God, please do with us what you will.  We are yours and we want to be more like you and we need more of you in us.  Grow us, teach us and don't ever let us settle when you want so much more for us."  Hey y'all...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...and I am really feeling the Kelly Clarkson song that I attached to this post.  I'm not relating to this song in the sense that I am brooding over a guy issue but, this long and hard season of life for me and my hubby is making us stronger.  This song is my battle song to the devil if you will...."bring it devil cuz your efforts to hurt and break things are only making us stronger cuz we've got God on our side."

*My little girl is 23 months old!!  I just ordered some party supplies online last night and that helped me to get my butt in gear.  I am so out of sync this year and my brain is so out of sorts.  It's not like me to start planning a party with only a few weeks to spare.  Normal for some people sure, but so not normal for me.  I am a fan of planning (usually) and I love to have things ready as much in advance as possible because I don't like stressing or crunching at the last second.  It's just something that I have learned about myself and it helps me to lead a more peaceful life.  Anyhoo, we have moved on from an Elmo theme and now are shooting for a simple cowgirl theme inspired by Woody. lol

*I went on my first run in many years this week!!  If you missed reading in my earlier post, I am running in hopes that it will help me to combat my depression in a healthy and natural way and just to help me to feel more energized overall as I feel so tired all the time.  The first night that I ran I wasn't sure how I was going to do or feel but, as I stood on my porch stretching, the music that I had set on my hubby's ipod started cranking (awesome rock) and I swear I felt like someone kicked me in the butt off my porch and I took off sprinting...probably not the best way to start a first run and with me being so out of shape and all but, it felt great!  I ran a lot and felt energized when I got home.  It was SO worth it and then I woke up the next day feeling like a mack truck ran over my body.  HAHAHA!  Still worth it though.  Then of course the kidney stone drama a couple of days later messed things up but, I cannot wait to get back into it this week! I'll keep you posted on whether or not the running makes an impact on this noggin of mine.

So sorry for all the randomness in this post.....I will conclude by saying Hope you all have a wonderful new week!  Soak up every minute that life gives you even on the hard days.  Appreciate the little things.  Give extra love to those around you.  Forgive more.  Be patient.  Speak less and listen more.   Compliment a stranger.  Dance and sing like no one is watching!  What doesn't kill yah makes yah stronger so rock on!!  xoxo

Deliciousness

In case you don't know this about me already (shame on you because you should! lol), my favorite food is sushi! Growing up we had exchange students from Japan and they would take my family out to eat sushi but, I never could get in to it.  I think the idea of eating raw fish is a really hard thing for most people to overcome. 

 It wasn't until I met my hubby during my Junior year in high school that I realized that sushi was going to be a regular part of my life as long as he was a part of my life.  Joey took me out on a sushi date one night, fairly early into our relationship and he ordered me a simple sushi plate to try.  I stared at it for a while if I recall wishing that it would disappear.  Neither my brain or my stomach were excited but, I will always give food a chance at least once.  I made sure to drench it with soy sauce and then worked up the courage to stuff it in my trap.  My first thought was, "hey, that really wasn't so bad." Then I tried another piece and another and now nearly 12 years later, I am a full blown sushi addict lover.  I start to have bad withdrawals if I don't eat it at least once a month.  Ideally I'd like to be eating it once a week but, my wallet disagrees. 

I think sushi always looks so pretty on the plate when it is served, so of course I had to take some pictures:).  No, I don't ordinarily take my gigantic camera to restaurants but, one of my latest photography challenges (thanks to Ashley Sisk's Tutorial Tuesday) is to learn how to capture food.  It's not as easy as it sounds and I had to take a lot of pictures of the sushi from different angles before I was satisfied (sort of) enough to give my friend's their plates of sushi back.  They were both super kind and let me photograph their food before they ate it.  I have awesome friends. What can I say:). Plus I got to sit across from my friend and her adorable son Jackson while I grubbed.  He sat through our entire meal and was SUCH an angel.  My little girl would never have sat still for a meal like that when she was a baby, let alone now.  A great night out to say the least. Thanks ladies!

 What is your favorite food and do you also love sushi or heck no?

Cooking With Kids

 Daisy has asked for a "chair chair," to stand up and help me cook or prepare food every day over the past two weeks.  I always give her a large frosting spatula that she thinks is a knife and she is as happy as a clam.  I even help her cut little things with it occasionally so she is even more convinced that it is real...happy baby, happy mommy.  She loves to help me stir things on the stove (which is tricky but, we carefully make it happen), she loves to drop vegetables in the food processor and she loves to make burritos (see video).  She is so dang cute when she is "cooking," and I have heard that if you get kids involved in the preparation of the food that they are more likely to eat what is being prepared.  Well, so far this is statement is proving true for us. 

I'm not gonna lie, it can be a really messy process to let a little one help in the kitchen so I usually reserve a special cooking time for Daisy that isn't the real cooking time.  That way I am relaxed and have more patience and time to let her do her thing.  We both really enjoy hanging out in the kitchen together these days.  Just last night she spent over an hour pretending to wash dishes in the kitchen sink.  I love when my little girl is happy and having a good time and I'm excited that we have a new thing to do together to break up the long days. 

  Do you like to let your kids help you when you cook?

using her knife spatula to "cut" an apple

Getting hungry after trying to cut her apple so the snacking begins. lol

Please excuse my morning hair and face...I'm trying to keep it real here:)...Well actually if I'm really being real I would admit to the fact that sometimes I look like this all day long simply because I don't feel like taking a shower, getting dressed or putting on makeup during the precious little nap break that I get once a day.  There...truth is out:).  What's great about little kids is that they don't know any different! lol

Someone is excited to make a veggie drink!

As long as I add a whole apple I can make just about any veggie mixture taste really delicious!

She really did like it!

Though you wouldn't know by the faces she is making...LOL

I love my little peanut head so so much.

 

A Different Kind Of Melt

 This may not appeal to everyone but, I just LOVE it.  About 6 years ago when I lived in California my husband took me on a surprise dinner date to a little seafood cafe near the beach in Santa Barbara.  He told me I just had to try their crab melt sandwich.  I was a little hesitant at first as up to that point I had never eaten crab or lobster.  I womaned up, ordered my own melt and after one bite I was sold.  It is a delicious sandwich!  It is often made with Alaskan Pollock, cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, sour dough bread buttered on both sides and a dash of garlic salt.  Delish!  So, if you are up for this sort of thing give it a try!

Treat Yourself

Once or twice a year my husband and I will venture out to this ADORABLE little cafe/deli type restaurant when we want to treat ourselves to good food and fun atmosphere.  This place is called Fosters and the food is to die for!  Everything is super fresh, natural, colorful and delicious.  This picture may look yucky but, it is the most scrumptious rasberry bread pudding you'll ever eat.  YUM! I have to say that after eating there I feel the need to go buy a ton of new colorful and fun dishes just so my food pictures at home can turn out this lovely!

This place has tons of funky mismatched tables inside and out, colorful painted benches, vintage signs, old fashioned candy for sale atop old rustic shelves, ivy growing everywhere creating a lush feel outside and a warm and welcoming staff! Definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area!

I ordered a greek grilled cheese and it was loaded with fresh spinach leaves, artichoke hearts, peppers and mozarella cheese all heaped into a pita wrap.  YUM!

BBQ Yum

This is a pre-scheduled post. Yesterday was Daisy's birthday party and it went really well. I will be posting a kajillion pictures of all the festivities very soon! Lots and lots of editing to do:-)

This yummy bowl of veggies was so pretty and fresh looking I just had to snap a picture;0

The only picture of me is a picture I took of myself in Daisy's room that day. Hooray for self portraits! lol

YUMMMMMM, Coke

In CA we call this a BOMB BBQ...in NC they would think we were grilling a pig if I said we were having a BBQ...but, I am a Cali kid so BBQ it is;0 lol

Auntie Jess and her Daisy Bean

Daisy is SO loved. I love that she gets so much love from her family.

Daisy loves to play peak a boo

This is a pre-scheduled post. Yesterday was Daisy's birthday party and it went really well. I will be posting a kajillion pictures of all the festivities very soon! Lots and lots of editing to do:-)