Thankful Day #1

So I know most people have been doing 30 days of thankful, or even two weeks, or a whole week...I'm doing 4 days.  Why only 4?  Because 4 I think I can keep up with.  I'm pretty sure anyway.  I'm also doing it this late in the game because I need a little reminder leading up to this holiday.  A reminder that it is not all about the stress, the decorations, the food, the family *drama*, or the illusion of perfection.  It's about appreciating all that God has given us and what we already have.  Every day things are usually the most special and beautiful and we kind of forget them and focus on the Big things.  So I'm hoping to do better in the next 4 days.  Not only to list my blessings, be faithful in my morning prayers, but also catch up *and stay caught up* on my daily devotions.  So for the next few days, it's going to be 10 blessings with pictures...hope you enjoy!

1. My baby brothers
2. Stephen getting a job and also Loving *not just like or tolerate* his new job
3. A beautiful new little cousin, Shelby Renee *you can see her here*
4. Not me being back on facebook, but me being able to Handle being back on there
5. The amazing cool, rainy, windy, cloudy weather we've been enjoying lately!
6. My dad who just loves me and is already in love with his first grand-baby he's hurrying up to finish a sidewalk for us so he doesn't have to worry about me walking *and falling* in the rain.
7. My Hero's Honeys!  This amazing private group on facebook that a Navy wife and I started when our husband's were deployed.  It's drama free, supportive, and positive...it's wonderful!  And they missed me as much as I missed them!
8. My Grandpa appears to be recovering without surgery and is feeling A Lot more peppy!
9. That my husband is able to be home for the holidays for the first time in our 3 year marriage and the first time in 5 years for him he gets a Thanksgiving dinner not provided by the Army.
10. That I have been able to continue to get up at 4am and make breakfast and lunches for my dad and husband without feeling completely miserable the rest of the day *even though I have to be in bed by 7:45*

 So those are just 10 little things, I didn't have to struggle to think of one of them.  Right off the top of my head.  That is a testament to how blessed people can be and not even realize it!  To me it's kind of funny that some of the hardest times to be thankful are when everything is going good, when there aren't any storms in your life.  Isn't that when we should be the most thankful?  But no usually it's the hardest times, in the roughest waters when we are the most humble and thankful.  Those are the times we really See all that God has blessed us with.

Today I kind of saw what I really need to work on.  Being thankful Every day not just the days that are hard.  I need to be faithful in being thankful to God every day.  Is there anything you need to work on?  Anything particular that you're grateful for? 

 Hope you had  a blessed day!

A Realistic Fall season

Now I'm famous for being a procrastinator, for making lists, giving myself unattainable goals, thinking I can accomplish about 75% more than I actually can, and also being extremely over confident in my crafting/cooking capabilities.  

And this fall I don't want to be like that.  I want to enjoy it with my husband.  I want to have fun and create things for myself and my family to really enjoy.  To my way of thinking the process should be just as enjoyable as the finished product.

And I'm going to just say it Pinterest does not help me stay within my realm of possibilities.  I have to repeatedly give myself a Pinterest Reality Check *what this means is I call my husband in and show him my board and I ask him "do you think I'll actually do this?" and bless his heart he sits with me through the whole board and is honest in ways only a husband can be LOL* so I decided to make an Autumn To Do Board it has 34 pins on it *believe me it took me 4 or 5 tries to knock it down that much* that are all husband approved, I did this because I wanted to be realistic...what can I afford to do?  What do I actually want to do?  What am I capable of doing?  And I think I did a pretty good job!  It's so easy to just make those pinterest boards full of dreams, wishes, some days, and even just wants.  But it's a lot harder to be honest with yourself and buckle down and do even a fraction of the stuff you've pinned.  So I don't think 34 things is that crazy.  I've actually already done a few of those things.  At the end of November I want to post a list of the things I accomplished and see how I did.  I'm also interested to see if this is a less stressful season.  Only time will tell I guess!  This year I also created a little Fall Bucket List!

Do you have problems doing things you pin on pinterest or are you completely above and beyond me lol?  Do you ever find yourself over whelmed by what you want to do versus what you can actually do?  Let me know!  ...Or am I the only one out there with this problem lol?

DIY fall Wreath

I loved this I was so happy with how it turned out, how easy it was ...and the fact that I didn't have to sew ANYTHING!

What you'll need; Scraps of fabric, super glue or hot glue, a wreath frame.

Start out with a wreath frame *this one was purchased at the dollar store* and I decided to cover it completely with one solid fabric *used some burlap that we had on hand*.

Begin by cutting long strips of fabric, about 5 or 6 inches wide.  I highly suggest getting fabric scissors we just got some and I don't know how we've lived without them!

Take the strips of fabric and simply wrap it around the frame!  When you have it wrapped glue the end of it down firmly.

Then take another kind of fabric, I used an old dress and cut it into smaller strips and wrap just like you did the burlap and glue it down again!

...now I'm sorry I can't tell you how to do these little rose looking things out of scraps of fabrics...my husband did these...he is pretty amazing.  I know though that they have A LOT of tutorials on pinterest!  And when you have them made just glue those suckers on the wreath!

And then you are DONE! 

Recipes: Grandma's Date Bars

*this is the original recipe my Grandma gave me, I love those old recipe cards..so cute!  And can you believe how good her hand writting is?!*

 I have the most wonderful memories associated with this recipe, of Thanksgivings and Christmases up at Grandma and Grandpa's big house on the ranch...always a day or two before the big holidays Grandma would begin getting the tell-tale treats ready.  First she'd pull out the old popcorn popper *a hideous avacado thing from the 70's* and would pop a bunch of corn and I couldn't seem to understand why it didn't taste like the popcorn my mom made out of the bag this stuff had no flavor!  Then when she got a big pan of it she'd pour caramel over it and it just made the best caramel corn...then she'd make sugared walnuts covered in sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  We always had so many walnuts because Grandpa was always doing some project or another for the walnut ranch and they'd give him a bunch so you always got to take some home from Grandma's.  Then it would be time to make the date bars, now I mean it when I say these Smell like Thanksgiving.  To me making them just so the smell fills the house is totally worth it, I can't explain it but even served cold they taste warm, cozy, and Happy.  Maybe it's the memories I have of all the good times these date bars made their appearance but I never remember anyone *family or not* only taking one so they've got to be pretty good and I need to share them with you!

♥ This recipe comes from the kitchen of my lovely Grandmother Donna Powers ♥ 

*if you don't like walnuts or dates you can substitute any kind of nut and raisins work just as well as dates*

{I'm apologizing ahead of time, after the first few pictures the camera had a malfunction so I had to switch to iphone}

Soften up a cup of butter in the microwave or set it out ahead of time.  Then proceed to add the 2 cups of sugar.

 Cream that together with the blender till it's pretty and fluffy looking!

 Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Then add baking soda and water, mix again.

 Combine all the remaining dry ingrediants, whisk together!

Yes, even the dates and walnuts!  Mix it all together thuroughly then place in the fridge for about 3 hours.

 

 Then on a lightly floured surface make the dough into rolls *exact details at the bottom of post*

  

 Use your fingers and flatten onto a greased baking sheet.

 After you sprinkle the remaining sugar on top they're ready to go in the oven! ...Just so you know I made these WAY to big

*...actually husband did but that's a different story*

Then pop 'em in at 350 for 15-20mins!  And remember to cut them  while they're still hot!

I really hate how this photo turned out it doesn't make them nearly look as attractive as they are.  They are amazing, they smell beautiful and your taste buds will say THANK YOU...I promise. 

What you'll need

1 cup of butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsps water

1 cup chopped dates

3 cups flour

1 tbs cinnamon *or more you can really go wild with the cinnamon*

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

A dash of salt *now really what is a dash?  I put in 1/4 tsp as well*

1 cup of chopped walnuts  

2 tbs sugar *save this for topping at the end* 

 

Directions

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Add eggs one at a time, beat well after Each egg is added 

Add baking soda and water to creamed mixture, blend together 

In a seperate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, nuts, and dates whisk all together

add gradually to the creamed mixture

mix the dough thuroughly

Place in the fridge for 3hours

On a lightly floured surface shape the dough into rolls about 10inches long and 3/4 inches in diameter 

Plance on buttered *non-stick spray or cooking oil will work just as well* baking sheet and with your fingers flatten to 1/4 inch thick

then sprinkle with the remaining sugar

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes

Cut while still hot *and Grandma always cuts them diagonally*      

 

Thankful

via

As I sit here drinking my 1 caffeinated beverage for the week {a dark chocolate covered marshmallow frappacino} day dreaming about fall and the decorating, cooking, baking, planning and just pure enjoyment of the lovely season I can't help but think...hey..our life isn't quite normal but really whose life is? Anyway I'm sitting here feeling extremely large and pregnant, my husband is trying to figure out the gestation period for wild hogs in the USA and what their population will be in 7 years, and we are relaxing in our newly air conditioned 120 sq ft shed that we call home. My husband just recently got out of the army and is unemployed, with a shed for a house, and a baby on the way a lot of people re wondering how we're going to do It and by it the only thing I can figure out they mean is Life...how are we going to live? Well we're going to go day to day like we always do. We're going to trust in the Lord, everything happens in His time so there really is nothing for us to do but have faith and trust in God to take care of us like he does every second of every day. My husband will look for a job, I'll take care of the baby and myself, and we'll both do our best to make our little place a home. This bit of random fall fluff is because I was thinking about being Thankful, I was thinking about gratitude. Anyway here are some pictures of things I've recently picked up to prepare me for fall!

This is an amazing find for $20 I got it at Ross! This was the last one there and I couldn't help myself! It's beautiful, its a nice dark wood and reminds me of those wine barrels people use as planters! I'm not going to use it as a planter for a while but there are so many possibilities...I can just see pumpkins filling it up and welcoming people to our porch and into our home!

These are some amazing Glade products I stumbled upon at Walmart! just two simple candles with amazing scents that just scream 'Fall' I highly recommend getting yourself a couple!

Another glade product but a little different than a candle, you get these little wax candles pieces to put in the tray. This scent is maple pumpkin! Amazing!

Then there were these baskets...these burlap and dark gray wire baskets...two different sizes perfect for our room and for some reason burlap and fall just go together! I'm in love with them!

So those are some fun things I've been stocking up on for fall! Are you thinking of Fall yet??? Do you have anything ready yet?