Friday's Letters

Dear Thanksgiving you were fabulous this year, I thoroughly enjoyed you.  Especially since it was Husband's first Thanksgiving with us in our 3 year marriage.   You were one of the best we've had.  Dear Ham & Beans I'm so glad we had the left over ham bone and I made the choice to run to the store to get the beans you are now mixing with butter, bacon grease, onion, and garlic you will cook all day and continue to smell delicious and just make me feel warm and cozy.  Dear Weather thank you for being chilly today.  Seriously, awesome.  Dear Husband I was super excited to get a 4 day weekend with you since you've been working *praise the Lord* I've missed you so much!  But I am super proud of you for volunteering to work today.  Dear Pumpkin Cookies I'm going to put cream cheese frosting on you and maybe some cinnamon and then let everyone enjoy!  Dear Fall/Autumn Decorations I cannot  decide if I should put you away today...I am so very tempted.  I may not pull out Christmas stuff but I'd really like to...well see how the day goes.  Dear Grandpa I am so happy you got to eat some broth today and the tube came out!  You're getting better every day :D  Dear Camera/New tripod this was kind of a last minute thing taking a family picture, the lighting was bad, I hadn't even taken Tripod out of his box yet *yeah it's a he*, everyone had just eaten and we weren't looking out best I only snapped two pictures but I'm really happy with how they turned out...good job camera and tripod :)

Linking up with adventures of newlyweds for Friday's letters!

Thankful Day #2

So today was a bit better, still emotional, tired, stressed, and I feel as though I have literally gotten Nothing and I mean Nothing accomplished.  It's not a fun feeling.  But Grandpa is still in the hospital, the baby is getting bigger, Thanksgiving is still coming...life is going on despite my 'blahhh' days.  So who am I to try and stop it?  Part of growing up is rolling with the punches.  Not letting yourself fall into the self pity trap is one of the hardest and the Best things you can do.  So today when I was feeling grosser than gross with a ridiculous lower back ache what did I do?  Did I find my blanket and go curl up and hide?  Did I just give up?  No.  I wanted to, but I didn't.  I put on my big girl pants and got some baby shower stuff done, drank some tea, read some of the bible, made an eyebrow appointment *those things have been scary lately no joke* and a hair appointment...And that's it.  It's not a lot but it's a step in the direction of tomorrow being even better.  Sometimes I forget how important your appearance is to You I don't want my hair done or eyebrows groomed for my husband or anyone else it's for me.  To give me a little pick me up that apparently I've been needing lately, and I think it's really important to take care of yourself and sadly I've been letting myself go a little bit lately.  No more of that though *Lord willing* so tomorrow I'm going to catch up completely on my devotions and start my day off right *that means the bible before facebook or blogging* and try and focus on being better.

1. Stephen found his way to where he needed to be
2. The people calling and showing Grandma and Grandpa their love and support
3. That my cousins went in to see grandpa
4. feeling the baby move
5. heart burn doesn't last forevr
6. finally got the baby shower invites ordered
7. got the little poems for the tables ordered
8. we get paid tomorrow
9. I'm getting a much needed appearance overhaul tomorrow
10. our warm, comfortable, functional home ♥

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!

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*      

 

That's called Satisfied

Yesterday I was snuggled up in bed getting ready to read my daily devotions.  I use a bible study app on my phone, I'm trying to read the entire bible in a year so I read a bit everyday and I chose to read it in chronological order so it's kind of interesting to see where I am in the bible that day.  But on this particular day I'm sad to say I was not curious at all, I wasn't really thinking about it I was kind of just going through the motions because I hadn't gone to church *again* and was feeling a bit guilty.  Now I've had plenty of excuses for not going to church for the last few weeks but when it comes down to it I always feel guilty *and I'm not one of those people that think you have to go to church to be a christian you can worship perfectly well in your own home* but Jesus died on the cross for me...would it really kill me to take a few hours out of the day once a week?  No.  No it would not.  So out of guilt I was pulling out my bible in our little home while my husband and dad were working on water pipes under the house, mom was cleaning, normal stuff ya know?  Well as is usually the case when you least expect it God points you in the direction you need to be.  Sometimes it is just so interesting to me the blatant messages you can receive from Christ in totally average ways at an unlikely time.  I wasn't going through a big trial, nothing was really wrong just average everyday stuff, I wasn't searching for answers, nothing I was just trying to ease my own guilt...I was going to fulfill in my mind this little requirement and then go on about my day and forget all about it.  Wrong.  My devotions that morning instructed me to read the book of Haggai *another thing I like about this daily devotions app is all the other parts of the bible I'm reading for the first time*.  I've never even looked at Haggai before, so much of this small book stuck out to me.

"Is it a time for yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

"Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but have harvested little.  you eat but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

"Give careful thought to your ways.  Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored.  you expect much, but see, it turned out to be little.  What you brought home, I blew away.  Why?  Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.  Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth it's crops."

Now Autumn is a month of harvest, plenty, celebrating family, being thankful for what you have, for being satisfied with what the Lord has given you.  What those verses were saying to me on that morning was that I need to learn to be satisfied with what I have, I am to some degree of course but it's definitely something I could do better at.  It also made me think that I need to do better honoring and thanking the Lord all the time.  Not just when I was receive a blessing or when I'm feeling guilty.  Fixing up our homes is important and necessary especially before winter sets in...but making sure that our faith and our relationship with the Lord is equally strong, secure, and weather-ready is even more important.  And our relationship with him requires constant up-keep, adjustments, and fixing on our part.  He wants not just be satisfied with what we have but Thankful for it.  That's what this beautiful season is supposed to high light.  But we can get carried away in other things.  I know I do.  I think it's important not to worry about the future, it's important to live in this moment and this day to love the people that God has placed in your life...you never know when they may not be there.  Life can change so quickly it's comforting to know that God is a constant he is the Alpha and Omega, The beginning and the end, like he says in exodus to Moses "I m that I am".  He's all encompassing.  He should be present in every aspect of our lives.

So after this lovely moment I had on Sunday, I felt the need to do better, to try.  So I made a list of things I'm going to work on this week to be a better christian.  To enjoy this life that I've been blessed with and to put God first.


Remember to pray before my meals *it's something so small but so important and I've gotten out of the habit*
Watch my potty mouth *a ridiculously hard habit to break*
Read my devotions Every day
Remember to keep up with my daily prayer list
Take pride in my home and myself
Enjoy the family that I'm blessed enough to live close to
Actually ask myself WWJD
Remember to be kind and helpful and have a good attitude while doing it
Be good stewards with our finances
Make a list of 5 blessings every day this week *they must be different everyday*
Go to church this week *maybe bible study?*
Find satisfaction in what we have

Now of course I should try and be the best Christian I can be every day but this week I want to Actively try and see if I can tell a difference, or even if those around me  can tell. . Enjoy this song by Jewel called 'Satisfied'