Monday, July 30, 2012

Wishful Thinking

Since I've been blogging again, I have also been perusing Pinterest much more often. I know we all say it... the site makes you super excited for all of the new awesome crafts, ideas, recipes, outfits, and decorating we all want to do until then we remember we don't all have money trees growing in our backyards and get really depressed. Thanks, Pinterest.

I figured if I cant make all of these dreams a reality (yet), then I could at least share some of my findings with you guys... basically this post is just me wishing and hoping!

I must learn how to do this... amazing!

Halloween is coming up!

Dream ring... I'm sure it's only $8783450 millie

Drool....

So beautiful and sexy yet classy
Can you tell I have wedding fever? *coughraymondcough*

PS you can find and follow me on Pinterest here.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Foodie Friday - Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Howdy, friends! I hope you're all as thrilled about it being Friday as I am. I thought it would be a fun idea to share a new recipe with you all each week, so here goes nothin'!

I like to eat my bananas when they still have a bit of green on them, so when I saw two extremely freckled brown bananas on my kitchen counter, I knew they were either going in the garbage or I needed to find some recipe to incorporate them into. Raymond loves banana nut bread/muffins so that was my first go to. Then I remembered that the last time I made him 24 muffins, he didn't eat a single one. I ended up finding this recipe and tweaking it slightly to make it a bit healthier.

**********

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

(Adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes

Yields: Approximately 12 large cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/8 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mash banana together with all wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Slowly combine wet and dry ingredients together. Place dollops of batter onto cookie sheet approximately 2 inches apart, and cook for 12-15 minutes. I recommend eating while still slightly warm.

Enjoy!

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Somebody really loved them!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Just a Few Randoms

  • I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left me messages and comments about last week's post. The encouraging words meant the world to me and will only help me along this journey of mine. Thank you all again, so, so much!

  • My surgery got moved to next Wednesday and I could not be more thrilled. I usually don't get nervous about things until the night before, so an extra week of worry-free sleep is a relief.

  • This past weekend was nice and relaxing (for the most part). Other than a few hours of work on Sunday, we spent the weekend bumming around, vegging out, a tiny bit of shopping, and lounging around the pool with some friends.



New Hat, Boyfriend, and Dear Friends
  • Tomorrow our little monster will be 4 months old. He is growing so rapidly and becoming cuter every single day! I'm not one to celebrate animal birthdays or anything crazy like that... but I can't believe he is already as big (and crazy) as he is! I just love him to bits.


  • Friday night we are attending a going away party for some friends and I'm thinking of making something like this:



  • If you've read along for a while now then it's no secret that I love to bake. I have had these two cakes pinned for quite some time now and have never had a reason to make them. It might be a lot to take on because I've never made something to this extent (other than cupcakes) and I'm not sure how it will turn out. I suppose as long as it tastes good nobody will be too disappointed! What do you guys think?

Monday, July 23, 2012

Dooms Day

You may remember I mentioned to you guys that I was in quite a bit of pain from my wonderful hereditary disease. Well, since then I've been on antibiotics and am feeling much better!

On the downside, I've spent the entire morning driving to and from Temple, Texas, to meet with a surgeon.



After driving over an hour each way, waiting 65 minutes past my appointment time to even see the doctor, and having my blood drawn (squeel), I've finally got a date set to have my surgery.

This Thursday I'll be going under the knife and to say the least, I am just a bit freaked out. I've never been under general anesthesia nor had any type of surgery so I'm really not sure what to expect.

If you're the praying type, I'd greatly appreciate a few prayers sent my way.

Until then... I'll just keep freaking out!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Finding Faith


Before I start, I just want to let you all know this post has been something I have wanted to write for a long time, and have just now finally got the guts to do. Writing about this topic is very difficult for me, so forgive me if I seem a bit all over the place. Also, these thoughts are my own and I don't expect everyone to agree with me. :)

Growing up, I never put an ounce of thought into faith, God, or whether I believed in him or not. I didn't go to church, and I didn't pray. My parents raised me in a non-influential way, and I wouldn't change it for anything. If I found faith at a young age and wanted to go to church, or if I said I don't believe in something you can't see, it's not possible, my parents would have supported me either way. The only thing they wanted was for me to figure it out for myself, and to be happy. I am so grateful that they raised me the way they did, and will do the same for my children.

It wasn't until about 3 years ago that thoughts of "what is?" started trickling into my head, and then, about a year ago I really needed to know. I felt like there had to be something, some sort of sign, of proof that could solidify everything for me. So... I searched. I researched and read, asked questions and talked about it to people close to me. I remember asking Raymond what the defining moment was when he knew he truly believed. I wont share what he told me, not because it's anything crazy, but because that's his business to share, not mine. With that being said, still... I couldn't figure it out for myself. I'd never had anything happen to me that made me believe.

A lot of people say the Bible is just a bunch of stories made up by someone. I've always believed that even the "stories" or myths or legends are all derived some somewhere. They all came from some form of truth and maybe they have been manipulated a little (or a lot) and twisted and exaggerated, but the ideas, the beginnings all come from some where/thing that did happen. That's when I knew. One day, I just knew. It was weird... and can't really even be explained, but I just knew. And it felt so good.

Raymond and I have been together for almost 5 years and have only been living together for about a year now. I will be the first person to say, there have absolutely been times in our relationship when I thought we weren't going to make it. There were times when I felt like the next step was never going to happen. I mean c'mon! I'm a girl for crying out loud... I need decisions to made and moves to be happening! One night (during a rough patch) I was laying in bed with thoughts and questions running through my head. Where we going to make it? That was the first night I ever prayed. I needed answers and guidance. That next morning I woke up from a dream that was so clear and vivid. I dreamt that Raymond and I were married, and he was in the garage working on something. I had been out running errands all day, and was arriving home. I was walking up the driveway, and all of a sudden the two most beautiful little girls about 3 and 4 years old, ran right past me yelling "DADDDDY!!!!" Those were our little girls, and that was our future.





Okay, so maybe we won't have two girls... maybe we wont even have one. Who knows? We wont until it happens, but that was my defining moment in finding my faith. I had begged for an answer, prayed for guidance... and He delivered.

I wont lie and say that I haven't questioned things since then, but I quickly find my answers and my thoughts and questions become peace.

I want to share something my Pepa wrote on his FB one day. This quote is another one of the things that really made me understand why people believe....

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die and find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die and find out there is..."

And with that... if you're searching like I was and still am, my only advice to is ask and you shall receive!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Pain In My Butt

It's been a while since my last post...

For about 3 weeks now I have been laid up in bed and on my couch because of a crappy little hereditary issue. I'm suffering from a Pilonidal Cyst (I'll let you do the googling and spare the details) and have been in extreme pain.

THE GOOD: Luckily, I've been on antibiotics and pain killers and am on my road to recovery.
THE BAD: I've got to have surgery to get the sucker removed.

I've never had surgery and am just a bit freaked out. From what I've been told... it's like taking a really really awesome nap! With that being said... keep your fingers crossed for me that I wake up!

Other good news is that I while being stuck on my tummy for weeks, I've had plenty of bonding time with our little monster who really isn't so little anymore.






I really cannot wait to get back to feeling like myself and off of my medication, maybe then I will feel motivated to do something!