It's been a while...

I've been pouting the past few months.  Pouting because I haven't been able to decorate our new house. Pouting because I haven't been able to garden.  Just plain pouting.  That's actually why I haven't been blogging.  I know, I know.  I'm a big baby.

But the sun has been shining lately and spring is just around the corner.  We've been tidying up and I feel so much better.  It's like a breath of fresh air.

I've been watching the tulips sprouting through the ground the past month or so.  

We're getting ready to plant seeds in our garden and we're looking 

for a swing set to put in for our daughter. 

Enough with the pouting already!

My sister's bathroom

Several months ago I mentioned that I would post some photos of my sister's bathroom once she was finished decorating, but I never got around to it.  Well, here are a few shots.  I thought I had another of the little furniture piece that she painted, but I guess not.  That will just have to wait til another post!

If you want more info on the towels and soap dispenser, see this post.

Merry Christmas to all... and Peanut Butter Bonbons

It is very early Christmas morning and I have not gone to sleep yet.  Busy making Peanut Butter Bonbons and playing Words with Friends with my mom and my sister.  Super busy.  ;)

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  This time of year is always so busy but the fact of the matter is that it truly is the most important celebration of our lives!  Christ is born!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

~John 3:16

I just adore all of the music and decorations that celebrate Christmas!  We didn't get to do much decorating this year because we still don't have any shelving nor much furniture, but we are learning (ok... I am) to be thankful through every phase of this transition.  I want the house to be completely adorable and ready for people to come visit but I think I am focusing too much on what I want than on what we have.  Thank you God for giving us this house of ours in which we can relax and celebrate your birthday!

Thank you for the late nights spent wrapping gifts (that I can afford to give) and for the even later nights spent making treats and making Christmas morning even more amazing for our little girl!

I thought I'd share the Bonbon recipe since I mentioned making them.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bonbons


1 cup of chunky peanut butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 (6 oz.) bag of semi- sweet chocolate pieces (I just use a cup of chocolate chips)
2 Tbsp soft margarine
1 1/2 cups of raisins 
2 Tbsp shortening

Combine peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar, mixing well.  Stir in raisins.  Shape into small balls.  Melt chocolate with shortening over warm (not hot) water.  Dip balls into the chocolate.  Place on waxed paper until set.  Refrigerate.  

So simple yet so awesome!  I always omitt the raisins because I'm not a huge fan.

I remember the first time that I made these.  We were still living in Copperas Cove, Tx and we had some of my husband's fight team over.  Talk about needing to make more!  They weren't training for any fights at the time so they didn't need to watch their manly figures.  ;)

They're still in the fridge otherwise I would have tried and made a pretty arrangement for your drooling...  I mean, viewing pleasure.  They don't look so hot sitting on the waxed paper.  LOL!

I had better try and get some sleep now.  I need to be up in about 5 hours to head up to my sister's house.  Have a Merry Christmas!

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,

 and this life is in his Son.

 ~1 John 5:11

Silent Night

December 14, 2012 is a day that we will all remember and mourn.  Twenty innocent children lost their lives in a tragic way.  Eight young boys and twelve young girls.  Six brave women who are heroes in all of our eyes.  

As stories unfold, I cannot fathom what the people of Newtown are experiencing.  The pain, the sorrow, the questions.  But one thing that strikes me is the constant talk of prayers and that they are with Jesus.

I find myself crying multiple times a day over this horrific tragedy.  At one point, as I was reading some more about the victims, I was sniffling and trying to hold back my emotions because my 3 year old daughter was sitting next to me.  I guess my muffled cries sounded like laughter and she looked up at me, smiling, and asked me, "Mommy, what's so funny on the computer?"  I had to smile at her through my tears and pretend that everything was just fine.  

All we can really do is pray for the families of everyone involved.  Pray for little Noah's twin sister, Arielle, who will certainly have a huge loss to overcome.  Pray that she never feels guilt for having survived when her best friend did not.  I will be praying for her.  A lot.  

Pray for all of the mommies and daddies of these beautiful little angels.  Pray for their grandmas and papas who must feel so broken.  Pray for all of the Sandy Hook students who will never be the same.  Pray for the counselors, Pastors, policemen, firefighters.  Pray for the husbands, boyfriends, and siblings of the beautifully brave women.  

Get on your knees and pray.  Newtown needs your prayer right now.  Fall on your face and pray for them.

Super deal on rugs!

I went to Kohls on Saturday night and was thrilled to come across an amazing deal on a few bathroom/kitchen mats that I've been in need of. Our house has been coming along quite slowly due to financial restrictions but we really needed a few rugs to help with warming up the floors and with decreasing the amount of dirt that was being tracked inside.  

I am quite picky when it comes to materials.  I really like natural fibers and am not a fan of "plastic" rugs that have come onto the scene in the form of indoor/outdoor rugs. I'm a hypocrite when I say this because we have a huge one sitting in our living room right now.  But in defense, I am rather looking forward to selling it on Craigslist and purchasing a nice wool one.

Anywhoooooooo, I grabbed a couple of these nice little woven mats by Eco-Brights and took them to the price scanner. I wasn't expecting them to be on sale because they weren't included on the little "sale" pricing screen.  So you can imagine my surprise when they popped up clearanced out at $2.99!  I wanted to cry.  I did have to fan myself off though.  I immediately sent photos of them to my sister but the snob (JK Diana) didn't feel the colors worked in her place.  Luckily they'll work in mine!

I ended up getting 4 of them.  The colors are a little off in the photos but what can you expect from a cell phone, huh?  They ended up coming to $2.39 since I had a 20% off coupon.  Not too shabby for a girl on a budget, huh?

I love them because they really hide the dirt (until I get to wash them... weekly, of course)!  They also remind me of my Grandma, which is always a good thing.

I got a larger one that wasn't on clearance but it was originally $90 and I only paid $28 for it.  It's now warming up my kitchen floor.  It's a lovely teal with bright green stripes.  One of these days I'll be ready to post more photos of the place.  It's just a slow (yet praiseworthy) process right now.

HALLELUJAH for our trials! (It's not always easy for me to remember to praise God through these things, but it's wonderful to have friends who are there to remind us that "decorating a house" is not much of a trial.  Wisely said.)

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, -James 1:2


Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:6-7

November Moon

Tonight after church I was standing at my car with my dear friend and we were mesmerized by the beautiful moon peeking between these patches of clouds.  They were almost in a circular pattern that hugged the moon.  It was spectacular.  Of course I had to try and take some photos but they were horrible.  Taking photos of the moon requires a lot more from a camera than what my old cell phone can handle.

Luckily when I got home tonight my husband had been looking at a very similar sky and snapped some of his own.  It doesn't have the same patches of clouds that I saw but they are really beautiful photos.  Thanks Patrick!

It reminds me of that prayer, "I see the moon and the moon sees me.  God bless the moon and God bless me."

On our way home from my sister's house today my daughter had asked me who made the moon.  It was such a sweet question.  Of course she went on for a while with, "Who made bad wolves?"  and "Who made mean doggies?"  But we'll pretend for now that she only asked who made the moon... because it's quite fitting for this post.

God bless and good night!

Happy Thanksgiving!