Monday CAN Be a Happy Day

Three reasons why this Monday is a good day for me...

1.  It is the only day of the week that I do not feel waaaay behind!  Monday morning is a fresh start for all to-do lists.  Plus, I feel very fortunate to not only have a grown-up job, but my own business, especially after seeing Sunday's headline. 

2.  I have leftovers from last night's Super Bowl party.  My friend Megan made brie crostini.  Yummmmm.

Here is how to make Megan's brie crostini.  If you make this, feel free to share the creamy, sugary, most fabulous slices with me!

• Slice french bread very, very thinly.  Butter then toast in the oven.
• Slice brie and apples thinly, place on top of each slice of toast.
• Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and a bit of brown sugar, then toast to perfection.

3. Actually, I can only think of two right now, but that is enough for me.  I am glad to be alive.

Enjoy today!
Emily

Family Heirlooms

My family is growing heirlooms right before my eyes.  And no, I am not even talking about tomatoes.  My extended family is so amazingly artistic!  In fact, when we returned once from a visit with Uncle Gary and Aunt Kathy, my husband suggested I personally create art for our house since it runs in my blood.  If only it were that easy...

Today, I want to share a few pieces Aunt Ann painted.  They are snapshots I quickly took in the hallways when no one was looking (yes, I felt like a spy and they are probably a little blurry), but she has since granted me permission to share publicly by facebook message.  I was way too chicken to ask in person!

This is a painting from Aunt Ann's college days which is now the wallpaper on my iphone...  Aunt Ann says there is a sadness in both girl's eyes.  I see a wistfulness, a knowledge and hope that something better is to come, no matter the current circumstances.

This one is the view off the back deck of Aunt Ann and Uncle Todd's house.  Love the mixture of angry clouds and serene landscape.

I'm not a horse fan (they are unpredictable at weddings which does not work in my favor on the job), but this painting is fabulous.  Look at all the muscle detail!

 

And finally, here is a VERY blurry camera phone photo of my Cute Katelyn with her Great Aunt Ann.  Loving family is the most beautiful thing of all.

Enjoy today!

Emily

Beautiful Boy

Christmas is making it easy for me to remember to appreciate that God gave me three beautiful children.  I wish I could remember this better every day AND that I would find ways of more actively enjoying the time we have together.  Someday they will be grown with their own families and I will be extra sad when the Christmas festivities are over because they will go home and leave me in the dust.  But for now, they are really loud and they never leave me anywhere and I have almost no personal space...just saying...

Like finding hidden treasure, I rediscovered these precious newborn photos of Brady when I was going through photos for my other job.  Angela Stott, photographer, is a true artist.  She spent four or five hours at our house waiting for the perfect shot of this sweet baby boy who had no intentions of cooperating, sleeping, cooing, or anything else newborns are supposed to do during newborn photo sessions.  It was an experience that we will never forget.

This post is dedicated to My Mom, Gigi and Aunt Ann... Some of the best moms I know...and probably the only people who are reading this post.  :)

Family Fun

My Handsome Husband decided we need an RV this summer.  Not only do we need an RV, but he made the exceptionally fine point that it would be a benefit for my business.  Three or four months post-purchase, I must admit he's right.  Having a place to stay for TONS less than a hotel, but with A/C and a working plumbing is a major plus when doing long-distance site visits.  Of course, I'm not really a camping queen, so Handsome Husband knew he had to come up with some sort of catch to bring me on board with this decision and the business angle did it for me.

We have had some fun family trips, too.  One of our favorite campgrounds is in Charleston, SC.  Beach time with the kids is priceless (and exhausting).  Here are a few photos of their favorite camping activites...

BUGS...

 WAVES...

 BIKING...

 EATING...

trying to take time off

I've been working like a crazy woman lately with my grown-up job.  Sometimes I wonder if I should just move out of the house for the two busiest months of the year (June and October), but I think I would miss my kiddos and Handsome Husband just a little too much.  Lately I've made an effort to knock off work sometime in the vicinity of 5 'o' clock which is way easier planned than accomplished.  However, we had success this week because the girls and I spent Tuesday evening planning Wednesday evening which means one event completely occupied their heads for almost 24 hours!

The fabulous event?  A "Ratatouille" party, in the tradition of the small French rat chef!  The girls made chef hats with our sweet artist friend Lily when she was at the house Wednesday morning.  They also created black and white checked place mats, inspired by French cafes.

We made steak frites for dinner with cream puffs for dessert--all from scratch!  We had so much fun with our grown-up dinner party.  I'm glad so we found time to make special memories.

cream puff with one bite missing :)

My Best Recipe

Aunt Ann asked me for this cake recipe several months ago.  I haven't give it to her...perhaps in hopes that she will think it was a complicated endeavor and be somewhat impressed by my skills.  The illusion will be shattered today.  Here's the recipe.  No need to put anything in the bowl in a certain order and substitutions work well!

Million Dollar Cake (from Nicole)
step 1:  mix together thoroughly
1 box cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup crisco oil
1 stick soft unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 package (small) instant vanilla pudding
4 teaspoons vanilla

step 2: add
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/4 walnuts (something I usually don't have)

step 3: back at 325 for 55-60 min (or until set)

step 4: try not to eat it all in one sitting...like we do

And here is a picture of all the family (including Aunt Ann) gathered for my baby's baptism.  It meant so much to have family and friends there who will support him in faith throughout his life.

Just wondering...  Does it look like we're related?