UNTiTLED

Risk

2013-06-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

In my current Bible Study, Anything by Jennie Allen with Good Morning Girls, we were challenged to consider the question:

What am I willing to risk to draw closer to God?

When I first answered this question a couple of days ago, my first thought was one I quickly pushed to the back of my mind and I proceeded to write something generic, true but none the less, generic and without any real risk...Today, God has brought my original, "hidden", thought to the forefront. My thought?

"Would I, could I, risk Makoa?"

I pushed that thought back because I know the answer is "No." and it SHOULD be "Yes".

If I am serious about my Anything Prayer than ANYTHING means EVERYTHING --- even my son, my most precious treasure.

Today, Makoa is going to the beach with his cousin and Uncle while my husband and I are at work. Lately, I have had this irrational fear of Makoa drowning. I trust my brother to watch over Makoa, but he is not me. The risk is TRUSTING God to protect him while I am not there. The risk is TRUSTING God to give me the strength and grace to live through HIS will should my worst fear come to fruition. The risk is TRUSTING God with my son, my true treasure.

Father God,

Forgive me for loving Makoa more than ANYTHING. I am sorry that I am afraid You love him more than I do. Forgive me for fearing you will take him away. Forgive me for praying for his safety so he can be here with me. Forgive me for putting him first in my heart --- YOU should be first.

I am scared, God, that should I say that I would risk my son to draw nearer to you, that you would take him.

Lord, You have blessed me to be Makoa's mama. I want to be the best, most humble, steward of your blessing. Rid me of this anxiety. Help me to place you first in my heart before Makoa. Help me to trust YOU with Makoa.

I know you love Makoa more than I do, that your plans for him are far better than ANYTHING I could ever do for him. Help me to give him to You.

Please Lord. In Jesus' name and for Your Glory. Amen

2012-11-19T20:39:00.001-05:00

My sister recently asked me to write a guest blog on Sassy Whisk about my recent budget-friendly vacation to New York City.

Here's a snippet:

"It has taken me 35 years to learn that living with a budget means:
1. Growing up and being responsible (blah!)

SO THAT

2. You can tell your money where to go.

And you can tell it to go anywhere! All you need is a goal, a plan, a determined spirit to save and an easy-going attitude of gratitude.

This Spring, we decided to tell our money to take us to NYC for a couples get-away planned for our anniversaries in September.

Goal : Celebrate our 5th Anniversary in NYC with our Friends"

Read the entire post at Sassy Whisk. Enjoy!

POTTY Time!

2011-07-09T21:58:00.000-04:00

HELP!

It's time for me to stop procrastinating and add yet ONE more thing to my already full plate this Summer! I seriously NEED to get on the ball with this Potty Training thing. Makoa has absolutely no interest in it and I know, I know, he'll do it when he's ready and all that, but seriously, he's THREE and hasn't even tried! He moves up to the 3 year old class at chuch this week, where they don't take "diaper bags" and this summer most of the kids in his class will be potty trained. I know the majority of the problem is that I haven't taken the actual time and effort to potty train him. I am at a loss. Not to make this about my mom, but this is something I would totally need her assistance on! Actually, I would have flown her out here to potty train her grandson for me :)

So when I have the time to blog, it'll probably be about the Potty Party in my household...All advice welcome and needed :) And a TON of encouragement would go along way too, I'm gonna need it :)

Thanks and I'll let you know how it goes...

First and Last of 2010-2011

2011-05-18T14:03:00.000-04:00

First Day of School 09.15.2010

Last Day of School 05.18.2011

I'm Daring 2 Share.

2011-04-25T23:04:00.000-04:00

Jason Petty aka Propaganda
is truly amazing and inspiring.

I just had to share this with you...

"I hope you're closely listening..."

I Just Had To Share

2011-04-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

Guess how much I saved?

Last night, to Stephen's and my dismay, we once again realized we were out of coffee for the morning. And let me tell you, in this household, that is NEVER a good way to start off the morning. So, thankfully, we have a gas station just outside the neighborhood that would provide us with our morning kickstart AND from immediate research online to find the store I would be going to to remedy our situation, Harris Teeter heard my cry.

I LOVE Harris Teeter SALES!

And I LOVE being an eVIC Member!

This week I purchased:

Buy 2 Get 3 FREE! So I bought TEN!

I see lots of baking in my future and lots of eggs spam and rice too!

Buy 2 Get 3 FREE! Again, I bought TEN!
My sister Jesseca is coming for the Summer, so I need to stock up on CORN!
5 cans of Corn, 3 cans of Green Beans, & 2 cans of Peas

Buy 2 Get 3 FREE! PLUS 2 coupons for $0.55/off 1! So I bought 5 bags!

Buy 1 Get 1 Free! I bought 2!

With my nephew in tow, we checked out and paid our bill, came home, scanned my purchase for the National Consumer Panel, and took a picture of our loot...

I paid $50 for $125 worth of groceries!

Yes, that's a $75 SAVINGS!

This is not something I do every week because the BEST savings is to NOT spend any money,

I do believe that "necessity is the mother of invention",

BUT

I LOVE getting the most for the money I do spend!

April Fool's Day

2011-04-02T11:45:00.000-04:00

This day also happens to be my Mother-in-Law's Birthday. Lucky Lady!

The family decided to have a feast for her prepared by each of us contributing something.

Stephen, Makoa, and I were in charge of Bread and Dessert.

This is my staple Sourdough French Bread that I make often.

Photo by Taste of Home

For Dessert, I've been working on mastering the Molten Lava Cake, one of my favorites.

Photo from Tasty Kitchen

As for her gift, Makoa and I had fun with this.

I had made Marvelous Marble Cream Cheese & Chocolate Muffins to take to dinner at a friends house the day before the birthday dinner. I had one left, so I decided I would put a candle in it and have Makoa hold it for a picture to be framed and given to her as a gift. That "photo session" sparked a bit of inspiration.

A HomeMade Birthday Card

As you can see, Makoa and I had fun.

Honestly, Self-Accountability Time and a Prayer

2011-03-25T10:51:00.000-04:00

Hi All. I've been lazy (you should see my laundry). I have been pushing against financial anxiety that is creeping around (a bad habit of mine). My "To Do List" of all things I've been procrastinating on keeps growing. I've been unmotivated and the inconsistent weather doesn't help.

I know why I've been in this funk. I know exactly why.

I've been slacking and inconsistent with my alone time with God. Partly because I'm trudging through the book of Exodus, but mostly because I have allowed myself to fall into distraction and a lack of self-discipline.

But I'm back. Time to buck up. Through this funk I have maintained prayer and God ALWAYS provides.

So.

Good Morning God. Today I feel my motivation returning and I thank you for changing my attitude. I pray for you to continue to work on me, my attitude, so that I will do your will with a joyful heart. I do feel the weeds of financial anxiety creeping up again. I pray.

⁶ 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, New International Version, ©2011)

I thank you, Lord, with an overwhelmingly joyful heart for Makoa. I pray, Lord, for your continued guidance so that I may be your light, so I may inspire others through my example, as imperfect as it may be, to seek you. I pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Ok. Thanks for listening. Thanks for praying with me. Now, time to face that LAUNDRY :)

2010 Year in Review, Part 5

2011-03-19T16:05:00.000-04:00

I've been putting this post off for several reasons, but mainly because this part of 2010 and any year, for that matter, is quite vast. The End of the Summer always brings a whirlwind of emotions and changes. We always count our blessings and celebrate during this time of year.

We miss you Chilli Dawg

1997-2010

We celebrate the lives of my parents.

We reflect and hold on to their love and legacy.

We count our blessings.

Daddy Jesse November 26, 1956 - August 11, 1984
Mama August 22, 1976 - September 6, 2008

We moved out of our old house and into our new house. This was totally God's work because we weren't "actively" looking. We really weren't trying to move. We set the standards to move pretty high...

1. Cheaper

2. Newer

3. Bigger

Nothing is impossible for God. Our new house just literally just fell into our laps, with our criteria and more room than we know what to do with. We LOVE it and Thank God EVERYDAY for His provision.

Our First House as a Family (The Old House)

I only have pictures of the backyard...we spent a lot of time in the back of the house.

View from the backyard of our First Family Home

We LOVED our old house. It was a perfect "starter" home for us. We had MANY celebrations in the backyard, right on the water. Lots of memories were made there. We brought Makoa home from the hospital in that home. But we were growing out of that house and with Makoa breaking free of any barriers, it was time to get off the water and into a cul-de-sac.

Thank you God! We LOVE our New Home!

We went from a 2 Bdrm/2 Bath House to a 5 Bdrm/2.5 Bath House!

The view from our front porch. We are now across the street from the water.

The view of our backyard from our screened in porch.

That would be my Sister-in-Laws home.
Our backyards connect, making it easy for the cousins to grow up together.

After a long Winter and too much time with JUST mommy and daddy, Makoa was showing signs of major cabin fever. He was extremely shy and a little behind in his Speech development. So we decided to enroll him in Preschool.

So we commemorated his

1st day of school!

First he wanted to mow the lawn

Then he was off and running

It took him about a month to feel comfortable.

But eventually he stopped acting like an Opihi every time we got to his classroom and now I barely get a kiss goodbye. And thanks to his INCREDIBLE speech therapist, his vocabulary is growing more and more!

30 Day Facebook Photo Challenge

2011-03-14T16:58:00.000-04:00

Day 3

A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Those who know me, know to choose a favorite TV show is like having to choose a favorite child. I am a self proclaimed TV addict. And since I am choosing to pick ONE, I do so with this said: This show is just one of my favorites. I picked it because of the important content it contains, particularly in the character of Max and his family.

PARENTHOOD

I love this show. It brings me to tears and it makes me laugh.

But most importantly, I love how well they are bringing awareness to Autism & Asperger's Syndrome.

NBC Tuesday Nights 10pm/Eastern.

For the past, I'd say 10 years, I've been drawn to and, at first, fearful of Autism (ridiculous, I know). I say drawn to because the subject always seem to be in any TV show or article or any random moment I'd come across. It's not something I sought out or voluntarily researched in the beginning. I just noticed the subject of Autism everywhere, all of a sudden. I say fearful of because I tend to fear what I don't know or understand or know how to face. And Autism, from the limited "by chance" knowledge I was receiving was daunting and haunting and it would break my heart EVERY time to see people on the spectrum unable to express themselves, be misunderstood, and then in turn judged negatively. I have a strong desire to become AWARE, to learn about Autism and to help bring a positive awareness to others. In doing so, I see more of the joy found in a person on the spectrum then their challenges.

30 Day Facebook Photo Challenge

2011-03-13T20:38:00.002-04:00

Day 2

A picture of the person you have been closest with the longest

Hmmm. How do I pick just one? Growing up both an Air Force brat and always with a village of family around (both related and unrelated), I find it difficult to name just one person. Especially given the fact that the words "closest" and "longest" don't necessarily go hand-in-hand for me. I believe you can know someone for only a short while but feel you have known them forever.

SO. I'm gonna tweak this one a bit...

My Bridesmaids

I had NINE!

3 sisters, 2 sister-in-laws, 1 cousin, and 3 friends

A Classy Bunch

My Sisters know me the most. They know EVERY part of me, EVERY mood, EVERY story, EVERY annoying habit, EVERYthing there is to know. They are the closest to me.

My Sister-in-Laws.

I've known them the shortest amount of time. However, it's as if my brother, Brandon, found a woman most like me and my husband found a woman with characteristics most like his sister. I think they "get" me in a way that doesn't need time. And I am so blessed to have them in my life because they bring another dimension to the world around me that may have remained dormant without them.

My Cousin, Andrea

My cousin has known me the longest, literally my entire life. Most of my childhood memories include her loving and tormenting me the way any older sister would. She knows me like no other.

My friend, Trisha.

My friend, Jamie

My friends. I've known Trisha since I was 6 and Jamie since I was 10. Trisha and Jamie, distance definitely does NOT damage the kind of sisterhood we have. They are the kind of friends that are the "pick right up where we left off" kind of friends. As if NO time has ever passed.

My Friend, Desi

And then we have my friend, my mentor, my sister Desi. I've known her since March 1999, only 12 years. But with Desi, NO words need to be spoken. We just look at each other and know.

My Wedding was the first time I had ALL of my Ladies in one room at the same time. I cherish each and every one of them and am so blessed and proud to be able to call them ALL my

sisters-in-LOVE.

30 Day Facebook Photo Challenge

2011-03-10T13:08:00.001-05:00

Day One

A picture of myself and 10 facts

1. I am totally excited about my growing relationship with God.

2. I am a wife to the hardest working, kindest, most generous man I know.

3. I am LiViNG my dream of BEiNG a Mother.

4. I am the Oldest of SIX siblings; 2 brothers and 4 sisters.

5. I thrive on getting the MOST for my money, making a buck stretch, couponing, bargain shopping, and MAKiNG iT LAsT.

6. I LoAThE being COLD.

7. I am REALLY bad at "small talk". I prefer "open book" conversations.

8. I LoVe all things film, television, books. Its my therapy.

9. I pack our entire house to spend the whole day at the beach. One of my favorite past times.

10. HoME is where the HeARt is. I am blessed with many homes.

30 Day Facebook Photo Challenge

2011-03-10T12:38:00.001-05:00

So there is this fun little thing going on on Facebook. I thought it would be a good "go to" for blog ideas.

It's called the 30 Day Facebook Photo Challenge.

It's an album you make on Facebook called "30 Days." Each day - for the duration of 30 days - you add a new picture to it with a new meaning...

Here's the list of what to upload during the 30 days:

1.A picture of yourself with 10 facts
2.A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
3.A picture of the cast from your favorite show
4.A picture of your favorite night
5.A picture of your favorite memory
6.A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
7.A picture of your most treasured item
8.A picture that makes you laugh
9.A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
10.A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
11.A picture of something you hate
12.A picture of something you love
13.A picture of your favorite band or artist
14.A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
15.A picture of something you want to do before you die
16.A picture of someone who inspires you
17.A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
18.A picture of your biggest insecurity
19.A picture and a letter
20.A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
21.A picture of something you wish you could forget
22.A picture of something you wish you were better at
23.A picture of your favorite book
24.A picture of something you wish you could change
25.A picture of your favorite day
26.A picture of something that means a lot to you
27.A picture of yourself and a family member
28.A picture of something you're afraid of
29.A picture that can always make you smile
30.A picture of someone you miss

Year in Review, Part 4

2011-02-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

Fourth of July 2010/Makoa's 2nd Birthday

Makoa was born on July 4th, 2008 and, of course, a few new traditions were created.

One tradition is one that'll last as long as Makoa allows me to pick out his clothes. My Aunty Theresa, who I consider one of my second mothers, has sent these outfits to Makoa every year. And every year they will be his "Birthday Suit"...at least for as long as he indulges me.

What a difference a year makes!

Makoa's 1st Birthday

Makoa's 2nd Birthday

The tradition of family and friends coming to my home and visiting for the weekend to celebrate each other is one that I grew up with. Some of my first memories are of huge weekend family gatherings. It seems there was always an occasion to celebrate, to cook huge amounts of food, to have friends and family of old and new gather under one roof.

Since Makoa's birthday falls on a National Holiday and we are blessed to live at the beach, I get the privilage of hosting future memories. I love when my home is full beyond capacity!

Makoa's 1st Birthday 2009

Makoa's 2nd Bithday 2010

Makoa's 1st Birthday 2009

Makoa's 2nd Birthday 2010

Makoa's 1st Birthday 2009

Makoa's 2nd Birthday 2010

More 2010 Beach Boy Days

2011-02-16T13:45:00.004-05:00

Like I said, I am blessed.

Year in Review, Part 3

2011-02-15T16:16:00.000-05:00

The Summer of 2010 I hope started a tradition. Camp Lesle. That's what my Godson, Jesse-Ikaika, calls his summer vacation with us. As kids, we spent many summers with our cousins, aunties & uncles, grandparents...the best memories ever. So its important to me and my family that our kids are raised with a village of family around them. Last summer was a full summer. Blessings all around.

One such blessing is called Pea Island.

Pea Island is one of our favorite beaches. We pack up the whole house, grab some fried chicken, junk food, a drinks, and spend the entire day lounging in the sun.

There are miles and miles of open space. On a "crowded" day, the next "camp" is about 20 yards away. While Makoa is still young enough, we let him run around au natural.

The boys have room to run and splash.

Kai is a natural water boy! He LOVES getting tossed around in the shore break and he always remembers to give us the thumbs up sign when alls well in the water.

We love our Munchos...any kind of junk food works really :)

Lots of Sun and Sand Time

A bit of nap time too

I'm a blessed girl.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T13:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Makoa's first class Valentine's Day party! We made Shortbread Cookies with "Pink" Chocolate drizzled over them. He went with the Toy Story 3 V-day cards because he watches the movie about 5 times a day AND they came with tattoos!

Mommy Foul on my part for using the old class list...I ended up missing 2 little girls in his class :( When I was standing in line waiting to pickup Makoa, I was looking at all the jacket hooks outside of his class and I noticed a name that I didn't remember writing on any of the cards. As we were driving home I had a sinking suspicion that at least one little girl didn't get a Valentine from Makoa...turns out there were 2! I feel pretty bad about it, despite the many encouraging words from family and friends. Oh well, live and learn.

Inspirations

2011-02-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

The David Crowder Band. LOVE THEM!

"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

Lists

2011-02-14T00:26:00.011-05:00

As of January 2011 I've read 2 books.

Water for Elephants was a great book and I am so excited for the film!

Water For Elephants Teaser

I have also read and loved

And I am currently reading

AND

I've decided to read the Bible in Chronological order. This track seems to fit my personality. I'm loving it, honestly. I'm ahead in my daily readings, I take detailed notes, I keep a journal along side my readings. Its amazing how timely the readings fall into my life. God's perfect timing, its perfect.

I am also reading

The Connection Group I am a part of is doing this study together. It's pretty amazing and timely.

Year in Review, Part 2

2011-02-13T22:59:00.003-05:00

May was a big month in 2010, a great way to kick off the Summer.

One of the greatest things that Stephen and I have ever done we did together.

"Those who believe and accepted His message were baptized..." --Acts 2:41

May is a great time to pick some strawberries! We picked enough to last us 8 months!

TWO buckets worth of Strawberries!

Can you tell we are Filipino?

Part 3...Kai Arrives for Camp Lesle!

Kickstart & A Year in Review Update, Part 1

2011-02-12T16:56:00.004-05:00

Hi family <3 I've decided to begin again and rejoin the blogging world. I blame our hectic life, laziness, and Facebook for my hiatus. But alas, Spring is on the brink again and y'all know how this time of year inspires me. So, to kickstart this return, I thought I'd keep it simple with an update, a sort of year in review.

First, around the time of my last post, we were blessed to have Rachell move in with us. Now she is currently getting ready to move to Orlando, FL on the 21st of February where she will be interning for Disney's Career Start Program. This performance marks the end of her stay with my BFF/Sister Jamie (more on her later) and the beginning of Rachell's stay on the Outer Banks.

Having Rachell here with us has enriched our family beyond measure. I've said this before but she is a light to our family whose love for God inspires me and encourages me through my walk with God. I am so blessed to have had her share in our life here in the Outer Banks and am forever grateful for the bond formed between Rachell and Makoa.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Mother's Day 2010 was extra special for me this year because we dedicated ourselves as parents to raise and encourage Makoa to live a Christ-like life.

Mother's Day 2010

Year in review to be continued...I gotta go bake some Valentine's Day cookies for Makoa's class. See you soon, I promise <3

I Love Easter

2010-04-16T11:21:00.002-04:00

I love Easter. I'm most inspired during this time of year.

It's in my DNA. It's been passed down from my mom.

Mom & I (in the womb) 1976

My mom made my Easter dress (1978)

I have always loved Easter (1981)

Fast Forward to Easter 2008. This is the first year I rekindled my love for the tradition.

Our First Easter with Makoa (2009)

Makoa reading from his 1st Bible

The Easter inspired spread grew in 2009.

My Sister-In-Law Emily made the Easter Bunny Cake

This year, 2010, we played it mellow.

Easter Breakfast at Grandma Anita's House.

Easter Outfit sent from Aunty Theresa in Hawaii

After an Awesome Easter worship at Nags Head Church, we headed to the beach.

Then home for some Chocolate Chip Scones

And back to Grandma's for an Easter Egg Hunt

Processing Through Stress to the Other Side

2010-04-16T09:34:00.000-04:00

I've been stressed.

I know its pointless to stress because I believe it all works out the way it should. But its in my nature and I'm working on it. The latest source of stress came from finally deciding to pull the trigger and purchase a much needed second car. After 8 months of "discussion", research, and negotiating, my husband found the truck of his dreams within the parameters of our budget. It all works out the way it should...

I deal with stress in many ways, but first, I "veg" out, regroup, and refocus myself. Its a proccess I've mastered over the years. In my more selfish youth, I would lock myself in a room with my favorite TV and Junk Food to last me a weekend. Now, the weekend has turned into a few hours in the middle of the night and I've expanded my "therapy" to include time and activities with my family. The DVR has become a most welcome tool during times such as these. So I spend my insomnia nights blanking my brain with TV and movies, catch a few zzzz's, regroup and rejuvinate my center in the wee morning hours, and refocus myself with my family during the waking hours of day.

Next. I organize. Anything. My desk. My Thoughts. My House. My Life. I have a continuous List of Organizing Projects, on-going and never-ending. And that's a whole other post :)

I've been researching my newest endeavors. This is part of the "Trying Something New" goal I've been working on. Now that I've taken the plunge into the intimidating role of waitressing, I am ready to test the waters of Direct Sales; all in the name of staying busy and making a little extra cash.

I am an Avon Representative. And I'm kinda excited about it and kinda intimidated because I am no good in sales. But I'm trying and the more I learn about Avon and the whole process, the more excited I get. Come along and join the Avon ride with me...Future posts to come :)

A major part of my day is the time I take to be still, pray, and begin my day living in a relationship with God. This is where I find my center, my peace. Here I devote to Him. This is new for me. My conscious effort to grow closer to God. I'm not perfect in my attempt, but I strive to be wholehearted. I'm learning. I struggle. I pray. I trust. I believe.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

I strive to always count my blessings, be thankful, and trust in God's plan.
I'm a work in proggress...and I am blessed.

Morning Motivation

2010-03-26T14:31:00.001-04:00

I've learned that, for me, the sun is a major motivator. So, knowing that the clouds were gonna be rolling in this afternoon, I took full advantage of the glorious morning sun and worked in the kitchen. I have accomplished three tasks this morning. Two of the "money-saving" kind and one of the "rewards and craving" kind.

It all actually started last night when I soaked the black beans. Now let me just preface this by saying that my husband, he don't eat meat, he eats a TON of beans. You would think that a can of beans, (and I buy the "cheap" .69 cent kind), wouldn't put such a dent in our wallets. I'd tend to agree with you, only my husband LOVES his beans and every penny counts. I discovered from the blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, that a bag of dried beans costs about $1.89 and that bag yields about an equivalent of THREE cans of beans. So, doing the math I realize I'm not going to be a millionaire from the savings, but EVERY penny saved is a penny earned! The other thing I learned and love is that the beans will keep in the freezer for 4-6 months...Did I mention my love for my Deep Freezer?

With the black beans doing its thing in the slow cooker, I moved on to the second "money-saving" task. Baking Bread. This, to me is intimidating, daunting, challenging; I mean, come on there's YEAST involved. I've NEVER worked with yeast. This task took a lot of research, prep work, and organization before actually trying, because that's what I do when I'm faced with attempting something new. Anyway, when there is nothing to do but bake the bread, that's what I finally did and did it pretty well. Of course, I have some modifications to make, but all in all, mission accomplished. With 5 cups of flour and a few other things I made TWO loaves of bread. I have to tell you I am VERY proud of myself. I made bread from scratch!

The inspiration to bake bread came from this post.

All this money saving, I deserve a treat! So I made this...

Cinnamon Roll Cake

(recipe found on A Southern Grace)

Cake:

1 box of yellow cake mix

4 eggs

¾ cup oil

1 cup sour cream (I used 1 cup of yogurt + 1 teaspoon of baking soda)

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2-4 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Mix the first four ingredients by hand and pour into the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the cake batter. Swirl decoratively with a knife.

Bake for 40-50 minutes and let it cool briefly before adding the icing.

To make the icing, stir together the sugar and milk until smooth, adding more milk as needed. Pour over the warm cake.

Now if you'll excuse me for a bit, I've got some scrumpcious yumminess that needs my undivided attention.

Living My Dream, Now What?!

2010-03-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

As a kid, when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I usually wanted to be a model like my Aunty. Of course, that dream was discouraged by many "grown ups", I'm sure for my own protection against that harsh world. As I got older, I pursued other options...broadcasting, film, etc. But I've always known, even as a kid, that the one thing I REALLY wanted to be was a MOM. I also knew that I didn't want to be a mom until I was ready, whatever that meant. So "in the ME time", I found myself pursuing and discovering different accomplishments. While I enjoyed and took pride in many of those pursuits, none of them left me completely fufilled. Don't get me wrong, I don't ever recall feeling the pressure of the "ticking clock". I always had Faith that my dream of becoming a mom would happen at the right time; so I never rushed or pursude it. All in due time.

Now that I am living my dream, I look at our son in amazement, my life in awe and I am eternally grateful. However, I find myself, in these "harsh economic times", (unfortunately, being a mom doesn't pay the bills), realizing that I have room, energy, and the need for more dreams. This realization has left me a little blank. I never thought this would happen. I guess I just assumed that I'd only have time for ONE true dream in my life. While the prospect of pursuing more dreams can be exciting and invigorating, I find it quite daunting. Sometimes I feel like I'm starting all over again, but without the guidance of high school counselors or the structure of college to point me in ANY direction.

So, for the past few months, I've made some changes in my life in order to light the proverbial fire. And this is the journey I am currently on. Considering the fact that I have always believed that its the journey and not the destination that brings the most enjoyment and fulfillment, I shouldn't be concerned that I currently have NO destination. I have decided this year to push myself to face my fears and be open to new things, to be open to old things that have become new fears, to just put myself out there...

Part of this pursuit is to start and complete lists of projects and ideas. To look for and actually apply for jobs, any job. To participate in the community, in our church. To let others get to know me and judge me before I assume their judgement of me. To pursue a career in the graphic design field. These are what I am currently working on and will be blogging about. I need accountability friends, even if its the great unknown of the internet :) This is me putting it on paper. Taking the step to put the journey in motion...wish me luck!