multitude monday.

271. going out for breakfast. especially to geaghans. yum.

272. apple picking!

273. doing new and special things with bella. creating memories as a family.

274. cooking in my crockpot. it saves my life on so many days. and i love coming home to my house smelling like dinner already made.

275. watching bella&jude get so excited to see each other!

276. eating dinner with nick, just the two of us, after we put bella to bed.

277. soft pretzels at the mall.

278. going shopping with my sister.

279. seeing my husband pray... i'm so thankful for a man who loves the lord and seeks after his heart.

ten things {i heart fall}.

fall is my favorite season. besides christmastime, it is hands down, my most *favorite* time of the year. and there is something oh-so-lovely about fall in new england. trees turning such brilliant shades of red, gold and orange. cool, crisp air with the hint of firewood burning in the distance. apple picking and pumpkin patches. tall boots and warm sweaters.

this post is all about the things i {heart} about this most wonderful time of the year.

1. fall foliage.

in just a couple of weeks the leaves here in maine should be at their peak. the forests will become patchwork-quilt-like, dotted with bright, bold hues... golden leaves carpeting the grass. it is an absolute display of god's handiwork and i can't wait to take it all in this year.

2. boots.

it's always an exciting time for me when i get to unpack my boots, where they have been hibernating all summer, just waiting for the weather to turn cold. one of my all-time wardrobe staples, this picture shows my favorite pair i bought last year from old navy. skinny jeans + boots = one.happy.girl.

3. fall-scented candles.

i have some burning even as i type. a couple pecan-pie scented candles and an apple one in our kitchen. how can you resist? the minute labor day is over, i can't wait to fill our home with the delicious scents of pumpkin pie, apple crisp and cinnamon. doesn't reading those scents just make you feel warm&fuzzy?

4. pumpkin goodies.

i love everything pumpkin. pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pancakes (see my recipe here)... but i would have to say that there's still nothing that can compare to the ole classic: pumpkin pie. thanksgiving dinner isn't complete without it.

5. cute costumes.

i have always thought halloween is kind of a pointless holiday... until i had a little one to dress up :) now, i start buying halloween costumes in september; i just can't help it they are so cute. last year, we dressed bella up as a flower, which was adorable and this year we bought her this super sweet strawberry costume from old navy. i'm just hoping she will keep the hat on for at least two seconds so we can get a good pic...

6. football.

i love football. and nick? well, he played football in high school and college and has coached it as well... so, we are a football-loving-family, which makes for really fun sundays from september through january. our home cheers on the patriots (me) and the cowboys (nick) and several fantasy teams between the two of us.

7. picking apples.

one of my favorite childhood memories. today bella and nick went for their first apple picking trip of many... we picked a whole bag full and only paid twelve dollars. on the menu? applesauce, apple crisp, a pie or two, an apple breakfast dish for my crockpot and some apple dumplings. i'd better get cooking...

8. sweaters.

one of my favorite things to wear. there's nothing comfy-er than wrapping up in a thick, warm sweater on a crisp, fall day. i think i need a shopping trip to the jcrew outlet :)

9. comfort food.

ahhhh, comfort food. i love cooking in the fall and winter because it means using my crockpot a whole lot, soups, chowders, chicken&dumplings, chili and homemade biscuits. yum. i think your family should always know what season it is by what you give them for dinner... that's how i like to cook anyway; if it's fall, i want my food to feel like fall :)

1o. fall crafts and home decor.

i used to love going to barnes&noble to study while i was in school... i especially loved it in the fall because my study breaks consisted of a pumpkin spice latte and flipping through a martha stewart living magazine, checking out all of her beautiful fall decor and dreaming of my someday-house. well, now i still dream of what my house will look like once we get fully unpacked and settled, but i did manage to put out some pretty gourds today! tis the season ;) hopefully i will get my act together and at least make a wreath or something...

what are the things YOU love about fall?

what's for dinner tonight {broccoli cheese soup}.

ahhhhh what a perfect fall day it was here in maine. a crisp sixty-five-degrees, a bit overcast and a few trees are already turning bright shades of brilliant red.

i'm in heaven.

fall is absolutely my favorite time of year (besides christmas) and i haven't spent one in maine in a very long time. so i am pumped. i decided the fall cooking begins now, with many soups and new crockpot recipes in the lineup.

tonight nick, bel&i had my parents over for dinner. on the menu: caesar salad, homemade biscuits and a oh-so-delish broccoli cheese soup i hadn't made in a while. i found the recipe a couple of years ago when i was pregnant with bella and we ate it probably once a week for a while it was just THAT good! it's an emeril lagasse recipe, but super easy and surprisingly not complicated. i tweaked it a bit to fit our taste (and because two of his original ingredients include white pepper and nutmeg... i usually don't have nutmeg on hand and who in the world cooks with white pepper?!)

so here it is. you need to hurry to the store to get all the ingredients because you need to try this... and you won't be sorry you did, i promise!

broccoli cheese soup

* 5 T. butter (yes, i said 5 tablespoons... just forget the amount and still make the soup)
* 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1/4 t. pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 t. dried thyme
* 3 T. flour
* 3 c. chicken stock
* 1 (16 oz) bag frozen broccoli, thawed
* 1/2 c. heavy cream
* 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

- melt 3 of the T. butter over medium heat in a large pot. add onion, salt and pepper and cook until onions are soft.
- add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant. add flour and cook for about two minutes, stirring constantly.
- slowly add chicken stock, whisking continually. bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer until thickened, about five minutes.
- add broccoli and cook until tender, about ten minutes.
- with an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, puree until smooth.
- add cream and bring to a very low simmer, just enough to heat through. add cheese, stirring until melted. finally, add final two T. of butter and stir to blend.
- ladle into bowls and enjoy :)

this is a great soup; perfect for the beginning of your fall cooking! pairs great with bread and caesar salad... one of our absolute favorite meals (you can find my biscuit recipe here).

my dad gave it a "ten" :)

what's for your sweet tooth {birthday cake ball pops}.

have you gotten bit by the cake-ball-bug? well, if you haven't yet let me just warn you... one taste and you will be. cheesy intro, i know. but it's just fact.

i was first introduced to cake balls last year in dallas when the sweet family i was nannying for introduced me to them. (pssst: if you live in dallas, you have to try the cake balls at creme de la cookie. there's a location on preston/forest and one in snyder plaza in university park. oh.my.deliciousness.)

around the time i was thinking of ideas for bella's first birthday party, i met my friend amanda for coffee at starbucks one saturday morning. it was then that i saw them. these sweet, little "birthday cake pops". perfectly pink. deliciously girly. and a little bit expensive. so, i decided to try my hand and make them myself. just as tasty and alot less cash. aaaaand the satisfaction of doing something myself. priceless (as they say in those credit card commercials).

as for the recipe/instructions; i combined two i found... one on the wilton baking site and one from bakerella.com. the result was scrumptious. here is my recipe.

birthday cake ball pops

* 1 box yellow cake mix (cook cake according to instructions on box)
* 1 can cream cheese frosting (i recommend using betty crocker, whipped)
* 2-3 pkgs of wilton candy melts (you can buy at your local craft store such as joanns or michaels... for the birthday cake pops i used pink)
* pretty sprinkles (i used white crystal sugar sprinkles)
* a pkg. of at least fifty lollipop sticks
* cookie sheet
* wax paper
* couple blocks of styrofoam

- bake cake according to instructions on package. cool *completely*. make sure it's totally cooled before the next step!!!
- shave off the outer edge, corners and any rough spots on the top of the cake. this will ensure your cake balls to be very smooth.
- crumble cake into very fine crumbs in a large mixing bowl, combine thoroughly with frosting. i find my hands are the best tools for doing this! just extremely messy...
- roll mixture into quarter size balls... should make about 45-50 or so. once you roll them, lay them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
- chill for several hours. and i mean CHILL. i like to use the freezer to speed along the process. but this step is very important!
- while you are waiting on this step, you can prepare your display for your cake ball pops. for mine, i used a basket and cut two blocks of styrofoam to fit. later, i filled in the spare spots between my pops with fake moss i bought at the dollar store.
- melt candy melts according to instructions on the package. i melted mine into a tall, wide mug to make it easier for dipping.
- dip sticks into the melted candy and insert into each cake ball. let set and wait until sticks are completely firm before dipping the cake balls.
- with the help of a spoon, dip pops into the candy melts. i found (with the help of my good friend, who dipped most of them for me thankfully!) that if i dipped the top of the cake ball and used the spoon to guide the candy melt around the rest of the cake ball, this worked much better and kept the excess from dripping everywhere.
- stick each pop into the styrofoam blocks and top with sprinkles. allow each to harden (with the help of your refridgerator) before you serve to your guests.

happy baking/dipping/sprinkling. you will not be upset with the end result, i promise :)

multitude monday.

261. watching bella run down the hall in her jammies, just before bed, in our new home.
262. cinnamon rolls on saturday mornings. i think this has made my "multitude" list almost every week.
263. hearing bella's sweet little voice say "mama".
264. lazy sundays watching football... sooooo glad it's back.
265. sitting on the couch and talking with nick after we put bella to bed. ahhh, the peacefulness :)
266. chinese food. kung pao chicken and eggrolls. yum.
267. pajama pants.
268. warm garlic bread, crusty from the oven.
269. crispness in the air, announcing fall's arrival.
270. bella's chubby cheeks... and kissing them!

fifteen months and growing...

what a whirlwind the past week has been. moving, trying to make life live-able amidst the endless stacks of boxes (which, with a 1 year old proves to be a feat...), and getting adjusted to new schedules.

i am tired.

but it has been good. one of the downsides, however, is that we haven't gotten internet set up at our new house yet. so... blogging and doing anything via the computer hasn't happened. sadly.

we are spending this sunday afternoon at my parents, watching football and ordering chinese food (yum). so i thought i would grab a few minutes while bella is napping to write a bit about our munchkin.

i can hardly believe how much she is changing right now. i know i say this every stage she is in... but this is one of my favorites :) she is just so fun.

she has been verrrrry into babies lately, and her baby dolls. the other night she was pushing her doll around in her toy stroller, giving her kisses and patting her head&face. it was just the cutest thing. she wants her baby doll to go to bed with her, to ride in the car with her, and to play with her. such a little mama.

it's amazing to watch her little mind work. the other night we told her it was almost time for "na-night". she then went to the bathroom and asked for a bath (which she loooves. it's her daddy-time before bed). once nick gave her a bath, we put her in her jammies and she promptly said "teeth! teeth!", reminding us to brush her teeth.

which, by the way... she is obsessssssed with her toothbrush and brushing her teeth. she asks for it morning, noon and night. which is really nothing to complain about except for the fact that it's a nightmare sometimes trying to pry it from those little hands...

she has been loving her time away on the days that i work. it's been such a joy to watch her blossom and thrive in the care of others, and around other children. jude, her cousin, is her best bud. if she hasn't seen him in a few days, she asks for him incessantly. and isabella, our friend's baby that watches bella two days/week has become one of bella's favorites! just today we were going over to their house. about an hour before we were going to leave, nick mentioned to bella that we were going to go see "baby bella". she immediately ran to the door and started jiggling the doorknob saying "baby! baby!" she is as happy as a clam while i am working, which makes all the difference in the world for me!

some other random things about sweet bel:

- she can't pronounce "c" or "k" sounds yet, so everything is a "t" sound. "tootie" for cookie, "tey" for key, "tar" for car...

- our girl LOVES music. i mean, loves it. the minute she hears music, the boogy-ing begins. absolutely adorable.

- she is obsessed with being outside!!! she will go to the door or window and say "side!!!!!" even when its pouring rain or right before bed!

- she found a toy bracelet of hers that she loves to wear. just this morning, nick was putting her in the car for church and i noticed she had it on. guess she thought she needed to accessorize for the nursery. it matched her outfit and everything.

- speaking of the nursery... she looooves going to the nursery at church. after a couple weeks of crying when we left her, she is back to her social little self. the past couple of weeks when she is running around after church, she tries to run down the hall towards the nursery again and is not happy when we tell her that it's time to go home. addicted to the church nursery: a good problem to have, i guess.

- she has a new-found love for her baby einstein videos. we had most of them packed away until we unpacked this past week, and we found her "baby noah" video on animals. we've let her watch it while we unpack... she'll get in our bed and we'll turn it on in our bedroom. so now multiple times a day she'll come in our room and say "watch! watch!" yeah, we definitely have to ration it...

- she's obsessed with blueberries. and pretty much every fruit. but bananas and blueberries are the favs. and milk in a sippy cup is still a no-go... but cookies at grammie's house? oh definitely YES.

- she loves to skype with our family in texas... even if her attention span only lasts a few minutes. but she loves seeing her cousin, wyatt on the computer. so much so that whenever she sees the computer she says "wyatt, wyatt!"

we are having so much fun with her and are exhausted every night when we put her into bed :) she is super active and into everything and manages to keep us on our toes every.single.minute. i need to be more disciplined in praying for patience as we are in a stage of disobedience and testing limits... wisdom and patience are invaluable in this thing-called-parenting. i know i don't want to break her happy-go-lucky spirit or stifle her playfulness, but i desperately want to create boundaries and encourage respectful behavior in which she honors and obeys us and others.

just look at this sweet face... i *love* being her mama :)

a good tired.

greetings friends.

it is eight oclock on a friday night and where am i? in my pajamas, in bed, with my laptop. yes, a little sad. but do i care? not.one.bit.

it has been an incredibly busy couple of weeks. a whirlwind, you might say. nick&i both started our new jobs, bella started her routine of three-days-without-mama aaaaaand we are moving into our new home! our first house. yikes. all good things. i am tired.

but, a good tired.

i promise that i will have more recipes and crafty posts, i just haven't quite had the time to complete any of my projects these days. but some great things are coming soon, i promise. including my first painted-furniture-makeovers, some lamp transformations and perhaps some new pics of the homestead.

i wasn't sure how i would adjust to working three days a week... or rather, being away from bella three days a week. we haven't been apart for any length of time her whole first year of life. but god's hand has continued to be in everything. all of the details. all of my emotions. i fully expected to drop bella off at our friends house wednesday morning and drive to work in tears. but i didn't. i'm sure it helps that bella's personality is incredibly laid back and she is a social butterfly, so happy to be with people, not just me or nick. but i'm pretty sure it was also the lord allowing me to see that she was going to be just fine. that i am right where he has me, and so is bella. she had a ball with ms. tanya and her little sweetie, isabella, coloring and playing outside and going for walks. both days when i picked her up she was soooo happy. grinning from ear to ear the whole way home. i couldn't ask for better care for my pumpkin. i'm so thankful.

i started orientation on wednesday, when i found out that i have a classroom... i have spent the past three days organizing, cleaning, cutting paper, making tissue poms, stapeling decorations onto bulletin boards and getting my room ready! it has been exhausting. but it's starting to take shape. never in my life did i imagine i would be decorating bulletin boards in a school classroom, but i love it... i always secretly envied my friends in college that were elementary education majors. now i have another excuse to be crafty :)

students start on tuesday, my first day with them will be wednesday. i pray that my room would be a safe haven for those that need to know they are cared for and valued. that god would use me to bring comfort and healing to the areas of their lives that are broken, to listen to their precious little voices, and to build them up in love.

so now we prepare to move into our new home in the morning. it brings a smile to my face thinking of the memories that will be made there, the laughter that will fill it's rooms, the pitter patter of tiny feet, the smell of cinnamon rolls on saturday mornings and the sweet, fragrant air whistling through the open windows.

i.can't.wait.

that's why i'm tired... but a good tired.