December snow

"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle."

Here in Maryland we wound up recieving around 23" of God's glistenilng snowflakes. The calmness of the snow, playfulness of the kids and the warmth of the pellet stove has been good medicine here lately.

The boys and I ventured out today and I swore that if I put Carter down he would dissapear! They didn't last too terribly long, only because they're little legs couldn't move. I'll have to shovel them a pathway, I guess like you would a dog to go to the bathroom. Mike has been out doing his snow patrol with good friends since early this morning and probably into tomorrow, so we'll be here having fun, keeping warm and taking lots of pictures for him to see when he returns.








The only downfall is the aftermath that comes inside when you're done playing!

Movin' on up

Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow. ~Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin


The past few weeks have been a trying time but amidst all the anguish last weekend we were finally able to move everything up and actually sleep in our new bedrooms! The kiddos adjusted great and Mike and I are thankful to be sleeping on actual mattresses again!


Putting Gavin's old crib together for Carter to use while Gavin gets a new toddler boat bed!

Holiday cookie time!!!!

Holiday cookie time!!!!

I would have loved to had time to make the homemade cookie dough for holiday giving the day after Thanksgiving but the Black Friday deals took over and I didn't have enough energy the rest of that day; but the deals I got were sooo worth it, or should I say when I see the kiddos faces on Christmas morning it'll be sooo worth it :)

But with all the rain we are getting here I'll be sure to get a rain day to prep for cookie making. My plan is that on Christmas Eve the kids and I will just have to cut or form the cookies, bake and then decorate (oh, and can't forget the oh-so important step of tasting the results!) I don't want to have to deal with the prep work it takes to make several different recipes and not to mention the clean-up that is always involved.

I love getting weekly newsletters from Better Homes and Gardens http://www.bhg.com/ and here lately they're all about decorating and holiday baking- right up my alley! Especially since I'm hosting Christmas this year; more so we don't have to lug the presents and kids around town all day this Christmas, we get to loosen our load a little and actually enjoy the house we're building now that it has room for more than just the four of us for a change!

This week it's all about my favorite... chocolate!!! Forget about the buttery oatmeal raisin, substitute chocolate, or how good jelly makes different cookies or cakes so yummy, fill it with fudge! I always go for the chocolate- donuts, cookies, candies, ice cream, you name it, if there's anything chocolate around it's on my plate or already in my mouth!

Here's some of my favorites so far!

*Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies Recipe

*Chocolaty Caramel Thumbprints
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/chocolaty-caramel-thumbprints/?prsc=HolidaysCookies

*Fudge Ecstasies
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/desserts/fudge-ecstasies/?prsc=HolidaysCookies


I also came across another great gift idea today!!! Instead of baking all those yummy cookies, just make the cookie dough and give it as a gift!

http://chsugar.com/giftideas/index.html


Homemade Cookie Dough

This Holiday Season couldn't we all use a little more dough?
Give your family and friends the gift of time along with delicious homemade cookies with C&H® Sugar's Holiday Cookie Rolls. A sprightly wrapped roll of ready-to-bake cookie dough is a simple, low cost gift that is packed with lots of thought and flavor.

Perfect for the busy mom with no time to bake from scratch, or for families with children who would love cutting shapes out of cookie dough without the mess of measuring and mixing. You'll notice our cookie dough recipe is made with egg-substitute, making it perfectly safe to eat right after mixing. Your friends and family can enjoy it alone, or even add it to their favorite ice cream!

Important Note: Cookie dough must be kept refrigerated. This gift if best when you are going straight to the recipient's home where they can place in the refrigerator right away.