Zoo Light Night

Last night we spent our last hurrah of Christmas at the Houston Zoo Lights. We have had such an awesome Christmas season....although it went by so fast (and I'll be sharing about our actual family Christmas soon)...and this was the perfect way to top it all off. We had a blast, Madeline included!
She kept on pointing at all the lights, delighted and mesmerized that they would dance around as if only for her. 

Here's one of the fam...don't you just LOVE the cutesy owl hat that the little miss is wearing??

My little sis came with us...which made the experience all the more fun. She just loves Madeline, and Madeline adores her in return. She lives in Oklahoma while she's going to school, so we don't get to see her as often as we'd like, but we're so glad she has been in town for Christmas. We ended up turning the night into a firepit/s'more/wine/sleepover....which made the night even better by ending with with great conversation and ooey gooey deliciousness! What fun!!

We had such a good time that on the LONG way back to the car we all decided to make this a new family tradition. I can't even imagine how much fun it will be next year when little miss gets even bigger! Can't wait! I would highly recommend zoo lights to any family...kids or no kids. 

Finger Paint Christmas Tree

It's been a crazy few weeks...getting ready for Christmas, shopping, family, parties....all the things that come with the territory of the Christmas season. I love all the traditions and fun even though it comes with a large share of busy-ness. 
Every memory made is so special to me. The time spent with family, especially around this time of year, is time that I truly cherish. So you can imagine my excitement to do some new things this year with the sweet baby girl. :) We have had so much fun taking her to visit Santa for the first time, looking at Christmas lights, and letting her touch and coo at the tree in our living room. She makes this season feel like it's brand new and so exciting all over again.
I will definitely be posting some more about the family fun we've been having, but I wanted to share with you something we did this week that was SO much fun! I let Madeline explore with finger paints for the first time. 

She painted on a Christmas tree with green paint. She was a little tentative at first.....

but then she started to dive right in....

We had so much fun making a mess together. We got it on the paper, on the floor, on each other....EVERYWHERE! But, it was a great holiday craft, and it was such a fun way to pause from all the craziness and just enjoy one another. Plus, who know baby girl was such an artist???!!!

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Last night we met with our precious small group of couples (plus little baby love). We always have such a great time of fellowship together, and I look forward to great conversation and adult time every week. What a treasure! Well, not only do we have lots of laughs, sweet convos, and fun....we also always share a meal together. Yesterday we decided to be festive and go with the theme "12 foods of Christmas". We had onion rings - "5 golden rings", Dove chocolates - "2 turtle doves"...you get the idea.  We contributed "3 french hens" - insert buffalo chicken sliders (we added bleu cheese as a "French" topping ;) ). They were so delicious and so EASY! I thought I would share the recipe because hubby and I decided we would be making these again for sure! Hope you enjoy them as well!

Ingredients

MAKES 8SERVINGS

• 1 and a half lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 large bottle Franks hot sauce
• 1 packet Ranch seasoning
• For serving
• Hawaiian rolls
• Bleu cheese dressing
• 
  

Preparation

1. Place chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
2. Cover chicken with Ranch seasoning and generously cover with hot sauce. You will probably have about a quarter of the bottle left over for later.
3. Cook on low 5-6 hours or on high 2-3 hours.

4. Once chicken is done, remove from the slow cookers and shred. I used a food processor, but you can shred with a fork too.
5. Throw shredded chicken back into you slow cooker and leave on low for about 30 min to heat. Add in the rest of your sauce at this time.

6. While your shredded chicken is heating and soaking up all that yummy sauce, slice your rolls in half to make your slider buns. You can toast them if you like.

To Serve:
Spoon a generous dollop of chicken onto your Hawaiian roll, then drizzle the top with bleu cheese dressing. Enjoy!

Starstruck

Ok....so.....I met REE DRUMMOND tonight!!!!!!! Even though I only got a few seconds to talk with her, I am completely starstruck! I'm sure I was totally babbling and not playing it cool whatsoever, but I don't even care.

I love the Pioneer Woman. I love all of her recipes...both cooking them AND eating them. I love her cookbooks, particularly the fact that each step has its on special picture so you can check yourself along the way. I love her blog and how real she seems. She talks about her faith, her family and her life...not just cooking. She just seems like someone I would want to be friends with...and I know you can't really tell from just a few seconds, but I'm totally convinced she's just like that in real life too.

My sweet hubby asked me after meeting her, "So are you inspired???". I think I was just so nervous and excited after meeting her that I hadn't really thought about it. But now, after some reflection, I AM inspired. She has made her life so real, open and vulnerable all while staying down to earth and loving the Lord. I can definitely take a few tips from her as I endeavor to continue to blog about my own life. I definitely acknowledge that I may never be the next Pioneer Woman, nor is that really even my goal, but I can still learn and grow as a blogger even if it never reaches anyone. So thanks Ree!! You are so awesome...I remain your loyal fan!


.....as a side note.....
The little miss came along for this little adventure. It was really cold outside and we had to wait in a long line. Here's a sweet pic of her all bundled up in her pink.

She's totally precious, and she was such a good sport tonight. She, however, did not seem starstruck and was wondering why the fuss wasn't all about her...go figure ;)

Honesty

So....I've been really thinking about what my vision is for this blog. Do I want it to be all about mommy-ing? Do I want to post DIY projects galore? Do I want to talk about recipes...and if I do, healthy or tasty (because let's be real - they don't always go together)? Do I want to talk about my family, my experiences, my relationship with the Lord, what I like, what I don't?

And then I start to get overwhelmed and nervous. Why would anyone want to read what I have to say on any of these topics? I am NO expert. I DON'T have all the answers...not even by a long stretch of the imagination. I am totally intimidated by other blogs, other crafty people, anything really that seems better than me. I am fearful of failure and not living up to expectations (mostly expectations put on myself).

But then I started thinking today...GET OVER YOURSELF! Why do I even want to write a blog? Because I enjoy writing, keeping track of what's going on in our lives, and maybe even sharing some ideas with others. But, if no one ever reads it....that's ok with me! I want to write this blog for me and maybe my daughter to look back on one day at our memories. I want to share bits and pieces of my life just a little at a time.

So then I started thinking, "Ok, what now?". What direction am I taking this in? Did that really give me any answers? Well, no...but I appreciate anyone who is sticking with me as I figure it out. I decided that the thing I value most in life is relationships, and in order for me to have a relationship with someone I must value their HONESTY. That's SO hard for us...to be honest and vulnerable with people, especially people who seem intimidating or who have it "all together".

Honesty is scary.

Honesty is risky.

Honesty is messy.

But.....honesty is real, attractive and beautiful too. It bonds us together. It releases something within us that's screaming to get out. That's what I want for this blog....a real, messy, beautiful honesty. That means I might talk about cute DIYs, fun family activities, yummy recipes, and the like....OR I might talk about my weight loss journey (YIKES...that's a touchy one), scary or unattractive mommy/wife moments, regrets, painful realizations, losses.

I think it also means that I don't really know from day to day what direction I'm going to take this blog in. I'm going to try to go with the flow. Let's just see where this journey takes us. Ultimately...my goal is to document my family's and my life...our loves and our experiences...and use that honesty to make some friends out of my readers. I love nothing more than making new relationships and growing deeper with people, but that means I must be willing to go there...get dirty...be real and put myself out there.

So this is me....raw, unorganized and scatter-brained, a continual work in progress. Thanks for reading and being interested. I truly hope to learn more about your honest selves someday too.

Katie

Thanksgiving came and went!! I feel like so much time was spent in preparation, planning, worrying....it's hard to believe it's already behind us. Now it's on to Christmas!!!

I must confess to you, I LOVE everything Christmas! I love the music (and wait somewhat impatiently for it to be acceptable to start playing it all year), cookie making, decorating, the tree, the chilly weather, the gift giving, the Hallmark movies (seriously). But mostly I love sweet time spent with family and friends and the sweet memories that I now cling to and cherish. There are few other occasions that elicit so many poignant memories and feelings that make me feel warm, loved and give me a sense of belonging.

I have always been big on family traditions, and now that sweet baby girl is here, I feel just as excited about it. This year we have decided to try to do something as a family each day of advent....haven't you seen those cute ideas on Pinterest?!? We aren't going quite as all out as some of those Pin-tactual mommies and wives, but we are focusing on being together and appreciating the little things.

For day 1, yesterday, we finished getting all of our decorations put up and the lights hung outside. Everything is full of Christmas cheer around here, just the way I like it. (I would love to post pics, but our computer is out of pocket right now...so I'll be sure to update later).

Stay tuned to hear about some more of our family fun (or family mishaps...we'll see). Hoping you're having a blessed start to the holiday season yourself! :)

Thankful

So...it's that time again. That time where all of your Facebook friends are listing a new thing that they are thankful for each day. For some, I think, it has become a little contrite, but I don't think being thankful no matter what season of the year, is ever a cliche. 

It's nice that there is a time of year when we are reminded to slow down and reflect on the things that matter. The goal would be that we could do that all year long! Wouldn't that be wonderful! I know I let all kinds of crazy get in the way of that; weight loss....(ahem) weight gain, daily meals, sick babies, hosting parties, crafting, cleaning, "relationshipping" (more on that tomorrow). All those things take up my time, my effort, my emotion, my all. 

It IS true, I allow all these things to fill up my days and keep me busy and constantly on the go....since becoming a mommy I've become an EXCELLENT list maker. But the truth is, I am SO thankful for all these things. I am thankful for the life that the Lord has blessed me with. I may not always paint a pretty picture, and it may not always look beautiful...sometimes it looks downright messy. But I am thankful for the mess too.

I know many of you are sick of seeing all those posts on Facebook, twitter, and basically everywhere. You are being flooded by what people are supposedly "thankful for". And maybe some are more genuine in their giving of thanks than others...but I choose to believe. So to all you skeptics and people out there that are sick of seeing what others are thankful for, turn away, because this post is devoted exclusively to the 2 things that I am the MOST thankful for on earth. 

The first is my sweet hubby :) And then the sweet baby girl :)

I am SO thankful for my selfless, edifying, strong husband who has also become such a great daddy. I know, I know, I'm getting sappy, but I can't help it!! He has been with me through thick and thin for the past 12 years. There is no one I would rather do life with. He encourages me to be better; to love more, pray more, dream more, be more. I honestly DO NOT know where I would be without him.

And what can I say about Madeline?? She has taught me so much about what the word thankful even means. She is everything to me. I LOVE getting to be her mommy, and God has shown me so much grace that comes along with that. I love getting to see the world all over again through her eyes...it's like experiencing it for the first time. She definitely inspires me to be a better person, which I admit that I miserably fail at most days. But, she has taught me to love more, pray more, dream more and be more.

I am in LOVE with this time of year where we can take the opportunity to kick of the holiday season with reflection. The goal is to keep this in mind as the rest of the season continues on, right? So hard sometimes, but it's what I'm hoping for. This Christmas season I want to continue to love more, pray more, dream more, and just be more.

Ringer Love

I admit it, I am a scatter-brain. I can bounce from one thing to another without really committing and doing one thing well. Are there any more of you like that out there? Ladies that want to be the most supportive wife, sweetest mommy, all-star chef, marathon runner, merry maid, pinterest-worthy crafter, best friend, and still have time to be pursuing being a disciple of Jesus. It's so much more laughable even as I type all of these things "out loud". But, on a daily basis, these are things that I very much struggle with.

I want to keep my priorities straight, and worry about what really matters; loving my family well, loving Jesus well, loving others well. That's easy to say, but what does that look like? I don't know for sure, but I am on an adventure to find out. I know that I will not get it "right" most of the time, but that's life, right? So, I wanted to start chronicling my thoughts on this adventure. I want to share thoughts about all of these things that I dabble in, but more importantly how all these things fit together with my family, friends and loved ones. I might share a DIY, recipe, trip, or experience that went well or went terribly, but I want to also share my thoughts as we tried it as a family, couple, or just me. 

Here is a picture of my family, who I love so very much. My hubby and the little baby love, which is what we called her before she was born. That's where the blog title came from :)