This Christmas Season

I've gotten behind on my weekly posts - it's been so busy around here! I don't know about you, but I can't believe today is Christmas Eve - these past few weekends just flew by and were so busy!

No, I didn't get my nose pierced ;) 

This season has been filled with so many blessings, I'll share more on that in a later post. 

This Christmas, I'm glad we get to share it with both Nick and I's families. It's also Ranger's first Christmas which is fun for us. We just have two weeks of Ranger's puppy class left and he's been doing so good! Still some areas to work on ;) but he's made progress for sure. 

On December 14th, I was baptized. I hadn't been baptized before and it had been a long time in the making  (8 years ago, I gave my heart to Christ) and it was so good. In the way only He can make it. The pastor brought Nick up (after this photo) to enjoy it with me, and my parents were there along with some couples in our married's group. It was a weekend filled with love and so much gratitude for all Christ has done. 

 This snuggly boy took advantage of a warm place on the bed right after I got up, he snuggled into my spot on the bed. #meltmyheart

Ranger's first Christmas - I still can't believe how huge my tiny puppy is! 

So many co-workers were so thoughtful giving gifts - I got so many great and thoughtful gifts from them! My secret Santa this year was amazing - I gave her a few shout-outs on my Instagram during the week. 

Funny story about this happy mug - I had pinned it to my Christmas List the week before, and Monday morning, my secret Santa had it on my desk with other goodies. I was sure it had to be someone I was connected to on Pinterest so had a few names in mind all week. I was so wrong and the wild thing is she had no idea I pinned it! We're not connected on Pinterest, she just saw it and thought of me. I so love the people I work with and am always so thankful for them. 

Beauty on a December Texas afternoon 

I got my first red cup of the season on Sunday - after Ranger's class and during our Target run. It gave me the pick-me-up I needed to check things of my list that day.

Family photo by the tree:)

I'm so thankful for these parents of mine. 

Ranger and I, my mom and Ranger's mom (Indy) and my dad and Ranger's dad (Boo). Such a fun photo! 

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

This week's Pinspiration:

Source: this is also a free printable! Click the source link to get it. 

An Iced-In Weekend

We had a freezing rain & ice storm overnight Thursday night. This is what we woke up to on Friday morning.  I assumed this white stuff was snow, but it was sleet! It ended up being about 1/2 inch thick of solid ice. 

North of Dallas, I-35 closed on Friday, leaving a 12 mile (!) backup. Some people were stuck in the stalled traffic for 18 hours, having to conserve their gas by turning off their car, get creative for bathroom breaks, and hopefully got some food. They had to sleep in their cars overnight. Can you imagine? So many were close to their destination, yet so far away. We also had lots of power outages and it's been so cold, I'm just thankful for heat and a warm fireplace. 

Most everything has been closed due to the ice. It did make for some pretty photos though.

 Ice skating, anyone? 

 Ranger wasn't so sure about this stuff. 

We enjoyed an iced-in day Friday and Saturday. I've been able to catch up on some projects here, though it would have been nice to run errands since Christmas is coming up so soon!

We made the best of a slow paced weekend though. I got my fill of puppy kisses too. Ranger is never short on kisses:)

We got our first family photo with Boo, Indy and Ranger (dad, mom and son). It's funny how different Ranger looks compared to them! Ranger is 4 months old now and is 9 pounds. 

 Ranger loves the fireplace. He'll stand in front of it, bring his toys to it so he can hang out in front of the fireplace. He was standing there the other night when we turned off the fireplace and he seemed so disappointed.

I hope you're having a safe and cozy weekend wherever you are!

Today's Pinspiration:

This is on a sticky note at my desk. I like this reminder:)

'Tis the Season

I hope you've all had a great Thanksgiving weekend. I had Friday off work and have loved the long weekend and quality family time. I've started to feel the Christmas gift-giving anxiousness that can creep in during the holidays and had to stop myself to enjoy the true meaning of this season. I've reminded myself I'll be loved by my family whether or not I snag the perfect gift ;). Getting rid of the anxiousness has left excitement and joy in its place. It's a good time just to tell our loved ones how much they mean to us. 

Here are some photos of our weekend. 

 We got up some decorations at my mom's this weekend. Putting up the Christmas decorations is one of my favorite days of the year! So much cheer. I love the joy and warmth of the Christmas season. 

I made Triple Chocolate Cupcakes (recipe here) for our Thanksgiving dessert and added a variety of toppings for fun. I did chopped walnuts, chocolate chips and cut up peppermint patties. This recipe is just so good:)

Homemade buttercream frosting is always beautiful if you ask me. 

This is Ranger and Nick practicing our homework for puppy class - this is "sit". I think Ranger looks adorable every time he sits. 

We watched Elf last night (one of my Christmas favorites!) and Ranger seemed to like it. He and Nick cuddling is always the cutest.

This was today after Ranger's puppy class. He has been learning really well so far! We still have areas to work on, but his sweet times {most days...} overshadow the tantrums and poor choices he makes;). We also gave him a haircut today, after this photo was taken, and he looks so different to me! His hair will grow back fast, but I'm not used to seeing him with shorter facial hair. I'm sure you'll notice in photos I post this week. 

I hope you've had a great weekend. Let's keep joy and gratitude in our hearts to give to others this week. We never know who may need some extra.

Today's Pinspiration:

(Source from Pinterest)

{Thankful}

This is a great season to make us step back and realize all we have to be thankful for. I thought I'd reflect and jot down things I'm thankful for. Two years ago, Nick and I had a "thankful basket" we'd put something every day we're thankful for. It was neat to go through them together in the end. I also kept them and we looked at them again last year and it's neat to see where we were at and what was on our hearts a year before. 

A beautiful setting sun on my way home this week 

I'm thankful for so much beyond this list, but here's a start:

• God has to top the list each year. I wouldn't be here without Him and He is our ultimate Provider, Healer, Designer, Planner, etc. 

• My hubby. If you've been reading for long, you probably know how much he helps me, supports me, cares for me, and has a selfless love that is incredible. 

• Our puppy, Ranger. He brings so much joy and puts life in perspective. He also challenges us, but I'd say in areas we could use to be challenged.

• Family. Our families mean so much to us and are a huge part of who we are and growing together.

• Joe's healing. The weeks after Joe's accident were scary to say the least. Some of you know he had another surgery this week on his diaphragm. It had been cracked and unseen until recently. It should help Joe's pain and breathing, and hopefully help him heal more fully. His healing has been a hard, long process, but we're so thankful he's here and to see his progress. God is good! 

• Work. I'm so blessed to have a great boss, team, and feel appreciated. I know this is hard to come by and so thankful to grow there. 

• Provision. Even through hard seasons of life, we are continuing to learn how the Lord provides for our needs. Even needs we don't think about - food, shelter, love, etc. He gives us what we need. 

• Friends. We try to be intentional in our friendships (I wish I could be better at this too) and to appreciate them, be there for them, and enjoy the friendships. I've said it before, I wish I could just be a full-time friend, I just love to encourage others and wish I had/made more time to do it.

• The holiday season. It's my favorite time of the year. I love the coziness, the warmth and love shared, the twinkle of Christmas lights, snuggling by the fire place, and giving hearts. This season always seems to go too fast, so I try to soak up every day and enjoy it. 

• My creative heart. I enjoy making things - knitting, crocheting, card making, etc. This time of year is fun to see what I can make for gifts and put my creative soul to use. 

• The social world. As silly as it may sound, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, the blogosphere all help me stay in touch with friends and family. I have to be careful not to spend too much time there, but there is so much love and so many great people I've enjoyed connecting with. People that are similar to me, different from me - I learn new perspectives.

• Food. I'm thankful we are able to accommodate me eating dairy and gluten free. I'm thankful I've found great foods to eat and that Nick is on board with finding healthy alternatives to keep us feeling good. 

• Readers. That's you all! I love hearing from you, sharing with you, and living life together. 

It's so rare these days Ranger takes a nap on us - we soak up these sweet moments

We start obedience school for Ranger tomorrow and we're excited. We try to be the best puppy parents we can be and look forward to learning how we can help him better and work through some of his areas of "improvement";). Here's a funny video of his feisty leg picking a fight with him (crazy pup! He does this often and I finally got it on video).

(Source: Grace & Lace Website)

I loved watching Grace & Lace on Shark Tank last night. It's crazy how successful their business has been - she started it while she was on bed rest with a high risk pregnancy (I followed her blog during that stage of her life - until she got too busy with her Etsy shop and stopped blogging!:)). Watch the video of their story here. They've done over 1 million dollars in sales in the past 12 months! It's wild, but neat to see a business grow from her making things for herself, to doing orders from friends & family, to the business soaring as it was shared through Pinterest, FB, etc. On their Facebook page last night, she shared how thankful they are for the Lord's plan for their business and that they were selected to be on Shark Tank out of 38,000 applicants. Incredible! And inspiring. 

Today's Pinspiration:

(Pinterest Source)

Pumpkin Chili & Grace and Lace

This time of year, I love soups. Last year, it seemed like we did a crockpot soup just about weekly. I love prepping the meal once and getting multiple meals out of it. And I just love soups. I've got a new Pumpkin Chili recipe for you today! 

First, a recap of our week in photos:

I got out my crochet needles and made a few things last weekend. It made my heart so happy! 

A cowl I'm working on. 

These perfect dainty flowers (that I'm guessing are weeds..) are so pretty in the backyard right now. 

We've started leash training with Ranger which is much more difficult than you'd guess. Maybe he's just difficult ;) but it was quite the accomplishment to get him to walk forward in the leash - baited by treats every few steps. This puppy puts us to work! It's a patient process for sure, but teaches us a lot too. Learning moments right here.

A few nights ago while leash training in the back yard, Ranger walked too close to the pool in the bricks and his back leg slipped right into the pool. It happened very fast and Nick pulled him out quickly. His whole body didn't even get in the water, probably the lower 3/4 of his body or so. I had just a few minutes earlier put my hand in the water and splashed it around to show him that wasn't a solid surface, but I guess he knows now! Hopefully:)

We also had the first day I (Nick;)) had to scrape my car. He ran out to scrape it for me, such a sweet man. He shows me such unselfish love everyday. 

 My boys- it's a rare moment when Ranger falls asleep on our lap. We soak it up.

My attempt at getting a selfie with Ranger yesterday:)

I'm excited to share this Pumpkin Chili recipe with you! My co-worker has made this chili the past few years for our chili cook-off and it's always a top winner! I had to try it so she kindly gave me the recipe. Everyone loved it. It's so good and the pumpkin adds a heartiness that just hits the spot. 

• Pumpkin Chili Ingredients:

  2 tablespoons olive oil 

  1/2 cup chopped onion 

  1 cup chopped red or orange bell pepper (seeds/ribs removed) 

  1 clove garlic, finely chopped 

  1 pound ground chicken or beef 

  2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained 

  1 can (15 oz.) Canned Pumpkin (just pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling) 

  1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce 

  1 can (15.25 oz.) kidney, pinto, OR black beans  

  1 can (4 oz.) Diced Green Chiles 

  1 tablespoon chili powder 

  1 teaspoon ground cumin 

  1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

  A few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg

  
  Directions:
  

  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add meat; cook until browned.

  Add ALL remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

 It's so easy! I whipped it up in probably an hour including prepping the veggies and the cook time. 

(image source)

I've followed this blogger, Melissa, for a few years now. I started reading her blog just after the loss of her baby girl. We were living in Dallas and she was in Austin. My heart just broke for her, but her faith through it all was so inspiring. She has such a sweet heart for the Lord and I kept up with her blog regularly. A while later, she was pregnant again and on a strict bed rest. She started making things to keep herself busy and started an Etsy site (here). We had some interaction in the blogosphere (I helped her get her blog header centered:)) but she stopped blogging so I always wondered how she was doing. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I saw my friend liked her Grace and Lace page on Facebook. I was in awe! I felt like I was reunited with a friend again. Her family is adorable! She announced this week she took her business on Shark Tank (one of our favorite shows!) and they previewed her episode last night for next week (it airs next Friday night). I love supporting small businesses and am so excited for her and her family. She has a new website: http://www.graceandlace.com and has been so successful with her little shop turned huge success. Check it out and watch her and her hubby on Shark Tank next Friday! 

Today's Pinspiration:

In the spirit of thankfulness. This season, we're counting our blessings. We have so much to be thankful for, in all seasons of life. 

(Pinterest Source)