long weekends

 {This pic is from last Thanksgiving. We didn't get fancy this year.}

I am still reeling over the long weekend. It was positively perfect. What isn’t to love about Thanksgiving and the leftovers? And we did it twice! That’s right. We went to my Uncle’s for the first, official round. Then on Saturday we decided to do it all over again because it was weird not hosting after 4 years of hosting and we wanted in on the fun too. It was delish! I have come to the conclusion that my favorite Thanksgiving meals include homemade goodness from scratch AND a gluten-free menu! Who would have thought!? I am certain that I was the only one on both Thursday and Saturday who was not uncomfortably full, partially because I have found going gluten-free in general has saved me of that plight at every meal and partially because I simply couldn’t eat what everyone else could because I was limited. Come Monday morning the scale said I had lost a pound. What? Lost a pound? That has never happened during Thanksgiving weekend in the history of man, yet the scale does not lie! Did I mention I ate an entire gluten-free pecan pie from Whole Paycheck by myself over the course of 6 days? True story. My body is loving this gluten-free business and my taste buds are happy about it too.

{Never saw that coming!}

The weekend {or week, because we had Maddie for 7 fabulous days} was also wonderful because I had Maddie Bell and Trinity here with me too. And they really enjoyed one another’s company…

We watched the first Christmas movie of the season with the whole family. My littlest sis and her BFF spent the night and we created more inside jokes and laughed a ton. I got wonderful news from a dear friend about her engagement. And we brought home our biggest Christmas tree yet. He is 9 glorious feet tall, 12 years old {I counted the rings at the base of his trunk.}, and we took him right off the truck from North Carolina. And I love him. I have sung, “O Christmas Tree” to him several times already.

My favorite thing about long weekends is that my husband gets to spend them relaxing and hanging out with me. And Trinity. And this weekend Maddy too. And I really, really love that. I hope you're Thanksgiving weekend was just as lovely!

"learning requires practice"

This list is really important to me. I would like to tell you why. But I think Ann communicates it far better than I, so I will give you quotes from her book that I relate to so well. It was like she was talking about me, for me.

"...the list, it feels foreign, strange. Long, I am woman who speaks but one language, the language of the fall -- discontentment and self-condemnation, the critical eye and the never satisfied." -pg 46

"I almost don't see it, but Paul repeats it twice in only two sentences, so I don't miss it:

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." (Philippians 4:11-12)

I read it many times, groping for the latch.
There it is -- the secret to living joy in every situation, the full life of eucharisteo{grace. thanksgiving. joy.} Twice Paul whispers it: 'I have learned...' Learned. I would have to learn eucharisteo. Learn eucharisteo -- learn it to live fully." -pg 47

My default is to grumble and to complain. To cry out, "Why me?" in the most trivial of circumstances when I step back to really look at the bigger picture. So what changes a heart like that? This. This joy found in God's Word and in His Presence. His Grace. And my choosing to say, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." for loving me and gifting me with sweet moments and terrible moments, both of which bring me to my knees and closer to His Heart.

 But it's a fight sometimes a lot of the time to have such discipline. To choose to be grateful. To stop and take the time to acknowledge the gift. So I'm practicing and I'm learning.

DISCLAIMER: Most of the pictures in this post were taken with an iPhone, and an old one at that, so the quality of most of these pictures is not so pretty. But it's the thought that counts.

180. - 228.

spending another night with Sonia at the hospital; playing with her; her smiles

His healing hand

friends in Miami

being home with Andrew after a night away

hearing how Trinity missed me & cried at the door when I didn't come home

feeling good about working out

Sonia finally released from the hospital

the pretty red cardinal on the gate

kitty cat in laundry basket

blogging about BSF

reflecting on Isaiah 

cooking dinner

bringing dinner over to Sonia's host family and hanging out/playing with the whole family

making Sonia smile and holding her most of the night

inspiring blogs

feeling accomplished after filing and organizing

Trinity wanting to be held and her little cat kisses

catching up with Kellie and Jorge

cooking a new recipe well

dinner with our community group

"making his day" with one simple text

laughing and playing with Andrew

kissing on his lunch break

another nap with a sweet kitty in the crook of my arm

3 nights in a row of hanging out with great people/Kellie, Jorge, and Stacey came over tonight

catching up with Cynthia on the phone

waking up well rested

morning walk and talk with my love

sunshine through trees and a backdrop of blue skies

evidence of new life

washing dishes together

afternoon nap with the hubby

cooking those delicious potatoes again, together

Andrew surprising me with delicious grilled steak {and I thought he'd been grilling chicken}

warm and crispy chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk

finding lots of inspiration/ideas on Pinterest {may need intervention. gratitude turned prayer request. ha.}

smiles and laughter from the husband

another morning walk

school of minnows jumping because of a chase

singing at church

singing/praying Healer for Sonia

holding and feeding Sonia after church -- IN church!

a red, ripe, sweet{est} strawberry

another long walk and talk

going through "Tuesday's" questions

a pretty yellow "weed"

the light from a sunset bouncing off walls, windows, and water

a pink sunset
hearing and processing through a sermon {Grace Now} on a passage I never really understood

dates and decor and dresses

Last weekend seems like SO long ago already! Anyhow, last weekend Andrew and I went on another date. We went to our favorite burger joint. (Boring in the sense that it's a chain and you could go to a thousand other blogs in the blogosphere and find out about cooler, hip one-of-a-kind burger joints, but nonetheless awesome and true -- Five Guys knows how to make a burger.)

And right next door is one of the greatest cupcake establishments to hit a shopping center in these days of cupcake trendery -- Misha's Cupcakes. SO GOOD!!!

And then I stepped foot inside a Home Goods store for the first time in my life and I will never be the same again. It.was.awesome. I wanted to spend oh so much money, but instead I spent 15 buckaroos on this fantastic shadow box frame. I've been wanting one for wedding mementos, but never found one that had quite the right look and size. Then voila. There it was on a shelf all by its lonesome at Home Goods. Andrew and I came home, got down our wedding stuff, and within 20 minutes this baby was hanging above my vanity/desk in our room. It makes me really happy. I've stopped and stared at it a lot this week. I've had to factor it into my getting-ready-for-the-day time so that I don't run late. Our sweet pastor from Tampa who married us sent us his sermon notes for our ceremony. I placed a page of his notes along with the program front and interior page, and a picture I found in a box of extras from the photographer.

After we hung my new favorite piece of decor on the wall, we sat down to watch a movie (and all of the special features on the BluRay, which were so interesting) and eat our cupcakes. It was a great night. I've been wanting to blog about that everyday since, but have not had the chance to do so!

On a completely different note: You should go check out this blog that I recently discovered for 2 reasons...one, it's cute and I like it and you might also. And two, she's giving away an awesome dress from the Shabby Apple and it could be yours or mine!

On another completely different note: This weekend my hubby and I are visiting friends and family. And we will be welcoming our first nephew into the world and I am STOKED!!! Isn't it crazy how much love we can muster up for a sweet, little baby we haven't had the privilege of meeting yet!? I cannot wait to hold him, and to spend some quality time with his big sister and mama. His dad is pretty great, too.

The Laundry beckons and I must go attend to it. (The scary part is that there is more in the hamper AND the washer AND the dryer.) My motto: The sign of a happy social calendar and fulfilled life is a large laundry pile.

since Thanksgiving is tomorrow

I better post the pictures and blog what I've wanted to since Halloween.

About a month ago now I did something I've always wanted to do! I toasted the pumpkin seeds from our carved jack-o-lantern and doing both were SO MUCH FUN!

Here's what you need:

Ingredients:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

*I used the seeds from our pumpkin, but you can use store bought pre-packaged seeds.

The hubby and I opened up that pumpkin and used an ice cream scoop to get all of the flesh and seeds out.

We filled the sink with a little water and dumped the flesh and seeds in. The seeds float right up to the top.

Allow seeds to dry a bit. Then spread them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 250 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and roasted.

In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (or in a large wok, since that's what we had handy) over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds.

Pour seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving.

 
Then eat and share with friends until your heart's content.

I had to post pictures of Trinity checking out the pumpkin Andrew carved in honor of her "halloween" cat pose. She approved.

* I got the pumpkin seed recipe from All Recipes