Exercise Anyone???

Ever since I had Jubal, I have been through several phases of exercising. From walking, to jogging, to working out at the YMCA, to spin class. My favorite phase was the YMCA. When Stephen worked in mental health, he received a membership at the Y. He gave that to me...hooray! I really enjoyed it. I could get up early, go work out, and come home just in time for Stephen to go to work. But when he lost his job, we lost the membership. So, back to the drawing board. I ended up walking about 2-3 times a week pushing Jubal in the stroller and then riding my mountain bike 1 mile (pulling Jubal in the trailer) to the library once a week. Then something happened; Jubal got heavier. It was getting a little more difficult to push that stroller up the hills and pull the trailer to the library. Then Stephen mentioned a couple weeks ago about getting me a stationary trainer for my bike. Tadah!!! There was my answer. I could ride on the trainer and Jubal could play in the backyard. It gets better. Yesterday, we went to a consignment shop that sells outdoor gear and there it was... a stationary trainer for a nice price. Hooray! Stephen bought it for me and set it up. I am so excited. I have my own little spin class at my house, whenever I want. And the best part, Jubal can run his own little childwatch. Thanks Stephen for buying that for me. It will be used well.

Almost time

Wow, this weekend has flown. It's Sunday afternoon and we will be picking up Jubal in a few hours. Stephen and I had a meaningful time together. We even went to see a movie at the theater last night... It's been a while since we have done that!
We went mountain biking yesterday for a couple hours and that was so great. I forgot to take the camera, so no pictures to post. We had a good time. I definitely pushed hard and I am a little sore today. It was worth it though. I really admire Stephen for the dedication he has cycling and for those super crazy long rides that he does. He is amazing!
So now, I am really starting to miss Jubal and I am looking forward to seeing his cute little face and red hair.

A weekend for two

This weekend is going to be such a treat. Stephen's parents came to get Jubal and they are keeping him until Sunday. WOW!!!!
It's a little wierd not having Jubal around. I keep thinking I am forgetting something or someone.... he he....
The funny thing is, Stephen and I aren't sure what to do yet. We have mentioned sleeping in and turning up the volume on the TV loud while we watch a movie.....
I hope everyone reading has a wonderful weekend as well.
Adios!

Hiking to Starbucks????

This week has been so great. We have had lots of great family time this week. I love it when Stephen is off work. He is an awesome daddy and husband. I appreciate the time that we get to spend together and the time that Stephen invests in Jubal's life. I am so proud of him and the love that he has for his family. What a blessing!

Yesterday and today we went exploring and hiked some cool routes. We hiked on Slatey Creek Loop trail yesterday, in Mills River, and it was absolutely beautiful. We were way out in the national forest and it was so peaceful and relaxing.

Today we hiked 1 mile on the snow-dusted Mountains to Sea trail and ended up at Starbucks. Yippeee!!! It was so fun. Jubal was a little trooper too and hiked pretty much the whole way. He only crashed once. Whew! What a treat that was to hike, drink my chai, and then hike some more. So nice.

It has been such a wonderful Christmas. I have enjoyed it a lot and have reflected a lot on the past year. I am excited about the things I have learned and look forward to the year ahead.

I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful, memory-filled Christmas like I did.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Packin' a punch

"Pride only breeds quarrels,
but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
Proverbs 13:10

I read this in my quiet time today and Wow! it really got ahold of me.
God has revealed things in my life that are hard to swallow and today this verse really convicted me. I won't ramble on and on about my personal struggles but I do want to praise Jesus for helping me see that I have pride. Yes, it's hard to admit, but it lifts a lot off my shoulders. When I stubbornly admitted it to Stephen this morning, I immediately felt walls coming down.
I am so thankful that God loves me enough to reveal my sin and also give me Scripture to show me how to deal with it and move on. It's not in my own strength that I will rid of my pride, it's through Jesus. And for that I am grateful. I am looking forward to Christ's humility in me producing the courage to heed advice. What a joy it will be when I don't feel the need to defend myself but to learn from and admit my mistakes. It's not about me, it's about Jesus and the freedom He gives.

Craziness

Jubal and I ventured out to the mall this morning to meet a dear friend of mine to exchange gifts and hang out. It was rainy so our option for hanging out was limited. Holy Moley!!!! There were so many people. I knew there would be because of last minute christmas shopping but the reality was a little more overwhelming. Jubal was so good though, so it made the trip more pleasant. He had a good time playing with the other kids in the little play area. Karen and I had a great time talking while our kiddos played. Adult conversation is so nice.
Karen, if you are reading this, I had a great time seeing you and it was nice to get out. Thanks for being my friend!
When we got home, I started a fire in the woodstove and we both cuddled up and read a cute book. After the book, we headed to bed for our daily nap. Aaaah, so nice!

Another Meal

Since I know some mommies (and daddies) are reading my blog, I want to help give some ideas to make your lives easier. In fact these things can be helpful for anyone reading this. I have learned so much in the past few years so I would love to share some of those things with you.
One of those areas is making meals. Sometimes I have days where it's hard for me to think about making dinner. I don't want to make the same ol' thing all the time and I want it to be healthy and yummy too. I try to make all of our food from scratch to save money and our health. Before I give the recipe, I want to share what has helped me to think through our dinners so that they are not last minute all the time. I have started taking a block of time where I can sit and plan a menu for the week. Yes, it takes some effort but it is well worth it. It also saves multiple trips to the grocery store. I keep the list in my kitchen drawer so I can refer to it throughout the week. Now when Stephen asks what we are having for dinner, I actually have an answer other than "I am not sure yet." (most of the time ;).
Here is one recipe that we enjoy that my mother-in-law gave me when I married Stephen. It has stood the test of time so I thought I would share it with ya'll. It is Chicken pot pie. It's easy and not much to clean up. My kind of meal!

2 cups chicken, diced and cooked
1 cup chicken broth (sometimes I use vegetable broth)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of mixed veggies (or steamed fresh/frozen veggies, to make it healthier)
1 cup milk
1 cup unbleached flour
3 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, melted

Mix chicken, broth, soup, and veggies in large bowl. Spread evenly into baking dish.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over mixture and evenly spread. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Happy Baking!

Awesome!!

Here is Jubal and his longboard. He had a blast! (So did I...he he).

Opening Presents in VA

This weekend we went to VA to exchange gifts with my parents, my brother and his family, and my grandmother. It was great seeing my grandma. She is in her mid 80's and she is so great. Although the years are taking their toll, she is still so independent and does a lot of stuff on her own. She lost her husband (my grandpa) to cancer right before Jubal was born and I really cherish every time I get to see her. I love her so much. I also got to spend some quality time with my nephews which was so great. They are getting so big and so handsome and I love getting to hang out with them. My oldest nephew is learning to play the guitar and he played a couple songs for us. I am so proud!

Jubal had a blast opening all of his presents. He got some neat things. He got a big aqua doodle, a blinky ball, and an awesome handmade longboard. I will post a picture soon because it's really incredible. A good friend of ours made it and it will be in our family for a long time. Jubal is so excited about it and will be our extreme longboard dude in the family. (Stephen and I will enjoy riding it too ;).
On our way home we got to see it snow. It was exciting. We love the snow. I am hoping for a nice snow storm this winter.
It's good to be home.

Jubal's christmas play

This morning was Jubal's little christmas play (or show, as he calls it). He did a really cute job. We started out with singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and lit candles for 2 huge cakes. The kids actually put the lit candles in the cake unscathed. Amazing! Then after a potty break and some songs, his class went on stage. They shook maracas to Feliz Navidad, rang jingle bells to Jingle Bells, and hit sticks together for Mary Did You Know. Jubal was so cute and stayed on his little green dot the whole time. He even broke it down a few times during Jingle Bells. I am so proud! I love my little boy.
***Jubal is the one with the striped shirt on in the picture. If you click on the picture you will get an idea of how excited Jubal was at that point. I love it!

Baking blues

I have had rough couple days with baking. Has anyone ever had those times? I consider myself pretty good at baking and cooking but I am starting to doubt myself. In the past couple days, I have ruined 2 batches of toffee and a loaf of bread. I know I shouldn't get worked up about it but it is sad that I have wasted so many ingredients. Boo Hoo. I am not trying to complain about it but I have to vent somehow today. I thought my blog would be a good place.
I am not sure why I ruined the bread. I make it at about once a week so it's not that I am new at making it. It has really baffled me why it came out so dense. Hmmmmm......
As far as the toffee, it was my first time making it so that makes it a little easier. The first batch I made, I cooked it too long so I burned it. Then the second batch ended up doing some funky foam thing so I couldn't see that it was burning. I found out later that the butter seperated from the sugar. My sweet hubby experimented last night and this morning to try to figure out the trick to making it good. He figured out that adding water helps it cook effectively if it seperates. Yet, his batches came out a little too runny. I actually don't feel so dumb now bc I think Stephen got the same bewildered feeling I have.
Wow! Who knew toffee could be so hard to make???? Oh well. I will try again next week, after my frustration subsides and we have more money for butter and sugar ;).
Ya know, I feel better already. I think I am about ready to try the bread again......
Thanks for listening!

Foggy morning

Jubal got a new soccer ball from my wonderful hubby on Sunday night. So, monday morning I took Jubal to a nearby park to play. Jubal was so excited and giddy all the way there. It was so beautiful when we arrived. There was heavy fog on the soccer field and we had fun running around in it. Jubal had a blast kicking the ball around and I tried to teach him how to pass the ball while running down the field. The first attempt ended up with a frustrated cry from Jubal because he thought I was taking it from him. Oooops. I forgot to explain it before I got the ball. After some explanation we ran down the field chasing after the ball, giggling our little hearts out. We ended up playing and running around for almost an hour and a half. No wonder my legs were tired! We had such a fun morning together. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

Yummy Dinner Idea

One thing (among many) that I love about cold weather is making soup for dinner. Not only is it easy, it's healthy and warms us up. Tonight Stephen is riding his bike in the low 30 degree weather so I wanted to make something that would make him feel warm and cozy when he gets home. So I made potato soup and biscuits. It was delicious. So, for all of you out there that want to add a new recipe to you repertoire, here ya go!

Easy Potato Soup

4 Cups diced potatoes

1/3 Cups chopped onion

3 Tbsp. butter

1/2 C water

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 Cups milk

1/2 Cup cheese

Add potatoes, onion, and garlic to melted butter with water. Cook until potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes with spoon or potato masher. Add milk and cheese. Cook until thick.

Biscuits (makes 10-12 biscuits)
***I half this recipe for the three of us

2 Cups unbleached flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp sugar

1/2 Cup organic or conventional shortening

2/3 Cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with knife until there are coarse crumbs. Add milk and mix well. Roll out onto floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter. Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.

I'm Finished

Whew! I got all my sewing done this morning. I am so proud of myself. I met my goal. I wanted to post a picture so you can see what I did this past week and also promote my friend's business, Quilt Baby.

Tomorrow, I am going to drop it all off and spend some time working on Christmas presents with Jubal. I am actually excited to get that started.

Have a wonderful day!

Busy Busy Busy....

I just realized today that I haven't blogged in a while. Oh well, your bad. :)
Things have been busy for me. I had the cookie exchange on monday and that was awesome. I had so much fun and ate too many cookies. It's hard not to taste them all. So far, we still have some cookies left at home. I have also been working on a wholesale order for Quilt Baby and my personal goal is to get my assignment done by Friday morning (even though I have until next Friday). I think I am going to make it. Jubal has preschool tomorrow so I will have 4 hours of uninterrupted bib-sewing time. Woo Hoo!!!
I will post a picture of what I have been working on later.
Something else that has been taking up some time is surfing on the net for some good crafts. MarthaStewart.com is a great site to look at. My friend Jessie has also added some cute things to her blog (http://quiltbaby.typepad.com/modernbabydesign/). It's fun getting some last minute ideas for Christmas.
Let me know what you guys think and if you try any out. Have fun! Until next time......

COOKIES!!!!!

For about 3 years, I have been part of a little potluck group that meets once a week and hangs out. Since then, we started doing a cookie exchange every Christmas and it's been so much fun. I really look forward to it. This year instead of doing the exchange with all the families, just the moms are getting together and having a girls night out cookie exchange. I am really excited about it!

We have 12 signed up so that means I get to make 12 dozen cookies plus another dozen to eat at the party. It is a lot of baking but it sure is fun. Plus I get to come home with 12 dozen different varieties. Yummy!

I decided to make a recipe that mother-in-law shared with me when I first married Stephen and they are so good. They are called Peppernuts. They take a long time to make but it's worth it.
I would love to share the recipe with you too. (They make great gifts for Christmas.)

1 C sugar

1 C butter, softened

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 C light corn syrup

1/2 C honey or molasses

1/3 C water

6 2/3 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 C chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients. Dough should be stiff. Roll into long slender rolls (about 1/2 inch diameter). Place on greased cookie sheet. Separate layers with wax paper. Chill until firm. Cut into small round pieces (about a 1/4 inch thick). Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 for approx. 12-15 minutes or until brown.

I forgot....

I forgot to say....
Happy December everybody!!!
WOOO HOOO!!!!

How exciting!!

I am very excited. My husband has introduced me to Facebook (I am a little behind in the technilogical realm) and I started my own page. The thing that is so exciting is a few of my good friends from college, that I lost touch with, are on Facebook too. So yesterday, I spent some time sending them messages and they have replied. I am so happy. It's so neat to see how they are doing and where they live.
College was such a great experience for me. Not only did I meet the man of my dreams but I met some pretty fabulous people too. God really used them to strengthen my walk with Him and I am so thrilled to have contact with them again. It's so cool!