Birthday... Cupcakes... But not Birthday Cupcakes...

Finally getting to the last weekend of our busy October... Which, in my opinion, was pretty dang exciting.

First of all, I celebrated 27 years of being alive! Sometimes I forget how old I really am, but this year I've been really conscious of it. I think because Michael turned 29 & I realize I'm not a child anymore (yes it's taken me approximately 15 years to figure that out). But, I cannot complain about anything in my 27 years. God has changed me, blessed me, grown me, & given me more than I could ever ask for on my own. I'm more content with life now than I've been, well, since I was a child.

What to do to celebrate such blessings? Why, sushi of course! My poor husband doesn't enjoy sushi like I do (at all, really), but he was sacrificial to take me to a sushi bar. As you can tell from the following pictures, 1) I was hungry, and 2) I freaking love sushi. What a perfect birthday dinner!

BEFORE:

California Roll, Philadelphia Roll (salmon & cream cheese), Tuna something roll (tuna, avocado & mayo), & Avocado roll.

 AFTER: 

I'm stuffed.

Yes, I ate the whole, entire plate. By myself. Happy birthday to me! Michael got me some really thoughtful birthday gifts, including the movie The Lion King. I am a Disney nut. I can quote Aladdin in its entirety, & I still have to leave the room when Ariel says good-bye to her daddy at the end of The Little Mermaid. So, I was happy to start my Blue Ray collection of Disney movies. Sorry Mom & Dad, but no, I don't want to inherit your VHS tapes.

Grizzly really enjoyed the movie too!

Overall I had a fabulous birthday, & owe a lot of that to my wonderfully loving & thoughtful husband!



Usually, I try to extend what I like to call "birthday benefits" to at least a week, trying to milk the pampering for as long as possible. This year, though, my cousin Diena was getting married the next day, & I asked to do her wedding cake & cupcakes for the reception two days later. I'm glad she gave me the opportunity to be a part of her wedding, & overall I think everything turned out alright! Let me know what you think...

The final cupcake tower...

Various chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate ganache tinted pink!

Vanilla cake with raspberry filling & marshmallow fondant

I definitely couldn't have done this on my own. First of all, I'd like to thank my kitchen for taking a beating:

But seriously, I really want to give a shoutout to The Cupcake Tower ladies! They make really good quality cupcake towers that made my cupcakes look good! You can order any size & color ribbon you want. Check them out here!

Second, I had a special request for gluten-free cupcakes, & was tired of using boxed mixes that were pretty boring. I met Ashley in college, & knew that she had a specialty bake shop (Sugar Mama Bakeshop- doesn't that just sound delish!), so I asked for her help. She sent me these fabulous gluten-free (vegan) cake mixes that I used. Let me just say, I thought they were delish & I'm not usually a gluten-free lover! Do me a favor, check out her blog!

Congrats Diena & Devin Rogers! Nothing but great wishes to you!

Oh, and Happy Birthday to me!!!! (Forget what I said about not milking it this year...)

Texas for a Weekend

I've got some catching up to do! I'm on to the third weekend in October... Here's a glimpse:

We flew to Texas for the weekend of Oct 14th-17th for Michael's 10 YEAR REUNION! Wow. To some, it may not seem that long, but for someone who can't imagine being in the "real world," it sure is a strange feeling. My husband has been graduated for 10 years. And I'm not far behind... It's just weird. Time escapes like a cloud of smoke. You think you can hold it in, but then it just disappears...

So I've got to set the stage for this. I went to high school in Ft. Collins, CO. I graduated with 600+ people in my class. I couldn't imagine driving 45 minutes to get to the mall. Michael, on the other hand, went to high school in Pilot Point, TX. His graduating class was 60-something. He drove 45 minutes to get to a movie theater. We grew up in different worlds. Small town Texas is everything you think of when you see "Friday Night Lights." Everybody knows each other, everyone goes to the Friday night football game, and let me tell you, it's serious business.

On Friday, there was a parade & pep rally in the afternoon:

Then the football game that night:

As I'm intently watching the game (mind you), I happened to be slightly distracted by this interesting phenomenon. There are these massive ribbony things that all the kids wear around. You know those cheesy ribbons you used to get for field day participation or something? Think of that. On steroids. I tried to get a picture:

The kids lug these ribbons around with them. I guess it's like wearing a letter jacket, or something similar. Guys usually buy them for the girls to take them to homecoming. I'm sure I'm messing the tradition up. But I was fascinated! =)

Anyways, back to important Reunion News. We were supposed to have a big fancy dinner at a big fancy place (it's his reunion, not mine...as shown by my being oblivious to details) . But I guess not enough people signed up... So, instead, we went to... a bar. Bully's, or something... Yay. Not to interfere with the awesome-ness of what is a 10 Year Reunion, but my idea of a good reunion doesn't exactly include a too-loud band, smoking (yes, inside), drinking & taking lots of photos. It was fine, & I know Michael was glad to catch up a little with his old friends, & I got free Diet Coke. Who's to complain?

We didn't have a huge amount of time, but in the time we did have, we got a fried chicken meal (a staple), went shopping for new jeans for Michael, a lovely steak dinner, & just time to spend with the Hollar family. We also went to The Village Church on Sunday morning. If you're ever in North Texas, go here.  Every time I get to go there, I am in awe of the great things God is doing. The church bought an old Albertsons & is reaching massive amounts of people with the Bible. The teaching pastor, Matt Chandler, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2010, at the age of 35. If you have time, read this.  This place is rocking for Jesus, and I love it!

A few final photos from our visit:

Michael & I with my beautiful mother-in-law Sandra!

Fried chicken, fried okra, green beans, biscuit & gravy. Done.

Getting ready to head back to Colorado!

Overall we had a fantastic time & look forward to going back for Christmas this year!

Next Week: Birthday & Wedding Cupcakes...

Mawage & Snow

Ok so this post is not really about snow at all, but on this beautiful Wednesday (made even more beautiful by a day off!) I'm enjoying the first real snow here at our casa:

And of course I'm adoring my little snow bunny!

Isn't he just so precious??


It's been a bit of a busy month, so I'm starting at the beginning (where all good stories start).


The second weekend in October Michael & I went to a marriage conference called "A Weekend to Remember" put on my a group called Family Life. Every time I hear the word "marriage" I think of the scene in The Princess Bride where the priest is officiating the wedding of Prince Humperdinck & Buttercup. "Mawage. Mawage is wat bwings us togeva tooday."


Ok that's not the point. I'd like to share a few brief highlights from our weekend away. (P.S. I finally made it to IKEA that weekend! Still incredibly busy & chaotic, but also inspiring & memorable! Sorry, again, that's not the point.) Here we go, for real this time:

• Our culture's pattern for mawage...ahem, marriage... is a 50/50 performance relationship. "You do your part, I'll do mine." This pattern is destined to self-destruct. What is 50% in a marriage? You think you do at least 50% all the time? So when you can't, your spouse shouldn't have to either. Both of you are disappointed, unhappy & you give up giving at all. Sounds fun. No, we need to have a 100/100 giving relationship. I give 100% of me, all the time, to the best of my ability, to my spouse, regardless of what he does for me.  I've found that the more of myself I give, the more Michael gives to me. Because he truly loves me and wants to do for me what I try to do for him.
• This next point was probably the most impacting argument I heard all weekend. Simply stated, our priorities are wrong. It was argued that your marriage should be your #1 priority, no exceptions. Hear my words: Children are not the most important thing in your family. Wow. Ok, so think about where you're at in reality compared to the ideal: God first, marriage relationship second, children third, everything else, last. So we obviously don't have kids yet, so I lucked out there. But I'll be honest, I can easily fall into an "extramarital affair" if I'm not careful. Activities (busyness!), friends, materialism, career, Facebook (shh), etc. can all easily slip quietly into first place in my life. When I got married I committed to my spouse being #1 in my book. It's convicting to consider how I'm doing with this commitment!
• The idea of being on a team with your spouse was also interesting. First, we have to realize that our spouse is not our enemy. We're on the same team! Why does it sometimes seem like all we're doing is battling each other?!? We need to get better at realizing the actual enemy- the one who wants your marriage to fail. I believe that one is the devil himself. Another point I loved that deals with being on a team is this idea that Eve came from Adam's rib. She didn't come from his feet to be stepped on or his head to rule over him. Instead, she came from under his arm to be protected, near his heart to be cherished, and from his side to walk through life alongside him.
• Lastly, there was a session called "Marriage After Dark." This was a great session. They talked about........ Oh my gosh I can't write about this! My family is reading this!!! I'm blushing! Excuse me I need a minute to compose myself................. Ok, all I'll say is that we learned that a satisfying sex life is build on a foundation of companionship, commitment, passion & spiritual intimacy. Done.

Overall, it was a great weekend & I'm so thankful Michael agreed to go with me. I must say he is a wonderful spouse and he makes it very easy for me to love him. Awwww.... I love my husband, and I love mawage. I hope you do to. xoxo

Truth...Or Consequences

I think we can agree that we've all been, at one time or another, deceived by someone or something the world has to offer. I remember seeing an infomercial for a band you velcro over your middle section that vibrates & creates a 6 pack in 5 minutes a day, or something ridiculous. But I remember thinking, "Ooh I'd try that." Maybe you signed up for a "rewards card" only to find out they ran your credit and awarded you a credit card? Yes, that's happened to me. Twice. (Ok this is getting embarrassing.) Much of what may come to mind deals with politics. I don't need to get into that. But do you get my point? We are easily deceived.

Yes, I'm sure she got her abs from that band. Riiiiiiiight.

However, when the deception is blatant and obvious, we are much less likely to fall for it. "Fat free, but delicious dessert!" Ya right. We all know a dessert without butter just ain't gonna be good. "Guaranteed to help you sleep on a plane." Ha. No product is going to help you sleep on an airplane. Maybe a 1st class ticket, but that's about it. Ok, my point is that we're not stupid. We don't fall for claims that are outrageous, but we do fall for claims, if they appear legitimate.

Maybe if you took away screaming babies, the passenger to the front, side & rear of you, and the 10,000 ft elevation change, then yes, that pillow might help me sleep on an airplane.

This is the idea behind the first chapter of the book I'm reading, Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. We are consistently being lied to by the "father of lies," yet unless it's an all out ridiculous claim, we're likely to believe it. Think about it. I'm likely to believe advice like, "If you ignore him, he will figure out sooner or later that something is wrong," or "It's not your fault you're that way, you've been deeply hurt by that person." But advice like, "God doesn't expect you to stay in that marriage," or "Just stop paying your mortgage, the bank is too busy to deal with it anyways," I am likely to laugh at!

The problem, DeMoss says, is that "most people have unthinkingly exposed themselves to so much deception that they do not even realize they are being deceived...We simply live our lives, responding to the people, circumstances, & influences around us. It all looks so good; it feels so right; it seems so innocent." We gradually become desensitized to the lies we are listening to. It's not like I started believing overnight that the silent treatment was healthy. It was a progression. I saw it, I considered it, I tried it out, then I lived it out. Yikes. What a subtle lie I believed that has had a huge impact on my life and my relationships.

What are some areas in your life you may be listening to lies? Physical (overeating, substance abuse)? Emotional (anxiety, depression, fear)? Sexual (pornography, lust)? Financial (overspending, greed)? Are you in bondage to the need for approval, taking the spotlight, selfishness, envy, pride, bitterness, anger, addiction? If we want to be free from these, we have to get down & examine the what that makes you believe you have to live that way. "If you want to get rid of poisonous berries, it's not enough to go out & pick all the berries off the bush. The only way to permanently get rid of the poisonous fruit is to pull the bush out from the roots."

So, here we go, examining the depths of the lies that we may believe, and replacing them with the TRUTH. Because doing it God's way is worth it, and satan's way is not. "Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss; he promises life, and pays with death." ~Thomas Brooks

Lies Women Believe...

I started this book today, called "Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I had read it back early on in college, but have had this feeling like I just want to read it again. Awhile back I found a copy at a used book store for like $7, and I've finally opened it!

I begin this book a little skeptical, remembering that when I read it in college there were some radical thoughts I wasn't sure I could believe. Also, Nancy Leigh DeMoss is a single woman, but in the book she writes about marriage, so again I begin a little skeptical.

But, today I read the introduction and I must say that at least so far she's captured my attention! She begins the Intro by suggesting that most women are living in bondage to something. Whether it's outright sin, or guilt, their past, worry, fear, depression, approval, to food, or exercise, something! If you had to describe your life right now, would you use one or more of the following words? Frazzled, exhausted, burned-out, overwhelmed, defeated, depressed, ashamed, emotionally unstable, confused, angry, frustrated, discouraged, uptight, insecure, lonely, fearful? If so, she suggests you might not be living in the freedom that God wants for us. "I [Jesus] came that you might have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Ok, yes, Nancy, maybe I am a basket case, ok?!?

But seriously, instead try these: free, gracious, loving, confident, content, stable, joyous, peaceful, radiant. Do these words describe the kind of woman you would like to become? Well let me think, would I rather be emotionally unstable or peaceful?? That's difficult! 

So, with my mind clear that I am not living in complete freedom, I am open to hear what she has to say next. I hope you would too. If anyone feels they are living in complete freedom, please call I'd love to know how you're doing it! So with the premise that we are all, on some level, living in bondage to something, she opens the main premise of her book: "You and I have been lied to. We have been deceived."  She ends the intro with this: "The journey you & I are about to take together may not be an easy one. it may be difficult-even painful- to identify and root out those areas of deception that have placed you in bondage. But I know a "Good Shepherd" who loves you dearly, who laid down His life for you, and who will take you by the hand and lead you into green pastures and by quiet waters, if only you will let Him."

Well, I must say that at the very least I am intrigued to continue and read more. More to come as I read the first chapter, "Truth... or Consequences"

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm. Then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." ~Galatians 5:1

Long Slow Beautiful Dance

I've been a long time fan of Rascal Flatts, & have already seen them in concert like 3 times. I had come across a Groupon for 2 tickets for $50, got really excited and presented the idea to Mike. Let's just say his excitement for Rascal Flatts is a little... lacking compared to mine. He calls them the "boy band of country music." So what if the lead singer wears white pants with a sparkly black stripe down the side?? So what if they sing mainly love songs? So what if 95% of their fans are girls?? Ok, ok, so maybe he's right. But still, I like them, so he agreed to go.

After waiting for months, finally the concert was last night. I knew I had to do something to bring Mike's excitement level up a little (as you could guess mine was running high already), so we went out to eat at Qdoba. That's a surefire way to make him happy. =) After dinner we headed to Fiddler's Green. Here are some pictures from our evening:

Justin Moore (very country! had the whole outfit & twang workin for him!)

Sara Evans (love her because she spells her name without an 'h'!

Here they are! Now why would you think they are boy band-ish??

Needless to say, I thought the whole show was awesome! Justin Moore wasn't my favorite, but he was the first opening band so luckily he didn't get in much time. =) Sara Evans sang all her well known songs and put on a great performance. Of course Rascal Flatts was awesome! I was singing along, dancing, clapping, etc. Having a great time in my own little world! I had an absolutely great night.

Me? Happy Wifey!!!

So I got to thinking. I know that this was something that Mike wouldn't have necessarily chosen to do, nor was it something he was incredibly excited about (or, excited at all, I should say). But you know what? He did it for me. He sacrificed a little of himself so that I could be happy. Isn't that what makes love beautiful? When you put aside what you want, what makes you happy, what you like, and give yourself up for the other?

This reminds me of Galatians 5:13, which says, "You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers & sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." We all have the freedom to do or not do what we want. Mike didn't have to come with me. But he chose to. And you know what? In the end, he didn't think it was all that bad. He might have actually enjoyed himself a little. But you don't have to do anything sacrificial. You can just be selfish. Do what you want, think of yourself first, live your life the way that feels good to you. Fine. But tell me that at the end of your life that you feel satisfied.

Let's do a test this week. I dare you to find ways to serve those you love this week. It might be a spouse, a child, a friend, a boss, a leader, etc. Think of their needs, wants, and what would make them feel special. Then do it. Do it every day. Do it especially when you don't feel like it. Then tell me how you feel at the end of the week. Who knows, you might not think it's all that bad... You might actually enjoy yourself a little...

The giving of yourself to serve others is freedom. You are no longer trapped by your own selfishness. You are free to be a loving and giving individual, with no strings attached. And freedom is the only satisfying way to live. Thank you Michael for serving me and showing me so much love!

"But you weather a few storms, and pull out a few thorns. And together, the garden grows & grows."
~Rascal Flatts, "Long Slow Beautiful Dance"

My Little Green Thumb

How fast a month goes by in the blogging world! My goal in September is to write once a week! We'll see how that goes... =)

I have been busy with some projects around the house... The most recent has been trying to get our front planter area in decent shape to house some daffodil and tulip bulbs. This project has been a lot of work, and I just hope all the effort pays off next Spring with some beautiful flowers! I can't say I've ever had a successful garden/flower box, so I'm really hoping these are going to be successful. Thankfully my mom has a "Master Gardener" designation so she's really been able to help me out. You've heard that 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,' right? Well, unfortunately it seems that's not true with green thumbs... I've killed my fair share of house plants. =/

Here are some before pictures of the area we've been working on:

What I like to call "weed jungle." The whole front was just river rocks, with weeds growing at a remarkable pace. If my flowers can grow as well as the weeds, we'll be in good shape!  We took out all the rocks, dug up the useless weed barrier, raked the soil, loosened it, and took out all the remaining rocks and weed roots we could before spraying with weed killer. Now we just have to wait a few weeks to add compost/fertilizer and plant the bulbs! Here's what it looks like now, ready to be beautified!

Phew! Who thought little rocks would cause such big trouble. Here's what I hope it looks like in the Spring...

I'll give you one guess as to what color our tulips will be! Pink!! Look for pictures in the Spring and let's hope it all turns out according to plan!

I hope to post about other projects I've been up to, including some great baking recipes (including another cake), my latest crochet project, and some cute hair accessories that are really easy to put together. I've also been thinking a lot lately about family, faith, and what it means to love, and I hope to post about those too. Plan to see you again within the week. Until then... =]