Sweets for my Sweeties

In my quest to try new things in the kitchen I've come across some pretty cool food blogs. Honestly, I think the internet is by far the coolest "modern" thing for our generation. I could go on and on about that, but I won't. But cooking blogs - amazing. I've already tried two new recipes for dinner this week that both Kaitlyn and Cody loved so I think it's easy to say I'm addicted to these blogs.

I came across these strawberries filled with a cream cheese base filling. Now, mine aren't quite as pretty as the ones on the blog because my icing tips are out of commission right now since I accidentally churned an essential part in my disposal a few weeks ago. I keep forgetting to go buy the part I need. So I used just a ziplog baggie with the end cut off. Not so pretty, but let's face it - it will taste the same. :) I still posted a picture of mine anyway.

Cody is at church right now and I'm holding off on eating these guys until he comes home. I'm weird like that. I want us to try new things at the same time. I love seeing his face because that's the real test. If I taste it before, I'm always too critical and then he ends up loving it, or I'm thinking it's amazing and he just thinks it's okay. So now I wait. But these are seriously making my mouth water just thinking about them. I did maybe taste the filling part and it was awesome. :)
K also got to taste a little bit of the filling and her response was, "I need a fork please." I'll take that as a good sign.

K and I didn't go to church because she's had a fever since Thursday night. She's been fever free for over a day now, but I'm still not going to be THAT mom that brings her kid to church to get all the other kids sick. You're welcome. I'm thankful that our church has the 9:30 service on t.v. It's such a blessing on days like today.

I'll update later about the result of the strawberries. :)




***UPDATE***
All three Bush family members approve of this yummy treat! Looks like we add another dessert to our menu! :)

So Lucky!

What a great St. Patrick's Day I had this year! I'm on Spring Break and have been with K all week. Being a teacher is the perfect mom job! Each day K begged me to go to school, which I guess it's a good thing that she loves it so very much, but I wanted her to myself this week. But I did need to make a major grocery store run and those are sometimes better solo, so I took K to school for a little bit - long enough to see her friends and discover that a pesky leprechaun had been there. :) (Have I mentioned I LOVE her school?)

So I ran some errands - which also consisted of hitting up the grand opening of Nordstrom's Rack in Arlington that just happens to be two doors down from DSW...dangerous territory I tell you, dangerous. I walked away with not one pair, not two pairs, but FIVE pairs of shoes.

I may have a slight problem.

After my errand running I picked up K and we headed for Ulta. Ever since she figured out Mama has painted toenails she's wanted her's painted. I wanted her to pick out the color she wanted. All day long she told me she wanted red and she stayed true to herself and picked out a classic red color that I loved painting on her toes later that night. We turned on Mickey Mouse so that she was still while they dried and it worked like a charm. Before the nail painting occurred K and I went to walk around the park. The weather was beautiful and just called for it. :)

Daddy took us both out to dinner later and then we did a little more shopping. At the end of the day I was beat, but in such a blessed and thankful way. After K was in bed Cody and I put in a movie and I decided to go through some more of K's clothes that are too small to give away. I always get a little weepy when I do that because I can remember certain things we did when she was wearing certain things and I know that she is growing up way too fast. It's hard to believe that she'll be three this year. Three - no way.

Call it luck if you want, but I'm going to call it a blessing. I am so very thankful for my sweet family and my heart is so very full of love!

These Things Take Time

I often ask God to speak to me through music, and honestly I think sometimes He does. I know that sounds crazy, but sometimes it's just too coincidental for it not to be God. I also think sometimes when He does this He has a sense of humor (as was the case when I heard Bleeding Love come on the nurses' radio right as my c-section was starting) or sometimes He humbles me.

Today, however, God comforted me through song. Clint's death has made my heart so heavy and had me questioning so much. This morning as I was getting in the car to drive K and I to one of my student's soccer games I opened up Pandora on my iphone and plugged it into my car speakers. I asked God aloud to speak to me through a song. And boy did He. He did so with the very first song friends - the very first song. It was a song I had never heard before. I knew the group, but had never heard the song.

It started....

"I wanna know why pain makes me stronger
I wanna know why good men die."

Okay, God. You heard my cries and now I know You're speaking to me.

"Why am I so afraid of the dark?
But I stray from the light

I wanna know why you gave me eyes
When faith is how I see
And tell me
Is it easier to doubt
Or harder to believe?

Oh there’s so many questions stirring in me

And I wonder why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time

How could success make us feel like failures?
And the harder we fall the harder we try
The more I have the more I need
Just to feel like I’m getting by

Oh, there’s so many questions and one short life

And I wonder why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time

And we spend so much time
Chasing our tails, hoping to find
Every last answer
To everything in life

So many questions
Not enough time

But I’m still
Wondering why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time

We all wanna understand why
Evil lives and good men die
On the way to Heaven the truth unwinds
These things take time
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time"


Wow. Seriously - just wow. Thank you Lord. I know those weren't "Your words" exactly, but they were they words I needed to hear about You right at the right time.

This song honestly wasn't musically the greatest, but the words were awesome and just what I needed to hear.

And in case He thought I needed more words the very next song was "If We've Ever Needed You". That's why I believe - I couldn't even script the way God moves sometimes. He is amazing.

Here are the words to that song:

Hear our cry, Lord, we pray
Our faces down, our hands are raised
You called us out, we turned away
We've turned away

With shipwrecked faith the idols rise
We do what is right in our own eyes
Our children now will pay the price
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out

All our hearts, all our strength
With all our minds, we're at Your feet
May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives
Let Your church arise, let Your church arise

If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
We're reaching out



I am so very thankful that there are people who have the gift of putting God's message in better words than I ever could. Songs like these continue to be a blessing in my life.

I will continue to pray for my sweet church family. There are many people hurting right now and will be hurting for a long time. There are also just so many questions, but I am thankful that we serve a God who is bigger than all our pain and doubt.