Good - bye 2011

As I sit here with my cup of coffee on the last day of 2011 I can't help but think about this past year.
While this year has been the scariest and the year that has stretched us the most, the scary times aren't the ones that have stuck in my head. Instead it is the obvious signs of God's grace to us. It is the times where "the peace that passes all understanding" came along just when it was needed. It is the times where a phone call from a friend or an unexpected visit was exactly what was needed to lift my spirits.
So overall at the end of 2011 I am overcome by a feeling of thankfulness. And in 2012 my prayer is that I decrease and that God increases in my life and the lives of my family. I pray that when people look at me, they see a reflection of Him.

There's nothing like your presence here in this place,
There's nothing like your passion that steals my heart away.
And there is nothing like your glory falling on me, more of you and less of me.


Cause I'm satisfied by you alone,
Just one touch from you oh Lord
Reach within my heart and make it new
Oh I must have more of you


Cause I'm satisfied by you alone,
Just one touch from you oh Lord
Reach within my heart and make it new
Oh I must have more of you
Brian and Jenn Johnson

Christmas Un-wrapped

This year was a little different when it came to celebrating Christmas. Because we had Pae for Christmas last year, we didn't have her for the actual day this year. She flew up the day after.
Because of this we only opened "Santa" presents on the 25th, saving the BIG celebration for the 27th.
With the "different" schedule we were able to spend Christmas Eve with some "military family". It was great to see the kids playing around and waiting for Santa to come riding around the neighborhood on a fire engine.

Spreading out the celebrations had its advantages. Both kids were able to enjoy and play with the presents as they opened them.

We spent the 25th having a nice quiet day with my parents and uncles. It was fun just to sit back and enjoy each others company.
On the 27th my sister and her husband came up from Salisbury. I haven't seen them for about 6 months so it was great to catch up a bit. Presents were shared all around. I got to give my mom the scarf I have be crocheting for her. It is my first finished project!!

I also got to give Pae her shirt and tutu that I had worked on. She seemed to like them!

The only one missing from the festivities was my youngest sister. She was missed immensely. I did send her some artwork I had made for her home.

We celebrate with my husbands family tomorrow and then the Christmas celebrations will be done for this year! Now I get to have fun organizing all the new toys and such!!!

Counting My Blessings

I was inspired by a friend to sit down and make a list of blessing God has given me in 2011. While this has been a very scary, difficult year, God's blessings stand out very clearly through the storm.

1)That my little Roo is still with us, and that her seizures seem better controlled.
2) My husbands promotion!!!!
3) Financial provisions that have come when we least expect them too
4) That both of my surgeries went well and with little complications
5) Traveling mercies for my hubby's TDY trips
6) My little professors doing well in school
7) I have gone a year without ER trips for my asthma
8) For friends who have become like family to me and have stood beside us through everything
9) That we have gotten to see Pae so much this year now that she can travel by herself
10) The "honeymoon" that my hubby and I got to take together last spring
11) The much needed beach trip with my friends
12) For my mothers extra long visit this summer
13) For my inlaws who have helped us so much this year and provided much needed date nights for my hubby and I
14) Little daily blessings such as my daughters giggles and my sons hugs
15) Getting to see two concerts this year
16) That I have been able to start a business doing something that I truly enjoy
17) Seeing healing provided to a friend


The list could go on and on. It was a great reminder that no matter how difficult things are God's blessings stand out like jewels!

Make it Yourself Christmas

This year I have been making alot of Christmas presents. I can't post pictures because then people will see what I made them, and it would be sad.
So instead I wanted to "show off" some of the decorations I made. I especially like these because they are winter decorations and not really Christmas, so I can leave them up longer.
I got the idea from Pintrest. We took craft sticks and made snowflakes! It was a muli-day process. On Saturday I let the kids paint the sticks, (and their hands and hair and whatever else happened to come in the way of the paintbrush!)
On Sunday and Monday we assembled them and hung them up by the tree. I really like the way they turned out and plan on putting some more together today!

Let the Christmas Baking Begin!!!

Today started my marathon of Christmas baking. I like to spread out the joy for the week and a half before Christmas, doing one thing each day so on the big day we have all sorts of sweets and treats to munch on!
This year I started with a new recipe, CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE COOKIES!!!
I doubled the recipe because I needed at least 60 cookies for a cookie swap tomorrow and wanted some extra as a present for my little guys teacher.
It was a wonderfully easy recipe...brought to you by Pinterest! The snitches of batter that I "sampled" was delicious, but I just tried by first baked cookie....so wonderful! The cream cheese lightens the cookie and leaves you with just a hint of cheesecake! So wonderful, and addictive!
After talking about it on Facebook I got alot of requests for the recipe I used, so here it is!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake cookies

1 cup butter , softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350°F
With an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until nice and creamy. Add cream cheese and continue to mix until all lumps are gone and it is nice and smooth. Add vanilla and egg and mix.
Slowly add flour, a little at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix well, but not too much! ( mixed the dry ingredients in a separate bowl first)
Turn off your mixer and add the chocolate chips, folding by hand with a rubber spatula
Scoop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet; make sure they aren’t too close though!
Bake in your oven for 9-15 minutes, I do mine for about 14
Cool on a rack and once they are all the way cool put into a plastic bag or container and keep in the fridge!
Since they have cream cheese in them you don’t want them to spoil!
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! They stay nice and moist! Makes about 3 dozen.

Using the Force

Lately my little professor has been having quite a few "behavior" issues. Last night I decided that I have had enough, and I was tired of being "yelly" mommy.
Things always went better when he had an idea of what was expected from him. We did some behavior charts for awhile, but it never really stuck.
So while I was searching through Pinterest I found a Superhero behavior chart that operated on a similar concept as the one they use at his school. And while he lvoes his superheros he has a new interest in Star Wars, and with the whole "Jedi vs the Dark Side" I thought that it was a match made in heaven.
Here is what I came up with:

The concept is simple. Every day he will start out as a "Youngling" if I catch him doing something good he will move up the chart....if he makes Jedi Master he will receive a prize, such as a movie night with Mommy and Daddy, and ice cream date or something along those lines. If he makes bad choices he will move down the chart. On each level of the "Dark Side" there will be certain actions that will follow, such as an earlier bedtime, loss of dessert and things like that.
I like this because it gives him a chance to "get caught" doing good things. It will take alot of the "emotion" out of discipline.
I can't wait for him to get home from school so that I can show him!

Little Moments

I have been extremely blessed this year by having the opportunity to take some family pictures for fellow military families. I really love the time behind my camera. Having learned on film, I am trying to catch up with all of the digital technology, so this has been some great practice.
One thing I am learning that sometimes capturing little moments, that might not be the moment you were expecting, are some of the best.
Yesterday I took pictures of my friends little boy. He was not in the best of moods, but we were still able to capture some really precious pictures.
Here is one of my favorites:

I couldn't resist adding the caption! It was just too perfect!!
Last week I got to take some precious mother daughter pictures.

As you can tell they are expecting number 2, so it was nice to capture some special mommy/daughter time before she is a big sister.
Some little ones are big hams, and make my job really easy! This little guy was so cute and energetic!

I have enjoyed take family pictures too. As military families family time is extremely precious, and I feel honored to be able to capture it.

Sisterly love is awesome, and you can tell these two sisters really love each other!

.....but seriously they really do!

And the best is when I am able to capture pictures of pure joy!

So thank you to all of my "test subjects". You have given me such joy this holiday season!

Its Beginning to Look alot Like Christmas!!!

I am one who believes you shouldn't put out Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving, but once Thanksgiving is over all bets are off!
This year we have done our decorating in phases. Pae was here for Thanksgiving, so that weekend we put out our "sit around" decorations.

The Advent calendar came out, along with my many angel decorations that I have collected over the years. I also enjoyed putting out the wooden Santa and angel that my grandfather carved.
This past weekend we went and picked out our tree. We have gotten it at the same place on post every year. We also get garland from there and use it to decorate our stairs.

I think the garland is my favorite decoration!
Last night we decorated the tree. Roo LOVED the lights, and had a lot of fun "helping" Daddy put up the ornaments. After each one she cheered, "Yay Daddy, Yay Roo-Roo!" She called them all "tree pretty's".
My little Professor also enjoyed decorating, although he seemed to favor one branch and I had to keep reminding him to decorate the whole tree. I seem to remember my parents saying the same thing.

My wonderful husband also strung lights outside. I don't have any pictures of that yet, but they will be coming. I love having a house that looks so "merry and bright"!