~~The girls and I are in Kenora, Ontario Canada. Dustin was so busy at work that he wasn't able to take off and go with us. My grandparents own a camp here and are in the process of turing it over to my parents. They run the camp during the summer months and return to the States during winter. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and this place has such a special spot in my heart. But I've never made the trip on my own and I was very nervous about that. I followed my sister and her husband so that was a great help but for 1200 miles it was just me and the two girls in the car. I truly believe that we had lots of prayers going up for us because the trip went better than I could have ever expected. While driving across the Trans-Canadian highway last night we saw a momma duck and several ducklings, a momma fox and her pups and a young black bear. So neat! ~~We made a trip into town this morning and the first stop was the "chip wagon." Canadian style chips are really big thick home-made french fries with salt an vinegar. Not the healthiest thing to eat but full of yum and memories. This place is a family tradition. ~~The air here is crisp and refreshing. If it even reaches 77 degrees they think it's hot, lol. Such a change from the 100 degree weather at home. It's so beautiful and relaxing. I love looking out at the mirror-like lake and hearing the loons calling out over the water at night. If only Dustin were here with me. I'm missing my best friend!!
I have got to get better at coming up with blog titles! ~~We had a great Independence Day. The weather was perfect. Usually the 4th is incredibly hot but not this year. It was cloudy and overcast most of the day but that kept the heat down. Dustin had a bike ride in a nearby town so the girls and I dropped him off and headed to the big parade. They loved it! I let Sierra have control of the camera for most of the parade and ended up with no less than 202 pictures of horses, floats, puppy dogs, old cars and clowns, lol.
~~We picked up Dustin and had a fun afternoon just spending time together. In the evening we packed up a cooler with Boylan's rootbeer (a once in a while special treat for us) and cookies and headed to the big fireworks display at another nearby town. On the way there the clouds began to grow dark and the wind became very strong. Halfway we decided to turn around and go back home. The girls weren't too disappointed because we had our rootbeer and cookies on the living room floor, played several games of Zingo and then watched the big Boston fireworks display on tv. ~~And now, since it's been a while, I thought I'd share a recipe. Dustin and the girls have proclaimed these to be the best cookies in the world.....even topping the Big Fat Chocolate Chip cookies which is quite a feat! I couldn't be happier though, considering that these are actually vegan cookies and a much healthier option for a treat. I found the recipe on the Eat Drink and be Vegan blog and then changed them a little bit.
Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
This makes a small batch; about 9 cookies.
~3/4 Cup + 1 Tbs whole wheat flour (the original recipe calls for spelt flour) ~1 tsp baking powder ~1/4 tsp baking soda ~1/2 Cup quick oats ~1/4 Cup unrefined sugar (I used sucanat) ~1/ 4 Cup raisins (soak them in hot water for a while & then drain before adding) ~1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice ~1/4 tsp sea salt ~1/4 Cup pure maple syrup ~1/2 tsp blackstrap molasses ~1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (using the real stuff makes a big difference!) ~1/4 Cup canola oil
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add oats, sugar, drained raisins, pumpkin pie spice and salt and stir until well combined. In a separate bowl combine syrup, molasses, and vanilla and then stir in oil to incorporate. Add wet mixture to dry and stir until just well combined. (Do not over stir.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly sprayed aluminum foil. Spoon batter onto baking sheet, evenly space apart and slightly flatten. Bake for 11 minutes (no longer or they will dry out) until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy!
"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:3
~~The girls have been enjoying this quiet Wednesday by crafting and painting. I was cleaning and taking care of things around the house with a very busy mind. I stopped for a while and just watched as they happily created, lost in the joy of their work. My heart was filled to the top and I was reminded of why God tells us that we should become like little children.
~~There was no fear or worry. Just complete joy in the process. So many times I allow that inner critic to steal the joy of simply being creative.
~~I had to laugh as the "model" for the painting was even enjoying the process. (Or at least the paper towels.)
~~Sierra was so proud of her finished piece. It was the good kind of proud; that feeling that comes when you've worked hard at something and are happy with the results.
~~Let go of the critic. Let go of the fear. Don't allow being a "grown-up" to steal the joy of living a creative life. ~~Happy Wednesday!
~~We've been enjoying our summer just spending lots of time together. We made it through the crazy, busy and fun week of Vacation Bible School and now have been finding ways to stay cool in the 100 plus degree weather. Last weekend my sister had a garage sale and my two little entrepreneurs came up with the idea of having a lemonade stand. They were so enthusiastic about the whole idea. There was a carefully drawn up sign, a kid-sized table and a shady spot. They decided to add cookies to the menu.
~~Every good entrepreneur tests her products before selling. (In our case I think they drank and ate half the profits, lol.)
~~Hardly anyone could resist two cute girls cheerfully selling lemonade and "coockies." (Notice the sign above.) I love my girlies so much! ~~Right now I'm actually sitting and watching paint dry which reminds me of watching grass grow, lol. I'm working on the background for my new angel painting. The background requires many layers which have to be fully dry before adding the next one. I'm anxious to get a move on this piece so I guess this is a good practice in patience. ~~Happy Tuesday!
~~I'm doing my best to live by these words. Sometimes in the busy-ness of life it's easy to be out of touch with this present moment. I know that, if you're like me, you're always making "to-do" lists in your mind and thinking of all the things that need to get done. (Like taking care of my poor neglected blog!) But if we aren't careful we can miss out on some truly sweet times. Hug your loved ones a little closer today. Enjoy these precious moments. Make them beautiful.
~~I enjoy reading blogs where the authors share a little glimpse into their everyday life. One blog that I've recently found and have grown to love is Sarah's from LovIN my Tummy. She's a Mom of 2 little girls with a great sense of humor and a knack for words. She blogs about the ups and downs of being a busy Mommy and gives you a little slice of their life in photos every day. So I thought it would be fun to post a glimpse of an ordinary day around our house. I, unlike Sarah, am not so wittty so I hope this little post doesn't get too dry and boring for you guys! Here was our Friday: ~~I woke up early so that I could get my workout in before the house got busy although I did let myself sleep in a little later than my normal 5:30 wake-up call. Hey! It is summer! Today was upper body weights and I listened to a station based off Jem on Pandora while I pushed through it. My arms were like jello when I was done! ~~I enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter and half a banana and when I was just finishing up I heard the pitter-patter of little footsteps coming around the corner. It was Sierra and just a few moments behind her was little Sis. We had some "Good Morning Snuggles" (since Mommy wasn't too sweaty.) The girls watched a little Larry Boy (gotta love those Veggie Tales) while I set about fixing breakfast. Today's request: scrambled eggs and pineapple for Sierra and pancake with blueberries for Savannah.
Normally they want the same thing but this morning they decided to be individuals, lol. The pancakes are a yummy recipe from The Eat Clean Diet for Families and Kids and I just keep a bunch in the freezer. Pop 'em in the toaster and you've got a quick, easy breakfast. ~~While the girls finished up their video and breakfast I took a quick shower and had my quiet Bible/prayer time. I have to be careful not to leave this part of my day out. I tend to hit the ground running and sometimes it's hard for me to slow myself down. ~~The girls went outside to play for a bit while I did some housework and attacked our ever-present laundry pile. Good grief! How do the Duggars do it? I only have laundry for four! The mornings have been nice enough that I can keep the back door open and peek out at the girls while they're playing.
They look so sweet in this picture! It's not all sugar and spice all the time though. Not long after I snapped this they were standing at the back door yelling, "Mommy! She hit me!" "No! She hit me first!" Aaaaah. So much for my Kodak moment. ~~It was already starting to get warm at lunch time (Hello Indian Summer!) so the girls decided to have their picnic lunch inside. For them it was turkey lunchmeat, cheese, pretzels and grapes. I put together a yummy, crunchy summer salad for myself.
*Spinach, romaine and purple cabbage *Dulse *Cucumber *Avocado *Baked plantains *Yellow bell pepper *Broccoli slaw *Bean sprouts *Popped Amaranth
I'm loving this combination. It might sound complicated but really it isn't. I just keep a bunch of salad ingredients in the fridge and then throw them together at lunchtime. ~~After lunch I started to get things around for my photo-shoot in the afternoon. I had arranged for the cutest little girl to model for me for another angel in the "Little Angel Series." I've been so excited about this photo-shoot because I'm anxious to get started on another large painting. I got out the props I needed, checked my camara, printed out my model release, and made a list of notes for myself. I also started getting the girls' things together for their planned "camp-out" at Dustin's parents house in the evening. They were both very excited. ~~I met with my little model and her Mom in the afternoon and the shoot went wonderfully. I'm not going to spill the beans on this painting yet but after looking at my photos I'm incredibly pumped to get started. ~~After the photo-shoot I took the girls to the library for craft time. My girls are little craft-aholics so we couldn't miss the chance to make a beaded inchworm and glitter bookmarks, lol.
We came home after crafts and finished getting ready for the camp-out at the Grandparent's. Dustin came home and we dropped the girls off with lots of hugs and kisses. ~~Since we were going to be on our own for the evening, Dustin and I decided to go on a once-in-a blue-moon real date. This is the point in the day that I forgot to bring along the camera and I was a bit bummed about it. We ate dinner at a wonderful Asian restaurant and the food was delicious! ~~After dinner we did a tiny bit of shopping and I snagged some of the Ora Keily dishware from Target. (Yay!) Then we headed over to Barnes and Noble to sit, drink coffee and read. We're quite adventurous on our date nights, lol. After being around two busy, talkative little girls a quiet evening just sitting together was a tiny piece of heaven. ~~And that's how our Friday went. Busy, full and good. Oh....and since I had to have this song stuck in my head all day, I thought I'd pass it along.
~I just discovered Theresa Andersson and all I can say is "Wow!" I want to be her! She is cool. Theresa is literally a one girl band. She uses live looping to create a wall of vocals and sound. I've never seen anything like it. You should also check out this song where she jokes about how she created a character for each of her "singers" in the band. Fun. Hope you're having a great Thursday!
I'm a 28 year old Stay-at-Home Mommy to 2 precious girls, ages 7 and 4. I've been married to my best friend for 9 1/2 years. I'm an artist who works in fluid acrylics and Prismacolor pencils. I hope that, through my art, I can remind everyone of the joys of everday life.
~~The girls and I are in Kenora, Ontario Canada. Dustin was so busy at work that he wasn't able to take off and go with us. My grandparents own a camp here and are in the process of turing it over to my parents. They run the camp during the summer months and return to the States during winter. I've been coming here since I was a little girl and this place has such a special spot in my heart. But I've never made the trip on my own and I was very nervous about that. I followed my sister and her husband so that was a great help but for 1200 miles it was just me and the two girls in the car. I truly believe that we had lots of prayers going up for us because the trip went better than I could have ever expected. While driving across the Trans-Canadian highway last night we saw a momma duck and several ducklings, a momma fox and her pups and a young black bear. So neat!
Click to subscribe by RSS
