Kindergarten.

My dearest baby boy,

In twelve short days I'll be waking you up bright and early for your first day of kindergarten. Up until now, you've been by my side every single day for the past five years. Everything you've learned you have learned from your daddy and I. In a way, we've all been learning together. 

You are my first born. All of your firsts, are my firsts as well. And oh how I've loved watching you experience new firsts. Your first breath. Your first cry. Your first steps. Your first time meeting your daddy after his first deployment. And now your first day of school. Ever since you were a baby I would cry thinking about this day. Knowing it would come sooner than I would like. And here it is. 

I've never been good at sharing you. I wish I could keep you all to myself. But I know God gave me you because the world needs your bright and beautiful soul in it. You're going to do great and amazing things. I just know it.  

Remember to always be kind. Be creative. Ask questions. Listen. And most importantly, believe in yourself. Always. 

I sure do love you, Luke. 

Baked Oatmeal Muffins.

It's May! Which means it's officially my birthday month. This month I'm treating myself, and my family, to all of my favorite foods with a twist. The twist is, all of the recipes I'm making are packed with super yummy and good for you ingredients. 

I'm on a mission to get healthy. I'm not interested in losing weight, or becoming the size of a super model. I love food. Like, a lot. So I figured why not have the best of both world. Make delicious food that's super healthy. And the best part, I don't have to feel guilty about eating it. I can have my cake, and eat it too! Of course, it will have to be a healthy cake. That exists, right? 

So the first recipe is a combination of two of my favorite things, oatmeal and fruit! Oh, and some chocolate. ;) I used all organic ingredients, but anything will work.

Ingredients: 

2 eggs.

1/4 cup canola oil. 

1 cup packed brown sugar. 

1/2 cup applesauce. 

1 1/2 cup milk. 

2 tsp. vanilla extract. 

1/2 tsp. salt. 

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon. 

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats. 

2 tsp. baking powder. 

Tbsp. of your choice of topping. (I used chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and blueberries.)

Directions:  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer or large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and brown sugar. Add applesauce, milk, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined. Stir in oats and baking powder. Fill muffin tin with 1/2 or mixture and add your favorite toppings. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes and enjoy! 

 

xoxo, E. 

Luke's Party.

My little boy turned five a few days ago. It was definitely the most bittersweet birthday so far. Five is kind of a big deal. At five he's able to start school. He's able to start sports. Five feels closer to eighteen than four did! And it has me freaking out a little bit. Okay, a lot a bit. But I suppose that's natural. 

For Luke's fifth birthday, he wanted a Peter Pan themed party. So that's exactly what he got. Here's a few pictures of this monumental birthday.

xoxo, E.  

Resolutions.

I don't believe in resolutions. I don't think anyone really follows through with them. They're nice in theory, but they just don't work. So this year, instead of making lame resolutions I know I won't follow through with, I am vowing to simply be a better version of myself than I was last year. 

I want to be more thankful for the life I live. I want to make more time for the little things I know I take for granted. I want to be more patient. I want to listen more, instead of thinking I know it all. I want to go on more dates with my husband. I want to snuggle my children more. I want to be a more loving and caring person to everyone I know. I feel like these are all things I know I can achieve and make possible. 

I hope this new year brings everyone happiness, blessings and love. 

XOXO, E. 

Lillian Sophia Turns Two.

I don't know how it happened, but it did. We were probably the last family on the planet to watch Frozen. When we finally did, it happened. Lillie was hooked! Like most parents today, everything revolves around that movie. It started out relatively small. Frozen books, stickers, and pictures. Then it escalated so fast, I've honestly lost count on just how much I've spent on Frozen merchandise. Don't get me wrong, it's a very cute movie. I really like it. And obviously I would do anything for my kids. But between all the dolls, clothes, bedding and the countless number of times I had seen the movie, I was about Frozened out. 

But was it over? No. Lillie wanted a "Frozen" birthday party. I about died. 

I figured if I had to endure more Frozen shenanigans, it would have to be on my terms. I didn't want it to look like Anna and Elsa had just thrown up all over my house with Frozen themed balloons, piñatas and decor all over the place. I wanted to take a much more subtle approach. So that's exactly what I did. 

I found this adorable garland on Etsy and it was really what gave me the inspiration for this party. It was so affordable and really just made the entire look come together. 

I made chocolate dipped marshmallows with a sugar sprinkle topping. I filled these adorable goody boxes with her favorite kettle corn. Filled two mason jars with yogurt dipped pretzels and swirl vanilla candy sticks. 

I made a Tiffany blue punch I found on Pinterest. It was absolutely delicious.

I filled two more mason jars with Tiffany blue colored Sixlets and rock candy. We had fudge covered Oreos, which are a personal favorite of mine. 

Lillie's cake was made from a local bakery and they are always so spot on with their products! This cake wasn't only gorgeous, it was equally delicious! 

Our little princess loved it and that's all that really mattered. She's the sweetest, most stubborn and beautiful little girl I know and we just know she is going to do great things.

XOXO, E. 

Churro Cheesecake.

Yes, yet another churro recipe. What can I say, I just LOVE me some churros! The best part about this recipe is it's only six ingredients! Can't get much easier than that. This is such an easy and simple recipe to make for the holidays, it's sure to be a hit. It sure was a hit in my house!

Ingredients:

• (2) 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

• (2) cans Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon 

• 1 cup sugar, divided

• 1 egg, slightly beaten

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Using a stand or hand mixer, mix the cream cheese, vanilla extract, slightly beaten egg and 1/2 cup of sugar until creamy and smooth. 

Mix together the rest of the 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and set aside. 

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray (I used coconut oil spray) and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on the bottom of the dish. 

On a piece of parchment paper, roll out the crescent roll dough into a 9x13 rectangle and seal the seams together. Set the dough in the bottom of the baking dish, on top of the cinnamon sugar mix. 

Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the dough. 

Roll out the second can of dough and place it on top of the cream cheese mixture also making sure the seams are sealed. 

Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the dough and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

I hope you enjoy it as much and my family did. Happy cooking! 

XOXO, E. 

Adventure World.

When you have children, the park is always a great place to let those little humans run like wild beasts and tire themselves out. Even kids who are "too big" for nap time tend to fall asleep on the car ride home. It's like magic. We love the park!

Here are a few pictures from our most recent visit to the park. 

Luke is getting pretty daring. He's always been our cautious and serious little one. He has such an old soul, it's so sweet seeing him become so adventurous. I find myself staring at him and wondering how the heck he's grown so fast. He's the perfect little boy. 

Lillian is the complete opposite of her brother. She's daring, rambunctious and doesn't like the word "no." If you tell her not to do something, she's going to do it just so she can find out why you didn't want her to. Simply put, she's our little handful. She sure does love her brother though. Seeing them together just melts my heart. 

I made them. Isn't that amazing?! God chose me to be their mom. He chose me to be their safe place. It's pretty awesome. ❤️

-Elizabeth