that is the question.



here is the answer.

join us as we charter new (blog) waters.

love,
Rachel

well, it's kind of the way it goes sometimes, you know?
all day yesterday, i would think; 'i'll get to my blog after this' and then it was 9:30 and i was showered and my bed and warm blankets and my husband and i watching one of our favorite sitcoms together sounded like a much better idea than going downstairs alone and posting on my little blog.
oh well.
thankfully, i do have 'tomorrow' today.
because, really, it's no guarantee.
sometimes, as we all know, you gotta choose the best over the good.
'nuf said.

it's been pretty hum-drum around here to be honest with you.
these past two weeks were just a lot of normal living.
school and work and play and eating and doing it all over again.
i am a girl who loves her routine, but i also admit i am looking forward to some fun, exciting times in the next couple of weeks and of course, i, like most of the area, hope that spring will soon come to STAY!!
March 25 we had another day of snowy weather.
kids were excited and bless his little heart, Brent played outside in it alone for quite a while.



walking to school in snowboots and carrying umbrella's.
i know.
that's odd.
i really didn't send her out this way.
i only had her hold the umbrella so i could snap a picture of it.
it was a goodwill find and i think it's kind of charming.
in a mary-poppins-kind-of-way, i guess.



Kate has some super cute little red shoes.
they are often used for a toy.
how's that saying go?
'girls with red shoes have more fun'?
i just made that up.
i have no idea.
 but, we do tell her all the time that 'she's so fun!'


Ava painted a canvas for her bedroom.
cheap blank canvas=kid bedroom artwork.
love it.




you know how we finished painting our living room?
well, the hubs bought a new flat screen and it made me totally revamp the space where our old dinosaur box t.v. had been stored in an old wardrobe.
that black flat screen out in the open and looking so modern just did not cut it for me.
thankfully, i 'shopped the house' and Tim willingly brought the old door from our bedroom down to reside behind the flat screen.
i can much easier live with this.



someone thinks she's big stuff when daddy holds her up to the coffee table/chest and she stands by herself.
wait, wha????
how can she be ready for this so soon?!



little missy also loves to rip clothes out of baskets.
i admit i let her.
sometimes, you gotta pick your battles.



her hair pulled back from her eyes makes her look so different, i think.


you know that kid that i hardly ever post pictures of?
my oldest Seth?
yes, him.
i often feel bad that i don't have more pictures of him on here.
but, then i think to myself, 'he's alot like his mother and i guess he's not fond of being in the limelight either.'
boy, your kids sure teach you a lot about yourself.



and, Easter this weekend?!
yay!
any excuse to throw a party, and what better party to throw than to celebrate our RISEN Savior!
the 2nd Chapter of Acts song 'Easter Song' is running thru my mind a lot these days.
and, it's blared through the speakers a couple times as well.
belt it, Matthew, Annie and Nelly!



'joy to the world, He is Risen, Hallelujah!'

Celebrate the Risen Lord!
~Rachel

inspired by SouleMama...

A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



Kate's first time on the slide.
The sisterhood these two share... it melts me.
♥♥
a happy weekend to you and yours!
~Rachel

as is the case with motherhood, you often, and i mean often, have to lower your expectations.
today has been a perfect example of that for me.



i had visions of many ideas i was going to put together and showcase here for you.
i still have some things that i want to do, but time and energy are not going to allow for me to show them to you.
maybe another year.
so, instead of getting exasperated and frustrated with what could have been, i'm just going to lower my expectations of myself and show you my one idea.
it's really simple.
last week i had mentioned that i made whoopie pies.
and, someone said that they'd never done that, and someone else said they wanted to, and yet another person said they were hungry for them after my post.
so, i got to thinking more about that.
and, the fact that my family really loves when i make whoopie pies.
now.
i will be really honest and say they are not my favorite thing to make.
or eat.
period.
they're messy and involved and if i'm going to do messy and involved, i would much rather have pies to show for my efforts.
but, that's okay.
i'm the only one who really loves pie in this house and the one who least needs to eat it, so...
the majority wins.
so, to give you a super easy and fun idea for your Valentine's Day....
let's start with a box of cake mix.


a few years ago, i learned this 'trick' from a friend and have pretty much been making whoopie pies like this ever since.
and, since it's Valentine's Day, i decided to go with a strawberry flavored cake mix which will give me....
pink whoopie pies!!

here's the recipe for the cheater whoopie pies:
1 box cake mix (any flavor)
1 cup of flour



the rest of the ingredients listed on the cake mix box (eggs, oil, water)
beat together as directed on the box.
drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.




bake in a 375* oven for 10 minutes.
remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.
spread filling between two cookies.

 
Filling:
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup crisco
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cook milk and cornstarch together over medium heat until very thick. Cool completely. Cream together the butter, crisco, and sugar. Add vanilla and salt. Add cooled milk mixture and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for at least 5 minutes. (the longer you beat it, the creamer and lighter it is).



i made most of this batch extra small so that i could give them in these sweet little boxes to some of my favorite people..



so fun.
mostly easy.
i hope you try them.
if not tomorrow, another time.
♥♥
our day tomorrow is really low-key.
i plan to put together some fun little things for the kids tonight after they are in bed.
obviously, the kids will have pink whoopie pies in their lunchboxes!
i'm going to make ham and mashed potatoes and green beans and pink tapioca for supper and we'll eat it on the fancy dishes and drink our sparkling apple pomegranate juice in goblets and the kids will think it's the greatest.
and, for Tim, i am so excited about the little gift i have for him.
(i'd tell you what it is, but since he reads my blog...i guess not!)
maybe we'll drink coffee together after the kids are in bed, or watch a movie.
or not.
we might go out on a date at some point in the near future.
or not.
either way.
tomorrow is going to be a sweet day.
and i wish you a sweet day as well!

  

~R