Sunday Scones

I thought I would celebrate this morning. It's our first Sunday as a family back in our house, and I wanted to make some Blackberry Lemon Scones with some beautiful blackberries I found at the commissary. But this isn't really a blog about scones and I really hate when people write these long blogs with the recipe aaalllll the way down at the bottom. So if you opened this hoping to find a delicious Blackberry Lemon Scone Recipe, you can find that here. I used lemon instead of lime and my advice to you is not to pop the blackberries when you stir, if you can help it. They will still be delicious, just purple.

As I was saying, I was trying to celebrate. I've been having a rough time lately. I haven't been able to focus on much, except for my brother, and I've been on this hamster wheel in my brain that takes my brain in a circle back to my brother, no matter what I'm doing. To the point that I had to withdraw from my classes, just because I couldn't. It's been a nice break from the hamster wheel to plan some changes in our house, set up the space to function for our family again, and make it pretty (duh.) It feels so good to be back in our own house, it's been so helpful for processing the events of the last few weeks, and what better way than to celebrate with freshly baked goodies in my kitchen?

I'm not sure if it's the same in other houses, but the kids never want to be right next to me more than when I am in the kitchen. This morning was no different. I had four little ducklings quacking at my feet. They always ask me a million times what I am making and I always answer until the tenth or so time where I usually get annoyed and make a rude comment about already answering that question. Then, they like to pester me by asking for other types of food. This cycle happens almost three times a day in our house. With. Out. Fail. This morning it sounded like this: "Mom, can I have a cracker?" "Not right now, I'm cooking." "Can I have goldfish [crackers]?" "No." "Can I have a graham cracker?" "No." "((Whining)) BUT I WAAAANNT A CRAAACCKKKER!" "I said no. Get out of my kitchen. I'm making beautiful blackberry lemon scones, Why would you want a cracker?! If you could just WAIT a few minutes and let me cook, I will give you something so much BETTER!"

Sometimes I hear God when I'm running. Sometimes when I'm praying. But mostly, When I feel His educating tap on my shoulder, it is when I am annoyed with, and talking to, my children. It's almost as if He's the knowing Father behind me, clearing his throat at something obvious that I've been completely unaware of. How many times have I *begged* Him for a measly cracker when He's been busy making something more beautiful? How many times have I stopped His progress in the 'kitchen' because of something *I* wanted?

This revelation makes me think of my brother. ((I may be able to take breaks from the hamster wheel, but I'm still on it.)) How much of God's beautiful work was interrupted by my brother's choice to take his own life? God is faithful to us, it says so in many places in the bible. He can redeem us, make us new. He makes beauty from ashes - IN ANY SITUATION. You just have to accept His help and wait.

So I say to you, Don't interrupt the chef. If you're in a dark place, or waiting place, or unsure place. If you are staring at a cracker, *begging* for a cracker because that is all that is in front of you right this second,

JUST WAIT.

He's working on something SO MUCH BETTER for YOU.

"Wait for the LORD;
be strong and TAKE HEART
and wait for the LORD." ~Psalms 27:14

Image Source

Megs

Celebrations

I am a firm believer that God gives you what you need exactly when you need it. Sometimes we recognize it right away; sometimes it takes hindsight to understand. I'm also a firm believer that if you are open to good things, good things will happen to you {{If you build it they will come, so to speak.}} Whether you're a believer in Him or not, focusing on the good things in your life will always keep the focus off of the bad. Recently, I have been too focused on the bad. Not only have I been trudging through my own gutter but I feel like I've let the negatively of others impact my own positivity. I am not this person. I refuse to be this person. Today, I read a blog about a girl who was driving home from work, hit a wall of water and was swept away by the current. Suddenly, her normal drive home turned into a life or death situation. She called upon God to save her life and through prayer she was able to keep her wits about her and He did {{Say what you want if you don't believe, but the truth is, in the 'foxhole' we are ALL believers.}}

For a number of reasons that I'm not going to waste your time with, I have let myself get into a grumpy slump. The problem with these is that they turn into vicious cycles and I have been praying for help out of it {[I really don't want to be the lady that does nothing but complain about her crazy kids}} and this morning I got it. In some weird way this blog, which I came upon by happenstance, while doing an assignment that had nothing to do with the post I read, made me realize that I am in a slump because I have not been celebrating the things that I should be.

So in an effort to get back into routinely blogging and an effort to get out of my slump, I'm going to start a weekly Celebrations post. I have too many things to celebrate to lose sight of them to things that aren't worth my time.

Celebrations:

2.0 is communicating! She is almost 16 months old now and she is saying so much now. Amongst my favorites: "That's silly!" "That's punnay!" {{Funny}} "Yyyyeeeaaaaaa!" {{her answer to anything we ask her. Much better than No.}} And of course, "Nack" and "dink," {{snack and drink.}} Gone are the days of trying to figure out the source of the broken sound {{ok, mostly gone.}}

This face



House Royalty



{{What? You don't have royalty in your house??}}

The few moments after J walks in from work. The house could have been in full-on anarchy and he walks in and everything is sparkles and rainbows for a few minutes. The daddy's-home-giggles are the best part of my day! {{And they keep me from drinking heavily}}

I am super thankful for school. I barely get adult interaction during the day and school is one thing thats all mine and because I'm focusing on something that I love it makes it my little escape. I am very lucky that I get to focus on something I love, that fulfills me so. The level of fulfillment I get from it is *disgusting*. I also joined ASID {{American Society of Interior Design}} yesterday. I am now a student member. It's not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things right now, but it will be great in the future.



My last celebration for the week is for my Spark. Gotta love anything that makes Mommy feel like a million bucks and get things accomplished during the day!! Whoo hoooo!!

There Is No Time Like Now...

There's No Time Like Now...

For spending an afternoon with the awesome women in your life {{and getting gorgeous jewelry in the process}}...

I hosted a Lia Sophia Party for a friend yesterday and it was so much fun! I know I have said it before, but I really do have the BEST neighbors!

For eating delicious food...

There is a new bakery in our little corner of the world. They offer delicious cupcakes {{that I may or may not have been eating too many of recently}} and they were part of the treats at the party. YUM!!

For... cleaning your carpets...?

{{Wait, What?!}} Pretty sure, I walked my last two guests upstairs last night to show them around, leaving 2.0 sitting on the floor drinking from her bottle. When we walked back down stairs, she had EXPLODED in her diaper, leaving poo-pile #1 {{And. It. Was. EPIC.}} Then she crawled through it, schmearing it ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE LIVING ROOM. Where we found her sitting in poo-pile #2 {{Yay life!}} Remember those AWESOME neighbors I mentioned? Yea, one of them ran home to get her carpet cleaner and cleaned the area for me, while the other neighbor and I tried to clean 2.0 off without touching her. {{Or gagging... The smell was AWFUL!!}} Thanks, Ladies!! YOU ROCK!

For going back to school...

Yup, two weeks ago, I found out The Art Institute is now offering online degrees and it was like the design gods had opened the clouds and spoken to me {{Actually, her name was Tara and I was chatting with her on their website. It's sort of the same thing though.}} I enrolled right away and today was my first day of the B.S. Interior Design program. That is now how my September looks. It's a little overwhelming, but VERY exciting and after all...

There really is no time like now.