mason.austin.keaton.

couldn't help but post this.
had a fall photo shoot with little mason keaton, his mom shanna is one of my dearest friends. & this little guy is one of the sweetest little things.

i mean really?

in love with this child.

thankful

today i am grateful for my job. even though some days I despise it. I really am grateful to have had a job all through school and all my traveling experiences. it's been a good long 5 years here & we couldn't survive as independently as we do if I didn't have it.

thankful

today i am thankful for a husband who loves me despite my grumpelina moments & is continually the calm in my storm.


I honestly thank god for him everyday.

.ny style cheesecake.

i found the best cheesecake recipe.
i know because i have made it 2 times, both times. divine.
first i started with the crust, graham cracker crust. don't even get me started. i could eat that stuff plain.
then i made the filling, & ohhhh so much cream cheese. a disgusting amount. but oh my yum.

and then you go through this rigourous baking process, bake it for 45 min @ one temp & 3O more at a different temp & then you turn off the oven & crack the door & let it continue to bake for 1 more hour, then you must let this baby set over night. but oh the wait is worth it.
thank you martha.

busy bees

alive & doing well.
been doing lots of cooking & schooling & cleaning & being together {not as much of that as we would prefer :(}. & running-the Half marathon is rapidly approaching & decorating & more baking. in between that all we dropped nick off at the mtc so fun! went to Disneyland!!! and Forrest got 107% on a math test.
life has been fabulous & I've been working hard on celebrating the little things....it makes life soooo much better.


disney


baking


Vegas


splash mtn.

we are doing fabulous and enjoying this fall weather :))

corndog

tonight i was feeling adventurous when it came to dinner, however my taste buds were feeling kinda like a kid. i wanted a corn dog. with tater tots. wow, the only way it could have gotten any kiddier was with a side of mac & cheese {don't get me wrong, that crossed my mind....but we had that for lunch yesterday}.
in order to justify a corn dog dinner for the hub & i, i decided to make home made corn dogs.
and let me tell you. so bomb. they were super easy to make, & oh so delicious. plus now we have plenty in a ziploc baggy in the freezer to pop in the microwave for an easy lunch on a random day in the near future......

batter recipe & instructions:

1 tbsp vinegar
about 1 cup milk
1.5 cup flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
12-14 hot dogs {i recommend hebrew nationals!!}
popsicle sticks
1. preheat your oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 375 degrees. you need it to be somewhat deep so the dogs can submerge themselves.
2. place the tbsp of vinegar in a measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal 1 cup. stir & let sit for 5 minutes.
3. whisk together the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, salt, & baking soda in a large bowl. add milk & eggs then whisk until combined.
4. insert popsicle sticks/skewers in hot dog, dip in batter. coat hot dog well & fry in oil until golden brown. place on paper towels to soak up extra oil. enjoy.
try it, you'll be amazed.

6th birthday

today we celebrated gabby's 6th birthday.

i honestly cannot believe she is that old, i remember the day she was born.

in celebration i made her some minion cupcakes in honor of "despicable me".

they were quite a hit & pretty yummy too.

maybe some day i'll get to do this for real....as a job.

labor.day.weekend.

to our little family this means camping. and this year it even meant some more hunting. I had so much fun. we fished. hiked. hunted. played card games. snuggled in a tent. ate large amounts of junk....& thought that was a good idea at the time.


also one of the coolest things ever! Saturday night forb & i were sitting on a log being silent and still {it's amazing how much you notice and hear} when a doe walked right up and stared us down for several minutes and a few different times. she could smell us but couldn't see us. it was honestly one of the neatest things! how was your labor day?

needed to read this

“he’s not perfect. you aren’t either, & the two of you will never be perfect. but if he make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice & if he admits to being human & making mistakes, hold onto him & give him the most you can. he isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that knows you could break. don’t hurt him, don’t change him, & don’t expect more than he can give. don’t analyze. smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad & miss him when he’s not there. love hard when there is love to be had. because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.” -bob
really needed to remember we aren't perfect but together we get closer than we ever will be alone to perfection.

hello fall

forb and I lived it up before school started.


Stewart falls



being together....we all know it's Better when we're together.



golfing



dinner out

and than on Monday he started classes! I can't tell you how proud of him I am! he is one smart cookie and about to get even smarter! love this boy to pieces!
ps cooler weather is finally coming!!! :))