O' Christmas Tree

This past weekend we caravanned our way through the snow with friends of ours to a little mountain town to hunt down and chop our own Christmas tree.  For the first eight years of our marriage I won the "fake tree" battle.  For the past two years Jeremy has won out with his real tree.  Humbly, I'll admit that I love our real tree and I'll never go back.  There's just something about the smell of fresh pine and the excitement of the tradition of picking a new tree each Christmas season.

 

 

 

 

 

I confess, I'm not a big fan of winter.  I would be perfectly content to decorate a Florida palm tree while sipping a fruity drink, toes in the sand on Christmas morning.  But this tradition just really won me over.  I loved watching my babies play in the snow, the way the sun cast its glow onto a pure white landscape and the way the mountains loomed their silhouette behind us.  It was pretty magical. 

 

 

 

A little tailgating with friends after the tree hunting! 
 

 

 

 

 

 And, in true 2 year old fashion, Levi decided he was done cooperating rigghht about the time I requested this family photo.  Hence the hand on my forehead and laughter as I realized, "This is going to be quite the Christmas photo". 

 

And, here you have it friends. 

 

Happy Friendsgiving!

Have you ever made a new friend only to look back and realize that God's hand divinely put that person in your life through a series of missteps and "off timing"?  Let me explain.  There have been a handful of times in my life where I've met someone special, only to realize that, left to my own plans, our paths would never have crossed.  This year, I felt so strongly that celebrating these friendships was important.  So together with Mackenzie, we planned a special Friendsgiving Playdate.

 

 

This past January I enrolled Mack in a theatre class at our local rec center.  For anyone who has met Mack for even a millisecond, you know that this girl needs to be on a stage.  She lives for performing and being the center of attention. She was counting down the day until her first class like it was Christmas.  So you can imagine both of our disappointments when, just days before the start of the class, I received a phone call to say that the class had been canceled due to low sign up volume. I reluctantly chose a ballet class for her instead in an effort to boost her spirits. Truthfully though, we were both pretty disappointed.  She had done ballet before and we were excited for her to try something new. 

 

 

Fast forward to the first day of ballet class... I remember rushing in with an armload of kid stuff -- Ballet clothes for Mackenzie, trains and trucks and snacks for Levi.  This is just what you do when you have a 2 year old boy to entertain for an hour while his big sister dances.  This was the day I met Kendall, Mayci and Reid. 

 

 

For the next 5 weeks Kendall and I connected over breaking up wrestling matches between our two year old boys who refused to share toys and loved to steal one another's snacks.  We watched our 6 year old daughters dance and twirl from the glass window and traded stories of our motherhood journeys so far. All the while not really realizing the significance of the friendship we were forming.

 

 

Side note -- On the menu for this Friendsgiving Celebration was Not Yo Momma's Chicken Noodle Soup (Get the recipe from this post), adorable mini cornish hens, fruit salad, veggies, deviled eggs and Apple Frickin' Pie (get the recipe from this post).  And of course, spiced cider and red wine for the mommas.

 

 

 

 

 

Not Yo Momma's Chicken Noodle Soup & Apple Frickin' Pie



 

 

Almost everything on this table with the exception of the red roses and the glass pumpkin came from the dollar store.  The dollar store is my "go to" for holiday décor and it can be done classy.  You can read my Memorial Day post for more dollar store decorating tips!

 

 

 

It's been 10 months since meeting Kendall and I look back now and thank God that Mackenzie's theatre class was canceled last January.  Kendall has not only become one of my very best friends but her two sisters Lauren and Jordan are becoming two of my closest friends as well.  That's three divinely orchestrated friendships that I almost missed out on. 

 

 

 

The story doesn't end there though.  Mackenzie is now classmates with Macyi and Eden who are Kendall and Lauren's daughters.  And Levi is making friends with all of the younger cousins.  Had I not met Kendall, Mackenzie would not be attending a school that we absolutely love and is only 10 minutes from our home.  Points to you if you are still following this post, ha!

These three sisters are some of the most kind and generous women I know.  I'm so thankful that God chose to cross our paths and bring our family these beautiful friends.

(From left to right -- Kendall, Baby Eddie, Jordan & Lauren) (Mackenzie, Mayci & Eden)

 

 

Take some time this week to say a prayer of thanks for the friendships you didn't go looking for.  I am just so thankful that God sees the bigger picture when I'm only looking at the details of the "here and now".  God sure knew I needed the Stiller girls in my life.

 

The happiest of Friend and Thanksgivings to you this week!



Apple Frickin' Pie

If you bake nothing else this holiday season, please bake this.  This, is what we call in our home, Apple Frickin' Pie.  Yes, I'm sure I just offended some people there.  Don't worry, I'm still going to heaven. Jesus himself would even love this pie.  I plan to serve it to him someday when I get there.

 

 

But I digress, this pie is our family tradition.  We concocted it several years back when we began to celebrate September 1st as our annual Family Fall Day.  We make it every year and we try to serve it to as many people as possible.  I once read a quote on a bumper sticker that said, "Love people.  Serve them amazing food."  And when I serve this pie to friends and family, I know that I am doing just that. 

 

So friends, I give you -- Apple Frickin' Pie.

 

Part One

Start by taking a sip of wine.  Because, why not?  Then you'll take your diced apples, some flour (we use Your Home Based Mom's Gluten Free Flour recipe), brown sugar, a bit of cinnamon, apple sauce and vanilla and toss it all together in a mixing bowl.  Then you'll pour your mix over pie crust.  We use store bought pie crust because we're lazy.  And we have children.  And hey, the object is to get this pie into our mouths as fast as possible.  And making our own crust just slows that wayyy down.

 

 

 

 

 

Then stick that baby in the oven for 40 minutes on 375 degrees. 

 

 

Part Two

Take some flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and add it to a mixing bowl. 

Slice some cold butter and add that in.  You'll use a pastry cutter to create a crumb topping to go over your pie.  When your timer goes off, you are going to sprinkle this mixture over the top of your pie.

 

 

Then, you will put your pie back in the oven for another 35-45 minutes (depending on how fast the top begins to brown).  Nobody wants burned crumb topping.  Not even Jesus. 

 

 

 

Once out of the oven, let your pie sit for 30 minutes so that it has time to set.  Cut into slices and top with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.  So much goodness right there.

 

And finally, serve a piece (or two) to a friend.  They will love you for it.

 

 

 

 

For Madeline's Paris

Hey Pretty Girl,

Last night you walked into our kitchen to find me crying.  I tried quickly to wipe the heavy drops with the sleeves of my sweater but you saw them anyways.  You begged me to tell you what was wrong. 

"Please just tell me why you are crying momma. I really want to know how to help." In that moment I snapped at you and I told you to leave.  I felt guilt welling up because you didn't deserve that type of response.

The truth is, I didn't know what to tell you.  The truth is, I was scared. 

Did you know that even mommas get scared?  It's true.  We do. 

I was scared because I have this big job of raising you in a world that isn't safe.  It's a world where every day people are being hurt and hate seems to be winning. 

Your favorite book right now is the story of Madeline.  Several times a week lately we squish into your little twin bed and we snuggle together -- you, your brother and me. 

We read about the twelve little girls in two straight lines.  We giggle each time Madeline tells the Tiger in the zoo, "Pooh Pooh", as if it's the funniest thing in the world.  We trace the lines of the Eiffel Tower with our fingers over the bright colors and pages and we talk about Paris and how someday we will go together.

 

Here's the hardest part for me, baby girl.  The hardest thing for me right now is that you are old enough that I can no longer hide the bad from you.  It's time to introduce you to the world we live in.  And it's not always going to look like the stories we read you each night. A lot that goes on doesn't always look like there's a happy ending. 

Last night in Paris, something really terrible happened.  Last night, in Madeline's Paris, hate got the best of a lot of people. Today, a lot of mommas and daddies are very sad and a lot of children are scared.

And, I know you.  I know your big heart.  You're going to ask, "Momma, what can we do?  How do we help them?"

So tonight, when we read Madeline, we will sit on your little twin bed.  We will snuggle under your covers and I will protect you as best as I can.  We will link hands and we will pray big, bold prayers for Madeline's Paris. 

What I will tell you tonight is this:  I love you.  I love you with a love so fierce and so strong.  I will protect you with everything in me because I am your momma and that's what mommas do.  Do you know how Ms. Clavel cared for Madeline?  That's how I care for you.  And I always will.

I will tell you this:  As much as I love you and want to protect you.  I can't protect you from all of bad in this world.  And it breaks my big momma heart.  That's where those tears last night in the kitchen came from.

There's real evil out there baby girl.  And it's evil you will see and you will want to run from.  It's evil that even I want to run from.  I will tell you this: You know that evil?  The bad that will make you so scared? 

You fight it. 

You put on your bravest face and you dig deep and you fight back against that evil. 

You fight back with love. 

You love the little girl in your class who is being bullied.  You stand up for her. 

You see something in the world you don't like?  Something that seems like it just isn't right?  You go change it. 

You know your buddy O who was adopted from Africa?  Daddy and I tell you that there are still kids like O who need forever homes.  Who need clean water and food.

You fight for those kids. Just like you did with your lemonade stand this summer.  You fought back against evil the moment you handed over your hard earned money. 

You keep doing that baby girl. 

You change the world with your love and your big heart. 

You fight with everything that you have in you. 

You love with everything you have in you. 

And here's the thing -- there are going to be days when you just feel heavy and when you want to just give up hope.

Don't you give up hope. 

That's what evil wants.  That's what the enemy wants.  He wants us to quit fighting.  To quit loving.  The enemy wants us to be afraid and to feel like the bad is taking over.  He wants us to cower and back down from fighting for good.

Tonight I will snuggle you as you fall asleep and I will whisper to you.
 

I will tell you this: We win.  There is a rescuer.  His name is Jesus and He is so much bigger than all of the hate.  He is coming for us.  HE wins. There is hope pretty girl. There is hope for all of us. Even Madeline's Paris.  Because Love wins.

Love, Momma

Not Yo Momma's Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 

 

It's that time of the year again.  The time of year that as a momma, I just dread.  The boxes of tissues, the sniffles, vaporizers and essential oils coming out the wazoo.  I think we can all agree...mommas don't get sick days. Am I right?  Unless you're lucky enough for your significant other to work from home or make his own schedule, sick days are generally the hardest days. 

 

Whether it's momma who is under the weather or the babies or both.  Oh, I just cringe at that last scenario. 

 

I'm so proud of this homemade chicken noodle soup recipe.  It's one I've been working on and perfecting for the past year.  It's simple and filling and is a perfect quick meal on a sick day when no one wants to run to the store for a can of Campbell's. 

 

 

Start by sautéing the celery and onion in some butter.  Once the veggies are pale, add in the flour to create a thickening agent.

 

 

This recipe is great because it can be made gluten free by using brown rice flour and gluten free noodles and it still tastes amazing. If gluten free isn't your choice then feel free to use the all purpose flour and noodles of your choice!

 

Add in your chicken broth and spices and then bring to a boil.

 

 

 

Let your broth simmer on low for 10 minutes or so and then add in your carrots and cooked chicken.  I like to use dark meat chicken for extra flavor but white meat tastes great too.

 

 

Lastly, add in your noodles.  The key to this step is making sure you only cook your noodles to el dente.  Your noodles will continue to cook once you take them off the stove so make sure you catch the noodles before they are over cooked and soggy. 

 

 

 

Can I make a suggestion?  Plan ahead and have these ingredients on hand and frozen in pre-portioned bags so that for the days when someone is under the weather, all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer. Your day will be made so much easier with a warm, comfort food meal without having to do all the work. 

 

 

Lastly, season with some extra salt & pepper and serve to the people you love.  This soup is so perfect on sick day or a snow day.  It's my "go to" recipe for the days that we are home in our jammies with no where to be.  Enjoy!