Happy birthday, Ya'll!! (3 Sept babes)

I love fall. ADORE IT! I love the crisp air, the cozy sweaters, the warm drinks, the running along the lake admiring God's gorgeous masterpiece. I also really love that my 3 September babes love having a family party together! It is so fun! I love the time with them planning and shopping, and baking and preparing. Being that I grew up on a farm, I was extra excited for this one! :)

 

Clara, Ty & Addie:

I love you. I love celebrating you and (hopefully) making you feel special. You bring so much joy to your daddy and me every day. Happy birthday, my loves. You have my heart.

 

 

 

 



 

Lila's face. 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 Lasso!

 

  Precious time with Auntie Natalie

 

 

 

 

BEST BUDDIES!!!

 

 

 

overnight crockpot pumpkin oatmeal

e

I've always wanted to try the overnight oatmeal thing. THIS was delicious...IF you love pumpkin. Half of my kids weren't a fan ;) Honestly, they were scared to eat it because it does not look appealing :) I would definitely make again though! Put all the ingredients in your crockpot and stir well. Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. (I started mine at 11 pm one night) Turn off crockpot about a half hour before you eat...give it a stir and let it rest. Top with brown sugar, pecans and butter for added sweetness. We had lots of leftovers. For a snack we even topped with a little reddi-whip. It tasted just like pumpkin pie!

1 1/2 cup can pumpkin
2 cups steel cut oats
1 TBSP PB2 (peanut butter powder)
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP vanilla
7 cups water

easy crock pot orange chicken

Orange chicken for dinner anyone? I loved this one!

You'll need:
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
2 TBSP soy sauce
3/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
4 chicken breasts (cut up)
sesame seeds
scallions
Cook in crockpot on low 6-7 hours

egg "muffins"

I may have posted this before, but with the start of school I wanted to share a quick, easy favorite of my kids.
Combine:
whisked eggs, any cut up veggies you like, deli turkey pieces or cooked bacon and cheddar cheese. Spray muffin tin with olive oil cooking spray and fill cups about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 min or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. I love these because they get some protein and veggies and can also be grabbed on the go!

what to do with all this basil...part 2.

I've got more basil than I know what to do with...again! I love it though. I love that my little Addie loves to pluck the aromatic little leaves off, wash them and hand them over to me to cook. We eat this yummy little mixture quite often. It's so simple and delicious paired with any meal!

 

Basil

sliced onions (1-2)

cherry tomatoes

1 T organic coconut oil

drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 

Sauté on med heat until basil cooks down a bit and onions are golden brown. YUMMY!

Goals.

I personally think we always need a goal. Something that can make us a better person. Something that keeps a fire burning in us. Something that keeps our passions alive. It can be a big thing, but sometimes the small, daily goals are such satisfying little victories. Today, I just want to share one thing that I pray will/can always, always be a passion of mine...taking care of the body I have been given. If I can inspire one person to do something good for their bodies, then I am happy. Maybe my kids will read this one day and see why it's so important for mommy to have my alone time, running. I had a goal going into this summer of getting 150 running miles before school started. I had some injuries this summer, but made my goal at the end of the first week of school. It felt great! For me, it's running, but there are so many other things we can do to love our bodies. I challenge you today to take time for YOU. To love your body and be kind to it. It's the only one we get  here on earth.

Soaking in the sheer beauty all around me is a gift enough, but I DO like to give myself little rewards. Whether it's a needed massage, a pedicure, chocolate, or my favorite:

NEW SHOES!!
or check out this awesome little journal I found at Target! Writing down our goals helps BIG time!

I also believe that anyone can start running. There are so many great starter plans out there too. like this one:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I switched running apps from Strava to Nike+ because I ended up doing a lot of running while my kiddos biked. I like this app because it stops the clock for you when you have to stop to tie the shoe of your wee little one :) It also sends you great little encouragements!

 Doesn't life continue to show us that we are stronger than we thought we were? It's never to late to start. So get out there! Be encouraged and empowered today.