As I am now in my third trimester with baby #2 (yes, I realize I haven't blogged in a while, so SURPRISE!), I find just about any excuse to make something sweet. Maybe the third trimester doesn't have anything to do with it, but the fact that I'm pregnant does. For some reason, this time around all I want is sugary goodness, whereas with little man #1, I wanted salty foods.

I digress.

The other day I woke up and decided I just had to have something lemon. Maybe because it was 100 degrees outside and it was making me think of lemonade, or maybe because baby just decided he had to have something lemon. (Yes, HE! Another boy!) Regardless of the reason, I scoured the pantry to come up with a new recipe. And, voila! These are easy and delicious, and though I usually prefer to use fresh ingredients-- they don't require you to have actual lemons lying around. Just some lemon pudding!



Ingredients:

- 1/2 C butter
- 1 C sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- (1) 3.4 oz package of instant lemon pudding
- 1 C flour (if the mixture seems too wet, add 1/4 C to it)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsk baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
*Optional: 1/2 C - 3/4 C White Chocolate Chips*

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray (I used parchment paper).

- Cream your butter and sugar together with a handheld or standing mixer. Add in your vanilla and egg next.

- Add your lemon pudding mix before the rest of your dry ingredients. Stir until well combined. Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips if you're using them :).

- With a medium cookie scoop, place cookies on baking sheet. *If you do not have a cookie sheet, use 1-2 Tbsp of dough and round into balls before placing on sheet.*

- Cook for 8-11 minutes, depending on your oven. The edges will be SLIGHTLY tan/brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

So easy, and so yummy. There's something about these cookies that almost give them a "cooling effect" when it comes to warm weather.

Recipe adapted from Creations by Kara.

Michael loves popsicles. It is one of the sweets that he would probably sit down and eat as many as he could before feeling sick. That, of course, is not an option.


The last time we were at Ikea we spent a grand $2 on popsicle molds. They were so worth it.

Enter the easiest popsicle idea ever.

Are you ready?

Chop up your favorite fruit or fruit that's in season. Put them in the popsicle molds. Pour coconut water over them. Stick them in the freezer.

TA-DAH!

Michael, who doesn't like Coconut Water plain, by the way, positively loves them. He got so excited to eat the kiwi, pineapple, and strawberries in the popsicles. He loved making them as much as he loved eating them.

" A portrait of my child, once a week, every week in 2014. "

Last week we ventured into our backyard for a camping adventure. Michael was so excited at the aspect of sleeping in the tent with us. In the evening he snuggled onto Clark's lap to read, and it was a moment that completely pulled at my heartstrings. I love my boys so much, and nothing makes me happier than seeing them together.

Check back in to read more about our camping adventure next week!

Part of Practising Simplicity's 52 Project.

This has been a week for the books. It's not that it's been terribly busy or hard, but whenever I come back from vacation I feel like I need another one just to catch up! I think Michael agrees, since he's been more-than-usual-whiny-grumpy-gills.


Dear Michael's Room/Office, You're driving me nuts. No matter what I do you never seem organized or clean. Since we are going to have to make you JUST Michael's room in this upcoming week... could you do me a favor and cooperate? I need you to expand just the tiniest bit and make all the stuff we don't need magically disappear. I know you can do it!

Dear Weather, While many people are trying to hold on to summer, I am more than ready for fall. If you want to begin cooling down all day and not just in the mornings, I wouldn't mind. It would give me an excuse to start breaking out my jeans and sweaters... and to buy Michael some new clothes.

Dear Upcoming Week, As excited as Michael and I are for Clark to come home, I want you to pass slowly... because a week from tomorrow my baby will be two years old. When did that happen? All of a sudden he's starting to put sentences together, have some "attitude", and have very strong opinions of what he wants and how he wants it done. I have this mental image of Michael hitting two and BAM, it magnifies and worsens like *that* into the true-full-on-terrible-twos. So... please drag as much as possible. I won't mind.

TGIF! Happy Friday, everyone. Enjoy your weekend. Here's what you have to look forward to this this upcoming week....

if you build it... Both cardigans pictured are from The Wishing Elephant. Make sure to check out her shop! We were lucky to borrow Maile's Monogrammed Cardigan. Check out another close-up of Maile on See You There.

Protein Breakfast Cookies
#TBT: Sixteen Candles
The idea for this post came from Ashley over at The Sweet Season.

It's amazing to me that it has been a week since my family was here, a couple of days since Clark was home, and almost a week since my friend's bridal shower (pictures to come next week!).

July was exhausting, and August started out very much the same. Michael and I are trying to recover if only just a little bit before heading out to visit more family. Don't get me wrong, I am BEYOND excited for our upcoming trip... I'm just so tired at the moment!

Dear August, I have high hopes for what you can offer for our family. Please don't disappoint. We are very ready for change and hope that God intends you to be one outstanding month. If you're not, I won't hold it against you... but it sure would be nice.


Dear Baking Supplies, I promise to use you again soon. I'm trying to eat healthier, and therefore you may be neglected in the upcoming months. While substitute baking is something I'm incredibly fond of, I think I've decided that the baking just needs to take a break. However, when I come back to you, it will be a glorious reunion. Promise.


Dear Summer, You have been oh-so-wonderful... but I'm ready for fall. Don't take it personally. It always happens at about this time. I'm ready for cold weather, jeans and sweaters, boots, pumpkin spice... you get the picture. If you could start cooling down, I'd really appreciate it.


Dear Crayola Crafts, You are life savers. Michael loves nothing more than to paint inside or outside, draw with his chalk, or color with his crayons. He may not grow up to be an artist, but right now his love of color and use of left hand has me imagining he's the next [insert name of your favorite artist here].

Dearest Friends, I am so thankful for all your prayers and support during this time. We aren't facing any true emergencies, just crossed paths and waiting. Lots and lots of waiting. If you could continue to lift us up we more than appreciate it, and know that I will share all I can with you as soon as the time is right. In case you missed it, I ate a jar of Nutella... but talking to God and the amazing women in my life lifted me up more than you can possibly imagine.


Enjoy your weekend, and look forward to some recipes and awesome pictures to come!

The idea for this post came from Ashley over at The Sweet Season.

It is amazing to me how quickly the summer is going by. On top of that, how busy I actually ended up being. I guess family visits, friend visits, and wedding events can do that. But MY GOODNESS. I hate to say it (and my husband is sure to be rolling his eyes somewhere)... but is it fall yet?

Truthfully, fall can wait. Michael turns two in just a little over a month. WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!

This past week my mom was nearby for the She Speaks Conference hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries, so my little sister tagged along, they added days on to the trip, and they came to spend time with us. I'd say we had an outstanding visit. What's funny to me is I'm always SO FOCUSED on spending time with them whenever we are together that I never seem to have quite as many pictures. This is both annoying and reassuring, if that makes any sense at all.

Here are some pictures from their visit! My favorite part? For my little sister's belated birthday present I surprised her with tickets to see Les Miserables at a local playhouse. It was outstanding. What was even more outstanding to me was that we pulled it off! My mom, dad, Clark, and myself were able to keep it a secret for an entire month. If you know my little sister, this is a HUGE win. She's a worse snooper than I am when it comes to gifts!

OK...OK... here are the pics!

I'm not sure why this picture refuses to get bigger, but it does. It's still cute, though!

Hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day! Michael and I ventured to the in-laws' for this special holiday. It seemed only fitting to celebrate with some family.

The drive was rather exhausting. I've never done such a distance with Michael (and our dog, Luna) by myself. Not entirely sure I'd be able to do it again, but we shall see!

However, I'd definitely call the trip a success. Check out these wonderful photos from the holiday, and tune back Thursday for a few more!

I honestly got my days all jumbled this week. I thought yesterday was Wednesday (which is why I didn't do a #TBT), and thought today I'd be sharing an old picture with you. Well, Friday is much better than Thursday for those of you who work, so TGIF!

Dear June, It's amazing to me that you are nearly at an end. With all your ups and downs, you've been pretty awesome in the activity department. We've had playdates, visits, and overall just a wonderful time. Could you pass the word to July to be just as fun, and maybe just a tad bit easier in the areas that weren't so easy?


Dear House, As much as I love our neighborhood, I'm getting the itch to move. I know you love Michael running around and giving you a sense of being young and having someone young to play with... but boy does it exhaust this mommy. I would personally love a fenced in yard and a dishwasher, but those are minor problems compared to many, I know. Still, if you could give our surrounding situations a nudge, I'd greatly appreciate it! P.S. I totally had you clean for at least a solid 12 hours. Remember that.

Dear Michael, In case the picture for the "house" didn't give you a clue, you need a haircut. We've had so much fun playing outside with your new and old toys, and just having a good time. But every time it gets too hot your hair starts to stick and curl. While it's adorable, it's now making its way into your eyes. I promised your dada I wouldn't cut it... but the temptation is getting to the point where I almost can't bear it. Just a trim. Just a little, itty-bitty trim....

Dear Readers, VOTE FOR MICHAEL!! The great thing is you can vote from multiple devices: iPod, iPad, smartphone, computer.... Please support Michael! You guys are awesome. Have a great weekend!

Yes. It is that time of year again. If you want to make my day, go vote for Michael and "Making "Leaf Soup" For the Dog"! Follow THIS LINK.

One of my favorite pictures of Clark and me is this one from Summer 2009, after he graduated from USMC Boot Camp and we had enjoyed his ten days leave together. The zebra print dress that I'm wearing was my roommate's (who was living with me while Clark was gone), and since that summer I've been searching for a dress similar to it. It's funny. I never liked animal print UNTIL this dress. I'm still not a huge fan, if I'm being honest.

I stumbled upon this one on Sears.com and was SO excited... until I realized they were sold out of my size. Ah, well. Some day (while I'm young) I hope to find a Zebra-print maxi dress like this one.

Do you have any old clothing items you wish you could revive, or a piece of clothing that got away from you that you wish you could find?

Last night I was flipping through pictures trying to figure out what I wanted to do for #TBT. Not really having any old, old ones currently available, I focused in on the past six years. Going pre-Michael always seems to do the trick for me. I already feel like one of those people who can barely remember life pre-baby. That's normal, right? I have a hard time remembering how small Michael was at one point... but that's a different story.

So, I was flipping through travel pictures. When my parents were stationed in Germany it was one of the greatest periods of time. We all got to take advantage and travel. Not that this wouldn't have happened eventually, but having the option to go over when I was young and experience some of the world was such a blessing.

I wanted to find a picture from when we visited Versailles. It was my favorite part of Paris. I found a couple. This one was my favorite.

In the "Hall of Mirrors"
However, as I went through pictures. I noticed something. Can you see the similarities in the following?




For those of you who didn't figure it out, I'm referring to my curly locks.

I know. How vain can one get?

Lately my hair has been frizzy and limp and lifeless and all I've been wanting is my curly hair back. I know it was the pregnancy hormones (well, I'm hoping) and there's the possibility of the curls returning once I stop nursing... but part of me just wants to take matters into my own hands.

OK... I'm off the hair tangent. Have a #TBT (or a post-pregnancy-hair-story)? Please share!

Clark was home. It was a bit surreal. We had just enough time to get used to having the other around before he had to leave for M.C.T. (Marine Combat Training... I believe). We had ten days.

Initially we were supposed to go to Hawaii with his family. When we went over the flight information, however, we realized there was a slight chance we would be back late the day he had to report. Plus him having to adjust to the time change... it just wasn't responsible. We were twenty years old and did the responsible thing-- we told his parents we couldn't go to Hawaii. They weren't very happy, needless to say. It was understandable. They did, after all, buy our tickets and were planning on paying for everything while we were there... but we just couldn't do it. We had to find a place to live, had no one to look after the animals, and there were things that Clark needed to take care of before his next step of training.

This decision making all happened on our drive home from his graduation. No joke. We pulled over in a parking lot at one point to talk, because we were supposed to fly out the next day. We had to decide. It was exhausting, and poor Clark just wanted rest, but it had to be done.

The next morning I was rather mean, I have to admit. I woke up early, as I always do, and there was Clark sound asleep next to me. I snuck out of bed, turned on the light, and just yelled, "GET UP!" My husband rolled out of bed and started running for the bathroom to get ready... before he realized that he was, in fact, home and not at bootcamp anymore. This did, however, get him up and we got to enjoy a breakfast together. However, I DO NOT recommend it.

We spent the ten days shopping, celebrating, and apartment-hunting. Looking back on it, it's rather difficult to remember just exactly how everything played out. We were so engaged with the other that little else seemed to matter (except, of course, what needed to matter).

We successfully found an apartment-- a condo fifteen minutes from campus that would come to be home for the next 2.5 years.
We went hiking. We celebrated Independence Day with a picnic and fireworks, something that is now a tradition.
We got Clark things he needed, we spoiled one another... we just enjoyed being together. We didn't need Hawaii to do that. After thirteen weeks of separation, it was just wonderful to have him home.

So sorry to go a few days without posting, and the beginning of the month no less!

July 31st we were blessed with a storm that made our power go out for four hours and involved thunder that shook the house.

But that isn't all.

Before the thunder made our house rattle and made Michael start crying (poor dear), part of our house was struck by lightning.

This, of course, was unknown to me.

Once the power kicked in and I realized that our air wasn't back on, I started to ponder. I walked outside and heard the fan going, so assumed, perhaps, it was just taking a while to regain its power.

Oooooh, no. That would have been convenient.

Come to find out (August 1st, once the repairman came) that part of our air unit/box/control/technical-termed-thing was fried by lightning. And the two parts that needed to be replaced are not parts he typically carries.

Figures.

So we are now on day three (and a half) of no air.

It's. Too. Hot.

I know, I shouldn't complain. We've had lots of rain and our heat doesn't begin to compare to others who do have highs in the 100s.

I still feel like complaining.

August 1st Michael and I did our best to keep cool. We played in his baby pool outside, laid around, drank cold water... good stuff.

Michael still thought it was too hot. He would barely nap and barely let me put him down. By the end of the day we were stinky and gross.

We finally gave in and went to buy a fan once the repairman said it could be ten days before a part came. He was so sweet. He came back trying to use old parts he had to give us a temporary fix, but it didn't work.

Why did we have to buy a fan, you ask? After all, our air conditioning broke last summer at our previous place. We should have fans, right?

Right. We do. But they're in Fayetteville. With Clark's family. We assumed our air conditioning wouldn't go out on us this year.

What's the chance of being struck by lightning? HA!

Yesterday we refused to endure the heat (or rather, Clark refused... never mind that Michael and I had to the day before). Out we went to do some payday shopping.

First we went to one "big city" to do some shopping. Clark needed clothes. Come to find out, the store in big city #1 didn't have what he wanted. So we went to big city #2.

On our way home from big city #2, it started to storm. It was storming so badly that we had to get a hotel room for the night because I refused to drive home in the pouring rain, thunder, and lightning on a curvy mountain road when it was getting dark outside. Absolutely refused.

No worries, our animals were safe and sound with food, water, and a fan going the entire time. Apparently it didn't storm that badly at our house, either.

We returned this morning to find everything in tact, including our broken air conditioning. I promise recipes soon... it's just too dang hot to run our oven and risk rising the temperature in our house.

At the beginning of this month, while we were visiting Clark's family, we took a day trip to the beach. It was impossible to be that close to the ocean (1.5 to 2 hour drive compared to 7 to 8 from home) and not go.

I was nervous. I was afraid we were going to get there and Michael wouldn't like the sane. Or the water. Or he'd get too hot. Or I'd forget to reapply his sunscreen. Or we wouldn't have enough food/liquids for him.

The list goes on.

Still, after doing some search through the blogosphere and google-ing the subject as much as possible, I came up with the Top Five things (in my opinion) to have for a baby beach trip.

1. Lots of Water
I know this may seem a bit redundant, but it is just as important to keep the little one hydrated as it is yourself. While Michael wasn't too keen on his water bottle, for whatever reason, he was very content to drink from one of our nice and cold ones. Perhaps bring a bottle with a sports top (or whatever you like to call it) so it's easy for the baby to drink from it.

2. Apply, Reapply, and Keep Track of Sunscreen
I will admit that one of Michael's legs got a little pink. And when I say a little, I do mean a little. He fell asleep under our cabana and the sun moved while he was sleeping and his leg that was in the sunlight got a tiny bit too much sun. KEEP TRACK OF WHEN YOU NEED TO REAPPLY! Since the baby's skin is so delicate, it's super important to make sure you apply whenever the sunscreen says to.

3. Hat
As mentioned in #2, the baby's skin is delicate. This being said, you should cover their delicate heads/faces. A hat is a perfect solution, especially if you have one that wants to go splash in the tiniest of waves (with you holding/sitting/standing close by, of course).

4. A Cabana, Sun Tent, or Umbrella
While Clark thought I was being a little dramatic when I said we had to have one of these things, I was persistent. Luckily his family had a cabana so we didn't have to go buy our own (yet). Just like #2 and #3, keeping the baby shaded is vital. If you plan on being out on the beach through his/her nap time, make sure you have a way to cover him. Sunscreen won't do the job completely... plus you want to keep him/her as cool as you can.

5. Snacks
For yourself and baby! We brought a cooler full of drinks, fruit, and more. We wanted Michael to feel as "at home" as possible at the beach. After all, if you enjoy something tasty, so will the baby. If he/she is under six months, just make sure your BM or bottle is readily available!

The last one that didn't make the top 5, but I thought I'd throw in as a suggestion, is a little baby pool. While Michael preferred to play in the "big bathtub", he did love that we had a little pool underneath the cabana. It was another way for him to cool down. Just bring a bucket to fill it up with water, and you've got another way of keeping baby happy close to you (in case you don't want to venture out in the sun for an endless amount of time as well)!