Oh my goodness – this is like picking your favorite book – I have no clue how to narrow down the best day.
Ok – ready – here you go…
It was 10.9.11. Yup – that’s right, the day after our wedding.
Of course I loved the day we got married…being surrounded by our friends and family, the engaging, expressive, full on worship we had during our ceremony, being prayed over by sweet friends and mentors, eating yummy cake, staying at the amazing Washington Duke Inn.
But the day after…you aren’t really concerned about anything. You are just living life – with no one contacting you, or concerned with wedding details, or guests questions, or how your hair looks. I was no longer concerned with what is my husband going to think when he wakes up to me and my hair isn’t perfect and my breath stinks. I was no longer worried about the first night of sex (we had waited until our wedding night to have sex, and it was worth the wait).
We sat there changing our facebook statuses, looking at pictures, reading the paper, getting delicious amazing food delivered by room service, I remember the grilled salmon salad. We watched movies. We just relaxed. It was wonderful. We didn’t have to hurry off to our honeymoon destination (we ended up leaving the next day to start our 2 week road trip up the East Coast and into Canada).
I loved just being with my mister. And he was then MY Mister. So, if any of you are getting married – just wait until the day after – when all the stress is gone. Wedding weekends are stressful, emotional, full of tears and joy, and amazing – but the day after—there you got it!
This picture was taken by our friend Erica Cooper – and no, we were not kissing in this photo – you’ll just have to trust me on that one!
Almost every night I have the privilege of putting my boys to bed. My favorite time with them is right before bed time when I take the time to read stories with each one of them in their rooms. I start with my younger and we read three books. Then I move on to my older son and we read two books. I love holding them, reading with them, laughing with them, and praying over them. Such a sweet bonding time.
So, what a great thing to combine both my love of books and love of Fall with a new book by Tommy Nelson that I was sent to read with my children and to pass on to you. This great board book continues a series of season books that show furry “lions” (my sons overall word for most animals) having fun as families doing Fall activities.
You will love it.
How do you win this book – you ask? Tell me your favorite fall activity to do with your children? Ours: going to a pumpkin patch!
But, there will be no Blogtember challenge today from me because I don’t like to Vlog. I like to watch Periscope but I don’t like to be on it. I do not like myself on video – and since this is my blog…there you go.
I love being up in front of people – just don’t make me watch or listen to it.
If you wanna talk with me – let’s sit down and chat – or cook together, or, well, anything.
I mean, there you are, sitting cozily by a roaring fire (or a gas one, or just some pretty candles in your fire place), and you need something to munch on.
Or, you have a bunch of friends over in your backyard for a fire and smores – but you need something to munch on while the smores get perfectly roasted with the charred edges of sticky ooey gooey marshmallow.
Or you have some sports fans over to watch the game and there is an empty coffee table just needing a big bowl of healthy snacks to get every body through the game (or at least until halftime.
Snacks do not have to be bad for you. I think we often feel that snacks have to be unhealthy to be fun or to taste good – but that is so not the case. Nuts is on a mission to share recipes that are healthy, fun, and delicious, and will be good for tailgating, watching the games, or just to snack on at night while watching your favorite movie. And you can get your pumpkin seeds from a pumpkin and do a lot of work, or you can get them delivered to your door.
One of the things my mister always does for me, including this batch, is make the popcorn. We got some spices for a wedding gift, and have been making a special spicy blend of popcorn a few times a month since we got married almost four years ago. We took this special Campbell tradition and made it a little sweet too.
Fall Sweet and Spicy Party Mix
Recipe Type: Snack Mix
Cuisine: Snack
Author: kcreatives
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 7 cups
Sweet and Spicy and packed with everything you love about Fall.
Ingredients
For the popcorn
5 cups of popped popcorn
1/2 tsp Penzeys Jerk Seasoning (I’ve learned that all jerk seasoning is not created equal)
fresh cracked pepper and popcorn salt to taste
For the candied pumpkin seeds:
3/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 T vodka
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 ground cloves
1/4 nutmeg
1/3 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp sea salt
pinch of cayenne
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup craisins
Instructions
Season the popcorn and let it get cool, but not stale.
For the pumpkin seeds: put everything in a saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the liquid is dissolved and the sugar starts to caramelize and the pumpkin seeds pop.
Dump out on to parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Spread out.
Let cool.
Break into pieces
Combine popcorn, pumpkin seeds, white chocolate, and craisins all together.
Obsession is a strong word. Hmmmm…I’ve got one main one. Its been my latest obsession for the past 4.5 years now.
My mister. As we come up on our 4 year wedding anniversary, I’d have to say he gets better with age. I can say he’s in his 40s because he is and I’m not…I’m such a baby compared to him (ha!)
He is definitely my better half. He is the caring, shepherding person who makes any and every church that he is a part of more wonderful. He listens to people. He cares about them. He takes what they say to heart.
He is an amazing musician. Its like he doesn’t have to work at it. It just flows from him – like worship. Though I know he does work at it – it is more a part of him. He loves playing with his favorite musicians: Erica, Nathan, Tim…and some penny whistle action by Phil.
He is a humble man of God who seeks to lead me gently and lead our children well. They will know patience by knowing their daddy.
I do not get enough time with this man. But, tonight, after he got back from a concert…he tasted the food I cooked, helped with cleanup, fixed my knife block, and now we are sitting on the couch both working on our computers.
He is amazing. I’m obsessed with him. And will be for the next 60 years so Lord willing.
