thankful - 3

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures forever. – 1 Chronicles 16:34

thankful - 2

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes!

if you ever happen to have 8 sticks of butter, 3 cups of brown sugar, >1 TBSP. of vanilla, >5 cups of flour, 4 eggs, and 1 cup of mini chocolate chips (and other misc. ingredients :)), we suggest that you make chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. they're like a thrice baked chocolate chip cookie!

first, the night before you want to make the cupcakes,
make the cookie dough.




then, use your beloved 'pampered chef' 1.5 tbsp scoop (or one similar)
to shape the dough into balls.


after the dough balls have sat in the freezer overnight,
it's time to make the cupcake batter!


you can have children help too, i.e. carter liked stirring and licking the beaters.




line cupcake pans with paper liners and fill each 2/3 full with batter.
put a cookie dough ball in the center of each 'cupcake'.
*recipe may make ~30 instead of 24 cupcakes, so be prepared :)




bake the cupcakes @ 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes, more or less.


and then patiently wait until the timer goes off,
and a toothpick comes out from the cake part, for the most part, clean.




you could even treat yourself to one of the extra cookie dough balls... we did!


let the cupcakes cool after baking,
and don't mind the crack/hole that forms where the dough once was...
the frosting will hide it soon :)


whip up the cookie dough buttercream frosting. to spread on the doughnuts ;)


sprinkle each sweet frosting mountain with some mini choc. chips...


and ENJOY!






they are a deliciously rich treat... irresistibly YUM!

thankful - 1

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,
and overflowing with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6-7

awaiting baby peyton

(yester)thursday

yesterday was basically the first day of my thanksgiving break.
2 of my classes were canceled and i just skipped out on the 3rd one.
and that was really ok for me to do, so don't worry.

i slept in til almost 10, went for a run, cleaned, did laundry, and hung out.
kate and i went on a dinner date and for a treat, we watched keenan on youtube.

at night, all of us at cornerstone shopped and wrapped gifts for kids.
we sought to bless others by becoming a part of operation christmas child 2010.
we listened to some weird guy's christmas songs and ate too many cookies.
and we talked and prayed and simply soaked in the community that we are.



the night ended with a video chat date with my sweet friend ing.
how we manage to be productive while chatting is a mystery to me.
but laughing, sharing, and productivity is just how we roll i guess.

dear (yester)thursday, you were good. i really look forward to this break!

brighter than the moon

first, watch this:



all of katy's songs are totally catchy, upbeat and make you want to sing along and maybe even get up and dance. but unlike most of her other songs, "firework" is much more of a feel good song with genuinely good lyrics. it's encouraging and powerful in a much more positive way than spend all your $, kiss a girl, or get back together with your boyfriend because you miss him.

There's a spark in you-
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine...

It's always been inside of you,
And now it's time to let it through.

just like the individuals in the video, we've got a spark inside of us. and i believe that our lights will ignite, and our souls will shine, when we surround ourselves with what gives us joy and we live life boldly.

trying out new ideas, being creative with paper, and working with still images of the sun shining down on families... inspires me to continue to look at the details of life.



running, getting rosy and cold cheeks, and enjoying a splurge of eating bread and eating out make me thankful for motivating friends, a safe neighborhood to run in, and good food that makes a splurge satisfying.



enjoying bread-free meals, having a djembe placed perfectly in position to be played upon, and my calendar of daily thoughts/wisdom... encourages me to keep it up, keep believing, and keep on learning.


oh, and maybe i'll be like him someday :) (watch 1:40-3:34)

getting a perfect score on a project that i never once stressed out about... reassures me that i was made for this.



seeing trains on the move while i'm on a walk reminds me how everyone has their own lives happening, but how it can be such a great encounter when two paths do cross and connect.



these are some things that are igniting my inner light these days, bringing me joy, allowing me to live life boldly, and showing me what colors i am made of.

own the night like the 4th of July.

jcp - just too much fun

i love the girls that i work with at jcp.
one of my favorites is bethany.
(unfortuntely she wouldn't let me capture her face!)
she always is trying to start a fight with me.
and she always laughs at my jokes, even if she already knows the punch line.
we're too funny together, that's for sure.

two lists, two years, same day

a year ago today, i wrote these "dears":

dear icc, please turn on the heat. i don’t like freezing on the days i visit you.

dear chanel, i am thankful for your friendship and our sweet laughter and natural fun.

dear starbucks, your drinks make it feel like christmas… keep up the good work.

dear alyse, you are so funny… especially when it comes to crafts involving glue and sticks.

dear kenya, i will be leaving to come see you in just 2 months!

dear target, you always have cute things to buy. you take my money, but i enjoy you.

dear God, thank you for your faithfulness and joy. i couldn’t do anything without you.

dear pictures, i appreciate your ability to bring back old memories.

dear pre-travel planning, please do not overwhelm or stress me out.

dear creativity, thank you for flowing nicely and through so many outlets.

------------------------------------------------------------------
today, i write these "dears":

dear patience, i am seeking you out but at times you are hard to find.

dear global warming, you are very kind when you make fall last til mid-november.

dear jcp, it's nice being on the inside and knowing about all the sales & coupons.

dear camp adventure, you've captured my attention.

dear djembe, i think we are going to be best friends.

dear following natural instincts, thanks for leading me to find $10 today.

dear mom, thanks for the subway gift card.

dear ben, thanks for the past 11 weeks. i'm proud of you.

dear dad, thanks for always making me laugh.

dear week before thanksgiving break, please don't be too crazy busy.

i love constantly being shown that i am exactly where i'm supposed to be.

family day @ home!

yesterday, ben and my mom came to bloomington for family weekend.
today, i went home for the day - family time, 50% here and 50% there.
i visited riverside in the morning,
had panera for lunch with my roommate and her family,
spent the afternoon shopping with ing and the girls,
had italian beef sandwiches for dinner with my family,
had this little curly Q fall from my pony and resemble a baby piglet's tail,



joined the bruers for movie night.



and stayed up late chatting and watching a movie on netflix.

it was a good sunday- a perfect refueling before beginning another week!

family day @ isu!

♥

delicious vegetable chili at cornerstone's chili dinner!

she is one of my most favorite people. ever.