Story Books, Bumble Bees and Diego

We had another packed-full-of-fun weekend.

And this might be my favorite picture from the entire weekend!

Cilla wanted her picture with Katie.  She would say, "Pretty as a princess!"  I just think they are precious!

Nana and Poppa were here again this weekend.  We love having them in town and all the extra loving that we get!  Cilla was scheduled to go to Friday Night Out at our church on Friday night.  But, she was acting a little under the weather, she got to hang out with the adults.  We went to Feltner Brothers, a new burger joint in town and I think Cilla was glad she got to tag along.

Saturday morning, headed to Noah's Story Book birthday party.  It was at his beautiful farmhouse and it was the sweetest party!  Cilla had so much fun playing outside with all of her little friends.

 She loves both of these little friends- Ava and Adeline

 Noah got lots and lots of books.....

 and I think he loved every single one of them!

 After Noah's party, we ran a couple of errands and tried to squeeze in a nap because Cilla had Hannah's Bouncy Bumble Bee birthday party Saturday afternoon. 

Brody.  Seriously, one of the funniest little guys I know!

 The Birthday Girl, Hannah!

Stacey, Hannah's mommy outdid herself with this one!  It was so cute and the food was so yummy!

 Cilla's little friends.  

Hannah.  Anna Kate.  Cilla.  Stella.
Love them all!

How cute is this little gal?!?!  

Our friends Jennifer and Jillian.  

 

After the birthday party, we headed home for a little relaxing and football.

Cilla and Poppa blew bubbles.  Cilla got bubbles at both birthday parties and she was so excited about them.  Poor baby.  Never gets to blow bubbles!

 She helped Nana make Chicken and Dumplings for dinner!  Yum!  Cilla cut her dumplings out in the shape of hearts!  Even yummier!!!

And then she got dressed and ready to taste test!

Sunday was filled with church.  Lunch at one of our favs, The Catfish Hole.  And our cousin Max's Diego birthday party!

Here's the birthday boy!

Family.

Cilla loved loved loved playing with her cousins.  She thought she was as big as they were!

Cilla and Emily

Natalie, Emily and Cilla.
They were so sweet to her and they all played so well together!

I am pretty sure I need a weekend to rest after this weekend!  

But it sure was fun!

Lunch Date and Play Date

Thursday, while Cilla was at Mother's Day Out, I had the sweetest lunch with my discipleship group.  Mrs. Trudy, my mentor, had the sweetest fall lunch planned for our group at her beautiful home.  I just love this group of ladies and am so thankful that God brought them into my life.  Of course, I didn't get any pictures.  The story of my life!  But, the sweet time I had with them is hidden in my heart.

Friday, our dear friends, Melissa, Caedmon and Honor came into town and we had a play date with them.  We have been missing our sweet friends since they moved away this past summer.  I didn't get many pictures. It was pure craziness with about 11 mommies and 20 kids!

I did get these little sweeties all dressed up.  It is funny how the little girls just have a radar for the crowns, bracelets, necklaces and sunglasses!

Cilla and Gigi. Anna Kate. Hannah.

I managed to snap this quick shot of Xander taking care of  business on his mom's phone!  Isn't he precious!?

We went to Chick-fil-A afterward with our friends and then headed home to squeeze in a nap before Nana and Poppa arrived for the weekend.

And this was all before the weekend ever got started.

Sugar and Spice

This little pumpkin makes my fall so sweet.  I just love her to pieces!    

 This little cup of sweetness is something that I look forward to all year long!  Yum yum Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!  I know it is not the most appropriate summer bev, but come'on Starbucks I would love it all year round!

 And even though this is not edible, it smells like it should be.  I burn this all fall and it just makes me happy!  It pleases my palate and is a whole lot less calories that the real deal!

Ahhhhh...just a few of the simple pleasures of fall!

The Fair

So, I am still catching up on some of the fun things we have been up to this fall.

A few weeks ago, we went the county fair here in our area.  Not to ride the rides, but to see all the farm animals.  It was super duper hot outside, but it was still a huge hit with the kiddos.  

Cilla is still partial to the goats!

 Always making a new friend!

 Reid.

 Laci.

 Cilla, Laci, Paigey and Avery petting the cows!

 Lilly's favorite animal was the stick horse.

 Sweet girl.  

Cilla loves loves loves animals and loves being with her friends.

It was a fun day!

Food Swap

In leau of Mmmm, Mmmm Monday I thought I would post about the food swap I recently took part in with some of my girlfriends.  I must say, it is a little bit of work up front, but hopefully it will payoff over the next month!

There were five gals that took part and we each made two recipes.  We made five portions of each recipe making a total of 10 meals.  

I made Homemade Lasagna and Chicken Enchiladas.

We all met at our friend, Sara's house to trade meals.  I received Taco Soup, Turkey and Black Bean Chili, Chicken Spaghetti, Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Meat, Southwestern Egg Rolls, Three Cheese Baked Pasta, Taco Meat and Chicken Chili.

You might notice that I have six of each dish I made.  I had one extra of each to take to another family. 

One tip that I got from the internet was to cover the metal pans with Press'N Seal then cover the pans with foil.  That helps to preserve the quality when in the freezer.

I labeled the top of each dish and wrote out the cooking instructions...all in permanent marker of course!

And Viola!  Ten less nights in the kitchen!  

Here is my Lasagna recipe.  It really is yummy.  Flint says it is his favorite Lasagna.....ever.  I think that is a pretty bold statement, but he swears by it.  He is not a fan of Ricotta which most Lasagna recipes call for, but this recipe just calls for Mozzarella.

I have to give credit where credit is due.  This recipe originally came from my friend, Hillary several years ago.  I have made a few adjustments, but it is a home run and is a staple recipe around our house.

Homemade Lasagna

1 pound Mild Sausage

1 pound Ground Beef

1 package Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles

16 ounces Tomato Sauce

2 large cans Diced Tomatoes

2 packages Spaghetti Seasoning

2 packages Lasagna Cheese 

(I have trouble finding this sometimes, so I just use grated Mozzarella)

Cook Sausage and cook Ground Beef.  

Put meat, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and seasoning into a large pot.  You may also want to add some garlic to the mixture.  Simmer about 45 minutes.

Layer noodles, cheese and sauce.  I usually repeat this three times making it a total of nine layers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until it is hot and bubbly.

Okay, I need some good ideas for freezer meals for the next time.  I vowed to myself to not make such labor intensive dishes next time.  I thought of Poppy Seed Chicken, King Ranch Chicken and my Italian Vegetable Soup.  BUT, I am open to other ideas!

My Cup Overflows

It was, once again, a busy weekend.  That seems to be how we like things and how we thrive!

Friday night, Cilla went to Friday Night Out at our church and Flint and I had a night out with friends!  Some of our dear friends, Candice and Tim, were having dinner out and finding out the gender of their family's newest little blessing.  I have to say, I have been invited to gender reveal parties, but this is the first one that I have been able to attend.  And it was so so fun!  

Proud Mommy and Daddy!

 The big reveal......

everyone at our table cheered with joy and everyone in the restaurant turned to see what the excitement was about! 

 It's a BOY!

Saturday night, daddy went to cheer on our Hogs to a 38-14 victory over the Auburn Tigers!!!  Wooo Pigs!  But the girls had more important things to do....like play princesses with our friends!

Our friends, Sydney, Stella and Emerson invited us over to watch a little football (like that ever happens at this phase of life!), eat dinner and play since the daddies were at the game.

These two little messes had so much fun playing together!  Cilla never wants to leave Stella's house!

Once we got out the princess dresses, the mommies got a little time to visit and watch the game.

Our Royalty, Calling those Hogs!  

Once again, I didn't get any pictures, but Nana and Poppa were in town for the weekend and we got to see the Clemons clan for Sunday morning brunch.

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I have bunches of pictures that I have not posted, so I wanted to play a little catch up.

I kept Laci a couple of weeks ago, and the girls helped me make a cake!  Such little helpers!

Their favorite part of all was licking the bowl...and why not?!?!

 Yummy!

Here are the two crazies at the park.

We were so excited to welcome Baby Jake to the world a couple of weeks ago.  Our dear friends Josh and Kelli lived with us from May to the end of September and little Jake was born just days after Josh and Kelli moved out!  So, we were super excited to welcome him!  

He is just perfect in every way!

 Josh and Kelli did not know whether they were having a boy or a girl so it was even more exciting to celebrate Baby Jake's arrival!!

Dough family party of 3!

Fall is always a busy time around the Harris house, but we love our time with our precious friends.  We are so grateful for the little blessings that God has blessed us with.

My cup overflows!

Go Hogs!

I love living in a college town that is so insanely excited about game day.  Everywhere you turn there is red, white and Hogs!!!  Today our Razorbacks take on the Auburn Tigers here at home!  It is a BIG day!  The atmosphere is electric and we have one little fan cheering them on!  She probably will not see the outcome tonight since the game does not kickoff until 6 PM.  But she is dressed and ready to go and I am confident that she will hold out tonight as long as I will let her!  

 She insisted on the crown with the cheer outfit!  Why not?
Future Homecoming Queen?!

 Admiring her reflection.  

She thought she was pretty stink'in cute...and so did her momma!

Wooooo Pig Sooie!

Go Hogs.  Beat the Tigers.

Wet Cement

I have been going to a women's discipleship class at our church this fall and I must say, it has done my heart good!

Thus far, we have talked about God's plan for our spiritual life, for our marriage, and for raising children.  Of course each one of the topics hits home.  I don't know about you, but I often feel convicted about the time I give to God and the time I give to my husband during the season of life known as raising a little one.

Tuesday, one of the Women's Directors from our church spoke about family values and raising our kids.  Gina said several things that really sank down deep.  She talked continually about how raising little ones is like having wet cement.  You have this cement.  You pour it and can form it relatively easy while it is wet.  But, the longer it sits out, the harder it gets.  Eventually, it is rock solid.  Then to make changes is much much more difficult.  You have to chisel away and this is a much slower and harder process than forming it to begin with.
WOW!  To compare this to raising kids certainly makes me look at each hour of my day.  Each activity that we are involved in.  The people my daughter is around.  If that doesn't make you think about how intentional you are with your kids, I don't know what will!  As parents we are only given a few short years to mold our babies into little people who radiate Godly character.  After that, they are like "hard cement" and to make changes is like chiseling away cement....a slow and painful process.  I am pretty sure no job is as important as investing in my kiddo.  No meeting is more important.  No TV show is more important.  Twitter or Facebook are not more important.  This blog or any other blog is certainly not more important.  Where am I spending the bulk of my time?
Gina challenged us mommies to think ahead to what we want our little ones to be like as big people.  Since, after all, the TRAINING starts now.

  Train up a child in the way he should go, 
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

This is not a new concept to me but it is good to see things in a new light.  And it does a momma good to be reminded sometimes.
So, as difficult as I think it is some days to deal with the "terrible two's", which by the way I think are so wonderful in many ways.  I choose now!  I choose, with everything in me, to point my daughter toward Christ.  I choose to guard her heart from as much ick in this world as I possibly can.
Do I think this is easy?  NO.  Am I naive enough to think that I will never make mistakes along the way?  Absolutely not!  But, I know one thing for sure.  I do not want to look back on these formidable years with regret.
God has blessed Flint and I with the greatest gift and with that comes great responsibly.  So for now, I am working on forming my wet cement.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9

DFW

This past weekend we loaded up the car and all five of us, yes our two dogs in tow, headed to Fort Worth.  Not only were our Hogs taking on the Texas A&M Aggies in Jerry World, but we get to spend time with Pappy and Susu and some of our dear friends.

On Saturday, Cilla refused to put anything red on.  I took several choices for her and nothing would suit her but to wear pink.  So, here is her game day attire.  That's right, pink butterfly dress!!!  Nothing cheers Go Hogs, Beat the Aggies like pink with butterflies!

These are some pictures from a trip to the park.  I took Cilla Saturday evening after we returned to Fort Worth from our day trek to Dallas.  She had the best time and made four new little friends and how random that two happen to be the daughters of a girl that Flint used to ride in carpool with growing up.  After striking up a conversation with the parents, we quickly realized that I was Flint's wife and that I had just run into two of his childhood friends!  It is a small world!

 Cilla was so cute with the little girls.  She would ask them, "What's your name?"  Then one of them asked her how old she is and here she is holding up her fingers.

 "TWO!"

This little gal loves the swing!!!

  

And since I failed at picture taking over the weekend, I thought I would do bullets of all the fun our weekend was jam packed with!

*Flint and I got to see one of our besties from Waco.  Katie and her BF Todd, who Flint worked with at Baylor and I had never met, drove to Fort Worth to have dinner with us!  Oh so sweet to have time with our friends!  Pappy and Susu kept the munchkin and we had a fun dinner out at one of our favorites- Joe T's!!!

*After a late night party at Pappy's casa, as in our two year did not go to bed until 11:30 PM, we helped Pappy celebrate his birthday a little late with lunch at Rivercrest.

*Flint and I were blessed with and spoiled with another night out with friends.  We joined Corby and Peter, two near and dear friends, for dinner at Railhead.  Does is sound like all we have done thus far is eat?!?!

*Flint experienced Aggie Midnight Yell practice.  Not sure what else to say about this!

*Cilla and I got to make a day trip to the Big D to see my bestie, Laura, and her family.  We got to meet her precious precious almost two month old baby boy who I have been dying to get my hands on.  We also enjoyed a couple of our Dallas favs- Bubba's and JD's Chippery!

 Pure Chaos!

  As usual, our visit was a little chaotic and not nearly long enough.  But that just makes us enjoy our time away from being mommies and the girls' weekends away that much more special!

Oh, and Cilla and I managed to squeezed in a teeny tiny bit of shopping!

*Of course Flint headed to Arlington, with Peter, to watch the Hogs take on the Aggies.  Wooo Pig Sooie!

*Flint did a great job covering the weekend.  

Check it out on HolyTurf.

*Oh yes, and the HOGS WON!

*Cilla cried when we started packing up and loading the car.  She wanted to stay at Pappy and Susu's.  Despite the long trip, we will be making a trip back soon!  We always love our time in DFW.

Mmmm, Mmmm Monday: Apple Dumpling

This is another Harris family favorite and it is a super duper fall dessert.  This recipe is a deviation from Pioneer Woman's dumpling recipe.  We have it down to an art and it is perfection, if I do say do myself!  Eat it at your own risk!!!

 

Apple Dumpling

2 whole Granny Smith Apples

2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls

1 stick Butter

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and cinnamon, stir.  Will be thick and grainy.  Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

You will not be disappointed!!!