Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Nutella Hot Chocolate

Today is our church's Fall Festival.

This means that Walker gets to wear a cute costume.

And get lots of candy.

Play on blow-ups.

And get lots of candy.

So, I thought............ why not kick the day off with some chocolate goodness.

I mean, seriously, why not?

I'm gonna be eating sharing his candy with him for the next several days, so why not go ahead & kick off the Sugar Fest???

As I was browsing on Pinterest last night, I came across a simple recipe for Nutella  Hot Chocolate.

You heard that right!

I said.......... N.u.t.e.l.l.a.H.o.t.C.h.o.c.o.l.a.t.e.


You'll need milk & Nutella.

I prefer Organic Whole milk, but preferences on milk are as varied & strong as are opinions on politics............. so I'll just state my choice & move on.



Did you catch that you'll need Nutella?

That glorious, wonderful, creamy deliciousness.

I love Nutella, but I don't care for hazelnuts............... go fig........ weird, huh?



Pour about 1 cup of milk into a small pan. 

Warm milk, & add about 2 Tbsp. of Nutella.

Whisk together until heated through & your Nutella is no longer in a glob.  {yes, that's the techincal cooking term}



Break out your favorite Christmas mug.  {because everyone ignores Thanksgiving}

Pour & enjoy!

Nutella Hot Chocolate as found on Pinterest
- approx. 1 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp. Nutella
- cute mug



Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Down Home Fun {on the Farm}

Have I mentioned before that fall is my absolute FaVoRiTe season??? 

Well....... it is.

And nothing says FALL to me quite like hayrides & bonfires.

Fortunately, my mother-in-law feels the same way.

This past weekend we were invited to my in-law's for Food, Fun, Games, Hay Rides, Pecan Picking, & Marshmallow Roasting.

We had a blast!!!!

♥ My little sweetie is the cutest!  ♥

Hayride with cousins!  Life doesn't get much better!!!

The weather was {perfectly} Fall!

My mother-in-law was precious enough to invite my side of the family too.

Walker loved having both sets of cousins & grandparents around him.


Have I mentioned before that my sister-in-law is from Uganda???

Well........... she is!

And we just love that Walker has a Ugandan aunt & cousins! ♥ ♥ ♥



He is a little ball of energy & just has fun wherever he goes.

Sweet, little boy.  He lost the war with the Halloween stamps.
It was such a wonderful evening!

We are so very thankful for our family!

{Big & loud!}

That's the way to go, folks!



Monday, October 29, 2012

What 7 Year Itch?

Today marks 7 wonderful years of marriage to my sweetie pie.

My schnookie wookie.

My sugar bottom.

My honey bunny.

My Scottie Hottie!


With every year that passes, I get a little panicked.

Time is going TOO fast!

I want it to slooooow down.

I am enjoying being married to this man too much for the years to be whizzing by.


Seven years ago we never guessed that the first continent we traveled together as a couple would be Africa.

Never guessed that we would become first time parents to a 5 year old little, heart-breaker!

Never guessed that we would still be living in the same city/state.

Never guessed that our lives would be so blessed & so enriched by the love, compassion, & joy of God our Father.


I love our love story. 

How I couldn't stand him & thought he was a jerk!!!!  Then through a dramatic series of events ended up falling for him & marrying him.

I love our life together now.

The one where we can barely get a word in edgewise as our 5 year old dominates the conversation.

I love thinking & planning for our future.

Thinking about our next adoption. Our careers.  Our dreams.  Our travels.


My sweetheart is unlike any other!

And I love him to pieces!

Happy Anniversary, sweetie!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday Foto Op!


One night this week we ventured out to our city square & had dinner at one of our favorite local Italian restaurants.


We were silly!


And a little crazy!


And fully enjoyed being together!

Enjoy your weekend!




Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Thankful....... Simply Thankful!

At this moment, I find myself just sitting on the sofa.

Just sitting & stealing a few minutes in stillness.

I would say quiet........

But it's not quiet around here at all.

There is a darling little boy singing & yelling at the top of his lungs while he catapults all the toy balls he has from one end of the house to the other.

It.Is.Loud!

Yet in this loudness, I find stillness.

{there hasn't been very much of that around here lately}

And in this stillness, I find thankfulness.



And while I am thankful for so many things, these are TOPS in this moment...............

Numba One - My sweet husband.  I truly love this man to pieces!  He supports & encourages me.  He can be ridiculous & hilarious, & I love living life with him!

Numba Two - My baby boy.  He is a dream come true.  A hope fulfilled.  And sometimes I just look at him & cry!!!  I {still} can't believe how wonderfully God brought us together..... through our brokenness........ to this place of joy & love & happiness.

Numba Three - Forgiveness.  Lately, I've had such a hard time finding a consistent schedule for prayer & Bible study.  Although I beat myself up about it, it never fails that when I come to the Word, the Lord meets me there with such encouragement & love & hope.  What a kindness I find!

Numba Four - That some day, some way, some place, some time............ there is another baby {or 2 or 3} of ours waiting for us to come get them & bring them home.

I am oh so thankful for this moment of fading stillness.............

------------------------------------------------

The little boy has now progressed to putting his toy balls beside me.

He's edging into my stillness.

Gotta run!

Thankful for the stillness.

Thankful for the running.

 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

It's College Football Season!

We are well into college football season, and loving it!

Despite the fact that our Georgia Bulldogs are just playing kinda eeeehhhh.

I've had lots of orders for college football wreaths, so I thought I'd share a few of the ones I've made.

UGA Ribbon Wreath

UGA Ribbon Wreath

UGA Ragamuffin Wreath

Auburn Ribbon Wreath

Auburn Ribbon Wreath

Auburn Ragamuffin Wreath
Tennessee Ragamuffin Wreath

Kentucky Ribbon Wreath

House Divided Wreath.  Auburn and Texas A&M.




I love being a part of people's lives in this way!  ♥

So thankful for my customers!  They are THE best!!!!

Monday, October 22, 2012

We May Be a Family of 3.......... FOREVER!

Well............. not really, but I do wonder how people ever have more than one child.

I mean........ I know how you "have" them, but how do you parent them?  Keep up with them?  Survive them?  Nurture their spirits?

I love my little ball of energy, but WOW!

I am exhausted.  Every.  Single.  Day.

In about 6 months time, I have gone from working a full time job to being a full time stay at home Mom.  I have become a teacher.  {we are homeschooling}  And I've gone from wearing makeup & putting on matching clothes EVERY single day to only a handful of days.

Additionally, I've been growing Sweet Georgia Sweet! I can't believe how much it is growing & how BUSY it is keeping me!  I love, love, love it!!!!

I used to feel like I had it all together! 

But now, I'm just a Sweet Peach who can't get it togetha!!!!

Y'all, much like Andy Roddick, I've lost my mojo.  {If you find it, send it home!}

And while, I am suspect that I'll never really get it togetha (eva, eva again), I do hope that at some point I'll have enough energy & discipline to get my routine back............. or develop a new one.

Mainly with regard to Bible study & running.

I hate "fitting it in"............ that's just not me............. and that's just not gonna cut it anymore.

So, at some point in the very near future, I have a feeling that I'm gonna have to find my Big Girl Panties.

And put 'em on!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday Foto Op!


Hello, Friday!!!!

It's time for me to get out from behind the camera & show my face.

So, here I am.

I just love this set of photos of Walkee & Mommee at the fair!


There is just something so iconic & a bit romantic about a Merry Go Round.

So glad I got a few pics of us together on Walkee's first Merry Go Round ride.


I just love my Audrey Hepburn inspired sunglasses.

But my brother-in-law, Nick, makes fun of me when I wear them.

He always asks if I couldn't find a pair that was any bigger!

This Sweet Peach likes 'em big!  The bigga.  The betta.


Look at that happy smile on my baby's face.  LOVE HIS JOY!

Have a great weekend!

Go Dawgs!!!!

Play Candyland with your babies.  Get dolled up for your husband.  And enjoy every moment!




Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Purple Pug. RAVE. Giveaway!!!!!


You will NOT want to miss entering The Purple Pug's 3rd Anniversary Blog Rave.

2 KitchenAid mixers are up for grabs!!!!!

Now go enter..................... {click here}.

You'll be glad you did!



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

My Baby is Getting Married!

Before I ever dreamed of Walker............

There was Lydia.



My baby, baby, baby sister.

There are a little over 10 years between us, & so by the time she came along, I really felt like she was mine.

And she was.

She has turned out so well.

She is smart, athletic, beautiful, & loves the Lord!

And I take most of the credit for that.

She is the 5th child of our parents........... they were, like, totally checked out by then {at least that's what my teenage brain thought.}

Fast forward 20 something years, & now some little punk has asked her to marry him.

Actually, I really love her little punk!  He's a honey!

Last week The Punk proposed.

She accepted.

Sweet, thoughtful boy that he is --- he also threw together an engagement party for her on their proposal day.

It was a sweet time for all of us!

Especially us sissies!

Our brother was at work.  Wah!  Wah!


Seriously?  We said, "Smile!"

Not keep eating your Jolly Rancher!

I thought you said you were a male model???

Hmm...........


Take 2.

Hey, Punkalicious, look at the camera please.


Take 3.

Ah.......... there it is!!!!  Great shot!



All 4 sissies now have boys that buy them diamonds!!!!!


Love this snappy, snappy of all the Whitworth girls!

I can't wait to plan Lydia's wedding for her.

Umm.........

I mean, help.

Help her plan her wedding!







Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Happy 5 Months, Baby Boy!

On Saturday, we celebrated 5 months of Welcoming Home our sweet baby boy!

These have been some of the 5 most wonderful months of our lives!


You LOVE to eat honey!

Honey on a biscuit.

Honey with chicken nuggets.

Honey on your peanut butter sandwich.

Honey in your peppermint tea.

You are a honey addict!



You still have some of the "baby" left in your face.

It breaks my heart to look back & see, in just our 6 short months together {first month spent in Uganda}, that you've already lost some of your baby face.

Wah!  Wah!  Wah!



To say that you are "chatty" would be an understatment!

You are getting in trouble more & more often for talking too much & listening & obeying too little.  :)

Just this past week, we've had a breakthrough with your colors & letters!  You are catching on & see letters & colors ALL around you!!!!

You love AWANA, & are doing terrific at memorizing your Scripture verses.

You LOVE people.............. and they love you!

Instead of saying "Flush the potty."  You say "Blush the potty."

Instead of "sippy cup" it's "skippy cup."


Growing up, my Daddy used to ask me often, "Do you know I love you?"

Apparently I've started that with you because while driving down the road the other day, I hear you say from backseat, "Mommy, do ya know I love you?"

You are a joy!

You are a delight!

You are a ham!

And you are the precious reason that I go to bed exhausted every night!  ♥

I love you to Uganda & beyond................ and always will!