Once Upon a Snowy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! The weekend was filled with wonderful things, as was today. G and I began the weekend with some errands and a few odds and ends. We woke up really early on Sunday morning to head out of town for a long awaited visit with some of our closest friends. They had their first child on Christmas day and, due to sickness and schedule conflicts, we've not been able to visit. It was such a joy to see C and her parents. We were in awe of how just a few months ago G was that little. They in turn were looking towards the future when their little one would be almost a year old. It's crazy how time flies!

 

We left early afternoon in the hope that we'd beat the incoming winter storm. We began with some rain which quickly turned to sleet and then as the evening approached, the precipitation turned to snow. We gained about 3 inches, which probably would have been more had we not had such nice warm weather just the day before.

 

 

 

 

We took great joy in celebrating G's first St. Patrick's Day today. She sported her green, and even so, we could not help but pinch those cute cheeks! We also took her out into the snow for a little play time. She and daddy had a blast with the wheel barrow. She made her first snow angel and dug little holes in the snow. All of this was made possible thanks to today's snow day. Only time will tell if tomorrow will be yet another.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

 



 

 

 

Playtime in the Snow!!!

 

 

(Pardon the reindeer socks...she kept getting a gap between her shoes and her snow suit...socks solved the problem.)

 

 

A Taste of Spring

Despite the fact that the current temperature is below 30 and still dropping, we did get a nice taste of Spring weather yesterday. I took G outside after church to enjoy the beautiful 60 degree weather. She adores the outdoors and if it had not been for the rain, we would have remained outside for most of the afternoon.

 

 

Today will be a typical snow day. I'll catch up on some snuggle time and straighten up the house. I broke out our new donut maker and tried my hand at a new donut recipe. Hopefully I'll get to post about that later. They were quite tasty!

Only time will tell if we'll be home tomorrow. My husband was held over for mandatory overtime at the fire department. After getting his call this morning and learning about the road conditions, I'm glad he had to stay. They continue to respond to automobile accidents and considering we live almost an hour away from his work place, I am glad that I don't have to worry about him traveling home (I know he has to still respond to emergency calls, but fortunately he is not alone and is in a REALLY big truck). The layer of ice beneath the snow is reeking havoc, even on the main highways.

The ground hog was not kidding when he saw his shadow...

::via::

Sweet Valentine

Valentine festivities are finally over and I've gathered some of my favorites to share with you.

 

 

With all of the snow (15 inches or so) I was home bound for a few days. That did not stop me from spreading some love. I dropped G's Valentines off with her sitter on Monday, just in case we got the snow they were calling for. For my sitter I put together a yummy chocolate peanut butter pie and some Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (you have to try them!). And for the kiddies...

"I love you "beary" much!" attached to a bag of teddy grahams.

I loved the CC Cookie Dough Balls so much that I put them into sweet little baggies for my co-workers. They were a hit! (Thought I had a picture but alas, I do not). For my students I took some creative liberty from various posts found on Pinterest and put together these adorable little goldfish baggies. The kids adored them!

 

 

I gave a little sneak peek of one of my Valentine projects a while back...and I must say I just loved it! I made G a little red and white heart jumper. She flaunted it proudly.

 

My hubby had to work on Valentine's Day so it was just G and I. We gave her Llama Llama Red Pajama as a little gift. 

 

My hubby and I opted to celebrate the Day of Love on the 15th when he could be home. I planned a very special (and quite ambitious) meal. While everything turned out very tasty, it was a little stressful attempting to cook and manage a 9 1/2 month old (making a mental note for next year).

 

Table Centerpiece

 

The Menu

 

The Table

 

The Dessert

These brownies were AMAZING!!! Try these Knock You Naked Brownies for yourself :)

Overall I probably gained 10lbs but considering this was a week filled with splurges, I don't feel too bad. (Is it crazy that I'm already looking forward to next year? But until then I have a 1st birthday to begin planning...)

Five on Friday: Sneak Peeks

This winter weather is crazy!!! I won't complain though because it gives me extra time with my little Snickerdoodle and allows me to accomplish things that I might not otherwise get done. I'm excited to share some of these things with you in today's Five on Friday! Don't forget to browse other Five on Friday participants here!

[one]

I thought I'd share a couple sneak peeks of things to come. The first is a sneak peak of G's Valentine's Day dress. I was super excited to get it done on our unexpected Snow Day. While it's nothing fancy, I think it's absolutely adorable and I can't wait to get her in it!

[two]

The next sneak peek is also Valentine's Day related. I'm starting to put together items needed for G's Valentine goodies for her friends at the sitter.

[three]

On Tuesday we kept hearing about the winter storm spreading flakes of joy havoc winter weather across the southern states, the Carolinas and southern sections of Virginia. There was little excitement predicted for those of us nestled in Central VA. In fact, we were told to expect some flurries and in some areas, a light coating. Flurries were happening in the area all throughout the day. They continued into the evening. As the sun set, the snow became heavier. By the time I went to bed that night, we had more than just a "dusting" and by morning we had about an 1 1/2-2 inches. Snow Day!



[four]

For those who have not had a chance to hear or read my post, I am excited to announce that I am down 12.8lbs. I began this journey at the end of December. Check out my update and photos here!

[five]

I've got two fitness events coming up in the next couple of months. The first is my Fitness Minutes Challenge with my Spark Team for the month of February. If you're interested in joining in, stop by DONE at SparkPeople to get more info. The other event that I have coming up is the Run for Mercy 5k. This was supposed to take place last October, but was postponed until this Spring. I'm still waiting for the date but it is on my list of fitness goals this year. This race is taking place in several cities across the country so if you are interested, check them out!

About Mercy Ministries: Mercy Ministries provides a free-of-charge, voluntary Christian residential program to young women aged 13-28 who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse, including sex trafficking, as well as those who face life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, self-harm, drug and alcohol addictions, depression and unplanned pregnancy (this information can be directly found here).

I'm also considering doing the Camp Holiday Trails 5k in March, but I do not want to commit without knowing the date for the Mercy Run. I don't know much about this particular race so if anyone has any info, I'd love to know a little more about it.

I wish I could say I love to run...but I don't. My 5ks consist of a walk/jog alternation. I do try to push myself to run for longer periods each time. I just struggle with endurance. I did a few 5ks prior to my pregnancy but have done none since. Wish me luck!

Five on Friday: Let It Snow!

This week was much shorter than anticipated thanks to the welcomed winter weather. The snow was gorgeous and with every flake, I was transported back to my childhood in northern Indiana...and while the amount we ended up getting was no where near the depth of that from my yesteryear, it did provide an opportunity for many fun activities. Please join me, Darci and others for this week's Five on Friday.

 

 

[one]

The week began with a lot of excitement. G finally got to experience snow!!! On Sunday we took a drive about 15 minutes from the house to show her some "good" snow. And then, much to our delight, we received snow on Tuesday! What fun! 

 

 

 

[two]

G had her 9 month well visit on Monday. She is growing like the cutest weed you've ever seen. Our doctor gave me advice on how to begin the transition from formula to more solids. We gave it our first true go on Tuesday. She did really well and did not seem to be hungry or miss her bottle as I had anticipated. She seems to be handling the transition well and is balancing her formula bottles well with her solid food and Sippy cup. She had her first bite of pasta...she's a fan!

 

 



[three]

Tuesday was a wonderful day to just hang out. My hubby was home and G was in bright spirits. I thought it would be great fun to work on a little art project to send to her Granna.

 

 

[four]

Yay for Friday! The first gathering of God's Girls at my church is happening tonight! I am thrilled to join an amazing group of Godly women leaders to work with this special group of young girls. There will be food, fun, a devotion, discussion and other wonderful things that you'd expect at an all girls' lock-in. (I can't stay for the lock-in but will definitely be there to hang out for a while...Woohoo!)

 

 

[five]

G's first Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and I've been searching for a simple idea to send with her for the other kids at the sitter's house. I ran across this idea from Cupcake Cutiees. I'll adapt it to meet my design taste but I love the sweet sentiment. So cute!