Where Dreams Come True!

This face pretty much sums up everything that was our Disney vacation.  W's obsession adoration with Mickey comes as no surprise to anyone that has spent time around us during an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  If ever a child was to be truly star struck, I would have to say it was W when he met Mickey.  He was speechless.  

Perhaps, I am just a more emotional person now that I am a mother, or maybe it was seeing how excited my little man was upon arriving at his mecca, but I had to choke back a few tears when Mickey approached us for the first time.  

The magic did not stop there.  From Halloween decor, characters in costume, rides, parades, and festivities galore, we were on the go from dusk until well past dawn. 

Whether we were lounging at the resort along the riverside or smooshzing with the Princesses it was such a treat to be surrounded by family and all be a part of W's first visit to Disney World.  

There are numerous memories that I will cherish, but two of my favorites happened on our last night.  People were tired and sore.  We all had to get up early the next morning, packed and ready to go, and of course no one was packed yet.  There was still so much to see, yet no one really had the energy to go on.  I was determined to meet all of Mickey's friends before our vacation was over.  Daisy was last on the list.  So after a little coaxing, we all stumbled to Pete's Silly Sideshow to meet Daisy.  The staff, for the first time during our entire vacation, was rude and W was cranky, and then we saw Goofy.  No one was waiting to meet Goofy so W was able to walk right up to him, with his Disney souvenir tour bus in hand.  Without hesitation, Goofy reached out his hand and began to roll the bus back and forth with W.  W lit up like a Christmas tree.  Goofy laid on the ground and continued to play with W for about ten minutes.  It was truly remarkable.  

We headed towards the park exit.  I felt fulfilled.  I really did not think that there would be something to top that moment, and just as we were about to reach the gate, we noticed there was no line to see Mickey.  We made a quick pit stop to say goodbye to Mickey and thank him for a great vacation.  Mickey also noticed the bus that W was carrying around.  W handed Mickey the bus and they rolled it back and forth, just as he had with Goofy.  Everyone waiting to meet Mickey after us "awed," and as the photographer snapped the photo, I could not help but think that this is what magic is all about.  

Because it is not how many trinkets, we cram into our suitcase, nor is it the delicious desserts.  It is not the view of Cinderella's castle while walking down main-street...

But it is being able to see the look on your little boy's face when his dreams come true.

Being Thankful

Recently, Rachel and C came to visit, so clearly there was going to be a meal of extra cheesy pizza.  While we managed to squeeze around a crowded table, W looked over at me and said, "We are all sitting down together like a family."

Even thinking about it again now, makes me tear up a little.  Just the fact that at almost 3 Will recognized that there is more to being family than being blood.  It is a feeling of love and togetherness that helps us to cherish those who mean so much to us.

Everyday I am grateful to have such a wonderful son, but it is those moments that make me appreciate all we really do have to be thankful for throughout the year.

The table we sit at, with the ones we love is truly just the beginning.  I know that I find it hard some times to really hold on to that gratitude the whole year through, but today I just wanted to pause in the midst of the hustle and bustle to say THANK YOU!

Thank you to every person who has stood by myself and family this year as we underwent great loss and difficult adjustments.  Thank you to every long winded phone call that ended with kids reeking havoc on our separate homes.  Thank you to girls nights and afternoon coffee.  Thank you for family gatherings shared with great food and company.  But most importantly, I am thankful that through good times and bad, I have such a wonderful support system filled with loving and compassionate people that help me to hold onto that feeling of holiday magic all year long.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Two of My Favorite Ladies!

While Rachel and C were visiting, we had the brilliant idea to grab our cameras and head over to Lake Katherine for a fall photo shoot.  We recreated some Pinterest gems, scored a few holiday card photos, managed a maternity mini shoot and all around had a great time getting dressed up and trying to stay warm.

I was especially excited to try some more maternity poses and am really lucky that Rachel was so cooperative.   One of the many reasons it is wonderful to take photos of your friends!

Maybe I am partial, but I think these two are the cutest Mama Daughter duo and I hope to be this adorable next time I am pregnant.  Love you ladies!

The G Family

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to do my first maternity shoot!  It was such a treat to photograph adults who are not only willing but excited to pose for the camera.  It was a little chilly and the wind was in full force, but Lisa and Mike were such great sports... laying on logs, hiking through trees, and pretty much just letting me boss them around.  Thank you so much for letting me share in this exciting time; I loved hanging out with you both for the afternoon.  I cannot wait to meet that little nugget and tell him/her that it's parents are awesome.

Here is a little sneak peek of some of my favorite shots from the afternoon:

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

On rainy, gloomy days like today I crave comfort food.  I threw together a crock pot of chili and brewed about 15 cups of coffee.  In previous falls, I would have stocked the house with muffins and banana bread, but since my mission to get back into skinnier skinny jeans, I have ditched my 600 calorie pumpkin muffin afternoon snack for cucumbers and hummus, and let's be honest... it is NOT the same.  So after a little recipe searching, I came across a lower fat, lower sugar muffin.

What you will need:

1 cup of old fashioned oats (not instant)

1 cup of skim milk (I used coconut milk)

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1/2 cup of light brown sugar

1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce (I used Trader Joe's organic applesauce with cinnamon individual pack)

2 egg whites (I used liquid egg whites 1/3 cup is the about 2 eggs)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (to sprinkle on top of muffins before baking)

Begin by soaking the oats in milk for about one hour.

Combine the oat mixture with the applesauce and egg whites, and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl measure and whisk the dry ingredients together.  (As I currently do not own a whisk or cannot find it I use a large fork as whisk.)

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.  Do not over mix batter or the muffins will be tough. 

My trusted assistant kept a watchful eye to make sure everything was going off without a hitch.

The recipe says that you can add nuts or raisins if desired, but I feel like these two statements can explain my extra ingredient choice.  "Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues." "Anything with nuts would be better with chocolate instead... ex. a box of nuts."

So...

All hail chocolate chips! 

(I added approximately a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips about 1/3 of the bag.)

Spoon mixture into a greased muffin pan.  (Kitchen hack: use an ice cream scoop to portion out the muffin mix.)  I made one batch of medium muffins and two batches of mini muffins.  Bake medium to large muffins at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and bake mini muffins for about 10-12 minutes at same temperature.  

If you are like me, you will be concerned that the mini muffins will not end up with chocolate chips in each one so I added one chip to the top of each mini muffin.  I was so concerned with my chocolate chips that I forgot to add cinnamon before putting them in the oven.  Oops!

All that is left is to enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

1 muffin = 1 serving (3 mini = 1 serving)

Calories: 125 

Fat: 3 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Sodium: 22.4 mg

Potassium: 52.9 mg

Carbs: 21.4 g

Fiber: 2 g

Sugar: 9.3 g

Protein: 3.6 g

Vitamin A: 1.2 %

Iron: 4.2 %

The Thankful Tree

I love Thanksgiving.  It is by far my favorite holiday and not just because you get to eat half a turkey on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes and follow it up with a pumpkin pie sans judgement.  Thanksgiving is the one holiday that is not about what gifts you get, but who you share your life with.  It is a time to be grateful for all of life's blessings and to acknowledge that there is always a reason to be thankful.  There are so many lessons in life to learn and traditions to be passed down from generation to generation, but if nothing else sticks with W, I hope that he learns life is not about possessions, but about possessing gratitude and compassion.

In an effort to show instead of tell in regards to this message W and I made a thankful tree today.  I am sure there have been numerous versions of this in the past, but our version went a little something like this.

I went outside to our front yard and found about 5 sticks within 2 feet of the door.  Then, thanks to my mother's hoarding, I was able to find fall themed decals for our vase.

After attempting to draw some leaves free hand, I stepped outside once more and picked up a leaf to trace.

W was very excited to make his own leaves.  He insisted on drawing his own and spent a great deal of time tracing and adding details to his artwork.

After I finished cutting out all of our leaves, W and I sat down and talked about blessings.  I asked him, "What is a blessing?"  To which he promptly replied, "God." So, I am glad to know that saying our prayers at night is sinking in.  After that though, W wanted to be very clear that he was most thankful for trains.  Engines, freight cars, Thomas and all his friends, train tracks, tunnels, and after reassuring him that we had recognized all the trains he managed to come up with a few other things he appreciates.  A close second on W's list was coffee.  Although, I think he is thankful that coffee exists because it helps to make Mommy a much more pleasant and present person.  I know that is why I am thankful for coffee.

After filling out what we were thankful for, I wrapped the stems of the paper leaves around the twigs and voila, The Thankful Tree.  I chose to write out a few leaves today, but throughout the month, we will add to our tree.  In coming years, I plan to do a leaf a day, so that we can have a daily reminder going into the holidays that there is more to life than what is in the new Toys R' Us add, but seeing as how toddlers do not always have the best attention span I figured it best to get our blessings out on the table from the beginning.

Feel free to stop by and fill out a leaf for our tree, we have extras and we are thankful for all our friends and family, today and always!