Gratitude

Gratitude turns what I have into enough.

Chocolate and books that change the way I think,

Laughter and Netflix,

Photographs and rocking chairs.

The gospel.

Zoe and her cuddles under microplush blankets.

Heaters and eternal marriage, beanies and warm sweaters.

Cheeseburgers and music and babies.

Empathy.

Good friends and wool socks, puppy videos and dance.

Snail mail, school, long hugs and memories.

Gratitude turns what I have into enough.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies

This recipe can also be found here, at the original source.

Brownie mix
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. flour

Preheat your oven and make brownie mix according to directions on package.

In a second bowl blend cream cheese and pumpkin until very smooth. Then add vanilla, egg, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.

In an oil-sprayed glass pan, pour about 3/4 of the brownie batter and spread evenly. Top with the pumpkin mixture, and then finish off with little spoonfuls of the rest of your brownie batter scattered over the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled look. Bake according to directions, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Let cool and enjoy!

THE VERDICT: Jake is NOT a pumpkin fan, so he didn't even attempt to eat these little guys. And I only like pumpkin when there's also chocolate involved, so these guys were a little too pumpkin-y for me: if I make them again, I'll use a bit less pumpkin. However, I used a lot of them on treat plates for neighbors and friends, and got lots of compliments on them so they were a success overall!

My Top Five Favorite Disney Movies

Like most young adults from my generation, I am still very much in love with Disney movies and the magic of them. Partly because, like all young adults, I have this deep desire to hold onto certain parts of my childhood for as long as possible. So naturally, Disney movies have a special place in my heart. I'm sure that once Jake and I have kids of our own we'll get really sick of Disney cartoons, the songs that get stuck in your head and drive you mad, and constantly having to replay them over and over. But for now, we can enjoy them! Here are my top five favorites, not necessarily ranked in a specific order because choosing my ultimate favorite is just too hard.

1. The Sword in the Stone

2. The Lion King

3. The Jungle Book

4. Pocahontas

5. Up

Halloween Fun!

I guess Rexburg finally figured out that since Halloween was coming up, that meant it was fall...we've finally been getting some cold weather and a good amount of rain! Zoe's not exactly enjoying the 20 degree weather in the mornings, so I can only imagine how she's going to handle the snow...poor little weenie!

That is definitely NOT a look of joy.

We had a busy week as usual with lots of school-related things going on, church responsibilities, and getting ready for the weekend. Zoe was definitely not prepared for what I had in store for her for Halloween...

Happy Halloween from Wendy, Peter Pan, and Tinkerbell!!

Zoe wasn't too thrilled about having to wear a dress...

While Zoe wasn't overjoyed about her costume, it was fun dressing up together!

That evening we had our friends Jess and Nate over for what was supposed to be a game night, but we ended up just talking for several hours, swapping stories and laughing together. It was a lot of fun, and of course there were lots of treats to share! I even tried my hand at making Butterbeer (like from Harry Potter) and it turned out to be pretty tasty!! Here's the recipe:

Butterbeer

1 liter cream soda (non-caffeinated preferred)

1 cup butterscotch syrup

1 tub whipped cream

1 cup vanilla ice cream

Combine the soda and syrup by whisking together gently, then allow to chill for 30 minutes in the fridge. Once it's ready, combine the whipped topping and scoop of ice cream in a separate bowl. Pour a glass of the soda mixture and top with a scoop of the ice cream mixture. Drink up!

Sunday was a day filled with church, a yummy home-cooked meal, and lots of cuddling, of course! It was another rainy day with quite a bit of wind, so it was the perfect excuse to stay inside and enjoy each others' company.

"Grateful Hearts" Freebies

November is HERE! And you know what that means...Thanksgiving is coming! 

Option 1:

Option 2:

I got the antler graphics from welivedhappilyeverafter and the wreath from puresweetjoy, and I am SO grateful for the talented creations made by these awesome women! I'm definitely not talented enough to make computer graphics on my own, so thank goodness for the talents of others.