Pumpkin Spice Latte and Sugar Cookies

Pin It THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! We are headed to the farm to bring Justin and the lovely ladies he works with some Pumpkin Spice Latte (thank you Racheal Neal for posting this) and pumpkin sugar cookies. I can hardly handle the cuteness of it all. This latte is seriously one of the best treats in the world and you make it in a crock pot! I don't know... there is just something about making something in a crock pot that makes me feel more frugal and industrious.
Kind of like the sugar buzz that is sure to follow this adorable combo, I am on a holiday cooking high. Bring on the fetivities.

Menu Planning

Pin It Mom Bartlett had surgery last week and just arrived home today. After checking up on her it dawn on me that I need to get some meals over to her. I love my father-in-law but he only has two signature dishes... and you only can eat venison steak and pancakes so long. So I needed to make a set-in-stone menu plan this week because I am just going to make a bigger portions and bring them some. Plus Jack has some vomiting virus and I don't really want to be running through the aisles of Wal-Mart with my queasy son.
So here it is:
Monday: Cheeseburger soup and banana bread
Tuesday: Oven Stew and mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Stromboli and grapes
Thursday: Chicken Fried Steak/broccoli / and baked potatoes
Friday: Chicken and sausage alfredo and green beans
Saturday: Tacos
Sunday: Italian pulled beef sandwiches
There it is. Now, if I can just get Abigail to release her death grip on my leg I can check to see if my banana bread is still mushy in the middle.

Watching my every move. Starting her cooking classes young.

Bartlett Family Plan

Pin It Saturday night of our weekend away was dedicated to writing out our family plan. This is our last piece of homework from our "Entrusted with a Child's Heart" bible study. So here it is:
1. Love and obey Jesus (Matthew 22:37
2. Work now, rest later (prov. 26:14; prov 28:19)
3. Speak the truth (Leviticus 19:11; Prov 12:22)
4. Honor and obey your parents (Eph 6:2; Ex 20:12)
5. Have a grateful heart (1Thess 5:16-18; Eph 5:19-20)
6. Give the Lord your firsts (Ezekiel 44:30; Malaci 3:8-10)

Weekend Away

Pin It Ahhh... the morning after a weekend away. Motivated and ready to get to work this week. My mind and body are rested and ready to CONQUER. I am a little scared of my list of "to-do's", but plunging ahead nevertheless.
Our weekend consisted of two VERY nice rooms. One at Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor (I had never been there before… SOOO CUTE) and a bed and breakfast in Mackinaw Island. We drove all over the northern part of the state and stopped in a bunch of quaint, little Michigan towns. Our proudest moment was when we realized we hadn’t fought the whole weekend, but an hour from home we may have struggled with that claim. It was the darn Lions game that came between us.
We stopped at Blackstar Farms and for $5 tasted 5 wines and took home our glasses. Something we have been meaning to do since we dated. Then we drove through Elk Rapids, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs, all beautiful vacation spots for another trip. Next, the tunnel of trees and stopped at the Legs Inn (a very weird Polish/Native American restaurant). This could have been a “fight Spot” as my recently pumped breast milk spilled between, under, and all over the seats of Justin’s car. He handled it well and saved the day by sacrificing his golf towel for the clean-up. Very Romantic.
In Mackinaw we drove across the bridge, walk around town, worked on our Family Plan (from Entrusted with a Child Heart, that is for another post), bought chocolaty snacks for way too much money, and slept in until 8:30.
My favorite part of the week: The quiet moments. Sitting at the breakfast table looking out at Lake Michigan; Devotions on the balcony of our room; silence in the car. When we were first married I would have hated these moments, begging Justin to talk with me about anything and everything. Now it is a treat, a gift from God to be able to have a complete thought without a beautiful baby’s cry or a request for help from two busy boys.
Now off to my list. Relaxation is over and canning and cleaning are waiting.

The View out our room in Glen Arbor

Blackstar Farms

July already?

Pin It I guess there is no time to be on the computer in the summer. We need to soak in every minute of the warm, long daylight. This summer has been amazing. Our house is a perfect place for out three little ones to spread out and play, play, play. Abigail is 5 months, somehow, and almost sitting up and beginning here crawling stage. We love her so much we just cannot get enough. Jack and Spencer call her "pretty girl" when they are talking to her and she has only laughed for them. Jackson talks as much as he can and to whomever will listen. Spencer seems so old this summer compared to last. He can follow directions, he likes to swim in the lake and he continues to try new things, which used to be quite rare for him.
Justin and I are blessed by the busyness of our little ones. It keeps us striving to be better parents at every turn. We are currently in a bible study that is reading "Entrusted with a Childs heart". It is such a good book we have learned so much already.

Here are a few summer glamour shots of the family.

Our beautiful home

Sleeping with papa Barlett

Campout with dad on Father's Day

Me and my boys

Helping Papa horses build our sandbox

Working on...

Pin It I want to be better at a lot of things. My dream list is endless, but here are a few things I am trying to tackle recently.
- hugging my boys every time they eat (they are so precious, why not?)
- flossing my teeth (a tip/scare from an older and wiser sister)
- not being a crab to my hubby (why oh why is this so hard?)
- getting up earlier (yuck, but I have so much to do)
- Praying for my kids and hubby every morning (love this)
- Eating smaller meals (need to slide back into those size 6's again)
- Using gracefilled and fruit of the Spirit words (Is that promoting peace? Are you being gentle, kind? no, no, no you are not!)
I need to write them down so I can check back on my progress. Slowly but surely...

Three Little Paths to Holiness

Pin It Oh my....I had only written those two words and I have already been interrupted. Spencer: "MOM, Jack is knocking down the fort. PLEASE COME." Up from the computer, fix the fort, tell Jack no knocking the fort down, leave the room, come back to the fort to help Spence fix a blanket, finally back to the computer. This is the story of my days and to be honest, I was really struggling with having a patient and loving attitude. How can a human being live like this?
I get up in the morning, feed Abigail, make Justin's lunch, get the boys bottles, change diapers, clean up a little, change a BAD diaper, take someone to the potty, stop a fight during my breakfast, feed Abigail, have to stop to wipe bran muffins off the boys hands, pj's, table, floor, wall. Pick up a now screaming Abigail, nurse some more, finish nursing only to find every cooking utensil and the silverware drawer emptied in the kitchen. When do I find time (interruption: comfort a crying boy who hurt himself on something, pat, pat, on the head) to do my devotions and make sure I have time to a quiet time to pray.
By God's grace, I have realized in the last few days that every season of life is going to look different. I may not get an hour to do my devotions and pray, but I can use the moments throughout the day (interruption: break up a fight over who gets what blanket) to choose righteousness and patience. I can read a short devotion during a quiet moment locked in the bathroom. I can call (interruption: stop jumping on your brothers head, it is not kind) a sister and be encouraged by a short conversation. I need to look for the little miracle moments in my day so that I can have a heart of Joy to fill my home with.
My little paths to holiness: