Some tears and thoughts

The other night at dinner Sarah and Dave were telling me about their day at school. The entire school had a lock-down drill. As Sarah was describing what her class has to do I started crying. I just can't believe we live in a time when our children have to know to hide in a closet so the "bad guys" don't find them. Seriously, my heart just breaks. Sarah didn't think much of it, I'm sure her teacher does a great job at keeping it simple with not many details.
What will it be like in another five years?

On a totally unrelated topic, I'm thinking about banning t.v. from our family a couple nights a week. We already don't have cable, we do the antenna and Netflix thing, but I feel like it's on way too much. A lot of the time we're not even watching it, it's just on as background noise and causes us to be distracted for a minute while we're doing something else. I want to make an effort to read more and show that example to my kids. Plus, we need more games in our routine. It's kind of hard to play games with Sarah while Katie is awake, she's know as Godzilla when we're trying to do something :) But, I think we need to schedule a game night starting after the monster goes to bed.
What do you think? Do you do anything like this with your family?

So precious. I'm so over the snow this winter season but seeing this photo makes it seem a little sweeter. Sarah loves shoveling with her dad and Katie loves watching from inside the warm house.

This kid and I get to spend a lot of time together. She is feisty and stubborn and hilarious all in one

We bought Sarah a guitar for her birthday. We're going to start instituting some mandatory practice time during her week. She and Dave are two peas in a pod when it comes to music

Sarah and I got a little crafty this weekend. Our mantel is now adorned with homemade valentine hearts created by this mother-daughter duo

Here's to a happy Wednesday

Cheers

Baby boy

I'm getting to the exhausted stage of this pregnancy. You know what I'm talking about...I take naps when I can, I don't sleep at night, I'm never physically comfortable and I can't "go to the bathroom" to save my life. I love my babies but with each pregnancy I become more and more over the dreaminess of it all. I do have a lot to get done before his arrival, such as move a crib into our closet. Yes, you heard me right. Baby boy Moser will spend the first year or so in our closet. In our defense, our closet is quite large. It was actually a bedroom that the previous owners turned into a walk in closet. I think Dave's going to miss it more than I am, he loves all the space he has to get dressed. We also need to start stocking up on boy clothes and diapers. I thought it might be a good idea to start buying diapers here and there that way it won't be so bad (financially) once he gets here.

I've also come up with a pretty great idea for his name. I will be debuting it to Dave and the girls as soon as I get the crafting part of it done, but I think I may wait to tell the rest of the family until his arrival. Have you done that? Waiting until the baby's birth to share his/her name? We've never. I had the girls names lined up fairly early in my pregnancy so this will be interesting. Think I can hold out??

I had my last 4-week appointment yesterday, I am measuring a week ahead so that kind of excites me. That would give him a due date of 4/14. Now we start to see the dr every two weeks. This should make me happy because this means the end is in sight but, when I go to the office it's usually a 2 hour ordeal. So, babysitters be prepared for a phone call to watch Katie during these times :)

Wouldn't trade these two for all the ice cream they had at Friendly's!

Playing with Zadie's cat Ben, Katie wanted to pet him so bad but was too scared

Cheers!

Birthday weekend

This past weekend we celebrated one fabulous 6 year old! Sarah will be six tomorrow so we had a friend party on Saturday. It was a great day and lots of love for the birthday girl. I can't believe she'll have to use two hands when showing people how old she is. 

She is so amazing in all her maturity, drama, questioning self.

Lots of nice gifts from her friends

Craft time! Turned into quiet time...note to self, always have a craft at a birthday party

Katie sneaking in the corner checking out all of her sisters lute

Sarah has requested for her dad and I to take her out to dinner on her actual birthday. We'll be heading to "Potle" (Chipotle!). 

Lots of love and kisses for this birthday girl

Cheers!

Freedom

It's probably been within the last year or so that I've given up on IT...that dreaded "P" word that most women hate...perfection.
I think it first started to be noticeable in my cleaning. When Sarah was an only child, I used to wake up and hop out of bed just to get started on my cleaning...I know, fun right?! Now, I clean when I can. I let Katie roam the house with crackers in hand which lends to crumbs on the floor. I just don't find it that important anymore.

Another area I've noticed since we've purchased our home is in my decorating. It doesn't have to be "perfect" for me to hang it on the wall, arrange it in that corner, or paint it that color. I have found freedom from reading so many blogs about crafting and creating your own kind of beauty (you may see a canvas with a similar quote in my bathroom in the coming months). Blogs like hers, which inspires me to decorate without having to have my house look like a Pottery Barn catalog. I love my new found sense of style and freedom.

And probably one of the biggest areas for me that I'm letting go of the perfection is in my hair. I cut my hair super short over a year ago, the shortest I've ever worn it, and I loved it. I loved that it didn't take long to style. I loved that it could be "messy" but look like that's how I wanted it. Well, I've been growing it out since about October. I know growing your hair out can be like dying a slow death. Yesterday it dawned on me that I don't want to grow my hair out, not because of how painful the process has been, but because my new style is forcing me to maintain perfection with each strand. I was thinking how down the road, in a few months, I'll be spending more time in front of the mirror making sure my part is correct, the hair is curled under just so, and the back is not looking like a hot mess. So, today I am calling "my girl" and asking her to chop it all off again. Again, I love the sense of freedom I have in my short hair. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT. Dave may not be too thrilled about the idea but I have to think of myself in this situation...could result in a lower dose of Zoloft :)

Here's a shot of my kitchen wall. Random? Yes! Perfect? To me, Yes! Each piece up there has had a personal touch added to it except the white clock that has the glare on it. Sarah made that watercolor picture in the frame when she was 3. I am still impressed with how beautiful it is. I made the "You are my sunshine" canvas while I was pregnant with Katie, thinking it would go in the girls room but I have become attached to it. The 5 was decorated in some bling to represent our soon-to-be family of 5. And the "M" is for Moser, the personal touch is the hot glue job I had to do after one of the legs broke off. 

Hope this will inspire some anti-perfection change in your life.

Cheers!

Friday

It's Friday, It's Friday!! Katie and I are staying in today, especially after I saw the dusting of snow on the ground and the 10 degree temp on the weather channel. Sarah has her first sleepover tonight, she's excited and I'm nervous. I think she'll do fine, she's so social and independent. Turning 6 and she's already leaving the house :) Yesterday we had a fantastic lunch with a new friend and then had dinner with my MIL, it was a nice day spending time with people.

Nothing else exciting here. Looking forward to our long weekend at home, don't tell Dave but I have a growing to-do list for him...again :)

Thought I'd snap a picture of this little cutie, guess she wasn't as excited

I treated myself to a mini Keurig and I love it!

Hope you have a great Friday!

Cheers

Goals...do you have any?

Good Morning! I'm hoping today's blog post will motivate me to continue posting daily or something close to it. I'm always eager to share my thoughts and fun photos but by day's end I'm fried. So I guess we'll see where things go...
A few weeks ago I wrote our 2013 goals out on our cool chalkboard we have in our kitchen :) Here's what it looks like for us in 2013 and maybe you'll share yours with me.
1. Read the Bible--I've been reading a one year bible to help me get through reading the entire bible. The book is quite huge but I'm taking it one day at a time. It's actually exciting to me this time around to tackle this goal, I'm eager to learn from God's word, not just do it because "it's the right thing to do".
2. Focus on our 5--I noticed late last year that I need to spend more of my energy/thoughts/time on our family. Currently there's four of us in the Moser household but soon we'll have 5 (3 more months to be exact). I've already started working on this goal by staying at home during the day more with Katie so we have time to play rather than running around doing fifty errands every day. I also find myself thinking of what I can do today for Sarah and/or Dave, even when that means buying her favorite ice cream or making his favorite dessert.
3. Make more art--This was actually Sarah's goal but I totally want it to be one of mine too. I think she's getting to the age where she needs more than just going into the playroom and playing with babies. We've made a few purchases for some crafty things and started working on them.
4. Give back--This may be my most favorite goal! We were so blessed last year that I can't imagine not giving back in some way. I read the other day that a gift is no longer a gift if it's not being given. I look forward to blessing people with food, money, sweets, conversation and friendship.

And there you have it, our 2013 goals. I can't wait to see how the year unfolds.

I discovered this recipe from Ms. Paula Deen for cinnamon rolls and they are AMAZING! No, lie! You have to try them.

During one of my sleepless nights I had the thought to make Sarah's birthday invitations edible. So, I made some sugar cookies, frosted the details onto them and Sarah hand delivered them. It was so much fun, just hoping everyone wrote down the date/time before they ate them :)

 Poor Katie bug. I had my dr visit on what turned out to be a very busy Friday afternoon. After 2 1/2 hours in the waiting room, Katie just had to lie down. Thank goodness Dave gets out at 3:00 and was able to pick her up.

My blinged-out #5. This kinda goes along with two of my goals. Sarah and I were able to get crafty with these awesome jewels from Hobby Lobby and I wanted a 5 to hang on our kitchen wall to represent our family. Score!

Miss Sarah has become quite the reader. I'm so proud of her, she doesn't give up when she comes to a tricky word and she keeps on going even when the page has "too many words" on it. Can't believe she's reading on her own!

And this is one of my faves! Sarah helped me in the kitchen the other night. Looking back on the photo I just can't get over how much personality she has and is finally allowing it to come out AND how old she looks. I love her, she's becoming one of my best friends.

Hope you'll keep coming back for more

Cheers!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my peeps! We had such an amazing holiday experience with lots of family and food to go around. I have been in awe of the real meaning of Christmas all season long. What a miracle we have been given! Dave mentioned that he's happy I don't go all nuts over buying gifts for the girls. I want them to know the true meaning of Christmas as well, it's not all about getting lots and lots of toys that eventually end up at Goodwill. I did the 4 gift thing for Sarah; a want, need, wear and read. And little Katie Rose got one little 'ol gift from Santa...shhh don't tell her that there should have been more I don't think she noticed.
I loved Christmas this year with our family of four and to think this time next year there will be 5!!

Moser family Christmas dinner at our home

McIntyre Christmas Eve celebration with a surprise visit from the CT gang

Leone family Christmas breakfast fun

Mamah visit

Hoping you and yours had as much fun and love as we did! 

Cheers!!

And the baking needs to stop

I have been on a baking kick lately, Dave likes it but I'm afraid the scale will notice at my next doctor's appointment. I am so loving picking out a recipe from the cook book and going at it, it's become my therapy.

I made these muffins for Dave's Academic team, they were practicing at school on a Saturday--muffins deserved!

Cake cookies are amazing! If you haven't tried them, you should. I made two kinds; white cake with Christmas sprinkles and chocolate cake with crushed peppermints. I found the recipe on Laura's blog, check out the recipe and follow her work.

My grandmother sent me a box of baking supplies for a housewarming gift. The box included a Taste of Home cookbook...amazing!! This recipe for chocolate marshmallow cookies was in the book and I found it here for you to try.

And oh me word! This banana bread is by far the best I've ever tasted. Again, this was from the taste of home cookbook but you can check it out here. Seriously, go try it. I made the bread yesterday and there are only 4 slices left.

OK, so I can't lead you to believe that I've become some Betty Crocker who doesn't make any baking mistakes. I attempted these thumbprint cookies and by the end of 3 hours I was cursing Ina Garten's name! Not sure what the problem was but every batch I baked stuck to the pan, no matter what I tried. Dave salvaged what he could and said they were his new favorite cookie, so I encourage you to try the recipe. Maybe you can get them to not stick and you can enjoy them.

Hope you can try one, or all of the recipe's I've shared. I promise you'll love them, if not, give them away for Christmas :) Would love to hear what your favorite holiday baking recipe is.

Thanks for stopping by...

Snapped this shot today. Sarah is home sick today so her and Katie camped out in dad's office. I'm so happy they have each other.

The day after

Yesterday was full of pity parties. The guest of honor was me and the host was me.
It's funny how things happen at the time they do. I'm reading a book with some other fine ladies titled You're Already Amazing. Yesterday morning I read a few pages and the author talks about not having to do more to be liked by people. Well a few hours later those exact words were coming out of my mouth, in the opposite though! I had come to the conclusion that maybe I have not done enough to/for other people. It was a very lonely day!
I haven't figured much out since yesterday but today I'm feeling a little less pity party-ish. It could be because of another book that I'm reading titled One Thousand Gifts. I know I've mentioned it here before but seriously, if you haven't read it you really need to. In the chapter I read last night, the author talks about thanksgiving (not the holiday). One phrase stuck to me...thanksgiving raises the dead! If you read the story of Lazarus (John 11) you will see what she is referring to--Jesus gave thanks and Lazarus rose from the dead.
How can I feel so alone and want to hide under the covers when I am able to experience Jesus just by giving thanks?! I'm making my way through this "gifts" book for the second time, after I plan to write my own list of thanks, hoping to catch glimpses of God and honor Him at the same time.

By the way, Sarah and Katie will have a little brother to pick on in a few months. We're all so excited!

Katie Rose and I spent the day outside!

Monday!

Feeling alone...Sarah and Dave went back to school today and left me and Katie at home. We had a cozy, in-home week during this Thanksgiving break. Sarah got sick Wednesday night which left us unable to attend any family gatherings. In was a perfect time for our family of four to be together and spend some time with no plans to tend to.
I have some thoughts floating around in my head that I want to work out before I share; such as, being someone's priority, not being everyone's afterthought...deep I know :) Maybe it's the pregnant hormones or maybe it's the turkey leftovers I've been eating for three days, but still something I'm going to continue to ponder.
Sarah and I attempted a walk yesterday, only lasted about 15 minutes...it was freezing. I brought my camera along to take some pictures of her, she is just way too cute and getting way too old!

Just the cutest! And FYI, Friday we find out if this Moser house will have three little girls or one boy thrown in the mix!!
Stay tuned...

Seasons

I realized it's been so long since my last blog post, a month and a half to be exact. This season in my life is full of busyness. I can't make heads or tails whether I'm coming or going. Dave and I pass each other and sometimes I realize I haven't talked to him in days.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow and we have family to visit. I have a goal to sit down tonight or later this weekend and share some pictures with you and a little update of all our busyness.
Hope you come back and visit!
Cheers!

Tasty weekend

This weekend seemed to be all about food. I planned out my meals for the upcoming week on Friday and did my grocery shopping accordingly. Saturday I was craving a Chicken Mario sandwich. Davey was kind enough to whip one up for me...grilled chicken breast with melted provolone topped with a grilled roasted red pepper, add a little mayo to your toasted bun and you will be in heaven...at least this little pregnant lady was!
This morning I wanted to make some decorated sugar cookies for my niece Alyssa, she turned 14 last week

You can see my art skills need a little TLC but they do taste good, promise! Of course I didn't take any pictures of them all packaged up nice and pretty

And these fun things are pecan tarts, I found the recipe here. I have an adopted teacher at YCS and she likes pecan pie (who doesn't) so I found these and thought I'd give 'em a shot

I'll let you know how the rest of the week pans out with my dinners that I have planned. I also found a recipe for apple turnovers that I cannot wait to try.

Pretty sure sweet treats make the world go round!!

Waiting

As I was waiting for the oven timer to countdown it dawned on me that the waiting was representative of so many areas in my life right now...

I'm waiting to go to the doctor next Wednesday so I can hear this baby's heartbeat again, the waiting is making me paranoid

I'm waiting for the crock pot to cook our dinner for tonight

I'm waiting to hear from our loan officer in regards to our closing date

I'm waiting to find out when we're closing so I can plan Katie's 1st birthday party

I'm waiting to get the motivation and inspiration to do something crafty

I'm waiting for Katie's sinus infection to clear up

I'm waiting for the granola bars that I made to harden so I can eat one

I'm waiting for my husband to take me on a date

I'm waiting for the buyer of our truck to meet me next week so we can unload that gas hog

I get a little overwhelmed by all of this waiting. Of course I want things to happen sooner than later. But, is there blessing in waiting? During this time I rely on God to comfort me and walk me through all of the waiting process. If I get stuck in the waiting I'll miss the things that are already happening...while I wait I will be present.

What are you waiting for today? 

Pumpkin pie mini's

I can't remember how I found her site with the following recipe but I'm glad I saved it to my bookmarks. I never liked pumpkin pie growing up, but as an adult I have discovered a slight love for anything pumpkin. I made these little pumpkin pie bites for a going-away party for my niece Carley. They are quite tasty, you should try them and invite me over to have a couple!

Bakerella suggests topping these with chocolate but Davey loves cool whip so I dressed 'em up with a little dollop. Also, when mixing the ingredients, I always mix the softened cream cheese and sugar first, then add the other ingredients...makes for a smoother consistency.
Enjoy!

Home is where the heart is

Dave and I purchased our first home in 2004, it was a nice condo off of Lake Norman in Charlotte NC. After a year of living there we decided we "needed" something bigger. We found a house that was beautiful and move in ready. 2000 square feet and double our mortgage payment, we later found out it was NOT what we needed. We didn't have any kids at the time so looking back I'm not really sure why we thought we needed 2000 sq. ft.!!
I can honestly say we got caught up with "keeping up with the Jones'". We lived in that house for three years until we moved back to Ohio. During those three years we racked up debt. I wanted to stay home with Sarah and in order to do that we knew we could not stay in that house.
After moving back to Ohio, I had felt like my life was moving backwards. We went from owning homes to renting to living with family. We went from making a lot of money to making little money. But, over the past year or so, God has revealed to me what I thought was backwards was really moving forward. Our lives have changed drastically...for the better! I don't regret any of the "backward" steps, I'm thankful for the knowledge and faith I've gained.
Today we are waiting to hear from sellers of a house in Youngstown that we made an offer on last night. I'm so humbled by the opportunity we have been given to be able to buy a house. I feel like this house can be the Moser family home for many years. It's very charming, large enough for our growing family and close to the park for lots of play time.
Please pray with us that this process goes smoothly and quickly! We've already had one house fall through, but I believe there was a reason for that!

Here's some fun I caught on my phone

Yup, that's Katie's foot in her mouth while riding in the car!

Holy red potato, Dave planted eyes from a potato in the Spring and look what grew...I'm amazed! What else can we plant in the garden??

That's 7:50 am on a Saturday morning! I took the opportunity to do my grocery shopping alone...maybe just a little eager

Sarah got a new hula-hoop, Katie had to try it out

Made these gems over the weekend. Gram has a similar recipe for a cake so I tweaked it for cupcake size

I'm torn between trying to read two books. This one, "One Thousand Gifts", is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Her beautiful writing inspires me

The best snack ever! My family always made this for the holidays while the big feast was being prepared, I made it today to satisfy this prego belly