Snow-a-palooza 2011

Pre Snowball Fight...

Post Snowball Fight...

Gracyn, on the other hand,

much preferred baking cookies indoors.

A little snow took her a long way!

Give her some butter, chocolate chips, and a mixer and she's good to go...

Looks like we may have more powder to look forward to next week...

I see snowman building, another massive snowball fight and whipping up a batch of snow cream in the near future!

If you are in need of a cookie fix, try these famous chewy chocolate chip creations

via one of Belton Besties

Amanda D :)

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Cookies

2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Salt

1 C. Real Butter, softened

1/4 C. White Sugar

3/4 C. Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1 small box Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Eggs

1 (12 oz.) pkg. Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 C. Old Fashioned Oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix and vanilla extract; beat until creamy.  Beat in eggs.

In a small bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add in flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing in between additions. 

Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls {or use the medium sized pampered chef cookie scoop like I did} onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies



Way Back Wednesday

{4generations of women}

A Living Legacy

{4 generations of women}

These photos were taken at Gracyn's very first birthday party! 

Each photo contains 4 generations of women from her maternal and paternal sides. 

As I was looking through birthday pictures the other night and came across these, I couldn't help but think about how blessed we are to have each of these amazing women in our lives.

They each carry a set of skills, strengths, talents, abilities, and crafts unique to them alone. 

Stories that only they can tell. 

Times, places, and events that only their eyes

 have seen. 

Wounds that only their hearts can know.  Knowledge learned by this roller coaster ride

we like to call

LIFE.

Thank goodness they love us enough to share!!!

 Gracyn is so very blessed to have two Great Grandmothers who cherish and love her dearly! 

They play with her, talk to her, read to her,

 and absolutely "soak in" her presence!

I know deep down in my heart, that

she

is soaking in theirs as well.

These women represent our heritage. 

Our foundation...My foundation.

I want to learn all I can from them.

Listen to their stories.

Learn from their mistakes.

Lean on their strengths

and

learn how to overcome my weaknesses.

I have many things in my life to be thankful for...

but today I am especially thankful for each of them.

The women who form my family tree.