Red, White, and Blueberry Treats!

Growing up holidays were always made special at our home. I looked forward to every event because I knew that my mom would make it fun for my sister and I. On our birthdays she would make special birthday pancakes for us, sometimes in the shape of our initials. As a mother now, I too want to make events fun and exciting for my kids and one fun way to do that is through food. So below are some fun red, white, and blue treats!



Of course I have to start out with these pancakes! These yummy red, white and blue pancakes are made with red velvet cake. Great way to start off your patriotic morning. You can find the recipe here: Fourth of July Pancakes

Pretzel Sparklers are easy to make and are fun and yummy for the kids to eat too! To make these cute treats just dip your pretzel tips into melted semisweet chocolates, cover with sprinkles, stand them up in a cup and sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes until firm.

Another easy treat, Patriotic Berries! These berries won't last long! Super easy to make. Melt 12 ounces of white chocolate chips in a microwave according to the package directions. One at a time, dip your dried strawberries into the chocolate and then into blue sugar. Place on wax paper and let harden in the refrigerator.

(recipe found at Family Magazine)

You can't have a 4th of July celebration without watermelon! Try out these cool Watermelon Pop Stars. All you'll need is a seedless watermelon, cut into one inch slices, a star cookie cutter, and a popsicle stick. 

(recipe found at Family Magazine)

Parfaits are a perfect summer treat and I found this cute Red, White, and Blue Parfait over at Better Homes and Garden

I hope you have a blast this 4th of July, eating hamburgers, hotdogs, and enjoying a firework show and I hope these treats add to the fun! 

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(Wordless Wednesday) Summer Moments

A Goodnight Lullaby

Do you have a special Lullaby that you sing to your children at night? I can remember as a young child my mother singing to me, Carpenters' "Close to You". I treasured that special time with my mother right before I fell asleep at night. The lullaby was so special that it stuck with me as I grew up and when my daughter arrived I began signing the song to her as well. Every night she asks for the same song, rarely does she ask for another (my son likes "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star").

These are the lyrics that I sing to her:

Why do birds suddenly appear? Every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be, close to you Why do stars, fall down from the sky? Every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be, close to you.

On the day that you were born, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true! So they sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue
(doddle loop, doddle loop)

That is why all the boys in town, follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be, close to you....Close to you.

{ ((Hugs)) **Kisses** "Good Night" }

My daughter Skylar and I

"May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children."

~Psalms 115:14

A 10 year reunion

Mitch's 10 year high school reunion was this past weekend and it was a very country, very fun, bonfire reunion.

Here's the gang above. My husband is the on the front row beside the guy in the "T" shirt. Mitch graduated with a very small class of about 140, and spouses and all, only about 50 people came out. Growing up in small town, everyone has pretty much stayed connected, and it was great to see everyone getting along.

Here's the bonfire, it was huge!

This is my husband with his lifetime best friend Travis.

and here we are with his cousin Brad and his wife Lucy.

While there we all talked about our lives and where we are now in life, do we have a family yet, or are we just now meeting that special someone, the career path we took and did we go to college or join the military? In 10 years a lot of people have changed since high school, and the choices and decisions we have made since then have greatly impacted our lives now. Some may think that bigger, better, richer makes a better life, but often the happiest people in the world or just at the reunion don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.  It can be so easy to become envious of other people's "stuff", to live for the "stuff" but in doing so, we only take away from the quality of LIFE. I pray and hope that you are making the most out of your life and living richly in love with those around you and not spending your time being envious of those with more "stuff". Enjoy LIFE, live simply, speak kindly, care deeply, and love generously.

I hope that you are blessed by this video below as I was 

"Life is like Coffee"

Father's Day Gift

My kids and I created this soda bottle snack pack for Mitch for Father's Day! :) I wish I could have posted this earlier, but then I would have gave away what he was getting ;)

I got this idea from the Idea Room: fathers day gift ideas , where she actually has a lot of great ideas! ;)

This snack pack was so easy to make.

First we bought a 6 pack of coke, with those cute glass bottles, and 4 of his favorite snacks that would fit inside.

We drank 4 of the cokes, washed and dried them and filled them up.

Then we placed the tops back onto the bottles.

Next I drew little neck ties for the the kids to color in and then I cut them out, attached an elastic string to the ties and tied them onto the bottles.

Then for the front cover I cut out a piece of white paper to fit and wrote "Happy Father's Day Mitch" and one for the back "We Love You".

I hole punched and tied the notes onto the pack.

Then voila! A snack pack! 

The kids also made handmade cards for their daddy to go along with the gift.

This project was super easy, super cute, and super fun for the kids to do. This project could also make a cute gift for daddy from the kids as a birthday gift as well :)

Please comment below letting me know what you did for Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's day to my two most favorite men and fathers, my dad Randy and my husband and father of my children Mitch!

 

First I would like to give a great big thanks to my Dad!




I grew up with an absent father, but had an amazing mother who raised both my sister and I well. It wasn't until I was 18 years old did my mom marry the man I call and consider my true father. He is a caring and devoted man. He has a big heart, he's a great friend, and if I could describe him in one word it would be integrity. It is obvious to me how much he loves my mother, my sister and I and considers us to be his own, along side his two sons, my stepbrothers. I do not tell him enough how much I love him. I am very thankful that God bless me with him, to not only be an amazing father to my sister and I, but a wonderful grandpa to my children as well.




My dad is greatly loved and I couldn't ask for a better father and grandfather to my children than him!

(Above is my dad with my sister and mother, preparing for a race.)

Happy Father's day Dad! I love you!

Now a Great big thanks and happy father's day to my husband and father of my children Mitch!




My husband and I had children right away in the beginning our our relationship. I love that we did and he has been an excellent father from the start!




He's a hard worker and yet when he comes home he still rolls around on the floor playing and wrestles with our children. I also count on him to remain strong in disciplining them, since I'm usually the "pushover" parent.




Every evening the kids run into his arms to greet him home. They are always so happy to see him!




My husband is an amazing father, always eager to teach the kids new things through life experiences. He's also a great listener, especially when Skylar goes on and on to him in detail about her day.

Mitch does a great job leading our family. He is a wonderful godly example to our children, one who I am proud to have Maddox look up as a man and one who I would be more than happy if Skylar decided to marry someone just like him.

Happy Father's Day Mitch! We love you!

&

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. I know you men work hard to provide for your families and to be an example to your children and a good husband to your wife.

Happy Father's Day to all!

With Love,

Candice

Law and Grace

I have heard this analogy used by pastors and musicians before. I love it, and every time I am convicted. It gets me thinking about how just our God is, how loving our Savor Jesus Christ is, and just how much we are in need of His grace. I just had to share this with friends.

Imagine for a moment that a crime has been committed, a crime worthy of death. All of the evidence is there and the accused admits  that she is guilty. She tells the judge she's real sorry, tells him she'll never do it again and asks to be let go. Would you see that judge as being just if he just dismisses the law for her and lets her go free? Or would you see him as a fool? Yet we expect and ask the same thing from our God with our sins. So the judge justly and righteously sentences her to death.


"For the wages of sin is death..." ~ Romans 6:23

Now imagine again with me that a man walks into that same court room, a man innocent of all crimes. He stands before the judge and the woman and he says to them, I will serve this woman's time, I will die in her place. This man is the judge's son. With a broken heart the judge allows this amazing act of grace to take place, and the son took on the death penalty in place of the guilty. That is what Jesus did for us. Can any of us truly even imagine that kind of love? Like it or not we are all on trial and one day we will be judged for our sins. We too can be given this amazing grace if we turn from our ways and truly put our hope and faith in Jesus Christ. 

This is the good news my friends!

"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~ Romans 6:23



Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. ~ Romans 3:31


What is the law?

There is only One God

Worship only God, not your money, your TV, your computer, or your cars.

Do not use the Lord's name in vain (OMG?)

Remember the Sabbath. Use Sunday to honor God

Respect your mother and your father

Do not commit murder

Do not commit adultery or lust after another other than your spouse

Do not steal

Do not lie

Be happy with what you have

and finally and most importantly: Love your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love people.



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