Peachy-Cado Smoothie

I decided to break my boring smoothie routine the other day and go
for something other than the usual banana-strawberry-kale combo.

That's when a new smoothie was born. Right in my kitchen.
We named it "Peachy-Cado" and then swiftly devoured the entire
thing like the herbivores we are.



Blend.

1 peach
4 strawberries
1/2 avocado
1/2 C. spinach
1/2 C. raw orange juice
1/2 C. rice milk
1/2 C. crushed ice

Pinkies up.

And try not to devour a Reese's peanut butter cup as a reward after
drinking this smoothie like I may or may not have done.



I'm no doctor, but I'm seeing this as a WAY yummier version of a multi-vitamin.
Anyone?! You can find other cool smoothie ideas HERE!

Hallelujah Acres knows what's up and I love scouring
their website for awesome plant-based ideas!

Come As You Are

This past month has left me raw. A series of unfortunate events played out in my life
and I felt myself come undone. With emotions raging for all the world to see, through
the heart I wear on my sleeve, I ran. I ran to the only source that I know has all the answers
and offers the greatest consolation: my faith.

There is beauty to be found in suffering.
I've realized through my little woes, once again, that I am little. Small.
Needing a God who is bigger than any mess to come down and cover me.
It's hard, but beautiful. A tragic oxymoron if there ever was one.
But tis the story of all of us here in our human condition.

I walked into a support group for family members of alcoholics last week.
It wasn't my first time and it will not be my last. I told my husband that I felt
more received and accepted THERE than any other place I have ever been in my life.

COME. AS. YOU. ARE. No expectations. Say it how it is. Be loved no matter what.
Smiles, cheers, pats on the back, hugs, and prayers - I treasure this ENCOURAGEMENT.

I long for the day that this simple, loving exchange between humans is found everywhere -
in our families, homes, churches, communities... the world. Heaven is gonna be great!

Our words and actions are a driving force; holding the power to build-up or tear-down.
Are we sources of positive grace to those in our lives? I so hope to be. I pray that you
find encouragement here today and in turn go out and give that gift to another soul.



Linking up with Ashley of Written on Her Heart and Nadine of A Secondary Heartbeat
to bring you this "encouraging" edition of The Girl Behind the Blog!!!

If you aren't following them already - you should! They are a real treat!!!
Click on this graphic to be directed to more video link-ups of other bloggers sharing on ENCOURAGEMENT!!!

It's Monday... we all need this, right?!

Date Night | the "with kids" edition

Kids! What kids?! I was busy staring deeply into the eyes of my lover...

Date night for us sometimes includes Brother & Brother INC. A professional, little chaperone
gig that comes with two, not one, but TWO pairs of eyes to witness the whole shindig!
And they are cute. So we don't mind employing them.

...here's what went down...
We jumped in the car and drove to a town we have never explored.
Found a non-commercial restaurant to try - to satisfy the little foodies inside of us.
Walked with the kids in the double stroller - holding hands, soaking up summertime.
We were WOWED... when we found a river walk, covered bridges, fountains, and live music!

No real plans - we just WENT on the adventure and let it happen! Pretty cool.
I came up with this genius of a spontaneous idea... and I'm SOOOOOO thankful that it wasn't a total flop!
That would have been embarrassing. I like to prove to my husband that I can step away from being
"Perfectly Planned Patsy" and turn into "Super Spontaneous Sally" every now and then.

Look at that face?! VOTED cutest chaperone EVER.


Sometimes I wonder if my kids know how much I love them. Like - do they reeeeaaaally know?
With each child we have my heart expands. I just love DEEPER. HARDER. MORE. Parents, relate?
It has also created a whole new level of "ferocious" in me. Momma moose. Don't mess with my
child or you will regret it *smiles + straightens skirt*... ahem. That is another story though.

Every morning we pretty much work the same routine of hugging Nathan out the door...
then rushing to the window to remind him that HE WILL be home after naptime and WILL BE
eating dinner with us. 3 year olds can be very bossy.

Many mornings I'll go to kiss my man and Isaiah will run up and wedge his little self
between us and look up... with beaming, chocolate-brown eyes and a smile to beat all.

I wonder what he's thinking. What he's feeling. All I know is he is HAPPY to be there with us.
And we are happy to have him there. Some people seem to think that children get in the way
of a marriage. I'm hear to say that you may have been misinformed. Sure, they change things.
But from my end of the field they bring me and my husband CLOSER together - binding us in this
super crazy, God-like way to each other for the sake and joy of our children.



I think that our children NEED - maybe even LONG - to see their parents love each other.
And that's why they went on this little field trip with us. We called it "date night" - and
according to Nathan it was "the most romantic date night WITH kids EVER!"
It is ok, I'd say HEALTHY, for our kids to see us romance each other. Security, anyone?
Mom loves dad and dad loves mom and all is well with the world.
Amen. The end. True story.

Man, I hope they know how much I love their father... and both of them!!!
Because I'm bending over backwards to prove it!



Go love up the people in your life and have a happy weekend!!!

Pink and Pretty || Baby Shower

It was like a home and garden magazine come to life!
Another guest called it "Pinterest Headquarters"!

This past weekend I had the honor of attending the baby shower for my cousin and his
sweetheart wife - as they prepare for the arrival of their first little one!!!

The event was hosted in the home of a woman (aunt to the expecting momma!) whose
eye for creating beautiful spaces to live and celebrate is out of this world - lovely.
Elegant. Whimsical. Inspiring. Inviting. Get me a thesaurus and I'll keep going!
She's an absolute authority in the party department.

I was able to snap a few of the details and was told I could share them with you here!
The hostess shared that her go-to sources for inspiration are Houzz.com and HGTV.
Dangerous fuel for you fellow, creative hearts out there!

I am seeing lots of glasses of iced tea and web browsing - idea hunting in my near future!

::: Congrats to the happy momma and papa + baby :::
::: Many sweet wishes from my heart to yours :::
::: Blessed to celebrate life with you :::

Mashed Turnips and a Motorcycle

Have you ever eaten a turnip? Or is it just ME that has never tasted one until last year?!
I had seen them in the grocery store dozens of times - thought they were pretty, but
totally applied the stereotype that was pounded into my head by every other children's
book growing up that TURNIPS ARE GROSS! My loss.

If a radish and potato had a baby... they would name it "Turnip."
A tad bitter with sweet, earthy undertones - the turnip is full of surprises!
Ok, somebody has been watching too much Food Network. Ahem.

I'm here today as an advocate for the root vegetable that gets a bad rap.
Please go try my little recipe for mashed turnips then come back and tell me
you don't like them to my face. That's a dare. I'm willing to risk it!
Because I think you'll like 'em!


________________________________________

| Mashed Turnips |

Boil in water until VERY SOFT -
equal parts TURNIP, RED POTATO, & SWEET POTATO

To serve 4 as a side dish I used...
2 medium red potatoes
2 medium turnips
1 large sweet potato

Drain water. Use electric beater to "mash" all veggies together.
Add 2 tbls. of Earth Balance (vegan) or your favorite butter,
a splash of almond milk (vegan) or other preferred milk,
and sea salt and black pepper to taste.

With a spoon, mix in 3 finely chopped scallions (green parts included)
and 2 tbls. fresh, chopped basil. Serve. Enjoy. And if this is your first time
trying turnips, try not to be too upset that you've been missing out!

________________________________________

"Eat your turnips and you can go on a motorcycle ride..."



Hey! If you entered to win a copy of A HOMEMADE YEAR by Jerusalem Greer
you can go check the rafflecopter HERE >>> the winner was posted this morning!!!
And if you didn't win - here's how you can get a hold of Jerusalem to order a copy >>>
BLOG || TWITTER || FACEBOOK

Celebrating Ordinary Time

We are deep in the heart of Ordinary Time right now... and soaking up every moment!
This is the time in the Church calendar where there are no major feasts and no seasons
of fasting. Reminds me of vacation. It's just wonderfully simple.

LIFE with Christ and His bride, the Church. No Jesse trees or Lenten reminders to set up...
no shoes to fill or special food to prepare. We are just breathing. So peaceful. Sign me up.

In A Homemade Year by Jerusalem Jackson Greer even talks about celebrating
Ordinary Time. She suggests throwing an "Ordinary Time Party"!!! Such a great idea!
We've been LIVING that party pretty much all summer long - taking time to play, work,
rest, and pray together in the warm sunshine.

Last weekend we were able to enjoy our church community in this season of Ordinary Time
with a movie under the stars! Such a fun, summer-y way to sit back and just let God love you!
How is your heart this season? Are you basking in the sweetness of Ordinary Time too?!
_____________________________________________
Sharing one of Jerusalem's recipes here -
found in A Homemade Year...



|| Summer Pineapple Salad ||
(Maybe you can make it and throw your own Ordinary Time party with family and friends!?!
And then invite me over of course. That would be great. Ok? Ok. Thanks.)

8 oz. of farfalle pasta cooked al dente
2 tbls. of honey
1 C. of pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
1 C. cubed mango (or double the pineapple)
4 fresh, green onions - chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 C. plain-low-fat yogurt
1 tbls. brown spicy mustard
1 tsp. of dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Mix all the ingredients together and chill for 1-2 hours.
This is one of those salads that is best served cold and well-soaked.
If it dries out a bit while chilling, you can add a tablespoon
of yogurt to bring the salad back to life.
_____________________________________________

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!! WIN your own copy of A Homemade Year HERE!!!
Let Jerusalem's new book bless you and your family as it has blessed mine!

The 48 Hour Date

So I'm still in shock that this actually happened and went by without a glitch.
Thank you, Jesus!!! And Grandma Kelly!!! Nathan and I pulled off a 48 hour date that left
us feeling like NEWER newlyweds! I think 4 years of marriage still qualifies us as newlyweds, right?!
I'm so happy that I get to grow old with this man.

I love him to the moon.
And back.
Times infinity.

:: an uninterrupted breakfast + books ::

Our children are the beautiful proof of the love we share. An openness to life has landed
us our precious rewards named Isaiah and Judah and we can't get enough of them. They are the music
of our lives and we dance it out every day, aaaaaall day, til our hearts explode. Then we do it again!

But our children would not be here if it were not for the love and relationship that we share
as husband and wife. We know and understand that if our marriage is strong, loving, and thriving
that they, as our children and witnesses of our union, will receive so many graces from that.

Making time for each other blesses our entire family. Makes us better gifts to each other
and to the sons we have been blessed with. So if we have to take a date night... sigh...
I guess we'll just have to make that sacrifice! Haha. Usually we snag a couple hours here
and there - but the 48, uninterrupted, do-whatever-we-want, sleep in til 10AM, hours that
we had... were aaaaawesome!!! Praise God. Did I say, "Thank you, Grandma Kelly!!!"???

:: pizza + drive-in movie + living life ::



When's the last time you stole away with your spouse?
Can I just say that I highly encourage marriage enrichment hours... or days!!?
Keep those sparks lit, love birds!

_______________________________________________

GREAT GIVEAWAY happening this week! Win a LITURGICAL YEAR
handbook filled with tons of beautiful stories, projects,
and recipes that will bless your family!!! ENTER HERE!

The Little Letters

Journals and notebooks are to be found scattered throughout my house - hiding on bookshelvesor tucked away for safe keeping. And by "safe keeping" I mean... I've been keeping a journalsince I was 10 years old - some stuff is just not meant for the public eye! But my heart is on those pages. So I dub them sacred.


I love the written word - the beautiful lyrics of humanity.


I love it that my history is penned in bound books between parallel lines.Simple words. Nothing ever too fancy - just the raw emotions, memories,and glory days called my life.


My newest collection of writings are ones that I know will be my favoritewhen my hair has turned to silver and my days are consumed with rocking grandbabies to sleep.That is... the letters to my children.

I began writing shortly after we found out we were expecting our first. My journey. Our journey.My "littles" are my life now. My wishes, hopes, dreams, fears, notes, and prayers - along withlittle mementos that mean something to me...
as a wife who is married to a man... who with God conceived and bore two beautifulchildren... children that now make me a mother forever... they are forever in my heart...this heart of a woman who is living out a little piece of heaven on earth...in embracing this holy and awesome vocation her Father has chosen for her.
Yes, it all means something to me. To them. Paradise is playing out before my eyes and I cannothelp but lovingly pen down the whole account. I want to re-live these moments forthe rest of my life.
I write to my little ones. For them. For me. I want them to know and see throughtheir sweet history of existence that nothing happens by chance, miracles still occur,and that there is a God who loves them infinitely more than their earthly father or mothercould ever dream of loving them.
This is part of the legacy I am leaving my children.A legacy of letters from momma.

_________________________________________Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a beautiful book oncelebrating the faith with your family before you go!!!You won't want to miss this! XO

BOOK TOUR: A Homemade Year || Liturgical Style

Jerusalem Jackson Greer has blessed my heart through her book: A Homemade Year!

You all know how much I love all things "liturgical year"... and I must say - this might be
the prettiest and most down-to-earth book concerning celebrating the church calendar that I have
ever picked up! I just keep flipping through the pages and daydreaming about the next feast day!

The faith has always been meant to be celebrated within the walls of a Church AND beyond.
Those who follow Christ and cherish His ways in their hearts carry the holy honor of living and breathing
with "the Church" wherever they go... and especially into their homes - the domestic church.

In this book, she covers so many special seasons and days of fasting and feasting
in the treasury of the church: Advent, Lent, Christmas, Easter, Epiphany, St. Joseph's Day,
Corpus Christi, All Saints' and All Souls' Day... just to name a few!
_______________________________________
"May this book be a jumping-off point from which you discover new and creative ways
to experience the rhythm of God's story in your home, not just for one season, but for
every season, creating joy and lasting memories in the most ordinary days." - Greer
_______________________________________

Jerusalem is one, talented, busy momma who not only wants to bring the church calendar to life for her
own family, but for any other families who are willing to take the leap!



This book is so pleasing to the eyes! Beautiful photos. Entertaining and engaging narratives.
Family-friendly crafts and recipes that will bring all your loved ones running to the table to celebrate!

As I read through the chapters, I seriously felt like Jerusalem was sitting in my living room having a
conversation with me - encouraging me, brainstorming with me, and urging me to continue in this way
of life that I am already so passionate about! I LOVED THAT. I can't wait to use some of her ideas!

AND DON'T WORRY!
This book is seriously perfect for wherever you are at in your faith journey.
If you are totally lost and have no idea what I am talking about - this book will be your guide!
If you are already the Martha Stewart of the liturgical year I know that you will not be
disappointed with these fresh ideas!



Want to connect with Jerusalem?
BLOG || TWITTER || FACEBOOK

She's such a friendly soul... you must go give her some love!!!
And enter for a chance to WIN YOUR OWN COPY of A Homemade Year!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


open to U.S. residents ONLY || winner will be notified by e-mail by Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013 ||
if winner does not respond within 72 hours a new winner will be chosen

this is a product review post || a copy of A Homemade Year was gifted to me ||
no other compensation was received || all opinions expressed are entirely my own

The End of the World

To make a long story short: Nathan and I went to see World War Z, it freaked me out,
and now you get to read this post as I emotionally and spiritually process the whole thing!

Zombies aren't the issue. It's the reality of evil that gets me. For a solid 48 hours,
all I could do was think of the ever-growing darkness in this world and worry about what
the American future is going to look like for my children. I was having "end of world" visions
that induced a little panic attack. Embarrassing, but true. Stupid. I know. It gets better...



My poor husband had to endure days of listening to my plans for packing up, getting off the grid,
and becoming self-sufficient. And to top it off - he patiently answered all my questioning...

"How would you catch a wild rabbit?"

"How would you purify lake water?"

"What would you have in an emergency survival kit?

He's a trooper. Yea, I'm lucky. And he just smiled when I told him that if it came
down to it - I'd live in a tent covered in sticks by a creek with our children and learn
how to cook Canadian geese... because they are in abundance around here, and come a
world crisis I'm thinking that's gonna be dinner.

Are you laughing at me?

I eventually gathered myself and realized through some lovely, spiritual
reading that the darkness, Zombies or no Zombies, should not be the focal point.

YES, there is darkness in this world and men who seek to take the Kingdom by force.
YES, the violent are pining to bear it away and destroy all that is good.

But... YES, there is light. And that's what we have to focus on today -
being a light and helping ignite other lights to expel the night.

God is so gentle with me. I can see and hear Him coming after me these days.
I'm like a small child who has wandered off in the grocery store and is shaking the gumball
machine because my mom didn't give me a quarter and I NEEEEEEED a gumball NOW.
He just smiles and watches... I recognize Him in His approach. It makes my heart melt.
He wants to give me good things - but I just need to calm down first!

In the middle of my almost paralyzing fear (uh, no more Zombie movies for Brittany) -
He put me on a beach in the middle of nowhere (this truly happened) and sat me in a lawn chair next
to my husband and a woman who seemed to be absorbed in watching her own children splash around.

I was talking a million miles a minute - jumping from one topic to the next in my anxious state.
I started telling Nathan about a scary health situation concerning a family member and that's when
the woman spoke up...

"Excuse me. I don't mean to be nosy... but does someone need prayer?"

Did my ears deceive me? A person, on a beach in the middle of nowhere, wants to PRAY for us?
I was delightfully shocked and knew that God was reminding me that there IS LIGHT IN THIS WORLD
and it is shining INSIDE OF GOOD PEOPLE WHO STILL BELIEVE. Wow, that's awesome.
God totally used this woman to remind me that He is near... whether the world ends or not.

It's becoming more and more like the "deep magic" of Narnia around here.
The light can never go out because the One sustaining that light is an all-consuming fire.
Good luck with that, Darth Vader.



And that, my friends, is cause for hope.
World War Z has got nothing on my God.
So burn on little lights... burn on.

A String of Sundays

This year we decided to take vacation time and just BE.
It was like 10 Sundays all in a row. No planes to catch, rental cars to pick up,
clothing and menu planning to be done... we just put everything on hold and did whatever
we felt like doing! It was glorious. I highly recommend stay-cations.
It's amazing what magic you can create in your own backyard with the people you love.



We took walks and rode bikes.
We went exploring and swam like fish.
There were picnics and family naps.
There was time to read and watch old movies... Cary Grant, anyone?! *swoon*
We took time to help others and tend the garden.

So refreshing to just be still and let the world spin by.







We stepped into a small town and got lost in the coziness and familiarity of a slower pace.
4th of July fireworks in the country are the best.

There was the scent of popcorn and the music of laughing children in the air.
Friendly faces were spread across the lawn as "stars exploded" (according to Judah) over the fields.
It was their first time seeing fireworks and the awe in their eyes is testimony to that.





Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday!
Know that you were on my heart and mind - in my prayers -
as I enjoyed my string of Sundays.

I am blessed to share this space with you
and am excited to be back!!!