D-O-N-E!

Who?  Me!

What?  Master's Degree

Where?  Wayland Baptist University

When?  Today!

Why?  Well...why not?  :)

How?  With the help, support, and love from my AMAZING husband, I finished my Master's Degree program in 1 year, while working full time, being a wife, mother to my 3 kids, and whatever else needed to be done.  AND I graduated with a 4.0, baby!

A First

This week I had a "first".  (And ya know, the older you get, the less "firsts" there are to have, so I may as well document this one.)  It was my first time at a chiropractor.  Last week, I pulled/tweaked/hurt my shoulder pretty badly.  I could hardly move certain ways for fear of a stabbing pain in my shoulder.  Then, to make matters worse, we went on an 8 hour road trip (that turned out to be more like 10 hours due to a flat tire), slept in an unfamiliar hotel bed, then had the 8 hour trip back home...all in 5 days.  By the time we got home, it was not only my shoulder but my back and neck as well.  NOT FUN.

We have another long vacation/road trip soon, so I knew this couldn't be ignored.

I tried to heat it, ice it, rest it...nothing worked.  So I made an appointment with a chiropractor.  First, he checked my shoulder, neck, and back.  He found that my right vertebra are sitting higher than my left vertebra.  Then I had these little electric-muscle-stimulator-thingies (yes, that's the technical term) put on my back along with hot pads to loosen the muscles. 

Then the "adjusting" began.  Let me just tell you...it's not what I expected.  I thought I would be a little pop here, crack there.  It sounded like someone was eating 5 bags of Pop Rocks in my neck, shoulder, and back. 

But the good news is, I feel better.  I'm still a little stiff, but there is definite improvement.  It made me wonder why I've never gone to a chiropractor before?

It was a good first.

Top 5

My friend, Sierra did a blog post about her top 5 memories with her husband.  I thought that was such a fun idea, so I'm copy-catting!  Like Sierra, I will stay away from the obvious; first date, engagement, wedding day, births of our children, etc.

p.s.  I really wish I had pictures for some of these memories, but alas...these were from a time before digital cameras, and to be quite honest, I don't feel like digging through the tubs in my garage to find pictues, scan, and post.  I know.  I'm lazy.  It's summer...what more can I say?  :)

Here are my Top 5, in no particular order:

1.
My 21st birthday.  Even though I grew up in Michigan my whole-entire life, I had never been to Chicago, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.  So, for my 21st birthday, Darrin took me to Chi-town for the day.  We went to the Shedd Aquarium and shopped on Michigan Ave.  It was a fun and special day!

2.
Road Trips in college.  Darrin and I met while in college in Missouri, but we were both from Michigan.  That was convenient for going home during the holidays.  We would load up his 1989 Crown Victoria with other college friends from Michigan and drive home.  We would sing, play games, and give Darrin headaches with our Bath and Body Works lotion smells.  Other times, we would take road trips to Tennessee.  We had friends who lived there and Darrin had been stationed at Fort Campbell, KY, so we went there often for long weekends.
***One of our favorite road trip games:  At night time, we would buy a couple rolls of SweetTarts.  We would each pop one in our mouth and try to guess the color.  Then we would turn on the light to see if we were right.  Silly fun = the best kind of fun!

3.
Sitting in our dorm lobby and making fun of all the couples.  I know this sounds like an oxy-moron, being that we were a couple, but I'll explain.  In Bible college, it's a well-known fact that most/a majority of people are there to find a husband/wife.  As soon as they meet, they're "in love".  Darrin and I would sit in the lobby and watch couples that had literally known each other for 2 days, caressing each other's faces and saying, "I love you."  How exactly does that work?  "What color is your toothbrush?"  "Red."  "Mine too!  It was meant to be!  I love you!" 

I know it's un-romantic of us, but we laughed at couples like that...a lot. 

4.
Youth Trips.  When Darrin and I first moved to NM, he was a youth pastor and we didn't have kids yet.  We spent our summers going to Camp, Whitewater Rafting Trips, Six Flags Trips, and annual Missions Trips to Mexico (actually, the trips to Mexico were every February).  It was a fun time of building relationships and having fun doing ministry together.

5.
Finding out about each pregnancy.  I know I said I would stay away from the births of our children, but this isn't about their births.  It's about finding out about each pregnancy.  Darrin and I struggled with infertility.  We had all the tests done and in the end, we were told that our chances of having our own children were "slim to none".  So, naturally, each time we found out I was pregnant, was a huge miracle and something we'll always remember.  Every time was an amazing surprise!

What are your Top 5 memories???  Link-up and share!

Fast Forward --->

This weekend we attended a wedding in Nevada.  My husband performed the wedding ceremony and The Girl was the Flower Girl.  She LOVES to dress up, get her hair done, and wear *a little bit of* make-up.  The wedding was at 6:00, but we needed to be ready well before that for pictures with the photographer, which meant = NO NAP.  That's a quick fix:

Don't judge me.  :)

Watching my little Girl all dresssed up as a miniature bride, put my mom-brain on a 20 year fast forward.  I'll admit it, I was a little emotional...what will her husband be like?  Where will her wedding be?  Will she be nervous?  My thoughts raced, so to distract myself from getting too emotional, I snapped pictures like crazy!

 This is one of my absolute FAVORITE pictures of The Girl:

Watching Daddy perform the ceremony:

Could she be any cuter???

Not that I'm partial or anything...  :)

She was being a bit of a goof ball.

Here's The Girl and, who she kept calling, "Her Prince".  AKA:  The Ringbearer.

"I need to tell you a secret!"

I think I'm in trouble in 20 years.  But in the words of Scarlett, "I won't think about that today.  I'll go crazy if I do.  I'll think about that tomorrow."

Murder & Arson

Proverbs 18:21 - "The tongue can bring death or life."

I recently re-read this verse.  It's one I've read often enough, but this time it hit me a little differently.

My words can kill. 

And if that's true, and I'm speaking gossip, slander, etc., then I'm speaking death.

"Oh My Gosh (stab)!  Did you hear about so-and-so (stab)?  She's been sleepin' around with so-and-so (stab)!  Can you believe it (stab)?!?!  What kind of self-respecting person would do that (stab)?  I would NEVER do anything like that (stab)!  She better get herself some self-respect (stab)!"

If I believe the Bible (and I do), and if I'm speaking this way about ANYONE, I am a murderer.

This led me to re-read James 3:10- "How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell."

Living in NM, we are all too aware of how dangerous small sparks can be. Very recently, we have been infested with foul-smelling smoke from our precious, and might I add too-few, trees burning down in the Bosque and surrounding areas.  These fires are often started by a small spark-- someone carelessly lighting fireworks, a stray cigarette butt thrown out a window, or leftover and forgotten ashes from a campfire. 

This verse in James is comparing negative words to a small spark.  It brings to mind, gossip...how one small, deragatory remark is so easily carried and distorted to new and interested listeners.  And then there are more listeners (the spark becomes a small flame), and more listeners (the flame grows and spreads), and more listeners (fire!)...until the story is burning wildly out of control and causing grave destruction.

So if I'm spreading gossip, I'm sparking a flame, which creates an unlawful fire.  I am an arsonist.

Words = death and uncontrolled fire.    OR    Words = life and continued growth.

Just my perspective.

Lord, help my tongue to bring life; never death.

I Have A Heart Condition...And So Do You...

Do you ever daydream about what you "should have said" to the rude person in the grocery store who cut you off with their shopping cart when you clearly had the right-of-way?  Or the man who acted like you knew NOTHING about cars (nevermind that it might, could, most likely is true...) when you went to get the oil changed? 

How do you respond?  Do you verbally vomit all over them (click HERE for more on that) or can you walk away uneffected? 

Lately, this is something that I've been working on in my own life.  At first, I thought to myself, "I really need to be careful of the things I say."  And while that's all well and good, the more I thought, prayed, and honestly reflected within myself, I came to the realization that it's a LOT more than that.  It's not just "watching what I say."  It's being aware of my heart condition. 

Yes, I have a heart condition.  It's not an arrhythmia or coronary heart disease.  It's a heart that constantly needs to be cleaned.  (Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.")

Matthew 12:34 says, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." 

If my heart's condition is full of negativity, judgement, gossip, slander, and the like, then guess what's going to come out of my mouth?  Negativity, Judgement, Gossip, Slander, and the like. 

So instead of "watching what I say", I'm doing my best to keep my heart clean.  How?  By prayer, reading my Bible, and surrounding myself with positive influences in my life.  And if I find myself saying things I know I shouldn't, it's a sure sign that my heart is in need of some cleaning.

How's your heart condition?

A Typical Saturday...???

What a super fun Saturday!  Our church's youth group, All City Youth, hosted a 10,000 water balloon fight.

10,000.

Here is a picture of about 1/2 of the balloons:

***Chick-Fil-A was also there giving out free sandwiches, sweet tea, games, and prizes!

10,000 water balloon fight = Not Your Typical Saturday.

The Girl had fun, even though she got wet:

Boy 1 and Boy 2 had a blast and were thouroughly soaked:

***And of course, I forgot to bring towels...good thing we always keep blankets in the stow-and-go!

Here's The Girl holding what she called her "beautiful pink balloon":

***And notice her "flower necklace"?  How many of you used to tie them together to make necklaces?  Fun childhood memories!  :)

Boy 1 getting "slightly" wet...

Boy 2 taunting people to "try and get me!":

We spent our Saturday at a 10,000 water balloon fight...how did you spend yours?

A Tag Snob.

Hello.  My name is Erin, and I am a Tag Snob.  (Hello, Erin.)

Yep, that's me.  Not always, but often. 

A Tag Snob. You know, the person who "looks at the label". 

Why do I do this...part of it is because the better brands are also, in my experience, better quality.  This isn't a hard, fast rule, but I've found it to be true quite often.

I also think it's because it's a challenge for me...what is the best I can get at the best price?  And since I love to shop, why not get a great deal???

I LOVE to bargain shop!  Ask anyone who really knows me--I know how to shop for sales and good deals.  I'm not afraid to go to second-hand stores, buy used clothing, check on craigslist, or go garage-saleing to find good, quality items at cheaper prices.  I will scour the internet for coupons, coupon codes, and other discounts, then wait until I can combine those with the latest "free shipping" offer. 

I absolutely LOVE stores like Marshall's, Ross, and TJ Maxx (and yes, I'm a fashionista...haha).  Here's a real-life example, I could go to Payless and get my 3 year old daughter a synthetic, glued together pair of shoes for $14.99, or I could shop the off-season sales at Marshall's and get her quality leather, stitched shoes by Stuart Weitzman and Michael Kors (see pictures below) for $7.00 and $10.00 a piece.  (And just for the record, my daughter DOES have shoes from Payless that she wears quite often and loves.  My point is, if you can find better quality at better prices, why wouldn't you go that way?)

I also do a LOT of off-season/on-line shopping.  My 8 1/2 year old son had all of his summer clothes last winter.  Go to Wal-Mart sometime and look at the $7.00 t-shirts.  There's nothing wrong with them, that's just how much they cost.  But when I shop the abercrombie kids or aeropostale kids websites in the winter, I can get his t-shirts for $5.99 (and sometimes less), and they're that nice, super-soft cotton. 

***Note: since working on this draft, I found t-shirts on the aeropostale kids website for $3.99...already stocking up for next summer!  Oh, and if you sign up to be on their e-mail list, you get a free shipping code...SCORE!

Another great way to buy better quality items at a cheaper price:  Ebay.  I LOVE Gymboree's line of girl clothes.  I don't have $59.00 for 1 dress.  I often find my daughter absolutely adorable lots of Gymboree clothing on-line for a mere fraction of the cost.  Used?  Yes.  Still in great condition?  Yes.  It's a win/win, if you ask me. 

Now, don't get me wrong...my kids have clothes from Target and Wal-Mart, and that doesn't bother me.  It's not that I'm really so snobby that it (insert snobby accent) "would simply be unbearable for them to be seen in public in 'those' clothes!"  It's that I want the best I can get for what I have. 

One of my other money savers:  second-hand kids clothing stores.  After each season, I pack up and label out-grown clothes.  (i.e. Girls summer clothes-Size 3T or Boys winter clothes-Size 5T).  At the beginning of each season, I take my bags into the second-hand store to trade in.  Most will allow you to either choose in-store credit or cash.  (You'll get "more" with in-store credit.)  I work it out so that when I trade in last year's summer clothes, I'm able to get most of this year's summer clothes all with trade-in credit...not a penny spent!  And here's a secret...they usually don't take everything you try to trade-in.  Ask for it back and take it back a few weeks later.  EVERY time I've done this, they'll take several of the pieces they wouldn't take the first time, earning me more in-store credit.

Ok--before you pass judgement (as I'm sure some will), if you really look at what I'm doing, it isn't really being a tag snob, it's getting the most/best quality I can for the money I have available to me. 

Judge if you want to...I'll keep getting great deals! 

P.S.  If you didn't notice in the picture, the name of the style of the Stuart Weitzman shoes is "Lil Kinley"...and they were $7.00...how could I not buy them???  :)

Throw-Up

It's nasty.  No one likes to do it.  It leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Our words can be like throw-up. 

If you let all of your bad thoughts, feelings, and ideas build up inside of you, they WILL eventually come out. You may find yourself suddenly spewing out all of those negative thoughts, feelings, and ideas that you've been holding in-- it may be directed at  your spouse, your kids, your co-workers, or your friends.  When it's all over, you'll probably feel better, but that person you love is standing there in your verbal throw-up.  Not a pretty picture.

I think we've all found ourselves ready to verbally puke all over someone.  And the thing is, the "someone" you just vomited all over probably isn't even the person who's been upsetting you...most likely, they just happened to "be there". 

Do you have an outlet for your feelings so you don't find yourself in this situation? 

Here are some of the things that work for me:

1.  Prayer- I know...so  cliche!  But sometimes just a quick, "Lord, help me control my mouth!" does wonders!

2.  Removing myself from the stressful situation.  Sometimes I just have to mentally tell myself, "Walk away.  Don't do it."

3.  Retail Therapy.  Laugh if you want, but it works for me!  Maybe it's because it's something I truly enjoy, so it helps neutralize the negative thoughts running rampantly through my brain.

4.  Talk to someone.  Sometimes you just have to talk to someone completely outside of the situation.  They (hopefully) can help you see the situation from other points of view and talk you through it.  For me, this is often my mom or my sister.  They live 1/2 way across the country and are usually not the source of my angst.  (P.S. "Angst" is a fun word to say, which is weird, because "angst" implies that something is not fun.  Sorry...off the subject.)

5.  Take a deep, cleansing breath.  I know it sounds ridiculously simple, but it can give you just enough time to calm your thoughts.

6.  Bite your tongue.  Literally.  Sometimes, when I'm really upset and want to verbally vomit all over someone, I literally have to bite my tongue so I don't say something I'll regret later.  This happens all too often.  Note to self:  I should probably invest in Orajel.

These are not, by any means, "THE answer" to stopping verbal diarrhea, but it's a start.  The point is to find what works for you.

A silly example of this from the movie Puss In Boots is when Humpty Dumpty says, "Little Boy Blue, remember: When you feel like you're going to blow your top, blow your horn instead."

Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." -- If you've meditated on it in your heart, it's going to come out in your words. 

Find a healthy and constructive way to handle it.

What do you do when you feel like you're going to blow your top?

Mango Salsa

I don't know what the weather's been like where you live, but here in Albuquerque, it's been H-O-T!  I've found myself craving something snack-y, but refreshing. 

I have a friend at church who was born and raised in Puerto Rico and now lives in New Mexico.  She invited my family to dinner one night...EVERYTHING she made was amazing!  But one thing stuck out to me...her Mango Salsa.  This is my version:

THE STUFF YOU'LL NEED:

(And as an added bonus, I bought all of the ingredients at my local Farmer's Market.)

Mangoes (I used 3 large ones), Cilantro, Green Onions, 1 Jalapeño, and 1 Lime (Yes, yes, I know there are 3 limes here.  I wasn't sure how many I'd actually use when I took the first picture.)

STEP 1:

Cut your mangoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.

***NOTE:  Cutting mangoes can be a messy business.  Be ye prepared.

STEP 2:

Chop up about 1/4 cup of cilantro and add to the bowl.  You can add more or less depending on your own personal taste.  I, personally, love the bright, fresh taste of cilantro, so I added quite a bit.

STEP 3:
Chop up the stalks of 1-2 green onions and add to the bowl.  (Again, this depends on personal preference.)  I used 2 onions. And then I realized I should've bought some Altoids.
Look at the pretty colors!

STEP 4:
Finely chop a jalapeno...unless you like big chunks of jalapeno in your salsa.  In that case, roughly chop a jalapeno.  The jalapeno I bought was rather large.  I used all of it, but the amount of jalapeno is completely up to you, depending on how spicy you want your salsa to be.  I like a little lot of spice in my life!

STEP 5:

Squeeze the juice of 1 lime into your bowl.

STEP 6:

Gently stir everything together.  This salsa is great on tortilla chips, crackers, or in lettuce wraps!

***The next time I make this, I think I might try it with peaches instead of mangoes...YUM!

***Let me know if you make this delicious salsa and how it turns out for you!

The Stratosphere. The Wild Blue Yonder. Our Lid.

Psalm 8:3-6 (Good News Translation) "I look at the sky, which you have made, at the moon and the stars, which you set in their places; what are human beings, that you think of them; mere mortals, that you care for them?  Yet you made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor.  You appointed them rulers over everything you made; you placed them over all creation."

Yesterday, I was quite enamored with the sky here in Albuquerque.  I couldn't help but take a few pictures. 

Look at those big, fluffy clouds!  I found myself wishing I could take a rest up on one of those cottony poof balls.

The following picture I edited in black and white and used the little "sunshine-y" button on Instragram (what IS that button called, anyways?).  I thought it made it look more dramatic.  :)  

In the busy-ness of life, I need to stop more often to observe my surroundings, because when I do, I am constantly amazed at God's artistry!

One Of My All-Time FAVORITE Books:

I am a reader.  I wish I could say that I am an avid reader, but the truth is, I don't have enough time to be an "avid" reader.  One of my favorite things about road trips (like the 2 I'm looking forward to this summer) is having some time in the car to read. 

I have MANY favorite books.

But one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITES is The Count of Monte Cristo.  (And co-incidentally, I was just talking about this book at a wedding today, even though this draft has been in my blog posts for about a week.)  I adore this book! Believe you me when I say that I have probably read it more than 10 times.  Actually, I'm reading it again now.  See!  I can't stop reading it!

There are many things I like about this book: the characters, the wording (I find myself wanting to call people Monsieur and Mademoiselle), the intrigue, the different types of love displayed throughout the book (father/son, lovers, friends, character/job, character/money, mother/son, grandfather/granddaughter, on and on...), the villainy, the repentance. 

However, there is 1 thing in particular that I love about this book:  the theme.  In a nutshell, it is this: Revenge isn't always what it's cracked up to be.  It's a good reminder in this day and age.

Read this book if you haven't.  You won't be sorry.

P.S. No, I have not seen the movie.  I'm always afraid that books-turned-into-movies will ruin the story I have created and logged in my imagination.  If you've seen the movie and read the book, what do you think???

Waffles or Spaghetti?

Waffles.  Golden and crispy, soft on the inside.  Little compartments for just the right amount of syrup in each bite. 

Spaghetti.  Tangly and fun to eat.  Reminds me of Lady and the Tramp. Can't tell where one noodle begins and another one ends.

I once saw a book titled, Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti. I didn't read it.  I got the gist of the book from the title. 

According to this train of thought, men have all these little "compartments" in their brain.  Like if I'm talking to my husband about what we're having for dinner tonight, but then I start talking about what movie we should see on Friday, he's lost, and I don't get why.  It all made perfect sense to me.  But, of course, according to the title of the book, it's because like spaghetti noodles on a plate have no orderly beginning and end, neither do my thoughts. 

I kind-of resent that.

Ok.  Not kind-of.  I do resent that.  There is a perfectly logical flow to my thoughts.

Just because you don't see the beginnings and endings of my thoughts doesn't mean they aren't logical to me.  Give us women some credit.  Sometimes I can totally relate to Anne of Green Gables who said,  "But if you only knew how many things I want to say and don't, you'd give me some credit."  This quote sort-of defines my life.

Example:  It's very possible that the whole "what-we're-having-for-dinner" conversation segue into the "what-movie-should-we-see-on-Friday" thought process went something like this in my head:

dinner tonight --> do I need to stop at the grocery store on the way home? --> hmm...grilled chicken sounds good -->  I wonder if we have enough lettuce for a salad? --> dinner Friday night --> date night...yay! --> If we go to Chili's, I need to remember to print the coupon they just emailed me --> free chips and queso = SCORE! --> I wonder if the babysitter ever confirmed for Friday night? --> I better call or text her to double check --> I need to remind her that Kinley wanted her to paint her nails -->  I also need to order pizza for the kids and babysitter Friday night --> I think we were going to see a movie after dinner --> I wonder what movies are playing? --> I should ask husband what movie he wants to see.

See how much I DIDN'T say so I wouldn't confuse you?  And you wonder why we get frustrated when you can't follow the "simple" things we say...  :)

Of course, according to the theory that men are like waffles, "what we're having for dinner tonight" is in it's own seperate compartment from "what movie we should see on Friday night".

I think I'm a good mixture of both--a little bit waffle and a little bit spaghetti...I can compartmentalize pretty well, but I'm also a fast multi-tasking thinker.  (Maybe another blog entry to come on that...?)

I see SOME truth in the analogy.  What do you think?  Do you have any examples for or against this?  I'd be happy to hear YOUR thoughts on this!

Recipe for OMGoodness Brookies

The recipe I am about to share is amazingly rich, chocolatey, buttery, and peanuty goodness!  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it was called "Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars".  Whew!  I thought that was quite a mouthful (no pun intended), so I just call them "OMGoodness Brookies".

What's that you say?  You've never heard the word "brookie" before?  Well that would be because I just made it up.  It's a mix between a brownie and a cookie.  Brownie + Cookie = Brookie...get it?  I know, I know...not incredibly creative, but hey, it works!

Ok, so here's the recipe.  Now, this is my first time blogging a recipe, so please bear with me!  And I didn't use my really nice camera because, well...because I was too tired.  So I just used my phone.  It'll have to do!

THE STUFF YOU'LL NEED:

Butter Flavored Pretzels, Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix, Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, 2 Bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, 1 Cup of Melted Butter, 5 Tbs. Sugar, Eggs, Vegetable Oil, Non-Stick Spray

STEP 1: 

Crush 2-3 cups of the Butter Pretzels.  I started with 2 cups, but ended up using closer to 3 cups.  You can use a food processor, but I just put them in a plastic bag and crushed them with my hands.  You don't want to pulverize them, just crush them, then put them in a bowl.  Add 1 cup of melted butter and 5 Tbs. of sugar.  Mix together.

STEP 2:

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with the Non-Stick Spray.  Evenly spread your pretzel-butter-sugar concoction in the bottom of the pan to make a deliciously yummy crust!

STEP 3:

Make the Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix according to package directions.  This is where you'll use the vegetable oil and eggs mentioned in the ingredient list.

STEP 4: 

Spread the Peanut Butter Cookie mix evenly over the Pretzel mixture.  

***Note:  This was VERY sticky!!!  I highly suggest having some flour handy to dip your hands in to make the cookie dough easier to handle.***

STEP 5: (Take a deep breath and prepare yourself.)

Unwrap 20 of those yummy Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and place evenly on top of the Peanut Butter Cookie Mix.  

Oh yes I did...

STEP 6: (Yes, there's more, my friend.  There's more.)

Make the Betty Crocker Brownie Mix according to package directions.  You will need the oil and eggs again here.  Lick the beaters from your mixer.  Yes, this is part of the directions.

Ok, not really.  But you know you want to!

STEP 7:

Oh yes.  Deep down you know what's coming...

That's right.  Pour the Brownie Mix on top of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

***Note:  At this point in time you may hear angels singing.  Don't be alarmed.***

STEP 8:

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  

Dizzying smells of amazingness will flow from your oven...just sayin'...

It may feel like torture, but I assure you the reward is worth it.

The finished product will look something like this:

LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST:

Enjoy the little slice of heaven you just made.

Ignore the "I'm-gonna-have-to-work-out-for-2-hours-to-pay-for-this" feeling in the back of your mind. 

Indulge.  

Bask in the fame you will receive for making these Brookies.  (I just had to use my made-up word one more time!)

Mmmmmmm!

***PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE:  

1)  Let me know if my first attempt at recipe blogging came across clearly and made sense.  

2)  Let me know if you make this recipe and how it turns out for you!

Catching Up On My Scrapbooking: Birthdays (8, 6, 3)

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ramblings about forgiveness

Forgiveness. 

It can be simple.
It can be made hard.
It can be freely given.
It can be dangled in front of someone.
It can be kept at a distance.
It can be used as a weapon.
It can bring back life.
It can cause death when absent.
It can change a person.
It can change you.
It can change me.

Without it, you will eventually be left with no one but yourself.