Oct 31

The end of October is here. What a whirlwind month! It seems like I was gone for most of month!

In the month of October ~

We spent 11 nights away from our own beds.

We went to Williamsburg, Richmond and Nashville, TN.

We had 3 birthday parties, 1 anniversary and lots and lots of cake.

We went to 2 Anthropologie! (My favorite part)

We got to see my parents and my sister.

We went to our first zoo, first pumpkin patch and tonight we are taking Jack to his first annual Holy Ghost Wiener Roast!


Lots and lots of life happened this month as well. I am kinda sad that October has gone by so fast, but I am looking forward to the holidays and visiting our family. We have two more trips before we head to Michigan for Christmas. Ryan is heading to Peru in November (see post below) and I will be taking my first trip sans baby to Nashville the beginning of December. We will see how that goes. Momma has not been away from her boy for even a night.

Today is Halloween. I HATE Halloween. I really really hate it. I hate all the ghosts, skeletons,witches and the glorification of all things evil. I hate seeing spider webs, hanging corpses and cackling witches decorating peoples' houses. I just don't get why it is so cool to make death and evil and all the of things incorporated with it such a huge celebration. I hate Halloween. I hate the way the holiday came about. Look it up. It is not cute and nice.

Before you pity my poor candy less kids, I have no problem with a good ol' harvest celebration with lots of pumpkins, corn, carnival games and candy. Jack will be heading to our church's Holy Ghost Wiener Roast and will have it chance to ride ponys, make smores at a fire, square dance, play carnival games, eat hot dogs and get loads of candy. We get to hang out at a huge horse ranch and run and play. Sounds a whole lot more fun that asking for gross stranger's candy.

Peru

Lima, Peru

There are times in your life when you just have to brag about the ones you love. Sometimes you just HAVE to let people know how proud you are of them, and so I am going to unabashedly brag on the love of my life!

Ryan is heading to Lima, Peru in November. He was asked to attend and speak at the Global Entrepreneurship Week conference in Lima, Peru. He will be representing Regent University, where Ryan is getting his MBA in Global Entrepreneurship. Ryan was the only student invited and he was selected not only for his high academics ( my boy rocks a 3.5ish gpa) but for his entrepreneur mentality and experience. So, Ryan and the program director of the MBA and the director of International Leadership are taking off to Lima.

The one requirement is that Ryan helps present American Entrepreneurship and Business to 500 plus students at the San Marcos University. He will be speaking with students about entrepreneurship and how the create careers and be inventive. He will also be speaking at other colleges as well as the Lima Chambers of Commerce to talk about what it means to do business with Americans. Ryan is pumped. He loves that stuff. He is not even nervous. I would be. He is not.

I am so proud of him. Ryan was student of the year at North Central University and now he is the only MBA student that was asked to come and speak to college students all over Lima. Business really is Ryan's passion. He understands it and wants to help people understand it as well. My love is only 25 years old, but has the respect of all his professors, as well as his co- workers. We have been blessed, but not because Ryan is a business genius (which he kinda is...) but because he values people and wants to be used by the Lord first and foremost. I am excited to see what doors God will open for Ryan when he is in Peru, as well as when he graduates this December. God has been so good to us.

Jack's Birthday Present

I turned 28 on Sunday, the 18th. Jack decided that he was going to give his mommy his own special gift. He decided that he was going to wean himself. Cold turkey. That day.

I spent the last 15 1/2 months nursing my little boy. He gave me quite the run around those first few weeks. He lost over a pound in those first few days and could not suck properly. So, after attempting to nurse for 20 mins, than supplement feeding him with a syringe and than pumping and than repeating it 2 hours later... i was desperate to be done breastfeeding. After a few visits to a lactation specialist, i was able to nurse him with a shield on. It still took a good hour to feed him from both sides. The Olympics were on during this time and i spent hours watching them while i nursed. Jack's head had to be held a certain way and the shield had to be adjusted, so both hands were busy, forcing me to just sit there. Every night i would want to quit and every morning, i would try it just one more day... 5 weeks into his little life we flew to MI for my sister's wedding. My shield was misplaced and my hungry little man had to fend for himself. It was a little godsend. He nursed like a champ and went on strong for the next year...

Till he just decided he was done. On my birthday. I have mixed feelings about that. It had been slowing down and more for comfort than for nutrients for awhile. However, i will miss my little cuddle time with my boy. It is just one more stage that he has grown out of. My sweet little baby boy is growing up...

3 years

I have been married for 3 years today.

I love my husband more now than i did when i married him.

I am sitting in a hotel in Nashville, waiting for my whining child to FINALLY go to sleep. He won't sleep in hotels. He refuses to go to bed and than will be up multiple times a night.

I am exhausted.

My husband is in Virginia with Oscar the cat.

My husband sent flowers to the studio today.

I almost cried.

Ryan spent our anniversary at work and at class.

I spent our anniversary working in the studio with Brit Nicole and Everlife. Both are quality girls with great music. You should look them up.

I miss my husband.

I am eating a peanut butter cup cupcake from Gigi's Cupcakes. It is glorious.Magnificent. Astounding. If you are ever in Nashville, get a cupcake from Gigi's. It will make any day better and make celebrating alone tolerable. The peanut butter buttercream frosting will kill you, and you will die very, very happy.

I wish that Ryan was here eating a cupcake with me.

Happy 3 years, babe. Can't wait to see what is in store for us next!

October!

Let's kick off the beginning of October, one of my most favorite months with a yummy recipe.

This cupcakes are SUPER easy to make and really good. It is the perfect fall treat and the best way to welcome October!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Real Simple.

1 18.5 oz Yellow Cake mix (plus ingredients on the package)

1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree

2 8oz bars of cream cheese at room temp

2 cups of confectioners' sugar

candy corn for decorations optional

(I opted out of the candy corn because left on too long it runs into the frosting, and i liked my piping better)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line to 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change. Add the pumpkin pie spice and the pumpkin puree for the water that is called for on the package.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake till a toothpick comes clean. 18 to 22 min. (I baked mine for 15 min, but i have a hot oven)

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and spread on cooled cupcakes. I added cinnamon to my frosting to add a bit of color and flavor.

I piped my frosting because it looks more fun! Fun trick~ take a plastic lunch bag, fill the corner of the bag with the frosting, cut the edge off and squeeze! Super easy and looks fancy schmancy.

That is it! Super easy, super moist and delicious.