Gratitude

I'm thankful for a family that isn't afraid to be weird

{We're ALL smiling. It's a miracle}

and are always themselves

For people who are willing to share their gifts with others 

For a job that daily teaches me patience, diligence, and positivity

For crafty moments

For getting to call these punks my brothers and being their little seester

For staying in touch with friends the old fashioned way

For this little man, and his parentals, who willingly claim us as family

For this little patch of heaven

For my future roommate who brings out the inner kid in me

For girls that teach me what it means to be a friend

For days when sunnies are necessary

For a group of women who help me draw closer to Him

And, most of all, for a God that is greater than I and continually extends His grace

Care Packages

I’ve been planning on sending care packages to two dear friends who are working up at Hume Lake this summer. They’re basically cut off from the outside world, which is awesome for a camp, but not so great when you’re addicted to chocolate chips, tootsie pops, and spearmint gum like these girls are. Thankfully I’ve spent enough time with them over the last two years to know exactly what treats will make them smile. 

Besides the store bought candy, I also baked them some homemade brownies. Nothing says care package like baked goods :) This brownie recipe is amazing. Seriously. The best brownies I’ve ever had {and it’s not just because I make them}. My mom got the recipe from a teacher she worked with at my junior high, and let’s just say this lady knew what she was doing.

 Brownies

1 cup butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips {I usually use butterscotch chips, but we didn’t have any}

1 tsp vanilla

{the oil was for greasing the pan}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 dish

Melt the butter down and add the unsweetened cocoa powder.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well. Then beat in the sugar

Combine the butter & chocolate with the eggs & sugar

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl

Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture and mix really well

Add chocolate chips and vanilla

Pour into pan

Bake for exactly 30 minutes

Devour (:

Melbs and Jelly enjoy your goodies!!

I became an old lady in June

It’s officially July and I can’t believe June went by so fast. I’ve been so busy working that I guess I haven’t noticed. That, and every day I’m becoming more and more like a little old woman. Besides the early bed time I’ve taken up knitting, I watch Jeopardy! most nights, and I learned to golf. I guess time flies when you’re 80 haha. And on top of all that I’m ridiculously sore from golf so I feel like I’m falling apart. Woo hoo!

Here's what my June looked like:

-Singing with the worship team at church: I love getting to help lead the congregation in worship. I really enjoy getting to serve in this way, even when I don't know half the songs haha 

-Mady’s graduation party: I drove in after work one Saturday to celebrate Mady and her graduation from Lakeridge. Definitely loved getting to see her and the whole Bartel family. Congrats Mady! Enjoy Corban. I'll be sure to come visit :)

-Sleep over with Stephanie: After Mady’s party I spent the night with Stephanie. We had dessert at Claim Jumper and stayed up talking about life {and by “stayed up” I mean we made it to midnight. The old lady over here barely made it to midnight}

-Dinner with Bethany: My bestie is working at a camp only 20 minutes away from my house, which is the closest we’ve ever lived, so I told her she is more than welcome to come over whenever she wants to. She came over one night and we went out for burritos with the family. Yum! I love this girl. She’s seriously the best.

-Movie nights with John and Karen: We spend most of our time with John and Karen and their little guy Owen. The joke is that my parents are their only friends and vice versa. We’ve had lots of movie nights and joking around in the last few weeks.

-Watching Owen walk: This little man is walking. I cannot believe it! He’s growing up so fast.

-Making money: This, I’ve found, is the only motivation that gets me out of bed in the morning. My new and exciting job has become old and uninteresting. Only seven more weeks!

{Nat and Han, these are the front sides of your journals}

-Lots of crafting: Because I have all this spare time, I’ve had more time to do all the artsy stuff that I love to do. I’ve been making journals for friends and I have supplies to start making room decorations. Nat and I are going to have the best looking room on campus :)

Happy July! Hope it's wonderful :)