We had such a fun MLK day together. First, we found our new favorite park where we were told about Fort Fisher being free on MLK and Veterans Day. So – spontaneous family trip down past Kure beach to the Fort Fisher Aquarium!

God has filled the ocean with amazing creatures (:

This fish was my most favorite.

Beautiful trails out back through the gardens.

This is hands down my favorite cookie recipe – so far. I’m always up for trying a new one, especially if it has chocolate in it (: So send your favorites my way!

The original recipe is found here. I read so many reviews and made enough changes, so that recipe won’t get you quite to how my cookies come out. Here’s my version:

Ingredients:

1 c butter, softened

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla extract

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 t + 1/2 T baking soda

1/2 t salt

3 c quick-cooking oats {though I usually go up about half a cup or so – reasoning: the more oats, the more cookies ; ) }

1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream butter, brown sugar, & white sugar for 4-5 minutes – until fluffy and light.

2. Beat in eggs one at a time.

3. Stir in vanilla.

4. Combine flower, baking soda, and salt. Stir into butter/sugar mixture until they are just combined.

5. Chill for 2 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 325F.

7. Bake for 12 minutes on parchment paper.

8. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack.

a Christmastime favorite in our family:

1 roll of Jimmy Dean sausage

2 bars of extra sharp Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese

2 cups of Bisquick

directions found here

I hope you had a Merry Christmas! Glory to the Newborn King!!! Praise God for sending his precious Son to earth to save us from our sins! In such a humble way. And such a huge gift of grace we did not deserve.

This was one of Abbie’s cards to her grandparents this year : )

Playing outside : )

Watching the puppies.

Papa & his dog : )

Christmas morning! So fun to watch Abbie be so much more involved this year  :) She had a fun, fun day.

Christmas breakfast that Stephen and I prepared the night before:

Sausage breakfast casserole {an old favorite} & French toast casserole with a pecan topping {a new favorite}

Abbie loved her stroller!

yep.

And most of the time there was somebody in it ; )

Peek-a-boo!

Dedaddy : )

matching so well!

Aunt Carolyn <3

Annual family pic : D

We made it to the top of Mt Mitchell {thanks 4th grade history for making this a lifelong goal – check!}

And of course, a trip to the Biltmore is an essential part of a trip to the mountains of NC.

We explored the gardens {Stephen gets major points for pushing Abbie up and down mountains that day, in the stroller ; ) }. And we had lunch at Stable Cafe. SO good.

Early Girl Eatery was our most favorite place to eat in all of Asheville. Stephen had a sweet potato scramble that he loved. All the meat was local, as well as the jelly {the man who makes the jelly sitting on the tables stands out front of the restaurant selling his jellies at a stand decked in sunflowers, early in the morning. We have never loved a breakfast place more : )

I found this at Leaf & Letter Handmade. Loved it. Maybe more than Abbie ; ) Such a fun way to spend some time on a day too cold to go outside – give baby girl a spontaneous, middle-of-the-day bath with finger paint! {Though, it’s 70F here today – so obviously this post hung around unpublished for too long…that’s our old countertop there in the picture – o memories…} Here’s the recipe:

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon dish soap

food coloring

{and no, it did not stain my tub – though I was absolutely nervous and tested a spot first! that, I recommend ; ) }

-She loves blackberries. And enjoys picking off the tiny berries one at a time…can you tell?

-Abbie stares with concern at her fingertips after baths, not understanding why they have all of the sudden become wrinkly. Never fear, this is something that mommy can fix with with a kiss.

-Until about a week ago she called me “Ma-eee.” Now she’s been saying “Mommy” clear as a bell and a lot more often as well!

-Abbie loves putting on chap stick and will ask for it by rubbing her finger on her lips and humming, “mmm.”

-Monkey the Bird has recently become one of her favorite stuffed animals. She knows what real moneys are. And birds. But this bird has somehow been given the name Monkey.

-She asks for Daddy after every nap almost. Like he’s her first thought upon waking up : )

-Asking for hugs is one of the most adorable things she does. She’ll come toward us with her arms wide open, saying “hug.” I’ve also heard her saying, “Mommy, hug…Daddy, hug…Mommy, hug…Daddy, hug” <3

-Goldfish have become a recent favorite. Abbie just calls them, “fish,” for short. She likes to keep them on a shelf in her play kitchen and run and get them as her belly pleases.

-O yes, and this has become a temptation that is occasionally not caught soon enough…

Welcome toddler-hood. I feel you coming around the corner at full blast…

1. Stephen got a new job! And so…

2. We’ve Moved! (Yes, that’s the main reason blogging has taken a back seat to life.)

3. We now live at the beach : )

4. Going from a town home to an apartment is Hard. Mostly square footage-wise. And I’m pretty convinced that all those square feet were taken from the kitchen…

5. The exception to the decrease in footage is Abbie’s room -which is now a good bit bigger than before.

6. With the move and all our belongings being slowly unpacked, we’ve been eating out for the past 2 weeks or so. (Fun at first…getting old at this point.) We’re just starting to make the transition to warm up at home, already prepared kind of dinners ; )

7. I have some yummy new restaurants to share! We’ve hardly eaten at any chain restaurants. Lot’s of local places : )

8. Moving at Christmas time is quite bittersweet. (a) every new place you visit is extra fun/pretty because it’s decorated for Christmas, but (b) Christmastime is a time of traditions and doing things the same year after year. We have done nothing the same this month of our lives!

9. With all this change, it is God’s gentle hand reminding me that He’s not changing. He’s the only thing remaining the same. And He always will. A solid rock to rest on in a sea of change.

10. Moving during my second trimester is a blessing from the Lord and one of the many details He worked together perfectly concerning this move: much less nausea than before and I’m not yet too big to fit between all the boxes here ; )

11. Seeing family this Christmas will be so much sweeter than ever before

12. We get to house shop together for the first time now! Soooo much fun in store…