Mrs. Renee

My days of photoshop, picture frames, and long commutes are over. Starting next week my workdays will be filled with singing, alphabets, numbers, art projects, and new discoveries. You are looking at a new preschool teacher Mrs. Renee.

I am so excited (and a little bit terrified) about this new adventure in my life. On multiple occasions I have mentioned to Brett how I think I would enjoy being an art teacher at a private school (no teaching degree). If I really get into this, then I plan to maybe get my teaching certificate so I can teach older grades. I look forward to all the new things I will learn and all the new challenges.

A moment

I just wanted to share a little scene from my Saturday morning. Brett was gone for an army drill weekend and before I got into cleaning and other responsibilities for the day I enjoyed a nice breakfast while doing my homework work for a bible study I am in right now.

Shiny new car

We bought a new (to us) car!

A couple of months in December I was in a car accident and totaled our car.

The plan had been that when our dear friends Bek and Simon left to go back to Australia we would buy their car as our second car. Thanks to me their car became our primary car and poor Brett still had to catch the bus or hop rides to work.

One of our biggest goals for this year is to become debt free so we knew that we wanted to pay cash for a new car.

Well about a month and a half ago we bought another car, and finally after 2 1/2 years we are a two car family!

It is a 2001 Izuzu Trooper. Brett had a 1985 Trooper when we were dating in high school and loved it, so he was all for getting another. We got an amazing deal on it (less then we got back in insurance for the totaled car) and feel so blessed.

So this is the new year...

... and I can't wait to see what adventures it brings. There is just something so inspiring about a new year. It just feels as if anything can happen and you can become whoever you want to be. One of my favorite traditions that Brett and I do is every New Years we make a list of goals and adventures. Most are things we want to try to accomplish in the following year but some are life goals as well. It is fun to sit down and dream together as well as remember the things we accomplished in the previous years. One of our unofficial mottos for our life is we want to try to have some kind of adventure every week. An adventure can be as big as visiting a new place to as small as trying a new food. I thought it would be fun to share some of the things we put on our list this year.

Sew curtains for our apartment

Become debt free

Walk across the Brooklyn bridge

Explore all the 5 NYC boroughs

DC cherry blossom festival

Go Skydiving

Read the whole bible

Visit Martha's Vineyard

Blog more

Finally see Shakespeare in the park

Be able to run 3 miles in 30 minutes

Stick to a budget

Eat vegetarian 5 days a week

Try to eat primarily organic

Go to Coney Island

Visit/explore all the states within 5 hours of us

Go to Canada

Complete the top chef cooking school

Bake almost all my own bread

Learn photography

Go to a Yankees game

Visit Lancaster

Go on more dates

Read 12 book

Learn Banjo

Get at least 70% on APFT

Hang out with guys more

Craft more

This is going to be a big year for us and I cannot wait!

double trouble

Im still alive and busy as ever. I have a second blog which has been taking my blogging time. check it out at Dash of Calamity.

I haven't given this blog up and have and will have a new post soon.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is Brett and my 2nd Thanksgiving as a married couple! Today, as in everyday, I am thankful for so many things. My loving family, my cozy warm apartment, a church that has fully embraced Brett and I, a crazy cat, a full belly with plenty left to eat, my amazing husband, and wonderful friends both near and far.

Speaking of friends a couple of weekends ago my dear friend Bek and I hosted a cake pop party. What is a cake pop party you say? Well, let me tell you. There is this adorable blogger who makes the cutest little creations she calls cake pops. They are basically cake suckers that are decorated all cute for whatever season or event is close by.

For this party we didn't really have an agenda. Bek wanted to make a duck and we both knew we wanted to try the cupcakes and snowmen. The party was a success and we are going to have a Christmas cake pop party sometime in the next couple of weeks.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, and loving thanksgiving. I will post cake pop picture either tonight or tomorrow - promise.

baking galore

Happy Friday the 13th!

I have found that when Brett is gone, I cook. This is bad for my waist but good for you who get new recipes and good for my friends who enjoy the tasty treats. Last weekend while he was away at drills I whipped up a batch of pumpkin spice muffins. Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. Since I knew I wanted to share them with the other Liquid Kids volunteers on Sunday I made mine in a mini-muffin pan and just reduced the cooking time. Without the cream-cheese frosting they are a great breakfast. I am sure they would be fantastic with it as well and might just have to try it when I whip up another batch with remaining pumpkin and milk I have. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned because tomorrow Bek and I are hosting a cake-pop party and I am sure there will be many stories and photos from that coming soon.

Muffin Ingredients:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cups Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 t Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter - cut into pieces
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 cups Evaporated Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Frosting
• 1/2 cups Soften Butter
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 1/2 lb Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkins, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mix and fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a muffin pan 1/2-2/3 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar/nutmeg mixture over each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 18 minutes if doing minis, 25 for regular size. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove to cooling rack. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

(To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients on high until soft and whipped.)