what can brown do for you?

There is so much happening in our world that the news doesn't always cover the seemingly mundane, that's what I'm for. I stumbled across this article and video and thought it would be worthwhile to share. It's heartwarming, sweet and it makes me wish our UPS man was Mr. Ernie.

Enjoy!

Click to read the story behind Mr. Ernie and Carson

conflict

Recently I mentioned that a new Charlie Brown movie will be released next year. Now I may have a conflict next November 6th...Charlie Brown and a new Bond movie! What's a girl to do?!? 

Click for the link

santa hustle update

The Christmas season has officially arrived!! I have been excited about Christmas since August, when I first signed up for the Santa Hustle Half Marathon. Now the race is in 20 days!

When Alex hung up his medal after the Port Angeles half, he was done running half marathons. I was sad to think that I'd have to go it alone but, my wonderful friend Alaina wanted to try her hand foot at running a half marathon, so now I have a new running buddy.  It's been fun to get to run and talk (as much as one can talk and run) with her. Alaina has been a great running partner, encourage-r and motivator. Just a few more weeks of training and then it will be time for the most festive, jolly race yet.

Wish us luck!

Don't these runners look so happy, jolly and festive?! 

(I don't know these people...I took this image from this website)

the great debate

It's been a longtime struggle for those who get cold hands during the winter months: mittens vs. gloves. Personally, I prefer gloves for their accessibility to my fingers, but mittens are much cuter. I found this article nestled between an article about Obamacare and the Ferguson updates. It provides a nice solution for those who struggle. Please enjoy all of this useless information...you're welcome.

Image source
If you'd like to get me the pictured gloves, I wouldn't turn them down :)

being thankful

Have a very happy, safe and thankful Thanksgiving. 

1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast loves endures forever!

God Of This City

If you have turned on any major news outlet you know that Ferguson, Missouri is the topic of conversation. Right now our city is hurting and the only thing that I can think of is Chris Tomlin's song, God Of This City. 

Please pray for St. Louis and the surrounding communities because, right now, that's all I feel like we can do. 

two days + pumpkin fluff recipe

Just in case you have been living under a rock, Thanksgiving is in two days! Although it has been a topic of conversation for quite a while, I still feel like it's snuck up on us. I bought my bag of potatoes to mash and the ingredients for my pies and pumpkin fluff, so I'm ready with the cooking part. All I've got to do now is cook. I'm looking forward to spending time with our families and friends!

I thought I'd share my favorite thing to make for Thanksgiving with you, Pumpkin Fluff. It's pumpkin-y, fluffy, delicious and low calorie too!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!!

thanksgiving truths

noteworthy

Happy Friday!! I thought today would never arrive but alas, it's 5:45 on Friday night and I have a comfy couch and some slippers calling my name. We don't have any big plans this weekend, just a Netflix marathon of Blacklist and a girls movie night on Sunday. If we get wild we may do a load or two of laundry and some Thanksgiving food prep. We're in charge of stuffing at my family's Thanksgiving and still undecided as to what we'll take for Alex's family, but anywho...

This week I learned some incredibly noteworthy information. I feel compelled to share it with you because this is important not only for our generation, but for our children's generation and our children's children....big stuff here. Next year, on November 6, 2015 to be specific (that is my sister Becky's birthday to be even more specific) The Peanut's Movie will be arriving in a theater near you! AHH! I love the Peanut's Gang and I cannot wait for more trailers to come out, let alone the movie!! I stumbled across this gem of information and couldn't contain my excitement. I've watched these trailers several times and I'm sure I'll be watching them a few more times between now and next year....

Have a great weekend!

Friendsgiving

This month Alex and I have been excitedly looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving. It is Alex's favorite holiday, so I try my hardest not to gloss over it and skip straight to Christmas (like the rest of America). To celebrate, we are trying to eat as much delicious food and spend as much time with our friends and family as possible. 

Last Saturday, Alex and I got together with three other couples and celebrated Friendsgiving. It was such a great night of talking, eating, laughing and playing Balderdash. Since it's November and Thanksgiving is looming around the corner, I've been reflecting a lot lately about what I am thankful for. At the top of the list are the friends that we are so lucky to have.

As I have gotten older (and I'm 92% certain everyone feels this way) it has gotten more difficult to make new friends. Not new acquaintances, those are a dime a dozen. I'm talking about real friends, the ones who have seen your ugly cry and still want to be around you, the ones that care about you just as much as you care about them, the ones who will text you late at night just to see how your day was; those friends. God has richly blessed Alex and I in the friend department and I am so very, very thankful. 

Happy Friendsgiving!

p.s Friendsgiving 2 is happening tonight...I said we are trying to cram a lot in this year!

fall retreat

Last weekend Alex and I, along with Brian and Melinda, took our high school youth group on a fall retreat. We drove through the winding back roads of Missouri to Koinania Family Valley Ranch. We had a great time digging into God's word, playing silly games and enjoying the beautiful weather.

We are already looking forward to next year and we're excited to see how God continues to move in "our" kid's hearts. We are so grateful to be a part of their lives and look forward to watching them grow in their faith. 

look up

I created a new page to follow along with my challenge to complete twenty five items/tasks before I turn twenty six! Just click on the twenty five by twenty six tab and you can see what I have completed so far.

happy halloween

It is October 31st and all that means to me is: tomorrow there will be discount candy! I don't buy into all this Halloween business. It's not fun for me to be scared so I just opt out, although I do watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown every year. As as kid, I had a friend that would have a haunted hay ride for her birthday and I made sure that my mom was there to pick me up before it started. I didn't care that I looked like a weenie, I did not want to go into the woods!

This weekend we are taking our youth group on a fall retreat, so I have a fabulous excuse to skip Halloween. But, that doesn't mean that Moose got to skip out on dressing up. He was not the most cooperative little fella, but the bribe of a few treats got him to hold still.

Have a happy, safe and not too scary Halloween! Don't forget to brush and floss after all that candy!! 

Minnie Moose

Doesn't he look thrilled to be a girl?! 

it's a mystery folks

On Friday night Alex and I hosted our second annual murder mystery dinner party. Last year's mystery was so much fun that we decided to do it again. Alex wrote the script again this year and poor Mrs. Plum was offed, but by who?! and what weapon did they use?! Was it Professor Plum?! Or maybe Ms. Scarlet or possibly Mr. Green?? As we ate dinner* we watched the mystery unfold.

The Suspects

(top left to right) Alyssa, Amanda, David, Maggie, Kraig, Matt and Corey

(bottom left to right) Kyle, Lori, Melinda, Brian, Clint and Kassie

The maid and butler at your service

As expected, the story took on a life of it's own and each character added so much to their role. Everyone stuck to their rules/roles, which made for a great night. There was a powerful psychic, a couple of scandalous lovers, a nosy neighbor, a stuttering detective, a terrible gardener, a flamboyant baker, a sad friend, a pharmaceutical rep, an angry teacher and his sweet wife, a doctor, his nurse and a corrupt Colonel.

Alex made a few typo's but they were perfectly placed and added a dramatic plot twist. We all laughed so hard that our faces hurt. In the end, Colonel Mustard commandeered a bread truck and forced Mr. Green, at gun point, to run over poor Mrs. Plum.  Such a tragic end, but her murder is no longer a mystery and all of the suspects can resume their daily lives. It was such a fun night and I am already looking forward to next year.

Mademoiselle Rose channeling the spirits to talk to Mrs. Plum

Mr. Green defending himself 

Mr. White trying to help Inspector John solve the mystery 

The mastermind murderer Col. Mustard and poor Mr. Green who got roped into the murder

and one more before you go....because it's too good not to share

Professor Plum and Mr. Green

I assume Prof. Plum isn't holding a grudge that Mr. Green had to run over his wife....

*Menu and recipe links:
Appetizers: sausage twirls and  spinach twirls
Garden Salad
Main Course: green beans, roasted potatoes, ham and rolls
Dessert: mini apple pies and vanilla ice cream

happy birthday

Today is Alex's birthday and he is a whopping 26 years old! All that he has requested for his birthday is to a) go to a haunted house or b) watch a scary movie. I hate being scared, I purposely don't watch scary movies, tv shows or even the commercials. But, I'd rather be scared on my own couch than out at some creepy haunted house, so we're going to be watching a scary movie tonight...because it's his special day.

I am excited to see what 26 has in store for Alex. We are in a really fun season of our lives and I love getting to spend so much time with him at work and at home. I hope that this year brings just as much excitement and adventure as the last. I love you Alex and I hope you have the best day!!

october + arkansas visit

Even though we are 20 days into October, I haven't had a spare second to post in 15 days. We have been busy but in a good way, not in a whiny, stressed out way. I think we've had something going on every night of the week this month and it doesn't look like there will be a change until after Christmas. I love this time of year and I love the hustle and bustle that seems to start, without fail, on October first.

Last weekend, we closed the office on Friday and drove south to Little Rock, Arkansas to see my Grandpa. It had been too long since I'd been down to visit, we were overdue for a visit. We loaded up the car at 3 am and arrived at 9 am, just in time for breakfast. After catching up and lunch, Alex and I headed down to the Arkansas River Trail. We'd read about it in the St. Louis Post Dispatch and it piqued our interest. We rode the 16 mile loop. It was a fun ride and good way to see parts of Little Rock that we wouldn't see otherwise.

Of course gnome came too  

After our ride, we spent the evening chatting, eating and playing domino's with Grandpa, Jean (his lady friend), and my parents.  Saturday, after my parents left at around two we were pretty lazy. We watched the Razorback's lose, napped, played cards and munched our way through the day/evening/night ;).

Me and my Grandpa

I've been chasing this cat since my Grandma and Grandpa brought him home nearly 17 years ago. 

Sadly his age is beginning to show and I finally caught him!

Sorry for the blurry nature of this phone picture, but it's just too good not to share

I am so glad we had the opportunity to visit my Grandpa. I think the world of him and I'm fairly certain he's the best Grandpa on Earth. We really enjoyed our trip and look forward to going back again sooner than later.

highlight

We occasionally teach the five year old class at church on Sunday mornings. Each week we start by asking the kids what the highlight (best part) of their week was. This week when it was my turn to share, I got to tell them that my sister had a baby! Not that there was judgement of who's highlight was brighter than anyone else's, but I'm pretty sure mine trumped the tooth fairy and eating pizza for lunch.

Does anyone else remember the commercial about the guy calling his parents to tell them they'd had a baby?
(click here if you don't, it'll refresh your memory) Wehadababyitsagirl! Becky and Jared welcomed Atley Jane into the world and their family (now of five!) Tuesday, September 30.

Wednesday morning Libby, Katie and I were very excited to drive up and meet miss Atley. We had a great day and I can easily confirm that I love Atley just as much as my 12 other nieces and nephews, but she's the littlest and doesn't squirm away from me, so for now she's my favorite ;)

Collier family of five (minus Max)

Me with three of my babies, now if I could only get a picture with all thirteen...

Ethan and I were trying to just get one good picture, it took us a few tries...

Katie wanted very little to do with this baby that was stealing her mother's attention...so just a picture of Libby and Atley. 

A side-by-side of Nora and Atley at the same age and in the same outfit too! Familial resemblance?

sprinkle

My sister Becky is expecting her third little one any day now and to celebrate, we put together a little sprinkle honoring her and the babe.

Libby and I decided that the most fitting theme for this sprinkle would obviously be sprinkles! I ordered seven pounds of sprinkles and went to town! I had a lot of fun planning and organizing, while Libby put together the a very fun baby shower themed game of Jeopardy. I hole punched confetti and we dipped virtually everything in chocolate and sprinkles! We joked that it was good that Becky had already taken her glucose tests.

It was a good weekend and a fun party. Nora was a little confused about why we were giving her mom a baby shower- there was no baby yet and no shower. But, she managed to eat cake, sprinkle covered pretzels and chocolate/sprinkle popcorn all out of a sprinkle dipped waffle cone bowl. 

Our incredibly talented Mama made the baby this sweet little quilt!

We filled the balloons with confetti to continue the sprinkle trend and mid party my 6 year old nephew, Josiah, was playing with a balloon when it popped and covered him in confetti. To say he was surprised would be an understatement. After the other kids saw this phenomenon, they too wanted to pop the balloons. After the party ended I took the kids and the balloons outside to let them go to town; my parents now have a very festive backyard.   

twenty five by twenty six

On Tuesday I will be 25 years old, it seems a little odd to me to say "twenty five". I've always thought that when you turn 25 you've got to have it all together and you have to be a real, mature adult-y adult. I'm living proof that that is just not the case. For Alex that number is 28. I'm sure I have matured and that I am somewhat adult-y, but I just don't quite feel like it... 

Anyway, this year I've compiled a list of 25 items/tasks that I would like to complete before I turn 26. I hope to chronicle my progress here so you can see how I'm doing. Without further ado, my twenty five:

1. Start a daily journal
2. Cook more often
3. Run another half marathon
4. Learn to knit or crochet
5. Go to Arkansas
6. Volunteer somewhere
7. Practice and become a better faux-tographer
8. Go to Kentucky
9. Host a dinner party
10. Celebrate Friendsgiving

11. Go to Oregon
12. Try sushi
13. Plant a lemon tree
14. Learn to hula hoop
15. Play sand volleyball
16. Learn to golf or at least play putt putt golf
17. Plant a real garden
18. Read 1 book per month (at least!)
19. Eat at a new restaurant

20. Go to Indiana
21. Finish our basement!
22. Ride on a tandem bicycle
23. Write and mail more letters
24. Redecorate a room in our house

25. Go to Tennessee

I don't know if I'll be able to accomplish everything, but I hope to cross at least most of them off! Wish me luck! 

friday's finds

Friday has finally arrived and I could not be more excited for this weekend to begin, we have some exciting plans and this weekend is the kickoff for my birthday week!! To start the weekend off right, I have a few video's I've stumbled across this week that I wanted to share. The first one, although it's "old", is my favorite... 

Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend! Which video was your favorite?