Long time no post!

I have totally slacked on blogging this month! So much has been going on. Let's see.... where to start.

At the beginning of the month we discovered that my step father had to have a quintuple heart bypass surgery. That was definitely shocking and scary. Thank God, he came through it fine and is at home recovering now. Things like this force me to stop and realize life is truly short and precious. Tomorrow is never promised. I need to make some changes in my life and live with no regrets. That is for sure. Changes in progress.

Then, of course, life has been busy with the holidays. Shopping, wrapping, get togethers, decorating. So hectic but so worth it. I'm not sure if it's just my family (and I am thinking not) but get togethers can be so nerve wracking when not everyone is getting along. Makes for some interesting times. I start reflecting on relationships, around the holidays. Especially the ones that no longer exist. Past friendships etc. I'm not sure if that hurt ever diminishes. I hope it does. I'm just not certain though. There have been people in my life who I truly cared.. err care.. about but for one reason or another they are no longer a part of my life. I have a hard time letting go of those relationships for whatever reason. In the past 2 years I have lost 2 of my best friends. By lost, I do not mean they have died but they are just no longer in my life. Not necessarily by my choice. Quite honestly, I am not positive as to why, actually. Regardless, I know it's best for me to let go of those relationships but it's just never that easy (especially since some are family). I have to come to terms with the fact that I won't always have all of the answers and there will always be "whys" lingering and I just need to be ok with that. I have plenty of blessings in my life. I have some really amazing and I mean AMAZING friends and I am more than thankful for them. So time to let go of the past and move forward with no regrets.

Onto Christmas! Christmas was wonderful. I LOVE seeing the excitement in my children's faces on Christmas morning. It reminds me of being a child. Not being able to fall asleep on Christmas eve, listening for reindeer hooves and the next day LOOKING for reindeer prints on the roof, waking up at 6am to tear into our gifts. Oh the magical world of a child. I hope I am doing a good job at raising my own children with that much joy and excitement inside of them. I love when they rip open a present and their eyes light up and they yell out "LOOK AT WHAT SANTA BROUGHT".  I love how sometimes the box or the wrapping paper intrigues them even more than the gift itself. This was the first Christmas I was able to buy a DOLL! I bought Isla a little cabbage patch doll. I always loved mine when I was a little girl. That was fun shopping for little girl things and reminiscing.

I am going to share my favorite holiday treat recipe this year. It is layered peppermint fudge and I am pretty sure plenty of it has stuck with me, if ya know what I mean ;)

LAYERED PEPPERMINT FUDGE:
INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 2 cups (12 ounces) HERSHEY’®S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup vanilla or white chips
• 3 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 to 2 drops green food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; grease the foil with butter and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and 1 cup milk over low heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla; stir for 3-4 minutes or until creamy. Spread half of the mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm. Set remaining chocolate mixture aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt vanilla chips and remaining milk over low heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until smooth (mixture will be thick). Remove from the heat. Add peppermint extract and food coloring; stir for 3-4 minutes or until creamy. Spread evenly over chocolate layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm

• Heat reserved chocolate mixture over low heat until mixture achieves spreading consistency; spread over mint layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight or until firm
• Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in the refrigerator.

I am sorry but I do not have a picture of this recipe. Must've eaten it before I thought to take one lol I promise it is yummy though!


Here are some pictures of our Christmas. Enjoy!

Look at those sweet face and tell me I am not blessed! I am more than happy with my life. God is good :)

Letting go

I am feeling really sentimental and mushy tonight. Maybe it's the holiday season. Maybe it's still those evil post baby hormones or maybe I actually do have a heart!

Very few people in my life have come to see Isla since she was born 3 months ago. That makes me a bit sad. The people who have made time to come see my sweet little girl, I really do appreciate. Every new mom wants the people she cares about to meet her new baby! I promise we don't have germs... well actually this week we do, all of the kids are sick. Under normal circumstances though... we don't!

Lately I had been dwelling on some people and situations in my life. Negative people and situations. Things I should not give any thought to or let into my life. It's pretty hard to just ignore when it is family and people you thought were great friends. Best friends, even. Sometimes growing up really sucks. Realizing who people truly are can be a real let down. 

I realized (something I already KNOW but just really realized) that I need to only focus on the positives in my life. Positive people, positive relationships, all of the things that I am so blessed to have in my life. Those other things are just draining and not worth my energy. I should pour my energy into those who I love and who love me back. I AM very blessed in life. I have some very wonderful people in my life. I have some amazing friends. I have wonderful children and a great husband, too.

So I think my new years resolution this year will be to LET GO. Let go of the negative situations. Let go of the negative people and energy. Let go of expecting perfection.  Let go and Let God. Yep, that's my resolution. I am sure it will take some encouraging sometimes but I am confident that the great people in my life will keep me on track. 

Speaking of my blessings....

The other night I was SO tired. Isla wouldn't fall back asleep. All I could think was "PLEEEAAASSEEE go to sleep, I AM TIRED and have to get up in a few hours." I  laid there cuddling with her, hoping for some rest soon. Before I realized it, she was asleep. Then I got so caught up in looking at her that I was laying there awake. When just moments before, I was begging for sleep. She is asleep and there I was awake and  looking at her tiny little nose, and beautiful eyelashes, perfect little baby mouth and soft chubby cheeks. I am in awe of the beauty God creates in these tiny little bodies. Sometimes I can't believe how incredibly blessed I am with these wonderful little people I was given the opportunity to help mold and watch grow. 

So this post didn't contain any yummy recipes, sorry! I just had some thoughts I wanted to get out of my non stop brain. 

Goodnight friends