Song: Beautiful Things by Gungor
A few weeks ago as I was driving back from an event with my family when I heard this song for the first time (or at least really paid attention to it) and it hit home. It is God alone who transforms us into something beautiful. We all enjoy beautiful things around us from flowers, people, art, music, and so much more.
He can take my brokenness, failures, struggles, and transform them into something beautiful. He can use those pieces of my life and allow me to make an impact on the lives of others. With His help we CAN change and become something that is truly beautiful from the inside out.
God can take something as simple as dirt and turn it into something wonderfully beautiful. Isn’t it encouraging to know that he can make us beautiful! I really enjoy this song and especially love the simple reminder of the transformation that takes place in our hearts and lives when Christ is in the center.
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at allAll this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at allYou make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of usAll around,
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in YouYou make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of usYou make me new, You are making me new
Travel & Vacation: Cozy Cow Dairy (Windsor, CO)
Cozy Cow Dairy
On one of our trips to Colorado my cousin Renelle introduced us to Cozy Cow Dairy in Windsor, CO. It was a hot summer day and we were heading back to her house when we made a slight detour to the Cozy Cow Dairy. The girls LOVED it! Not only did they have amazing fresh chocolate milk, ice cream, cheeses, and more they had a farm animal petting zoo.
Before even going into the store we had to go by and say “hi” to each of the farm animals. They had some precious little ones so they girls thought it was so neat. After petting the animals and washing our hands we enjoyed some fresh chocolate milk and ice cream. It was DELICIOUS!!! It hit the spot on the hot summer day too. After our special treat we headed back outside to pet the farm animals once more before heading back to Renelle’s house. If you are in the Windsor area this is a great place to spot, cool down, and get a treat. The kids will probably enjoy the farm animals too!
Cozy Cow Dairy – “In the moo’d for something good?”
Black and white baby goat
Baby brown calf – he was so soft and small to touch
The girls loved this one. They said it looked like it had a crazy hear day, but it was as soft as a teddy bear!
Fresh milk, ice cream, cheeses, and more at Cozy Cow Dairy!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family, ways we relax, and tips on how to make trips more enjoyable. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Recipes: Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Tops
Jake made stuffed Portobello Mushroom tops as a side dish and they were delicious! These are bite size and tasty. Some of them are topped with cheese. Both of the ones with and without cheese were very good!
Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Tops
These are bite size and tasty. Some of them are topped with cheese. Both of the ones with and without cheese were very good!Servings: 4Ingredients
- 12 oz Fresh Portobello Mushrooms
- 1/4 cup Hummus
- 1 tbsp Bacon Pieces
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking dish. Rinse the mushrooms and remove the stems. Cut up the stems into small pieces.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the mushroom stems and sauté for about 3 minutes. Cool the mushrooms.
- Once the mushrooms are cool mix them with the hummus and bacon. Scoop the mixture into the center of the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in the baking dish and cook for 15 minutes. Add shredded Cheese on top (optional) and bake for additional 5 minutes.
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms topped with cheese!
Guard Well Within Yourself…
Flashback Friday: 1st Trip to the Pumpkin Patch
So proud of their pumpkin!
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back 10 years when the girls went to their first pumpkin patch. They were so excited to check out the pumpkins. They didn’t like the feel of the prickly hay and grass on their feet, but were fascinated by the pumpkin and it’s stem.
Investigating the pumpkin
It was like a cool new toy to Brina and Karlie
Jake and his sweet girls Karlie and Brina
Karlie and Brina hanging out with Daddy at the pumpkin patch
Our 1st pumpkin patch adventure as a family of four.
Song: Waiting for Tomorrow by Mandisa
Have you ever procrastinated? Sometimes we can put off things we need to do for days, weeks, months, and even years. Take time to evaluate what you need to do and start making steps towards getting that done today. God wants us to live our lives with purpose. Are we making a positive impact on the people around us? Let’s not waste any more time!
Maybe tomorrow I’ll start over
Maybe tomorrow I will finally change my ways
Said the same thing yesterday
Don’t know why I’m so afraid
To let you in
To let you win
To let you have all of meI can’t live my whole life wastin’
All the grace that I know you’ve given
‘Cause you’ve made me for so much more than
Sittin’ on the side lines
I don’t wanna look back and wonder
If good enough could’ve been betterEvery day’s a day that’s borrowed
So, why am I waiting for tomorrow?
Why am I waiting for tomorrow?Travel & Vacation: Animals at the Denver Zoo (Denver, CO)
Elephant on the move
Our kids love animals. On one of our trips to Colorado we had an opportunity to go to the Denver Zoo with extended family. The kids had a blast. It was neat seeing all the different animals, going to show, learning about the zoo animals, activities, and so much more. Thankful for a chance to go to the Denver Zoo with the kids.
If your family enjoys Zoo’s and you are in the Denver, Coloardo area you should check this one out. They have a lot of animals to see. The shows and activities are fun and very educational for the kids.
Hanging around and watching all the people walking by
Decided to make a move and head the other direction
Two of them moving along the rope now
Rhino munching on its hay.
We watched the penguin demonstration. They were happy to get treats!
Found something tasty to eat1
Elephant Show, this elephant was only a few feet in front of us. I was just hoping it wasn’t going to spray us. If you are at the Denver Zoo I highly recommend the elephant show, it was really neat. Kids and adults really enjoyed it!
Getting ready for the next act!
Getting ready to bow for the audience!
Didn’t want to look at us.
What animal is this!?
If you guess “camel” in the picture above you are correct. Never saw a camel lay down like that before.
This camel is either all stretched out or doing it’s yoga for the day!
Pretty giraffe’s hanging out together in the shade.
Sea lions swimming around!
Beautiful white arctic fox hiding in the log
Capybara still wet from his swim
Big snake….no a big fan of snakes so thankful when they are behind glass.
Gorgeous zebras enjoying some treats!
The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family, ways we relax, and tips on how to make trips more enjoyable. Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away. Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories. It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine. Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn. You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!
Recipes: Beef, Broccoli, and Bok Choy
A main dish with beef and two green vegetables – broccoli and bok choy. This dish is inspired from my Mom’s Beef & Broccoli recipe a few years ago. We took her Beef and Broccoli recipe, adding more ingredients, and removed other ones. The main dish includes both your meat and vegetables, yet the kids love it! You can choose whatever meat you want to use with this recipe and whatever amount of broccoli. We like this nice blend of meat and broccoli with a touch of bok choy for this recipe.
Beef, Broccoli, and Bok Choy
A main dish with beef and two green vegetables – broccoli and bok choy. This dish is inspired from my Mom’s Beef & Broccoli recipe a few years ago. The main dish includes both your meat and vegetables, yet the kids love it!Servings: 4 peopleEquipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Beef Steak Round, Sirloin, or Flank Steak work well
- 1 head Fresh Broccoli
- 1 head Fresh Bok Choy Small
- 2 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 clove Garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 1/2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 dash Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Cut broccoli and bok choy into 1 inch pieces set aside. Slice the beef along the grain into 1/2 inch wide strips. In bowl mix beef, soy sauce and garlic. Let marinate 10 minutes. Mix together corn starch, ground ginger, dash of red pepper, and beef broth.
- When wok is hot add 1 tablespoon of oil, add half of the meat mixture. Stir fry until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes). Repeat with second half of meat and 1 more tablespoon of oil.
- Stir in the broccoli for about 1 minute. Add water cover and cook about 3 minutes.
- Add cooking sauce to meat and stir until the sauce has thickened. Add the bok choy and cook for about another minute or until it starts to wilt.
You can add in all kinds of other ingredients like onions, mushrooms, spinach, and more to your main dish.
Hot and ready to be eaten for dinner!
The Tallest Oak…
Flashback Friday: Celebrating & Fun with Family
Brina trying to steal a piece of Rachel’s birthday cake!
Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to September 2005 when the girls were eight months old. We celebrated my brother Lee’s birthday with several of our cousins who were still going to college in town. The girls learned how hold their bottles on their own. They loved being silly and playing together. They could easily make each other laugh.
Brina hanging out with cousins Rachel, Alecia, and Jordan.
Playing a game….fun times!
Daddy gave Karlie a bite of Uncle Lee’s birthday cake. He let her lick off one of the candles.
Ummm….Karlie….I think you might have some frosting on your nose.
They think they are so funny…silly girls playing around before drinking their bottles – Brina & Karlie
Brina happy and playing on the floor
Karlie smiling at all the fun toys around her
Two babies in a bucket, they were ok with this until Jake spun them around. Then both Brina and Karlie didn’t like it.
Brina in the Johnny Jump Up with her feet on Karlie’s walker tray. They thought they were so funny in this position!
Karlie you have a bulls eye target stuck to your nose. She didn’t care.
Brina laughing and making some noise.
Silly Brina it’s time to get dressed not time for playing!
This was a big moment for them. They officially can hold their own bottles. It was an exciting and sad day for Mommy. I was glad they could do it and it saved me a lot of extra time, but I did miss some of the morning snuggles with them. I was able to squeeze in plenty throughout the day though.
Daddy and Karlie reading a book together. Karlie LOVED reading books!
Brina was thrilled to find the blue ball and that she could pick it up and throw it by herself.
