little moments

if you follow me on instagram, 

you'll know that i've been using the hashtag #almostfloridagram over the past couple of days

in order to document the moments leading up to our family vacation in florida

there's a small (ok, maybe not so small) part of me 

that is super sad that i take most of my pictures are on my phone these days, 

because with two toddlers, my "fancy" camera just doesn't come out as often as i'd like it to

on the other hand, 

i'm so thankful for my phone's picture-taking capabilities

because fancy or not, i've forever captured these moments that are so dear to me

like the fact that my girlies LOVE banana / plantain chips right now, 

(so we packed some for a travel snack)

the flip-flops they picked out all by themselves just for our trip,

a snippet from our last breakfast at home - a sweet, surprisingly calm time with my girlies

the last BC sunset before we took off:

it stopped me for a minute in the middle of the packing chaos

and reminded me to reflect on and be thankful for the beautiful place we get to call home, 

the chaos, our family that we get to go visit and the beach house we get to enjoy with said family

the good coffee i shared with my love as we kicked off our 17+ hour trek,

my girlies, being their goofy selves during our layover in Charlotte

these are the moments, the everyday, "boring" moments, that i want to remember
they are the reason i take photos
fancy camera or otherwise,
so that one day, i can look back at my photos and relive details of my life
and enjoy the big picture as well as the little moments that helped build it.

p.s. i've already started posting pictures of our time here in florida (#floridagram2014) 
if i have time, i'll try and share some of those on here, 
but if you want to make sure you see 'em,
hop on over and follow me on instagram!

one of those nights...

you know those moments in life,
when you stop, look around and think, 

"i want to remember this" ?

sometimes they're big, defining moments:

proposals, job offers, births

aaaaand sometimes they're not-so-"big", but equally special moments

friday night was a bunch of the latter strung together for me

after a particularly challenging day with the kiddos

daniel came home and suggested we try out the girlies' new wagon

(that our awesome neighbor gifted to us the night before - thanks, neighbor!)

let me just stop and say, this man knows my heart well

he knows that getting me outside and moving is a sure-fire way to lift my spirits

even when i'm being a big grump-face

and i'm standing there with my hair all up in a crazy, frizzy bun (the size of my HEAD), 

still in my jams from the night before, 

drowning in piles of laundry that i've sworn to conquer before the day's end

and so we laced up our runners 

loaded the kids into their wagon

and headed out in search of adventure

we let the kids pick which direction we should head

and wound our way through neighborhoods we've never seen before
until we eventually found ourselves at a grocery store

where we picked up dinner and began the journey home

but then we thought:

why not sit down right where we were,

on a random grassy patch on the side of the road

and have an impromptu picnic?

the girlies were thrilled about the idea

so we handed out food, sat back and enjoyed the dinner in the great outdoors

(i realize roadside meals are hardly "the great outdoors" compared to say, camping,
but  you gotta take what you can get, right?  right.)

the sun began to set and cast a stunning glow on everything in sight

the girlies showed off to any and all passerbys

and we filled the air with laughter and conversation 

we continued chatting away on our way home after we ate
the wind picked up
we threw our outer layers on the kids to keep 'em warm
and settled for t-shirts and goosebumps on our own arms

the girlies got into the chocolate bar I had picked up for dessert,

we laughed about it and didn't bother wiping off their newly acquired chocolate beards

i looked over to daniel and said,

"thank you. this was such a great idea. 

and i love the light at this time of day, 

it makes everything that much more beautiful, even the traffic!"

p.s. all of these photos were snapped on my phone - how awesome is technology sometimes?!

struggles + leaning on the everlasting arms

hi friends, 

i've been meaning to put together a blog post for a while now

about the reason i can be a bit distant sometimes

about the things that have been weighing down on my heart

about tears that have silently crept down my face

and long nights spent thinking instead of sleeping

it all sounds very dramatic, but it's mostly just everyday things 

that i have allowed to creep in and steal my joy:

parenting struggles, insecurities, dealing with change, hearing of others' deep and painful loss, stress...

i've struggled to practically trust in the lord lately

(i know it in my head, but sometimes my heart needs are reminder...)

and my heart can seem so ultra-tender at times - it just aches as things add up

then my head steps in and tells my heart to toughen up, 

but all that means is that i wait till i'm behind closed doors to mull over it

and, hopefully, to bring it to Jesus

which is exactly what i finally made a point to do last week

and boy am i glad that i did

what a relief it was to have my burden's lifted

and to be reminded that no matter what happens, good or bad,

He is in control, and i can trust in Him and in His goodness 

even (or rather especially) when my heart is heavy with fear, anxiety and grief

i was also reminded that in those specific times i should cling more than ever to His word

so that, through grace, His power will be made perfect in my weakness, 

so, how do i practically do this?

well, for starters, i follow a great daily Bible reading plan
there are tons of good ones out there - some with more reading, some with less
if this one is too much reading for you on a day-to-day basis,
 i encourage you to find a plan that works for you
there are so many different options out there!
(feel free to get in touch with me if you need some direction in finding one)

i also like to have reminders of God's word tucked here and there:
for example, i often scribble encouraging verses onto scrap paper
and scatter them around the house, to find later
(journals, on my bedside table, my workspace etc ...i even have a couple in my wallet!)
sometimes, i'll write them up all pretty and stick 'em to the fridge or on my to-do list,
since i know i'll be looking at those two places often

another tool i've been using (and loving!) is my 50 Promises flashcards,
which are 50 verses printed in pretty fonts with colorful backgrounds
that i just keep propped up in the kitchen (since that's always been the "hub" of our house)
they're a nice little addition to our "decor"
plus they constantly remind me of truth and encourage my heart
here are a couple that i've "cashed in" lately:

     Matthew 6:30                                                          Philippians 4:19

(oh and there's one in this post too!)

it is such a blessing to renew my mind when life starts to feel overwhelming!

anyway, i hope this post leaves you feeling encouraged

feel free to chime in and share how you work scripture into your everyday life.

a decade of Dangy

8 dinners at the olive garden

carpooling to school and back in a little red civic

long summer days, bonfires, late night beach walks

extreme croquet, extreme bocci (slap "extreme" infront of anything and it instantly becomes more fun)

working side-by-side on campus

tackling classes like statistics together (ugh)

tears...lots of tears (i cry when i'm happy and when i'm sad!)

a late night out on a rugby field, watching planes take off through corridors of stars shining bright 

coffee dates, dinner dates, anytime dates

road trips, camping, kayaking, hiking, picnicing, garage-saleing

rugby games, basketball games, volleyball games, 

talking you into dressing up as a bunch of grapes for halloween

a beautiful engagement, wedding planning, 

learning how to love each other

ikea dates, naps in parking lots

honeymooning, our first place together, bumps in the road

walking with Jesus together, forgiveness

fresh flowers, saturday morning baking, football games, anniversaries, 

finding a barn in the middle of nowhere that sells the BEST ice cream and pies, B&Bs

new jobs, new place, new cars, new friends

long walks, "growing up", making decisions

babies...twins!

loooooong nights, compromise, sacrifice

love that is deeper, messier and more fun than i ever expected

what on earth do all these things have to do with each other?

they are a snapshot;

a handful of memories from the last ten years spent in with Daniel 

happy aniversary, you old fart - here's to ten more!

st patrick's day green x2

yesterday was st. patrick's day

which has always seemed to be an interesting 'holiday' to me

some people seem to go all out - green hair, green clothes, big green themed party...

and others...not so much

my family never really celebrated it growing up

in fact, i remember going to school those first couple years after moving to the states

and thinking what a coincidence it was that nearly every once in my class wore green on the same day 

what are the odds? i would think to myself

and why are these green-clad classmates of mine pinching those of us who didn't get the memo?

i eventually figured out what was going on

and started wearing something green on the day, just for fun

but that's about as much as i participate...and my family thinks i'm strange for even doing that!

ironically, i had a green smoothie for breakfast today

and thought to myself: 

darn - shoulda thought of this yesterday, then i could have put a st. patty's day post on the blog!

but then i figured, why not share it a day late - it's what all the cool kids are doing, right?

...ok, maybe not, but it's what i'm doing

i should note that i was feeling pretty lazy when i made this

which means this recipe is as simple as it gets:

3 ingredients, 1 step - easy, peasy

lazy day hemp protein green smoothie

ingredients:

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup mighty mango naked juice

(maybe this is cheating, but it was in my fridge so i used it!)

- 1 big fistful of organic baby spinach

- 2 tbsp raw shelled hemp seeds

(you could probably bump this up to 3 if you want, i only did 2 because i had some coconut coffee already and i figured the fat from that would fill me up a little bit)

directions:

- blend ingredients together and pour into a glass

oh, and if you want to see even more green, 

check out this picture from a recent newborn session i did with my sweet niece:

(more images here, if you're interested)

early mornings deserve good coffee

being a mom means lots of early mornings

which, in turn, means more coffee than i had in my pre-baby life

don't get me wrong, i've always loved a good cup o' joe

usually black

sometimes with a splash of cream or whole milk

but with so many more cups of coffee in my day-to-day now,

 i have that many more opportunities to try something new with my coffee

i've had mochas, lattes, macchiatos, flat out espresso...and the list goes on

i'm a creature of habit though, so most of the time it's still just black

that first cup of the day is definitely the most important, though

and my current favorite way to drink it is with coconut oil

weird, right?

i thought so when i first read about it

but after mulling it over for a while, i came up with a couple reasons to give it a shot:

1) it would start my day off with healthy fats

(which sends your brain happy, satisfied vibes and helps ward off sugar cravings)

2) i would get to enjoy the flavor of coconut in my coffee, 

without the addition of an unhealthy sugar-based syrup

3) it would help stabilize my wacko blood sugars (this was especially important since sometimes breakfast has to wait till the girlies are fed...and i am prone to getting hangry)

4) sort of related to the first benefit, but i wanted to incorporate more good fats in my diet, since it reduces inflammation in the body, helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients and does wonders for your hair and skin...among other benefits (i'm speaking from experience here!)

and if those reasons aren't enough to convince you to try it, this last one has to:

5) if i didn't like it, i could just pour my coffee down the drain and make a fresh cup

so, what are you waiting for?  go give it a try!

 ingredients:

- hot, freshly brewed coffee (enough for 1 cup)

- 1 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil 

special equipment:  
a milk frother 
OR 
a magic bullet / comparable single serve blender 

directions (frother method):

- pour coffee in your mug so that it is 1/3 - 1/2 full

- add coconut oil

- use frother to blend oil and coffee until it reaches a latte-like color and consistency*

- top with remaining coffee

- enjoy!

*this step helps avoid coffee and oil splatter everywhere...trust me, i speak from experience!

***

directions (magic bullet / single serve blender method):

- dump all ingredients into your blender

- blend until it reaches a latte-like color and consistency

- enjoy!

one thing i should note is that if you take too long to drink your coffee you might have to re-blend
just because after some time, the oil can separate from the liquid and form a layer on the top
which, as you can imagine, is not exactly appetizing
most people drink their coffee faster than it takes for the oil to separate
but i thought it was worth pointing out just in case!  :)

a pinch of weekending, a dash of parenting, a heap of grace and a grain-free pizookie!

hi friends!

how was your weekend?

my big event was hosting a "welcome baby!" party for my two week old niece on saturday

which meant a quick coffee with friends then a bunch of errand running on friday

followed by some great napping (on the girls' part anyway)

we kicked off saturday pretty early by bundling everybody up and heading to the beach

on a cold, windy, snow-in-the-forcast morning

because i'm crazy and my family loves me enough to play along

well, that and i had to pick up some macaroons for the party later that day 

(which were amazing, by the way!

if you're local, you have to pop by Spiritual Ingredients Bakery on East Beach and give 'em a try!) 

sadly, i was too busy playing hostess to get any pictures of said macaroons

or anything at the party, actually

but i did snap this shot from our beach outing:

there's so much i love about this picture, my heart is filled everytime i look at it

my best friend + my girlies + the ocean + early mornings = the stuff my dreams are made of!

i love that they were willing to come along and turn an errand into a family adventure

and i love having moments like this to flip back to on my phone

(technology these days can be such a blessing sometimes, can i get an amen?)

especially on the not-so-splendid days...like sunday

sunday actually wasn't all-bad, 

it was just heavy on the parenting-two-year-olds-is-exhausting/frustrating/sanctifying scale!

i'm learning that i'm much less patient than i thought i was

but i'm working on that

because grouchy mama isn't someone i like to be

and i'm pretty sure it isn't someone the girlies want me to be either

sometime in the afternoon i looked up from whatever i was doing at the kitchen sink,

saw one of my 50 promises and decided it was time to choose a better attitude

because seeking righteousness doesn't always come easy, but the reward is totally worth it

i know that in my head, but sometimes my heart forgets

later that night we had family over for a games / dessert night which was super fun

i tried my hand at a grain-free pizookie for us to enjoy

there was hot coffee for the girls and fancy beer for the boys

all of which was wonderful

but long after the coffee had grown cold, the pizookie was reduced to crumbs

and the game had been played (twice!)

 came my favorite part of the night:

we sat there, chatting away, 

sharing funny stories and insights,

learning about each other - our struggles, our loves, our plans...

i soaked up every minute of building community and deepening relationships,

beaming on the inside and thinking myself

"this here is evidence of grace, and i am so thankful for it."

so there you have it - my weekend in a bit more than a nutshell...

oh, and before i sign off, here's that pizookie recipe

this was the original recipe, below is my tweaked version! 

Paleo[ish] Pizookie

(grain free, dairy free and honey sweetened)

Ingredients:
1 cup almond meal / flour
2/3 cup cashew meal / flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips1 egg, at room temperature
(my free-range, local eggs tend to be bigger than "regular" eggs. if you're using the latter, use a jumbo or extra large.  also, the easiest way to bring an egg to room temp is to stick it in a bowl or cup of room temp water for 10 minutes or so)
1/3 cup organic honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:
- melt your coconut oil in a small pan on medium heat then remove set aside once it's melted


- meanwhile, combine your dry ingredients (almond meal through to sea salt) in a large bowl and mix using a fork


- stir in chocolate chips


- in a separate, smaller bowl, beat your egg then add the rest of the wet ingredients (honey, coconut oil, vanilla)
note: make sure the coconut oil is not hot enough to start cooking your egg! 


- add the wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir until just combined


- chill dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes


- once you're ready to bake the pizookie, preheat your oven to 350* F and turn the dough out into a greased 12" cast iron pan (i used bacon grease!).  

- press the dough into the pan evenly (it's totally normal for your dough to be quite a bit  thicker than typical cookie dough), give it a good sprinkle of sea salt then pop it into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and your pizookie is a nice golden brown.  


cut like you would a pizza and enjoy...but watch out for those hot chocolate chips!