Luckily, he doesn’t mind a camera in his face all the time.

It’s what I have to work with, ok? ;)

Isn’t it pretty?? Chris’s dad surprised me by growing a basil plant for me when mine failed to grow. I have no idea what I did to it, since I have done the same thing for this one, and it seems to be doing just fine! I water it every 3 days and it sits by a window that gets a lot of sunlight…

I really hope this one survives! I love it and often pinch off a few (or a huge handful) of the leaves to eat with a salad, sandwich, pizza margherita, etc.

PLUS… I have found that it has “DNA Protection Plus Anti-Bacterial Properties” and “Anti-Inflammatory Effects” and “Nutrients Essential for Cardiovascular Health” - http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname…

It’s good and good for ya! …I think my mom used to say that? :)

I knew Murphy was going to enjoy having a backyard to lounge in for the weekend, but I think he enjoyed himself a little too much. He dug 4 pretty good-sized holes in my parent’s yard.  It was a cool day, so I know he wasn’t hot out there… And it had just rained so of course he was a muddy mess afterward.

I scolded him when I walked outside and he gave me that look.  Is that a guilty face or what?

I don’t think he learned his lesson; he watched me fill in the mud pits and an hour later, he had dug them all up again. I’m not sure he’s very smart ;)

I guess this is what we have to look forward to, when we finally get a house… A backyard full of holes.

One day I WILL have a macro lens.

“The Twelve Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned So Far”

By: Tony Schwartz

1. The more we know about ourselves, the more power we have to behave better. Humility is underrated. We each have an infinite capacity for self-deception — countless unconscious ways we protect ourselves from pain, uncertainty, and responsibility — often at the expense of others and of ourselves. Endless introspection can turn into self-indulgence, but deepening self-awareness is essential to freeing ourselves from our reactive, habitual behaviors.

2. Notice the good. We each carry an evolutionary predisposition to dwell on what’s wrong in our lives. The antidote is to deliberately take time out each day to notice what’s going right, and to feel grateful for what you’ve got. It’s probably a lot.

3. Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow.

4. Never seek your value at the expense of someone else’s. When we’re feeling devalued, our reactive instinct is to do anything to restore what we’ve lost. Devaluing the person who made you feel bad will only prompt more of the same in return.

5. Do the most important thing first in the morning and you’ll never have an unproductive day. Most of us have the highest energy early in the day, and the fewest distractions. By focusing for a designated period of time, without interruption, on the highest value task for no more than 90 minutes, it’s possible to get an extraordinary amount of work accomplished in a short time.

6. It’s possible to be excellent at anything, but nothing valuable comes easy and discomfort is part of growth. Getting better at something depends far less on inborn talent than it does the willingness to practice the activity over and over, and to seek out regular feedback, the more precise the better.

7. The more behaviors you intentionally make automatic in your life, the more you’ll get done. If you have to think about doing something each time you do it, you probably won’t do it for very long. The trick is to get more things done using less energy and conscious self-control. How often do you forget to brush your teeth?

8. Slow down. Speed is the enemy of nearly everything in life that really matters. It’s addictive and it undermines quality, compassion, depth, creativity, appreciation and real relationship.

9. The feeling of having enough is magical. It rarely depends on how much you’ve got. More is rarely better. Too much of anything eventually becomes toxic.

10. Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, and don’t expect anything in return. Your values are one of the only possessions you have that no one can take away from you. Doing the right thing may not always get you what you think you want in the moment, but it will almost always leave you feeling better about yourself in the long run. When in doubt, default to calm and kind.

11. Add more value in the world than you’re using up. We spend down the earth’s resources every day. Life’s primary challenge is to put more back into the world than we take out.

12. Savor every moment — even the difficult ones. It all goes so fast.

*This article by Tony Schwartz is really well written in my opinion. I underlined the parts that I felt spoke to me personally. What a great reminder!

Tony Schwartz is the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything. Become a fan of The Energy Project on Facebook and connect with Tony at Twitter.com/TonySchwartz and Twitter.com/Energy_Project.

Direct link to article: http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz

That is my breakfast. A spinach smoothie.

Looks gross, right? I know. It looks terrible.

But I actually really enjoy this spinach smoothie, and I have it quite often.  I’ve been seeing it online a lot lately. People make it many different ways, and call it different names: Green Drink, Green Monster, Super Spinach Smoothie, Green Smoothie. Whatever, I just call it a spinach smoothie.  Here’s how I like it:

Blend water or soy milk or almond milk or regular milk or rice milk (just some kind of MILK) with chocolate, yes chocolate, whey protein powder.  I like the Jay Robb brand.  Low sugar, low calorie, all natural (or so it says.)

Then add several large handfuls of spinach and blend really, really well. After that I add any fruit I feel like (preferably frozen), and ground flax seed.  Again, blend well. Chunks are unacceptable.

If you don’t use frozen fruit, add enough ice to make it very cold and smoothie-like. It is better that way, trust me. Sometimes I add spinach and/or kale into my smoothie to mix it up.

Pour it into a large glass and grab a straw.  Don’t be scared, just drink it and think of how good it is for you!!! I mean really, how often do you have vegetables for breakfast?

And look what I discovered.  Starbucks has these fresh boxed lunches in their refrigerated section.  I liked it a lot and think its a pretty good way to switch up the regular old sandwich or salad I normally have at lunch.  I could just boil an egg, cut some fruit and make my own lunch, but hey, it’s easier this way ;)

He lives a rough life, let me tell ya.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” Psalm 19:1

The beauty in nature never ceases to amaze me.  I try to make an effort to catch the small details we often pass up in our busy, everyday lives, and just think to myself… God made that! He is such an incredible artist.

Why is Funfetti so… well, FUN?? Maybe because it makes me feel like a kid again, I dont know.  But I love it, and you will too if you try this recipe: kevinandamanda.com

Her photos are gorgeous by the way! And she used Sweetapolita’s vanilla cake recipe for this, another blog I visit often.  Go check her out too: sweetapolita.com

My Easter holiday was so great… I feel so blessed that I was able to spend my weekend with my family, and enjoy some quality time with them :)

I got to dye eggs with Kyleigh & Jake after church, make yummy food (like Peter Rabbit pizza: recipe below), and bird’s nest cupcakes (found the idea on Pinterest: chow mein noodles are tossed with vanilla candy coating to get the “sticks” for the nest), go to a painting class with my sis and Kim, and rush back to Dallas to go to a Ranger game with Chris!

It was so much fun and just what I needed. Thank you Lord for all of the wonderful blessings You have given me!

“He is not here, for He is risen, just as He said” Matthew 28:6

Peter Rabbit Pizza (adapted from several recipes found online)

• 2 tubes refrigerated Pillsbury crescent roll dough
• 1 pkg softened cream cheese
• 3/4 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packet
• about 2-3 cups raw veggies of your choice, finely chopped (I used carrots, broccoli and red bell pepper)
• optional: finely shredded cheddar cheese

Flatten the crescent roll dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Meanwhile, mix your cream cheese and ranch seasoning together well. Now finely chop all of your veggies and place in a bowl. Once your “pizza crust” is out of the oven, let it cool a few minutes and then spread on the cream cheese mixture.  Top with veggies (and cheese if you want.) Use a pizza cutter to cut it into small squares and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

That’s it! It is so good.