ONE DECADE

Today, I'm out with my Love celebrating the last decade of our lives.

It's unbelievable to me that we're here. A decade sounds like so long, and yet I feel like it was just last night that I saw him across the room, had my friend casually "run into" him and introduce us, and I was gone. The moment he smiled at me... I was gone. I knew immediately that I would be his wife (it would take him a bit longer to figure that out... but I've figured out that's just his way...), but I had no idea what being a wife, HIS wife, would involve at that moment.

Because when you're young and looking into a pair of dreamy blue eyes, you're blinded... and that's good. If you knew, in that moment, all the ways your heart would be stretched and pulled, and trampled on, and lifted up, and held and hurt... you'd run. And with good reason!

Marriage is good... and hard. There are times when I've thought I was actually going to bust because  I love him so much. There are times when I've felt like I could seriously hurt him. He has made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe. He's made me cry, too. He's held me; he's walked with me. He's amazing.

He is SO amazing.

He's my anchor. He keeps me from floating and he keeps me from sinking. I'm allowed to dream because he stays grounded.

I love him.

Good News, Glad Tidings.

"Good news from heaven the angels brings
glad tidings to the earth they bring
to us this day a child is given
to crown us with the joy of heaven

This is the Christ, our God and Lord
who in all need shall aid afford
he will himself our Savior be
and from our sins will set us free"

-This Is The Christ, Sandra McCracken

The words of this song make my heart ache and joyfully leap all in the same beat.
I'm humbled and I celebrate... and I sometimes have to catch my breath when I actually ponder the reality of this gift... "he will himself our Savior be and from our sins will set us free".

On The Menu: Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

3 Cups Flour

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Powder

2 Sticks of Butter, softened but firm

1 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

2 Teaspoons Almond Extract

Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl; cream together butter and sugar in a mixer on the low setting. Add egg and almond extract and mix until creamy. Add dry ingredients to the mix. 

Once dough forms, shape into a ball and refrigerate up to an hour. 

Once chilled, remove and cut out. Bake for 8-9 minutes (depending on your oven settings). 

I prefer chewy, cakey cookies so my cookies are pretty thick; for my perfect cookie, the key is to leave it in there just long enough to bake, but not quite to the point where it's beginning to brown.

Then I add icing (4 Cups Confectioner's Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Meringue Powder, 5 Tablespoons COLD water... some people prefer to use warm water, but I've personally always had it turn out better with cold.).

Then I almost pass out from the buttery, sugar goodness.

Have the loveliest of days!

The Daily DIY: Hanging Paper Lanterns

These Hanging Paper Lanterns are SUPER easy to make and are so pretty to look at.

Here's a short video tutorial to show just HOW easy.

music: "Oh Holiday" by Jules Larson

I used a translucent thread to hang these from our ceiling. You could also set these over mason jars with tea lights to create an actual lantern effect. I'm excited to incorporate these into the little ladies room decor... as they are much like me and enjoy having pretty things to look at all around them. 

Have a lovely, wonderful weekend!