chocolate cobbler

We had some friends over for dessert last night, so I tried out a new recipe!  =)  Who better to experiment on than friends, right? 
Thankfully, it was a hit!  And because it was such a big hit, I'm going to share it with you!

Chocolate Cobbler

First layer:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c white sugar
3 TB melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 TB cocoa

Second layer:
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c cocoa

Top:
1 1/2 cups hot, boiling water

Method:
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees
~Starting with the bottom layer, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Spread it as evenly as possible in a greased, glass 9X13 dish.
~Mix together the middle layer and evenly sprinkle over the first layer.
~Lastly, gently pour the hot water over the first two layers.

Bake for 40 minutes (mine took 35 minutes).  Server warm or cold, with or without ice cream.

**Notes**
~I added 1 TB of ground cinnamon and 1 tsp of chili powder for some depth and kick
~Instead of 1 cup flour, you could substitute 1 cup of self rising flour.  Just omit the baking powder and salt.

happy birthday Oma

Today is my mother's birthday (I won't post how old she is-she might not like that =) )

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OMA!  We love you!  We hope you have a great day filled with love and joy!

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" ~Psalm 118:24

pregnancy update

I'm officially 16 weeks!! =)  Yahoo!  Half way there!  I had my monthly doctor visit yesterday, and the doctor was pleased with how baby's doing.  Heart beat was in the 140's, and is on track growth wise.

In two weeks, we find out what baby #2 is!  Can't wait! 
There is a very noticeable baby bump now, which is super cute....I had every intention of taking monthly preggo bump pictures, but then I forgot.  Maybe one of these days I'll remember to take one and post it.

I'm still feeling fairly energetic most of the time, and definitely hungry too.  Like most days I feel like I could eat a horse =)  Trying to eat pretty healthy, and I always carry an apple or grapes around with me in my purse just in case.

We found some bedding for the nursery (it's baby jungle animals-super adorable), so later this week we're going to pick out paint for the room!  Jaden wants us to paint the room hot pink, because he says a baby sister would like a pink jungle.  (That got vetoed.)  We're looking at some on-line stores that sell wall decals for the walls (also baby jungle animals).  The nursery is coming together!

We've also officially decided on a name for each gender-we're just waiting to find out before we tell everybody =) 

Some random fun facts about this week in my pregnancy:
*The baby is as big as a sweet potatoe (Jaden thinks this is hilarious)
*the baby has started to grow toe nails
*baby most definitely moves, and Derek and Jaden can feel it on the outside of my belly now

the chronicles of narnia

I'm re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia series.  It had been quite a long time since I last read them!  I think that they are my most favorite series.  This time, I'm trying to pay more attention to biblical symbols.  I've never paid much attention to those details-but man, this series is chock full of them!  The first 3 books are all folded up and marked on now =)

A couple parts have been on my mind, and I wanted to write them down so I could remember them.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has a conversation between two of the children and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.  They are talking about Aslan, the great Lion who rules Narnia.
Lucy: Then he (Aslan) isn't safe?
Mr. Beaver:  Safe?  Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you?  Who said anything about safe?  'Course he isn't safe.  But he is good.  He's the King. 
I love this part!  It reminds me that God isn't always safe.  He doesn't call us to do the easy things.  He calls us to work, and sometimes it's way outside of our comfort zone.  But we can find courage in the truth that He is good!  He is the King, and He loves us and will take care of us.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has a very small paragraph near end of the book where the children are walking through this vast green valley (called The End of the World or Aslan's Land).  They come to a little fire and see that a Lamb is preparing food.
The Lamb tells them, "Come and have breakfast".
I never noticed it the few times I've read this book.  It's a story straight from one of my favorite scriptures.  John 21:12 says "Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.'  None of the disciples dared ask him "who are you?"  They knew it was the Lord. 
How awesome will it be to have the Lamb ask us to have breakfast?  To sit down and dine with Him.  To see Him face to face. 
I can't even imagine.  But it's going to be awesome.

Anyway, I need to get Jaden off to pre-school, but I hope these little thoughts bring you joy and dwell on your minds today =)  Have a good day!

the pumpkin patch

My family went to Jeter Farm this past weekend.  We forgot our camera (I know, I know....) so no pictures this year.
Derek calls this year the year of the small pumpkin because all that this particular pumpkin patch had was small pie pumpkins (which, incidentally were free with the price of admission).  They had bigger pumpkins, but we had to pay for those.  Jaden got a pumpkin, I got a pumpkin....and both Jaden and Derek insisted that we get a teeny tiny one for the new baby =)
This pumpkin patch had lots of fun activities-a corn maze, a tractor ride, a pumpkin train, slides and LOTS of hay bales for the kids to jump and climb over.
Overall, it was a fun day!  

altec family day 2012

While Annette, Gail and I  were off on our adventures in Liberty, Derek took Jaden to Altec Family Day for some daddy/Jaden time.  He got a balloon animal, a ride in a bucket truck, and got to play in a bounce house!

Jaden in the bucket

can you see him???

there he is, way up high!

snowflex

While my sister ran her half marathon, Annette's friend and I walked about Liberty's campus.  It was gorgeous!  We also visited their snowflex complex.  It's America's only artificial snow tub, ski and snow boarding place with out snow!  It looked super awesome.  I hope someday to be able to go back and play!

the artificial slope!

the tubing track

another angle on the slopes