I Can't Get Enough...

I can't get enough of my sweet JJ's big, beautiful brown eyes...


I can't get enough of his long, gorgeous lashes...


I can't get enough of his cute little nose...


I can't get enough of his curly brown hair...


I can't get enough of his sparkly smile...


I can't get enough of his perfect baby-soft skin...


I just CAN'T get enough.

I Heart Faces: LAUGHTER

The theme this week is LAUGHTER. So fun! I'm sure there will be a lot of great pictures submitted. So, stop by the I Heart Faces website and check out all of the LAUGHTER pictures! Here's mine...



Kids: Laughter - this is a picture of JJ in one of his favorite places - the bathtub! I love his beautiful smile and his little laugh.


Adults: Laughter - this is a picture of me 6 1/2 months pregnant. I was laughing at how big my belly had gotten and hubby caught the moment on camera.

Show Us Where You Live Friday: Living Room

Kelly's Korner, one of the blogs that I read daily, has started Show Us Where You Live Friday. Last Friday was kitchens and today is living room/family/den. Here are pictures from my living room and kitchen. I didn't get to submit my kitchen last week so I thought I'd add it to today's. Enjoy a tour of our tiny, but cute, home!




This is our entry way. The walls were white, the door was green, and the floors were carpeted when we moved in. As you can see, we've made a lot of changes. We also replaced all of the lighting in the house.


We have this hanging on the wall next to the door in the entry. They are letters we used as part of our wedding decorations.


Here is the complete view of our living room from the entry way.


This, obviously, is our fireplace. I love, love, love our fireplace! It is the one thing I will miss whenever we decide to move. It was nasty red brick when we moved in and, thanks to my parents, we were able to give it a nice, updated look!


This is the table we have sitting on the back wall of our living room.


These are 3 of my favorite pictures. The one on the left was taken a few weeks before JJ was born and the other 2 were taken 12 days after he was born. I know the pictures are a little too high. I've been looking for something to go underneath them but haven't found what I want yet.


This is the glider that I spent most of my time in for the better part of JJ's first year of life! I still spend a decent amount of time in it. It was a baby shower gift from my parents. Thank you, Mom and Dad!


Here is the full view of our kitchen. It is small but has a pretty good amount of counter space. The floor was checked linoleum (yuck) when we moved in. We replaced it with tile.


This is the view to the left. You can see JJ's toy magnets on the refrigerator. And the oven/stove that I use daily. I love to cook and bake so it is constantly in use. The original oven pooped out on us so we got a new oven (thanks to a Christmas gift card from my former employer!).


Here is the view to the right. Our big 'ol coffee maker that doesn't get used nearly as much as I would like. And my cook books perched on the window sill. No other place to keep them so I decided to put them there. The dishwasher was also replaced when we moved in.


And now, my favorite item in the kitchen. My Hamilton Beach mixer! I love it and use it all the time. Thanks Mom and Dad!


The view from the kitchen to the living room. If you look closely you can see JJ in the play pen. And yes, this is what our living room usually looks like!

I Heart Faces: HATS

This week's theme at the I Heart Faces website is HATS. How fun! These are my entries. If you have a chance, stop by the I Heart Faces website and check out all of the other cute HAT pictures!

Kids Entry: HATS - this is one of my absolute favorite pictures of JJ. He was 6 months old in this picture. It was cold outside so we grabbed one of Daddy's hats and threw it on his head. Little did we know that it would make such a great photo opportunity!


Adult Entry: HATS - this is a picture of Hubby and JJ at our churches Old Fashioned Sunday.

I Heart Faces: REFLECTION

It's been quite a while since I've entered photos in the I Heart Faces contest but I decided to go ahead and enter again. Not because I think I can win the contest but because it's fun and it's a great way to post memories we have of JJ. This week's theme is Reflection. If you have a chance, stop by the I Heart Faces website and take a look at the other great Reflection pictures.

Kids Entry: Reflection - this is a picture I took of JJ as he was crawling on our dresser. He was having fun looking at the reflection of himself in the mirror.



Adult Entry: Reflection - this is a picture taken of JJ and me one morning after church.

Chai Latte Cupcakes

I know, I know. It's been almost 3 weeks since I've posted anything (hangs head in shame) but, I'm back and have I got a post for you. It's delicious and decadent and oh-so-yummy! If you love Chai Tea Lattes you'll love these cupcakes! And for those that aren't fans of the Chai Tea Latte (gasp!) I believe you'll also love these cupcakes. Just take a look...


Amazing, right?? Believe me, they taste as good as they look. They are the perfect blend of spices, cake, and cream. So, here it is. The recipe:

Chai Latte Cupcakes

Cake
1 box SuperMoist French Vanilla Cake mix
1 1/2 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 pkg. (1.1 oz) instant chai tea latte mix (or 3 Tbl. from lg. container)

Frosting
1 c. white vanilla baking chips
1 container Rich and Creamy vanilla frosting
Ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 for shiny metal pans (325 for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cups in each of 24 muffin cups.

In a lg. bowl, beat cake ingred. with electric mixer on low speed for 30 sec. Beat on med. speed for 2 mins. scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 18-23 mins. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 mins; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely.

In med. microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips on high 30 seconds; stir until melted. If necessary, microwave 15 sec. longer. Stir until smooth; cool 5 mins. Stir in frosting until well blended.

Immediately spread or pipe frosting mixture on cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Store loosely covered at room temperature.


So give these babies a try. I have a feeling you'll be glad you did!

Happy Birthday, Sweet JJ!

One year ago today, our lives changed forever. Little did we know exactly how much it would change. Our family of 2 became a family of 3.

I will never forget the moment JJ was born and they laid him on my chest. It was instant, overwhelming love. I had no idea how different my life would be starting right then. The sleeplessness, the nursing, the constant worry - it all started immediately. And every single moment was worth it. I would do it all over again in a heart beat. I never knew I could love someone so much!

We watched our son grow from a tiny newborn to an active, happy baby. Before we knew it, he was sitting up by himself, eating finger foods, crawling, and talking! It was all happening way too quickly!

Today, our beautiful, sweet, baby boy turned 1. It is a very bittersweet moment for this Mommy. I love the fact that he is growing and becoming a strong little boy yet, my heart aches when I think that he has already reached toddler-hood. Where has the time gone?

I thank God for giving me the precious gift of being JJ's Mommy. I cherish my little boy and am so blessed to get to love him, nurture him, care for him, and (Lord willing) watch him grow from a little boy to a young man.

I love you, Sweet JJ, I love you, I do.
I love you, Sweet JJ, my love is so true.
I love you, Sweet JJ, I love you my boy.
I love you, Sweet JJ, you are Momma's joy!