S'mores are a Summer Staple around here. Ever since our kids were old enough to hold a skewer they have been roasting marshmallows with friends and family around our firepits. I cannot imagine a summer or fall without them. We purposely built our firepit on the edge of our patio so that you could either sit or stand around to easily roast marshmallows. I love that there really isn't a wrong time of year to eat them. 

S'mores always feel like the perfect compliment to celebrating Independence day. Maybe it's because I've watched The Sandlot one too many times, or maybe its because some of the greatest friendships of my life were formed around a firepit. 

When my oldest was about 8 he even came up with a plan to create his own S'mores food truck! We helped him draft different recipes and started using them at our own parties. This weekend I put together a tray of goodies to help make some of our favorite combinations. I got everything I need at our local Hy-Vee grocery store! I especially love that their marshmallows are dye-free (yes, most marshmallows have blue food dye in them! who knew!?)

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A post shared by Erica | Life at the Clubhouse (@lifeattheclubhouse)

Of course everyone loves the OG S'more with Honey Maid graham crackers and Hershey's chocolate, but have you ever had a "Monkey Mallow" S'more?! Those are my absolute favorite. I use cinnamon graham crackers, banana slices, dark chocolate and a well toasted marshmallow. It is the right amount of sweetness without feeling like you're eating pure sugar. 

Of course, I ended up not using any bananas this weekend because my people ate them all before I could use them for S'mores! Go figure. I had to settle for one with just dark chocolate instead. My husband loves using Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for his. Now the real debate is toasted marshmallow vs burnt mallow. I will always go for a golden mallow over a burnt one! 

If you want your own printable version you can download it here: S'mores Printable

Our tray version of a S'mores bar worked so well Saturday night that I even took some along to use at my sisters house on Sunday.

We had so much fun helping the kids make their own S'mores, even my Dad got involved! It was a great night of fireworks, family, and friends. 

I hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July! 

Hady in ONE-derland

Once upon a time, the sweetest girl named Hady, turned 1 years old! ....and she lived happily ever after! Ha!

This weekend we had a celebration for my youngest nieces 1st birthday. My sister and I have been calling it our swan song. It was the last first birthday for our kids. Its crazy to think that its been nearly 15 years since I threw my first 1st birthday party for my own son! His wasn't nearly this elaborate, but then again I was 23 and Jeremy was deployed to Iraq. The sentiment was the same though...enjoy this baby who has brought so much joy to our lives during a difficult season.

Near the start of the year, my sister came to me with the idea of having a ONE-derland (Wonderland) themed party for Hady. My mind immediately went to photos that a friends wedding venue had shared of a garden themed, tea party style, event. Everything was dripping with greens and muted colors. There were tiny sweets and fun drinks. I knew this would be the basis for her party. Then we found the cutest tiny plates at Michaels with little pink and blue flowers. There it was. The perfect color scheme for her celebration. 

Over the last few months, I collected pieces together as I shopped to use for her party. I also started setting aside or making notes to bring pieces of my own. This included some tiny spoons that I inherited from my Great-Grandmother and flowers I use in my own decor. My sister even managed to find a vintage highchair at a garage sale for $10! 

The plan was to have it outside, under one of my sisters Magnolia trees. Well, mother nature had other plans. It stormed and rained all weekend. On Friday, we knew that we would have to move the party inside. Even if it was dry during her party, the yard was going to be a muddy mess after 3 days of rain. Mud + young kids + pretty decor = a monstrous mess. So, we crafted a plan of how we could switch around her furniture to accommodate the extra leaves in her beautiful table, and still leave room for people to easily sit or mingle. Swapping the table with a loveseat & ottoman was the only way we could make it happen inside. It worked so well that my brother-in-law was trying to figure out how in the world to keep it without sacrificing having a TV on the main level! 

This was definitely a labor of love, but it was so worth it. 

Isn't it dreamy?

Some of my favorite items that we found were the foil edge plates from Michaels, the banner from Party City and of course the cutest favors ever by Becca by the Book. How cute are these bookmarks!? They perfectly matched the images on the banner and really sealed the vintage vibe for the whole look. Her bookmarks inspired me to create the tags on the bottles & mini cake stands.

Mother Nature may have tried to throw us for a loop by forcing us inside, but it turned into a great day. I am so happy with the way this turned out and I hope you find inspiration here to create your own little Wonderland.

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Wonderland Banner  -  Teapot Cake Stands  -  Mini Cake Stands

5oz Bottles  -  Bookmarks  -  Mini Foil Plate  -  Pink Foil Plates  -  Blue Foil Plate

Hope Anyway

My good friend Emily said these words during one of the hardest parts of her story last year. I am clinging to them now.

We are in an unprecedented crisis in our country. Our world has literally been turned upside down. For me, and many other military spouses, this feels all too familiar. The uncertainty, the lack of information, the constantly changing guidelines, and immediate major change of plans are all things that our military is used to.  Our family's life has been uprooted before, however, we had immediate resources available to us at that time with clear structure on how to proceed. The uncertainty and heartache surrounding this current crisis is devastating to say the least. 

Yesterday, I watched my son process his world being shattered for the second time in his life. Everything that he loves... sports, his friends, his community, school... gone for the immediate future. Our Governor closed school for the remainder of the 2019-2020 year. Our district is now scrambling to find ways to meet the needs of students using distance learning opportunities. Our teachers and administration are amazing! They are working their tails off to try and do their absolute best for the students in our district. They are as heartbroken as we are. Our kids became their kids. They know and love them for all that they are, and all they can be. They see potential in them that we may tend to miss. 

One of the pieces that makes this hurt so differently, is that it was a decision that our Governor made; this wasn't an act of God such as a tornado or hurricane. I applaud her for doing all in her power to try and keep our kids and communities safe, but dang this still hurts. Some of you may be reading this thinking, but you're so blessed! That's another reason why I cried last night. The ramifications of this crisis are going to be devastating for so many families in more ways than one. Our children have known heartache, but have led a very privileged life overall. We are fully aware of how incredibly blessed we are, but being blessed does not mean that we don't feel pain, sadness, or grief when things we love suddenly disappear.

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A few weeks ago, I cried when I realized how few years we had left with our kids at home. This was our final year in elementary. I cried because I felt like I've failed. I felt like I hadn't done enough and there just wasn't enough time to fix it. I lamented that my children didn't know the Bible the way that I did by their age, that we spent so much time going to practices, games, and events, we would rarely see each other on certain days. I hated that I felt like I had missed out on entire seasons, years even, with my kids thanks to my anxiety & depression. I had spent so much time trying to numb my own life, I was missing theirs. 

And now, here we are...smack dab in the middle of the biggest pandemic facing our country in the last 100 years. We are home. We have no where to be but together. We have meals, we are safe, have steady incomes, are able to help our friends and neighbors, and we are currently healthy. I can see hope springing up.

I fully believe that in the midst of grief, anxiety, despair, uncertainty, and desperation hope can be found. We can find it in new life circumstances, trying new things, in serving those around us, and finding what we thought was lost forever. 

There is hope in this. 

Last night I made a list of all the things I want to teach my children during this season and some things I want to learn. I added doing their own laundry (they know how, but we need a better routine), and learning note taking/study skills, but I also added things like the story of King David, a regular yoga practice and learning to paint with watercolors. I asked both kids to make me a list of 5 things they each want to learn about. I said "it can be anything: a city, a point in history, an experiment, a person, how to make something, a language, whatever you are interested in learning more about". I want them to know that I value what they are interested in during this stage of their life. This has not always been something I am good at. And for the first time, we truly have the time to devote to this. I have not gotten a response yet but I'm interested to see what they come up with. "Homeschooling" my kids was never something I wanted to do, and this is coming from someone who grew wanting to be a teacher! I am so grateful I will not be doing this alone. I need the instruction and plans their amazing teachers will be providing. I also know that I need to be truly intentional with this time with them and make the most of this opportunity. 

So today, I will choose hope. I will choose to be grateful for the resources we have been given, the opportunities we have, and how God is going to move in and through this time together. No matter how out of control this situation seems, there is hope and we are not alone in this. While we can't all go grab a cup of coffee together (how good does that sound right now?!) we can still be there for each other. Please reach out if you need help. And if you can be a help to others, do that...

...and wash your freaking hands. xoxo

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PS: My friend Emily, makes the most amazing handmade soaps. You can find her www.livesimplesoap.com . Seriously, best soap ever. 

Who needs coffee? Me.. I need it...

Hello friends!

While I have been pretty good about keeping up on instagram and trying to update facebook as well, I have severely neglected this space! I am so sorry!

This last year had made me realize how much I truly love design, both graphic and interior, and I am hoping I can find a way to share that here. I think I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up! Haha! Nothing like waiting until 36....

Not much has changed since my last post nearly a year ago, except that we have done a few more things to the house, Jackson is officially taller than me (and gaining on Jeremy daily), and we are knocking on the door of having no kids in elementary school. HOLD ME!

So much for being back...I need coffee.

As my current favorite instagram blogger, Jen @theramblingredhead, says(sings):
"Good morning, good MORNING!"

Hi. How are y'all?

Got your coffee?

Oh, shoot, mines in the microwave. Hold Please.
.
.
.
Alright...Here goes nothing. Let me catch you guys up on life.

Making Mornings Easier { part 1 }

I am not a morning person.

There I said it.

My husband will agree 100%. It is the entire reason that he is the coffee fairy.

Yes loves, you are understanding me correctly. He makes the coffee and brings it to me in bed to wake me up.

Cause without it, I am kinda (really) grouchy. I am fully aware of just how spoiled I am by this.

As you can imagine, this also means that getting the small people out the door for school is a battle for me. The two hardest parts for me are packing lunches and breakfast. There never seems to be enough time, especially when trying to make healthier choices. I've come up with a few solutions that I have found help us, and I hope will help you too.

Back to School!!

It's my favorite time of year!

THE KIDS ARE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!  

You might think that as a stay-at home mama, I would dread them being gone.
Nope.
This is when I get to work. 
My ability to volunteer, blog, support my friends, get involved in community events, and love my neighbors well, all seems to work best for me while the kids are actually in school. It sets up a good routine for us. There is a rhythm to our life that we lose somewhere between June and August.

All the things...

I have this grand idea of what I wish my life looked like.

It's pretty.

That vision is full of pottery barn furniture in a spotless house, kids who always listen, money that never ends, and having the time to do all the things I want to do, including ministry, blogging, family time, crafts, and worship.

It's a fairy-tale. Plain and simple. My life has never looked like that and probably never will. I will not ever have all the money, or all the time in the world to do ALL THE THINGS. I might someday have some pottery barn (knockoff) furniture, and my kids sometimes listen (rarely). I do get to do ministry, build stuff, and worship, but I feel like a frazzled mess through most of it.

and that's okay. 

I'm stating this to remind myself that it's alright to not have it all together all the time. It's fine that I am basically starting over (again). The beginnings of Spring and of Fall seem to be my renewal seasons. Funny how God does that. He takes this time of natural change and allows me to be a part of it.

So Very Blessed

So, I Am ridiculously spoiled.

I forget sometimes how awesome the people in my life are.

I am surrounded by family and friends who love me deeply.
Even in my darkest moments, there is light and love.

So Very Blessed.

One of those blessings is my sister, Kendra. She is the owner of Kendra Miller Photography. And because I am her sister, and she loves me, she takes pics of me for my blog in exchange for me watching her munchkins.

I really wish she had already been in business when I had my babies. While she takes awesome pics of me and my family, she is a truly talented birth photographer. Its her calling and passion to help capture the precious memories of bringing a new baby into the world.

See why I couldn't help but share some of her photos?

Amazing. 

So very blessed. I think maybe I need to grab a coffee and go hang out with her this morning.

Thanks again for the photos Munchkin.

Love, The Queen.





*All images are used with permission and are not to be copied, reproduced, or transferred without permission. Thanks for your awesome support!*

  

Peace and Joy

My prayers the last few weeks have been unfamiliar. Change is coming in our life. Some of it was expected (like school), while some is new and more challenging (like saying goodbye to our dog Bailey). I don't like change. I don't like going through hard places. I hate the unknown. I am tormented by the thought that everything could be gone in the blink of an eye.

Its what anxiety does. It takes a small thing that you think you understand and asks you so many questions about it that the small thing begins to unravel. You begin to wonder how you could have ever trusted that small thing, that thought, in the first place.

And when you couple anxiety with depression you get a slippery slope of doom. Think Wipeout obstacle course, but in complete darkness. You never know what new thing is going to send you spiraling towards the icy water.

I'm incredibly grateful for the gift of being able to see my anxiety and depression for what they are. I can identify them and reach out to those who I know can help hold me accountable for my actions.
I can reach for truth and grace and find my footing again; I see the small lamp that lights the very next step.

Right now the next step is an MRI of my hip next week.

Me waiting for-ev-er at the doctors office

I may have a torn labrum (the part that holds your femur into your hip). A fall at camp in July only further aggravated the discomfort I had been having all summer. If I am up and around too much it begins to bother me. I never know when certain movements will cause sharp, shooting pain and make me want to scream bloody murder.

Seeing the doctor about my hip was a "small thing". It knew something was wrong but it had taken me most of the summer to be seen about it, 2-3 weeks after my fall even, because I didn't think I was hurt that badly. It was supposed to be something simple. Instead it unraveled and turned into a meeting with the orthopedic clinic, x-rays, an MRI, a meeting with the surgeon, and physical therapy for the foreseeable future. I am facing the possibility of surgery and a difficult recovery, depending on the severity of my injury.

I have had to put all of our current plans for the fall/winter on hold until I know for sure how bad it is. The anxiety of not knowing, of not being able to plan, worrying about all the possible bad things that could happen in surgery, how will I take care of my family, not being able to commit to anything, how will I ever finish all the things that need to be done at the house...... Its eating me alive.

And of course, because I have depression, its like the wind got knocked right out of me. I'm angry. Its how my depression comes out. I'm not a sad, crying mess all day. I get out of bed (although I don't really want to), but I am not all sunshine and roses. I'm pissed off at everything and everyone for basically no reason. The slightest things set me off, and make me just want to crawl back into bed. I have good moments too. Ones where you would never ever know that I even battle depression. I'm so grateful for them because it means that I still have hope.

I am so happy I am a part of Dauntless Grace Ministries.

Hope is what drives me. It keeps me from going completely under. It allows me to take my thoughts captive and rein them in; it gives me a chance to choose peace and joy. I love hope.

So for today, I am choosing

Peace & Joy. 

Because with all the changes coming our way in the next few months, I need God more than ever. His love, that perfect love, brings me peace and joy in a way that I could never duplicate.

Jesus said to his disciples,

 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -John 14: 27 (NIV)


Here is to a new season of hard things that are only going to make me stronger.
I'm are going to need lots of coffee.




*All opinions and images are my own and may not be used without express written consent.*

What God is doing in my life.

I have recently been blessed to join a group of women who all started out as rejects.
Yep, rejects.
5,000 of us applied to be part of a launch team for a new book coming out in August by the one and only, Jen Hatmaker.

Why yes those are halo's above our heads! HA! Just kidding y'all!
The sun was streaming into the Sprint Center at Women of Faith KC in 2013. 

Here is the thing...the launch team could only take 500. Meaning 4500 of us were left out.
And so we formed our own group! We were hell-bent on helping to promote the book anyway, and by grace, learned that we had a lot more in common than being rejected from the launch team.

Yes, we love Jen (and the entire Hatmaker clan for that matter).
Yes, we love Jesus.
Yes, we all got rejected from the original launch team.

And then Jen herself scolded us (in the sweetest & best way possible!). She reminded us that we are not the B-team. We aren't the rejects or unworthy or misfits. We were still called and chosen for a purpose. That we didn't need a title to belong.

We realized that we were moms and wives and sisters all nodding our heads at each thread in our group. Saying "me too", "I thought I was the only one", & "yes, I need prayers for that too". We battle anxiety, depression, divorce, fostering & adoption, kiddos with special needs, crazy family members, cancer, doubt, fear, shame, guilt, and of course, feelings of being unloved or unworthy.

As our group of the 4500 grew, we started some sub-groups. And the craziest one (with the most amazing collection of women) started their own ministry. Dauntless Grace Ministries to be exact. We desired a place to be real, vulnerable, and most importantly to share truth with each other. God's truth. We pray for one another, share our stories, and just love. Cause that's what we were asked to do.

Truth also heals.

"Healing only occurs when Truth is brought to the surface. We will not allow each other to stay in the place of brokenness. John 1:15 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not over come it." Grace pulls us out of our muck and sets us on a new path." -DGM

If you could use some encouragement, some light shone into dark places, or a place to be real...check us out. I am so proud of my friend Megan for obeying God and taking on this new venture. It's going to be amazing. Won't you join us? Click the link above or join us on our facebook page.


Also, be sure to check out Jen's new book, For the Love, coming in August.

And then there were 5...

My son Jackson turned 9 this week. 9!!! 

We are halfway to 18 folks!

(I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)

Jackson with his cousin on his birthday

We did a small family party on his actual birthday and he invited four of his friends to spend the night last night. FOUR!! Yes, we are insane parents. We sent Brooklyn to spend the night with her Mimi, and did our best to keep them all from making us absolutely crazy. 

Since the night went so well, I thought I would share with you a little bit about how we handled survived it. 

(With some help from our favorite Hy-Vee grocery store.)

Having five boys, all 9 years old, all in one house requires a lot of activities that use up their energy. 

We started with a silly string war turned water balloon fight. I may have spent a ridiculous amount of time filling water balloons yesterday, but it was worth every second.

Since the boys play baseball together, this was also a great activity to help with their hand-eye coordination.

I think J was just a tad excited to throw one at daddy! 

Next, we let them chow down on pizza, and headed to the pool.

Between the cannonball competition, 500 game, dive stick races and general horeseplay, they had a blast! Also, I really need to invest in new dive sticks for the pool. Five just wasn't enough. Word to the wise, have plenty of dive sticks/rings for them to play games!

We came home for cake & ice cream and poor Jackson just couldn't get the sparkler candles to go out!

The boys had a blast playing with the new toys that Jackson got. I am forever thankful for thoughtful friends who provide my kids with gifts that help them learn as well as play. I have never seen them so excited about a marble run! After an attempt at watching a movie, we sent the boys to bed. It took a while but they finally settled down by midnight.

Of course they were up at 6:15... Which is why I am so thankful for my local Hy-Vee. I was able to get everything I needed for an easy, delicious breakfast for the boys, without breaking the bank.

This Bisquick pancake & waffle mix is a snap to mix up. The boys had a blast decorating their waffles with the berries and whipped cream. Of course, nothing goes better with waffles than Shatto chocolate milk! 

I love that we have easy access to local milk that is bottled in glass.

I didn't take pics of the waffle making process because it is really simple.

 (and lets be honest, my kitchen is kind of a disaster). 

Whisk together the dry mix, water, and oil, then pour into the preheated waffle iron. 

Quick tip for a big batch of waffles: turn the oven on low (the lowest mine goes is 170 degrees), and place the waffles on a cookie sheet to stay warm. Usually I will turn off the oven after its gotten hot, that way the waffles don't dry out too much. Serving them as individual triangles allows everyone to grab the amount they want as well as making it much easier to plate. 

We were ready to eat in about 30 minutes with very little clean-up! 

I am very proud of the young man my son is becoming. It's been a pleasure to get to watch him grow up with such awesome friends. I am also very thankful that we can provide memories like these for him. I hope you found some fun ideas to share with your family! 

Thanks for following along with our crazy life. 

*All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for any items or opinions. All photos are owned by me and are not to be used without permission.*