I don't usually, but I entered.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Gussy!
I usually don't enter giveaways, but... I enter one with her lovelies
at LEAST once a week!

This week there is a giveaway at Just.Lovely.Things for a $40 shop credit!

Check out both blogs and Gussy's shop.

If you're not instantly addicted and drooling...then don't enter!

More chances for me to win.

I think I might actually create a label for post involving my entries for my very own Gussy and keep track of how many times it takes to win one!

One Awesome Gussy Gift Card


From one Lovely blog

Happy Saturday

xoxo

Courtney

Pouring out what's "On My Heart"

I'm linking up with Casey for her "On Your Heart" Friday link up.

This week it's so simple, yet so complex.

I know you love me.
I know you prayed for me and still do often.
I know you have had dreams for me since I was born.

You raised me to trust you. To trust God.
I struggle with the correct order.

I love you.
I seek your approval.
I want you to be pleased with me.
I need you to be proud of me.

I do trust you, and I also trust God.
I am trying to trust him above all else.

His dreams for me might be different than yours.
What he calls me to do might not be anything like what he has called you to do.
It might be so far outside your comfort zone.
It might make you nervous.

You don't have to agree.
You don't have to approve.

I'm just asking that YOU trust ME.
Trust your prayers for me.
Trust his faithfulness to you and to me.
Trust that you have trained up your child to be God fearing and God trusting.
Even when you don't see how or why,
Even when you think I'm trying too hard, or caring too much.
Even when you think I will get hurt,

I need you to support me.
I need you to hug me and tell me that you are proud.
I need you to pray for me. For my discernment, faith, and confidence.
I need you to let me blossom even if it is totally different from your experiences.

I'm not done growing.
I haven't "arrived"
I need you to celebrate my successes and hold me when I fail.
I need you to motivate me with positive support and not hold me back with "I wouldn't"s or "honey I'm not sure you can handle that"

I am strong, and I am confident, and he IS leading me.
My opportunities in him are limitless.
My switch was only off for a while.
I'm still that same brave girl.
Still in ways that you don't understand.
Still in ways you can't figure out how I came to have.

I'm your little tender hearted dreamer.
I'm your little girl with a big voice and an even bigger heart.
I'm your little girl.

That's what is on my heart this week.


xoxo

Courtney

If you didn't know..

We're (me AND YOU) FORGIVEN
because HE was forsaken.
We're accepted.
He was condemned.
We're alive and well.
His spirit is within me (you?)
because HE DIED and rose again.

Amazing love,
How can it be
That you my king would die for me?
Amazing love I know it's true.
And it's my joy to honor you!
In all I do.
I honor you!

In case you didn't know, the events of today many years ago were for you. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. One who lays down his own life for his friends. Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I know it is a difficult concept as were are not the embodiment of perfection as he was, but HE IS, He WAS, He ALWAYS WILL BE.

Even when I feel like there is no one holding me. Be still my soul. HE IS.

Sorry to jump around, but my cup runneth over today with joy knowing the sacrifice made for ME.

If you didn't know... Now you do. Celebrate reverently the sacrifice for you today. Worry over nothing. Pray about everything, and don't forget to BE THANKFUL.

Good Friday means Sunday is Coming!

xoxo

Courtney

Understanding the Cross..but really Heaven...from a 3yo

How is your Wednesday morning going? Mine is rainy, which made for a perfect sleeping in day for my little one.

My sweet little ones are so amazing to me every day, and with Easter approaching I can't help but be overwhelmed with thankfulness that because of Jesus' sacrifice, my babies have a seat in Heaven.

I decided last night while making bunny cookies for my 3yo's class that it would be a good time to begin explaining the concept of Easter. I began with a cookie shaped like a cross.

"Do you know what this is?"
"A Cross"
"Do you know what it is for? What it means?"
"It's for eating"
"No, well, Yes, but just the cookie ones. There was a different one a long time ago that was used to pay our way to Heaven."
"Heaven is a bird"
"No Heaven is the home of God our Father and his son Jesus Christ. Remember when Adam and Even were in the garden and they disobeyed God?"
"Yes, and then things started going wrong"
"Yes, well, on that day, God said that he would have to send one to save the world so that man may through Christ rejoin him in Heaven"
"Mom, where is Heaven?"
"Up. Um.. Up above the clouds"
"Above the moon?"
"Yes Above the moon and all of the stars"
"When will I go to Heaven again. I was there before I got into your tummy"
"When you die sweetie. Someday your body will get old and you will leave it here on Earth and go to Heaven."
"Mom, when my little bottom gets old and is all cracked out I will go to Heaven and God will give me a new bottom?"
"Sort of. I don't think you'll need a bottom though, because you won't have to go to the bathroom."
"I am just a little guy, and I go poop on my own and I need my bottom so I can be good and get a new transformer from the Easter Bunny."

Well that is just part of the conversation, but I feel good because we started it. With A, nothing ever goes unrepeated so I know we'll talk about it again and likely often.

Discussing this with him was exciting to me. More than I realized it would be. Hearing his excitement, and his explanations for it all was so enchanting. He kept saying "This is why our song says Our God is greater and stronger. He was stronger and had power to come out from the Cross"

He is strong and powerful and AWESOME!

I'm so thankful that Christ is risen!

Happy Easter

xoxo

Courtney

Tutorial Tuesday - Cup Cake Wreath

I'm sure you've seen a version of this somewhere, but I've never seen one like this with cup cake papers.

This project is a bit more of am undertaking time wise than I realized. To be honest, I'm not even done with it, but maybe we can have a little contest and see if anyone can beat me to the finish line.

Here is what you'll need:
- cup cake liners
- hot glue gun
- a blank foam wreath
- scissors

Start by rolling the paper like so:

And cut off the pointed bottom at your own desired length. I chose to do all different lengths to give it some depth.

Next, place a good amount of hot glue around the bottom and apply to wreath like this:

Easy enough right. Just repeat about a million times.

It works best for me when I glue the rolled paper shut.

I am loving the way mine looks. Almost like coral, which beds a neat element to our bedroom. Can't wait to get it finished and show it off.

Xoxo

Courtney

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Gour-Make It Monday - Not my momma's chicken salad

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my mother's chicken salad. I ask for it often when I visit her and we nearly always scrape the bowl when it is gone.

Living in SC last year I made a great friend and she and I occasionally had
one another over for lunch.

One of the times she had me over she made chicken salad. I knew right away that something was different.

I've edited her recipe AND momma's to come up with one that I think is sublime, and completely southern.

"Not My Momma's Chicken Salad"

I didn't do the entire thing step by step for a couple reasons, but mainly it was because I was in a hurry to get to Charlotte.

Here is what you'll need:
- 1 lb of chicken (breasts, strips, whatever)
I use boneless skinless, but on the bone is what my mom prefers.
- aluminum foil
- glass baking dish
- 1 small can chunk pineapple
- 3/4 TB to 1 TB of tarragon leaves.
(if you've not bought this...it will be pictured, but they are small leaf pieces)
- salt and pepper
- celery (1 stick...stalk?)
- LOTS of red seedless grapes
(The fatter and firmer the better. squishy grapes just aren't great for this)
- chopping block
- knife
- Hellmans light mayo
- food processor
- croissants
(I buy mine fresh from the bakery no sooner than the day before I want to use them)
- 1 small bag of almond chips

Begin by fully lining your glass dish with aluminum foil leaving enough to come back over the chicken to form a pouch.

Place the chicken in the dish.
I don't wash mine. Recent reports say that it does nothing about the salmonella and that all it does is spread the juices around the kitchen and sink. I did, however drain my chicken before I put it in the dish.

Sprinkle salt and pepper across the top and then also sprinkle your tarragon. I used 3/4 Tablespoon

Pour over all of it your entire small can of pineapple. Juice and all.

Close your foil pouch and bake. Mine was about a pound and a half so I had to bake it on 400 for about 40 minutes. A great rule of thumb is this: If you have a pound of chicken start with 375 for 25 minutes and go from there. Chicken is done when no longer pink inside or out and the inside isn't glassy.

While that is baking I moved onto chipping the celery and grapes.
Wash both and then chop. I chopped the celery like this...

and then I usually 8th the grapes like this...

I also LOVE grapes in mine so I usually add about 1/4th to 1/2 of the pound of grapes. YUP... I love the grapes.

Next I brown the almond chips...
I have never been taught how to do this so I just did my own version which is NOT technical or even right probably.
My chicken was just done in the oven (when it was done inside, I opened the pouch for about 5 more minutes to brown the top just a bit)
I put the almond chips in a small skillet and then spooned some of the juices from the chicken dish in on top of them. Browning only took a minute or two on medium heat.

I have a TINY food processor so I did the rest like this...

I cut up small pieces of the chicken and added it in with a bit of celery and a bit of almonds.. AND a few chunks at a time of the pineapple, process... put into the large bowl... repeat until all processed.

Add in grapes and mayo. (About a quarter to half cup of mayo)

Mix.

Then, while it is good right out of the bowl, I usually cover mine and let it refrigerate overnight.

Cut croissants length wise and spoon in chicken salad.

EAT! Enjoy!!

xoxo

Courtney

Sunny Saturday - Vacation addition

This weekend we went on a small vacation to Charlotte, NC to visit our good friends from SC. We went to Discovery Place in Uptown on Saturday and to Carowinds on Sunday. Here are just a few photos from my phone.

Evelyn really thought that the hotel room was the party.

The kids were ready to find "Snoopy Planet"

Daddy and Evie Claire on the carousel

Daddy and Abram on the Hot Air Balloons that made us all a bit woozy

Abram and his friend Jacob on the "Yachts"

Abram riding "First Beagle on The Moon" rocket ride.

Waiting for the Charlie Brown Show with our dear friends.

The best thing about being 3 is that you have no concept of what a roller coaster will do. He wanted to ride this and this photo is on the first drop. He loved it and asked to go again, but we couldn't resist getting the photo.

Baby girl was asleep within 5 minutes of leaving the park

And brother bear followed closely after

Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as we did.

xoxo

Court