Anniversary Gift

Kyle and I haven't been on a date in over 10 months. What adds to the atrocity of that fact is that when newlyweds ask for marriage advice I tell them to plan a date night weekly or monthly. I failed in following my own advice! Our excuse for not going out was our newborn baby girl who was cantankerous for the first few months of her life and we reasoned that nobody wants to deal with a screaming baby for a couple of hours. Our second excuse was finances. We went down to one paycheck and every month requires budgeting to make ends meet. When our four year wedding anniversary rolled around I decided that I'd give a gift to us: a date a month. Brielle did really well at our neighbors (and she got to eat ice cream) and if I planned local, cheap dates I knew we could make it work financially. The good news is that after planning 12 dates we will be spending less than $300 for the year (not including gas)! Thankfully, when I gave Kyle our gift and the reasoning behind it, he was totally on board.

The beauty of living where we do is that there is so much to do around us. We are 45 minutes from Cheyenne, WY; 30 minutes from Sidney, NE (ahem, Cabela's); 45 minutes from Scottsbluff; approximately 1 and a 1/2 hours from Fort Collins, CO; 2 1/2 hours from Denver, CO, 4 hours from the mountains... you get the picture. As I was planning our dates I decided to keep the travel distance to no more than 45 minutes so that limited me to Cheyenne, Scottsbluff and Sidney. However, I was pleasantly surprised how much there is to do!

Here's the plan:

August: Every Friday at 7 there is a speedway race at the Hiway 92 Raceway Park in Gering. Cost: $12/person

September: Visit the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historical Museum in Cheyenne, WY. Cost: $5/person

October: Spend an afternoon or evening disc golfing at the Dry Creek Parkway in Cheyenne, WY and bring a picnic dinner. Cost: FREE

November: Go bowling - the lowest score wins (and yes, we'll be bowling with bumpers).

December: Drive around admiring Christmas lights. Stop to get a hot drink first. Afterwards, shop for $5 gifts for one another!

January: Attend a Cheyenne Stampede Hockey Game at the Ice and Events Center in Cheyenne, WY. There are home games January 10, and January 17-19. We just need to pick one! Costs: $10 General Admission/person

February: Shop for $1 snacks to stuff in my purse and then head to a movie at the Lincoln Palace in Cheyenne, WY.

March: Tour the 15,000 square foot missile silo that Dan and Charlene Zwonitzer turned into a home. Tours are free!

April: Restaurant Tour - Stop at one restaurant for drinks and an appetizer, stop at another for dinner, and another for dessert. (We get $20 at each stop! Ohhhh the challenge! Haha.)

May: Test our marksmanship skills at the Sidney Shooting Park. 50 Clays = $15.

June: Spend an afternoon at the Westmoor Pool water park in Scottsbluff. There's a lazy river and a couple of really cool slides.

July: This month will mark our 5 year anniversary so I planned something special for an ENTIRE night out in Fort Collins, CO. These details are secret. ;)

The rules are 1. No children. 2. We spend only the allotted amount given for each date (not including gas) because that's part of the challenge. 3. Make memories.

I put each date in an envelope with a description (tickets if needed), the allotted money, and the details. We had fun going through each envelope and talking about its possibilities.

I asked Kyle which he was most excited about and he had a hard time deciding between the hockey game and the restaurant tour. I'm most excited about the shooting range (I did that once before and had a BLAST and I'm a decent shot!) and the disc golf. There wasn't one date on the list that we weren't looking forward to for one reason or another.

Yes, I'm sure I'll be "blogging" about our year of dates. Hehe. I'm so excited I'm giddy!

Unruhly Adventures

Last week I wrote about my nephew Braylon who was in the ICU for a few days. He was a very sick baby. And the day Matt and Sam brought him home their daughter Alexi came down with pink eye. Oi. They had a rough week. I seriously think they were/are at their wits end. I had planned on coming down this week for quite some time to help Sam with Matthew and Alexi, meals, and cleaning. I'm so glad it still worked out. I remember how much it meant to me when Matt and Sam came up and cleaned my house and "installed" my new bed, and when my mom and sister Mandy came up for a week to help me after I hemorrhaged. Hopefully I was a blessing rather than a pest.

Holding Braylon for the first time! I was so excited!

He was doing so much better - eating well, sleeping well, becoming more alert as the week went on - thank the Lord!

Mommy Samantha

Daddy Matt and little Braylon cuddling.

 Brielle was so interested in Braylon. She wanted to eat him. Literally.

Other than keeping Brielle from poking Braylon's little eyeballs, or sucking on his face, I took on the task of entertaining Matthew and Alexi. (Talk about a fun undertaking!) I got this idea from my friend Megan (who blogs here) to create a summer to-do list. I couldn't resist doing the same with my niece and nephew. I let Matthew (who's 6 years old) name it. He called it "To Have Fun List" and Alexi (who's 2) also thought it was a fantastic idea.

This is what we plan on doing this week. (I got there Monday afternoon and a whole 24 hours later, I was pooped. Haha!)

• Bake Cookies
• Jump on trampoline
• Make our own bubbles
• Backyard alphabet hunt
• Build a fort
• Blow up diet coke and zip lock bags
• Picnic in the park
• Mail a letter
• Color your own plate
• Make a pet rock
• Build a Lego town
• Hotwheels race track

After creating the list I told them they could pick one to do in the afternoon. OH. MY. GOODNESS. It was a difficult decision. They wanted to do it all, at once. I had to remind them that if we did all of them in one day we wouldn't have anything to do at the end of the week. It wasn't an easy concept to understand. I got a good giggle out of it. Before dinner Matthew chose to bake strawberry cookies. I was racking my brain to try and figure that one out. Thank goodness for strawberry cake mix turned cookie (it's so easy, check it out)!

They were yummy and were gone within two days.

Once everyone was showered, teeth brushed and Brielle in bed we dumped the Lego's on the living room floor and began building a Lego town. We had so much fun. It brought back a lot of memories for my brother Matt and I. I love having kids in my life, hehe, I get to play again. I built Alexi a house and after about ten minutes it was destroyed, so I asked her, "Alexi, where is your house?"

"I don't know! Where is my door?" It was the most random comment, said in the most adorable way that made Matt and I giggle for quite some time.

Our Lego adventure...

When the Lego's were dumped on the floor, they thought it was the COOLEST thing ever!

I built an ice cream shoppe, every town needs one of those!

Little Matthew insisted I take a picture of his Lego man and his pet alligator visiting the ice cream shoppe (cause every one needs a pet alligator).

Little Matthews house that we built (he wanted those pink stairs in his house soooooo bad)!

Matthew driving the truck Matt built him, it was an awesome truck.

These pile of Lego's were the same pile of Lego's that we played with growing up (Matt has kept them all these 20 some odd years) and in the pile I found a little Barbie shoe and a visor. LOL.

Although the Lego night was a long one (we stayed up too late) it was one of my favorite nights with them. It was a blast and brought back so many childhood memories.

The next morning Matthew and Alexi decided to color their own plate and cup set. I LOVED how they turned out, however, the directions I found on Pinterest weren't entirely accurate, because even after baking them in the oven the permanent marker washed off in the dishwasher. (Dang it.) Still, it was a fun activity.

Her tongue was out with every activity she did!

Brielle loved sitting with them!

I told Alexi to pose with her dishes... and this is what I got. Haha.

Baking in the oven.

Matthew was such a big help!

Feeding Brielle...

Kneading bread...

Holding his little brother Braylon...

On the day we checked off "blowing things up" we tried the ziplock bag, vinegar and baking soda concoction, but it failed. I think my ziplock bags were too big (get the smaller sized ones). The mentos and the diet coke was a hit, the kids loved making soda fountains.

They decided to do four at a time... ready... 1...2...3!

Yes, this was a common occurance.

Alexi was cracking me up with all the goofy things she said, like this conversation:

Samantha to little Braylon: "I think you're going to be a little blondie like your sister Alexi."
Matthew: "I have blonde hair!"
Samantha: "You're kind of a dirty blonde."
Me: "Brielle's hair is strawberry blonde."
Alexi: "No, she's a yucky blonde."

Or...

Me: "Alexi, you're so smart and pretty!"
Alexi: "I know."

Or...

Alexi: "Aunt Ducky" (Yes, when she says Becky it comes out Ducky.) "Can I have Lucky Charms for breakfast? Please?"
Me: "Yes!" (I pour her a bowl of Lucky Charms.)
Alexi: (Pouting.) "No! I wanted Fruit Loops!"
Me: "You said Lucky Charms!"
Alexi: "Yes. Aunt Ducky. Fruit Loops!" (I was so confused.)

Oh, and she wore her bike helmet all the time, every where she went. She loves that thing and every second of the day she wanted to ride her bike in the driveway, to the park, at Poppy's.... she loves it.

She even wore it while painting her "pet rock."

Meet Ralph the Rock (I couldn't resist creating one myself). I kept asking Alexi what she named her pet rock, but she'd just answer "mmm hmmm" whatever that means.

The week flew by and I finally have time to sit down and tell you about my week in the Unruh household. It was quite the adventure and I love them so very, very much. I'm beyond thankful that Braylon is on the mend and that mommy caught up on some much needed sleep. I'm sure they were happy to get their house back (without me in it) but I'd go back in a heart beat and make more Unruhly memories.

Hopefully someday we'll get a "normal" picture where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera, haha.



"Glimpses of Grace" Book Review

I bet you are celebrating the fact that I FINISHED "Glimpses of Grace" by Gloria Furman with me! (Because I've never mentioned it before... right?) Except here, and here, and here, and here, and here. See what I mean? I've been engrossed in this book since Mother's Day and God has used it to convict me more times than I can count on my pride, selfishness, and my inner relationship with Him. God has also used this book to inspire me to study God's Word more, improve my prayer life, memorize scripture, and how to be content, joyful, and God glorifying through the mundane.

Her overall theme? God gives you Himself and that is enough. Without Jesus (our gift) we are nothing.

The most important question in all of universe is your opinion of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Nothing else matters because HE IS ETERNAL and we are eternal beings. 150 years from now I want to bask in God's glory and have Christ say to me, "Well, done my good and faithful servant." So while I'm on this earth I will focus on my future home and the gift of salvation because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, becoming sin on my behalf, and live every day as a good and faithful servant.

The thing is, I've known these facts for quite a while now, but do you know how badly I struggle with doing it? That's what I love about Gloria Furman's book! She struggles too and gives practical advice and used her struggles (including sad and funny stories of her own life) so her readers can relate. Each page has notes in the margins, highlights, and an occasional sticky note to mark the page because the way she writes reflects my theology (and she can state it so much better than I can!).

I'm terrible at writing sometimes because I ramble on and on and on when in reality all I want to say is: YOU NEED TO READ THIS! THIS BOOK IS WORTH READING! Thankfully, Lauren Chandler wrote an amazing foreword and I wanted to share a piece of it with you, "This is sustaining grace, this is the desired haven: to know his steadfast love that saves and keeps us. Glimpses of Grace is not a how-to. It is a true friend's invitation to see and know the Lord's steadfast love displayed in every wave, big and small." (p.12)

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Our response to failure, to life's struggles, to our imperfections, to our ups and downs of motherhood and marriage, to tragedy, to joy, and blessings (and everything else in life) should be TO THE LORD. That is why I am able to relate to Gloria Furman's journey of seeing grace in every aspect of life: because she struggles, she has tragedy, reasons to be joyful, and experiences the ups and downs of motherhood and wife-hood like every other woman on the face of the earth. That is why you need to read this book, so God can bless you also in knowing that 1. You are not alone. and 2. You can be joyful while sweeping the floor and changing the umpteenth diaper of the day. Not because it's fun, but because you are called to be a servant of Christ and there is deep and abiding joy and contentment in the hope we have in HIM. I never understood why I should be joyful while doing a task I hate (like diaper duty), but now I do and I am beyond thankful that God blessed Gloria Furman with the ability to write in such a way that touched my heart. I hope it has the same effect on you!

You can get the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for approximately $10, it is worth it, I promise.

"Healthy" No Bake Cookies

My favorite combination is Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Perhaps it's a trait passed down from my grandpa who eats PB with EVERYTHING (not kidding). My favorite candy bar is Reese's and my favorite cookie is the peanut butter, chocolate, oatmeal no bake goodness. However, the recipe that I own calls for 4 CUPS of sugar and loads of butter. Yummy and yucky all at once. So I decided to replace the sugar with honey and decrease the amount of butter. The first few attempts were a flop, but I FINALLY have a combination that... is... fantastic. Of course, I had to share it with you.

My "Healthy" No Bake Cookies
I'm going to call them "healthy" because it helps me justify 5 in one day. ;)

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Yields approximately 2 Dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick Butter
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 Cup Milk
• 4 Cups Oats

Instructions:

1. Melt Butter over Med-Low heat.
2. Add PB and Honey till melted - stir continuously.
   

   

   This Pampered Chef "push-up" measuring thingy is by far the best kitchen measuring tool ever invented. Especially for sticky goodies like honey and peanut butter, just push it out and scrape it off.

3. Add cocoa, vanilla, and milk - mix well.
4. Stir in oats till well coated.
   

   

   Look at all that edible goodness in the pot! Yummmm.

5. Scoop desired cookie size onto wax paper - place in fridge or freezer till solid. 
   

   

   Putting them in the freezer is a -wonderful- summer treat.

   
   

   

   Yum.

6. Eat.
7. Enjoy.

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Brielle is 9 months old!

We call her our little inch worm. She has decided that she doesn't really care about crawling, she enjoys sitting and playing, but if she eyes something she wants (and I mean, right now) she will inch her way over to it rather quickly. At first her inch worming looked absolutely hilarious with her arms back, chest down, butt up, feet planted and inching forwards, but now she uses her arms "army crawl" style.

She is an innovative little booger. She is learning to use her thumb and pointer finger to pick up little pieces of cheerio I put on her tray, but it wasn't working out in her favor so she decided to use her mouth instead. OH MY GOODNESS! Kyle and I belly laughed as we watched her pick up cheerio's with her tongue! I was too late in grabbing my camera, but I giggle just thinking about it.

Trying so hard to pick up the little pieces of cheerio's!

She becomes obsessed with the oddest items (it used to be an egg separator) but we've moved on to a comb. With a deep burrowed frown on (like the above picture), she holds items in her hands and studies them.

She's grown into aaaaaaa (drum roll) size ONE shoe! Do you know how hard it is to find a size 1? I went online and I literally looked everywhere: Target, Wal-Mart, The Children's Place, Babies-R-Us, &etc. etc. I finally found a pair and when it came in the mail I oooooo'd and awwwwwww'd over the little sandles for a long time. They are so stinkin' adorable, especially on her tiny little chubby feet. She likes them because that sparkly flower on the top looks yummy.

When she laughs she nearly tips over backwards!

She's pulling herself up.

She bounces along to music.

She has always been a daddy's girl, and when he comes home from work it's more than evident she's excited to see him with her giggling, bouncing, and what we've referred to as grunting. If he doesn't pick her up, it breaks her heart and she will let him know. I keep saying I need to get it on video.

Look at her look at him. :)

Any time Poppy comes to visit she has a good time, especially because he likes to show her off.

She loves her Marley and Quigley (Quigley just licks her to death. Gah! How do you break a dog of that?!) and Marley is always wanting to share his toy with her, Just throw it Brielle, just throw it! She's just interested in eating it. Marley also has this weird obsession with her yellow rubber duckies. She has a plethora, so we finally gave him one so he'd leave her alone when she had one in her hands. LOL.

My mom found a hiking carrier for $20 at a garage sale (what a steal)! We put it to use when we walked around Kyle's family farm. She fell asleep. It doesn't look comfy, but she... was... out.

When we take her to her bath we're always commenting on our "NAKED BABY!" and all her side and back rolls.

She found the dog dish and this was the result...

When we went to Sears we checked out the 3-D TV's and it was hilarious to watch her study them. She'd lift her hand and reach out for what seemed to be coming out of the screen or dodge what she thought was coming at her. Plus, those glasses alone just cracked me up.

This picture cracks me up too. Oh, hahahaha, the hat.

So much for spreading out the blanket for her to sit on, haha. Notice the comb to her right? ;)

When she sits in the stroller, she leans forward as far as she can to look around as she talks and squeals. It's so cute. She loves it outside.

Kyle and I don't remember life without her, she's changed it so much in the last 9 months, but we wouldn't trade it for the world. We love her so very, very much.