Search Results for: round up

Granola Bites

October 18, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 9 Comments

These No-Bake Granola Bites make a fantastic snack, a perfect choice to take to a new mom who needs quick calories, a delicious and sneakily healthy dessert for little ones, or the perfect treat with your afternoon coffee. Ask me how I know.

This recipe is one I have tweaked from pulling several other recipes together. Some called for things we didn’t care for, so we just substituted ingredients we do like– and you can totally do that with these– make them your own!

Granola Bites

1 cup of regular dry rolled oats
heaping 1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/3 cup of honey (you can sub maple syrup– both are great.)
1/4 cup of ground flaxseed/ flax meal
1/4 cup of toasted wheat germ (you can double the flax if you want to avoid the wheat germ)
2/3 cup of coconut
1 tbs. chia seeds
1/4 cup of dried cranberries, diced
1/4 cup of roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tiny pinch of salt

**Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Then roll into balls, I used a tbs. size disher– and keep refrigerated. Sometimes they are messy to roll, wet your hands and it will be a bit easier.

Recipe tweaked from/ original inspiration from Gimme Some Oven (If you’ve never seen this blog before, it’s such a treasure trove of beautiful, dependable recipes and gorgeous photos!)

The Good Kind of Long Days (#Write31Days)

October 17, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 14 Comments

Day 17/31

Our family has been needing a little rest and refreshing together, so we found a little cabin in the Georgia Mountains and jumped on it. We packed our cozy socks, fleeces all around, no-bake granola bites, and the ingredients for chili and hit the road last friday afternoon.

We picked big beautiful apples, which turned into a pretty unforgettable memory of standing in a torrential downpour while our girls wailed at the top of their lungs, but standing out there in that huge apple orchard with absolutely no outside noise and only the smell of all that fresh fruit was surreal.

We rode the railway into TN and ate Ice Cream Cones on the bank of the river in perfect 70 degree weather. We spent three full days just enjoying together, with very little distraction.

One afternoon the girls rested and Lance and I sat on the back deck and drank piping hot lattes (because you should never leave home without an espresso pot and a milk frother,) and read real books in total silence. And it was in that moment that it hit me– how much more DAY is left when you slow down long enough to watch the minutes pass.

The quiet was so thick, you could almost hear it– and as the wind whistled through the rapidly falling leaves, I am pretty sure I heard the sound of my own stress and striving melting away with the deep exhale of remembering how to breathe.

The days felt so much longer because there was so much less in them. However, they were far from empty– but rather felt more full than all those days that burst at the seams with hurry and a 3 foot long to-do list. I need more of that in my life. Every day cannot be spent at a cabin with no internet and barely enough square feet to keep everyone from being on top of everyone else– but still. Quiet is so healing.

It was good for the younger members of our party too– instead of a slightly over-full playroom, there was a small stack of coloring books gracing a sunny spot on the floor by the back door. They laid there on a blanket and colored and giggled and had plenty of silly moments– and it was more than enough. For all of us, it was more than enough and all that we needed.

HEY!!! Don’t forget to enter the Away We Go Co. Giveaway over here!!! Only a few more days!

Adjust and a Fun Bloggi-versiary! (#Write31Days)

October 16, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 6 Comments

Day 16/31

Today is my 400th Blog Post!!!!! I know– how fun?!?!?!? However, a small disclaimer– I’ve been blogging in some capacity for 7 years. So when you think of it that way– it’s not really all that great!!! HA! BUT, most of those posts have been in the last 18 months. Before that I was all, slap a photo up every three weeks and call it a wordless wednesday, or wordless monday or whatever. (please don’t go back to my earlier archives. It won’t be pretty. Actually, it might be very pretty because it will mainly be pictures of the children.. with very little constructive thought. 🙂

But around the summer of 2013, I began to write more frequently with a renewed purpose and defined passion. It quickly became something I couldn’t not do. This last month of the #Write31Days challenge has been tough, I can not lie. From being on a 2-3 times per week consistency to publishing every single day– whew! It’s been quite the adjustment.

I have gotten up earlier, stayed up later ( a few times,) missed out on things I wanted to do, conversations I wanted to have, places I wanted to go– but the trade off has really been worth the sacrifice.

Just the exercise of writing something every day has been freeing. After October is finished, I cannot imagine I will continue posting more than my usual schedule of 2-3 times per week– but I have learned that I need to be doing some type of writing every day. In a journal, on a document, on a post-it, even. Just something.

Emily Freeman said, “Sometimes I write because I have something to say.. and sometimes I write because I need to remember how to see.”

So true. The principal of paying attention is something I need more in my life and this month, just knowing I needed to write every day has given me a renewed sense of opening my eyes to all around me. To paying better attention.

And though I feel as though I have had to simply adjust many things in my day to allow for the time to write daily, it has really been so much more than that– as the exercise and the discipline of it has adjusted my vision.

I hope I keep my eyes wide open long after October is over. Thank you for coming back every day and sticking with me!

Life, no matter how brief. (#Write31Days.)

October 15, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 28 Comments

15/31

Sitting in that waiting room was perhaps the longest wait of my life. We were brand new in town and newly pregnant with our 2nd child. Well, we had been pregnant with our 2nd child. By the time I could get an available appointment as a new patient, I was quite certain we had lost the baby. This day was to confirm what I already knew in my heart.

20 minutes after checking in, a nurse called me aside to discuss the results of my test. Except it really wasn’t to the side at all, we were just off from the waiting room and her loud voice could surely be heard by just about everyone sitting nearby. She tossed her blonde hair over the shoulder of her scrubs and looked down at my chart,

“umm. just one thing.– you aren’t pregnant.” she said and looked up at me with this *brand new information.*

“Yes. I know I’m not. I’ve just had a miscarriage.” I said as quietly as possible. (This was my CHILD we were talking about so casually.)

“Uh, No hon. You’ve got a UTI. There were red-blood cells in your test.” She continued flippantly.

“No. I was pregnant and I’ve had a miscarriage. I do not have a UTI.” I said flatly and looked across the room at Lance who saw the need to rescue me and began to get up.

“Ok.” she said, “Well, either way– the Dr will see you when it’s your turn.” She gave me a false sympathetic glance and turned and walked away. I walked over and found the couch beneath me just before my legs gave out.

My sweet guy comforted me and we both rolled our eyes at the uncouth-ness of such a person. And then we had to wait again for a whole hour.

During which I nervously flipped through an old Good Housekeeping Magazine and tried to read an article about spring-cleaning your closet. The glossy, scented pages did nothing to distract me from the shouting thoughts in my head.

“Did I get it wrong? Was the test a false-positive? What about the 2nd test? The 3rd test? All false positives?”

I sat there in my grief which now had the added pressure of utter foolishness added on top.

“But wait? I KNOW I was pregnant. I had symptoms. I felt the loss when it happened?!!!”

By the time I entered the exam room of the kind man who would deliver our Abigail, I was in tears.

I told him what happened with the nurse and he frowned for a long time.

I told him I knew I had lost the baby– and frantically asked him to just please confirm that I had been pregnant. Just tell me the life WAS there. Please.

I had already dealt with losing a baby to miscarriage. I could not handle being told he or she was never there in the first place.

He did. He told me I had lost the baby right around when I thought and that my body was already beginning to heal.

He was kind and apologetic and told me I could try again.

And my smile through the tears came without warning.

Because it’s very difficult to celebrate life (even ever so brief) if we never acknowledge its’ presence.

Four years later, my heart is full to bursting with the love of two little girls– both given to us as gifts. But I still remember. I can’t not remember. I have to remember. Every now and then. Life is still life, no matter how short.

And we do the sanctity of life a huge disservice when we try to be BRAVE and gloss over and pretend we FOCUS on what we DO have all the time— and not ever really, truly– REMEMBER.

Because that child of ours– he exists. In heaven, with the One whose image he reflects. And he already knows things about my God that I have yet to see with my own eyes. And I will not forget. I will remember with absolute Joy and celebration– but I will not forget.

Say Something. (#Write31Days)

October 8, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 3 Comments

Day 8/31

Thumper’s father was correct. If you cannot say something nice, you really shouldn’t say anything at all.

But, contrary to what I may have thought– life is not a Disney movie. Whether we are talking about the manners of adorable woodland creatures or the perfect hair of Rapunzel (who by the way had never had a trim in her life– think about that for a second–) LIFE just does not go that way.

And people are mean. They say rude things. Awkward things. Sometimes they feel awkward and because silence frightens them they say something– anything at all to fill the silence– and it comes out… and more than just being unhelpful, it’s plain mean.

With children, we are always trying to build them up. It is a quite a push and pull of building them up in love, helping them to see how wonderfully they were created and yet allowing them the benefit of humility. It’s quite a difficult dance, teaching them to love God and see how He loves them– and yet not raise little egocentric humans. Sometimes the last thing I need and want is to have the wrong people making deposits that might define their self-worth later on.

This week it was some random lady at the mall, she was helping us with something and in a moment of silence (which wasn’t all that awkward until she made it so–) looked down at my precious 5 year old and said, “WOW. You have some really big feet!”

Lucy and I both had our jaw dropping moment and then I tried to politely correct her by pointing out to Lucy that her feet were perfectly made for her body. But what I wanted to do? Picture a Mama Jaguar verbally pouncing on this errant woman who cluelessly just interjected something on my child that she’s NEVER before questioned about herself. Oh, I really wanted to put her in her place.

But the fact was and remains today, that my little Lu was still watching me to see how I would respond. And unfortunately, that will not be the last time someone “pins” something on her that doesn’t belong… I want her to have the peace of heart to let it slide right off.

More than that even, I pray she is so aware of who she really is with each coming day. Not that her skin is thick, but that her heart is gracious. Gracious with herself. Gracious with others who make mistakes. Grace all around.

People will be human and make bad choices, and the sad fact is sometimes they will affect our children. Even something little like that– it does leave a mark, though hopefully a small one. Because she remembers– she made mention of the size of her feet a few days later. And my heart squeezed when she did– because most of us carry around things that people pinned on us early on, and true or not– sometimes they stick around longer than they should. And she is not even close to middle school yet. Talk about things that make me nauseated.

But in the midst of it all– I know my role in this. Keep praying for her little heart. Keep pouring on the words of truth. Keep our home an environment of love and kind words as much as possible– which isn’t always easy with two sisters.

And every chance I have, I will fill her heart with words that matter. I will say to her how marvelously she was created.

And I thank God that He sifts through our shortcomings and makes beautiful things.

Something New. (#Write31Days)

October 3, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 7 Comments

Day 3/ 31

Dear One who desperately needs something to change,

You are very brave but I see it anyway. The way you walk courageous, smiling in spite of all that’s warring inside your heart.

You might feel protected in keeping it all inside and suffering alone, but really you’re just alone.

And we are out here wishing you would take your mask off a little and let us come in.

Let us in. Let us pray with you. Let us love you.

You’ve been waiting for God to move for what seems like an eternity… I have been there too. I think our infinite God might just chuckle with compassion at our ideas about time. We try to make things happen… or we just give up and resign ourselves to never be answered. But He may just want us to keep waiting in hope a little longer.

When all around seems dry and broken and empty and it mirrors the dark hallways of your heart, littered with piles of prayers yet to be answered– there often seems no reason to move forward in hope.

But Hope is reason enough.

Because in Christ we will always have hope. When all around is empty and breaking and you just want to feel something to know your heart has any feeling left, hold on.

Hold on, not to your disappointment– but to the ONE who sees you.

You may feel forgotten, but you are not.

He sees you right where you are, and He will make all things NEW.

You may not know why or how or when things will change– you just have to know that you don’t know. And that He does.

It may not be your circumstances that alter. But perspective is everything– and peace makes up for so much difficulty.

But if we stop for a minute. Wait. And listen– we might just see that He is doing a new thing in us.

Consider giving up. Give up on seeing the purpose in the pain right now. But do not Give up on Him and His plan for these ashes to become something beautiful.

And know that He has not given up on you. Not even once.

“See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19

Because of Hope.

September 25, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 9 Comments

Ann Voskamp wrote that “The Days that are Dry and Brittle to Snap, These Days are Perfect Kindling for a Burning Bush.”

And I know that it is true. Somedays we feel used up, wrung out, worn out and without any smidge of creativity or grace left for even ourselves.

Some days we go beyond mere living and we live life abundantly. We walk firmly in our calling, heart held high– 100% certain of who we are, what we’re doing and most importantly, WHOSE we are.

Then other days our heart’s vision is a bit less than 20/20. Maybe it’s just a cloud of uncertainty in our calling. We wake up already tired from the day we have not yet lived and we wonder “why.” Those days can be tough.

Like the milk billows through my cup of Earl Grey and turns the strong liquid from clear to cloudy– We QUESTION what should be clear. We ask questions for which we already know the answers. Not just with the head, but with the heart.

We wonder if we’re getting through to them. We ask if what we’re doing matters. If we are doing enough. Truly helping. When there is so much pain in the world and our arms feel suffocatingly short, we question if we are the friend, the wife, the mom, the anything-– that this world needs.

Though those questions might be good for a time and a place, often they lead not to clearer vision, but darker views of who we are.

Perhaps we should start not with the ‘Why,’ but begin instead with the ‘Because.’

Because we are known. Because we are loved. Because we are valuable to Him. Because we are his masterpiece.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jer. 1:5

Because we have a purpose, and it’s HIS work we are about. Whether the job involves washing sticky hands or taking HOPE half way around the world, we need not waste time wondering IF we matter, but walk forward knowing THAT we matter because we matter to Him.

Not because of self-motivation and an empty thumb’s-up but BECAUSE—

“…We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Eph. 2:10

And this hope that we have– it’s too good not to share. It’s too valuable to be buried in our own uncertainty.

Because it matters. It matters that we know the depth of the hope that we hold. When we are aware of how good this hope is, we cannot help but extend it to others.