Her Birthday

 

Noel turned 19, yesterday! (I didn't forget to post about it. I wanted to make sure to get pictures of the day first.) She started the day finishing the outfit she was making for the evening, and she did a WONDERFUL job! I am is awe of her sewing talent. 

Then, we had Panda Express for lunch and headed to see Wicked Part 1. We loved it. Neither of us have seen the stage production, so this was our chance to see it. We already have plans to see the other half when it comes out next year. 

Later, we went to dinner at the place of her choosing with the family and her boyfriend followed by going home for presents, dessert, and a game that she chose. 

My hope is that she knows how much she is loved and felt special on her special day. 

Miracle Morning Prep

 

When I wake up in the morning, I have a routine I follow instinctually before I start my Miracle Morning. First, I go to the kitchen to take my meds and fill my water. Then, I go back into my room, smooth out my blankets, and pull everything out that I need (my bullet journal, journal, scriptures, and colored pencils). Now that it is cooler, I often pull the blankets over my legs as I sit crisscrossing on the bed. Sometimes, Sophie curls up to me. Sometimes, she makes a "nest" on Chad's side and sleeps. Either way, she is always there. Once everything is set up, I start with a prayer, open my bullet journal, and perform my little miracle. My mornings have been going so much better since I started this, and I tell everyone about it.  It is the perfect way to start the day. 

My Best So Far

 

I spent a god portion of the spring trying to make good sourdough bread. I made many good loaves, but was never quite happy. A lot of them had semi-burnt bottoms. One tasted great and was great on the inside but didn't brown up the way I expected. They were all eatable, but not what I had imagined. 

Yesterday, I made my best loaf to date. It plumped up beautifully and had a soft crust which I have never had. What was the difference? First of all, I put rice on the bottom of my Dutch oven under the parchment paper (a trick I learned on Facebook). Also, I used a recipe from a book and times everything exactly as written. I think part of my problem was the source of my recipes. I had one from TikTok and a few I found from a Google search. I don't know if the recipes were bad. It's possible this is just the recipe that clicks the best for me. 

I am loving the process of learning to make sourdough. There are so many things I can do with the starter. I'm excited to see what I make next. 

Life Changing Book

 

The book The Law of Love is such a wonderful book about how to love without the expectation of getting anything in return. He talks about how to implement it in all aspects of life using personal stories and inspirational quotes. Each time I opened this book, I felt edified. I love this book so much that I am planning to buy it for several people for Christmas. 

My Favorite Pen

 

I used to have a slight obsession with pens and pencils. (I blame my mom. When she passed away she had a scripture bag full of pens she had collected through the years, mostly the free ones from businesses.) When Chad worked at Office Max, he would bring home some nice pens because he knew it made me happy. I have gotten a bit more picky through the years and have a favorite pen: Pentel EnerGel. It writes smooth and doesn't smear. It is perfect for writing in my journal. I'm sure my favorite will eventually change, but for now, this is my go to pen. 

Cranberry Sauce

 

I made cranberry jelly today for my Thanksgiving prep. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It was a lot like making applesauce with a lot of sugar. I doubled my recipe because I wanted to use the entire bag of cranberries, and it made a little over 4 pint size jars. 

If you want to try the same recipe, it is in this book:

Snow - Finally!

 

It has been snowing off and on for a few days. Today, it started coming down a lot. When Noel got off work, she was scared to drive home. Luckily, I work from home and was able to take Chad's car to pick her up. Later, Sean did his weekly trip to the corner store for snacks and said that his foot prints were almost gone when he was walking home (he chose to walk). About 30 minutes ago the dogs went out quickly, and Sophie had snow stuck to the belly of her sweater when they came in. They say we will continue to get snow through the night. Thankfully, we live north of the metro area and will not be getting as much snow as the south side. Tomorrow morning, Chad will take Noel to work before he goes, and I'll either take her a car in the middle of the day if the roads are clear or pick her up when she's off. The snow could be worse, but Sean and Noel don't have much experience driving in it. 

I Have This Bag

I have this bag of books under my desk waiting for me. It's full of nonfiction books that I want to read. Each time I finish a book, I lay these books out on my bed to decide which book I want to read next. These are all books that will help me become the person I want to be and heal from my past. The only problem that I have is that I keep adding to it.

The last book that I pulled out of my bag was The Law of Love by Steve Young. I started this book a few weeks ago and read it for about 10 minutes each morning before my bath. I am loving this book so far. It talks about the importance of loving God and other people fully without expectation of reward. As we learn to love as God loves, we naturally become the type of person I aspire to be. In this book, he quotes scripture, church authorities, and religious leaders from other churches. The chapter I finished this morning talked about the lessons in love that he learned through football. I have enjoyed this book from the beginning and am thinking of giving to the ladies I minister to for Christmas. I am fairly certain that the next book I will pull out of my bag will be the companion book The Law of Love in Action.

What other books do I have in this bag? 

• A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson 
• Habits of a Peace Maker by Steven T. Collis
• Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley
• The Rock of Our Redeemer: Facing the Future with Faith, Hope, and Power by David A. Bednar
• Old-Fashioned on Purpose: Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life by Jill Winger
• The Doctrine and Covenants / The Pearl of Great Price Journal Edition (for next year's scripture study)

I am excited to read all of these books, but I won't rush myself because I want to savor them. I will keep reading at the same pace and soak in every concept. I will probably continue to add to the bag, too.