Thankful Thursday and Sweet Shoppe Birthday Blog Challenge

Well another week has gone by here and we have so many things to be thankful for.
Here are some things that have been a blessing to me this week.
1. Yesterday I was able to go grocery shopping and on my trip I stopped by the local Aldi (I really find they have excellent prices and fantastic produce and dairy products). Aldi had the most beautiful green apples. When I got home I ate one for a snack. Thees apples taste like they just came off the tree. Yummy!
2. My daughter has a fantastic pre-school teacher. Kennedy really adores her. Kennedy is always learning new vocabulary words, and making the sweetest art projects. Her teacher is very dedicated fun and creative.
3. I am thankful for the 100 grand bar (my total fav!!! I love the Carmel and how sticky and yummy it is) that Tina got for me. Tina is such a blessing. She is always thinking about me (and others) before herself. She is so vibrant and fun...so really I am thankful for Tina....okay and the candy bar! :)
4. My electricity. There are still people in our country without power from that horrible ice storm. Praise God we had power the whole time, I am praying for those without it and praising that we have it.
5. The point and shoot camera I do have. This week my beloved Canon Rebel xt had a horrible and devastating malfunction that could have in fact caused a fire in my home, the battery somehow shorted and caused some sparks and melting. This completely damaged my camera and as it turns out the warranty we purchased was bogus (don't by anything from RepairTech), but I do have a camera still and although it may not be the fancy one I am wishing I still had I am grateful to still be able to capture my memories.

So what about you what are you thankful for?
If you do a Thankful Thursday come back here and post a link so I can see how you have been blessed!


Now on to the Sweet Shoppe Challenge
( I have had some comments posted about what is the Sweet Shoppe. It is an online store community for digi scrapping and hybrid scrapping. http://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/ check it out they have super cute stuff)
Today's challenge was to blog about our best birthday memory...I have a lot of really good ones.
When I was three I had a rocking Rainbow Bright cake-Thanks Mom!
When I turned 16 my now husband crahsed my bday party and we have been togehter ever since...another great birthday!
When I turned 21 my husband and I spent the day at the botanical gardens enjoying eachothers company...I had a great day!

So those are some of my fun bday memories...fun times.
Thats it for today. I hope you all have a fantastic and blessed weekend.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Fun Photos of Daily Stuff

So I have been wanting to make these cupcakes for at least six months...but I just never got around to it till the other day. We were invited to Alan and Tina's for dinner (Thanks Guys!) and I offered to bring dessert. I made them on a very hectic Saturday afternoon and it really did not take that long at all! I even made the icing. These were delicious!!!! (those were Kennedy's exact words) I am bummed cause the left-over ones got eaten some how when I was not around to claim mine...anyway I am gonna share the recipe here, cause quite frankly it is just easier than posting on the separate blog I have for recipes. Enjoy!!!

Chip Lovers Cupcakes
(Taste of Home Mag-2008)
1 Package white cake mix
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4cup packed brown sugar
2 tbs sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup mini choc. chips (plus more for sprinkling on top)

Butter cream Frosting
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup shortening
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tbs milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
(now on this frosting if it is to runny for your taste {as it sometimes is for mine} just add more powder sugar until it is the thickness you want)

Prepare cake batter according to directions, set aside. For the filling, in a small bowl cream butter and sugars. Beat in flour and powdered sugar until blended (this will not look like cookie dough) Fold in choc. chips.

Fill paper lined muffin cups half full with cake batter. Drop in filling (it helps if you pack it in to a tbsp sized spoon) cover with more batter. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then move to a wire rack (I put mine in the freezer to move the process along. I am so impatient-and almost always in a total rush!)

For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening together, add powdered sugar. Beat in 3 tablespoons of milk and vanilla until creamy. start blending in your sugar until you acheive your desired thickness.

Decorate your cupcakes as desired! They are really really really yummmmmmy!



It has been so cold again this week. We have been staying in doing little projects, playing games and reading. Here is a picture of Kennedy searching her magazines for winter animals and making a collage. She did so well and really had fun.

Kennedy has made some really cool projects during preschool this year and I always intend on taking pictures and posting...well for once I followed through with it. They made this adorable ground hog..seriously it is just so cute! She is really proud of it too.

All I really have going on worth posting about is my memory verse. I got on Beth Moore's blog (link in my sidebar) in Jan and joined up to do 24 verses in 12 months. I committed to memorizing 1 piece of scripture every two weeks. I convinced my sister in law to do this with me and It has so far been the biggest blessing! So I am gonna try to share my scriptures with you as I go (I have already done 2 so this is my third one)

Isiah 40:31

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.

Please be in prayer for me as I do this. Pray that God will work and I will not only be able to remember it but that I will apply His word and hold on to it.

Okay so that is it for today. See you tomorrow for thankful Thursday.