Pumpkin Cookies

I made these last week and they were a hit!  I've had some people ask for the recipe, so I figured I'd post it here.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil* (I used olive oil.)
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)* I didn't use these-- I don't like nuts in my cookies.

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. 
3. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir into the pumpkin mixture.
4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

5. Add vanilla and chocolate chips (and nuts if you use those, too).
6. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

They are very cake-like and will stay soft and chewy, even if left out overnight. My favorite kind of cookie! A friend of mine suggested that you could also leave out the chocolate chips and then ice them with cream cheese frosting-- I'm going to have to try this because that sounds delicious, also!


Thanks, Daylin, for sharing the recipe with me!

   

The Occupy Movement

I've noticed there is a lot of debate about the Occupy movements.  I didn't understand it very well, so I've been reading a bunch of articles on it lately.  I don't think I still understand it fully, but I think I support the movement as far as I understand it at this point.

This is what I support and do NOT support.

1. I do have a problem with a system that allows hard working Americans barely to earn a living wage and to be able to pay for all the expected needs, such adequate health care.   These people may be working 2 or more part-time jobs and their children still go to school hungry, relying on free lunch programs.

2. There is gross UNemployment and UNDERemployment.  This means that there are men and women who want to work, have personal dignity and pride and want to EARN their living, but are unable to do so right now. 

3.  Big businesses should not get bailouts when the execs are making huge bonuses. CEOS and other admins should take a break and use the company money ethically and responsibly to maintain their business, their employees' jobs.

4.  I do NOT support a redistribution of wealth as so many are accusing this movement of.  I don't think is a socialist movement.  In fact, I find this whole movement very democratic-- They are occupying wall street because they want our market system and those in power in our market system to act ethically-- not for the government to redistribute.

5. I do realize that there are people who abuse the system, who choose to stay home and collect unemployment and government assisted health care.  I think this is a product of a once-caring govenment that couldn't stand by and let it's people suffer at the unethical hands of big businesses who prospered while the everyday working man toiled during the Great Depression.  I think some people have chosen to stay at home and sit on their butts because any job they could get would be minimum wage-- they wouldn't make enough money to afford health insurance and support their family, but they'd make too much to receive government assistance, so they'd just have to go without.  Would you rather work your tail off everyday, and not be able to provide fully for your family; or would you rather sit at home while the government takes care of you and your family?  The government welfare system is flawed and needs some serious overhaul.

So, let the debate begin.  Where do you stand on the Occupy Movements?

Hear Me Roar!

I'm gonna be a mighty Queen, so enemies beware!

I'm gonna be the mane event, like no Queen was before.

I'm brushing up on looking down; I'm working on my roar!

Oh, I just can't wait to be Queen!

She's Definintly My Daughter!

We moved Naomi from the large bedroom at the end of the hall, to the slightly smaller but with a much bigger closet in the middle of the hall bedroom last night.  When we went to check on her this morning, it looked like she had run away...

...but then we found this.

18 months!

Yesterday was Naomi's 18 month birthday!!!  (Yay for going to nursery at church!!!)

She's growing up so fast!  Seriously, do you see all those teeth! We celebrated by making a big cookie pie (which she saw when she woke up this morning and wanted to eat for breakfast).  And she even blew out the candle herself! 

please ignore the "date stamp"... my camera is on crack or something and has no idea what the real date is.

She's talking more than ever.  Sometimes, we can even understand her!  Her favorite answer is "NO!", but she will correctly nod her head up and down if she really means 'yes' or shake it back and forth if she really means 'no.'

She has started to display nuturing habits!  We bought her a baby doll during our move East, and she didn't pay it much more attention than any other toy at the time, but the last month or so, she has started to show more concern for the baby.  She will hold the baby like I showed her, make sure she has her blanket and hat, gives lots of hugs and sometimes kisses, and usually (though not always) puts her down nice.  We've starting telling her that mommy has a baby in her tummy and that she will be a good big sister.  I think she will, as long as we can get past the stage where when she gets bored, she throws the baby...

If someone says it's time to pray or folds their arms, she will fold her arms and bow her head.  So precious!  We're working on teaching her to maintain folding her arms for the full duration of a prayer, but you can only expect so much out of an 18 month old's attention span. :-)

Her favorite foods are bananas, mandarin oranges, veggies straws, cookies, and any kind of "sauce."  If she eats bread or pasta-- she prefers it dipped in something, be it yogurt, BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, butter, chocolate, juice, Miracle Whip, cheese, or jam-- but she calls all of them "sauce."

She loves to be outside.  This is no surprise to me, since even as a newborn, the best way to help her calm down when she was crying was to go outside.  And it is still a cure-all.  She stares out the window much of the day asking to go out, even when it's cold and rainy.  We go on a walk almost everyday outside, but the past few days it's been raining and she's developed a bit of a cough, so we haven't been able to get out.  It's obviously making her a bit cranky.

I love my munchkin!!!
Happy 18 month Birthday, Naomi!

Home Sweet Home

We're all moved into our new apartment, and it's starting to feel like home!  We moved in Saturday afternoon with the help of Brad's parents and some awesome members of our new ward, who all laughed maniacally when they found out we have a piano and that Brad plays.  Should we  be worried?  Here's a mini-tour!

This is the door to our apartment from the outside.  Come on in!

We have been very blessed to receive a small loveseat and recliner as temporary seating until we can afford a couch; and the previous tenants left a big screen HD tv.  We haven't found time to enjoy it yet, but I'm sure we will.  :-)

The dining room is funtioning as an office for now since our desk can't fit through the door to the office.  And until we can get a kitchen table, we're using a card table and some borrowed folding chairs.

And we had a cute little deck outside of the dining area.

The kitchen is a bit haphazard, but slowly improving as we get organized and figure out the most efficient way to do things.  And it comes with all the luxuries of a modern home-- fridge, stove/oven, dishwasher, AND a garbage disposal! 

And then there's bedroom #3, which is a limbo room for the moment.  We thought it would be an office, but the desk doesn't fit.  We're hoping it can be a nursery for baby #2 when he/she arrives, but that's still 7 months away.  And since we're trying to save for getting a house in the next year or so, we don't know if that room will ever be needed for that, and we're still debating whether or not to have Naomi and baby #2 share a room or have their own rooms right away.

I feel like this room could qualify us for the TV show Hoarders... I promise, this is temporary!

We got Naomi's bed set up, converted her crib into a toddler bed (basically leaving off the side rail) and set up her room to sleep in, though all of her clothes are still in boxes in her closet waiting to be hung up and for us to get a dresser for them to get folded up in.   Needless to say, this will be a big adjustment, since she can now get out of her bed!  Last night she fell asleep at the door of her room crying.  :'-( sad munchkin!  Any ideas how to help her go to sleep peacefully when she can run after us as we leave the room now?  I stayed with her in her room singing and trying to sooth her for over an hour last night, and she still cried herself to sleep at the bedroom door!

And this is the "main bathroom" that Naomi and guests use-- still has a lot of unpacking and organizing to do.

Brad and I's room is still under construction.  We got all of our clothes either hung up or folded and put away.  We have a mattress and a bed frame (with much thanks to the Wright family) but are still looking for a box spring so we can put it all together.  Blankets are all over the place since we haven't found where to put them yet. 

There's a walk-in closet!!!

The master bath still needs to be organized, but is mostly functional-- except for the toilet being slightly more than an long arm's length away from the toilet paper roll.

The toilet paper roll is under the counter-- quite a stretch!

We'll have more pictures after we finish getting organized and put pictures on the wall.  Until then... have a wonderful day!

The door going outside of our building. See ya later!

Bed Hog

So we found a new apartment, but we can't move in until Saturday even though Brad's first day of work is Wednesday.  We worked stuff out with the property manager and Brad can sleep at the apartment by Wednesday night, but Naomi and I are staying with Brad's parents in Beaver until Saturday when we can move in fully.

That means-- my first nights away from Brad :-(.  And because I was feeling all sad and loney in the bed all by myself at night and really cold, and Naomi was having nightmares and crying all night-- I decided to let her sleep with me at around 2am.

Worst night of sleep EVER.

My munchkin likes to sleep curled up on top of the pillow with her little baby butt in my face.  if I moved away, she scooted closer.  Until my head is hanging off the side of the KING SIZE bed!  I get up and move to the other side of the bed, and she moves too.  Snuggles up on top of the pillow and sticks her bum in my face!  This continues for a couple hours, every hour or so, i have to get up and go to the other side of the bed because I'm now falling off the edge.  Around 5:30am, she starts sleep crawling all around the bed, laying in random places and waking back up and moving to another place on the bed every 20 minutes or so.  At about 6:30-ish, she crawls on top of me, tucks her little feet under her, lays her head down on my stomach, and--yep-- her butt is in my face again.  I roll to the side, she is cuddled upside down against my side and I get to sleep til about 7:45am before she wakes up, crawls out of bed and then goes upstairs.

This is why I will NEVER let my kids sleep in my bed again.  So tired!
But her cuteness makes up for it :-).

6 Weeks Down, 34 to Go

Baby Neeley #2,

I really don't want to make a habit of comparing you to your big sister, but she NEVER made me feel this sick.  Mommy would love it if you could stop making her want to vomit every hour of the day.  Thanks!

Love, Mommy

Big News #2

More big news!  I don't know how much good, big news our family can take this year, but we are recognizing the blessings of God raining down on our little family right now.

First of all, Brad got a job offer!!!  We are so excited to start our new life in Canton, Ohio.  We came back East on faith and prayer, and the Lord has blessed us ten fold.

And more big news is #2... yep.  you guessed it--This little cutie is going to be a big sister!

Baby Neeley #2 is due May 28th!  We are so thrilled!

Big Changes

Well, we are here-- Beaver, PA.  In the basement of Brad's parents.  It was a rough start for us all, but I feel like we're beginning to settle into a groove.

Naomi LOVES her Nana, and Grandpa Neeley, and Great-Grandma Ruthe, and Aunt Sam. One day, Nana (my mother-in-law, Krsten) and I were gone for most of the day at a church activity.  When we got home, I came in through the front door-- Naomi got a big smile on her face and started walking towards me, until-- Nana walked in the side door form the garage, and Naomi squealed with delight looking back and forth between us, and then ran to Nana laughing.  Today, she wanted to sit with her Great-Grandma Ruthe at church the whole time.  It was so cute! 

Brad has an interview in Canton, Ohio tomorrow morning for a company that seems really incredible so far; it's called In The Round.  I've been very impressed with their high standards as a company.  I hope things go well, but mostly I hope that he comes away from the interview knowing what Heavenly Father would have us do.  We came here on faith that this is where the Lord wanted/needed us to be. We have seem many blessings from our decision so far, not just for us, but for many people here.  I know we are where we are supposed to be right now.

I'm so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that the Spirit can guide us in major life decisions.  Including helping us to be at peace with choices that seem crazy sometimes.