Best Night of the Week

Sunday night.. Football on the TV, dogs snuggling on the couch, electric blanket on full blast, stuffed from leftover Turkey Dinner, Snow melting outside .. It's an excellent night in my book.

I wanted to share an awesome recipe I tried for Thanksgiving Treats!

Here are the Pumpkin Pie Cookies

This is the recipe photo:

Here is mine:

I would say, not too shabby for my first time with royal icing. Cannot wait to try out other designs, I am thinking some pretty snowflakes are in my future. 

Until then, eat some cookies!

Christmas Card Time!

Its been a while and feels nice to be back.. Ive missed this outlet..That being said I don't have much to report..

This morning was spent making waffles, decorating cake, cleaning up the yard for winter and creating our Christmas Card!!

Waffles:Yum


















Decorating Cake:Done and Awesome

Cleaning up yard: Mom did most of it :) Mom's are the best, can I get an Amen!?

Christmas Card: Um... ADORABLE?!?!

You'll have to wait and see! Just picture it....
Hanky, Meer and Patches looking adorable. Fur Children..Love 'em

That's all that I have at the moment. But I feel like something good will happen this week and I will just have to share! Maybe some good treats for the holidays. Gotta love all that turkey!

Breakfast with the Bestie

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast for sure. I just love it all… eggs, bacon, french toast, pancakes, home fries, orange juice. Yesterday we had the first snow storm of the season and what better way to spend it than to make a great breakfast for your best friend.

Browning those onions

Grilled Home Fries

Homemade Bread for French Toast Sticks

Egg Dip for French Toast

Just add maple syrup!

Everything was so good! We also had cheeeesssyyyy eggs but who wants to see scrambled eggs with cheese on them? :)

After we ate we caught up on Revenge, the greatest show ever, and snacked all day! Girl time is the best with my Ashley:)

A girl and her cat

Say Yes To The CAKE!

We have been so blessed to have Lehann Squared become so popular in our small little sleepy town. We have done countless birthday party cakes, a handful of baby showers and now we have the privilege of doing a amazing wedding cake for an amazing couple! So today I spent the rainy, snowy Sunday morning baking and filling samples galore for a cake tasting today. Who doesn't love to eat cake?!

Here are some photos of the samples!
Lets hope they say YES to some of these flavors :)

YUM!

Adorable Labels :)

Everyone Needs A Little Faith

Anyone who knows me, knows that I cannot wait to become a mother. Ever since I was young, I would always cart my little baby dolls around. At yard sales I would buy the baby clothes for "Rosie", carry her around in my little baby backpack carrier. She sat up at meals, I gave her baths, painted her nails, she even got her ears pierced with me.

Fresh out of high school I was ready to start my little family. I had been in love with Michael since Freshman year and it felt like we had been together for ages already, why keep waiting? But my husband being old fashioned, he wanted to wait until we were married, settled, financially stable. Which I guess makes sense.. :) So I waited, and waited, and waited.... I am very impatient. I couldn't wait to marry my high school sweetheart. I watched a million episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress"...  "Four Weddings"... "A Baby Story". I am a sucker for TLC. And then one chilly October evening I came home with an arm full of groceries and pile them into the kitchen. Michael is acting strange, just staring at me.. I am slightly frazzled from work and the store, just ready to get dinner started. I look at him and say "WHY are you staring at me?!", He says, "Wait.. what is that behind you? On the stove I mean," I turn around to look and when I turn back to him to tell him nothing is there, he is down on one knee with a beautiful black box in his hand.. I start to tremble, tear up a little... I have been waiting for this moment for what seemed like forever! I couldn't believe it was finally happening. In our little home, with the dog laying on the couch and some football on the TV, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. To just be alone with him and our little family we had created. I am home with him, wherever that may be.
He places the ring on my finger, the ring he had made just for me, to match the promise ring he gave me when we were just 16. It is so wonderful and so me. He stands so he can kiss me and I put my arms around him so tight and never want to let go. This wonderful man that God has put in my life will be my husband, the father of our children, my best friend for life.



We contemplated having a small wedding and reception but after lots of thinking and stressing we decided.. Why have a wedding when its not what we want, it's what everyone else wants. And after all, isn't the wedding supposed to be for the Bride and Groom, not everyone else? March 1st 2014 we had a very small ceremony at a close friends home, she married us and we had our very close friends The Terrill's stand there with us. Their children in tow and that is just how we wanted it. To be surrounded with love and support. I don't regret our decision a bit.

Now that we are officially married time for those kiddos! Right? wrong..
Starting a family is much harder than the girls on "16 and Pregnant" make it seem. After trying for 5 months with no luck and lots of disappointment I made an appointment to see the OBGYN.
Walking into that room was tough. All the babies cooing around me, glowing pregnant mothers to be. I was and am jealous. It's so hard to not get frustrated at others good fortune. I want so badly to be happy for all the women who are becoming mothers and share in their joy but its so hard, month after month with only 1 pink line when you are so badly hoping for 2.

I told myself this blog was going to be my journey in life as a woman, wife of a coach, and journey to becoming a mother. Life is not always easy but the small things in life make it all worth it. Life is too short for regrets. So here it is.. No filter

First OB Appointment: Prescribed Provera to start the cycle and 50mg of Clomid to make me ovulate. There is actually a very small window to conceive. I'm telling you, its harder than it sounds!
One month of that, no luck. Back to the OB I go..

Second OB Appointment: More Provera, more Clomid, this time 100mg.

I hope that this can help other women who are in the same boat. For support that you are not alone and we are all here to lift each other up.

..stop and smell the cinnamon..

Sunday's are for family and food. After busting out a cake with my Mum this morning, Joelle and I came back to the house to get our cooking on! Here is the cake made by Lehann Squared

Nautical Baby Shower.

Sunday's are best spent with your sister. We decided to make all kinds of Pinterest recipes and Im happy to report none of them were flops..

Michael and I are headed to the Terrill's for dinner later so I couldn't go empty handed!

First on the list Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies. These called for a lovely pumpkin cheese cake filling to make Whoopie Pies but sadly I am out of powdered sugar.. I doubt the cookies will make it through til tomorrow when I can get to Hannaford.. 

While doing the dishes at the sink we spotted this little beauty. It's too bad I couldn't get a better picture. 

Beautiful Blues

Next we made some good ole Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have perfected the recipe and they are the best ever..

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies:

3/4 C Softened Butter

2/3 C Brown Sugar

2/3 C Granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

2 TSP Vanilla

2 C Flour

1/2 TSP Baking Soda

1 TSP Salt

WHOLE bag of Mini Semi-Sweet Chips

Mix butter and sugars until blended. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, mix well in stand mixer. Then proceed with whole bag of chocolate chips. Roll dough out onto plastic wrap, wrap it up and let chill in the fridge for an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment. Bake for 9 minutes. 

This is from memory, after lots of practice. This cookie is always in the cookie jar in my house :)

I also made some Apple Bread to use up almost the whole bag of Cortland apples. So good! Dessert, Breakfast... Whatever, whenever!!

So Yummy with BUTTER!

Buffalo Chicken Bread! I used this recipe and just tweaked it a bit. Instead of bites I did the dough braid. Much less time consuming and so pretty! Win Win!

Buffalo Chicken Bites

May need to make two, it went fast!

Before

AFTER!

The kitchen a disaster, laundry still not folded, and things still need to be boxed up for moving before Friday.. But we have a full belly, lots of laughs with my sister and my friends and family are healthy. It was a great Sunday and I wouldn't trade any of it for a clean house! :)

Love this crazy girl.

Baby Boy… Not Anymore :(

Three years ago my family was given a little boy sent from heaven. Kenneth Myron Johnson has been such a joy to see grow.

From the first look… Love

Little Pumpkin Baby.

He is such a sweet boy, with a big heart and an even bigger imagination. When he was born I was there almost everyday to snuggle him. Soak up his little smiles, give his Momma a break, and got my baby fix. I am his Hon and he is my 'Baby'.. He will tell you, "I is not a baby, I is a boy!"  Today was his Dinosaur Birthday Party. From the moment you walk in through the door he wants to show you everything and tell you so many stories. All I can do is follow his around and hang on every word. Soon he won't want 'Hon' to hold his hand and play dinosaurs.

Ready to fight the Dinosaurs!

Wearing his Shark hat I made :)

Little Lolli Pop wearing her Kitty Hat

She is letting me hold her.. A rare occurrence!

And a pretty great cake made by Lehann Squared! I may be a little bias though…

No Candles..

And let there be LIGHT!

A great day spent with family. Kenneth knows just what to say to make you smile. 

As I pick up Kenneth to see his cake up close.

Kenneth: Hon?

Me: Ya Kenneth?

Kenneth: Thank you so much for making me my dinosaur cake (As he pats my back)

Me: *tearing up* You are very welcome little man. I love you

Kenneth: I love you Hon. 

Melts my heart.

Not even winter yet...

My lovely husband has been sick for the past week. I don't know about everyone else's husbands/significant others but mine is out of commission when he is sick, at least at home... He still goes to work and practice without any complaints but if I need something done at home.. Good Luck.
Don't get me wrong, I love to take care of him. Cook dinner, clean laundry, bake cookies all the wifey duties but even though we are sick, life must go on. Now that this virus is out of his system, it has entered mine.. I don't know why I thought it would miss me. I kiss the man for goodness sake! So Thursday morning I woke up with a sore throat, no big deal.. Gargled with warm salt water and felt fine. Then Friday morning it hit me full force. Needless to say my Saturday morning was spent in bed with ginger ale, oyster crackers and Revenge on Netflix all day, that is until I had to get cracking on cake for Lehann Squared. We ROCKED a topsy turvy cake for a 13 year old birthday party. Oh to be young again! Here is a picture of the finished product..

This cake was tough, we had to take it mostly unfinished to the party location and assemble and put the finishing touches on there. That was the most stressful hour we have come across in our journey as cake decorators. I am so glad I have my mother to be stressed with. I would probably strangle anyone else.. We also are looking to get adorable matching aprons. I spent quite a bit of time on Etsy this evening and with no luck I have come to the decision I must make the aprons, that way I get what I want for sure! Maybe I can figure out how to make something like this..

A great excuse to visit the fabric store!

Overwhelmed with Love

Isn't it crazy how you can love someone so much even though you barely know them? This little man was born July 6th, 2014. 7 lbs, 13 oz of pure joy. His amazing mother has been my friend since high school. My husband was best friends with Ashley Varney straight out of the womb.. They grew up together, school, daycare, birthday parties, they were always together. Once in high school I started dating Michael and therefore I had to "make nice" with Ashley... or else!  I never could have guessed she would become my best friend and we would stay close as we got older. We have certainly had our ups and downs, but who hasn't! Now she is the mother to a handsome little boy named Kole, and she has asked that Michael and I be the Godparents. I am filled with happiness, I am over the moon, I am so honored to be a part of this little Kolebean's life. Cant wait to watch him grow and so happy I get to be there with Uncle Mike, his beautiful Mama and great Daddy to take it all in

Movie Time!

So while I am supposed to be doing my English 201 homework I am watching The Help on TNT. It was such a good book and the movie is just as good. I love Emma Stone, she is such a good actress. I also am crocheting an adorable little cup cozy for my Mason Jar Cup I made the other day. I love filling up a large mason jar with ice water but the glass sweats so bad that it's messy, so I used my noggin and created a pattern for a little cotton cozy. Needless to say, I love it! I love when my crafts come out the way I imagined!

Late Night Treat

I have quite the sweet tooth and while my husband enjoys sweets, I usually eat them alone.. He is trying to watch his girlish figure.. Not tonight, I bought some Coffee Ice Cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and cherries at the grocery store this afternoon and thought I would be enjoying them alone. Instead I made two bowls and we ate them together. I love when we do things together, even if its just eating a bowl of ice cream :)

Lesson of the day:

Do not put the whole jar in the microwave for longer than 1 minute…. The hot fudge jar is now in a baggie…

Hot Fudge Lava, I would be ok with that :)

Finished! Didn't last long. 

Jumble of Things.

Game Time:

        Friday Night Lights against the John Bapst Crusaders this week. We weren't able to take the win last night but so close! 14 to 27 and we were robbed of TWO touchdowns! But who's counting… My Handsome Husband was in the "Tower" looking all cute and cold! It was a cold one in Downeast Maine. At about 36 degrees, I was bundled! Bean Boots, winter coat, hat, hand warmers, tall socks, two long sleeve shirts, scarf, Vanilla Chai in hand and I was still cold. Needless to say Ashley and I went for multiple pee breaks to get out of the cold. :) 

Here we are looking crazy cute! Love her! BFF for life:)

Don't mind my crazy lady face..

Life:

         On top of coaching, my husband also works at the local hardware store 40 hours a week. With me working at the bank I spend my weekends cleaning the house or cooking, unless I have cake or have to clean rentals. Michael never gets the weekends off, that is their busy time at the store so he hardly ever gets the same days off with me. 

             Today he was miraculously not on the schedule. So while he caught up on sleep I went to my mothers and we got started on cake. We have THREE this weekend. Baby Shower cake for a boy, an Avengers cake for a little boys birthday and a hunting cake for a 16? year old boy. The only cake we had a picture to go by, was for the baby shower, so we got to create our own for the other two. My mother also had a get together to attend so we busted out the majority of the cake before she left, and hopefully we won't have to be up too late to finish them. Pictures to come..

For her BBQ she made these amazing cupcakes! Little grill cupcakes with roasting bears:) Ummm.. Adorable!

On another note, I am on the hunt for a good drill. Christmas or birthday?! I have always had to borrow my mothers for any of my crafting needs… I found some unique Mason jars at Hobby Lobby this week and had to make them into a Sweet Tea holders :) You take your drill and make a hole in the middle of the Mason jar top, place a small rubber grommet so that you don't get cut, place straw and WALLA!! 

Candy Corn! Yes in September.. Also, I am obsessed with Mason Jars.