Last year, I spent an entire evening devoted to carving two pumpkins and making pumpkin seeds while Brent did some things for grad school. The pumpkin seeds turned out extremely bland and I wasn't sure if I'd end up trying again since it's such a tedious job. However, Brent gutted the pumpkins this year and I ended up trying again. It was a major success! :) Here's the recipe: You'll need 2 Cups Raw Pumpkin Seeds, 2 Tablespoons of Butter, 1/2 Cup Sugar (Divided), 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon (Divided). -Remove pulp and strings from seeds, then wash and dry the seeds. I soaked mine in a bowl of water and rinsed before laying them out to dry. -Preheat oven to 350 degrees. -Place butter in a bowl and melt, toss in seeds and stir until coated. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon over and stir. Spread seeds into single layer on baking sheet. -Bake for 5 minutes. -Remove seeds from oven and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar and t teaspoon cinnamon, mi...

Two posts in one day?? Crazy right? Well, Brent has gone to bed, Ella is now asleep for the night and I'm wide awake because I had a cup of coffee this evening that I shouldn't have indulged. Why not do another post? You know how I mentioned that I'd been so motivated and kept the apartment clean while Brent was in Pennsylvania on his business trip? Well, I seriously felt like superwoman those five days. I cleaned, I took care of Ella completely on my own, I cooked, I ate healthy, I went to the grocery store, I took Ella to the park, etc.  I also made several batches of haystacks to take to my MOPS gathering. I thought it was a good "fall-ish" dessert to share. Not to mention how much I LOVE how tasty they always turn out. It's a simple recipe and oh so yummy! You need 2-3 cans of Chow Mein Noodles (you can find these in the Chinese food section), 2 Packages of Nestle Butterscotch Morsels, Roasted Peanuts or Cashews (or you can opt out of the nuts if you...

*Started writing on October 13th and finished today: I've neglected to blog lately. For the past several days, we've been without internet. We're sitting at Starbucks right now. Brent is sitting in on his class via web and our baby girl is sleeping next to us while I update. :) Cute right? First, here are some Ella-facts: -Toward the end of August, Ella started to burrow her head in my chest or my shoulder after she'd nurse. It's so cute....she just rubs her head back and forth while she's still sleeping. -She also began "talking" a bit around the same time. She'd smile and jabber to us. It took us the longest time to catch it on video. It sounded like she was saying, "gee-gee." We like to think it was an effort to say Gigi. haha. -She's been sleeping through the night since she was a little over 6 weeks. -Ella likes to gnaw on her hands. -She smiles just about all the time-as long as she doesn't have gas. -She started to...

My baby is a month old today! She's already growing way too fast. Here's a summary of what's been going on in the Bradley household upon welcoming our little Ella Rose. Upon bringing her home, Brent's family was there to greet us. Her cousin, Jenna, got to hold her for the first time. It was so cute as Jenna kept telling us that Ella was saying she wanted to play. :) My dad came to visit us at the end of the week and brought my grandmother to meet her great granddaughter. Ella was happy to see her PawPaw again. :) Brent was able to stay home with us for a few extra days and I was so grateful. After he went back to work, Brent's mom stayed a couple more days to check in with us during the day and help with things around the house. (So that I could ease into being a full time stay at home mommy.) At the hospital, Ella had a little trouble latching on as she wasn't opening her mouth wide enough. Since we weren't allowed to hold Ella when her jaundice peak...

I’ve always been captivated by each and every birth story I’ve heard or read. I still cannot get over how perfectly God made our bodies to carry, deliver, and feed our children. I don’t ever want to forget the details or emotions that came with our story. If you’re interested in the details of how Ella Rose joined us, then read on. Brent and I took a 7-week child birthing class at the hospital in order to prepare for our upcoming labor and delivery. Although we had a better idea of what to expect, there’s really no possible way to fully prepare for such a life-altering event. I kept going back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to deliver naturally or go with an epidural. I decided to take a Mind Over Body class in case I decided to deliver Ella naturally or in the event I couldn’t have an epidural. As the day drew nearer, I felt more and more compelled to deliver naturally. Brent was supportive of me wither way, and didn’t want me to feel like a failure even if I ended up getting...

Feeling a little blue today- kind of lonely, missing friends and family. I thought it would be a good idea to look back on times that were difficult that brought me where I am today. All in an effort to praise God joyfully despite the way I'm feeling today. Pregnancy emotions starting to hit more often these days. I cried after seeing a proposal on the news this morning, I've cried thinking about how scared I am to give birth, I've cried after listening to a song by Matt Hammitt about his son. Sheesh! :)   Since the day I quit my job at the Village, I have been on a journey to get back to "my self." I don't remember at what moment I began to spiral downward, but I do know it was at some point during our first year of marriage (also the year I began working at the Village). All of my "monsters" came to the surface- jealousy, uncertainty, extra sensitivity, etc. and I wasn't very good about dealing with these ugly things.   I remember there w...

Growing up, I always wanted to be noticed or recognized. I longed for my peers, teachers, and family to look up to me and be proud of me. One of my desires was to become Homecoming Queen or Prom Queen during high school. (Silly as it sounds, I thought that being given one of these titles would somehow comfort me in a time of self doubt and insecurity.) I was the one who excelled in academics and participated in extracurricular activities. I didn't hide the fact I believed in Christ, and sometimes felt alone in those awkward moments of adolescence. I was often picked on and called the "goody-goody." I would come home in tears, asking why no one was interested in taking me on a date. In eighth grade, I was given the privilege of being on the Homecoming Court. It was lots of fun. I got to dress up, experience a bit of the limelight, receive a rose, and attend a football game free of charge. I didn't win queen that day, but being on the court was definitely an honor. I th...

It's been a while since I last posted and much has happened. We are in our apartment and it's slowly coming together. We finished unpacking the kitchen last week, and are now on the lookout for a baker's rack as we need some more storage space. Since coming to Memphis, it's been somewhat difficult in finding a job. I wanted to find a job so that I'd have something to keep myself occupied, meet people, and have a little more motivation in getting things done around the apartment. Alas, no one wants to hire a pregnant woman who wants to stay home with her baby after delivery. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not going to find something and should put my energy into settling the apartment and getting ready for Ella to arrive. There were a couple of weeks where I was having a hard time as we don't know many people around here. I've been praying for opportunities to meet people, but it's rather difficult. I'm coming to see that neighbors a...

My husband left this morning, and he's living in our new apartment. (I guess technically yesterday). He begins his new job on Monday. I'm still at our house, awaiting the movers arrival next week as they will be packing up our house and delivering all of our belongings to our new residence sometime before the 17th--haha. Up to this point, I've been much more calm than I expected. We've had so much to get accomplished in a short period of time, and somehow I've just accepted it and moved forward. You may wonder why this surprises me. Brent did the yard work, last bit of paperwork for his previous employer, phone calls back and forth with the moving company, sat with me at work Monday night, set up for a small going away get together, and so much more. I've written a lease agreement, caught up on laundry as we ended up selling our washer and dryer on Monday, worked my last three shifts at Fusion, and dishes. Also, Brent's dad has helped with so many of the...