Their Birthday Party

The girls decided to have a joint birthday party together this year.  They both only wanted to invite a few of their close friends and they both wanted to swim.  Jackson (by default) even got to have two of his closest buddies to swim with.  I wish I would have done a better job taking pictures.  I only brought my phone with which took poor photos but I also wish I would have taken some close ups of all the kiddos.  Oh well.  They had a blast!  Auntie Katie surprised us and came with two balloon bouquets too!  We had it at the same hotel we stayed at all those years ago when we had a fire, also the same hotel we had Grace's birthday party 5 years ago.  It's still one of our favorite swim spots.  Nora helped me make the cupcakes the day before and then the two of them made the frosting the day of.  Grace's party continued on with a sleepover.  All and all a great party for both!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Snow Days

Remember going out in the morning the day after a blizzard?  On a snow day?!  After the plow had come?  Those are some of my best winter memories.  This is actually snow day number two for us.  Other than worrying about Ryan driving home yesterday early afternoon it's been the best couple days.  I don't think I've talked about Grace starting school, but Grace started school after Christmas break at a new charter school.  She is really enjoying it and it has seemed to be a really great fit for her.  That being said it has been very fun to have her home for a couple of bonus days.  Seeing the three of them jumping up and down when the plow came was one of my favorite moments today.  Well that and when I got to go outside myself.  It was just so beautiful.

January Light

Slow

Oh my goodness this day that I loved.  Or maybe it's this month that I love.  Crisp, full of new beginnings, sparkling snow, pale yellow sunlight, keeping cozy by the fire and best of all... S L O W.  Our day was all of those things, time outside to snowboard and climb trees, reading by the fire and then later playing Ticket to Ride by the fire, and making muffins.  There just doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency in January and that feels so nice after what seems like months of urgency for this or that.  I am lingering here these days.  Taking in all the slowness.







Oatmeal Maple Syrup Muffins Found HERE

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil*
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 1 cup packed mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• ¼ cup milk of choice or water (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
• 1 teaspoon turbinado (raw) sugar or other granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and didn’t require any grease).
2. In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon.
3. Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined. If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins**, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with a small amount of oats (about 1 tablespoon in total), followed by a light sprinkling of sugar (about 1 teaspoon in total). Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. These muffins will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).

Weekend Highlights

This was one of my favorite weekends!  Here were some of the highlights...

~ Katie staying overnight on Friday

~ Snow and cold keeping us all close to home

~ Grace having two days off and Ryan having one day off giving us some bonus weekend time

~ Time for art and collaging and staying in jammies until the afternoon

~ Reading books by the fire

~ Getting in several good rounds of Ticket to Ride

~ A new coffee table in the making

~ My family would want me to add the Vikings game with the miraculous win they pulled off