Worth the Worry?

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?...  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.  Luke 12:25-26, 31

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"

That's an interesting question!  Let's see... an average life span is eighty years so that computes to 42,076,800 minutes.  If my worries were able to add one minute to my life - making it 42,076,801 minutes - would they have been productive??  Probably not.  Especially if I ended up with ulcers, which might actually shorten my life and would make it less pleasant.  Jesus instructs me to trust Him, and He promises that if I do, He will give me everything that I need.  Now that's productive!

Taken from The One Year Mini for Mom's  - Ellen Banks Elwell

Things I learned this weekend

• Mia and Owen have amazing memories
• It's impossible for M&O to get enough swimming
• Dubuque has lots of fun places for kids to explore and play
• Mulligans can be speedy
• Time with friends is good for the soul
• The combination of a head cold and pregnancy can make one feel like a half-dead fly you find at the beginning of winter
• Mia can be a daredevil and Owen can be cautious
• "There is no time when we are more like God than when we give to others.  Generosity opens our hearts as well as the hearts of the people that receive from us."

Blogging Blues & Cookies

You may have noticed the blog entries had tapered off....  well my theory is....this little baby "B" is sucking all my creative, memory, thinking cells right out.  Hopefully he'll pop out a genius!  Since I've reached the hopefully over half way point (19 weeks) he seems to be only taking about half... So we're back in business...


While Mia was in school my little helper Owen and I made these:

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
1 cup Butter
½ cup Sugar
1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Salt
8 ounces Semi-sweet Chocolate, Melted And Cooled
2 whole Eggs, Cold
2 cups Flour
½ cups Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 bag Peanut Butter Chips
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350 F
With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy but not fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt, and melted chocolate and beat on medium-low speed until thoroughly incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the peanut butter chips and mix to distribute evenly.


Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared sheet pans. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and just set at the edges. Do not over-bake. Cool on the pan for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.



Note:  Originally this recipe called for 2 bags of peanut butter chips which would have made them even more delicious but after reading this article over at Kammy's Korner, I was convicted and only used one!!

Teddy Bears

Mia's favorite team is the "Teddy Bears" 

Little Owey Joey back in 2007

GO BEARS!

Finding Beauty in Winter

A few weeks ago, winter seemed oppressive, with large amounts of snow falling weekly and no end in sight!  If winter kept up at that rate our house would be buried!  Then the sun came out and a thaw happened and half our snow disappeared.  A few blades of grass are poking out of the snow now.  Mia is sure it's a sign of summer.  She hasn't quit dreaming of swimming and Yogi Bear's.

 I wish it was a sign of summer but winter is here for a while I'm afraid.  

While it is, we'll make the best of it and find beauty in winter...

Photos © The Brandt Family

Tractors and Babies

Mia and Owen are extremely curious about our baby on the way.  We've had many questions to try and answer.  Mia wants to know how the baby slept last night, and when she can see baby "B".  They've also given us some great name ideas like Meatball and Chicken Nugget.  We're not sure baby "B" would appreciate their name choices though, but we'll give them some careful consideration! :)  The other night Mia wanted to know when she would get to have a baby in HER tummy.  We said when you get older.  Owen pipped up that HE wants a baby in his tummy too.  Mia proceeded to instruct him that only girls got babies in their tummies.  After a few minutes of thinking he said "I know!  Boys get TRACTORS in their tummies!!"  Such a typical answer from my little farm boy!  This morning Mia and Owen wanted to "smell" the baby.....  Mia thought he smelled good and Owen thought he smelled bad....  You never know what they are going to come up with next....

Friday Feature!

The Brandt Family and their new eating benches were featured again on Friday!!  This time it was on the blog Sawdust and Embryos.  When you get a chance stop over and take a look!   Here is the link.

In other news...  We are still working our way to 30 followers for the print giveaways.  Those who have become a follower will receive a print, and also those who have left comments and links!  Thank you!

They might be related....

Wow! I can't believe it...

We've been featured on Better After!

http://betterafter.blogspot.com/2010/10/two-bums-up.html

I love seeing all the creativity of everyone out there!  This blog is filled with awesome befores and afters!

The rules are changing...

The Brandt family is giving away these inspirational art prints!

Here are our REVISED rules:

• Because I am turning 30 in less than 6 days each new follower up to 30 receives a free print of their choice.  

• One randomly selected follower who's been there through the thick and thin will receive a print.

• Any of our followers who link to this post and spread the word will also receive the print of their choice!  Leave a comment for us so we can give you credit.

• Please do not copy.  These are the Brandt Family's original art.

Giveaway!

Happy Monday!

The Brandt family is giving away these inspirational art prints!

Here are our rules:
• Our 25th and 28th follower will receive the print of their choice....
• Plus one randomly selected loyal follower.
• Any of our followers who link to this post and spread the word will also receive the print of their choice!  Leave a comment for us so we can give you credit.
• Please do not copy.  These are the Brandt Family's original art.

Smile

Mia and Owen's Great Aunt Lois!

The week of my (Owen) birthday a man in a big brown truck with the letters UPS on the side brought us a big box of treasures from Auntie Lois.  Mommy made us spread out the fun, we only opened one at a time.  If you know me, that was VERY hard to do!  Mia got some really cool presents too!  Thank you Auntie Loie!

My New Benches

I've always wanted some type of built in eating area on our porch.  We eat most of our family meals out there, and because the room is long and narrow a long table with benches would fit the space better.  I knew these old benches, my brother in law built in shop class back in the day, were hiding out in a pile behind the garage.

I decided to see if they were useable...

First we cleaned spiders and dirt off, then sanded and painted the benches.

I ordered some awesome fabric from fabric.com and with a roll of foam, a staple gun, and some clear plastic, we are now eating in style!

Birthday Balloon Wreath

Mia and Owen just celebrated their 3rd and 4th birthdays {birthday photos to come} since I hired a professional photographer this year, I wanted to make sure there were lots of birthday details around.  

I found this adorable idea on HowDoesShe.com 

and went ahead to use the tutorial and make it!  

It was very easy and will be fun to pull out each year during birthday week!

This is our version of the birthday wreath:

Ugly Owls

Most of you would know I have a hard time passing a Garage Sale sign.  I can't help the creative itch I feel knowing there might be a treasure waiting inside!  Most of you would also know that hubby J has about the most opposite feelings possible.  Usually he'll point out something on the opposite side of the vehicle to attempt to distract me.  I can spot those neon signs miles away though.... nice try.

This summer at 3 separate sales I found these cute very ugly owls.  But I could see they had potential.  Hubby J thought they looked like official pieces of junk.  Owls are very popular right now in designs so I purchased them.

After a few coats of white spray paint they now reside in my office...

My Big Girl

I can't believe Mia is going to preschool already!  She started September 8th, and is having so much fun.  Friday they learned a "ca-choo" song.  She came home with a puppet blowing it's nose.  So far I've heard "circle time" mentioned the most....if she decides to tell me about her day.  The first day Mrs. Robinson gave me a run down about their day at school when I picked her up, at home I asked Mia what she did, and her response was "the teacher already told you everything we did".  :)  Since then she's been more open, I guess the first day was just too tiring and there were too many new people to watch. :)

Mia standing next to our "Evan" tree.
We are going to see how much they both grow each year.  

Owen and the Tractor

Yesterday we celebrated Darren's 3rd birthday!  At the party Owen hopped on Darren's tractor.  Last year he could barely reach the pedals, now he's tearing it up!  Owen told Ellie to "go get the combine ready" and told Noah to "go check the dryer"  you can tell he's a farm boy through and through!

Remember us?

The Brandt family had a GREAT busy crazy 2010 summer.  Mia started her preschool program Wednesday morning, and the cool crisp air makes it feel like fall.  

Technically we have a few more days of summer but: 

The combine is out, 

Sweatshirts are on (we even broke out the footie pajamas the kids have been dying all summer to wear!) 

Windows are open, 

Pumpkins are appearing, 

Hawkeyes are playing, 

The mouse traps have been set... (eek)

Ready or Not.....it's Fall on the farm....!

Silver Beach...a sneak peak