happy birthday, Natalie Mae!

At 8:01 in the evening on October 23rd we got to meet our little girl!  What a great surprise it was to bring her into this world when we thought we would need to wait a little longer.  Evidently, our sweet Natalie didn't want to be late and we couldn't be happier!  She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and measured 19 and 3/4" long.  It goes without saying, we're in love over here and we can't quite understand how we got such a cutie.

tomorrow

Tomorrow is your due date littlest Erickson.  We're SO ready for your arrival.  Bags have been packed.  Prayers have been spoken.  Now, we just need you to join us.  Boy or girl, we already love you.  And if that means waiting an extra 10 days like we did for your older brother, we're more than happy to oblige.

thank you cookies

Luke's boss (Ryan) and his wife gave us a huge tub of clothes for Kurt.  We finally got around to sorting through it and we found a ton of nice stuff for our little toddler.  I got two loads of laundry washed, dried, and folded.  They've yet to be put away... I just didn't have time for that!  :)  Anyway, we're so thankful for the hand-me-downs that I baked a batch of cookies for Luke's boss.  The cookies aren't one bit healthy, but they are Ryan's favorite so I knew they wouldn't go to waste.  The batch made just enough so that Luke, Kurt, and I could each have one.  They are so yummy!  Here's what you'll need to get started:

1 box of devil's food cake

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil

Mix the above three ingredients together.  The dough will be thick.  Arrange tablespoon size balls of dough on a cookie sheet.  Then, bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  This recipe makes roughly 30 cookies.

While they're baking, make the filling using a mixer:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (softened)

1/4 c. butter (softened)

1 t. vanilla extract

2 c. powdered sugar

Once the filling is made and the cookies have cooled, you can begin filling the cookies.  Eat 'em or refrigerate (I of course recommend eating)!

our six-year anniversary at an apple orchard

s'mores // kitchens // trains

fall bucket list

Fall is just around the corner and it is by far my favorite season!  The birth of baby #2 will undoubtedly mark the highlight of the season, but there are a few other things I'd like to do:

- pick apples at a local orchard
- take a day off from work to spend with Kurt
- go on a nature hike and pick leaves (aka teach Kurt colors)
- learn how to trim our blackberry bushes
- plan a breakfast date with Luke :)
- finish sewing the "blue" quilt
- bake pumpkin bars, or a pumpkin pie, or pumpkin cookies, or anything pumpkin!

My list is short and sweet intentionally.  I do not enjoy "being busy".  I enjoy crossing things off a list, but to do something just to "be busy" isn't fun.  I don't want fleeting memories, but tangible ones.  Maybe that's just the introvert in me speaking.  :)

What do you have planned this fall?