Casual Fridays

Happy Friday, everyone! We have some things to talk about, but first, I have found who I want to be when I grow up. Watch. This.

Y'all. That lady (in the red...pink?...jacket and cute little bandana headband) is 60 years old. SIXTY! She is my inspiration. I can't even dance like that now, but it is my new goal in life to be able to bust moves like this when I am 60. I could not wipe the grin off my face while I was watching this. You KNOW that gym was going c.r.a.z.y. I so wish I had been there. How awesome is she?! You go on with your bad self, Miss Shirley Clements.

In other news, the Publix bakery is my kryptonite. 

First off, let me express my sincere condolences to you poor, miserable souls who don't know what a Publix is. If you just arched your back and exclaimed, "I'm not a poor, miserable soul! How rude!"--bless your heart. You're living in misery, and you don't even know it.  

My sister-in-love was over here a lot last week while my niece was at VBS, and she commented at the end of the week how impressed she was that there were still a couple chocolate fudge cupcakes (which were from the Publix bakery, of course) in the fridge that had been in there at the beginning of the week. I breezily replied that they just weren't my weakness.

Lynds, pies are my weakness. Sunday afternoon, the hubs and I hit up Publix after church to get some subs for lunch, and we ended up in the bakery. Typically, when I'm shopping alone, I have to avoid the bakery at all costs or inevitably, I will come home with 3 dozen donuts, 6 dozen cookies, cupcakes, and maybe even a birthday cake for good measure--nevermind that it's nobody's birthday. But Sunday afternoon, with my husband there to control my impulse to buy all the sweets, we wound up in the bakery. 

We ended up with two pies. Apple and pumpkin. Both pies are gone, y'all. We bought them less than a week ago, and they're gone. Lest you try to console me with the fact that I didn't eat two whole pies by myself in less than a week's time because I live with a big, strong man who surely ate more than his fair share of the goods, let's just say that we split the apple pie equally, and my husband doesn't like pumpkin pie. You do the math. 

Moving on. It was time to update my look this week with a new toe color. Yes, I have been rocking Barbie hot pink toes since the middle of April--don't judge me. I decided to actually go buy myself a fun new color. I haven't bought a new nail polish in quite some time, but this one caught my eye whilst I was doing my grocery shopping, and I ended up bringing it home. It's my first essie nail polish, and the name of it is "turquoise & caicos". Cute, right? Anyway, I like it a lot, but I have something to say:

I am cursed. Every time I paint my toenails, one of my big toes ends up smudged. Every. Stinkin'. Time. It doesn't matter how long I let them dry, somehow, they get smudged. Why does this happen?! I realize this is not a very big deal, and if people even notice my toes in the first place, they certainly don't notice that the polish on one nail isn't perfectly smooth: but I do. And it kills me a little. Does anyone have any tips on this? Cody says I need to dry them with a hairdryer...something about the heat locking it in?....he's so pro. Anyone tried this? Does it work? Am I crazy for even talking about this?

Colonel's Corner

This little guy got his hair cut yesterday. When we couldn't see his eyes anymore, we decided it was probably time for a trim. At 10 AM, I dropped off my big, fluffy, cuddly dog. At 2 PM, I picked up this skinny little dude. I didn't even recognize him! I told his groomer we wanted to go a little shorter than last time since his hair grows so fast. Well, they definitely took me at my word, although they left his tail and ears a bit longer so you can definitely tell he's got some kinda poodle going on. He's still the cutest puppy in the world, but it's taking some getting used to. If it were up to me, he'd just stay a shaggy overgrown mess all the time, but people give you nasty looks when you're walking a long-haired dog in the heat of the day in summertime in Florida. Whatever. He's a dog. He'll live. 

Confession time: (what? you thought my pie-eating habits and the fact that I left my toes alone for over two months were confession enough for one post? think again) I bought another movie adaptation of Little Women. This brings the grand total of Little Women movies I own to three. If you read Monday's recap, you know how much I love Little Women, and you also know that I already have two Little Women movies. 

The ones I already own are the 1949 June Allyson version and the 1994 Winona Ryder version.

The one I bought this week is the 1933 Katharine Hepburn version. To date, my favorite is June Allyson, but actually, I haven't seen the Katharine Hepburn version since I was a little girl. I plan on watching all three my new one this weekend, and I'll let you know if June Allyson still holds first place in my heart. I like watching movie adaptations while the book is still really fresh in my mind so I can be hypercritical and snobby about how much better the book is comparatively. 

Ok, let's wrap this post up with something redemptive, shall we? How about a Psalm of the Week:

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God."

These words are in three different places in two Psalms: verse 5 of the 42nd Psalm, verse 11 of the 42nd Psalm, and verse 5 of the 43rd Psalm. This hit me because how often do we get something right the first time around? We have to consistently remind ourselves of the truth, and cling to it with everything we've got. 

Hope in God. 

Hope in God. 

Hope in God. 

Have a fabulous weekend, and please, send me all the tips on how NOT to smudge your toenails after you paint them. 

noisome effluvium

It's time for another vocabulary lesson, faithful readers. In light of her recent passing, I have begun reading Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. In the very first chapter, I came across this descriptive little sentence describing the room she lived in her senior year of college:

"The closed windows shut out neither the tremendous crash and clatter of early morning collections nor the noisome effluvium of the day's cooking."

Noisome effluvium? Effluvium? I had to consult my trusty dictionary.

effluvium (noun): an unpleasant or harmful odor, secretion, or discharge

I'm not sure what I thought "effluvium" might mean, but I was not expecting that. I decided to look up "noisome" too, for good measure:

noisome (adjective): having an extremely offensive smell; disagreeable; unpleasant; harmful, noxious

I'm not sure what they were cooking at Wheaton College back in the 1940s, but I'm glad I wasn't there to smell it.

Does your cooking produce noisome effluvium? I mean, my kitchen still reeks of last night's tacos (no worries, I'm about to go bust out the febreeze), but I wouldn't exactly call it noisome effluvium...

Let's Bust a Recap : Little Women

It's time to recap Little Women, y'all. To be honest, I don't even know where to begin. Paul Sweeney once said, "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." Well, I'm feeling like my very best friend just moved to Timbuktu. I stretched it on as long as I possibly could, but on Saturday, June 20th, minutes before midnight, I finished reading Little Women. 

I was given my beautiful copy (the picture above is NOT of my copy) of Little Women by my grandmother on my 10th birthday. I read it immediately, of course, but as I think about it now, I believe this is only the second time I have ever read it all the way through. I have two movie adaptations of Little Women that I have watched several times throughout my life, but I believe I have only read the book twice, even though I have always said it is one of my all-time favorites (which it is). 

Louisa May Alcott, the authoress of this timeless classic, lived from 1832 to 1888. As soon as she was old enough, Louisa had to go to work to help support her family. She held various jobs from teacher to seamstress to writer, and after having met with success in her writing endeavors, her publisher asked for a book for girls. This prompted Louisa to write Part I of Little Women in only six short weeks. It was published in 1868 and was an instant success. Her readers demanded a sequel, and the second volume was published a year later under the title Good Wives. Today, both parts are typically paired and sold together as one book. 

Louisa May Alcott loosely based Little Women (particularly Part I) off her own childhood growing up with her three sisters, with Jo's character being Louisa's representation of herself. According to Alcott, Little Women is "simple and true, for we really lived most of it" and for that reason, it has remained one of the greatest children's novels of all time. 

Little Women chronicles the lives of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and opens in the midst of the Civil War. The four sisters live with their beloved Marmee and faithful housekeeper Hannah while their father is away in the war. Once an affluent family, they have fallen on hard times and are living in poverty throughout the novel. Under the loving guidance of their wise mother, each daughter struggles against her personal vices to try to live lives pleasing to their parents and their Heavenly Father. Meg's greatest downfall is her vanity and a longing to return to their rich lifestyle so she can have all the pretty things. Jo fights against her hot temper and boyish, rowdy ways. Beth is painfully shy and works hard to overcome it, while Amy labors against her natural selfishness to become a true gentlewoman. Between Parts I and II, Little Women follows the numerous scrapes and adventures, triumphs and tragedies of these four little women from their childhood into their womanhood.

Like Vanity Fair, Little Women is more character-driven than plot-driven, but unlike Vanity Fair, Little Women is consistently a pleasure to read to the very last page. I would highly and whole-heartedly recommend Little Women to anyone, and I believe it is one of those timeless classics that ought to be read aloud by parents to their children when those children are young. As I mentioned when I began reading Little Women, this book keeps me crying and laughing from start to finish, and it truly is one that I hate to come to the end of. You can't help but relate to the struggles and victories the four sisters face on their journey of life, and see yourself on the pages of this endearing work. The wisdom and morals promoted throughout the novel are wholesome and helpful as well. Please, PLEASE go get yourself a copy, and if you have children, read it out loud with them. If you don't love it, there is seriously something wrong with you. (Yeah, I said it. #sorrynotsorry)

A few other fun facts about Little Women as relates to my reading endeavors for the year:

• The Pilgrim's Progress (which is also on my reading list) is an inspiration to the March sisters and is referenced all throughout Little Women. 
• Louisa May Alcott has been called the Thackeray of the nursery and the schoolroom (which I found interesting as I just read Vanity Fair this year).
• Part I of Little Women consists of 23 chapters, and Part II consists of 24 chapters making Little Women 47 chapters and 527 pages total. 
• I began reading Little Women April 12th and finished June 20th, taking my sweet time and enjoying every minute I spent in its pages.

To conclude this recap, Amos Bronson Alcott (Louisa's father) said, "That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed with profit." And his daughter's greatest work certainly fits that description beautifully.

Go read Little Women.

Have you read Little Women or seen any of the movie adaptations of it? Which sister is your favorite and why?

Casual Fridays

Where do I even begin this week? I skipped Casual Friday last week because I pretty much poured my soul into this post, and now I feel like we have a lot to catch up on. Because, you know, I'm sure you're all dying to know every last little detail about my life. Right? Wait, Lyndsey and Christina are the only two reading this? Why aren't you two doing a better job of promoting my blog already? Kidding. (kindof) Anyway, here goes nothin'. 

First on the agenda: I started a new Bible study last week. Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer. My sister-in-love is leading this study in her home, and I'm already being challenged by it in a big way. This is my second study by Priscilla Shirer. I did Gideon a while back and LOVED it so I was really excited to jump into this one. 

*SAP ALERT* Skip ahead if you're not into it.

Last Thursday (after our new Bible study group met for the first time), I came home to these gorgeous roses. It had just been one of those weeks, ya feel me? And even though my man had just worked his third 12-hour shift in a row, he went out and got me roses. 

I don't know if you've picked up on it yet, but flowers are my love language. What? You didn't know there was a sixth love language that was just FLOWERS? Gary Chapman ain't got nothin' on me. I'll write my own dang book. 

The point of all this? My husband is the best, and he speaks my love language fluently.

I mean really, how pretty are those roses?!

Friday night and Saturday was Living Proof Live in Tampa, finally! I've been looking forward to this all year. Not kidding. And believe me when I say, I was not disappointed. It was a powerful, Spirit-filled weekend of worship and edification, and I was so glad to share it with all these sweethearts:

Our motto for the weekend was "R-E the most beautiful prefix in history." We talked about reverberating, restoring, reframing, replanting, repenting, and remembering. It was awesome. And of course, we Siestas had to meet up for our clandestine photo op with Mama Beth afterwards:

It was a fabulous weekend, and it left me begging for more. I mean, seriously Ms. Beth, don't throw out the idea of a Women's VBS if we can't follow through on that, amiright? Anyway, if you want to watch the beautiful recap they made of the weekend, click here.

Moving on...

I'm well into the Psalms right now, and I think we may have to install a little Psalm of the Week segment here on our Casual Fridays posts. This first one comes out of the 37th Psalm verses 23-26 (NASB):

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, 

And He delights in his way.

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,

Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

I have been young and now I am old

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

Or his descendants begging bread.

All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his descendants are a blessing."

What a beautiful promise: I will not be hurled headlong because the Lord is holding my hand. That's something I can hang on tight to.

Elisabeth Elliot, December 21, 1926 ~ June 15, 2015

In other news, Elisabeth Elliot went home to be with our precious Lord this week. This dear woman has influenced thousands--maybe millions--of people during her life, and I am so thankful for her dedication to God and furthering the truth of His Word. Her books have challenged me and also encouraged me during some dark times. She lived a good long life, and I hope that her words continue to challenge and encourage the generations to come. One quote of hers that I love is this:

"Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering. The love of God is of a different nature altogether. It does not hate tragedy. It never denies reality. It stands in the very teeth of suffering."

Colonel's Corner

This sweet thing went under the knife this week, y'all. There will never be any little Colonels running around because on Monday, June 15, Colonel's manhood was stripped from him. 

Poor guy.

He apparently did really well. When we got there to pick him up, we could hear him before we could see him, and the techs informed us that he was ready to go home 5 minutes after the surgery was complete.

Excuse me?! Why didn't you call me to come get my baby immediately?? (Yes, I'm turning into that girl.)

Anyway, the pain meds do weird things to him, and so far, I haven't observed him being any calmer than he was before, which is supposed to be one of the  benefits of neutering a dog. 

But it hasn't even been a whole week yet, so here's hoping.

Let's close this week out with a little Link Love, shall we?

One of the Biggest Lies the Church Has Taught You : I know, I hate posts with buzz word kinda titles, too. But this one is really good. 

Doghouse Diaries: Self-Diagnoses : Because HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Benny the Bull Kiss Cam : Because pay attention to your woman!

Disney Princess Medley : Because Bonnie Milligan is frickin' hilarious.

Annnnnnd....I think that's it for this week, folks. Do you feel sufficiently caught up on my life?

Oh and P.S. I didn't win the contest if anyone was wondering. I know. Devastating. 

A Word for Wednesday

"All books are divisible into two classes, the books of the hour, and the books of all time."

-John Ruskin-

Which class have you been reading from lately?

Because Why Not?

Well, it's another Monday and my weekend was like whoa! so I'm maintaining my Laziest Blogger Alive status by bringing you the Chick-Lit Book Title Generator: something I found on the interwebs that someone else took the time to make up. Enjoy!

Mine is Why Love Shall Sigh. Wait...no it's not! That would be the title if my surname was still Osborne. It's Why Love Shall Lose. The title of my married-name chick-lit book is Why Love Shall Lose?! I'm not sure how I feel about that...

What's yours?

Thanks for the Memories

From August of 2006 to May of 2008, I attended Clearwater Christian College where I earned my Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. This past Friday, I learned that the college would be closing its doors.

And that's sad. I'll never be able to show my kids where I went to college. I won't be able to pop onto the campus anymore when I'm over that way. It seems strange to think that a place where I grew so much as a person, a friend, a Christian will no longer exist in the way that it did.

But I will always have the memories that I made at that wonderful place, and, as I'm feeling rather nostalgic this week, today you get to be regaled with stories of my short college history. Where do I even begin?

When I enrolled at Clearwater, I had every intention of going for my bachelors degree in elementary education. God had other plans, however, and what ensued was a whirlwind of a two years and my AA. I cannot say enough good things about the professors and faculty of Clearwater Christian College. They stayed with me through three different majors and made it possible for me to graduate in 2008 by finagling my schedule into something do-able my final year including an independent study in which Dr. Mattice committed to meeting with me personally on a weekly basis to get a history credit that I needed.

So having said that, let's start with some memories of the amazing professors I had the privilege of sitting under.

Me with Dr. Ralston ~ Graduation 2008

Me with Coach Carver ~ Graduation 2008

One of the first classes I took was a comp class with Miss Hermes. I bombed the very first paper I wrote, and I remember thinking, "If this is what college work is going to be like, I'm never going to make it." I went to Miss Hermes during her office hours to discuss the paper. It turns out, her TA had graded the paper, and, after reviewing it, Miss Hermes raised my grade and discussed what she expected and how it could have even been better. She ended up being one of my favorite professors, and I took as many classes with her as I could.

How about sitting through classes with Mr. Partridge hearing about his Catholic Italian upbringing and stories of snitching his mother's meatballs after calculating how many Hail Marys it would take in confession afterwards? AND THEN HE DID HAIL MARYS IN CLASS!

How about College Algebra at 7:35 AM with Professor Kellogg when I couldn't stay awake to save my life? One time, he came up to me in the gym and said, "Hey could you close your eyes for a second?" And when I did he said, "Oh Hannah! I hardly recognized you awake." Most understanding guy on the planet.

Or what about el ed classes with Dr. Youstra hearing about how Clearwater Christian College is like a shoe factory? "We mend the souls, ship the heels, and send them out in pairs."

And who doesn't love Coach Carver? That man has a genuine love for people that is unequaled, and I'm so thankful I was able to sit under his teaching. I worked at a camp the summer between my two years at CCC, and Coach Carver wrote to me and prayed for me.

And no one who took Earth Science the spring semester of 2008 will forget that 20-page paper on the Florida everglades. I think we were all seniors who needed to pass to graduate, and that class was the most agonizing one I took. I guess it didn't help that I didn't read the book on the Florida everglades and waited until the night before it was due to write the paper. I still don't know what grade I got in that class, but I know I got my diploma so I must have passed it.

Unit P ~ Christmas Banquet 2006

Unit X ~ Christmas Banquet 2007

What about Christmas banquets and Greek events and speed dating in the gym right after your parents dropped you off freshman year?

What about trying to find a private place to cry your eyes out that very first week and realizing two other girls in your unit were doing the same thing and bonding for life over it?

What about gaining that Freshman 15 because one of your unit-mates worked at Dunkin and brought home a dozen donuts every night? (Thanks, Jackie!)

What about blaring Beyonce's Irreplaceable and singing at the tops of our lungs anytime we drove anywhere and packing six people into my '93 Ford Taurus at any given time?

What about paying all my room fines (or late fines) exclusively in pennies in an act of protest until Ms. Bennett finally demanded that I sit in her apartment and roll the pennies myself anytime I came to pay?

And speaking of late fines, how about befriending every single guy in the security shack so they'd wave me through when I was getting back to campus late from work...again?

SDC ~ Community Service

Cougar Baseball

How about joining the Greek whose community service was taking Panera-donated bagels and coffee to the local firefighters? (SDC for life!)

How about being a loyal Cougars baseball fan and cheering the guys on at every single game?

What about sitting in Cathcart for hours talking about everyone who walked by? The nice guys taking the girls trays to the window? Or those pumpkin pancakes I would drag myself out of bed for? (Ok, so Kym would drag me out of bed for them, but you get the idea.)

What about working in Joy Club and making a difference in the lives of kids living in a bad neighborhood?

Or taking friends home to my parents' house every weekend because we just had to get off campus for a little while, do laundry, and feel like we were free?

The Original Four

Monday Night Starbucks Club

Rebekah Germano, Lauren Town, Me, Kristi Ricker

What about starting the Monday Night Starbucks Club with Ben, Micah, and Ted and all of us racing back to campus right at curfew from Safety Harbor Pier?

And speaking of Safety Harbor, how about being thrown into the fountain or walking the trail to see groups of CCC students watching movies on their laptops?

How about meeting Milton at The Village Inn for ice cream one night and going in wearing only socks because my shoes were so gross after work?

How about staying up all night with Karsch watching our shows in her bed and driving her roommate insane with our talking and laughing?

SDC Bowling Bash (1st Year)

Ice Skating Event (1st Year)

SDC Bowling Bash (2nd Year)

What about road-tripping up to Pensacola Christian College for the big rivalry basketball game, wearing jeans and holding hands with Chuck Tibbetts just to make the PCC kids mad?

What about just hanging out in the gym playing and watching intramural volleyball and basketball?

What about that Cougar discount at Chick-fil-a? (Oh, the weight I gained in college!) Or going anywhere within a 5-mile radius of campus and seeing fellow students? (Especially Target, Borders, Panera, and anywhere in Safety Harbor.)

Or how when I desperately wanted to be alone, I'd go to the Barnes & Noble off of 19, find a copy of Anne of Green Gables, and stay there for hours because the CCC kids all went to Borders.

Valentines 2007

Lauren Town, Allison Hohman, Me ~ Countryside Mall '06

Kymberly Murray, Emilie Klinger, Me, Amanda Karschner, Alisha Boley

How about instituting the Valentines Blind Group Date where we'd pick each other's dates out and not tell till we met to go out?

How about that time we went to Clearwater Beach and saw that little old man strip down after his run? (I still can't think about that without cracking up!)

And speaking of Clearwater Beach, how about going every chance I got but always by myself because my swimwear wasn't CCC-approved?

And speaking of dress code, how about the four-finger rule and that time I got demerits in my mailbox from some punk RA who "didn't want to embarrass me" by approaching me after the class we had together because my shirt was too low? (I'm still a little bitter about this one. The nerve!)

How about Unforgettable Night where Dr. Ralston cut me off in the middle of my rendition of Beauty & the Beast because we were running short on time, and I had given him permission beforehand to be brutal with me if he wanted? (He was the Simon Cowell in our American Idol themed Unforgettable Night.)

How about sitting in front of the library for hours talking about the deep things and forming relationships that would last a lifetime?

Unit P ~ 06/07 

Unit X ~ 07/08

And oh the memories from our "study tour" to Europe! That's a post in and of itself. Suffice it to say, I earned college credit to go on a trip to Austria (Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck), Italy (Venice, Florence), and France (Paris) in March of 2008. Let's look at a few photos from that amazing trip:

waiting to check into our room

J-Mor, Alex, and TG recreating the statue behind them in Vienna

climbing "the mountain" in the middle of the night in Innsbruck 

taking the most un-romantic gondola ride in Venice

losing ourselves in Venice and eating the best gelato in the world

on the ferry to and from Venice with Jen Bolan, Brooke Begeman, and Kym Murray

the infamous night train to Paris

squeezing onto a tiny white block in front of the Eiffel Tower for this picture

freezing our butts off in Paris but loving every minute of it

"booty in da air!" in Germany

Playing Golf every spare minute during our travels, glass-blowing in Venice, the opera in Vienna, nastiest weather ever in Florence, stuffing ourselves with the best food everywhere we went, too windy and snowy to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and making memories I'll never forget.

All of this and so much more leading up to this moment:

My college days were a blast, and I will cherish all these memories and the friends I have made forever. 

Thanks, CCC!

Share some of your own college memories (especially if you're a Cougar!) in the comments, and have a fabulous Wednesday!

Because Priorities

So, my mom e-mailed me this little meme last week (is this a meme? I don't entirely understand what a meme is--don't judge me and quit talking about how old I am):

First of all, thanks, Mom, for your vote of confidence in my housekeeping abilities. 

But in all seriousness, this is so me, and I laughed really hard. Priorities, amiright?

P.S. Sorry I'm becoming the laziest blogger alive, but really, it's Monday and do you really want to read a long detailed post about something I'm reading? Oh you did? #mybad

Sweet Times

Y'all, I know it's Saturday, but I just wanted to give you a little peek into my day. It's been on the yucky, rainy, thundery side--perfect for staying inside and reading. And this guy has been by my side constantly. 

Reading Little Women with my puppy in my lap? Yes, please. Sometimes he drives me crazy, and there are days when I'm ready to put him out by the road with a For Sale sign, but really, he's the sweetest little guy, and I can't imagine our lives without him now. 

"Dog are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." -Roger Caras

"The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog." 

-M.K. Clinton

"Why does watching a dog be a dog fill one with happiness?" -Jonathan Safran Foer

"When an eighty-five pound mammal licks your tears away, then tries to sit on your lap, it's hard to feel sad." -Kristan Higgins

"Once you have had a wonderful dog, a life without one, is a life diminished." -Dean Koontz

"Happiness is a warm puppy." -Charles M. Schulz

Casual Fridays

Yesterday, I got to have some quality one-on-one time with my niece. We're both firstborns so we relate to each other in a special way. (If you're not a firstborn, you just wouldn't understand. sorrynotsorry.) It was definitely the highlight of my week so prepare to be inundated with adorable photos of our day yesterday. If that's not your thing...well...you have no soul. But you have been warned.

We started the day off right with the decision to make cookies. 

Chewy, peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies. Because if you can't put all the ingredients in, then what's the point? There's oatmeal in it, it's healthy okay?!

So we apron-ed up, cranked the Disney tunes, and got to work.

A lot of spoon-licking was involved.

(Don't worry, Mom, that's straight-up peanut butter she's licking in this picture. I mean, you can even see the vat of Jif and everything.)

Uhhh...I can't promise that she didn't consume some of the dough before we baked it though. I mean, we had to make sure it was good! No worries. It was a miniscule amount. And it's practically like eating oatmeal, remember? Once we got the dough in the fridge, we decided to take the Colonel on a walk.

When I handed her the leash, she looked up at me and said, "Auntie Hannah, I have to hold the bag of poop now."

Whatever floats your boat, kiddo.

Once we got back from our walk, it was naptime. No photos of that because hello, serious sleeping happening. But after we all woke up, we decided to have a silly photo shoot while our amazing cookies baked to a state of perfection. Thanks for your Photo Booth app, Macintosh. Kudos to you. Here's a few of my faves:

Listen, did I or did I not say inundated?! You're lucky I narrowed it down to six, okay?

We finished up our cookies, taste tested a couple while letting Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian entertain us, then it was time to pack her up and take her home. 

It was a super-fun day, and I hope she has fond memories of hanging out with her Auntie Hannah when she's all grown-up. Which will be like tomorrow. I mean, this kid is 3 going on 16. Stop. Growing. Up.

What are your favorite kind of cookies? Send me all the recipes. And speaking of recipes: Lynds. Chocolate cake. I neeeeeeed it!

Do you have any awesome memories of hanging out with a particularly cool aunt or uncle?