Today I am most grateful for my family and friends that count as family. You know who you are and you rock! The one that gets a personal shout out is my precious lovely daughter. I will miss her more than she knows today. I love you!!!!!

These rocked my world!!!

As many of you know I am allergic to wheat and sugar and I have been off of both of them about 2 months. Needless to say I have been dying for a cookie. I finally found a recipes that I liked. I have made them twice now and have savored every wheat-free and sugar-free bite. And they are super easy.
*it makes a wet sticky dough*

Agave-sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup almonds
21⁄4 cups whole-grain spelt flour
3 cups pressed oats
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, wrappers reserved
1½ cups blue agave syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Directions

Set oven to preheat to 350 F. Meanwhile, place the almonds on an ungreased cookie sheet and put sheet in preheating oven. When oven is up to temperature, about 7 minutes later, remove nuts. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Combine the spelt flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the agave syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Add flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in the raisins or chocolate chips.

Grease cookie sheet with reserved butter wrappers. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets. Flatten cookies slightly. A standard-sized sheet should accommodate 12 cookies.

Bake cookies for 12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on sheet, then move to a counter or cooling rack.

Makes 48 cookies.

I love love love this stuff. It so good. The best part is that it doesn't raise you blood sugar. Click here to get more info on Agave.

I was blogercizing (yes that is my new term) the other day and found these gorgeous wedding pics. I love her dress and flowers. You've got the check it out.

I saw this movie last night and the jury it still out. I am going to see it again this afternoon and hopefully I will get a better opinion. Maybe be I am unsure because it was so late last night or it might have been the teenage girls whispering, laughing,and cheering through the whole movie that put me off. I just want to watch the movie in peace. So hopefully I will watch it with a less annoying crowd today.

I want to say a big Congratulation to Brynne on the arrival of her second bundle of joy.
P.S. I love the name.

I am super excited and just needed to share. I just got off the scale I have lost 3 lbs and I hope to lose even more. Go me!

Wow

Something fantastic happened. I went to the gym today and low and behold they installed new tvs. There are now tvs at some of the elliptical machines and treadmills. They even have cable. I made it thru and hour and ten min. of cardio like it was no ones business. It may be stupid but it made my day!

This was Presley's first time on skis and and she loved it. I have some better pics coming as soon as I develop them. Dan said she was a natural and I am so glad she doesn't take after me. I am not really the "sporty" type. She had a blast and she can't wait to do it again.




P.S. She thinks she looks like a "fat lady" in her snow suit. We both think its pretty funny.

I love this little chica but as I write this I can hear crunching ever so loudly on a celery stick. I can't help but think I really need a break. This Sunday she is heading back to Maui with her Dad for about a month. It will be a very long break and I will miss her to pieces. I will just have to keep myself busy and mingle. Right?

Bella

These are little Bella's feet. This is so her it makes me laugh. I love those black toes. She is out spoken, brash, head strong, and then out of no where she is the sweetest little angel. She will say things like,"Your my best friend Aunty." and,"You look so pretty Aunty." She was my little friend while Presley was gone this summer and gave me some good cuddles. I miss this chick.

So sometimes I like to reminisce about friends from my Laie days. I have a few girls I hold dear from those days. Namely Brynne, Natalie, Keri, Brooke and last but not least Ruth. I was thinking about Ruth the other day and thought I wonder if she has a blog. And low and behold I check my email today and see that Ruth sent me a link to none than her blog. Needless to say it made my day and it is one more sign that my Heavenly Father loves me and answers my prayers I didn't know I prayed. God is good. :)

Sheesh.....It has been so busy today I haven't had a moment to breath. And it doesn't look like it is going to let up. I will have to post about our birthday party fun a little later.

I have a fancy birthday party to go to tonight. I think I could rock a look like this.

Ok, I am so mad right now and I just have to vent real quick. Here is my story. I have been of wheat and sugar for a while now so I haven't had much in the way of sweet treats (I even made it through Halloween sugar free). So I decided today that I would make a cheesecake for myself. I got all the ingredients. This means that I made homemade wheat free graham crackers and all. I make my awesome sans wheat and sugar confection and put it outside covered to cool (to speed up the cooling). I go to retrieve my well deserved treat to find that it is being devoured by my parents' little dog. My precious confection and all the money I spent on my expensive marscapone cheese is down the tubes. I was ready to cry and I am just seething. I will never ever have any pets. I hate them. This dog has ruined my night and I am ready to feed her to the wolves.

I totally want a pair of these. I bet they are super flattering.