Let's Talk

This week I was inspired to share my journey with mental illness because of the stories I came across during #BellLetsTalk.  I read one post stating how great it was, that everyone is excited to talk about mental health and sickness during this one day but how we need to keep the conversation going.

I agree that the one day promotion is beneficial in creating awareness but we do need to be comfortable talking about mental health everyday.  So, here is my story and some of my journey through mental illness.  I hope you will share yours, share my video if it touches you, comment on this post or listen to someone you know, who may be having a tough time.

Let's talk!

Gratitude Monday - Everyday Extraordinary

Baby Photo Shoot 

Lights On The Ice Rink 

I hope you had a good weekend and took time to enjoy what makes you happy.  We had a great weekend in little Corunna town enjoying time with Luke, celebrating my moms birthday, drinking coffee (I drink it everyday but it tastes better on the weekend), visits with friends and family, eating treats, feeding my soul at church, sharing church with my niece and ice skating on our backyard rink under some Christmas lights.

Do you ever feel so blessed your afraid something bad might happen?  This happens to me sometimes but I am working on it.  I suffer from anxiety but I have developed some tools that help me to live a happy healthy life.  One thing I have learned from my anxiety and fear is that on the other side of it, I find gratitude.  Sometimes I am afraid of loosing things or people, through prayer and the Lords Word, I am slowly learning to leave my fears at God's feet and then be grateful for what I do have in place of worrying about what I may loose.  This has taught me to find true joy and contentment in many of the daily, ordinary happenings. 

I believe that my ordinary everyday can be extraordinary and I am loving every moment of this adventure called life.

Pinterest Perfect 

Happy Heather

The View From My Fall 

Chocolate & Reading In Bed

Grandpa Brown & Luke

Granny Brown & Luke

What are you grateful for today? 

Family Photos - Luke's First Week

We had a photo session with Shannon Turner Photography when Luke was about a week old.  Looking back at these photos I am so glad I captured this moment in our lives.  I am having so much fun being a mom, and I am more fulfilled than I could have imagined.  Having Luke has awakened the inner child in me, the day dreamer, the creator, a piece of me that I think I had been hiding for awhile.

Time is passing but I am enjoying every moment! 

Thank you Shannon for your great work, my favourite is the third one down, big yawn. 

Stuffed Peppers

I am trying to get creative in the kitchen by using what I have on hand so that I only go to the grocery store for one big shop a week.  I have been doing this a lot lately with only some success (there have been a few things I have had to throw away).  Regardless of the current success rate, I am having fun with my foodie experiments and I would say these stuffed peppers were a win.  They are kind of like spinach dip meats stuffed peppers.  I hope you like them, let me know what you think, or if you put your own spin on this idea with some other ingredients you had in your kitchen.

Ingredients 
One block of frozen chopped spinach

One block of cream cheese 

Four cloves of chopped garlic 

1/2 a carton of chopped cherry tomatoes  

2 cups of chopped croutons
2 tablespoons of Greek or Italian seasoning

4 peppers cut in half lengthwise 
Graded mozzarella for topping

Method 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Blend thawed spinach and room temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer
Chop garlic and add it to the mixture
Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters and add to the mixture
Chop croutons and add them to the mixture
Add seasoning of choice
Top with graded mozzarella
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes