First post of the New Year

Well it's been about a year since I've posted. So much has changed but it's still very much the same. I am still horrible at meal planning and we still have the "oh well, let's just go get a rotisserie chicken from raleys" convo. BUT hey! It's better than jack-in-the box! That's thanks to the little one that will only eat what we eat. No jumbo jacks for her! Our baby girl is 17 months old and so much fun! I have never felt so out of control of time as I have since becoming a mom. Days feel like they are dragging on but speeding past me all at once. Every day it's "one hour till nap time, 30 minutes till dad gets home" then I BLINK and it's next month. I feel like just last week it was Christmas. It's a frustrating thing for me. Every time you see a new little blessing join this world you can look around at all the other people who have been down this road. Grandparents, great-grandparents. They all look at you (the younger ones who are experiencing something for the first time) with such happiness in their eyes but I feel like (in the times I'm seeing more spiritually than others) also a sadness, or warning maybe. Hard to describe. But they just smile, stare at you, but have that look like "don't blink". They all already know how this goes. They know how fast the days go, how one day your baby wants only you and it's the most frustrating thing but someday very soon they'll show up with a significant other and you can't just grab them and hold them and bite their cheeks (what I love doing to Alaina). I wish time would slow. 

Anyways...Now I'm crying.

I made granola bars! My phone won't let me put a picture but here's the recipe:

2 1/2 Cups oats

1/2 Cup sliced almonds

Toast for 5 minutes, stir, toast for another 3. 350*

1/4 Cups unsalted butter

1/3 Cup honey

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 Cup dried cranberries

1/4 Cup peanut butter chips

Take toasted oats and almonds and add to mixing bowl. Combine butter, honey, sugar, salt, vanilla in saucepan until melted. Add to oats and almonds. Mix in berries and chips. Line a 9x9 pan with foil and then add granola. Let sit for TWO HOURS(the hardest part) and then cut :) 

Yumm!

-ash

Excuse the possible spelling errors, my phone is horrible and the baby is waking up :)