The Long Awaited Valentines

So my Valentine's have finally reached their destinations!! I finished them and mailed them a whole week late, but I think they were worth it.  I would love such a valentine myself, so I figure whoever got one should also love it.  I found the idea on Pinterest and this link. So cool.

For those of you with limited imaginations, they are bookmarks! you stick it on the corner of your page and it looks like the little guys is eating up every word!  I wrote up a little poem to stick them on for my Valentines and I am quick pleased with how they turned out :) now I just need some time to make a few for myself!

They're super easy to make (although take a little time), so I encourage you to check out the link and make some yourself. You won't regret it!

A Sunday Sweet

Today is Sunday, one of my favorite days.  Today's kind of Sunday is rare because it's actually relaxing. Ahhh relaxing.

Our kitty's stomach has been upset since his steroid shot (for the allergies) and I read that a little bit of pumpkin puree should do the trick to set it straight.  But what in the world should I do with the rest of the canned pumpkin?  Make muffins, of course :)

In the past couple months, I have fallen in love with baking.  I think it calls to the Type A personality in me. It's so perfect! You just follow the direction to the "t" and BAM you get deliciousness.  Unlike cooking, my nemesis, which never seems to go as it should...that's another story.

Anyway, today I am making pumpkin muffins adapted from this recipe.  Instead of using raisins and walnuts, I opted for chocolate chips (so much yummier!).  I made these once before as Mini-muffins but they came out a little dry.  This time, they're perfect!! If you want to make minis, just make sure you turn down the heat to 375F and check them at 8 minutes.

Country Pumpkin Muffins
Preheat Oven at 400F
(makes 27 muffins)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup water
• 
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• (1 1/2 cups raisins)
• (1 cup chopped walnuts)
• 1 Cup chocolate chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. 

2. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt in a separate bowl and add to pumpkin mixture; blend well. 

3. Fold in chocolate chips(raisins and walnuts). 

4.Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

5. Feel free to sprinkle with powdered sugar, although they are delightful just the way they are

6. ENJOY!

fresh out o' the oven

Enjoy your Sunday :)

Sick Kitty

As some of you know, our little Santa Paws has been to the vet half a dozen times since he came home with us.  The poor thing simply will not get better!  It turns out that he had an allergic reaction to the ointment we were using on his ear. With the fur on his ear and head continuing to fall off, the doctor prescribed (dun dun dunnnnn) baths.  Every three days.  Poor baby kitty.  He's actually pretty good about taking a bath, but what little one seriously wants to take one? No one.  We're seriously praying that he finally gets better and there will no more vet visits (except yearly checkups, duh).

I guess there's one "glass half-full" to this whole bath thing- snuggle time :)  Yesterday he dried himself and then crawled right into my bed as if to say "it's snuggle time now right?" Right.  Even when it's cloudy, the sun is always there :)

Get better soon my little Paws!!

Valentine's Day

Oh man, is it PAST Valentine's day already?!

I'm on the late train again. Oh well.  The good news is that I did get about halfway done with my Valentine's before the day actually arrived, but things came up and busy-ness swept away my good intentions to finish them. They will get finished. Don't you worry.  I won't, however, post what they are here just yet.  Once they hit the bottom of the mailbox I will be quick to share them with you, but I want to share them with my Valentine's first.

I happen to LOVE Valentine's Day, but this year I feel like it escaped me. It came and went so fast!  It's important to remember, though, that everyday is an opportunity to tell someone that you love them and show them how important they are to you!

As Jude and I were deciding what to do this year to celebrate, we could not remember what we did last year! Isn't that horrible? Neither of us have any memories of last year's Valentine's day.  We were so busy with everything that was happening that our minds were too full to catch that memory. Sad. I have a good idea of what we did (just because I know us) and I'm sure we went to dinner, saw a movie at Movies 10 and then went to Starbucks.  I just wish I remembered it.  If any of you out there DO remember what we did, please jog my memory!

This year, we were sure to take pictures so that we definitely would not forget.  It's not like we could anyway, our first *married* Valentine's :) We went to the Bonefish Grille for dinner and it was soooo yummy! If you ever go, definitely  gt the Bang Bang Shrimp. You will not regret it.  We had a lovely evening and took some time to spend some gift cards from the wedding on household items we still needed.  I think I like that better than flowers and chocolate.  Building our home gives me the warm and fuzzies!

Here's to hoping that you had a nice Valentine's Day, whoever you were celebrating with.  Don't forget to tell the one's you love today and everyday how much they mean to you!

You Named Your Cat What?

Sir Santa Paws.

Yeah that's right, I said it.

It's quite amusing to see people's reactions when I tell them about my little kitty.  For my entire life (practically) I dreamed of having an orange tabby named  Shampoo (Shampy for short) and many of my friends knew that. So what happened to Shampy? Something better happened :)  I had been looking around craigslist for kittens and fell in love with this tiny gray fuzzball with green eyes. So stunning.  Jude was joking with me that because the kitten would be my Christmas gift, I should name it something Christmas-y.  There's a cute girl who comes to the Mt. named Christmas so I didn't want to name the kitten that (plus he's a boy and it now reminds me of a girl's name. You know how that works) and then it hit me.

Sir Santa Paws.

Get it? Like Santa Claus?  Anyway, when I contacted the seller of that dreamy kitten, he had already found a family and I was heartbroken (although happy he found a family).   He was a little Russian Blue and I soon found out they are pretty hard breed to stumble upon. I thought my dream was over.

Then, a friend of mine told me about a kitten rescue that believe it or not was just a few miles down the road. Before leaving to India we made an appointment to visit the kittens and as soon as I walked in I saw him.

Sir Santa Paws.

I ran past the Shampys and every other cute kitten who was so tiny it's ears didn't fit its head and ran to the cage with the gray kitten with green eyes. It was a boy. He needed a home. He was a Russian Blue mix. My dream was coming true :)

We brought him home the day after we returned from India and he is so perfect.  Everything I dreamed of.  He's a snuggle bug and he loves kisses. He doesn't make messes and he doesn't destroy furniture.  He's not afraid of strangers. He doesn't claw or bite unexpectedly. He loves me and let's me love him. He also loves baked goods (as I found out when he broke into my muffins and ate all the tops off...all of them).  He's my Sir Santa Paws.

When I first took him to the vet, the tech said "Sir Santa Paws? THAT'S what we're referring to him as?" My beloved best friend tried to convince me the name would be stupid in the summer time and my mommy told me there's always time to change his name.

He secretly has lots of names.

C'mon, who doesn't call their pet by 10 different names? He's: Sir Santa Paws, Little Paws, Baby Paws, Sunshine (because he brightens my day) Stinky butt (Self explanatory) and Mr. Wet Chin (because he sticks his entire face in the water bowl when he drinks).

So laugh if you will, but I love my Sunshiney Sir Santa Paws :)

If you have any super creative "pet names" and would like to show me up, feel free to comment!!

Looking back at 2011

Now that we finally have stable internet, I can get back to blogging as my method of procrastination :)

I know that I'm a little late (ok, very late) on bringing in the New Year, but I need to officially shout HOORAY for 2012!!
The old is gone and the new has come :) In honor of the old, however, I thought I would do a quick review of 2011. It was a CRAZY, hectic, and stressful year...but one of the best.  Funny how that happens, isn't it? If you want to read my post from what I thought 2011 would be like click here.

And this is how it was...

January to May were extremely difficult.  Between work, school, planning a wedding, and working through immigration paperwork I was more than in over my head.  Anyone who was with me during those hard months probably watched me break down more than once, but God knew exactly what I needed. A floaty :) My best friend Sara came to school at Roberts that January and without her I can easily say that I wouldn't have made it.  David needed Jonathan and I needed Sara.  Looking back, its much easier to say that admist the trying times God kept light at the end of the tunnel. As I review the year, it becomes really clear that everything my heart desired I got.

In May, we graduated!! Woohooo!!! Offiicially a REAL college graduate with a REAL degree!

Two weeks later, Jude and I were married at an incredible ceremony and reception surrounded by people we love the most :) I could blabber on about my wedding for a million years...for real. But I won't this time. Maybe later (be warned).

This is where I couldn't squeeze his ring on :)

After a brief "mini-moon" in Cape May, NJ (where I did actually accomplish my bikini goal for my honeymoon!!) we moved to our current location at Blue Mountain Christian Retreat to welcome a beautiful, amazing, God-filled summer of awesome :D

My incredible fam jam :)

God did some really sweet things over the summer.  He really dealt with some of the anger issues I had been fostering since my experience at Roberts and of course there was the AWESOMENESS of becoming a new wife and growing into that new role. There was of course the trying, wearying difficulties of immigration paperwork which brought me to tears most days. More than anything though, I have become INCREDIBLY aware of how much God loves me (and you) and really cares about every little thing.  Every. single. one.

I have to tell you that even though it was a very hard year, looking back I am amazed that God still gave me every desire of my heart.
He provided a stunning engagement ring (you should hear that story, really).
He sent me my best friend when I needed her the most.
He gave me my dream husband (really, he's the best).
He made provision for a beautiful wedding.
He allowed for me to return to my dream job with people I love.
He blessed us with an AMAZING second honeymoon that we could never afford.
He made a way for us to travel to India to be with our beloved family.


I am truly blessed. Truly.  Even though 2011 was so difficult, I was probably the most blessed this past year.  Even to the point where our car broke down and the money was miraculously provided through an anonymous gift-to the exact amount. Wow. God is so good.

For all of you who have been waiting forever! We DID go to Jamaica on the honeymoon we won :D We had to delay the trip due to immigration paperwork, but we finally went in November and it was like being in a postcard. It was beautiful sometimes I still think it was a dream.  Thank you again to everyone who voted because without you it would have never been possible!

We were SO excited to go back to India to celebrate our marriage with family and friends, and most of all to see family again.  I cannot comprehend how Jude survives being so far away from his famjam.  When we were leaving the airport to come back to the States, I bawled my eyes out for about an hour.  I love them so much and I am so insanely blessed to be brought into an incredible family.

When we returned from India I received the BEST Christmas gift ever- and extension to my little family!  By now I'm sure you've all seen my little Sir Santa Paws :) I love him, he's perfect. He's currently sleeping behind me on my desk chair.  He brightens my day when Jude's not here. Did I mention he's perfect?

he's growing!

Well, that's my little rundown of the past year. Some super awesome surprises lay in store for this year.  I will be sharing them with you in the future, so stay tuned.

The word God gave me for this year is Faithfulness. Not on my part (although it is my goal), but on His.  As I share my goals for this year in future posts, I hope that you will keep this in mind with me.  I am adventuring impossible adventures and I am confident that God will be faithful.

Happy Newest Year :)
 love, the Singhs