Vanishing Cookies

Oh my goodness, these cookies are to die for!  Seriously, I think you could die from them because they are so good that you could eat such an ungodly amount that you would die.  Everybody should have a go to cookie recipe and this is definitely mine.  Well, this and cookie bars but those can be for another day.  Why must I love sweets so much?


The name vanishing is completely appropriate too because they just vanish, especially if you have a 14 year old brother.  You can also double the recipe like I just did because I am getting ready to go to North Carolina with my parents, brother, brother's friend, and boy cousin.  Those three boys will probably eat all the cookies in the car since they are that good.  If you do double it, it will almost bubble over the side of the mixer.  It makes a ton!

So here's the recipe- not doubled:

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup + 6 tbsp butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not cooked- duh)

1 cup craisins (I add a little more)

1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or more)

1.) Heat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy

2.) Add eggs and vanilla, beat well

3.) Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt- mix well

4.) Add oats, craisins, and white chocolate 

5.) Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet 
6.) Bake for 6-8 minutes until lightly golden brown. 
7.) Let cool and then devour! 


Oh my, these cookies are by far the best.  They are the best smelling cookies and just wait until you taste them.  So stop reading and make these cookies.  Or don't because they are seriously the devil in cookie form. 

Funny Friday

Yay! It's Friday and if Rebecca Black's awful song isn't in your head yet, it now is :)

So another week of day camp is over and thank goodness for that.  It was a long day today.  So here are some funny things the kids did or said to hopefully brighten your day if it's as rainy and gross as it is here.

The kids tied jump ropes to a hula hoop and pretended they were dragons by putting the hula hoop around their middle.  This prompted a lot of: "He's stepping on my tail!" "Stop pulling my tail!"  "Rawr, I am dragon.  Do you see my firey breath?"  "I am going to eat you!"

One little boy wanted his jump rope made into "that thing cowboys have since I am a cowboy."  Then came the scream of, "Jackson is trying to lasso me!" 

"Can I have a hoop de hoop?" (Hula hoop)

"I am going to beat my boyfriend Max... Max, I just beat you! He's my boyfriend." 
Max, "No I am not." 
Caitlin, "Yes you are.  Sometime he just forgets."  

While giving a tennis lesson to my five year old neighbor, I told him we were going to start by hitting some balls and then we'd play a game.  He walked over to the ball hopper and starting hitting the balls with his hand and asked, "So can we play a game now?"

And last but not least my 14 year old brother who is currently in a stage where he says that he is brown.  I think the picture sums it up.  

The left sticky note says Kenny

The top one says Kenny's real mom. 

Oh boy, what I am going to do with this kid?

Have a great weekend y'all. 

Windy Gap Say YEEESSSS

"For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them." Ephesians 2:10

Here we are- Summer Staff Session 1

My time at Windy Gap was incredible.  I had more fun then I thought imaginable and made friends that I love dearly. I am not really sure how to write this since so much happened and so many memories were made.  I guess I will just start with the basics and ramble on from there.

I was assigned to be a PM cook which means that my three wonderful friends, myself, and our amazing intern Jill prepared dinner for around 400 people every night for three weeks.  You would be amazed (I think) at how much food teenagers eat.  It's incredible.  The kitchen was so much fun too.  I had my doubts at first but I cannot image being placed anywhere else.  God sure does know what he's doing. 

The evenings were filled with fun, laughing, and just plain old ridiculousness.  We helped with the obstacle course that was every Sunday night where Sam, Sam, Elizabeth, Hannah, and I got to whack campers with pool noodles as they ran through a trench of mud.  Sam and I became four year old boys when this happened and told the campers they were running through poop and found ourselves (and songs) hilarious.  We were so muddy by the end of the night from being splashed that it looked like we went through the course too.   

We tribal danced in Cedar lobby, sang praise and worship, went to club, stayed up late talking, had girl time that went for hours (which was wonderful) and became closer to one another and the Lord.  It was amazing.

We also had a few minutes of free time where we could participate in some of the fun things the campers get to do like the nascarts and the big swing.  SO FUN.  I think Hannah and I smiled the entire time of both things. Don't let the picture on the swing fool you, we were told to make silly faces. 

My lovely fam after riding the nascarts.  Awkward family photo award right here please.

The big swing. 

My summer staff coordinators were the absolute best. They cared for each and everyone of us so much.  They are truly a testament to God's love.  Here is the lovely Jess and her husband Andy are being loved by some sweet friends.  The funny thing is that in the picture I took before this, poor Andy is all alone. Luckily some silly boys came to his rescue. 

The saying that God meets you where ever you are at is so so so true.  I feel like I met God again at Windy Gap.  I suppose it would be kind of hard not to when he's all around.  I saw God literally all over the place.  I saw God in every summer staff friend.  I loved seeing God work in them when they would be doing their devo's or just spending some sweet time with him.  I saw God in the Assigned "A" team and their beautiful families.  I saw God in 300 and some campers who accepted Jesus into their lives over the three weeks I was there.  I saw God in their leaders who loved their kids so well.  I saw God in my summer staff coordinators through the way they loved us and through their faith.  I saw God when 350 teenagers where jumping and singing in the club room.  I saw God in the work crew who worked their tales off for kids their own age to be able to have the best week of their life.  There is not one place where I can say that I did not see God.  He is everywhere and he is amazing. I am so glad that I was able to go to Windy Gap, experience a Young Life camp, and meet God again in this way.  My faith has deepened and so has my love for my Lord.  He found me at Windy Gap and I needed him to find me. My God is so good and he loves me perfectly.  How amazing is that? 

  

The kitchen is a dangerous place.  

Hannah, me and Jill. 

 Only one of us really needed the blue wrap. 

Little Kiddos

After about a month (or two), I am back and ready to start blogging again!  These next few are not in chronological order.  I woke up this morning and thought that I wanted to share with you all the funny things the kids that I work with say.  

So Fridays for the next couple of weeks will be funny phrase Friday. 

This week at the camp I work at, I was asked by a darling little 4 year old if I would go on a date with him.  When I asked him again what he said, he told me that he knew I would say no.

There was a fire alarm that went of yesterday at camp and the same little guy from above told me that it was a good thing that he was there because he is a firefighter. And if he isn't at camp and there's a fire, I should call him because he fights real and fake fires. 

This one may be a tad inappropriate but it is funny.  Another little guy had been in the bathroom for a while so I asked him if he was okay.  He replied, "Geeze, I am just trying to wipe my butt." 

A precious 4 year old came up to me on the playground and said, "Do you know I am a real money?  My dad says that I am."  He then proceeded to climb up the pull up bars and then beat his chest and make monkey noises.

I have a feather in my hair from a camp I volunteered at a couple of weeks ago (much more on that later).  When the little girls saw it, they were amazed.  I get asked multiple times a day if they can pet my feather.  They always answer with, "Oohhh, it's so soft."

I babysit and give tennis lessons to this absolutely adorable little four year old who says some of the cutest things ever such as:

What a beautiful day! The crows are crowing, the faces on the trees are smiling and the blue jays are chirping!

Well, I think this play date is off to a very good start. 

My mom keeps throwing away my Christmas lists and I am mad at her.  Don't tell me when to forgive her because I already decided that I will forgive her December 1st.  (Then I said) "Don't you think that's a long time?  Maybe you should forgive her a little sooner since we have a couple of months to Christmas."  J replied, "Okay, how does August 2nd sound then?"

I absolutely LOVE kiddos.  Not only are they adorable, but they put a smile on my face every time I see them.  I cannot wait to work with little ones for my real job and hear what funny things they will have to say (especially since I will be working with kids who need speech therapy).

Happy Friday!

Here's a sneak peak of what I will be blogging about next- Windy Gap!