an open letter to my husband...

J,

4 and a half years ago, we became a couple. At 18 and 17, we were just a couple of kids madly in love. We didn’t know a lot back then, but we knew one thing for certain: we belonged together. And now, I can say with absolute certainty that the years with you have been the best of my entire life. I’m only 22 now so maybe that’s not saying very much, but I mean it all the same. 

I don’t tell you this as often as I should, but I love being your wife. In fact, I’m proud to be your wife. You continue to amaze me year after year with your ability to selflessly love me. Like the facet that you work 7 days week, from sunup to sundown, you never complain and you are always willing to help someone out. Or like the times that you wake up earlier to take care of our daughter so that I can sleep. Or when you don't buy something you want so that I can get something that I think I need.

You would do anything for me. You put up with me and my shenanigans, day in and day out. You even put up with me when I was pregnant for nine months, and for that, you deserve a trophy.

You have always supported me. I would not be where I am today, doing what I’m doing, chasing dreams, without you. That is a fact. You have been my rock, my coach in the corner, and my daily encouragement for almost 5  whole years. Thank you for believing in me, and for helping me believe in myself.

We’re on a new adventure now,  and there’s nobody I’d rather be learning with than you. I love watching you with Isla, how sweet and attentive you are with her, calling her “peanut”, playing with her when you come home from a long day, and always being worried about every little thing.

You’re an amazing dad, and an even better husband, which is saying a lot. Our marriage is far from perfect, but I honestly believe it’s getting better and better with each passing day. Thank you for loving me the way that you do. Cheers to the next 5 years, and many many more to come. I love you, Jesse David. Always have, always will.

-A

Baked Chicken Alfredo

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces  any pasta shape
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 batch alfredo sauce (see below)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper, to taste 

to make the alfredo sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle the flour, and stir to combine. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the sauce to a simmer.  Cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

To Assemble:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the pasta in a large stockpot of  boiling water, according to package instructions. Drain, and return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and alfredo sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.

Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Add the remaining pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden.

Remove and serve immediately, and enjoy!

6 Months Old

Isla is one of the happiest babes know. She's always smiling, cooing and laughing. She's currently working on sitting up and crawling. She still wears newborn clothes but is finally able to fit into some of her 3 month clothes. She's finally getting leg rolls (thank you Jesus!) and I'm all about showing them babies off. She's a nap queen and loves car rides, eating, and spending time with Daddy. 

Iced Mocha Coffee

Living out on the ranch definitely  has it's ups but it also has it's downs-one being there's no Starbucks within 100 miles of our house. It sucks honestly. I've been having a major craving for a Mocha Frap but no can do out here. I searched Pinterest hoping I could find a recipe to make one close but I didn't have any of the ingredients so I grabbed my blender and decided to try winging it. Boy am I glad I did. It turned out perfect and I have to say I may like this more than Starbucks..besides it's way cheaper and since I used Coconut milk, it's on the lighter side without tasting like it. It's the perfect Spring/Summer treat to enjoy on those hot afternoons...or mornings ;)

1C coconut milk (any kind of milk with work great.)
3TBS chocolate syrup (feel free to add more or less, depending on how sweet you like it)
1C strong coffee
Handful of ice
Place all the ingredients in a blender for 20-30 seconds and enjoy! 

The New Normal

It's been quite a while since I've sat down and wrote anything, and oh how I've missed it. I'm sitting here at our round wood dining room table, while my husband and daughter are watching a movie across the room. The sun is slowly setting, and I can hear the heifers outside in the pasture through the open kitchen window. If you would've told me that I'd be living in the middle of nowhere on a ranch, I would've laughed. I like the city, I like Starbucks, and I love Target. Don't get me wrong I love cows, horses and seeing the stars in the sky, but I like to do those things 10 minutes from town...not hours. We recently settled down on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, and after moving twice between last December and now, it's so nice to have a home. A place where we can be us, and put our roots down. For awhile we weren't sure where we wanted to be. My husband was blessed with an amazing job that he loves and he's living his dream every day. I'm learning how to be the good rancher's wife; you know, cooking filling meals, learning to handle the manure and mud covered laundry and giving up on keeping my mud room floor clean. I'm blessed in the sense that my husband has a ton of patience with me, and keeps loving me even when I fail..and mess up. We're slowly getting settled in our new home, but there's lots to be done. Painting, fixing up the front porch and I really wanna plant a vegetable garden soon. Ranch life is never boring and it's been fun learning the ropes of how things are done. There isn't many people out here so I'll probably start rambling more than I should but hopefully you won't give up on me.