We meet new people every day. Some we'll probably never see again. Some we may see again but they won't have any significant impact in our lives. Some stay in our lives for a while. And a very few stay forever. People drift in and out of our lives every day and we don't think anything of it.

Sometimes there's a person who intentionally leaves our lives, and things change. It could be a bad breakup, a friendship that ends, or the death of a loved one. Sometimes it's a traumatizing event and sometimes it happens slowly over time and you don't realize it until it's over. Either way, things change.

Sometimes you have to let go of a negative influence in your life. It can be so hard but there are times it needs to be done. There are some people who are simply bad for you. Not that they're bad people, but they're bad for you. And if there's someone who drags you down it's okay to let them go.

Sometimes change is for the best. You have to open yourself up to new possibilities and experiences. A few years ago I went through the most heartbreaking thing I've ever known, divorce. At the time I couldn't see past it. It changed everything in my life. It was the darkest time I've ever gone through. Logic told me I wouldn't always feel so horrible but my heart didn't believe I'd ever recover.

Sometimes all you need is time. So I gave myself that. Once I let go of the negative, the depression, the pain, the heartbreak, and I moved on with my life, I found happiness that I never knew existed.

Sometimes life surprises you. Like meeting my husband. I was nowhere close to wanting to date but I was immediately drawn to him. There's just something special about Aaron. I was very upfront with him and told him we wouldn't be anything more than friends. He said he was okay with that and for a while that's all we were. Little did I know, I was falling in love without even realizing it.

Sometimes you just have to trust yourself. I was scared to let Aaron in but my instincts told me it would be worth it. So I trusted. But if I had never gone through the trauma of my past experiences I'd never have met Aaron. I truly know that. I wouldn't be married to this wonderful man and pregnant with my precious daughter. I don't know where I would be, but I wouldn't be here.

With the approaching birth of our daughter I've been reflecting a lot more than usual on just how lucky I am to be where I'm at. No, my life is definitely not perfect. I have trials and troubles like any other person, but I've learned that a positive attitude and a solid foundation of love can get you through so much. I am incredibly grateful for my life, both the good and the bad, because it has made me the person that I am today. And I really like her.

xo Sue

I found this recipe on Twitter with a title like- What to do with all that Halloween candy! This yummy treat sure put my leftover Reese's to work!

Reese's Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

8 Reese's peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper- butter paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt- stir until moistened. Transfer batter to the pan and smooth out. Arrange peanut butter cups on top of the dough.

3. Bake 45-50 minutes until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Lift out parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.

My family really enjoyed this little treat! It is very rich so you only need one square to be happy. I was very impressed with this recipe. I hope you all enjoy it!

xo Shelly

A year has passed and so much has changed. But not how much I love this man. He is the best part of my life. He makes my heart happy. Even when he makes me crazy I can't imagine my life without him. Our family has grown in size from 2 to 5 (Baby Girl counts because she's definitely part of the family already). Twink and Tally have brought joy into our home in the way that only sweet puppies can. Baby Girl has brought us the most unexpected and perfect happiness that we didn't even know existed. When we were married one year ago we weren't planning on growing our family so quickly, but life happens the way it does and we couldn't be happier about it. One beautiful year has gone by and there are many more to come. I love him. 

xo Sue

Hello to all of Sue's blogging friends! I will admit I laughed internally when Sue asked me to blog with her... If any of you have checked out my family blog you will see that I am just beginning this blogging thing and still have a lot to learn. My first thoughts were 'what on earth will I write about?" Luckily Sue said I can post about my Pinterest attempts which I am enjoying!

That aside, this first recipe was given to me by my neighbor out of an old cookbook. I made this last night for a small ward holiday party and it was a huge success for most people. My husband told me it tastes just like pumpkin pie (which he is not a huge fan of anyways) so I will leave it for you to decide for yourselves. I enjoyed this seasonal dessert very much!

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients: 

Crust- 

1 package yellow cake mix (save out 1 cup)

1 egg

1/2 cup melted and cooled butter

Middle-

1 (1 lb 13 oz) can pumpkin

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

Topping-

1 cup cake mix

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter, softened

Directions:

Crust- Combine and press in bottom of greased 9x13 inch pan.

Middle- Mix ingredients and pour over top of crust.

Topping- On top of middle, crumble up topping mixture. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Check middle with a toothpick. Top with whipped cream if desired.

Yields 12 large servings.

Enjoy!

xo Shelly