Christmas in January

I've been MIA for a while.  So here is Christmas in the Shackley Home -- first Christmas here.  God has blessed us with so much in 2012 we are both looking forward to what 2013 brings.  Here is a sneak peek into our home during Christmas time.  Enjoy.  Christmas 2011 is HERE.

Dean and I didn't do gifts this year - instead we spoiled ourselves with a flatscreen TV and sound bar for our living room.  

 A couple of my favorite "kitchen" items (Thanks to my mom AKA Hot Mama)

Our Christmas Card for 2012

Our Christmas Card from last year is HERE.

Xx, Kelsey

Romantic Nearcation

Dean & I finished out our anniversary celebration!  We bought our house the very end of June and with all the projects we had to make it liveable we couldn't break away for a mini vacation.  We went to the Melting Pot at the Country Club Plaza to celebrate our first year of marriage on July 2nd, but we still wanted to do a little more!  We told ourselves that in the fall, we'd do a little more!  So this past weekend we headed out to Parkville, Mo and stayed in a B&B and enjoyed the historic town!  We had a blast walking the town, doing some antiquing and just enjoying each other.  Even though we were only 45 min to an hour away from our house it felt like we were hours away!  I highly recommend this location to anyway wanting a small get-a-way!

Anniversary Celebration - PART 2 {Parkville, Mo}

Self Portrait - Take 1

Self Portrait - Take 2

The house we stayed in for our Bed & Breakfast

We enjoyed a cup of coffee on this porch swing!

The Town of Parkville

Walking in "The Square"

Coffee Shop Stop

 Our Cake Topper!

 Dean doesn't need a fork! ha

Anniversary Celebration - PART 1 {Melting Pot}

iphone pics!

This scripture was a reading from our Wedding. Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Our 1st House

We're HOMEOWNERS!!!!!  We are so excited to make this house our home.  Dean and I desperately wanted a fixer-upper at a low enough cost to make the house our own.  That's exactly what we are doing.  Yes, I married a handyman - hallelujah!  We had a price range in mind and the location of being Johnson County that way I'd be within 20-25 minutes of work and church = 2 of our priorities.  And 6 seperate house offers later --we finally won one!  Let me tell you, that was one emotional rollercoaster!  The entire house hunting process we prayed God would not only find us the perfect house but more importantly the perfect location.  Both Dean and I have felt lead that - this is the place God wants us for now.  That alone brings me so much joy.

Hot Fudge Oreo Cupcakes

My hubs turned 25 on Friday!  Boy was it fun to spoil him!  I surprised him with this AH-mazing dessert for after dinner!  I really wanted to make this yummy dish for his birthday.  It's full of ice cream, oreo cookie crust, homemade hot fudge and cool whip all together in this delightful frozen cupcake.  It's like Heaven in your mouth.  WOW!

take a peek...

Let's get started with this ---

plop some foil baking cups into the cupcake pan.

You will need 1 bag of Oreo Cookies

Put the Oreo's in a Ziploc baggie and grab a rolling pin

Smash, roll, thump... whatever it takes to make chunky MUD (the best mud you'll ever eat)

Add 1/4 cup of melted butter to that MUD!

Toss butter and crumbs together until mixed well

 

Press crumbs firmly in bottom of cup.

I used about 2 tablespoons per cup.

Reserve at least 1 cup of the crumbs for later.



 Plop a scoop of ice cream into each cup.

I used Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, but you can use any flavor Ice Cream you like!

Take a spoon, and flatten each ball of Ice Cream.

As it softens it gets very easy to do.

Sprinkle some of the leftover Oreo crumbs on top.

Place about 2 tablespoons of cool whip on top of the Oreo ice cream mixture.

Now place that cupcake pan in your freezer.

Let them sit for awhile and shiver while we make

make the Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce.

 

Let’s begin . . .

You will need these 4 ingredients.

1. A stick of butter

2. 1 cup of choc chips

3. 1 tsp vanilla

4. 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Mix together over low heat in a saucepan, until melted and combined.

I used Milk Chocolate chips – you could use a darker chip if you like.

Once the Hot Fudge is all creamy and melted together.

Pour about 1/2 cup of it into a little baggie.

Let that bag of Hot Fudge cool for about 10 minutes in the fridge.

You don’t want it Hot!

 

 

Once your Hot Fudge has cooled:

GO GRAB YOUR FROZEN TREATS FROM THE FREEZER.

Grab a little pair of scissors

Snip . . . just a little teeny snip off end of Ziploc baggie and then

drizzle that yummy Hot Fudge over the top of the Frozen Cream.

Put a few more of those Reserved Oreo Crumbs on the top of the Hot Fudge.

 

Place the pan uncovered in the Freezer for several hours.

When you are ready to serve them,

simply . . .

Let soften ever so slightly,

Remove the paper liners and eat!

Put remainder of fudge into container for later use!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAN!

 

Molly got to celebrate by enjoying some "doggie" ice cream!

 

Dean's Birthday Gift from the wife!  :)

 

 

 

 



2011 Recap

So my computer has spend sometime in the hospital!  So I finally got a chance to steal borrow Dean's computer to catch up on some blogging!  :)

2011 has been a wonderful year.  I started the year by moving out of my cute little 1 bedroom apartment and into my soon-to-be in laws (current in laws) to save money for the big day.  While this made many people nervous, it was a great experience.  That 6 months living there flew by.  It allowed me to really get to know the Shackley clan.  As you know my Dean was/is working in Iowa and big Dean was out of town most of the time working in Manhattan, Ks on a job so it left the girls and dogs to hang out.  We watched the Bachelor together (I was an Emily fan… to bad that relationship didn’t work out), I learned how to make a bow with 2” ribbon (thanks to Makenzi for making bows for the entire softball team to wear in their hair during games) and they got to help with wedding planning.  And before we knew it July was here --- wedding month--- and I officially became a Shackley!  See some of our wedding pictures HERE. We had a wonderful wedding and spent the next week in Cancun soaking up the sun, ha!  Yeah right, it rained every day but one.  It was still a much needed relaxing week with the husband.  Then our life started in our 1^st home.  For the last 6 months of 2011, Dean floating back in forth between work here in Kansas City and in Iowa.  During that time we have had some amazing experiences, attending Gary Chapman's marriage conference and becoming DEBT FREE being two of the many experiences.  Dean and I have an amazing support system with our families but also with our small group through our church.  We have grown with them, but also our relationship with Jesus has grown so much more.  And because of my relationship with him I've been free'd of so much pain and anger that I'd carried with me the last 10 years of my life.  

So as Dean and I start 2012 we've each made a list of goals we hope to achieve and we are going to hold each other accountable!  I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this year!

5 Month Anniversary

I found a Groupon a week or two ago for Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen, it's downtown at the Crossroads Art District.  The Groupon was for a 3 course meal for 2 people, the cost = $24 and the value = $48 (YAY, 50% off and I'm lovin' it!).  This is how we spent our 5 month anniversary!!!  We went last Friday for lunch right before our hunt for a Christmas tree (which I'll post laster in the week).  So I only got one photo from the dinner - it's with my iPhone below.

I was enjoying my peanut butter chocolate cookie.

Chef Husband

Dean is just as good of a husband as he is a cook - Terrific!!  He made homemade pizza that is to die for.  He's been making these pizza's for about a month now and he uses these flatout/flatbread with multigran and flaxseed in them and then whatever topping you want.  He bakes them in our toaster oven for a few mintutes or until the cheese is melting and then it's ready to serve.  I just had to share and brag that I have the best husband ever!!!

Happy Saturday!