Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Happy New year!!!

(Keep with me on this post, I am going to be talking mainly life with some cookie pictures mixed in. Recipe is at the bottom if you don’t want to read this entirely too long rambling post)

2015…

Whew, 2014 was CRAY CRAY…

Seriously, crazy.

But amazing crazy 🙂

I have been kind of MIA recently in pretty much all aspects of my life. I haven’t really been paying attention to the blog, or social media (as much as usual), I took some time off of work at the end of the year…

I actually kind of feel like a fish out of water!

For the longest time, I was planning the wedding, making sure that everything was ready. Planning, planning, planning, PLANNING!

Well now…I don’t have that.

I am feeling a little like I am floating around with no goals and I really don’t like it! haha

I am planner people. If I am not working towards something, if there is no goal or end in sight I truly feel like I am doing nothing.

Sounds really weird, but it is true.

I have discovered in my almost 30 years of life that I need to have structure in my life to feel comfortable. It is the way I was built, it is the way my mind works. I need the discipline.

Sounds like I am a military person or something! Perhaps I am explaining it in the wrong way.

Either way, over the past few weeks as I took some off I realized that I really need to sit down and think about what I want this year!

You know, like what I want to DO. What do I want to see, how do I want to feel, etc.

It’s funny because I feel like for the past year, some of that was kind of put to the side to try and get through the wedding. Not to say that Patrick and I didn’t get an amazing day and things that we loved with it, but when you are planning a wedding. You sort of put some of your needs to the side for the time being so that you can focus on just that. Believe me, it is almost impossible to focus and anything BUT your wedding when you are planning it.

Not to mention we really haven’t slowed down until like 2 weeks ago!

We had the wedding, honeymoon, Thanksgiving and Christmas all within 60 Days. Doesn’t sound too crazy when you say 60 days, but time goes by fast! On top of that I was still trying to get Thank yous to everyone and we were still getting gifts from all our generous friends.

Just holy cow. It was a lot.

So I took some MUCH needed time off around Christmas. I took 12/23-1/5 completely off of work. I am so glad I did.

Not only did it give me some time to recollect myself, but it gave me a chance to kind of realize that I need to refocus on myself. Learn who I am again.

I am a wife now. I am a homeowner now. I am almost 30 now!

Kind of got me thinking about what I have done in my 20s and honestly, I have accomplished a lot and I am proud of myself. I have a job, I have a home, I have a husband, I have a car, I have investments, I have a retirement fund! Dude, I am an ADULT.

When did this happen?! haha

Anyways, what I am trying to say is that I have been doing a lot of reflection and my goal this month of January as I turn 30 is to set some goals for myself this year. In 3 categories:

Health

Happiness

Future

I think it is really important for people to focus on not only just getting back to the gym after the new year (to all my gym rats out there you know what I am talking about that New Year Gym Fever that goes away in 4 weeks lol), but also really focusing on themselves and how to make themselves happy and healthy as a person.

I have never been one who really makes “resolutions”. I much prefer to set goals for myself and try to make that my lifestyle instead of just treating as a short term goal.

Well that was heavy! haha

I promised you all some more pictures of the wedding, below is a SMALL sample of all the gorgeous pictures we have. I also have an album on Facebook you are MORE than welcome to check out. Most of you I am already friends with OR you can go to Kate Neal’s website and check out all 810 of the pictures. Go to this link and use the password: randp2014 (case sensitive)

All Photo Credits go to the AMAZING Kate Neal Photo

Recipe:

Mix together the butter and sugars until mixed well and completely combined. Add in eggs one at the time and then add in vanilla. I used a stand mixer for this.

Mix together the tartar, soda, salt, cayenne, cocoa, sugar and cinnamon. Then add in slowly into the wet ingredients.

The mixture should come together pretty nicely. Take the dough and roll into balls, about 1 tablespoon worth.

You can place some cinnamon and sugar on a plate and roll the balls into the mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line baking sheet with parchment paper and cook for about 10 mins or until done.

Cool on rack and then enjoy!