Jen Russum

Hello Christmas!

Hello Christmas!

Hello Monday! Well, the papers are graded. The final grades are submitted. Now I am just easing into two weeks of absolute freedom while I celebrate Jesus and His birth {This is a lie. I have no true Christmas break, because I am working on a huge application for school and then I have to write my syllabus for next semester. Class starts on January 5th this year, which is way earlier than years past. This means no truly relaxing break for me, but it still means Jesus and gingerbread and gift-giving and no reading for class and no teaching for a few weeks, so I'll take it!}. Also, starting this evening our house will be graced with visitors every single day of break until I start school again next month. I am slightly overwhelmed but mostly excited by this. So.... Hello mom and dad. Hello brother and sister. Hello mother-in-law. Hello best friend, Kristin. Hello air mattresses on the floor. Hello cooking Christmas dinner. Hello lots of love in our house. Here are all the amazing people who will be visiting us these next few weeks! And just because... may I tell you some things I'm loving during this Christmas season??? Our Christmas tree. I decorated it all by myself... Parenthood. Yes, please. My Lauren Conrad skinny cords. In fact, I love them so much that I put another pair {in gray} on hold in Seattle {because they are out of my size in AZ} and my sweet mother went to pick them up for me. They will be in my hands tonight and on my bod tomorrow! DownEast Basics. Just discovered their brick and mortar stores around Phoenix. In love. The little bulletin board I designed to display our Christmas cards and all the pretty faces of our loved ones. Catching up on all my Real Simple magazines from the fall. My newly spray painted gold and silver pine cones. My new color coded shelf. Not going alphabetical was a huge stretch for this English major, but I love the result despite my slight anxiety over the lack of order! :) Getting ready to use my new Erin Condren planner in 2012! What are you saying hello to this Christmas season??? xoxo, Jen ... Read more

Flowers Fade Friday: The Virgin

Flowers Fade Friday: The Virgin

Since the month of December began, I've been reading about the incarnation of Christ - his deity and his humanity wrapped up in the tiny body of a babe. Of course, this studying  has lead me to read about Mary and her calling to be the mother of the God Most High. {via} Let's be honest. It's strange, right? She is a virgin, then an angel visits her and says she will bear a child. Huh? Even Mary was thinking the same thing. Mary accepted the news of this unexpected pregnancy with grace and honor. Her obedience was pretty amazing. But even she was wondering how this whole conception thing was going to "work." She humbly asks Gabriel in Luke 1:34: "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Yes, how will this be? How did God plant the seed in her that would cause her to bear this holy Son? Do you think she felt it? When did it happen? Right after this angelic greeting or a few days or weeks later? Did she have morning sickness? Did she go to Elizabeth's house after the first morning spent by the toilet {or whatever they used in those days} or did she make her travel plans right after Gabriel left? The Bible doesn't answer these questions specifically. All we know is what the angel told Mary: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God" {Luke 1:35}. And Mary's response... "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" {Luke 1:38}. {via} We don't know all the details. We only know that Lord in his perfect plan and mighty power caused a young teenage virgin girl to bear a Son that would save the world. We know that she took on this great responsibility with humility and gladness. But this mysterious virgin birth is meant to symbolize something else... the mystery of our salvation. The mystery of the transformation that happens to those who are in Christ. Just like Mary, we can't "do" anything to earn God's salvation or to make his transforming grace come about in our lives. We are virgins in the sense that we are helpless and if Christ is to be in us, God's Spirit must make it happen. God's grace in the lives of believers is like the baby Jesus miraculously implanted in Mary's womb. God decides the time. God saves us by His own power. Like Mary, we are God servants touched by the mystery and majesty of His grace. We are saved by the supernatural work of God and not by our own toiling and striving. While I praise God for the miraculous conception and birth of his Son this Christmas season, I praise him also for the conception of a new life in me through this same Son, my savior Jesus Christ. {via} Linking up with Casey and Jami! ... Read more

You MUST make this! {Pumpkin Dump Cake}

You MUST make this! {Pumpkin Dump Cake}

So I made my first "dump" cake. A few months ago a lovely friend from church taught me about dump cake, where you basically pour cake mix, butter and fruit into a pan and bake it without even mixing it together. I thought it was the hippest thing in the world. Kim was one of the first people to teach me about Pioneer Woman about a year ago, so I was sure dump cake was the next big thing... Little did I know that dump cakes have been around for decades. Apparently, they were the trendy church potluck dessert in the 80s. My parents clearly took me to the wrong church growing up. We were a dump-cake free denomination... But behold friends... I have crossed over. I am a dump-cake convert and today I have a treat for you. Pumpkin dump cake. It is to die for. I literally ate three pieces today. Oops.   This is recipe #1 of my easy-holiday-recipes-so-you-don't-have-to-spend-all-your-time-in-the-kitchen series. Ready, set, go {and you're already almost done}...   PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE What you need: 1 can of pumpkin {15 oz.} 1 can of evaporated milk 3/4 c. of brown sugar {packed} 3 eggs 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 box white or yellow cake mix 1/2 cup {1 cube} butter Topping: 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 sleeve crushed graham crackers Other topping options: toffee, almonds, etc. {you choose!} *Preheat oven to 350 degrees* Step 1: Mix together one can pumpkin, one can evaporated milk, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, a dash or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until smooth. Step 2: Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Step 3: Pour box of cake mix evenly on top of pumpkin mixture. Don't mix it in. {This is the dump part}. Step 4: Add any extra toppings that you want. I used crushed graham crackers and chocolate chips. I've also heard walnuts or toffee are good. I HIGHLY recommend the chocolate chips though! Step 5: Melt one cube of butter and pour evenly over the top of the cake. Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.     Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. Secret: This is one of those desserts that is even better the next day. I loved it at room temperature. Most of the time, I prefer all baked goods straight out of the oven. But this one only gets better after 24 hours. Three pieces, y'all. It's that good. Do you think "pumpkin dump cake" is an appropriate title? I've also heard it called Pumpkin Cobbler, which is probably more classy, but I like to live life on the edge. I considered naming this post "Dump or Die" but I wanted people to actually read it... P.S. The three pieces turned to four pieces between the drafting and publication of this post. Oops, again.   *Featured on Tatertots and Jello* ... Read more