I cannot believe that we are just 4 days away from November! Where has this year gone? 

Before we start sprinting into the New Year let’s take some time to actually sit and reflect with thankful hearts the year we’ve had.  November in my opinion is month literally focused on Thanksgiving (although everywhere you look it seems like we’re getting ready for Christmas) and Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays. I look forward to the big family dinner, gathering with everyone and being able to celebrate a great year while looking back at how God has blessed us. 

Although thanksgiving is just one day a year I feel like this year I want to do something a bit more special. I’d like to start a series where each Thursday becomes “Thankful Thursdays”. What I’ll be doing is each Thursday I’ll post on a few things that I’m most thankful for from this past year. 

I’m hoping this will also inspire you to also take some extra time out of your day or week just to think about how God has blessed you this year. 

Psalm 95:2

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise

-Emily 

Calling All FireFighters!! Firezone Schaumburg Review.

Cold weather among us and I know everyones looking for things to do with little ones. Here's a super fun outing for the your little firefighters! 

How it works is they have drop-in hours, basically open play for $9 a kid and you get about 4 hours to be firefighters. We spent about two and a half hours playing there. 

With a space that is uniquely built for little ones to explore the day as a firefighter this place is great. Inside you'll find fire trucks, ambulances, a rescue boat, they'll be able to explore a Timmy's house and practice fire safety in their mock home (complete with tunnels and a slide). They even have jackets for each little one to really make them feel a part of the squad! 

Another thing I loved about Firezone is that its created and run by Real Firefighters! Its so great to see them giving back to the community. Also for kids like Logan who are obsessed with all this type of stuff it was super cool to have him meet real firemen. During open play they also have story time, where a staff member comes to read a fun story to the kiddos. They may also get treated to show and tell from a fireman (as long as they're not out fighting fires that its). After this its back to playtime and saving the day. 

Overall I totally think Firezone is a great cold weather/rainy day activity if you're really over staying indoors. Its fun, interactive, and your little ones will love it! Check out their open play days and hours here: http://www.firezonefun.com 

I'm not afraid

Fear. Fear is something that literally sucks the life out of you. It paralyzes you from being able to live your life the way that God intended you to, it blinds you from seeing the good things that happen to us, it shields us from the blessings that are bestowed upon us even in the most unlikely circumstances. But really stop and think for a second what is there really to be afraid of? Isn't our God bigger? Isn't He stronger? Hasn't he always protected us even during our darkest storms? If we have faith then why should we be afraid? Yes we're human, yes those feelings are hard to push past but at the end of the day we have an amazing god who protects, heals, and comforts. 

Our God is good, he is always good. There has never been a time where I doubted that truth. I know He is with me and that even though I can never begin to explain why we go through the valleys that we do, I can say that with God on our side we will overcome. 

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

So im choosing to not be afraid of whats going to happen next. I'm not going to stop living life to the fullest just because life isn't perfect. We adjust thats what we do. We find ways through Gods direction to make things work. God blesses us with family and friends and still at almost 30 I'm learning that family literally is everything. They are there to be our support system, to cry with you, they are there to build you up, and they step in when you can't. They help you be strong when your facing your biggest fears and they walk through this battle with you hand in hand. 

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

I am going to set fear aside I will walk tall, I will not let this hurdle bring me down and I will be strong because I know my God is with me and there is nothing that he would put before me I cannot handle. I won't let Fear of the unknown stop my life. 

6 
in all your

-Emily 

Nutella Cheesecake Dip

Nutella Cheesecake Dip

Looking for an easy, quick, delicious can’t stop yourself dessert?  This dip is absolutely perfect! 

I needed something to serve for dessert at our family dinner this past weekend and since there are a few food allergies I had to look out for I wanted to be able to serve something that everyone could enjoy! 

This dessert is the perfect treat for family gatherings, potlucks, or nights at home when your bingeing on Netflix. The best part is that it only uses 3 ingredients you may actually have in your pantry and its main ingredient being our beloved Nutella.

So get ready to make the easiest dessert you’ll ever indulge in and all your guests will love and don’t be afraid to let your inner 5 year old out and lick the spoon!  

Ingredients: 

8oz of nutella (or a bit more…your preference) 

8oz of cream cheese

8oz of coolwhip 

How To: 

In a large bowl, mix all 3 ingredients until well combined (you can either do this with a hand mixer or stand mixer)

Once combined put it into your serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Serve with your favorite fruit, pretzels,  or cookies,

Enjoy!! 

super easy super yummy chicken tacos

Crockpot I think you and I have finally made amends after the horrible Christmas Morning Bake of 2013....we won't even go there....

Setting my fear of crockpots aside I decided to pull out the contraption again and give it another go with something MUCH simpler, something that in my mind couldn't logically be ruined, that didn't include eggs, hashbrowns, and sausage. Everyones been telling me how easy it is to make delicious chicken tacos with you crockpots and it only takes 2 ingredients so I figured why not try, worst comes to worse we could always call in for a pizza from Village Inn....

Over time I've learned that we prefer not to use jarred salsa instead I've become obsessed with Rick Bayless Frontera Skillet Sauces, and instead of salsa I just cover the chicken in two packs of this sauce. The reason I like to use these rather than salsa I guess is because when I've made these tacos withs salsa there tends to be a lot more liquid left over from the salsa then I'd prefer and these sauces are more concentrated and in my option more flavor packed! Pick a packet up next time your at the grocery store they have tons of different flavors too!

So four hours and a couple of chicken breasts covered with salsa later and BAM chicken tacos so good that even the boys asked for seconds and thirds! Crockpot you have regained a spot on my good side!

Try this out for yourself on your next taco Tuesday! In the Sopt House taco Tuesdays tend to turn in to taco Tuesday, burrito Wednesday, and tostada Thursday since I always make extra.

So here's what you need:

• 4 good size boneless skinless chicken breasts
• a pinch of salt and pepper for taste
• salsa of your choice 
• your favorite taco toppings

Directions: 

1. place your chicken into the crockpot
2. cover your chicken with salsa and stir to make sure all the chicken is coated
3. cover and cook on high for 4 hours
4. go do your thing around the house...catch up with netflix....read a book....clean....play with your little ones...
5. come back in 4 hours and uncover, take a fork and shred away 
6. serve with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!!

Be Still...

Its not a secret that I don't like when things stray away from the plan. I'd prefer to know what will happen next and know what to expect out of life. I am no fan of surprises and it's extremely hard for me to give up control. I am used to working at a fast pace and being busy is just part of who i am, being able to slow down and just let life happen is not something that comes easy for me and trust me when I say I'm working on this...

Over the years I've learned that although I can sit here and plan every detail of our lives and have a planner full of what our life should look like according to me that doesn't mean thats what GOD wants my life to look like. That just because I feel I know whats best for my life RIGHT NOW, God has something much better and well worth the wait and I just need to BE STILL and patiently wait on his PERFECT timing.

God is GOOD and HIS timing is perfect, I can't say that enough and although there are days when I cannot understand Gods perfect timing for my life and his plans for me, thats not FOR me to understand instead this is where i need to stay faithful and not give up hope for what he has in store for me and my family . His instruction for me, for you, is to "Be still and know that he is God"-Pslam 46:10. Its as simple as that just be still and know that God is working, and that plan is greater than my own. 

Regardless of what we have planned, life will happen at God's pace. Just because the answer to my prayers hasn't been yes yet, there is a reason for that and instead of driving myself nuts trying to pinpoint an explanation for why my plans to pan out the way i want them to God is asking me to be faithful and know that He is working.  Is this an easy road, of course not, especially for myself.  Does it not hurt to see life stray from my plan, absolutely, is it scary to not know what will happen next, I can't even begin to tell you how scary that is, but the good news is that God will never ever give us more than we can handle and he will never let us down. Just as it reads in Jeremiah 29:11"for i know the plans i have for you declares the lord. plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to prosper and to give you hope and  a future" and with that promise I will be still and wait on Him.

-Emily 

Goodbye Summer Hello Fall

Well Fall is officially here everyone & I for one really enjoy this season and all that comes with it.  I love pumpkin patches, apple cider donuts, the absolutely beautiful changing colors around us, I love coming up with fall recipes & knowing that its ok to cozy up with a good book during nap time. Most of all I think fall is a great season for family fun! 

When you have an active 4 year old on your hands finding activities to keep him busy is key no matter what season we're in, but with fall I feel like its our last chance to really be outdoors before we hibernate for the winter. So I'd love to share some of the fun things we like to do in the Fall and some that we are looking forward to doing this season! 

Logans first Pumpkin Patch Trip 2011

FALL BUCKET LIST

• pumpkin picking
• peggy notebaert nature museum (they have a new exhibit on Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin!) http://www.naturemuseum.org
• decorate pumpkins at home (use paint, stickers, crayons, or even good old carving)
• take a nature walk through emily oaks nature center (https://www.skokieparks.org) 
• explore a corn maze
• collect acorns and pretty leaves and craft away with your little one
• enjoy your favorite fall drink (apple cider, the infamous PSL)
• make a thankful tree
• plan out your  thanksgiving menu (never too early)
• make a trip to Goebberts Pumpkin Patch ( http://www.goebbertspumpkinpatch.com) 
• pull our your favorite soup recipes and enjoy! 
• plan a PIE CRAWL! 
• lincoln park zoo's first annual fall fest!
  
  
  
  
  
  while at Goebberts this year we came across this sign and it read:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  So have fun this Fall get out there and enjoy all this season has to offer!!
  -Emily 

I first want to say
 Hi & Welcome to my blog! 

This project has been on my mind and heart for a long time now and I finally decided to build up the courage and put my thoughts to paper and share with you the things I love most. 

Now here's a little bit about me: 

My name's Emily Corrine Sopt

30 is coming up quickly (so weird to write that out)

I'm the oldest of 3

I am married to my high school sweetheart: his names moe & he's pretty awesome

I am a mom to logan: my greatest blessing

I have 17 sister-in-laws (yes you read that right my husband is the 17th child out of 19)

I am a working mom

I'm a planner junkie

Don't even get me started on party planning 

I love to craft, cook, and make our home a home

Christmas is my favorite

I am a Christian and i am not ashamed of that because through God's grace i am saved 

Our life is most definitely one filled with love, adventure, and family. I hope to be able to share with you my thoughts, happenings in our lives, fun things that I have found to do with your little ones in this awesome city we live in, yummy recipes, and a whole lot more. Life is messy, its beautiful and fun but above life is blessing.

photo credits: ohsolovelyphotography https://www.facebook.com/oh.so.lovely.photo?fref=nf

So here we go....Welcome to The Sopt Home!!