Gratitude Topped With Powdered Sugar.

Yesterday, I was devastated to learn about the death of one of my favorite bloggers Marija. Her husband wrote a beautiful and heart breaking post letting the world know that his wife, and the mother of his two  children, had died in a car accident over the weekend as she was coming back from a weekend antiquing in Georgia. She was a beautiful woman inside and out and I was always drawn to her because her story vaguely resembled mine. Marija was a attorney, turned mom, turned interior designer, who had an eye for beautiful things which she shared daily through her blog. She was an inspiration to me and I simply cannot even begin to imagine the pain that her family is feeling, losing such a bright light at such an early age.

Reading through the last few weeks of her blog, I am sadly reminded that everyday is not a guarantee. I know that many of us, me included, take this for granted. We make plans, we go about our day. We work, take care of our children or ourselves, never stopping to appreciate the fact that just waking up that morning was a gift, and it is a gift that could so easily be taken away. Reading about the tragic loss of Marija has made me take stock of what I am grateful for, and for me I am most grateful that I get to spend every day with the love of my life, my little man.

When I was considering whether I wanted to leave my career to become a stay at home mom I never realized how lucky I was to be in a position to actually have a choice in the matter. For a long time I wondered if I made the right decision and now, almost three years later, I know with 100 percent certainty that I did. I am so grateful to my husband and my family that I was able to have this time with my little boy. Although it is not always easy, every day that I get to wake up and spend the day watching him learn and grow, truly is a gift.

The highlight of my day has to be making breakfast with my Little Man. This used to be a chore, but for the past few months it has become something special between us. I love walking up every morning knowing that in about 30 minutes I will be making French Toast with with the best sous-chef a girl could ask for. Every day we make the same thing (by order of the LM) and today, after hearing about the tragedy with Marija, my breakfast came topped with a little something extra; Gratitude. I am so grateful that I am here today, and I am so grateful that the LM and I again get to make our meal together. Today I will take the time to remember that there are no guarantees in this life, and that all of it can be taken away in an instant. My only wish is that tomorrow I will be able to again wake up and do the same.

Little Man's Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 eggs

4 pieces Cinnamon raisin toast

Splash of Milk

Maple Syrup

Powered Sugar

Greased Pan

(Strawberries and Raspberries as garnish)

Preparation

First pick out two eggs from the carton (this is the LM's favorite part.)

Shake the eggs (I'm not exactly sure why.)

And then crack them in the bowl. 

Add a splash of milk and stir.

Dip the Cinnamon Raisin Toast in the egg and then add to a greased pan over medium heat. Or "dip and flip" as the Little Man says. Cook each side until golden brown. 

Pour a small amount of maple syrup over the toast and allow for your sous-chef to add the powered sugar.

A quick wash of the hands.

The final product... gratitude topped with powdered sugar. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to Marija's family. She was a wonderful woman and her presence will be greatly missed.