Bon Voyage

I will not be posting any next week, as we leave tomorrow for our Alaskan Adventure!  And it's a long story, so I will leave the details out for now, but Andrew arrived home unexpectedly tonight and will be sailing the high seas with us!  (: 

I will return to real life, and to blogging, with a full report on July 11th! 

Until then, have a great week, and a happy Independence Day!

Source: highestheels.tumblr.com via Melysa on Pinterest

Follow Instructions

I don't really feel like I have much to say tonight... It was kind of a long day (good, but long), and I am just ready to disconnect and disengage for the evening!

So, here is something to chomp on: 

Source: stylesncream.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

I love lists, and there are some really good things on this one to take to heart!

(I found the original list here.) 

GOODness Gracious

Well, true to my word, I spent a small portion of my weekend putting to use that box of cake mix I mentioned in my last post.

And let me tell you... the result was GOOD.

I decided to go with my gut and make the cake batter truffles, although the choice was a tough one.  But once I taste tested the completed creation, I knew I had chosen well!  How did I know? Because my gut was SO FULL of cake batter truffles by the time I finished making them that I felt slightly miserable.  (:

True to their name, the cake batter truffles tasted much more like cake batter (versus actual cake) than cake balls.   The texture was similar to that of uncooked cookie dough (divine!).  I LOVED the taste of these, and also the ease; they do not require any baking.  The entire process took much less time than cake balls take.  From start to finish, I was done in under half an hour, whereas the process of making cake balls literally takes hours (at least for me).

 The truffles fell short in one category only, and that is the "presentation" category.  Cake balls are much prettier!  But maybe on my second go around with the truffles I can work on perfecting the technique a bit; that might improve their aesthetic appeal. 

 Next time I make these, I will probably leave out the salt that the original recipe calls for. As far as the method is concerned, I will let the dough chill for several minutes before attempting to form it into balls.  And after I form the balls, I will let those chill for a good hour before dipping them into the chocolate.  The original method calls for chilling them only fifteen minutes, but they seemed difficult to work with when I did it that way.  I think waiting until they are a bit colder and firmer will make the whole dipping process a lot easier!

I had to give these away immediately.  I knew that keeping them around too long would be dangerous...

Hey, Batter, Batter

Our OFFER group was supposed to go to a Nashville Sounds game tonight.  Inclement weather thwarted that plan, so I took that as a sign that I needed to attend yoga class with my sister.  So, somewhere around mid-class or so, my mind starting drifting, and I eventually found myself pondering what I should do with the box of Funfetti cake mix that has been sitting in our cupboard at home.

Here are some very promising options:


Cake batter blondies.  These look KILLER.  Thank you, Gracie, for sharing the recipe!  I can't wait to try it!

Although the blondies look like they are probably hard to beat, this Funfetti pound cake recipe looks like is has potential too.  Thank you, Alex!

And who doesn't love a good pancake on a lazy Saturday morning?  These cake batter pancakes, from Jessica, at How Sweet It Is, take "good pancakes" to a whole new level! 

Although the above three recipes all look incredible, this last one takes the cake.  I am so excited to try out these cake batter truffles!

Hmm.... my sweet tooth seems to be flaring up all of a sudden...

Encouragement

"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken... Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.  Trust in Him at all times, pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."  - Psalm 62: 1,2,5-8

I think it is interesting that David repeats himself verbatim in the psalm.  He says the same thing over, and then over again... almost as if he is convincing himself of it, reminding himself of it, and claiming it as truth.  Some days are just like that.  I have to continually remind myself that no matter how down or defeated I feel, my soul rests in God alone, who brings salvation, who is my rock. 

"When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way..."- Psalm 142:3

Brownie Bites

A dear co-worker and friend celebrated a birthday last week.  The sad part about that is that her birthday was actually over two weeks ago; we just had not had a chance to get together and celebrate until last week... which is just plain sad! 

But, we were finally able to break away from work for a bit on Friday, and end the week with a little birthday celebration!  And in my book, no birthday celebration is complete without some kind of sweet birthday treat. 

For this occasion, I chose these brownie bites.  Factors leading to my decision were as follows:
1)  The ease of the brownie bite making method  (: 
2)  The speed of the brownie bite making process
3)  The durability of the brownie bite (aka:  You can save them for a long time after you make them)
5)  The cuteness of the brownie bite
4)  The taste of the completed brownie bite... It tastes awesome whether you have it an hour after you make it or a week after you make it! 

To make these, you will need:
1 boxed brownie mix, and the ingredients called for per the back of the box
1 package of candy coating, the flavor of your choosing (I chose white chocolate.) 

-Bake the brownies as the package directs. 
-Then, after they cool for a bit, crumble the brownie up in a bowl.... Just kind of mush the brownie up.  -At this point, I put the bowl of mushed brownie in the refrigerator to help it cool. 
-Once it has firmed up a bit, form the brownies into balls.  I make mine pretty small, so that there is plenty of white chocolate coating per bite of brownie.
-After the balls are formed, I put the lollipop sticks in them, and used the sticks as a handle for dipping.
-Melt the candy coating using the heating method on the back of the package (usually the package instructs you to heat the coating for one minute, stir, and then continue heating in 15 second intervals until the coating is completely melted)
-When the coating is melted, dip the brownie bites into the coating, one bite at a time. 
-Let the brownie bites harden completely. 
-I think they are best when served chilled, and so I store them in the refrigerator.  If I have LOTS of them, I put a few in the refrigerator, and store the rest in a sealed container in the freezer.  

The advantage of brownie bites versus cake balls is that brownie balls are MUCH easier and faster to make.  That being said, I have to admit that I like the taste and texture of cake balls better.  They may be worth the bit of extra time and effort.  Cake balls are moister, and sweeter!  So they still trump brownie bites in my book.  But these are definitely worth a shot! 

Eat

As you may know, I have been in house mode lately.  Particularly with Andrew being gone, the house has given me something to focus my mind and energies on (though I need to be switching these thoughts and efforts toward things like SCHOOL very soon... as in... should have done that yesterday, soon).

After finding this lovely idea, along with step-by-step instructions, thanks to the beautiful blogger at Sugar and Charm, I could not help but try making the letters myself.  And it was SO easy!

Here is her version of the concept:

And here is mine (my photo is sorely lacking in comparison to hers, so please be gracious!)  

I am pleased with the way they turned out!

Just for fun, here is more lovely inspiration you will find over at Sugar and Charm...

Infused sugar with quick "how to" instructions.

 Beautiful photos that get your creative juices flowing.

Sweet recipes like this one!

And this one (I am a sucker for peanut butter frosting!)

Miracle

I truly love my job.  Well, as with most other jobs I guess, I love it most of the time.  That being said, my job has me a bit disillusioned... particularly this week. 

Until I actually started working in the field as a social worker, I guess I thought that all human beings had a natural desire inside of them to grow, to change, and to become the best versions of themselves possible.  I thought that people who lacked this internal drive were the minority, the exception.  Now, I have realized that it is really the other way around.  Most of us are okay with maintaining an equilibrium; we are okay with, and we prefer,  the status quot.  We are okay with getting by, and not doing much more than just that. 

I left work today (Friday) totally brokenhearted.  And now, two hours later, I have moved past feeling brokenhearted to feeling absolutely, emotionally depleted.  Beyond brokenhearted... just exhausted. 

So much of America lives in poverty.  So many live lives that are so empty in every way,  and they do not even realize it.  There are children growing up in cycles of addiction, of poverty, of bad choices.  There are children growing up in houses that have meth labs where kitchens should be; palates on a hardwood floor to sleep on instead of beds; men coming in and out of their homes to have private visits with their moms.  Outside of the grace of God, they may never know that there is more; that there is true life that can be experienced.  But outside of a redeeming Savior drawing us to Himself, we are a hopeless people. 

It hurts me to see people living in the hopelessness, and not knowing any better than to accept that hopeless as an inevitable reality.  It hurts me to not be able to speak the love that is MY Savior over them (there are strict ethical guidelines regarding conversations surrounding faith). 

My God transforms.  He heals.  He saves.  I have no choice but to believe that He will somehow draw children of poverty to Him; that He can reach them where they are... no matter where that is.  That is my hope for them.  That is my hope for the people I met today.  That is my hope for each of my clients, no matter their age, no matter the poor choices they have made over the courses of their lifetimes.  That has to be my hope.  And my faith has to be in that hope, and in that Savior.  Otherwise, I cannot continue to do the job that I do. 

Picture from here

Now it's the weekend, Andrew is coming home tonight to be in a wedding tomorrow, and I will not let work, or thoughts about work, seep into my weekend!  :) 

Flower Power

Since Andrew and I now have our own house, I finally get to think about things like... yard work.  Not my cup of tea. 

That being said, I do love flowers!  But I am completely ignorant when it comes to planting and growing things.  We have so much work to do on the inside of the house that the outside has been put on the back-burner; maybe we will pretty up the yard next summer! 

As a means of preparation for next summer, I figured I better do a little research. 

I started with begonias, because a friend told me once that they are nearly impossible to kill.  Apparently, the most important thing to keep in mind when planting begonias is that you should wait until the threat of frost and cold has passed; they like warm weather best.  Smart flowers!  Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to plant begonias!  It seems pretty fool proof, which is just what I need! 

Picture from here

 

 

I LOVE camellias, and I read that they are "easy to plant," and "low-maintenance."  Right up my alley!  An important factor to keep in mind is that camellias should be planted under the shade of a tree, or in an area with filtered sunlight.  And apparently, camellias need to be watered often, but should be not planted in soggy soil.  Click here for step-by-step planting and growing instructions. 

Picture from here

Some of my favorite flowers are hydrangeas.  They bloom in such pretty colors!  According to what I read here, hydrangeas need to be plated in early summer or late fall.  They need plenty of (but not too much) water, and should not be planted under trees.  These flowers seem a bit more complicated than camellias or begonias, which makes me nervous... But it does not make the flowers any less pretty!

Picture from here

I also LOVE poppies and alium.  Poppies remind me of my favorite childhood movie, and alium are just cool!  They look like pretty pom-poms!  Dahlia are also beautiful, and bloom in FABULOUS colors! 

Yippee...!

"Whatever with the past is gone, the best is yet to come!" - Lucy Larcom

Source: lisastorms.typepad.com via Gaby on Pinterest

Happy birthday to me!  (:

Birthday Blessings

I got the coolest birthday card from my grandmother in the mail over the weekend.  It says something along the lines of....

" Handcrafted, accepted, gifted, valued, chosen, loved...
That's who you TRULY are..." 

But, each adjective listed above has a reference to Scripture that goes along with it. 

Handcrafted:  "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  -Psalm 139:14
Accepted:  "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." - Romans 15:7
Gifted: "Christ has given each of us special abilities- whatever He wants us to have out of His rich storehouse of gifts." - Ephesians 4:7
Valued: "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered... you are worth more than many sparrows." - Luke 12:7
Chosen:  "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God." - 1 Peter 2:9
Loved: "The Lord your God is with you... He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17

From, of course... Pinterest

Encouragement for Your Saturday

I loved Watermark, and I still love Christy Nockels, and I LOVE this song!  :) 



I felt compelled to share this today. 

Five Down... How Many to Go???

It has been five days since Andrew left, and crazy as it sounds, I feel like I am a completely different person than I was five days ago.  God has used the past week and a half to teach me SO MUCH. 

For as long as I can remember, my life has been perfect.  Even during times of personal or familial struggle, when my reality has been far from perfect, others' perceptions of my reality have been that it is perfect.  My dad is a dentist; therefore, we must have money to spare.  My family attends church, and we are all Christians; therefore, we must love each other perfectly and treat each other perfectly all the time.  We must not have issues or arguments or hardships.  That has been the perception. 

Because of that, and probably because of my natural tenancy toward introversion, any time I have had any sort of struggle, I have fought internally; my struggles have always been kept private.  And had it been up to me, I probably would not have shared with anyone that I found out Andrew was leaving.  In fact, I did not share that news with anyone outside my family.  Andrew did.  He had been planning a birthday party for me that was originally scheduled to take place this weekend.  When Andrew received his orders for active duty, he immediately sent out an email to all the friends he had invited to the party, explaining that it was canceled, and also explaining why.  Andrew then emailed the church softball team he plays on, and explained that he would not be at any of the season's remaining games, because he would be leaving immediately for active duty.

Since Andrew let so many people know what was going on, and word travels quickly, I have had SO many people reach out to offer their support. Never before have people acknowledged my struggle; never have they offered to share in that struggle with me. For one of the first times in my life, I am a member of a church body that truly loves and cares about me.  I did not even realize that until the past week.  And I certainly did not realize what was missing in going all those years without having that.

Not one day has gone by that I have not received a phone call, text, or email from a friend offering encouragement.  Had Andrew left for this training six months ago, I would not have been involved enough in the church to have a support system there.  In that sense, the timing of all of this is such a God thing.  God is teaching me that it is okay to need people.  And it is okay to be sad.  Not only is it okay to be sad, but it is okay to let people who love you know you are sad.  Had Andrew not told people what was going on, I probably would not have either; they never would have known a thing.  When they ask me how I am doing, I would probably say, "I am just fine.  What about you?"  But since he reached out to others, and entrusted them with what was going on in our lives, they have approached me and asked me, "How are you holding up?"  "Please let us know if there is anything we can do."  The people God has placed in my life have almost forced me to outwardly recognize and verbalize my experience, my heartache, and my struggle.... in a good way; in a therapeutic way; in a way that I have never before experienced. I have had more lunch and dinner invitations over the past week than I know what to do with (or that I could afford)!  And it feels SO GOOD to be cared about, and to know that you are cared about. 

Melody Beattie, who helped develop the 12-step recovery program curriculum, and has also written several books on recovery from codependency, said this: 

"God is there, always ready to help.  There is an ample supply of people to care about us too.  We will, if we want it, receive love and support, comfort and nurturing.  If we take the risk to ask for it, help is there... We aren't alone.  And we don't have to do it ourselves. We're not doing it ourselves.  There is no shortage on love..." 

She then goes on to pray this prayer: 

"Today, God, help me let go of my need to do it alone and my belief that I am alone.  Help me tape into Your Divine Power and Presence, and Your resources for love, support, and friendship.  Open my eyes and heart so I can see the love, help, and support that's there for me.  Help me know I am loved. " 

-Melody Beattie in The Language of Letting Go

Home Sweet Home

Although our new home does not feel quite like home without Andrew here, my goal is to be 100% situated here by the time Andrew gets back in September, personal touches and all. 

In an effort to do that, I added a little something special to our front door.  I hated driving by the house and it looking totally deserted, like no one lived here.  So this was a quick fix: 

My sister decoupaged this "A" for Andrew and I to use in our wedding.  After we got married, we used this, along with a matching "L" as a headboard for our bed.  Now it's a wreath!  What a versatile home accessory!   (: 

These would be super easy to make:  Buy the stockings, and the simply add the proper monogram! 

I think this would be perfect in a little girl's room!  What a great idea!

This is so creative... and beautiful! 

All the above images are from pinterest.

My parents have been a HUGE help over the past week.  And one of the many things my dad did to help me feel "at home" here is plant a rose bush!  

Can I OFFER you a dessert?

Andrew and I are part of a small group through our church (the groups are called OFFER groups).  The people in our group have become some of my dearest friends.  And I could not have made it through the past week without their love and encouragement.  We "officially" meet about twice a month.  We do a Bible study together, but we usually eat and fellowship as well.   We met tonight, and my task was to provide dessert.  This particular dessert got their seal of approval, so I thought I would share. 

I found the recipe for these chocolate chip cookie dough brownies a few days ago, thanks to recipegirl.  All it took was reading the title for me to know that these would climb the ranks to the top of my "favorite treats" lists.  And my hunch was right.  These were killer.  And they are definitely best chilled.  The only change I made to the original recipe is that I used jumbo chocolate chips rather than mini chocolate chips, simply because I had jumbo chocolate chips on hand. 

Bottom line: These were an easy, crowd pleasing dessert.  I just had to make sure NOT to bring any leftovers home.... that could have been dangerous! 

Precious

I just stumbled upon this, and it is too sweet not to share.


Cat Hugs Baby Kitten Having Nightmare - Watch more Funny Videos

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

List from here

Overwhelmed

Well, more has happened this week than I would ever have imagined could be packed into just one week...  I will start with this time last week:

This time last week, Andrew and I were packing our apartment.  Saturday of last week we began moving things from our apartment into our new house (which I LOVE more each time I step inside).  Sunday, some friends helped us move our larger items from our apartment into the new house.  Sunday evening, I started unpacking while Andrew napped.  And I can't say I blame him... he was pooped from all his heavy lifting earlier in the day!  I was up through all hours of the night Sunday, and into the wee hours of the morning on Monday.  After unpacking our kitchen, I had some baking to do for the Memorial Day cookout that was scheduled for the next day.

I did not want to go to said cookout, but Andrew insisted that Memorial Day was invented specifically for cookouts, and that it was un-American not to attend a cookout.  I went kicking and screaming, but I am so glad he convinced me to go.  Let me clarify, I love the people we were cooking and laying in the sun with; I just had LOTS of unpacking that was left undone.

So... when we returned home Monday night, I continued with the unpacking.  And the cleaning.  As adorable as our new house it, it is not technically new.  It is new to us, but in reality, it is still a twenty-something year old house.  And twenty-something year old houses have imperfections.  We had a handyman working in the house over the weekend who left quite the mess.  And I could not put the house together until it was clean.  Luckily, my mom and sister are a mere mile down the road now, so they were able to pop on over and help get the job done.

Let me stop there and say that I could not have made it through this past week without my family.  I thank God each day for their support, but I was extra thankful this week.

As you may recall, I am in graduate school right now.  Summer classes are only six weeks long, so my first class ends next week.  That means not only do we have a final exam next week, but we also have a final project due prior to taking the exam.  The project involves interviewing someone.

My particular "someone," who agreed to be interviewed backed out about one hour before we were scheduled to meet.  After a brief period of panic, my partner and I assessed our situation and developed a Plan B.  And if there is one thing I have learned this week, it is that life is filled with Plan B's.  I would even go so far as to say that my Plan A's almost never work out.  And in interviewing for my project, I realized that the same holds true for most others as well.  It is what we do when our Plan A's do not work out that defines our lives, and who we are as people.

On Tuesday, after panicking about the canceled interview, and developing a new plan (which actually turned out better than the original), I headed to Publix, where I purchased $65 in groceries for just under $30, thanks to coupons combined with Publix weekly sales, and all of the "buy one get one free" specials they were running.  I bought snacks for Andrew, as he complains regularly about he lack of junk food in our house.  I left the store with two different kinds of Doritos, two boxes of Ritz crackers, two jars of peanut butter, a box of cereal (that Publix was practically giving away), and much more.

Included in the "much more" category of my purchased groceries were items for my Sunday lunch menu.  Andrew and I had planned on having friends over to our new house after church, so I was going to make steak tacos.  It is a good thing that plan has changed, because our house is nowhere near ready to be seen by outsiders yet!!!

Why has the plan changed?  Well, I received a phone call Wednesday morning, just before 8am, that changed my plans for the week, and for the entire summer.  Andrew called to met me know that he received a call from Army personnel, and he needs to be in South Carolina this Saturday, and will be there until September.

Obviously, lunch of Sunday moved way down on the priority list.

And our cruise went out the window.

Well, I am still going, but Andrew will apparently not be joining the rest of the family.

Yesterday and today have been filled with getting ridiculous amounts of paperwork together that Andrew will need while he is gone, getting his Army clothing and equipment together (Thank goodness we just moved, and had to find it, or we would have had no clue where all that stuff was.  He has not used it in a year.)  And changing or canceling so many of the summer arrangements that had already been made.

Now that I have a few minutes to breathe, the situation is starting to hit me.

And I am downright sad. 

But it could be worse.

He could be going overseas.  Or he could be going away for longer than three months.

Or even worse...

As my mother would say,

"He is laying dead in a ditch now is he?"
 
So, see?

In the midst of small crises, and Plan B's, we still have so much to be thankful for!  God is still God. 

And even if Andrew were laying dead in a ditch somewhere, God would still be God!

Happy Friday!

Well, this week has been one of the craziest of my life so far.  The whole things is almost a haze now; so much happend in so little time.  I will fill you in later, but for now, let's forget about the happenings of the week and celebrate...

DONUT day!!!!

Dunkin Donuts is giving away a free donut with the purchase of any beverage as a way of saying, "Happy Donut Day." 

And visit CakeSpy for a list of delectible donut treats.  I am trying this easy, yummy looking recipe sometime in the very near future.  If life ever calms down. But as I said, we will talk about that later. 

For now....

Happy Donut Day!