Recently, we bought a new computer, which came today. The boys, of course, took this opportunity to play with the box it came in. I don't know a kid that can resist playing with an oversized box. Don't you just love Drew's baby fangs? He is (finally) getting his two top teeth to fill in the gap. They've been causing him a LOT of grief lately.

Rob went for the contortionist method, while Drew mainly just wanted to escape. Guess it reminded him too much of his playpen (AKA "The Box of Shame").

Playing peek-a-boo with me. Drew's in Drewland somewhere.

'Ol Crazy Eyes (and hair) himself. Gosh, he's looking so grown up lately!

Drew sporting his baby fauxhawk, done by yours truly. :) It looked better last night after their bath.

They crack me up. When they're not making me want to yank out my hair, that is.

Rob's Crazy Eyes

Rob's newest thing. We call it "Crazy Eyes". Cracks me up every time.

No Ordinary Treasure

“The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things, he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately, forever.”

A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (London, 1967), page 20.

[Source]

Putting Christ Above All Things

I had to face some hard truths and tough realizations today. It kind of jumped up and smacked me in the face, really. While I won't go into great detail, I will just say that I have been putting a lot of things before Christ when it needs to be the other way around. I've been making idols out of people and things and ignoring the real need in my life - to love Christ more. To make Him more important than anything else that may seem important to me right now. To love Him more than anyone else I may adore or admire in my life. To make Him first in my life above all. If I'm able to do that, by God's grace, everything else will fall in line, and I can hopefully find some peace.

I wanted to share an article by Dr. John MacArthur that helped me find a "game plan" of sorts. It really gives you a great perspective on how things should be.

How Can I Love Christ More?

Lactose Intolerance: What You Can Eat

I came across this article today and found it pretty helpful. We're still not 100% sure Robby (or myself, for that matter) is lactose intolerant, but we have seen minor improvement in him since taking him off dairy. We're thinking he can handle it in small doses - such as butter in a cookie or milk in bread. We don't give him any straight-out cheese or regular milk, though. Good thing he really likes Lactaid and Almond Breeze.

Lactose Intolerance: What You Can Eat

Keeping Your Marriage Strong

I just read this great post on keeping your marriage strong - Biblically. Loved it! Lots of good stuff in here.

Keeping Your Marriage Strong

Parents: How to Provoke Your Children to Anger

Have you had your daily dose of conviction today? No? Well, here's a good one for you. Have you done any of these lately? I know I have. Ouch.

- - -

How To Provoke Your Children To Anger

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4

We can provoke our children to anger:

- By constantly criticizing them and not encouraging them. When they feel they can never please us enough.
- By having double standards – Do as I say, not as I do. Expecting them to do things we don’t do, e.g. ask forgiveness, humble themselves, etc.
- By anger and harshness
- By a lack of affection
- By telling them what to do or not do without giving Biblical reasons (e.g., Do it because I said to do it, or because it’s just wrong).
- By being offended at their sin because it bothers us, not because it offends God.
- By comparing them to others (Why can’t you act like your sister?)
- By hypocrisy – acting like a Christian at church but not at home
- By embarrassing them (correcting, mocking or expressing disappointment in them in front of others)
- By always lecturing them and never listening to them
- By disciplining them for childishness or weakness, not for sin
- By failing to ask their forgiveness when we sin against them
- By pride – failing to receive humble correction from our spouses or our children when we sin.
- By self-centered reactions to their sin (How could you do this to ME?)
- By ungracious reactions to their sin (What were you thinking? Why in the world would you do that?)
- By forgetting that we were (and are) sinners (I would NEVER have done that when I was your age).

May God give us gracious, gentle, humble, affectionate hearts toward our children.

[Source]

Running in Sand

Although I obviously know nothing about running, life lately has felt a lot like running in sand. A whole lot of energy exerted with not a whole lot of progress. A lot of days it just feels like I'm just trying to survive until my relief comes. My house is always a mess, I'm completely disorganized, I'm behind on projects, I don't take care of myself and, most importantly, I don't take care of my soul.

One way or another, Bible and study time always gets put on the back burner. How did I get so upside down? Life took over and completely turned me around and now I'm just sitting here disorientated, trying to figure out which way is up.

I feel like I'm stuck in such a "mom rut". The boys demand and take so much from me, I feel as if I have nothing left to give to God. I know I should be giving to Him first and foremost, but I struggle to even remember to pray most days. When I finally get a quiet moment to myself, it's usually very short and all I want to do is...well, nothing! I know it isn't excusable, but is it normal? More importantly, when will it end?

When I was pregnant, I became eager to get my body back. I thought that would happen when the baby was born. I was wrong. Nothing's changed - just a different application!

I really have to get back on track. It's starting to effect everything in my life these days and I'm drained. I really don't know how things are going to be when Matt's gone for a week. It makes me uneasy to think about it.

"The output in your life is in direct proportion to the intake of Scripture truth."
- Bill Shannon, A Passion for Purity, Shepherd’s Conference, 2005, Session #33

Quick Photo

A quick shot of Matt and I taken with my crappy cellphone camera at the game Friday night. Despite it's poor quality, it's still a sweet picture of my love and I. :)

Blog Remodel/General Update

I thought it was time for a fresh new look. Unfortunately, I don't usually have the time/energy/motivation to actually WRITE on my blog. Shame on me. Maybe the pretty colors will inspire me.

Some random updates:

Our anniversary date was wonderful. We saw a Steelheads (hockey) game, had a quiet evening cuddling and sipping on wine in our very nice hotel room, and then we enjoyed a nice lunch at Olive Garden and just dinking around Boise the next day. I hate to say it, but I didn't really miss our boys. Is that wrong? I thoroughly enjoyed not having to change diapers and having to get up every five seconds! According to our dear friend who watched the boys, they did really well. Rob fully understood everything that was going on - where we were, what we were doing, and when we were coming back. Drew was just...Drew. He could have cared less. I hope for more opportunities like this in the future. I very much enjoyed the downtime and reconnecting with Matt. I had hoped to do some shutterbuggin' while we were there, but we had to head home because Matt had a nasty headache. Someday, I hope. Boise is fun.

Matt has a very special opportunity to go to the Shepherd's Conference March 7th-14th with a group of guys from our church; our pastor and some elders included. Unfortunately, that leaves me single-mommin' it for a week. The experience will be an immense blessing for all of us in the long run, but I'm not looking forward to that particular week at all. Please pray for us. It's not going to be easy by any means.

I just want to say for the record that we are almost out from under our hospital bills - hoorah! Thank you tax refund!

Rob got to eat pizza for the first time in months tonight! He didn't mind a bit that it didn't have cheese on it. He was just grateful to have it!

Drew is walking so well. I'm still surprised by him. He can sure be a fun little guy. When he's not crabby, that is.

I ask for prayer for our boys. They're both really sick with whatever junk that is plaguing our area - more specifically our poor church family. Yikes! They're dropping like flies! Mainly the flu, but I can say with some certainty that the sickness in our household isn't the flu. Nevertheless, I'm popping echinacea like it's going out of style.

That's all I can think of. Told you it was going to be random. That's just how I roll. Matt is telling me to come to bed. The end.

PERFECT Frosting Recipe

I should know better than to go anywhere else but Our Best Bites for recipes. Seriously, these gals are food gurus! I tried their Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling Recipe and oh. my. goodness. It's out of this world! A little work, but SO worth it. I then substituted lactose-free ingredients on my next cake (so Rob could eat it) and it was just as good. I don't think I'll ever make another frosting ever again! Just make sure you make enough if you're making a cake. One batch is enough for 12 cupcakes, as noted, so I suggest making two batches for a cake. Also, I refrigerated my cakes because the lactose-free version started melting a bit otherwise.

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling


3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (or Lactaid for lactose-free version)
1/2 C real butter (or Earth Balance for lactose-free version)
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. I think this is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe. I have a feeling people are under-cooking this part. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.

It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9. I know that seems like a long time, but that's when the magic happens!

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy.
Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. You can't go wrong putting this on just about anything :)

One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes .


Notes:

1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.

2.  If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can.  It should come together, but it takes a little patience!

3. Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.

Marshall Boy User Manual

Matt and I are escaping to Boise for an anniversary date on Friday. This is quite the event since we became parents - we're leaving the boys with a sitter overnight. Other than when Drew was born and my step-mom stayed here, the boys have never spent the night at someone else's house. Scary. We're quite excited to get away, though - especially me. I look forward to not being a mom for 24 hours!

I thought it would be nice to provide our friends with a rundown of the boys, since they come with their own "requirements". So, instead of trying to remember everything and hurriedly briefing them, I decided to be creative and write a user manual of sorts. I gave myself a chuckle, so I thought I'd share.

- - -

User Manual for the Marshall Boy - Versions 1.0 and 2.0

Thank you for your care of the Marshall Boy Versions 1.0 and 2.0! We hope that you enjoy many hours of fun and laughter as you give great relief to the Owners, who are quite grateful of your kindness

General Care of the Marshall Boy

Fueling the Marshall Boy

Feeding the Marshall Boy (MB) can be fun, but messy experience. MBs are not picky, but do require certain substances to fuel their runtime.

• MB 1.0 (Alias "The Robby") requires NO DAIRY. Acceptions are prepared foods that contain small amounts of dairy or lactose (i.e. bread, baked goods). Dairy will cause The Robby to expel foul-smelling liquids from it's Rear Hatch, causing redness and crying. Almond milk will be provided, but only give The Robby one glass a day. Juice is acceptable, but water is better.
• MB 2.0 (Alias "The Drew") requires two 8oz. bottles of formula a day - one after Morning Waking Sequence and one just before Night Recharge. The Drew is Finger Foods Ready and has been upgraded to Feed Myself status. The Drew requires soft fruits, cooked and cooled vegetables, small pieces of meat, crackers, bread, dry cereal (i.e. Kix, Life, Cheerios), or a jar of MB 2.0 sanctioned food. WARNING: The Drew has been known to gorge itself. Fuel until The Drew is satisfied. The Hungry Alarm will sound if The Drew requires more fueling.
• Both versions require chlorophyll in order to function properly. One teaspoon twice a day in the MBs' fluids is the minimum requirement.

Recharging the Marshall Boy

Eventually, your MBs' batteries will require charging. Taking these precautions will allow you to enjoy your MB and avoid certain Meltdown of your MB. WARNING: The MB will sound a Meltdown Alarm before the Implodation Seqence will run. When the alarm sounds, you have small window of time to dock the MB and prevent Implodation. NOTE: The Owners are not responsible for any injuries and/or damages caused by MB Meltdown or Implodation.

• Both versions require simultaneous charging. Dock your MB in it's Sleep Pod around 8pm for Night Recharge and 1pm for Day Recharge. Both versions require accessories (included) in order to charge correctly. Both require Rear Hatch Cover change, full Stomach Compartments, music, and white noise (i.e. a fan).
• The Drew requires the included Comfort Cloth ("Cuddle Blanket") and Mouth Port Cap ("Pacifier") in order to charge correctly.
• The Robby requires included Comfort Cloth and Bear Attachment ("Hershey") accessories.
• Both versions should charge for no less than two hours. Attempt to re-dock if either decides to run Automatic Wake Sequences - especially at night. Neither require night refueling unless it's absolutely needed for Version 2.0.
• Cuddling and/or rocking may be required. MB's are unsure of new surroundings and may sound a Distress Alarm and won't charge properly.

Playing with the Marshall Boy

This is the main MB objective. The Play Sequence will run on your MB until you make it stop or the Meltdown Alarm sounds. WARNING: MBs will spasm erratically when tickled. NOTE: The Owners are not responsible for any injuries and/or damages caused by MB Play Sequences or flying parts during tickling.

Miscellaneous Information

• Both versions lack Rear Hatch Alarms. Check for waste dumps frequently.
• The Drew is generating new Fuel Grinders. If Pain Alarm sounds, give The Drew 0.8ml of Infant Tylenol and cuddle accordingly.
• The Drew has also started it's Walking Sequence, but isn't very good at it. Watch for bumps and bruises.
• The Robby was infected by the Argue Virus and Backtalk Bug recently. Combat these with Discipline as needed. Also, The Robby has a Little Cough. Dose with 3/4 t. of Dimetap when needed.

Contact Us

If you are not fully satisfied with your MB or have a question concerning either version, please call our 24-hour hotline at ------- or -------. If there is a dire emergency because of the MB or the Owners, please contact Cheryl (Alias "The Aunt") at -------.

Thank you again for your care of the Marshall Boy and good luck.

Look Who's Walking

He took his very first steps today, first diving from the ottoman to the couch and then walking between Matt and I. He's not even 10 1/2 months old yet! Watch out world!

Crock Pot Peanut Clusters Recipe

These are SOOO good and SOOO easy to make!

Crock Pot Peanut Clusters

Ingredients
1 16 oz. jar roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 16 oz. jar roasted, salted peanuts
1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar (4 ozs.) german chocolate, broken into pieces
3 lbs. (two 24 oz. pkgs.) white almond bark, broken
into pieces

Directions
Put ingredients into a 4 or 5-quart crockpot in EXACT order as listed. Cover and cook on low 3 hours. DO NOT remove lid! Turn off and allow to cool slightly. Mixture will not be melted but will be soft. Mix thoroughly and drop by teaspoon size cookie dropper or a teaspoon onto wax paper. Let cool thoroughly. Makes approximately 150 - 170 pieces. NOTE: This candy is made best by following the recipe to the letter.

Monster Birthday Cake

Matt's "Monster Birthday Cake". Chocolate fudge cake with cherry-flavored frosting and dairy-free to boot. It was meant to look like a green monster with blue warts. Rob chose the theme and the colors for Daddy's cake. (Disclaimer: Cake decorator, I am not.)

Here's the recipe for the fantastic dairy-free frosting:


Authentic No Refrigeration Bakery Frosting/Icing

Ingredients
2 cups shortening
1/2 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer ( such as Coffee Mate)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract ( can use more to taste)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (32 ounce) packages confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2-3/4 cup water
food coloring, use color of choice

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening creamer and extracts.
2. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar.
3. Add in enough water (starting with almost 1/2 cup) until frosting reaches desired consistency.
4. Add in food coloring until the desired shade is achieved.

[Edit] Further "research" has shown that this frosting is incredibly sugary. Okay, let's be honest. Sickeningly sugary. I have another prospect in the works. I will let you know how that goes.

Answer to Prayer & Update

I want to testify to God's amazing answer to prayer.

Remember how in my last post I had said that I was concerned about making rent next month? I took my hard-learned lessons from late and applied some serious prayer, completely handing it over to the Lord. Next thing I know, my father-in-law contacts us and said they were ready to order prints from Nate's senior shoot. Then, my aunt decided to sell our dead Taurus at her place and found a buyer within the day. Between the two, we now have an extra $300+ to aid Matt's anticipated paycheck. That only could have been God because both were quite unexpected and unprompted! How cool is that? At this point, I want to add my disclaimer. I do not condone or believe in Prosperity Theology. God is not an ATM. I am merely testifying to God's answer to prayer in my life and how He continues to provide for this little family without fail. Without Him, we would have sunk many times over by now, and not just monetarily!

I also wanted to update on Rob's dairy-freeness. After a couple weeks of no dairy, it still remained hit and miss with his stomach issues. Just the other night, as we were all sitting at the dinner table, Matt and I had a "duh" moment. Rob's been eating a lot of sandwiches lately (we're still trying to figure this alternative menu), but we never once explored the possibility that bread, of all things, had dairy in it! Ugh! Dummies! So, Matt went to the store last night and started scouring labels. He found some local bread that *seemed* dairy-free, so we're praying for the best.

On top of everything else, we're fighting the creepin' crud right now. Rob has it the worst. Poor guy has croup, I think, and has had to spend the last couple of nights out on the couch with the humidifier so he won't wake his brother. The rest of us just kind of feel underline cruddy and Matt and I are loading up on vitamins. We're hoping everyone feels a little better so we can celebrate Matt's birthday tomorrow. Blah.

Other than that, things are still stressful and tough, but we're learning to solely rely on God. It's an incredibly hard lesson to learn! Darn you, pride!

Now, I'll leave you with an awesome quote a friend from Facebook posted today:

‎"If you're experiencing a trial right now, recognize its ultimate outcome: a deeper dependence upon God and gratefulness for your victory in Christ. There can be no victory where there is no combat." -Richard Sibbes

Weathering the Storm

As I said in my New Year's post, things haven't been the easiest for us during the past year. 2011, so far, hasn't been much different. In a way, things have gotten worse.

The boys are growing and presenting new sides of their personalities that has really stretched Matt and I as parents lately. Rob has become increasingly more defiant in a lot of areas. He's becoming his own little person and he wants to do things *his* way. This usually conflicts with what the rest of us would like, of course. We have also seen his snotty, nasty side rear it's ugly head quite frequently. We are determined to remain consistent with discipline, guidance, and love, but it gets wearing sometimes. Drew is still moody and is constantly into everything, which makes doing anything other than watching him 24/7 incredibly difficult. I'd contain him in his crib or playpen, but he'd scream bloody murder. So, I get up to chase him a bajillon times while the dishes sit for another day. Frustrating. Rob and Drew very much have a love/hate relationship. They either are playing and laughing with one another or they're screaming at each other. Typical, I suppose, but still hard to get used to.

For the past two or three paychecks, we've been pretty tight because of all the holidays (i.e. Christmas, New Year's, and Martin Luther King Day) Matt has had off. His holidays are paid, but he loses his overtime to make up for the difference, cutting his checks very short. We were barely scraping by before, but now we're hurting. Between short checks and many out-of-the-ordinary expenses, I'm praying for a miracle that we can somehow pay our rent next month, let alone cover all our bills. Also, we've noticed our food bill growing with our boys (and the price increase of food in general). Mixed with Rob's new special dairy-free diet and having to buy extra formula for Drew, we have been spending more on groceries than our budget allows, making things even tighter. Food stamps might be in our near future. My pride hates that idea and hates to admit it.

My depression continues. I find it difficult to get out of bed and face my day sometimes and I've stopped wanting to go to church. I don't want people to see me like this and ask questions. It's embarrassing. More pride. I kept it hidden as best I could for a long time, but now I've been forced to seek help, if only just to be able to function on a day-to-day basis. God has sent me some spectacular people (two in particular - my husband being one of them) to help me get on my feet again. It's been incredibly hard to subdue my pride (there's that pride again!) in order to accept help and let people in to my "crazy bubble". Trust is not one of my strong points. But through this, I'm seeing my marriage become stronger and the potential for a close friendship to form. It's still scary to walk through unfamiliar and uncomfortable terrain.

We will conquer this storm, but only through Christ, who has redeemed us. Only God has the strength to endure these hardships. We are only weak vessels that will break on our own. May God grant us the faith to make it through to see the other side of these trials. All for our good and His glory. Prayers appreciated.

Bathtime

Bathtime - Twin Falls, Idaho - 2011, originally uploaded by The Shutterbugette.


Bathtime - Twin Falls, Idaho - 2011, originally uploaded by The Shutterbugette.

Why are hooded towels so stinkin' cute?

Christmas Recipes

As promised, here are the recipes for the goodies I made for Christmas. I'm just going to cheat and post the links to the recipes...because I'm lazy. Enjoy!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
We had to use Mint Truffle Kisses because we couldn't find the Candy Cane ones, but they were still awesome!

Apple Cider Caramels
Do not fear candy! If I can make these, anyone can!

Oreo Cookie Balls
CAUTION: These little things are insanely addictive! We used Milk Chocolate Almond Bark instead of White Chocolate. Still A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
An old favorite in our household growing up.

Root Beer Float Cookies
I never got around to making these, but they sound really good.

Drew at Nine Months

I'm just going to stop apologizing for stuff being late. Seriously. Just expect it.

Nine months? Really? Given, it's been a really tough nine months, but the worst seems to be behind us, thankfully.

This little boy is a terror. Adorable, but a terror. We've compared him to a plague of locusts on more than one occasion, in that he'll move from item to item in a room, terrorize/chew/drool/yell at it, and then move on to the next item. It's pretty much his favorite thing to do besides eating, which he does just as obnoxiously sometimes. He's getting increasingly more nimble with his crawling and pulling up, so he's into everything, high and low. Not walking yet, but definitely getting brave with his cruising and standing. He also likes to bite toes when the victim isn't paying attention (speaking from first-hand experience). At his last doctor's appointment, he tipped the scales at 21 lbs. and measured 28 in. tall. Still a big boy!

We ask for prayers for us as parents and for our boys. We have had some new curve balls thrown our way as of late. We're still battling Rob's tummy issues and have taken him completely off dairy, thinking that he might be lactose intolerant. We've gone for almost two weeks now with little change, so we're asking for prayer for guidance and discernment on the next step, which probably will be cutting out wheat. We're dreading this. As for Drew, we're still battling his clogged tear duct. His worthless pediatrician prescribed him ridiculously-expensive (and ridiculously-tiny amount) of eye drops and referred us to an ophthalmologist, which isn't covered very well by our insurance. We were forced to forgo the drops (because it was either the drops or diapers) and we're still mulling over the specialist (he wanted to send us to one in Boise - I laughed and told him to find one in Twin). I think I would like to have a second opinion on the matter because I really don't care for this pediatrician. Let's just say he's one of those that almost always pushes some sort of prescription when we're in there for Well Baby Checkups - no matter what. And it isn't reassuring when you ask the doctor if the prescription is expensive, he laughs and says, "We have a coupon!" He just doesn't get it. We. Have. No. Money. Irritating. Please pray for Drew and for us as we try to figure out what's best to do for him.

*sighs* 2011 has GOT to be better than 2010...right?