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?

A Job Year

Job was allowed to endure horrific things and compared to boils and sores, my life doesn't seem so dim. I have no right to compare my trials and hardships to those of Job, but it seems to be a good fit to describe our year. It was simply "a Job year".

Like Job, we have been allowed to endure some less-than-ideal situations this past year. I could sit here and sing my song of woe and my flesh would deeply want to blame and resent a certain little boy for all our troubles, but the Spirit within me says, "No. That was for your good and My glory." And it's true. It was a year of sanctification; to cause me to draw nearer to Him and to become more Christ-like. God sent us the perfect catalyst that would spur great things masked in misery - a sick, moody baby boy, who mirrors our sinful state and shares my temper and short fuse. Every day, I was forced to face how much more work in me there is to be done. I was forced to see the ugliness of my sin and the effect of that sin on my relationships with not only my family, but also with God. I'm still having to face these harsh realities. In a way, Drew is to blame. God used him to shake me awake. And awake I am!

I do not regret the trials. I do not resent these convictions. I am thankful for them. I welcome them. They were indeed for my good and God's glory. As I face a brand new year and reflect upon the year past, I walk away with some familiar, yet profound truths - God is so very good and we are so undeserving of His grace, sacrifice, and provision. May He have all the honor, glory, and praise, forever and ever!

Many blessings be poured upon those who are in Christ Jesus this coming year.

Our Christmas

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas. Sorry for the delay of this (but you're used to that by now, right?) and the lack of posting lately. I got overly ambitious this year and piled my plate high with all sorts of holiday projects. Why did I do that? Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. Who knows.

To start off my ambitious Christmas season, I took it upon myself to make all crochet gifts for my family, since they're impossible to shop for. Along with "commission work", I had a total of about thirteen projects to finish in about a month's time. Somehow, I managed to do all but one - which was finished a day or so after Christmas, but it was going to be shipped later. Still needs to be shipped. Argh. Anyhoo, the projects were a grand success and I challenged myself with some patterns I wouldn't normally attempt. Thank you Ravelry! On the downside, I think I may have given myself Carpal Tunnel. Bummer.

Part two of my ambitious Christmas season was an insane amount of goodie-making (for me, atleast). I baked severally types of cookies and even made caramels for the first time. I will post recipes later (as they were also a huge success!), but I made these yummy Mint Kiss Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for my grandpa, Oreo Cookie Balls (YUM!), and Apple Cider Caramels. I wanted to make Root Beer Float Cookies, but I ran out of time. Finishing a gift seemed a little more important on Christmas Eve night. Talk about cutting it close!

But on to the fun stuff! Here's the boys on Christmas Eve night, both sporting their new PJ's and begging Daddy to spin them in his chair. Drew, of course, was oblivious to all the going's on's, but Rob was extremely excited about Christmas. He just couldn't wait to see what all those funny-looking packages under the tree were!

Prior to this, we had enjoyed a nice day together as a family (Matt had the day off - yay!) and then went to my grandma's house for dinner and fun. It was such a blessing to have everyone "home" for Christmas this year - Aunt Janice and Cousin Emily included! It's just not Christmas without everyone there. Everyone thought the boys were delightful and enjoyed their playful youth, as they flitted about the room, chasing dogs and playing with toys Grams had set out for them. We were having so much fun, we kind of forgot to go to Christmas Eve Service. Oops.

We spent the initial part of Christmas morning as a family, letting the boys have a chance to unwrap their gifts at home. We were awoken by Rob at 6am, but he had completely forgotten about Christmas all together, until we reminded him. Things were quite different after that - he couldn't sit still in our bed! Finally, Drew woke up around 7am and we opened gifts. Matt and I had already "opened" our gifts - a mutual gift of a new HDTV and Blu-ray Player. We're finally caught up with the rest of society!

The boys made out like thieves, of course. Rob got various things - his favorites being a Thomas toy and Lightening McQueen car. Both things he asked for and asked for, which is unusual for him. Drew got a walking-along/ride-on car and some books he can chew on. They both got completely spoiled by my folks, of course. We had quite a bit to lug back from Buhl!

Here's the disaster area of a living room. I'm pretty sure they enjoyed every moment of destroying it.

And yes - Baby Boy is now standing and cruising! We're waiting for him to walk anytime, now!

Sugarbean's first Christmas. I think he enjoyed playing with Brother's toys more than his - and vice versa.

I'm quite surprised how well-behaved they were. They even both got a decent nap. I was really expecting a rough day with them, but they both did really well.

I'm totally in love with this photo. Drew absolutely LOVES his great-grandpa. He was climbing all over him any chance he got, it seemed. It makes my heart smile. :)

Maybe they get along so well because they share a personality? Either way, it's a very sweet relationship they have.

My beautiful cousin, Emily, modeling the hat I made for her. I accidentally made it too small, but she loved it and said it was "perfect". If she's happy, I'm happy!

I love this girl - fake blonde hair and all.

We decided to bring our Wii over to play. It was a huge hit with everyone, so I'm glad we decided to do so! We even got Grams and Cher involved. Grams played a couple games of bowling and here's Cher showing off her mad archery skillz.

I love seeing you happy, Mama. It looks good on you.

After dinner, we started playing with all the little wind-up toys we had attached to our gifts thanks to Jan. We had initially set out to "race" them, but being a sadistic bunch, we ended up making them fight each other. Yep, that's my family.

We tied up the evening with playing with the boys to wear them out a little more - as if they weren't worn out from the day enough.

It was a great day all around. I'm so glad everyone could be there this year. It makes Christmas so much more delightful. We can't wait to have everyone back together again.

So, thank you to all our family and friends who made this Christmas season so wonderful. You blessed us in so many ways! Merry (belated) Christmas!

Drew at Eight Months - Part Two

So, my brain is gone. I just now realized that I had posted a picture of Drew, but no update. Sorry about that.

Drew is growing like a weed. Despite being only 8-months-old, he's already wearing 18-month-clothes and size 4 diapers. Yes, you read that correctly. He's also trying to pull up on everything, even though he just learned how to crawl not two weeks ago. He's been able to pull himself to a standing position onto various objects, usually something unsteady. He's smarter than we think he is and regularly surprises us with his stealth. Whether it be lunging for your feet when you're not looking or escaping the confines of the baby gate - he's quick. He's started playing with Robby more and more and has even started chasing him around the room or attacking him if he's laying on the floor, unsuspecting. Their favorite activity to do together is screaming and giggling in the backseat of the car, taking turns setting each other off. Drew has earned the new nickname of Tiny Terror because he will scour the living room for anything he can get his hands on, promptly rough it up/drool on it/chew on it, and then move on to the next item. We've had to "hide" our Christmas tree on the other side of the baby gate to ensure it's safety. He currently has 1 1/2 teeth that are driving us all crazy, but he is a completely different baby healthwise than he was a month ago. I am a new believer when it comes to herbal alternatives. The chlorophyll is doing it's job quite well. Now if we could just get his second tear duct to unplug, we'd be doing good.

I think we're finally forming a good relationship with our youngest son. He's happy, he's playful, and he's mellow...the majority of the time. He still has a moody side to him, but we've definitely enjoyed him for the first time in eight months. Sad, but true.

Drew at Eight Months

Drew - Twin Falls, Idaho - 2010, originally uploaded by The Shutterbugette.

Getting geared up for his very first Christmas. No smiles, but this little stinker is FAST, so I was lucky to get this one. Even the shiny garland wasn't enough to keep him distracted.

Egg Nog Cream Pie Recipe

Matt isn't a big fan of pumpkin. Okay, he hates it. So, when I set out to make our Thanksgiving menu, I set out to find a fallish alternative (I bought a pumpkin pie for Rob and I anyway). In my search, I came across this. Matt generally doesn't like egg nog, but has just recently been more open to the taste, so I offered this delicious-sounding pie. As I'm posting this, I have yet to actually try this pie, since it hasn't set yet because I'm a dummy and put it in the fridge to cool with the plastic lid, causing the heat to linger. I'll let you know when I actually try it, but here's the recipe anyway. If you manage to try it before I do, you're on your own.

Egg Nog Cream Pie

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups egg nog, divided
6 eggs, yolks only
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 graham cracker pie shell (8-inch)

1. Place the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a 3 quart heavy sauce pan and whisk together.

2. Whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup egg nog in a small bowl. Then add the egg nog mixture to the dry ingredients in the sauce pan and whisk together.

3. Add 1 3/4 cups of egg nog to the sauce pan and whisk well. Cook on medium high heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from heat and add vanilla and remaining 1 cup egg nog; whisk well. Pour into the graham cracker pie shell. Refrigerate. Top with whipped cream.

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Washington's words in his Thanksgiving Proclamation are so beautiful and God-glorifying. If only we had leadership like this today, working to do God's perfect will instead of fighting against it in disobedience and arrogance. How different our country would be if we had kept this God-honoring mentality.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

G. Washington

Source

Snowy Saturday/Drew Update

We got our first snow this Saturday, so of course the two older boys had to head outside to play. Here's them working hard on their snowman.

Rob decided to take the supervisor position instead.

They finished just as the sun started coming out. Both pretty stinkin' cute, if you ask me. :)

Meet Sam. Sam the Snowman. Hi Sam!

An artsy shot I took. He was trying to look up at me, but the flakes kept getting in his eyes. He finally gave up and enjoyed the feel of the flakes hitting his face.

As you saw in an earlier post, I made Rob this adorable earflap hat. His poor little hands kept freezing on Saturday because we lost his mittens, so I made him a pair to match his hat today. I'm pretty proud, as they're the first I've ever successfully made!

Here's Drew's side-to-side hat. I think it turned out pretty cute! I made it gray to match his stormy personality.

And here's just a really cute shot of The Drewster. That smile says it all. We have seen a noticeable change in him in the last week or so thanks to the chlorophyll. He's much calmer and happier. He still has his moments, but when he cries now, it's for a reason and not just because he's miserable. God is good!

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Photo Credit: Our Best Bites

I saw these and I HAD to make them, so I was excited to know that I had an excuse to when I saw that we needed to bring a dessert for our church's Thanksgiving Pot'faith'. Needless to say, they went quick. Thankfully, each of us were able to have atleast one here at home prior. They are simply awesome! Thank you again, Our Best Bites!

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

1 C butter flavored Crisco
1 C creamy peanut butter 

1 C sugar

1 C packed brown sugar

1 t vanilla

3 eggs

3 C flour

2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

filling:

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened

2 C powdered sugar

2 t vanilla

2-3 Tbs milk

Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream shortening, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in vanilla, and eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to dough. Mix to combine. The dough will be very soft- that's normal!

Roll dough into 1/2 inch (or a little larger) balls, roll in sugar, place on ungreased cookie sheet and do the little forky criss-cross thing.

Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until puffed and set, but not browned.  Remove from oven, let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.

Filling: Beat peanut butter, butter, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth, if needed, add milk until desired consistency is reached.  When cookies are completely cooled, spread a layer of frosting on one side and sandwich together.
yield: about 4 dozen sandwiches (I ended up with just shy of 2 dozen)

Neither Naptime Nor Monsters...

Bet your mailman isn't this cute...

Photo-Themed Update

 I've finally figured out hats (couldn't figure out how to make the crown for some reason), so I've been in hat-making mode. It started with a friend of mine from church requesting a flapper hat (pictures to come...maybe) for a 20's style party (see what you started, Lark?). I was happy to give it a go and now I can't stop. This is Rob's new earflap hat to match his new coat. It's a little big, but It's still really cute on him. Can't leave Drew out, so he'll probably be the next recipient. Rob himself is doing good. We're battling some sin areas (i.e. arguing, back-talking, bossiness, and tantrums, mainly), but he can be an incredibly sweet kid when he wants to be. And a riot, I might add. He's always eager to please and entertain.

Baby boy's doing okay. We're still hit and miss on his health and mood, but we've been trying the herbal route with him because we're desperate. The pediatrician isn't helpful whatsoever and tells me to "keep doing what I'm doing". Well, what I'm doing isn't helping. Now what? His eczema isn't clearing up, his tear duct is still plugged, and he's, more often than not, miserable. Two trusted friends from church suggested we try him on chlorophyll (yes, the green stuff plants make). I was skeptical and still kind of am, but I have noticed that he has been a lot more mellow lately than he usually is. If that's all it did, it would still be worth it! We'll just have to wait and pray for the best. I just wish he'd be happy and healthy. Other than that, he's trying to crawl and gets very frustrated that he can't. He likes to yell at his limbs as if to say, "Hey! DO SOMETHING!", but he has figured out how to go from a crawling position to sitting up on his own. He's also into EVERYTHING.

On Saturday, a family from church asked us to do a shoot with a unique prop - a firetruck! Mom and Dad both volunteer with the Filer Fire District, so we shot nearby just in case they got a call. Rob has a new-found love for firetrucks, so we were planning on getting together with this family eventually so he could see one up close. Two birds, one stone! We didn't tell him where we were going and as soon as he saw the truck, his jaw dropped and he said, "firetruck" under his breath. He also got to RIDE in it, too! My friends were so sweet and completely made Rob's year by letting him get the full tour of of not only the truck itself, but the firehouse, too. So, he got to try on a helmet, see inside of an ambulance, and climb all over various trucks parked there. Talk about little boy heaven! You can see a few of the results from our shoot by visiting my set on Flickr. The hat, by the way, is my first attempt. I didn't care for the pattern.

In other news, Matt still hasn't heard back from PSI, but is kind of hoping they don't call him. He'd like to stay with Pepsi, especially since it's been brought to their attention that they're losing drivers due to poor pay, hopefully nudging them towards raises. The Lord's will be done, but we could certainly use a little more. This barely scraping by thing is getting old and stressful at times.

As for Thanksgiving, we've decided to go it alone this year. We were invited by a sweet family from church, but we're a "legit" family now - we need to start making our own traditions. Thanks to our church family, we'll be able to make our own dinner and enjoy the day as a family, thanking the Lord for all He has provided and continues to provide. May it be glorifying to Him.

Home life's been challenging and tough lately, but we try to cherish the good times. God is pulling us through, as He always does. It's a season meant for us to bunker down through the storm under His strong foundation. Prayers appreciated.

The Many Faces of Drew

The Many Faces of Drew - Twin Falls, Idaho - 2010, originally uploaded by The Shutterbugette.

He can be such a goof, when he wants to be. Trying to enjoy the good times.

A Scary Sight

It's only a matter of time...

Update of Sorts

Is it really November already? I can't believe this year is almost over. Crazy.

Yes, he's sitting up now. Also crazy. He's still not 100% stable on his own yet, but definitely getting there. When I went to grab him out of his crib at 4am this morning, he was sitting up all by himself, much to my surprise. It was dark, so I think he was sitting up, atleast. He's still trying to figure out crawling, but I anticipate it within the next month or so. Also, I discovered a tooth last night at dinner. It's made him quite "fun" to deal with today.

I'm definitely starting to see a strong bond and relationship between the two boys. It gives me great joy to see them interacting with each other more, in a positive way. It makes my heart smile to hear them cracking each other up at random times.

Rob's potty training? *crazy laugh*

Matt applied for a job with PSI Waste Systems and had an interview yesterday. The recruiter he spoke to prior to the interview made it sound like they were SUPER interested in him because of his driving experience with Pepsi, but then the interview itself seemed lackluster. We'll see how it pans out. There's definite pros and cons to him switching, so we're leaving it to God to hash out. Things tend to turn out better if He takes over anyway.

Really quite irked about the holidays anymore. My grandparents headed south again, and my aunt is leaving to visit my other aunt back east, so we're ditched for Thanksgiving. Again. I'm not holding my breath for Christmas. I think that's all I'm going to say about that.

Business is quiet. We had a shoot last week, but ended up rushing things and flubbing up an order pretty bad. Thankfully, it was a friend from church, who was incredibly understanding and forgiving about the whole thing. I get frustrated with the slow trickle of shoots and the mistakes I make on them, but I also see God's grace in all of it, in that He's giving us lots of opportunities and time to improve. I'm very thankful for that.

Life's just...life. Crazy, stressful, and filled with lessons learned. I can't say whether it's good or bad. Just life. I'd worry if it was anything else.

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe

I had a pulled pork recipe I used to make with pork chops and BBQ sauce, but this one is SO MUCH BETTER! I first made this recipe for a family in our church while their mom was away taking care of her mom (a big thanks to the Sanstrom family for being my guinea pigs). It was a pretty big hit, so we tried it for ourselves tonight. Our nostrils were tortured by the savory smells bellowing from the crockpot all day until FINALLY it was dinner time. To give you an idea of just how good the pork was, Robby, who is fickle about what he eats sometimes, ate FOUR HELPINGS WORTH of meat. Yes, it was that good! The meat is tender, juicy, and flavorful and the smell of it cooking is AMAZING. All you need is a little BBQ sauce on your sandwich for that extra zing. Thank you yet again Campbell's Kitchen!

Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 boneless pork shoulder  roast (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), netted or tied
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons Frank's Redhot (optional)
12 round sandwich rolls or hamburger rolls, split

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on all sides.

2. Stir the soup, ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the pork and turn to coat.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until the pork is fork-tender.

4. Remove the pork from the cooker to a cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred the pork. Return the pork to the cooker.  Divide the pork mixture among the rolls.