When I was growing up, I had a dog named Molly. She was my best friend, mainly because we were so alike. We were both antisocial, oversensitive, misunderstood, and never fully trusted anyone. I recall the time my aunt tried to leash-train Molly. As you can tell, Molly wasn't your ordinary dog. She did things her way. This made leash-training her...interesting. As soon as my aunt put the leash on Molly, she immediately threw herself at the very end of the leash, yelping and writhing on the ground as if she was demon-possessed. This, of course, shocked my aunt, who was watching all of this go on, yet she patiently took a step forward in hopes that Molly would get used to the leash. Each step was just as dramatic as the last, though. Over and over again, Molly would throw herself around, yelping as loud as she could. Eventually, she did "get over it", and started walking with my aunt on the leash. Then another bomb dropped. My aunt changed directions. The whole show started all over again, with Molly fighting every step of the way. I don't know if she ever got used to the leash. Strange dog.

My point? The story of Molly and the leash is a perfect illustration of my walk with God thus far. Molly and I had much more in common than I thought, despite her just being an animal. It's made me see things from God's perspective on this road of sanctification. When I got saved, when He hooked that metaphorical leash to me, and we started to walk and I realized I didn't have total control of my life anymore, I freaked. Unfortunately, I still tend to do this when trials come my way. I throw myself at the end of God's will, kicking and screaming. All the while, He's patiently walking behind me, guiding me on the path He's chosen for me. Eventually, I break and obey and trust my Master, walking the way He's commanded. Until He changes direction and we're back to square one. And yet He calmly starts the lesson over again, knowing I'll just freak and throw myself to the ground just like I've done so many times today. That's amazing grace.

Unlike poor Molly, I will eventually "get it", but my leash-training days are far from over. How about you, Christian? Are you a Molly? Do you fight God's hand in your life? Are you trusting Him fully to guide your path? Submit yourself to Him today and trust His loving hand. Otherwise, it's going to be a very long and exhausting walk Home for both of us.

Drew at Seven Months

Holy smokes! My baby boy is going to be seven months old tomorrow! This year has flown!

Yes, he's in a laundry basket. Why, you ask? 1) He's all over the place and 2) it's stinkin' cute. That's why. He is rolling EVERYWHERE and getting into EVERYTHING. He's also trying his hardest to figure out how to crawl walk. Instead of practicing getting up on his knees, he's decided to just go for trying to get up on his feet, in a bear crawl stance. He also loves to stand up against the ottoman, with assistance. This is quite cute because he wiggles his little butt like he's grooving to music. I remember Robby being a lot of fun at this age. So far, Drew's been no different. He started babbling last night, saying "blah blah blah". He's still quite moody at times and has a very low tolerance for pain, still. I think he'll just be one of those kinds of people. Any little discomfort makes him quite upset. It's something we've tried to get used to, but since he's always been on the sickly side, that when he's really sick (he just got over a cold after his bout with HFMD), his extra-moodiness can be quite taxing. He doesn't beat around the bush about how he feels and is usually very vocal about it, too. He's a pretty content fellow the majority of the time, though.

I really hope he keeps those gray eyes. They are stunning. Thank you, Mom.

Birthday Cake

I just had to share this. It's a photo of my super delicious birthday cake from Mi Pueblo. It's a three leches cake (it had a layer of caramel and sweetened milk on the bottom), strawberry in the middle, and glazed strawberries and whipped topping and chocolate on top. Oh. My. Goodness. This cake was awesome!

Speaking of my birthday, it was definitely one of the better ones I've had recently. It will never compare to last year, when Matt took me out on a surprise date. I think that will always be my favorite, but this year was really nice, too. To start, Matt scheduled his vacation that week, so we got to spend extra time together and I got a little bit of a relief from my mommy duties. The morning of my birthday, we all went to breakfast at Depot Grill, where I had the best pancakes EVER. Then we went to Mi Pueblo to order my cake. That evening, Cher came over and watched the boys so we could go to a musical at one of the high schools. It was called "Curtains!" and despite some unnecessary profanity, it was fun to watch. It was just a nice, quiet day spent with my family. What a blessing.

I'm curious to see what 27 has in store for me.

Buzz Lightyear Afghan

Buzz Lightyear Afghan - Twin Falls, Idaho - 2010, originally uploaded by The Shutterbugette.

I made this themed afghan for Robby, who's absolutely OBSESSED with Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. It was meant for a Christmas present, but he may end up with it early, since it's getting cold here quickly; especially at night.

This is the first ripple afghan I've ever made and I had a blast making it. Lucky for me, I have two more to finish.

Confused

So, of course, after I wrote yesterday's post, my stubborn tot decides to stay dry all day. I guess we'll just play it by ear.

*sigh* One day at a time...

By the way, my son calls pooing "making brown". I about died.

I Surrender

This is my white flag of surrender. I officially give up on potty training. For now.

After getting to the point that all three of us (Matt, Rob, and myself - Drew could care less) wanting to bang our heads against something solid, I've finally decided to throw the towel in for the time being. Rob's just not ready; plain and simple. So all you moms that successfully potty trained your tot at the ripe age of one can keep your snickering to yourselves. It's just not going to happen here and now.

I know my son. And I knew better, but selfishly pushed forward anyway. He does things on his own time on his own terms. Always has; always will. That's why he rolled over "late", crawled "late", and walked "late". Because he's my child and he wants it HIS way. I can't help but feel like a slight failure, though. I was *thisclose* to being freed of one extra diaper change.

*sigh*

Banana-Cue A la Mode Recipe

Last night, we found ourselves watching Bizzare Foods on Netflix. If you've ever seen the show, you're probably wondering where this post is going. I promise you that this recipe is 100% disgusting critter free. Trust me. The host was in the Philippines, more specifically Manila. While browsing the street vendors, he talked about a tasty, treat-on-a-stick called banana-cue (or banana-que). Basically, it's barbecued banana; although it never actually goes anywhere near a grill. Still trying to figure that one out. Hmm. Anyway, we consulted Chef Google and found a simple recipe. We didn't have saba bananas, so we used regular bananas. Really, our version didn't turn out like traditional banana-cue, but that didn't diminish the yumminess factor at all. We served ours hot on some vanilla ice cream and it was decadent. That's really the only word I can use to describe it. It was definitely a dessert you savor. Really, the only thing that could have made it better would have been either whipped cream or a little chocolate drizzle to top it off, but it was amazing as-is. If you're thinking "banana split", you'll be sadly mistaken. Think warm, candied banana. Mmm.


Banana-Cue A la Mode

Bananas
Vegetable Oil
Brown Sugar

1. Heat oil in deep fryer or deep pan on medium-high heat.

2. Cut bananas in half. Roll in brown sugar to coat thoroughly.

3. Drop into deep fryer and cook until brown and crispy. Drain and re-coat with brown sugar. Fry again until brown and crispy.

4. Drain. Serve hot over ice cream. Savor.

Unplanned Potty Training

Robby has decided on his own that he wants to be potty trained. Right now. Well, as of early last week. This came to as quite the surprise, as I assumed he wasn't ready and wouldn't be until he was 2 1/2-3. Just goes to show that trying to plan anything around children is down-right laughable.

So far, Rob is doing fairly well. He's definitely grasped the concept of going on the potty and he's getting better at letting us know he has to go before it's too late, but he's not staying 100% dry yet. We bought the spiffy Pull-Ups with Cool Alert (they get cold when wet). I never wanted to use Pull-Ups, but I'm strapped for cash right now and can't afford to do that much laundry right now. With Matt being on vacation all next week, it should be easier to stay on top of his training. I can't tell you how excited I am at the aspect of not changing one set of diapers! We're getting very close! Still trying to figure out how to keep him dry overnight. Tips welcome.

By the way, the potty shown here is the potty chair we bought Robby. Him, Daddy, and Brother went to Walmart Monday night to pick one out. I thought it was really cute because it matches the boys' bathroom. =)

Uncle Nate's Visit

My brother-in-law came to visit and have me do his senior photos this last weekend. It was a very short visit - only a little over 24 hours, really. Way too short, but we made the best of it.

Nathaniel flew in on Saturday morning. A couple hours after getting here, him and I left to go do his senior shoot. It was a little awkward being out with my husband's brother alone, but we ended up having a really fun time - mostly laughing at each other. He can be quite ornery; much like his older brother. He very much enjoyed having his nephews all to himself and let Robby get away with murder. "But he's so cute," he told us. "How can I tell him 'no'?" All I can say about that is turnabout's fair play, Nate. Just wait until you have kids. :)

Sunday, we went to church, went to Sunday School, came home, ate lunch, and then Matt drove back up to Boise so Nate could catch his flight back to Denver. He was here so briefly, that it seemed like he wasn't here at all, now. But we accomplished what we set out to do and my in-laws were extremely pleased with the results. I admit I was slightly worried again; even more-so than I was with Emily's shoot. Everyone wants to try and impress their in-laws. I'm no different. I was worried about what they'd think about my photography style, since art is so very objective. Thankfully, they were very impressed and paid me many kind compliments. So many, in fact, I felt almost uncomfortable.

I'm no award-winning, pro photographer. Just blessed by God's good gifts that are used to bless others. He gets ALL the glory and credit for the work my meager hands produce. I am so grateful and undeserving of His kindness.

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

You can view more of Nate's senior photos by going here. A huge thank you to my in-laws for taking a chance and flying their son by himself on his first plane ride so I could do his photos. I'm deeply humbled and honored.

Sick Baby Boy

No smiles from this little guy today. Thanks to my step-mom's diagnosis over the phone, we figured out that Drew has Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. He has been absolutely miserable and screams in pain more often than not due to the sore throat and lesions in his mouth. He did have a mild fever yesterday and the night before, but thanks to some Infant Motrin, his fever broke sometime last night. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done. All we can do is comfort him, help ease his pain with pain-relievers, and let it run it's course. Please pray for his comfort and recovery and for our endurance and extra patience.

On the flip-side of things, both boys are up-to-date on their shots and Drew had a check-up on Monday. He received the cleanest bill of health to date (this was prior to his HFMD episode) and now measures 27.8 inches long and weighs 19.4 pounds. He is a BIG BOY. To give you a comparison, Robby measures about 36 inches and is about 29 pounds. Not looking forward to these two hitting puberty.

Also, I have a couple other prayer requests. My father-in-law lost his job yesterday due to company-wide layoffs. Please pray for God's provision and for Dad's peace of mind as he looks for employment to support their family.

Matt applied for a different position within the company and had an interview yesterday. The interview went well, but they decided to choose another candidate who had seniority and experience. Matt will be looking into other employment or possibly going back to school to provide for our family in the very near future. Please pray for guidance and discernment on the matter, as he leads his family.

Somewhat related to my first prayer request, I have another shoot tomorrow. My brother-in-law is flying up from Denver for me to do his senior shoot. He'll only be here for a little over a day and a half, so we're kind of crunched for time. Please pray for ease of nerves and clarity of mind for me, as it's only my second senior shoot. We're looking forward to seeing him, though.

Thank you for your prayers.

Buffalo Chicken Ranch Pizza Recipe

Awhile back, we had a pizza at Gertie's called the Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Surprisingly, we fell in love with it, but then our love affair ended there. Then, we got a Buffalo Wild Wings in town and our love for hot sauce was suddenly rekindled. I swear we put hot sauce on everything, now! We now make our own version of Buffalo Wild Wing's Traditional Wings with Medium Sauce thanks to an online recipe we found. Naturally, the next step was to make our own Buffalo Chicken Pizza, but (and I may be biased when saying this) I think our version turned out better than Gertie's!

Buffalo Chicken Ranch Pizza

Crust
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110° F)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Buffalo Sauce
1 cup Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
*Note: You won't have to use the full amount this makes. Add to taste.

Ranch Sauce
1 16 oz. container sour cream
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dip

Other
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste

1. Mix together ingredients for Buffalo Sauce and set aside.

2. Mix together ingredients for Ranch Sauce and set aside.

3. Cube chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet with hot oil until browned. Toss chicken in Buffalo Sauce until thoroughly covering. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 450° F. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

5. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

6. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal.

7. Spread on Ranch Sauce. Layer mozzarella cheese, Buffalo Chicken, and some more cheese. Optional: Dash Frank's Red Hot on top, depending on taste.

8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is bubbling.

Drew at Six Months

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

Happy six months, Booger!

The Walker Reborn

This boy LOVES his walker!

Grandma's Visit

We were blessed by a special visit by my step-mom, Kathy, this last week. She flew down on Saturday and left today. It's never a long enough visit, it seems. We always love having them here (even though it was just her this time - my dad had to work, unfortunately) and are always incredibly sad to see them go. It was hard dropping her off at the airport and even harder when Robby called out, "Grandma! Grandma!" when we got home. I really wish we all lived closer. We cherish the time we do get and pray for time together again soon.

Last night, we enjoyed the beautiful weather from the porch, watching the boys play while Matt was at AWANA. I snapped some photos - something I always forget or chicken out of when they're here. I never want to be a burden or bossy photographer, but always kick myself for missing memories. Kathy was kind enough to take this one of me and the boys. I love it.

Kathy, as usual, was a huge help with Drew, who has been quite cranky the past few days. We later discovered that he's frustrated by his immobility and that he now loves his walker and being outside.

This is the happiest I've seen him in days! Grandma sure has the magic touch!

Robby playing with his soccer ball. This kid is constant motion, now. It's incredibly hard to catch a shot of him sitting still!

Lots of loves from Grandma.

A little girl and her mom from our complex came to join us as we were sitting outside. Robby, always eager to entertain and amuse, was playing peek-a-boo with her. She was cracking up!

This was taken the next day. I felt bad that I was able to get so many of Kathy and Drew together, but not her and Rob. We made sure to fix that before her flight.

It was a great visit. Quiet, but full of laughter and good conversation. I sure miss her already. I hate good-byes.

Devishly Good Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

YUM.

That's all I have to say about this recipe. I found it in a free e-book from Gooseberry Patch.There's another chocolate chip cookie recipe in there that calls for instant vanilla pudding, which will make them incredibly soft.

Devilishly Good Chocolate Chip Cookies
By Gooseberry Patch

18-1/2 oz. pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix dry cake mix and remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden. Let cool on wire racks. Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

ALSO - we found a very tasty way to cook corn on the cob tonight. Just throw the ears into a 350° oven, husks and all, for 30 minutes. The corn comes out tender, full of flavor, and makes the house smell like popcorn as it's cooking. =)

English Muffin Breakfast Pizzas

I love Our Best Bites! They have the best recipes! We had these this morning and they were simple, delicious, and filling. I left out the Tabasco, but later we dashed a little Frank's Red Hot on top, which made it even better (I'm getting very brave about spicy food).

English Muffin Breakfast Pizzas 
Recipe by Our Best Bites

6 whole wheat English muffins at room temperature
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
About 10 dashes Tabasco sauce
12 thin deli slices of ham or 10-12 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
3/4-1 c. shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Optional: Chopped vegetables like green onions, tomatoes, sliced olives, mushrooms, green peppers, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray or brush with oil or melted butter. Set aside.
In a pie plate, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and Tabasco sauce. Gently pull apart each English muffin and soak each side (like you would for French toast) in the egg mixture--you want the egg mixture to soak into the bread, but you don't want the English muffin to be completely falling apart. Place the muffin, cut side up, on the baking sheet.

If using ham, slice the ham into thin strips and then place on top of the English muffins. If using bacon, just sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top. Add any additional desired toppings and then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and serve immediately.

FREEZER INSTRUCTIONS: After baking, loosen them from the baking sheet with a spatula and then allow them to cool completely. Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer. When the pizzas are solid, transfer them to a large Ziploc freezer bag. To reheat, place on a plate and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes at a time until the pizza is heated through (actual time will depend on how powerful your microwave is).

Giant Drew

No one really believes just how big Drew is. Here's a picture to put it into perspective for you. Here, he's wearing 9-month-old sized pj's. It gets better. Robby was finally able to wear these when he was 7 months old. Drew's just shy of 5 1/2 months old.

Yeah, I think Rob's going to regret thumping on his little brother someday...

At the Fair

I can't believe fair time has came and went. Where has the year gone? Matt spent most of his three day weekend working the church booth and evangelizing to passing fair-goers. He got into some interesting conversations, as usual. You never know what you're going to come across, but please be praying for those seeds that were sown. We went to the fair twice this year as a family, but the first time wasn't the best. By the time we made it out the door, it was almost the boys' naptime. Not a good time to do ANYTHING. So, we went again another day, AFTER naptime. It was a much better time! Here's Rob sitting on the back of a front-end loader. He was very brave!

We were so happy Robby could ride the rides this year. Last year he was too young (barely a year), so this year was a lot more fun. We chose a mild ride to start with because we didn't know how he'd react (even though this carousel was a lot faster than it looks) and Matt rode with him. Rob had an absolute blast and came running to me, proudly saying, "Rode horse! Rode horse!"

The second he went on he got to "drive" a firetruck all by himself! Well, he had a few passengers, but none of them got sick or started crying, so he must have drove well. He did great!

Obviously Drew didn't do any rides, but he was content to watch the rides and people go by.

The second car he drove. Again, all by himself! He didn't cry or freak out at all. We were very surprised and proud of him!

Matt loves the draft horses, so we spent some time in the draft horse barn, of course. I'm in awe of their incredible mass!

We splurged a little and bought a cup of food at the petting zoo. Robby thought the tickling tongues on his hand were a riot until he realized that his new friends had left quite a bit of drool. This kid HATES having his hands dirty for too long!

Matt and both entered five photos this year. Matt got a blue and red and I got a red and two whites. We ended up looking very patriotic. The judging seemed a lot tougher this year, so we were happy to get anything!

As usual, the fair was a lot of fun to attend and enter our hard work in, but I'm so glad it's over. I've definitely had my fill for a year. I'm happy to have my husband back - for now, until AWANA and Bible study starts up again. All for His glory!

Yarnies for the Gospel

I have inadvertently spearheaded a ministry. I know. Like I need more on my plate, but maybe you, my dear reader, can help me.

I stumbled across an organization called Caps for Good, where you knit or crochet baby hats for babies in third-world countries. I liked the premise, but it lacked the all-important gospel. There's no point in doing good for people if it lacks the message of salvation. "Just makes the world a nicer place to go to Hell from," as my husband says. So, I searched and searched for a "Christian version", but to no avail. I prayed for God to send me an opportunity, if it was His will for me to serve Him in this way.

The next day, Kathy, my step-mom, contacted me and said that I could send over goods (hats, mittens, scarves, blankets, etc.) with her when she goes back to Africa with The Luke Commission (details below) in February. Yes, believe it or not, it does get cold in Africa! She told me that they use whatever warmth they can find, as their homes are not heated, nor are they very well-insulated (most live in shacks or huts). I thanked her profusely and started "recruiting" as many of my "yarnie" friends as I could think of. So far, I have a couple ladies from my church who are interested, but I'm sure we could use a lot more.

If anyone is interested in donating your time and talent to help our cause, please comment and I can give you the needed information. Warm, good-quality crocheted or knitted goods infant to adult size are needed. Even if you're interested in donating yarn, that will be a blessing, too! It will be a wonderful way to help spread the gospel and help the people of Swaziland!

About The Luke Commission: (From their website) "The Luke Commission is a Christian medical mission serving remote regions in southern Africa. We take our mobile medical clinic to rural villages, schools, churches, chief's kraals, and orphan care points and offer free medical care, medications, HIV testing and counseling, vision care, eyeglasses, Bibles and the Hope of the Gospel. Current efforts are concentrated in the bush of Swaziland, a tiny country with the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world."

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." -Matthew 28:19-20

Five Months Old

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

Guess who's turning five months on Monday? =)

He's a pretty happy little guy these days, but still has his moments. We see him slowly, but surely growing out of it, though.