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Saturday, January 30, 2010

Smith Island Cake

Since I'm feeling so yucky, we really aren't doing anything postworthy.  And, I'm sure you guys don't really want to hear about what's going on in my head, it's mostly..."should I run to the bathroom now or wait until I can't stand the nausea any more?"

So, here's a re-post from my wordpress blog from last June about the most delicious cake ever!

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Here’s a yummy cake, I’m still learning how to make it, but if you’re ever in Smith Island, stop in for a real one…


Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake mix + additional Ingredients to make according to the box


Make the cake mix, grease and flour as many 9-inch cake pans as will fit into your oven. Fill each pan with about 3/4 cup of mix, spread around to the edges of the pan.


Bake for 8 minutes. Take out, cool for a few minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.


Make 8 layers.



Icing: My friend Vicki’s Yummy Buttercream


1 pound softened butter
2 cups Crisco
2 tsp. vanilla
2 dashes of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Milnot
Cream butter and Crisco. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar slowly. Once it’s all mixed in, add the Milnot and whip for 5 minutes.

Layer the cake, then icing, then crushed Oreos until you’re at the top layer of cake.


Once it’s all layered, ice completely and decorate however you want.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

My Poor, Starving Family

Well, since you all know about the pregnancy, maybe you know now why my blog has been so boring.  All I do each day is sit on the couch.  Watch tv.  Read blogs.  Knit.  Maybe I'll post about my knitting soon.

I don't cook.  Actually, I did make waffles and bacon tonight, but that wore me out.  Not to mention, I had to take a break to gag in the sink.

So, my family is living on cereal, pb&j and frozen pizzas.  I gave in yesterday and let Troy get the girls happy meals for dinner, but that's a rare treat.

A funny things has started happening.  Sometimes, I can watch Food Network.  On good days.  Non-gag days.  And, I've discovered that my family is starving for some real food.  How do I know?  Well, check out this strange phenom...
Yes, they stop and stare at the food on tv.  How pitiful, that they have to drool about fake food since I can't cook for them.

They make up excuses to get out of the house and hit the farm store that has free popcorn.  Ugh.

(Yes, these pics were taken from my perch on the couch...)

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Our News

Well, since it seems everyone knows already, I guess I'll tell you faithful readers - in case you haven't heard yet...
We are expecting our third child!
I'm deathly ill.  I spent 3 weeks on the couch.  Moaning.  I'm so glad Troy has a job that allows him to work from home so he can take care of the girls, (and me).
I'm due on August 22, three days before Averie's birthday :-)

Oh, and I get to pack up my house, clean it from top to bottom, and move across the country in 3 weeks.

Now, this is also our last child.  How can I be so sure?  Well, barring a miracle, that is, I can be sure.  I have infertility, and tried for 5 years to get pregnant before being blessed with our first daughter.  We did IVF to get pregnant with her.  Our second is a result of a frozen transfer from the IVF.  And, this baby is the last of our embryos.  So, that's how I can be so sure.

Those of my friends dealing with IF, I hope this doesn't hurt you too much.  I know it's going to hurt a bit - a lot, that's inevitable.  Know that I have my fingers crossed for you and your miracles, too!

Oh, I am feeling a little bit better.  I am just so nauseas all day long, and exhausted, but I am better than I was 3 weeks ago, so says Troy.


Sunday, January 17, 2010

Saying "Good-Bye"

This is a time in our lives when we're saying good-bye.  The main good-bye is to Troy's family.  We currently live about 7 minutes from his brother and parents, (yes, they live together).  But, we're moving next month and they aren't.  This will be the first time in 11 years that we haven't lived within about 10 minutes of his parents.  Maybe they'll move near us?

We also said good-bye to our land on Friday.  We bought 10 acres this summer, and began working with a builder for a small cape cod on it.  We were very fortunate that the farmer who was renting it from us wanted to buy it when we offered it to him.  But, there went our dreams of homesteading - for now, at least.

And, earlier in the week, Troy sold his birthday present, since it's not easy to move something that big 600 miles.

And, I have all these seeds and nowhere to plant them...

All of these things are hard to give up, but we have some exciting things to look forward to.  We're going to volunteer at my sister's church.  We hope to be able to fill some needs they have.  We're moving near my family, something Troy's never experienced.  Scary?  And, Troy's working on building his business.  Hopefully, he can gain some new clients which will give us the freedom to stay at a small church and help it reach people and grow.

Oh, and we're moving to a resort town.  That can't be all bad, huh?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Snow Cream

Last week, after a fresh snowfall, I had the urge to teach my family about snowcream.  Troy had never had it, growing up in Chicagoland I would guess the snow was too poluted to use?

I sent him and Camdyn out to scoop me a bowl of snow.

While they did that, I mixed up the sweetness.  I used 2 cups of whole milk, 1 T. vanilla and 1 cup of sugar.  I ended up doubling this, because it seems Troy was able to scoop about 2 gallons of snow into my bowl instead of the 1 gallon I had origionally anticipated.

We mixed in the sink, because it was a bit - messy.

And, the result is a light, creamy, just sweet enough slushy snowcream!

Enjoyable in a cone or a bowl :-)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Haiti

I have grand plans of writing a new post about the fun things we've been doing lately, but as I sit here and try to write, all I can think about it the earthquake in Haiti.  Thousands of people have been affected by this act, it's something that will change the nation forever.  I wish I were in the physical condition and able to leave my children to go aid the Hatians, I know it's something that would change me forever.

It kinda puts the trials I face in perspective. 

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Update on Camdyn

Remember I said I thought she had a migraine?  Well, no, she actually has ... Strep Throat.  I should have figured it out, she said her mouth hurt.  She had a fever.  And a headache.  She was tired.  But, this is my first experience with Strep, I didn't know the symptoms.

She's taking my favorite medicine - Amoxocillin, and doing very well now.

Happy New Years!

Okay, I know it's a little late.  Or, maybe a lot late, but better late than never.  Right?

For New Years 2009/2010, we went over to Troy's brother's house.  They invited a few friends and we had a great time with yummy food and lots of playing kids.  It was our twin nephew's 13th birthday, we had cake for them.

Averie really wanted cake.  Doesn't her face just make you want to give her the whole cake?


Finally, she got a piece.

The girls made their way around through the night.


Troy learned a new card game, Euchre.  I was surprised he didn't know how to play, I thought he knew all the card games ever invented.

And...we were home and in bed by 10:30pm.  I know, we're old foagies.  And boy, did we get mad when the text messages and phone calls started pouring in at midnight!  Just kidding, we love our friends - thank you for remembering us!

Hope everyone has a 2010 worth remembering!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

My daughter

She's a trip.  She has such a personality.  She is three years old and it has been amazing watching her go from a toddler to a preschooler.  I tell Troy that we have a genuis on our hands, she is so smart!

Yesterday, I let her go play in the snow...alone.  Well, not really alone, I sent her into the front yard, opened the window and talked to her the whole time.  I wish I felt well enough to play with her :-(

Can I just say again, I love my new camera!  (yes, these pictures were taken through a screen, lol!)


Today was her second day of preschool this week, she goes Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I went to pick her up and she wasn't at the door with the other children.  Her teacher said she had just started acting weird, saying she was cold.  Last time she said that, she threw up.  So, I rushed her into the car and crawled home through the snow.  Really, I wasn't getting the vomit vibe from her, so I didn't worry too much.  I set her up watching tv with a bucket when I got home.  Then, she started complaining that her head hurt and she was sleepy.  What strange symptoms.  She watched tv for about 2 hours, (a rarity for me), then went off to bed.  I woke her up for dinner and her head still hurt.  I gave her tylenol and put her in front of the tv again.  I believe she had a migraine.  Her daddy gets complex migrains that manifest as a stroke, so it doesn't surprise me.

So, now, after a dose of tylenol, a quick trip to the store by daddy to get motrin and a dose of that, she's as good as new.



Her canine companion.  It's amazing how dogs can tell when something's wrong.  Ours just sit by the sickie, giving off stinky get-well vibes.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Free Photo Canvas

Sometimes, I find really good deals.  Here's one.  A FREE 8x10 photo canvas.  I just ordered mine and am so excited to get it.  I used a pic from my new camera, although I had better ones I had taken with my old camera, but I wanted the best resolution possible.

Click here for your free 8x10 photo canvas

I found this at Angie Smith's blog, Bring the Rain.  If you've never visited her site, I would highly recommend it.  Don't go there if you're having a weepy day, but do go there if you want to read about a courageous family who love God with all their lives.  bring the rain

Sunday, January 3, 2010

A re-post from the past

I'm feeling a little down today.  It's the first Sunday that Calvary is going on without us, the church where we thought we would live out our lives.  The church where we though our girls would grow up and serve in.  It's going on, minus us and other good leaders.  I wish I could say it's God's will, but I can't.  I can say, God allows bad things to happen for our good.  I found this post I wrote on my old blog and wanted to re-post it.  I wrote this months ago, long before the strange things happened at our church.  It's still true today...

Does God Really Care?

I’ve written this post a few times now, hopefully I can get it right this time. Over the past few years, my husband and I have been going through probably the hardest things we have ever experienced. We’ve felt despised, unwelcome and unloved. I can’t explain how badly this hurts. And, it seems like it will never end.


It’s not just happening to us. It seems like Satan is attacking the churches of the world. The churches, the Leaders/Pastors, the congregations. We have dear friends who are losing their jobs as pastors and having to move from congregations they love, away from family, friends, school, all that’s familiar.

When I’m feeling especially hurt, I have to stop and wonder, “What great thing does God have on its way that Satan is so interested in us right now?”

And then, I start to wonder, “Or, has God just given up on watching us? Is He just fed up with the world and the sin, tired of chastising His children?”

Mostly, I just get sad. I want to be in a church that loves each other enough to hold ourselves accountable to the word of God. Where the community sees and recognizes that love as so unique to anything they have experienced. A church that puts the worlds needs ahead of its own.

And I end up having a pity party. I have become so used to this that I think I can hide it well, put up a front for my children and those I come across during the day. The only one I can’t fool, or so I think , is Troy.

But, it seems just when I can’t feel any worse, as I’m sitting around wondering if God cares anymore, He goes out of his way to remind me that He does.

And, He doesn’t just show us in a small way. Nope. He piles on the blessings. Things we could never imagine possible. Just this past week, He took us from such a low point to such a high. Troy and I talk through the day and he has 2-3 blessings each time we talk. Dear people at church go out of their way to show us they love us and are grateful for us. God answers prayers we’ve been praying for months – years. He increases our joy beyond what we thought possible.

So, back to my title, “Does God really care?” I challenge you to give Him a try. Live by what the Bible says, not by what your friend says. Don’t give in to the pressure to take the easy road, the popular road. Take the true road. We had a special speaker in our mother’s group today. He spoke about children with learning disabilities. Apparently, a few years ago, there was a study to see if special education classes worked for these children. They compared the reading levels of those who went to the special ed class vs. those who remained in the regular class. Those who stayed in the regular class had a reading level much higher than those who were removed. His observation was that those in the special ed class were aided well and learned to read well, but those in the regular class were pushed to learn at the level with the other children. Their being pushed and almost forced to grow instead of having it easy seem to have put them ahead in the long run. It makes me think of what God is doing to us, challenging us now, allowing the hurt, making us grow for something in the future. Something we need to be stronger for, confident for, able to come up with the right answer through our years of training.

Matthew 10:29-31 (CEV)

29Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a penny? But your Father knows when any one of them falls to the ground. 30Even the hairs on your head are counted. 31So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

A little of Christmas

Here are a few pictures of us in Maryland at Christmas...
Playing with cousin Charlotte and her new toy.

Daddy let Cam jump off the front steps.

The girls and me

Cam and cousin Connor

The girls with Grandpa and Grandma on Christmas Eve service

Every Christmas Eve we take a pic in front of the boardwalk sign

Daddy after Christmas dinner

Then, we had Christmas in Ohio with Daddy's family...

Aves opening a gift.  I think she had chocolate on her mouth? 

The cousins.

I got a ton of filters for my camera and was trying them out.  This one was called "sand"

I love the filter that does these stars!



 Sorry I'm still MIA.  It's been a busy time here, trying to figure out what to do about moving, packing, cleaning, everything.   It's so overwhelming.