Mini Post

Didn't I used to do these regularly? :)

Jerry has been working like a maniac on the second bathroom we are remodeling.  I love this bathroom.  It is so peaceful and beautiful that I just want to go in there with a good book, shut the door and hang out for a while.

Jerry hard at work.  We bought this table at Pier 1 and he drilled a hole into it and added the plumbing himself!

The beautiful sink and vanity combo! 

Jerry raised the pipes in the wall to put the faucet right into the wall.  And check out that seashell frame - it is so lovely!

We added blue, brown, and yellow accents.



 Last week, Jerry's parents came for a visit.  We don't get to see them too often, so it was great to have them come.  While they were here, we had a huge birthday celebration for the four people who had birthdays in November!

Jerry's dad turned 75!

Jerry's mom turned 73.

Jerry hit the big 3-6!

And baby Andrew turned 2.  How is that even possible??

 In totally unrelated news, check out this potato!  It is truly a Texas potato.  Doesn't it look like a pair of cowboy boots?

 Andrew is suddenly VERY attached to his blankets.  He sleeps with them, carries them around the house, takes them with him when he plays, says goodbye to them when he leaves to go somewhere...  As you can tell by this picture, he isn't happy with just one blanket, he wants every blanket he owns at once!

 This year, we actually got some amazing fall color!   We don't normally get fall color.  The leaves here tend to go from green to brown, but we got a lot of rain this fall, and this is the result!  Now, if it wasn't 82 degrees out as I type this, it might actually feel like fall out there!

Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Mini Post Monday

• I never imagined just how much I would come to be dependent on White Sweet Potato Starch.  Seriously, I use this in almost every baked good I made these days.  Unfortunately, I have only found it by mail order from one source, and they are incredibly slow to ship and have very expensive shipping, too!
• Aaron's Pinewood Derby car is taking shape.  He and Jerry went to use a band saw to cut the car shape last weekend, and Aaron decided to paint it as a TCU car.  I am still amazed that he started out with a solid block of wood and it now looks like this!  The race is this Friday!

• He loves me.

• He really, really loves me!

• Our bathroom remodel has started moving along again, but with a few problems.  We got the amazing tile wall up!  Isn't it pretty?

• We grouted with gray grout, which looks surprisingly white now.  Unfortunately, we waited too long to start washing the grout off and it is really sticking to the tile.  Jerry has gone over most of the tiles with a razor blade and they look decent now, but see the bottom picture for ones that we still need to scrape!  We also are learning that it is a common problem for glass tile to retain some grout in tiny imperfections that aren't really noticeable before you grout.  I looked online for ideas of how to get these tiny specks of grout out and the things people have done range from using dental tools to fingernail polish remover.  I have a big job ahead of me to clean out over 7,000 tiles!


• This last week, God was teaching me some pretty neat things about what it means to me that Jesus became man and experienced the temptations and weakness that I experience.  How wonderful that when I pray about my weakness, He really understands!
• Aaron has suddenly decided that he wants to wear his hair in a Mohawk.  I have tried for years to get him to wear a bit more style in his hair than the simple "comb to the side" look, and he always resists me wanting a simple hairdo.  I have no idea where it is coming from, but he has now converted his brothers, too!  Needless to say, they had to wear hats when we went out to run errands!

• The older males in our house have come up with a new game.  It is called "Catch and Sniff" and it commences each time there is a diaper change for Drew.  I'm sure you can imagine the object of this game...

Mini Post Monday

I apparently didn't take any pictures at all this week, so I decided to give you some oldies-but-goodies from when my older two boys were born!

• After noticing that Andrew has been chewing on his fingers way in the back of his mouth, Jerry and I were talking about how late our kids get their teeth.  Jerry asked me, "If you don't get your 1-year molars until you're 1 1/2, are you dentally retarded?"

Aaron, the day after he was born, still in the hospital.
• How you know you're living with boys #29:  Aaron (reading a label), "Egg substitute? ::pause::  "hee-hee, toot..." ::much laughter::

Just after Aaron's first bath at home.  Just after this picture was taken, he pooped in the towel and had to be cleaned again...
• I am thankful that God allows me to get uncomfortable enough to want to change when I'm going down the wrong path.  I don't like being uncomfortable, but I like being out of God's will even less!

Aaron's first glimpse of his brother,Ethan.  They have been close friends ever since!
• Jerry and I have been watching some DVD's of Louie Giglio preaching from his Passion Talk Series.  They are called "Indescribable" and "How Great is Our God."  If you can get your hands on these videos, you need to watch them.  They are amazing.  He looks at science in a way that so clearly points out how awesome and incredible our God really is!  I am going to show parts to Aaron, too.  Really, get a copy of these.

Just arriving home from the hospital with Ethan.  Notice the beautiful blanket he is under made by none other than Joanna!
• The boys and Jerry just finished another LDA allergy treatment.  I am so glad it is over.  They boys have decided that they would rather starve themselves the three days of strict diet than eat what they are able to.  Jerry still ate, but I had to watch the boys lay around absolutely miserable with hunger and still refuse to eat.  I didn't realize until this three day period just how much of my satisfaction as a mother came from the process of taking care of my family physically.  To not be able to feed my family was almost more than I could bear.  On a positive note, they are responding to the treatment quite well!  After the shot, both Jerry and Aaron felt great. Ethan's body responds by sleeping.  He slept for almost 36 hours straight, only getting up a couple times for less than an hour each time!

Aaron and Ethan continue to bond.  Ethan is about 1 week old here.  Aaron is 22 months.
• Aaron is making his very first Pinewood Derby car in Cub Scouts.  He and Jerry went to use a saw with the Pack to cut out the car yesterday.  I will get some pictures of him working on it this week!

Mini Post Monday

I figured I better be prompt with this week's Mini-Post Monday so that I don't get chastised again! :) (Sorry, Jo! I had to put that in there!)

• I am eating one of my left-over salted chocolate truffles I gave to my friends for Christmas while I type this.  Man, are they good.
• My family takes "hide-and-go-seek" very seriously.  No, really.  Check it out.

Jerry climbed in an empty cabinet and the first one to find him was actually Andrew.  The funny thing was that Andrew thought it was so great that Daddy was in the cabinet, Daddy had to stay there for quite a while while Andrew closed the doors, opened them up, and laughed!

This hiding spot of Ethan's doesn't look too impressive until you see the large picture...

Ethan climbed up in this cubby hole intended for a TV in this exercise/game room!
• We had a white Christmas this year!!!  Now, for those of you who live in places that get snow often, you might not think this worthy of posting.  However, for the DFW area, it was the first white Christmas in 83 years.  It is amazing to me that very few people living in our area were alive to remember the last time it happened. Our kids were thrilled, to say the least.

Our yard, covered in snow.  For Texas, this is a full blanket of snow!

Isn't it impressive??  Too bad we didn't have enough snow in TX for this one.  Jerry and the boys made it in Ohio the week before our white Christmas!
• Not every part of a white Christmas is good.  A dear family in my church had a car accident on Christmas Eve when their car hit a patch of black ice and went into oncoming traffic.  The husband and the wife's mother were killed on impact, and the dear wife, Pat, died later in surgery.  Pat made my wedding cake.  Pat has also been my Bible Study leader since June.  Every Sunday, I have gone to her house for a few hours and studied God's Word with her and a few others.  God used Pat to show me some great freedom that he had waiting for me, but I hadn't yet found.  I will miss Pat greatly. 
• Have you ever heard of the Manhattan Declaration?  My pastor brought this to our attention in church yesterday.  He said that in the last conversation he had with Pat's husband, he was told of this declaration, and thought it was important enough to share with the entire congregation.  I have been thinking for a while that I am not involved enough in politics.  I know that I don't agree with much of what is going on in Washington, and I vote every time I have an opportunity, but I need to be more informed and involved.  I think that I am going to start by signing this document after Jerry reads it and we have a chance to talk about it.
• Ever wonder what the boys thought of their dad getting his Master's degree last week?  Just look at how excited they were for him.

Aaron was practically bursting at the seams!

Ethan could hardly contain his enthusiasm!
• Andrew, on the other hand was happy as a lark as long as he could put water on his rubber ducky.  Needless to say, we left a bit of a wet spot on the table when we left!

In addition to the large water spot, I'm pretty sure there was an entire meal's worth of crumbs...
• Look, Mom!  I'm a Texas Longhorn!  (Should someone tell him that when you are wearing an Ohio State jumpsuit, you shouldn't pretend to be a Texas Longhorn?)

Who needs Christmas presents when you have a plastic hanger?
• Finally, for those of you who watch commercials regularly, perhaps you've seen this commercial from the last Superbowl.  I don't watch live TV, preferring to record the shows I like on my DVR and forward through the commercials instead, so I just saw this commercial yesterday.  I laughed so hard I had to look it up on YouTube right away to see it again.  Enjoy!
  

MBA

I have been chastisd for not having a Mini-Post Monday this week, so I feel I should post something.  I thought about doing a Mini-Post this week, but vacation-induced lounging around won over, and now it is no longer Monday, so I guess it'll just have to wait for next week.  But, never fear!  I won't leave you with no post!  Instead, I'll tell you all about Jerry's graduation!

(The whole family just after the graduation ceremony.  The boys were so glad it was over - they were bored!)

(Jerry's hood - tan brown on the outside for business, purple and gold inside for Taylor University.)

The reason we went to Ohio the week before Christmas this year, and not for Christmas week is that Jerry graduated with his MBA from Taylor University last week.  Jerry and I both did our undergraduate studies at Taylor, and we love the school.  When they started an MBA program, Jerry was very excited.  He has always wanted to get his MBA, and things finally worked out for him to do this.  He worked very hard, made sacrifices with his time, and graduated with a 4.0!  At his graduation, one of his professors said he was the best student he had ever taught!  Now, I am not surprised by this, but it sure was great to hear it! 

(Jerry and his parents.)

Anyway, we flew up to Dayton, Ohio (where we used to live) and drove to Jerry's parent's house.  They live just one hour from where the graduation took place in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  We got to spend some great time with Jerry's parents, celebrate and early Christmas, watch Jerry's accomplishment, and play in the snow.  While at the in-law's, I did the cooking so we could stay on our allergy-friendly diet.  It actually worked out really well.  I planned a menu in advance, sent Jerry's parents a grocery list with the things I thought they could find, and brought the rest with me.  I pre-measured all my baked goods into baggies so all I had to do was add the wet ingredients every time I made something.  It was a wonderful system.  I think I am actually going to do this once a week at home, too.  It saved so much time!

(My baking mix bags all ready to go.  Please ignore the other miscellaneous stuff on the counter behind the bags.)

So that is my excuse for not having a post on Monday.  Is it a good one?

Mini Post Monday

• It has taken me a while to get into the Christmas spirit this year, but it is slowly creeping up on me.  I guess putting clues to where a treat is hidden in the advent house daily has been getting me in the mood.  However, the thought of wrapping all the gifts I've collected almost kills the joy for me.

• I did finish the Christmas treat boxes I planned with the Hot Chocolate Pods and Truffles.  I even added spiced nuts.  Everything turned out really yummy!

• I really dislike cleaning showers.  If you were to do a random shower inspection, I'd fail 99 times out of 100. But I did clean my shower this morning.  I feel very accomplished.  Anyway, if you were planning to do a surprise shower inspection, today would be a good day, okay?

• Jerry graduates next week!  Woo-Hoo!  Go Jerry!  My husband has an MBA now.

• I am enjoying hearing Christmas music this year.  Most years, I'm tired of hearing it by now.  Isn't that sad?

• Packing for a trip with allergies is a lot of work.  I'm putting together baggies with all the dry ingredients for our baked goods so I don't have to try to find obscure things like amaranth flour in a small town.  So much planning ahead!

• I am so jazzed that the library called today to tell me that the two books I put on hold are available for me to pick up.  It's the little things in life that really float my boat!

Redefining Pie Crust

Every year I make Jerry apple pie for his birthday - it is our family tradition.  Jerry loves apple pie more than any other desert there is, and I didn't want to have to let this tradition fall by the wayside because of allergies.  Jerry cannot have wheat at all, and he has to rotate soy (shortening), both of which seem to be essential for a good pie crust.  But then I found this blog post.  I thought the addition of cinnamon to the pie crust sounded good for an apple pie, and although I have not been very successful with rice flour products turning out well, I decided that for Jerry, I'd give it a try.  I'm really glad I did, because it made an excellent apple pie that the whole family enjoyed! 

(sifting together all the dry ingredients - doesn't the cinnamon look yummy?)

(cutting in the butter - how can you go wrong with butter?)

One big difference from traditional pie crust is that you have to let it refrigerate overnight before you use it.  It is also a bit thicker than a traditional crust, but other than that, I think most people wouldn't think anything of it if I served it up to them!

(ready to refrigerate overnight)

I know that most people reading this blog don't need to make allergen friendly foods, but I wanted to post this anyway for a couple reasons:

• You should try adding cinnamon to the crust of your pie sometime - it's really yummy!
• I am proud of the way my allergy-friendly cooking has improved to the point that I make things that actually taste good!
• You never know when you'll need to make something for a person with allergies or other health problems, and now you'll have a source! :)

Mmmmm....hot apple pie!  Who has the ice cream?

Allergies Are Stupid (Part 2)

Yeah. The title *still* pretty much sums it up. (To read from the beginning, see here.)

We are a little over two weeks into eating properly for our allergies. This means eliminating soy(me only), brewer's yeast, baker's yeast (Ethan only), tomato (Aaron only), corn, and peanuts (Ethan only). We have to rotate (meaning eat only once or twice a week) chicken, egg, milk, oats, potatoes, rice, wheat, soy (Aaron and Ethan), tomato (Ethan only), banana, baker's yeast (me and Aaron), orange (Aaron only), peanuts (me only), and pork.

Needless to say, I am learning a whole new way to cook. I have made pancakes with many different kinds of flour: rice, Kamut, spelt, sorghum, barley, and buckwheat. (I'm getting tired of pancakes, which is something I never thought I'd say.)

When I was last at the allergist's office, I asked him about the possibility of Jerry having allergies since a) the boys have much worse allergies than me and b) he has daily headaches, drainage, and fatigue. The doctor indicated that those are indeed classic symptoms so we scheduled Jerry to be tested. The results are rocking my world. He reacted to almost everything they tested him on! He has to eliminate baker's yeast, brewer's yeast, orange, peanut, soy, tomato, and wheat. He has to rotate, beef, corn, gluten, oats, pork, and strawberry. Needless to say, he will be joining the boys in their LDA treatments starting with their next treatment. I didn't have to worry about beef or gluten before, so that is a bit more work. Especially the gluten. Spelt and Kamut act the most like wheat of any of the grains I've tried so far, and he cannot really eat them. But I will figure it out!

Thursday is the boy's first treatment. That means Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are very strict food days for us. The ONLY things we can eat those days are: lamb, rabbit, venison, fish, sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, tapioca or cassava root, turnips, cooked carrots, celery and cabbage, rhubarb, pure baking soda, plain sea salt, and filtered water. No oils or normal breakfast foods or bread type foods. In addition, for those days we have to use special soap and shampoo, no toothpaste (baking soda only), and no other thing can pass between the lips (other drinks, vitamins, medicines...) It is going to be a bit hard. I am doing the diet with the rest of my family to show my support, even though I don't need any treatment. On the positive side, I should lose some weight! :)