While looking through my yearbook a few days ago I laughed at memories, cringed at early 90’s hairstyles, and wondered about a certain phrase written over and over…”Don’t ever change.”
Reconnecting with long lost roommates, mission companions, and classmates via Facebook, have also brought the comments, “You’ve haven’t changed one bit.” Really? If that’s the case, I think I might be a little sad. I think I’ve changed a lot since my days of asking to see a cute boy's CTR ring during seminary then “forgetting” to give it back to him so he’d have to call me later to remind me to bring it to him, or talking about a roommate with my bedroom door open and not checking to see if she’s there before railing on her. These days I’m very aware of people’s location before I talk smack about them and I’m a little more up front about the feelings I have for the cute boy I’m shacked up with.
But maybe change isn’t always the best thing. Can it be good to be the same forever and forever? I mean, God is unchanging and He’s not that bad, right? I guess some things are pretty much the same, like me thinking life, for the most part, is extremely hilarious, crap follows me where ever I go, and I still have issues with stupid people. Maybe, like most things in life, change isn’t black and white, but varying shades of grey and it’s up to me to decide if it’s good or bad.
I’ll have to think about it for a while…my thoughts might change tomorrow.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Eleven Years...tomorrow!
From our humble beginnings as missionaries in far off Bulgaria...
...to the humble present day in far off Arizona...
...I love you.
Here's to a little less hair and a lot more, well, everything else!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Recipes
Ok, here are the recipes I talked about on Facebook. Sorry there aren't any pictures...our computer is mostly retarded.
Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 T softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag chocolate chips - I use milk chcolate
Directions:
Mix the peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar together with a mixer. Shape into one inch balls and let stand.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler - I use my soup pot with a smaller pot inside it - or you could melt it in the microwave. Dip the PB balls in the chocolate and put on wax paper. Put them in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened. They can store in a container for about three weeks...like they'd last that long.
Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
This recipe is from Alton Brown on Good Eats
Ingredients:
* 1 batch Sugar Cookies, recipe follows
* 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
* 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
Directions:
Divide the dough in half and add chocolate and vanilla to 1 half and incorporate with hands. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract, and crushed candy to other half of dough and incorporate with hands. Cover both with plastic and chill for approximately 5 minutes. Roll out doughs separately to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together around the edges. Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place cookies 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Sugar Cookie:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl
Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 T softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag chocolate chips - I use milk chcolate
Directions:
Mix the peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar together with a mixer. Shape into one inch balls and let stand.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler - I use my soup pot with a smaller pot inside it - or you could melt it in the microwave. Dip the PB balls in the chocolate and put on wax paper. Put them in the fridge until the chocolate is hardened. They can store in a container for about three weeks...like they'd last that long.
Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
This recipe is from Alton Brown on Good Eats
Ingredients:
* 1 batch Sugar Cookies, recipe follows
* 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
* 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
Directions:
Divide the dough in half and add chocolate and vanilla to 1 half and incorporate with hands. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract, and crushed candy to other half of dough and incorporate with hands. Cover both with plastic and chill for approximately 5 minutes. Roll out doughs separately to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together around the edges. Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place cookies 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Sugar Cookie:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Talk
I've had many Aren milestones in the past almost ten years. Some were typical - walking, talking, potty training - and some not so typical - first hospital stay, chemo, broken legs. Last night was a typical milestone that no one wants to deal with but needs to be done. Last night Aren had "the talk".
That's right. My son has been de-flowered. He now knows, uh...well, the ins and outs of life. Luckily Rick was the one that had to deal with it because of my amazing parenting skills. It went a little something like this...
"Aren, please take a shower tonight."
"Mom, I hate taking showers."
Keep in mind after a long day of being by myself and Rick working overtime, I have a less than short fuse. "AREN! Let me tell you something. YOU STINK! Ok? You're getting older, your body is changing and once a week showers don't cut it. You smell! Bathe yourself!" And then I slammed the door as I walked out of the room.
Rick was there to explain the nerd side of things and started telling him about glands and blah, blah, blah and then said, "You know Aren..." Yeah, it was the "you can ask me anything" to try and open the doors, which Aren did, but only a crack. He proceeded to tell Rick that he had seen something at school about (he actually asked permission to use the next phrase and whispered) sex education, and was wondering what it was.
Trying not to laugh Rick told Aren that he was going to tell him some things and "when you've heard enough, tell me to stop and I will." He then laid it all out on the table - who has what and why and where it goes. "Ok, that's enough," was all Aren said. Rick then followed up with the ever important, "This is not something we discuss with our friends. It's very sacred and you should only talk to me or mom if you have questions. Do you understand?"
The response? "Yeah. If sacred means gross, I get it."
Poor Aren. He asked if he could play Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the rest of the night. I didn't have the heart to say no. I guess he needed to get those images out of his mind and replace it with little Mario characters beating the snot out of each other with frying pans. Who can blame him.
That's right. My son has been de-flowered. He now knows, uh...well, the ins and outs of life. Luckily Rick was the one that had to deal with it because of my amazing parenting skills. It went a little something like this...
"Aren, please take a shower tonight."
"Mom, I hate taking showers."
Keep in mind after a long day of being by myself and Rick working overtime, I have a less than short fuse. "AREN! Let me tell you something. YOU STINK! Ok? You're getting older, your body is changing and once a week showers don't cut it. You smell! Bathe yourself!" And then I slammed the door as I walked out of the room.
Rick was there to explain the nerd side of things and started telling him about glands and blah, blah, blah and then said, "You know Aren..." Yeah, it was the "you can ask me anything" to try and open the doors, which Aren did, but only a crack. He proceeded to tell Rick that he had seen something at school about (he actually asked permission to use the next phrase and whispered) sex education, and was wondering what it was.
Trying not to laugh Rick told Aren that he was going to tell him some things and "when you've heard enough, tell me to stop and I will." He then laid it all out on the table - who has what and why and where it goes. "Ok, that's enough," was all Aren said. Rick then followed up with the ever important, "This is not something we discuss with our friends. It's very sacred and you should only talk to me or mom if you have questions. Do you understand?"
The response? "Yeah. If sacred means gross, I get it."
Poor Aren. He asked if he could play Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the rest of the night. I didn't have the heart to say no. I guess he needed to get those images out of his mind and replace it with little Mario characters beating the snot out of each other with frying pans. Who can blame him.
Friday, December 4, 2009
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