Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar?

Call me crazy, but there is no better reason to bake up a storm than in anticipation of company.  Jesse's mom arrives tomorrow, and both Jesse and I feel like we've been waiting for this week to come for months.  The linens are clean (I wish I could say they were pressed, but I'm not Suzie Homemaker), meals are planned, goodies are baked and stored snugly in cookie jars, and the clock is ticking.

She'll be here for a week, but I'm sure those days are going to fly. So, I've already made the decision to take each moment in as if we were on slow-motion.  Too often I get sucked into the planning and the clock-watching, and I miss what's actually happening.  Not this time.

As I was organizing this weekend, it hit me that she will be coming alone this time.  Two summers ago, both she and Jesse's dad visited us, and we all had a wonderful time.  But this time, he's not going to be there.  Jesse found me sitting in the chair, hugging a pillow, with tears rolling down my face.  Poor Jesse has to deal with this emotional mess called ME.  Missing Gary comes in waves.  It's always there, but when high tide hits, I become overwhelmed with the hole he left behind.  Who is to fill it? Do we just allow it to stay gaping open?  We are going to miss having him along with us this next week, and we are praying that this time is a blessing to the three of us.  It will be absolutely wonderful to see Donna and get to spend time with her.  Can't wait to love on her big time!

Ending the Week

Weekends--two days, free of corporate life, catching up on chores, and relaxing as much as possible.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  I LOVE weekends.  Here are some snapshots into our two days...

Thanks to our friends, Danny & Laura Yang, we had a wonderful start to our weekend.  We traveled out to the Manassas Battlefields for a windy and semi-wet photo shoot.  The whole morning was filled with laughter--lots of fun. 

High School Youth Group!!

Hutch officially has to wear his sweater in the morning...Forty Degrees is TOO cold for little pups.

Guess What? It's Friday!

Hutch manned Jesse's bag that was sitting on the bed this morning. I suppose he was making sure we didn't leave without him.
Yay for Friday!!!!

Germaine and Gerry the Germs

Well, the guilt is outweighing the folders and piles of paper stacked up on my desk.  So here I sit, doing my best to stamp out some quick words...mostly because Mom just emailed me and requested the URL for this site.  I better have something on here for her!

Now that Jesse is taking three immuno-suppressants, there's the ever growing concern that he stay away from germs.  Small ones, big ones, short ones, tall ones...all germs are a threat to him right now.  I'm not sure riding the Metro helps much.

But, so far, so good.  He has a blood test each week as a precaution against blood counts dropping as well as any bugs that might creep into his system.  Jesse, as always, is a trooper.  These next several months will be difficult, but we know God is in control. For now, we will wash our hands and stifle our sneezes. :)

No Rest For the Weary

I have ZERO time in the mornings right now to update my blog. I guess I need to change my updating schedule. :)
Pictures and updates coming soon...I promise!!!

Yummy Mondays

Be still and know that He is God

Be still and know that He is holy

Be still, O restless soul of mine

Bow before the Prince of peace

Let the noise and clamor cease

Be still

Be still and know that He is God

Be still and know that He is faithful

Consider all that he has done

Stand in awe and be amazed

And know that He will never change

Be still

Be still and know that he is God

Be still and know he is our Father

Come rest your head upon his breast

Listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love

Beating for His little ones

Calling each of us to come

Be still

Can't get this song out of my head, and I wanted to share it with you!

Yesterday, I brought two GIGANTIC pans of Apple Turnovers to work (continuing with my Monday Treat plan). Needless to say, they were a hit.  Once again, I have requests to make more.  You'll be shocked when you see how easy these are. Below is the recipe my mom passed on to me, and now I'm passing it on to you!

EASIEST APPLE TURNOVERS

Ingredients:
8 Granny Smith Apples
2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 C Sugar
1 ½ sticks of butter
1 can of Mountain Dew

Instructions:
Grease 9x13 inch Pan.
Peel and quarter apples (remove core)
Wrap quarters in dough, pinching sides and place in greased pan.
Melt butter, sugar, cinnamon in pan or microwave. Pour butter mixture over dumplings.
Pour can of Mountain Dew over everything.
Bake for 45 Min at 350 degrees.

Old Soul

Age is relevant. That number resembles nothing of you but a record of days since you took your first breath.  It says nothing of your character or standards, yet somehow, it's the first thing people "see" you for.  It was a struggle when adults judged me by my teenage appearance, looking skeptically on to see if I might swipe merchandise off the shelves and make a run for it.  When first emerging from college, I was the youngest employee at my first job, and no one ever allowed me to forget it.  They didn't see me, they saw a 22 year-old.

The ironic thing is I am an old soul.  I always have been, and I fear I always will be.  I used to refer to myself as "mature for my age," but Jesse uses the "old soul" term, and I rather like it.  If I'm an old soul, he's a young soul.  (Yes, Jesse, if you are reading this, you know it to be true!).

I'm not saying I know everything.  Rather, it's quite the opposite.  I'm doing my best to learn something new every day, and at the same time, I'm not allowing my age to limit me.  I am still the youngest person at this second company (go figure), but I think I've accomplished a huge fete:  They don't see a 26 year-old...they see Heather...the old soul.

Thanks for letting me ramble.
Happy Friday!

Here's Your Sign

"We are called to love first, and keep on loving when that love is not returned."  This simple idea, stated on the local Christian radio station, has been (excuse the facebook term) poking me.  I can't get it out of my mind, and so I should probably take heed of the words and discover why God has placed this on my heart.

Loving those who don't love back is DIFFICULT.  Bill Engvall would now say, "Here's your sign."  But honestly, isn't it interesting that even our love for others is selfish?  If it's not returned; if we don't receive back some sort of attention or adoration, we lose interest in loving that person.  I can remember when I was in high school, there was this guy who happened to be in every single one of my classes (minus gym which was compiled of girls who hated running and opted for aerobics on mats).  He was obnoxious, irritating, and most of all, I considered him to be unlovable.  There were days I despised him.  But a simple lesson on love at Wednesday night Youth Group woke me up and made me realize he was lovable.  In fact, he was in desperate need of love, and I could give it.

Since then, there have been many people in my life who have been difficult to love.  Whether it's a coworker, a friend, someone taking up two lanes in the parking lot--whomever--we as children of God are called to LOVE them as He loves us.  Ummm...can I just say, THAT IS HARD!!!  Yet, we're told He gives us nothing we do not have the strength for...so while it IS difficult to love some, He gives us the strength to do so.

We are all unlovable at times (for me, it's more often that I'd like to admit).  If we can learn to love as an act of worship rather than an act of selfishness, so many more people could be reached.  It may be difficult, but we have every power to do it.

Ironing Out the Kinks

Jesse had some extra ironing to do last night...

No animals were harmed in this photo. (Jesse was concerned that PETA might see this blog...how that might happen, don't ask me...so here's my disclaimer.  Hutch is just fine.)


Happy Wednesday!

All I Have To Do Is Dream

Each night, we lay our heads on our pillows, and enter a land where imagination runs wild.  For some, flying is the ultimate experience, but for others it's more personal.  Since Jesse's dad passed away, Jesse has played basketball with him, hugged him, had conversations with him, and most recently, won a tennis match while his dad looked on.  These doses of Dad keep him going.  Sometimes he wakes up with tears in his eyes, and other times he wakes up beaming with a smile. 

Does Jesus use dreams to allow missed loved ones to greet us in our sleep?  He certainly used dreams in the Bible.  David would never have become King if it hadn't been for his dreams and the gift of interpretation God gave him.  We won't really know whether or not that really is Gary visiting Jesse in his sleep until we reach Heaven, but for now, we're just thankful Jesse gets to spend time with his dad.

Crochet Time!

While it's not the best-fitting, most beautiful thing you've ever seen, this creation does the trick.  I decided to try my hand at crocheting a little doggie sweater, and I have to admit, I have NO IDEA how they do this in the real world.  This is Heather's version to a sweater. :)

Not sure if he likes it, but he DID walk around with it, so that's a good sign.

I'm constantly finding Skip and Skoot in precarious places, and always in fun little positions.

Meet Skip and Skoot.  For the first time ever, Hutch neglected his duck at bedtime.  Skoot was the honorary sleep-over buddy.

You CANNOT Be Bored!

"Boredom is a choice," she always told us, and she usually followed it up with, "I'll give you something to do."  Holly and I both knew better than to ever say, "I'm bored."  Bored isn't in my vocabulary, and it never enters my mind.  Whenever I hear someone utter those two words, her voice pops into my head.

So, it was with much confusion when our own precious little dog told me, "I'm bored."  Well, his actions said as much.  Let's see...in the past three days, Hutch has chewed off the corner of Jesse's brand new book (Sorry, Dick Cheney, guess your Time was up), he managed to create a nice fray on Jesse's belt, and now he's taken an interest in reading coffee table books.  Claude Monet and the Platinum Collection of LIFE are missing their covers and corners.  It's been a week of losses.  Hmmm..maybe he's just giving us a metaphor for our government's budget.

The first book casualty should've been a good enough sign that something was awry, but no...we had to wait until he'd destroyed three books and a belt.  We finally decided to take some action.  After all, we don't allow boredom in this household--boredom? What's that?  A not-so-quick trip to Petsmart has solved our problems (for now).  Old toys are safely stowed away for rotation (yes, tricks for children do work for puppies), and he has several new toys that have kept him running for the past three hours.  Poky the Hedgehog, Tippy the Tiger, Skip and Skoot the Squirrels who live snugly in a plush log (this is my favorite), a chewy bone, and a tasty pig's ear bone have all been welcomed with open arms. 

Our books are safe, at least what's left of them. 
Skip and Skoot say good night.

The Lost Art of Homemade

Supermarkets like Walmart and Target have essentially made it impossible to beat prices when deciding between "buy it" or "make it."  Forget sewing curtains or making a blanket to match--you can buy both for $19.99, and you may even get a free sham in there as well.  I remember a conversation Jesse and I had when we lived in Daytona Beach.  Our income was minimal at best, and our budget was as tight as a captain's knot.  Despite our despise of Walmart, we could only afford to shop at its grocery store.  So, we promised each other that it was okay for now, but the minute our income increased and we were able to afford something else, we would never shop at Walmart again.  I'm happy to report we've stuck to our guns. 

Not only have we said farewell to Walmart (which I can only be grateful to for those strapped years), but I've tried to opt for the "make it" choice even if it means the final cost might be a tad bit more.  I'm no capitalist, but I do hope that my choice to support craft stores and the locally-owned hardware stores keeps them running.  People don't "make it" anymore.  Cakes are formed from boxed ingredients, scarves are plucked from endcaps in the stores. 

I brought two loaves of bread to work on Tuesday--banana walnut bread and pumpkin spice bread.  Since then, I've received personal orders for their parties and dinners.  If I had agreed to them, I'd be buried in bananas and pumpkin puree right now.  People love homemade treats, yet they don't make them.  They grab the pre-packaged angel food cake rather than grabbing two dozen eggs from the dairy section. 

I don't want to be like that.  I grew up with a mom who made just about everything.  Clothes, food, treats, everything.  She showed me how to spread joy to others that way, and I hope to carry it on.  I think I may just have to make a stop at Michaels this evening...

Side note: a friend from work yesterday asked if I could bring in more treats now that it's fall.  I happily complied and told her that once the prices dropped a bit, I'd make a few apple pies and bring them in.  Her response, "You mean with homemade crust and everything?"  These people are hurting for REAL baked goodies!

Yummmm!

After a stressful day at work, baking pumpkin spice loaf and banana bread was just the thing I needed to strip away the lingering apprehensions.  I found these cute little ceramic loaf pans at Michael's--a fun way to give a gift of bread to a friend, don't you think?  Two wonderful ladies from work will be receiving a small pumpkin loaf this morning. :)
For anyone who likes Starbuck's pumpkin bread, you'll love this recipe...it's moist, but firm pumpkin bread that has just about the same amount of spice.  I think I'd kick in a bit more cloves next time...
Here's the recipe!

PUMPKIN SPICE LOAF
Prep: 15 min.   Cook:  50 min.

Ingredients:
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
-4 eggs
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2/3 cup water
-3 cup white sugar
-3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-2 tsp baking soda
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp ground cloves
-1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ENJOY!