Sometimes you gotta do what ya gotta do

And yes, homemade chocolate chip cookies are something ya gotta do.

.

Everyone should experience hot, gooey cookies (or maybe just the dough) on a cold winter's evening.

MMM, even better with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

This is a must try recipe: so delicious, and if you your quick on your feet,

you can have 2 dozen cookies in the oven in under 10 minutes!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

-----------------------------------------

Melt the butter, and combine with the sugars using an electric mixer or by hand. Beat in the egg and egg yolk. Add the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients, just till combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Make balls of dough around the size of 2 tablespoons and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until very slightly golden brown.

One final tip for gooey cookies: use a baking stone, preferably manufactured by Pampered Chef.

Sick

I allow myself two sick days per year. Two days I can be completely useless.

That means I've used them up... yesterday and today

That also means 354 days to stay well. Bring on the vitamins...

When your boy goes away.

"Only 31/2 months," he whispers in my ear.
HE is leaving.
Oh gosh, I can't even type without choking up.

I know I'll live, I know I'll make it through, but I know there will be showers of tears.

"I'm coming back for you," he repeats over and over on the phone.

He's going to Bible College. He knows this is God's leading. He knows this is best.

Isn't it unfortunate that the very thing that makes you the most proud of your man

is the very thing that crushes you the hardest?

I pried the news out of him around a month ago. Then I couldn't breath for 2 days.
*Sigh*

I am trusting. Well, Ok, I'm trying to trust both him and God.

It's going to be the hardest time I've past through yet, but I have more
 than most to help me through:

(I might be frequently viewing this list)

- A wonderful, loving Saviour, that will ALWAYS, always be by my side

-My man, he does love me so very much, and I DO know he will come back for me

-My family who are best friends

-His family my next best friends

No Resolutions

I read it today, but didn't let it sink in till now.

Till now... laying in my bed. I should be sleeping. But I want to write, and that hasn't happened for months.

I read today a distant friend's blog. This girl wrote on her blog along the lines of New Year's resolutions and that we should"always try and make ourselves a better person instead of just 'being ourselves'."

Now I recognize this as a flaw in myself:

The moment you relinquish the desire to reform that worm that you are, when you have given in to the flesh time and time again, and you let yourself, "be yourself", you limit God.

There is always room for improvement.

Not that we can change in our own strength. Absolutely not! I am merely coming to the realization that you must desire for God to reform you. God doesn't go to work without the invitation. God is the perfect gentleman.

I had determined not to make any New Year's resolutions since they never come to anything anyway, right?.... I changed my mind. This New Year I desire and INVITE God to regenerate me. I'm not going to make a list of specifics: yada yada yada. I just want to remain willing and ready to receive what God has for me in 2010. I don't want to hinder His wonderful and perfect ways, by sitting in complacency in my filthy rags. Rather I am jumping up and I laying "me" at the foot of the Cross.

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Romans 13:11-14

Feeling on Top

We won the championship.

I'm loving my job.

I've got a wonderful boyfriend.

A family, that each member I consider a friend.

I'm feeling prepared, organized, accomplished.

But all praise goes to God.

One example for feeling prepared and organized is the fact, that I baked up our Thanksgiving pumpkins. Have you ever had pie made with fresh pureed pumpkin instead of canned?

It is really so much better, and actually quite easy.

The hardest part of the process is finding pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins. After you've completed that step, it's easy peasy!

So here are the directions:

1. Cut pumpkins into in halves or quarters. Stack in large roasting Pan

2. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until you can easily pierce the skin and flesh with a fork.

3. Let cool. Puree in food processor till smooth as baby's bottom... or maybe just smooth as baby food. ;)

Now, you can substitute this straight across for the canned stuff in any recipe. Use right away or freeze in airtight containers for up to a year.

**I'm thinking pumpkin pound cake may be my next baking adventure!**

One more match. 5 more games.

One more chance to repeatedly coach the same things, the same things I have said hundreds of times before:

*Beat the ball*

*Attack*

*Move your feet*

*Kill it*

*Focus*

**** WIN ****


I have to do something with myself. So yell it is. I feel so helpless on the bench, and I've even been accused of hyper-ventilating from being nervous.



One more chance to watch my girls play their best, and just possibly win the CHAMPIONSHIP, one more time.

Can't wait...

I've been working on a post for weeks, in spare minutes here and there. But I decided today, that the post didn't matter. All that matters is this: God is in complete control at all times, in all circumstances (which was basically what I had been writing about anyway, but for different circumstances).

Yesterday was a new experience for me. I was utterly helpless, and so frightened. I learned how much I love Tyler. I would call him my boyfriend, but that term seems flippant in this day and age. He is far more to me than just 'my boyfriend'.

So this is what happened. I was talking with Tyler on the phone as he drove to work (our morning ritual) when suddenly there was a loud noise and buttons on his phone started beeping. Then the call was ended. I assumed he had been in a wreck. After calling and texting several times with no reply, I began to get very worried.

Silence lasted for over an hour.

Phone calls to his dad and mine. Of course, being a girl meant I thinking the worst. What had happened to him?!

Finally, I got the word ,through the dads, that he had been in a car accident, but he was fine. Finally I could breath.

I prayed and prayed during that hour. I had to tell myself that God knew. God knew every detail of what was going on, even when I didn't, even before it happened.

I prayed and thanked God for His goodness. He was good, He is good, and always will be good.

I didn't feel really calm 'till I had spent some time with Tyler. Just holding his hand, listening to his voice. Thanking God for his laugh, his contagious joy.

We are commanded not to hold on to earthly things too tightly, but we can enjoy them while they are here, all the while, praising God for every moment with those we love.