Speaking of Chai, I have been trying to get back into the ‘cooking thing’ this week for Andrew’s sake (he is coming home on the 2nd/3rd! YIPPEE!!!). Ever since he has been gone, it’s been really hard to cook for one. I have tried a couple of times, but it really wasn’t the same. Thus, since I am in the wife mode again, I started this venture once again—and made something incredible called Samoa Brownies.
Yup. That’s right—and you thought the Girl Scout cookies were only seasonal! Well, these things are as good as they sound—and that’s a high compliment coming from a Samoa snob!! I got the recipe from Six Sister's Stuff:
Samoa Brownies Recipe:
1 brownie mix
3 1/2 cups shredded coconut, toasted
(2) 14 oz. package of caramels, unwrapped
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. milk
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
Prepare brownie mix according to box directions and cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place coconut on baking pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir coconut and cook for another 2-3 minutes until toasted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
In a large, microwaveable bowl, add unwrapped caramels, salt, and milk and cook on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 45-60 seconds). Cook until all caramels are melted and smooth.
Add coconut and mix together. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight. Remove at least 1 hour from the fridge before cutting. Cut into bars and drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Let chocolate set and enjoy. store in fridge, but remove 20-30 minutes before serving as the caramel will be hard
ABSOLUTELY DeLiCiOus—a must try for everyone! And I made these with the intent to meet my neighbors. After many days of trying to attempt to meet my neighbors, I FINALLY met the neighbors across the street! I was so glad because I was afraid left to myself, I was going to consume all of these brownies and not give a SINGLE one of them away! I am so blessed to have such great neighbors. They too were prior military (Navy actually) and have lived in many different places. After they got out, they moved from their previous “dwelling place” to Alaska where he is now working for UPS. They have been here 11 years, but this has been the first house they have actually owned! I am glad they moved in because it really helps to be able to feel like you are living among people you have an idea of what you go through on a daily basis. Their names are Chuck and Connie. They have two children who are 21 and 25 (grandparents now too!). Connie suggested she would stop by sometime for some coffee and chatting—or in my case, some Chai tea ;)—before Andrew came home. So mom, I guess neighbors still DO meet for coffee!
She also brought us these!!!
TWO OF THE BIGGEST SALMON FILLETS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! Doesn’t this look delicious?!?! Can’t wait for Andrew to cook them up for us!!
Since we are on subject of my lovely husband, I am so excited to announce he is coming home August 2nd or 3rd!! YEY! Today makes it 61 days of being apart, with only 10 more days to go. I cannot wait for these days to fly by so that I can see my Andrew again!
...With the exception of that nasty mustache, which he has now shaved off (thanks sweetie!!!)
He is doing very well-finishing up school and settling his out process, but has been experiencing some stomach issues since being away (they are guessing E-coli as a possibility?). He is not flying until it clears up… and that could be a while. Poor Andrew… I am glad he is coming home so I can baby him, feed him yummy food (and brownies!), and help him fight whatever it is plaguing him. Plus, his dad and brother will be in town visiting so he’s GOT to get better! We have so many guests/visitors coming this next month, I might forget we are having a baby!! Good thing I finished up most of Elyse’s room/necessary preparation for arrival. It helps to be a planner....
Here is the sweet baby bassinet I set up last night just to remind myself she is ACTUALLY coming (this was the first trial run!):
Adorable...
Our previous visitors (Brian Brittney and Chase) have gone back to Oklahoma now—or wherever their next adventure is!--, but I had such a great time seeing them again and getting caught up with their lives. Before they left, we all hiked Flattop. It was an incredible hike (And pretty challenging too!)—I hope I can do this hike again several times before I leave Alaska. The view was totally worth it!
Belly looks WAY bigger than I believe it actually looks in this picture. Haha! At least I have my moments of hugeness ;)
On top of the World!!
(Giving mommy a heart attack! Haha-- poor Brit. Seeing her sweet baby and lovely husband from that height was NOT OK!)
Brittany Chase and I also visited the Botancial Gardens on her last day. It was really pretty—a good day to head out since the rain was starting to move in. It was a good end to our hanging out. After she left, I pushed forward to finish my house and ready the other people coming in (I am so excited to fill this house with life once more!)
Here are some pictures from the gardens...
Wish I could have these beauties over to my place some time...
I can also say I have reached the light at the end of the tunnel.
... and Eli couldn't be more ready ;)
With only a hand full of small tweaks that remain before official crossing, I will share with you what God has helped me get done. (I have to post these because sometimes I forget what I have done in the last couple of weeks. With a helpful reminder in the form of a picture, I am encouraged to see how my ideas have leaped from my idea book to reality! I hope these ideas that were inspired by others can inspire you as well. Granted, they are not as professional looking, but they are unique in everyway!)
Some shadow boxes and a new side table (our old truck) for Andrew:
These are the broken silver wing we received in pilot training:
I really didnt know what else to do with those suckers so this idea worked perfectly for our setup.
And Lorato, this was the best I could come up with for our laundry system.
But it will work!
I ended up just running some fabric under our little wooden setup and putting the words "Lights" and "Darks" on it to help simplify laundry time.
I made a trim to cover up the ugliness of our DVD system as well-- its a never ending dust factory.
And this indeed hides the dust quite well!
Ok, and here are some before shots of our guest bedroom.....
....And our downstairs daybed....
This is the after:
I went ahead and stapled a cheerful fabric to the headboard and matched it with ruffled pillow cases that I made.
The little decorative pillows also give a playful touch to this once gloomy room...
This is one of my favorite pieces: a frame with birdcage backing (except I need some McCoys shots in there too). Thus, its just the beginning to this artistic piece!
It was super easy and fun to put up some old retro pictures of Andrew's family and then some newer pictures of them. I knew I saved all the pictures from the family calendars we were given over the last couple of years for a reason!
Here is your picture dad :)
These little burlap bags were super easy to make and fun to see up!
Gives the shelves character.
Love these framed encouragements!
Would have ordered some of these prints, but they came as canvas and I just wanted the sayings.
You can find these at Red Letter Words. Google it ;)
And more pictures of Andrew and I:
Banners!
I need to change the message on the board though, haha!
My friend Ash gave me this idea: Its a picture frame you leave messages on with chalk markers.
What a great idea!
Bedside reading material!
Get ready guests ;)
More information for our visitors:
The after for the daybed:
The unique pillows are my favorite. I found the ideas from the many creative people on the internet.
It helps to have inspiration!
Our 'Smarts" wall ;)
More to come on this area!
Our newly painted cabinet with some printables I got online:
Can you tell I miss him???
The hero wall:
And that about wraps up what I have done in this area!
And since I don’t have that much on my project plate this week, I am taking time to just enjoy the last few days of alone time by soaking up some fellowship with the Lord and really mediate on His Word. A good friend of mine this week really helped me see what God’s heart is for us Proverbs 31 women: to engage in God’s agenda by living by the Spirit and not be idle. She helped me define idleness by Webster’s definition: ‘lacking worth or basis’. I saw that I need to strive for the things that have much worth to my Savior opposed to what the world sees as having worth (aka: living by the flesh). In fact, our fellowship meeting on Sunday nights discussed this priority of ‘worth’ as we reviewed 1 Thessalonians 5. In verse 14, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to admonish the idle (also defined as the disorderly or undisciplined). We also need to remember to set our minds on the things that are above and not things on earth, because we are now living in Christ in God—so we need to look/act/think/live differently (Colossians 3:1- 4). Worth in what we prioritize can also say something not only about our idleness, but what our IDLES are. Ouch. I was listening to Joshua Harris this week make some really good points to which struck me in the heart: if God has reformed our hearts and set us apart, why do we still look like everyone else? Are we making money and finances/way of living a priority on the day set aside for the Lord? Ouch. Guilty. Thus, I have personally decided though we are not under the law anymore, my heart needs God’s law to direct my life in a direction that will result in honoring Him and testify to his goodness. Starting with how I live out my days and reforming Sabbath Sundays…. I need to find how to set that day aside for worship and fellowship with God and others. As my friend Ashley puts it, ‘I need to learn to walk by the spirit of God moment by moment.
My wonderful husband has also been feeling this nudge to change and be spurred forward to really commune with us and the Lord better in order to lead his family properly, honoring God in how he does life. He started by encouraging me and the rest of family to read the Bible Reading plan for the year. It has been a challenge to get back into it, but compared to the last one we did, I feel this one has been more realistic to keep up with and stay committed to. I have learned so much already! Especially through Ezekiel and Hosea, where I have seen the power of God shine displayed and his zealous love that fights for us, even when we stray far away. Hosea is a really great example of what His love looks like for us as He tells Hosea to marry a whore and have children with her (knowing they are going to stray after other things and not know the Lord nor Hosea), then to continue to pursue her. Wow—what an assignment. I would have failed on day one. It doesn’t makes sense to me why God would want us after the people we are described as in these passages. I am just overwhelmed by His care the more I read and apply it to my own life, as I too have gone after idles I gave worth and thought to provide for me a happy life (“She did not know it was I who gave her the grain, the wine and the oil…”Hosea 2:8). How wrong I have been! Even in my knowingness, I have rejected the Lord’s goodness towards me and went after the world. Yet God has a better plan for us: He promises to redeem us ANYWAYS! Check this out:
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor (aka trouble) a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My husband’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal’. For I will remove the names of Baal from her mouth and they shall be remembered by name no more.”—Hosea 2:14-17.
There is a lot more that follows about how his will also do this for her children as well. How comforting that is to my heart to know that even though I am wayward and stray to idles, I will not escape his love and he will ALLURE me to Him again and wipe away these nasty idles I have prioritized! He will do it! No methods or formulas—but Jesus will wipe my slate clean FOR ME so I can properly fellowship with my Father! AWESOME! And what a burden lifted on my part.
Ok, I don’t want to overwhelm you with TOO much information and flood you with all the encouraging things God has been doing in my life, but I do want to leave you with an Elyse update: So far, so good! The doctor said she is just where she needs to be and is head down, ready for action!! She is getting bigger every day, but I still don’t feel that huge. Can’t say I am not grateful for feeling like I can still move and function most of the time… but I am scared to go into this next month. I have a feeling there is a growth spurt in the picture…. Yikes! Pray for Andrew and I as we endure this next month of pregnancy, preparing to be parents and for delivery (something ELSE I need a lot of prayer for!!).
Oh, have to post this before I go-- I heard this crazy annoying music two days ago and, lo-and-behold, it was the ice cream truck!!!
Yes, he is in ALASKA too.
How funny is that?
Well, that is all for now. I am sure my load of laundry is done by now. Gotta get a move on with my day and enjoy it… especially now that the rain is gone!!
Blessings! XOXO
