Things I'm Loving Right Now

Happy Tuesday! Where in the world did Monday go? I feel like life is crazy right now! Anyone else feel that way? Oh, you do, too? Good. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Instead of focusing on the crazy, insane, overwhelming, busy-ness of my life right now, I thought I would tell you a few things I'm absolutely loving right now. Much more fun! So, here's the list:

1. Rice Milk - My favorite milk substitute so far! I love the consistency. It is not thick like soy milk. I also love that it's not sweet. It actually tastes good in my cereal. I've also used it in a few recipes and haven't noticed a difference. Yay, rice milk!

2. SunButter - Oh.My.Goodness. I love peanut butter. Absolutely love it. I thought I would not be able to live without it. Then, I met SunButter. Wow! This stuff is so yummy, and I can eat it just like peanut butter, but it is nut free! If you like sunflower seeds, you will love SunButter. I fully intend to try some recipes using SunButter instead of peanut butter this week. I'll get back to you on that.

3. Homemade Bread - A few weeks ago, I decided to start making our bread instead of buying it. I make the dough in the bread machine; let the dough rise in the loaf pan; and then, bake it in the oven. It is so simple, and it tastes SO good! Not to mention it makes the house smell wonderful. It is also nice because I can make it without milk (or using rice milk). I'm sure I won't be able to keep making it every week, but I plan to make it often because it is just so yummy.



4. Sonic Happy Hour - It takes a lot of self-control for me NOT to go to Sonic every day during Happy Hour. Considering there are 11, yes 11, Sonics within 5 miles of my house, temptation is everywhere! I don't typically drink much other than water, but lately, I've been hooked on Sonic...vanilla Diet Dr. Peppers, Cherry Limeades, Peach Teas, the choices are endless! And where else can you get a drink for under a dollar??? So, while I try not to go every day, I do enjoy my occasional Sonic drink...and it is divine!



5. Arbonne's Tinted Moisturizer - This stuff is perfect for busy people! Who has time to put on lots of makeup, but who likes to walk out of the house with absolutely no makeup on? The solution...tinted moisturizer! It is a moisturizer and foundation all-in-one, and it also has SPF 15, which is great. This stuff is perfect to slap on as you rush out the door. It provides healthy moisture, great color and coverage, and sun protection. In my opinion...perfect! I may never wear real makeup again.

When my life is crazy, it's so nice to find pleasure in a few simple things. They help keep me sane...for the most part. What are you guys loving right now? Anything I need to add to my life? Let me know and enjoy your week!

NOTE:  None of the above mentioned items are paid advertisements. None of the associated companies even know I exist. I am simply sharing a few things I love. Thank you and have a nice day.

PW's Sweet Cinnamon Scones

This has been yet another busy week in the Stoltzfus home. Will ran a fever all day yesterday after getting his shots on Wednesday. He didn't run a fever last time, so I was hopeful that this time would be the same. It wasn't. Thankfully, it only lasted one day, and today, my baby is back! Yesterday, we both spent the entire day cuddling on the couch. I did actually change out of my pj's around 2:00. Other than that, it was just cuddling. So, today, I'm trying to get caught up on things that did not get done yesterday. I might catch up sometime next year. We'll see.

Anyway, I wanted to post a recipe today, but I wanted it to be something I could post quickly. So, I'm posting someone else's recipe that I made this week (prior to the whole NO dairy at all revelation).

Tuesday, I made the Pioneer Woman's Sweet Cinnamon Scones. I love cinnamon chips and get really excited when I find new recipes that use them. So, when I came across this recipe last week, I knew I had to try it.

Instead of posting the step-by-step pictures for this recipe, I'll just post the link and let you admire the Pioneer Woman's photos. They are MUCH better than mine would be anyway! Below, I have noted a few small changes I made to the recipe...mostly out of convenience, but I'll explain the reasoning behind my substitutions/changes. Also, I made a half batch, and they turned out great!

The Pioneer Woman's Sweet Cinnamon Scones

Ingredients

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 sticks (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream (I used skim milk instead of heavy cream (sinful, I know!). I'm sure they are much better with heavy cream, but I only had skim milk in my fridge, so that's what I used, and they turned out fine)
• 1 whole Egg (Since I halved the recipe, I only used an egg white)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Cinnamon Chips

Topping

(I did not put the topping on my scones. If I were serving them for dessert or a snack, I probably would, but it seemed like too much sugar for breakfast. We did spread a little bit of butter on top, and it was great!)

• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1-½ teaspoon Heavy Cream

Here is a picture of my final product:

Mine may not be as pretty as PW's, but they sure were tasty! Enjoy your Friday and have a great weekend!

A New Challenge

This morning, Will had his 4 month well child check-up. He won't technically be 4 months for another week, but our appointment was today...so we went.

I always look forward to the check-ups, so I can see how long he is, how much he weighs, and all of that fun stuff. I always dread the appointments because I know he has to get shots. Even though I know it is what's best for him, it is still hard for me to stand there, holding down his arms, so they can poke him with needles. He did great at his 2 month check-up and seems to be doing fine now, so hopefully things will continue to go so smoothly.

He weighed 12 lbs 8 oz., which was actually a little smaller than I was guessing. He had dropped from the 25% to the 10%, but the doctor didn't seem concerned. He was 24 1/2 inches long, taking him from the 25% in length to the 50%. The bottom line is...my son is long and skinny. If you have seen many of his relatives, this probably does not surprise you.

We are still dealing with some cradle cap and some very dry skin, but the doctor made some recommendations that will hopefully be very helpful.  His development seems to be right on track, and he can start solids whenever I feel like he's ready. Overall, he's a very healthy little boy, which is always nice to hear.

There was a bit of bad news for me. The pediatrician noticed Will had a rash. She said it looked like a rash caused by a dairy or nut allergy and said I need to cut ALL dairy and nuts out of my diet. I have to admit...I was devastated. I've been trying to eliminate most dairy products, and that has been hard enough. But now I have to give up nuts, too??? I can't even begin to explain how much peanut butter I eat! I also learned that it's not enough just to cut out the dairy products themselves. I need to cut out anything that contains dairy, as well.

Yes, I was sad. I was thinking of all the things I could not eat. Then, after talking with a friend, I came to my senses. I had just been told I had a very healthy little boy. I could have been told something MUCH worse than: You can't eat dairy or nuts.

So, I have taken a new approach to this whole situation. I am actually kind of excited about it. I am looking at it as a challenge. How can I take the foods we normally eat and adapt them to be dairy and nut free? I have been researching products and looking up recipes all morning, and I am getting more and more excited by the minute. I will make this work! I've even found a few substitutes for peanut butter...soy butter and sun butter (made from sunflower seeds). I can't wait to try them.

The good news is, Will should eventually outgrow these allergies sometime between 12 and 18 months. I could also choose to stop breastfeeding, but I would like to continue until he's at least 6 months old and hopefully longer. Until then, though, we will adjust to our new way of life, and we will be grateful that we are all happy and healthy...even if we're nut and dairy free.

The Behymer Family

Today, I would like to introduce you to the Behymer family...Jeffery, Daysha, Lyndon, and Denton. I would like to share just a small portion of their "story" with you because it has been such a blessing to me. I know it will bless you, too! Like I said, this is just a small bit of what God has done in their lives. If you would like to learn more about them, their sweet family, and "the rest of the story" (thank you, Paul Harvey), then you should check out their blog, here.

Before I get into their story, I should start at the very beginning...a very good place to start (sorry, not sure what's with me today). Anyway, the beginning. The only member of the Behymer family I really know is Daysha. I've known her for a very long time...since I was just a little girl. Daysha is a few years older than me, and she probably doesn't even know this, but I always wanted to be just like her. She was fun, beautiful, hilarious, and she was a cheerleader!!! I knew I couldn't go wrong if I could be just like Daysha.

As we both got older, I still wanted to be like her, but I realized there was an even more important aspect of her life that I hadn't even taken into consideration. She loved God and sought after Him with her whole heart. She served Him with her life, and even though I knew she wasn't perfect, I could tell she wanted to glorify God through all she said and did. One year when I was in high school, she was one of my leaders at a Disciple Now. I'm not sure if she even remembers that weekend, but it made a huge impact on me. It was so refreshing to see someone older than me, who had been through the college years, and was now a real live "grown up," continuing to be faithful and still seeking what God wanted for her life. I also remember that she was dating Jeffery at this time, and she just knew he was the one God had for her. Listening to her talk about Jeffery and their relationship made me desire a godly man and a godly relationship just like they had.

Well, she was right. Jeffery was the man God had for her. They were married in 2004, and now God has blessed them with 2 beautiful little boys. This is the part of their story I would like to share.

I know I won't have all the details (sorry, Daysha), but I will have the most important parts, I promise.

Their first little boy, Lyndon, was born in 2008 at just 33 weeks gestation. He weighed 4.7 lbs. They spent 10 days in the NICU before getting to bring home their precious baby boy. During this time, they were overwhelmed by the goodness and faithfulness of God. Little Lyndon is now a strong, healthy 2 (almost 3) year old.

That brings us to baby Denton. Denton is almost 4 weeks old. He was born February 24 at just 29 weeks gestation. I can't imagine what must have been going through Daysha's mind when she realized she was going to have another little guy so much earlier than expected. I know I would have been terrified. I might have even been a little bit angry. I'm sure she experienced several emotions that no one ever saw, but through everything, she trusted God and believed He would remain faithful.

Well, Denton was a little over 3 lbs. when he was born, and now he is over 4 lbs! He is making progress every day, and just this week, he has reached some very significant milestones.

I'm sure Daysha and Jeffery have had their moments. I'm sure their emotions, thoughts, and feelings have been all over the place. But one thing has never wavered and that has been their trust in the Lord. I read Daysha's updates on Denton, and they are filled with praise and thanksgiving. Each day she is reminding others that "God is so Good" and "How Great is Our God." Her facebook wall has been filled with the support of prayers and encouragement from family and friends, but I know she is encouraging them just as much or more.

I have looked up to her since I was a little girl, and I think I look up to her even more now. I admire the godly wife, mother, and woman that she is. I love the positive outlook she has through the good times and the bad. I admire and find encouragement in her constant faithfulness.

I asked her permission to write this blog for 3 reasons:

1. Please pray for this family! God has been faithful to them, but there are still difficult days ahead. Pray for little Denton, that he would continue to grow stronger each and every day, that he would mature and develop the way he needs to, so he can go home to be with his family soon. Pray for Lyndon, this has to be hard on a little boy, but he is doing great! Pray that he will continue doing well even though his world is totally out of order right now. And definitely pray for Jeffery and Daysha, pray they will have the strength, energy, patience, and wisdom they need throughout all of this. Pray that God would restore them each day, giving them just what they need, just when they need it.

2. I wanted to write this as a reminder to be thankful for the good times and the bad times. Sometimes without the bad times, we couldn't have the best times! I'm sure Daysha and Jeffery would go through everything all over again to have their precious boys in their lives.

3. Most of all, I wanted to spread the message Daysha's been sending all along...God is So Good! We serve such a faithful God. Sometimes He works in ways we do not understand, but He is always faithful. I know this family believes in God's faithfulness and gives Him the praise and glory for all He's done in their lives. I love stories that remind me of what a great God I serve, and I thought you might too.

Like I said, details have been left out, but the important stuff has been said. Here is the link to their blog again, in case you want to check it out: Behymer Business

March Madness

It is that time of year again! To be honest, I wasn't all that excited about March Madness this year. As a Sooner fan, I haven't had much to cheer about in college basketball the past couple of seasons. Thank goodness my husband is a Kansas fan, and I can claim them by marriage. Plus, with the Thunder playing so well, college basketball has kind of been replaced in my life. However, once the games started yesterday, so did the excitement!

I watched WAY too much basketball yesterday and will continue to do so until the tournament is over. I don't know what it is about March Madness, but it doesn't matter who's playing, even if it's two teams I've never heard of or paid attention to, it just makes me want to watch. You can feel the excitement through your TV screen. Every game has the potential of being a close game. And I can't get enough of those buzzer beaters!

Then, of course, there's the brackets. Oh the brackets. I have filled out a March Madness bracket as long as I can remember. Sometimes it was just for fun with my family, sometimes it was for an office "pool," and Theron and I have filled out brackets to compete against each other since we've been dating (all in good fun, of course). This year was no different. We filled out our brackets, and the winner gets to choose where we eat dinner on our next date night. I know it's still early on, but I'm thinking Pachinko Parlor, :). Did I mention I'm currently winning? Not that it's really a big deal. But I am winning. By 4 games. But really, it's no big deal .

Maybe it's the athlete in me, but I can't watch these games without getting emotional. I don't personally know anyone who's playing. I really don't even care about any of the teams who are playing. I just can't help myself. When I watch the games, my heart races, my adrenaline starts pumping, and I get so excited or so disappointed, depending on the outcome of the game.

And the championship game? Don't even get me started on the championship game. I probably get more nervous than the people actually playing. I'm not really sure why I get so emotionally involved. It just happens. I'm the same way for any major sporting event (the Super Bowl, the Olympics, you get the picture). I almost always end up crying. I know...I'm crazy. I just can't help myself. When the game is over, and the champion is crowned, it just seems like it has to be one of the best moments in a person's life. Sure, it makes more sense if you're actually the one playing the game, but a girl can live vicariously, right? I see the excitement of the winning team (or individual), and I just can't contain myself. I think of how hard they've worked and how rewarded they must feel. And then I cry. It's really pathetic, but I don't see myself changing any time soon.

So, even though I wasn't too excited about March Madness this year...it has consumed me once again. What about you? Do you love March Madness? Could you care less? How's your bracket doing? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Enjoy the Madness!!!

Little Known Facts about Me, Fact #2

I decided it was time to share another little known fact about me. Fact #2:  I had imaginary friends.

Yes, it's true. I had imaginary friends.

When I say I had imaginary friends, I don't mean for a day, or a week, or even a month. We're talking years... with an "s"! I couldn't even tell you how old I was when my "friends" came into existence. I'm guessing I was 2 or 3, but I would have to ask my parents to know for sure. I do know they stuck around until I was in the first or second grade (in other words, WAY too long).

They were 2 boys (brothers actually), and their names were Rubby and Bossy Donsil. Sadly, I can still remember exactly what they looked like. Rubby and Bossy were around all the time. We played together, they hung out with my family, they were pretty much anywhere and everywhere I wanted them to be...one of the many benefits of imaginary friends.

I would like to think this meant I was a creative child. I'm afraid it means I was a weird child. Whatever it means, I blame my parents. They are the ones who waited almost 7 years to have another child, leaving me with only imaginary people to play with. I'm sure if I would have had a sibling to play with I never would have created Rubby and Bossy. I'm positive. Really. Maybe.

I'm not really sure what life would've been like without them, though. It was like they were a part of our family. I think there were several reasons I liked them so much:

1. I made them up, so they had to do whatever I wanted them to. Sure, one of them was named Bossy, but I think I might have heard that name somewhere before they came along.

2. I could have them over or send them away any time. I didn't even have to ask permission. They were just there...instant friends. When I didn't want to play with them anymore, I didn't have to hurt their feelings or wait for their parents to come get them, I could just make them go away.

3. I could blame things on them. I don't really think I did this very often, but I'm pretty sure I at least tried it a few times.

4. They thought I was fun and hilarious and awesome. Who doesn't love that?

Maybe I was the weird kid. Maybe I'm still a little bit weird (probably not). I don't really care, though. When I think about Rubby and Bossy Donsil, it always makes me laugh. It really is a huge memory from my childhood, and weird or not, I'm glad it exists.

So, tell me I'm not weird. Did you have an imaginary friend/friends? What were their names? What did you like about them? Please tell me I wasn't the only one.

Family Visits

It has been a few days since I posted, but it's been for a very good reason. Several very good reasons, actually. We've had family in town!

Theron's parents stopped through Oklahoma City on a vacation they were taking to the Mississippi/Louisiana area. They came in on Thursday afternoon and stayed with us Thursday night. One of his brothers and his sister live in Shawnee, so they were able to come over for dinner, which was so much fun. It had been awhile since Theron's parents had seen Will, so while I know they were very happy to see us, they were SO excited to see him (can't say I blame them!). We had such a good time catching up, and I loved watching them play with Will. I'm sure he enjoyed having people other than mom and dad to play with for a change! They left Friday morning, and even though it was a short visit, it was a great one.

Then, my parents and sister came up on Saturday and stayed with us Saturday and Sunday night. I always love seeing my family, but I think it is so much more fun now that Will is here. Like I said, I just love to watch them play with him. You can just see the indescribable amount of love they have for him...like he's the best thing that's ever happened in their whole lives (again, I can't blame them!). We hung out at the house, spent some time at the mall, and just enjoyed each other's company. With the exception of a small crossbow incident (always an adventure when my dad's around), it was a really great weekend!

Family visits are not always easy. I have to clean the house, buy extra groceries, plan all the meals, and make plenty of extra desserts (of course!). Our schedule gets thrown off, we might have to change some plans here and there, and our routine is totally out of whack. Despite all of this, I would have our families over every day if I could!

I have the most incredible family. My parents, my sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...all of them! Of course, we have our problems, our arguments and disagreements. We get on each other's nerves; we frustrate each other; and we have our bad moments just like every other family I've ever seen. However, I don't have more fun with or feel more loved by any other people in the whole entire world.

I know it is a huge blessing to be born into a family you love so much (and who loves you so much more), but it is another thing to marry into a family that you absolutely love and adore. It has to be rare to have both. That's why I know I am doubly blessed. Not only is the family I was born into amazing, my "other" family is amazing, too! I am constantly grateful for Theron's family and the way they have welcomed me with open arms from the very beginning.

If I sound like I'm getting all sappy, it's because I am. After my parents left yesterday, the house just felt empty. All of our guests were gone, and it was just us again. I felt so sad that everyone was gone.

You may not have the best relationship with your family, and that's ok. Unfortunately, many people are born into families they wish they were never a part of. I wish everyone could have great parents, wonderful siblings, and amazing grandparents, but I know that is not always the way it works out. However, I don't think people have to be related by blood or even by marriage to be a "family." Again, I know I have been so blessed. My hope is that I can take all the love I have received and use it to be "family" to those around me. I hope I constantly offer the love and support I have been given my whole life to those who have never received it.

So, be thankful for your family today...or be family to someone else today. Either way, I think you will be blessed!