Yummy for my tummy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, shortening, granulated sugar, and 1 cup light-brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully combined between each addition. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed until fully combined. Remove from mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (nonstick French baking mats) or parchment paper.
4. In a small bowl, using a rubber spatula, stir together peanut butter and remaining 1/4 cup light-brown sugar.
5. Using a 1 1/4-inch scoop or heaping tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Fill thumbprint with 1 teaspoon peanut-butter mixture. Top with a second scoop of dough, and carefully mold dough to cover "surprise."
6. Bake until firm, about 12 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks.

Leap Frog

We LOVE these videos!!!

These are Gabe's favorite videos right now. My mom had the Letter Factory at her house and she bought Gabe the Talking Words Factory for Christmas. He never really got into them until just recently. HE LOVES THEM! (we borrowed Letter Factory from mom for awhile)

As we're trying to limit how much TV we watch (especially with me being home full time) these are the videos we're watching over and over AGAIN. lol

Gabe has learned A LOT from them. He knows what every letter of the Alphabet sounds like/says. His vocabulary has shot through the roof in the last month too. Course you know how it goes that you as the parents know what your child is saying whereas to others it may sound like the Peanuts Parents.

High Heels and the fartmaster keychain

Our little copycat

Gabe is starting to repeat everything we say. It's funny, but it shocks me too. It's a real big eye opener...Here's a couple of instances lately:

Last Sunday we went on a drive. We had a great time together as a family.
Bryan was talking to me and Gabe started talking too. They both kept getting louder and louder as to try and be the one who was heard. I was driving and about ready to pull ALL of my hair out and screamed "OH MY GOSH!" They both stopped and all of the sudden we heard a small voice in the same tone as me in the back seat repeat "OH MY GOSH!" Bryan and I had laughed so hard.

Bryan and Gabe were in the office and Bryan and I were having a conversation. Bryan said "Gotcha" and Gabe repeated it.

Today I dropped something and said "oh man" and long behold he walks into the kitchen saying "oh man"

So it begins...

"Be Still"

I was so inspired by someone's blog that I read recently about her new "word" for the new year. She picks a word each year as sort of a theme and tries to live it throughout the year. I know it's a few months past the New year, but I think I sort of already picked my own out and have been thinking a lot about it lately.

Back in December, I was having a really hard time leaving Gabe. It's always been hard for me, but it seemed to be getting extra hard and I was FRUSTRATED all the time. Pastor talked a while back about "letting go" of your kids, giving them over to God and that's what I feel I had to do every day was give Gabe to him...I couldn't be in control so I prayed that I would be able to "Be Still" while I was working and I wrote it on my white board at work to help remind me to do just that. However, how could I "be still" when I was so darn frustrated? Things got so busy, I got so overwhelmed, I got in late, frantic mode, and even if I was reminded to "be still" I was already in the thick of the frustration and it's tough to get rid of it!

I got frustrated that everything in the house seems to be falling apart.

I got frustrated that I was doing other things more then I was able to be with my baby.

I got frustrated that Gabe would act out/bawl/scream/kick/arch his back when I would pick him up after work and I wanted to take him home so that I could be with him before he went to bed.

I got frustrated when I tried to carry too much in from the car and ended up dropping a trail of things along behind me.

I got frustrated when we got home it was already 5 or 6 and I still needed to make dinner, empty the dishwasher from the night before so that I could clean up the dishes that were left in the sink, pick up and put stuff away, pack for the next day, feel guilty for leaving my dog home alone all day...

I got frustrated that laundry never seemed to end.

I got frustrated that I couldn't stretch myself thin enough to cover everything that needed to be done. It just wasn't physically possible. And that frustrates me, because I feel like I should be able to "do it all."

I got frustrated when Bryan left pairs of shoes or dirty socks or clothes or radom papers strewn haphazardly around the house.

I get frustrated when I'm in the middle of trying to feed Gabe I realize he's dumped it over onto the floor and walls and now Calie is struggling to get all of it when she isn't the kind of dog that can have whatever she wants.

I got frustrated that Bryan couldn't read my mind and help me do EVERYTHING without me having to tell him.

The list could go on forever...

SO I think "my word" for 2009 is going to continue to be "Be Still"...well yeah, it's two words, but you get what I mean. And now I want to live it even more fully. I've just always loved those simple, specific words. "Be Still" in my mind is so perfect because when we are "still" we can feel, sense, be things we couldn't if we let the commotion of the world get in the way. And let's face it, we have a lot of commotion going on.

Someone said it helps to imagine yourself as the "eye of the storm"...if you can just be calm while everything is whirling around you you're in good shape. But I wasn't the "eye." I was whirling around like crazy with everything and everyone else. I needed to figure out how to "be still" and know that it's ok. Tomorrow has to be better. And I needed to go look at my famiy while they're sleeping and let their sweet expressions and quiet, gentle breathing (or snoring lol) turn my heart to mush again so I can start all over loving them to pieces in the midst of the storm that's coming tomorrow. Because, despite all the frustration and not having the ability (yet) to completly "be still" amidst the mayhem, there's nowhere I'd rather be than right here. Right now. Storm and all. Because it means I'm a mother. And a wife. And I'm blessed beyond what I ever thought possible.

Since the lay off happened I feel like the storm has calmed down that my frustrations have taken a back seat if you will. I do still get frustrated, yea, but it feels different, I'm different. If I do have to go back to work and the storm gets crazy again I just pray that I can take it day by day and continue to learn to BE STILL.

Library

Gabe goes through phases where he's loving books and where he wants nothing to do with them. I've realized that those things aren't always worth worrying about... when they don't seem to be picking up the things we're SUPPOSED to be teaching them. They always seem to come around in their own time--I do hope that Gabe will enjoy reading. :)

We went to the library yesterday to pick out some books and he was SO excited! He was yelling throughout the children's area "BOOK, COW MOO, DUCK, HORSEY, BOOK" and laughing really loud. I could not get him to be quiet. It was actually pretty funny. Needless to say we picked some books out quick and got out of there. lol

Lately...

Bryan has...

• had a daddy/Gabe weekend while mommy was away at the beach with the girls
• become an uncle x2
• had the flu
• been working at Nike
• been running every Saturday morning and working out
  
• started MMA training with Dave
• been looking for more freelance work

Jenny has...

• had a fabulous weekend at the beach with friends, great teaching from Jody and lots of processing and prayer time
• become an Auntie x2
• had a good b-day with Family (thank you mom for the fun party)
• got to hold her beautiful tiny niece
• been laid off from her job (time for change)
• been praying for direction
  
• had a fun b-day dinner with her good friend Marcia
• had an awesome time getting to be a SAHM for the time being
• been looking for opportunities to work from home
• been looking for jobs
• gotten a lot of cleaning and organizing done
  
• been doing a good job at meal planning and cooking dinners
• spent WAY too much time on Facebook
  

Gabe has...

• spent a weekend with daddy
• been talking a lot
• giving kisses
• been a stinker
• had lots of fun times with cousin Jaden
  
• met his new cousin Audrey
• got to have his mommy home with him full time
  
• gone to OMSI for a playdate

Beach trip (Women's Retreat 09)
Traditional dinner at Bill's on Friday night (No Kate wasn't drinking BTW lol)

(left to right: Jenny, Moo, Ronna, T and Laura)

Waiting for the session to start

Good times

Baby Audrey
Born Feb 14, 2009

Found Gabe sleeping like this one night

Gabe and Jaden Wrestling

Fun at OMSI