We gave Chipmunk a haircut on Monday.

The hair around her ears was starting to get matted because it was so long (which is a breed trait), and she desperately needed a trim.  She has a tendency to pick up all sorts of debris while exploring the backyard.  The fur around her paws was also really long, so she looked kind of like The Grinch/Gremlin.  And now she sort of looks like a boy with a bad mullet.

Or "a" mullet.  Is there such a thing as a "good" mullet?

All I have to say is that hair styling is not in my future and it's a good thing that puppies don't bully each other because of their haircuts.

At least it'll grow back.

on being grateful

Pretty, romantic images on Tumblr and Pinterest had me yearning for a life full of writing and moody, still lighting and bright, airy lighting and tea.

And then, I realized that I spend most of the day writing; morning light is really moody and still here; afternoon light is really bright and airy; and I drink tea like it's my job.

Also, I sometimes spend evenings daydreaming while lying on my back on a suspended pergola bed, staring at the stars.

Also, I'm eating chocolate-covered pineapple because my caring and supporting husband surprised me with Edible Arrangements today.

My life is awesome.

miscellany wednesday

+ Alan made a delicious chicken and pineapple pizza for lunch on Sunday.  We dipped it in sriracha.  I love it when food is made from scratch + love.

+ Chapel Next hosted Date Night with Dr. Gary Rosberg on Sunday evening.  It was entertaining; I definitely enjoyed the fellowship and Alan was glad to know we're on the right track--for example, when we scored ourselves on our emotional and physical connections, we both seem to be doing the right things.  When we read the suggestions to improve our connections (i.e. text throughout the day to communicate or affirm your spouse), we realized that we're already doing those, too!

+ The temperature has been in the low 70s all week, with rain off and on.  It's been so cool that we haven't used the central air for the past two days; we've been content with keeping the windows open (usually, it starts getting warm around 2 p.m., so I close the windows and turn on the air).  We finally have grass that looks like grass.
Last night while we were sweeping the cracked cement slab that passes for a patio or something like that, Alan said he could buy some weed killer at Lowe's that, according to other people in the area, will kill the weeds and not the grass.  I told him that I thought half of our grass was comprised of weeds. ...

+ The dogs have taken over the pergola bed.  For a while, it was just a frame, and we could take out the futon mattress or a comforter when we wanted to use it.  The dogs didn't climb on it because they were afraid of falling through.  But, Alan recently came home with some sleeping pads that the Army was throwing away, so he stuck them on the frame.  We haven't tested it with the pads yet, but the dogs have.
And, he recently added an old quilt to make the dogs more comfy. :)

organizing life: the bathroom

Both counter space and cabinet space are at a premium in the master bathroom, and hair styling tools (especially the cords) were difficult to keep organized and out of the way.

I don't use the curling irons, straightener and hair dryer on a daily basis--or even a weekly basis, honestly--so I wanted to keep them under the sink and reserve counter space for daily items, but it was difficult to keep the cords untangled when everything was shoved in a box.  Plus, then I forget that I even have them.

So, Alan stuck some 3M hooks on the side of the vanity (3M hooks seem to be the solution to a lot of our problems around the house).  Now, everything's accessible and we have more space.  Plus, the hooks will be easy to remove!

cappellini alfredo

To those of you who know my aversion to angel hair pasta, please note that my preference has not changed.

It was just that we had an opened container of cappellini.

Also, this was the first time I've made fettuccine Alfredo since we moved to Texas!  The original recipe that my mom used at home came from my middle school FCS class.  The variety of cheeses adds some depth to the dish, but I will probably add some garlic apart from the cheese next time.

This recipe serves two.  It could probably serve three, but Alan said we weren't going to have leftovers and ate whatever was left in the pan after I served the first helping.  And actually, Alan says:

Actually it was two more servings so it will probably feed four.

Fettuccine Cappellini Alfredo

+ 4 oz. cappellini, dry and uncooked
+ 2 C. heavy cream
+ 1/8 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
+ 2 T. butter
+ 1/2 C. parmesan, grated
+ 1/4 C. jarlsburg, grated
+ 2 T. garlic and herb spreadable cheese
+ salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the cream and lemon pepper over a low setting.  Add the butter.  Once the butter has melted, add the cheeses.  Stir continuously until the cheeses have melted--if you don't stir everything constantly, the cheese will stick to the bottom/sides of the pan/your spoon and then it will be a mess.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain it (but don't rinse it!) and add it to the saucepan.  Stir until the pasta is well-coated and the sauce thickens.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve it immediately.

Also, this is almost nothing like the original recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo, so it should actually probably be called something like, "Three Cheese Cappellini."  Which is how you will find it tagged if you ever search for this recipe.

coconut-chocolate syrup

A few days ago on Pinterest, I stumbled across a recipe for chocolate syrup, but I didn't bother pinning it because we never have chocolate syrup in the house, but I thought it was a cool idea because we are fans of all things homemade.

And then T requested a peanut butter pie for his half/belated/unbirthday, and peanut butter pie is topped with chocolate syrup.

Of course, I couldn't find the recipe I wanted.

So, I made up one.

coconut-chocolate syrup
1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 C. raw sugar
1 C. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coconut-vanilla extract (or regular vanilla extract)

Mix the cocoa powder and water in a saucepan until the cocoa is dissolved.  Add the sugar and salt and slowly bring everything to a boil for three minutes.  Remove the mixture from heat and add the vanilla extract (we make our own, which is why I used coconut-vanilla).  Once the chocolate syrup cools, pour it into a jar and store it in the refrigerator.

This is really yummy in chocolate milk or as a topping for peanut butter pie, which instantly becomes a peanut buttery, chocolate coconut-y pie of goodness.  Next time, I'm adding more cocoa and vanilla.

italian meatloaf

For his half/belated/unbirthday, T requested Italian meatloaf, which I made once before.  T's been waiting for it all summer, so I made it last night while Alan and T played Super Mario Bros. for Wii (C watched--when given the choice to play the Wii or a game on the iPod Touch, he chose to play on the iPod, which he later regretted once T began setting up the Wii, but he had already used up his screen time).

The meatloaf was juicy and the serving plate was completely empty by the end of dinner.  We served it with a garlic and herb spreadable cheese.

Italian Meatloaf

1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
2 eggs
2 lbs. ground pork
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. ketchup
2 T. bread crumbs

Glaze
6 T. ketchup
3 T. honey

Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, mix the first seven ingredients and add the ground pork.  Add the eggs and mix everything together.  Then, add 1/4 C. of the grated parmesan, as well as the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ketchup and bread crumbs.  Mix everything well and allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes, then place in a loaf pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix the ketchup and honey in a small bowl.  After the meatloaf has cooked for 10 minutes, spread the glaze on top and cook for 30 minutes, or until done.

permanent love notes

You can tell it's almost time for the boys to fly back to Pennsylvania.  In an effort to step up our efforts to let them know they are loved, we did a project we've been considering since before summer began.

I stumbled across the original idea via Pinterest (but I've since either deleted or moved it to a different board, because I cannot find it).  The concept is that you take a sheet of notebook paper and frame it, and then use a window marker to write a love note every day.  We've been leaving the boys occasional Post-It notes with little gifts (i.e. their favorite gum or snack foods) in their rooms, but we wanted more permanent displays.  Plus, I was home alone keeping an eye on dinner while Alan took the boys to youth group, so I wanted something extra to do.

However, because we don't have any spare/large photo frames, I decided to try sheet protectors on a whim.  It just so happens that we have several 3M adhesive strips and a dry erase marker (and I have more notebook paper than should be legal), so the entire project was free and took about fifteen minutes (mainly because I had to look for a Nerf gun so I could see the logo ... not that finding one around the house was difficult).

I wrote the boys' names on their permanent notes, using crayons in their favorite colors.  For T, our aspiring football player and chef, I made a bottom border with a football silhouette and a repeating fork, knife and spoon motif.  For C, our creative builder and strategist, I made a bottom border of a Lego brick and a Nerf logo (or what sort of looks like a Nerf logo ... if you really use your imagination).

Then, I slipped the notebook paper in the protective sleeves and use the 3M strips to stick them on the wall between their doors.  Alan wrote each of them a personal note and I slipped little letters in the tops--at Barnes & Noble today, C picked up a little Hello Kitty letters set for me, and they both requested that I write notes to them.

When they came home from chapel and saw the notes, they were both very thankful and happy about the projects.  And they requested new notes tomorrow.  We've decided to take photos of each day's note

I also made one for Alan, although I used markers instead of crayons.  Between the time I spent making theirs and starting his, he found the markers I had been looking for earlier.

I think it looks pretty nifty.  The words around his name are from my wedding vows to him. :)

miscellany wednesday

We were going to post a Miscellany Monday post.  And then I realized it's already Wednesday.

+ Alan had a four-day weekend, and we spent part of it at a chapel retreat in Waxahachie.  The topic was "Guard Your Heart" and focused on the Proverbs 4 passage.  Not only did we learn more about the passage and its application to our lives, but we really enjoyed spending time together as a family (or partially together--most of the time, the boys wanted to spend time with their friends from youth group) and fellowshipping with friends from the Soldiers' Hospitality House.  There would have been photos, but phone reception was horrible, so our phones were constantly drained.

+ Aside from the regular chores the boys may choose to do to earn money, C mowed a neighbor's lawn with Alan's help.  The neighbor paid him 50 percent more than what he asked.

+ Following the retreat's topic, the youth group leader is running a session this week on anti-bullying and guarding yourself.  He apparently served in protective services during his Army career, and is leading self-defense with a spiritual perspective.

happy support freedom of speech day!

We experienced our first FRG meeting as a couple yesterday.  Driving across post to get to the venue took longer than the actual meeting.  And I never thought I'd be so happy to see 40 m.p.h. signs.

We also stopped by Alan's office building.  I was hoping to see his office and he was hoping to pick up his coffee mugs.  He told me that there was a certain parking spot where I should park, and it was designated for the first sergeant.  As I pulled into the parking lot, he explained that there were a few spots for different people, so I needed to look for the first sergeant one.

Who knew "first sergeant" would be stenciled on as "1SG?"  Clearly, not me.

On the upside, after we picked up the boys from Bob's Diner (which is actually held at the chapel ... and not by a man named "Bob"), we went to Chick-Fil-A to support Chick-Fil-A Day.  On the way, we explained that it had nothing to do with the CEO's personal beliefs, but that there is a difference between disagreement and discrimination, and we live in a country where we should not be punished or discriminated against for disagreeing or standing up for our own beliefs.

whether you're a mom or a stepmom ...

... it seems to me that as soon as you become one of those, you automagically obtain some secret power that makes things appear the moment someone says, "I can't find it/It's not here/I don't see it."

This makes me wonder how our heavenly father deals with us. So many corrections and disappointments; asking for his guidance and him saying it's right there. In front of our eyes.

I love how every situation in our small lives can be used to show us how awesome our creator is. Thank you Jesus for giving us the privilege to serve you and be blessed to tell others about your amazing love and forgiveness.

With love,
Alan + Elizabeth

look what came in the mail!

Along with a pretty sweet key chain and car decal.  And let me tell you, any university that sends you a key chain and car decal is a pretty cool university.

Anyway.

This Friday, we're leaving for a Chapel Next retreat at Lakeview, which we're all excited about.  This weekend is a four-day weekend for Alan.  Aside from the sessions (the retreat focuses on family), C has repeatedly mentioned that he can't wait to try the zip line, and T is excited about "the blob."

We're hoping to stop by UMHB on the way to Lakeview so I can register for the fall semester.  I am so excited to start grad classes (I can't wait to buy books!) and be back on a college campus.

C found a sea urchin fossil near the house yesterday.  We went fossil hunting and the boys returned with a rucksack full of fossilized seashells--we're going to put some of them in our aquarium.