Not Your Typical Children's Story

I am very proud of my husband.

This past semester not only has he been working two jobs, taking a full load of classes, and being an awesome husband and dad; he has also been working hard to start up his own side company, with the help of his brother Mark and friend Derek.

We just got the paperwork back from the state of Texas so the company is now official!!

It is called Primedia E-Launch and will offer the service of converting out-of-print or self-published books from hard copy to E-version.

In a world where E-Readers and tablet computers are becoming more and more mainstream, this could be a really exciting opportunity.

Primedia's website is on target to be launched in the next couple of weeks and we're hoping to get some business from writers who have full rights to their books and want to convert them to E-formats.

In the meantime, Josh and Mark have been using their spare time to convert old public domain books into e-books to sell on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for Kindles, Nooks, iPads and Android tablets.

Thus far they have stuck mainly to Theology books but yesterday Primedia converted its very first children's book.

After a special request.

From me. :)

Of all the books I had read to me as a small child, the one that I always remember as my hands-down, all-time favorite, is The Story of Horace.

Grammy (my dad's mom) had the book at her house.  Every time my sister and I visited her we would find it, climb onto her lap, and beg her to read it to us.

Again and again and again.

My cousins all loved it, too.

I still love this book.

It ryhmes, it repeats.  It's everything a good children's book should be.

Umm...except for the fact that it's about a bear who eats an entire family one family member after another.

Yes.

You will never find another children's book quite like this one on a bookstore shelf today.

It is very unique.

Truly, what would possess a person to write a book like that for kids?!

I don't know!

All I know is that WE LOVED IT!!!!!

And it didn't scar us in the least.   

I can still hear Grammy reading...very dramatically...

(That's just the beginning...)

Thanks to Primedia, The Story of Horace is now going to be able to be a shining star in Knox's childhood, as well. 

I am SO THRILLED!

I just hope I can do the voices as well as Grammy did.  :)

If you would also like this one-of-a-kind book to be a part of YOUR E-book collection (you do!) check it out here on Amazon and here on barnesandnoble.com.

Primedia rocks! ♥

Nancy's Homemade Hamburger Buns

Did anyone happen to notice how especially lovely the hamburger buns looked in yesterday's Hawaiian Hamburgers post? 

That is because my mom made them, from scratch.

Wow.

I was very excited when she said she was going to be making us homemade hamburger buns because ever since summer weather hit Dallas (you know, back in February) I've been dreaming of trying out some bun recipes myself.

Hamburgers are an I-want-to-make-something-really-quick-and-easy menu item for me.  Usually I grab the 89 cent store brand 8-pack of buns...which are serviceable, but tasteless. 

And dry. 

And, no matter how hard I try to keep them at the top of my grocery bag pile, inevitably half squished by the time I get them home.

I'm sure that sometimes for convenience sake I'll reach for the 89 cent buns again. 

But I think hamburgers have just been transformed from an I-want-to-make-something-really-quick-and-easy menu item into an I-want-to-make-something-really-special menu item for me.

Sometimes you just want to make a really special hamburger.  What could make a great burger more special than a homemade bun?!

Yum!

This recipe my mom got from her friend Nancy.  Nancy is a bread making master so we knew these were going to be good.  

They were amazing.

I don't have to try out any other bun recipes.

Thank you, Nancy...and thank you, Mom!!

I can't wait to make these myself.

My Mama

Nancy's Homemade Hamburger Buns

1 cup very warm water 
1/3 cup oil
2 Tbl. sugar
2 Tbl. yeast
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Mix first four ingredients and let rest 15 minutes in the KitchenAid bowl. Add egg, flour, and salt. Mix and knead 5 minutes. Roll 1/2-3/4 inch thick and cut out rolls with glass.*


Arrange on cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed or buttered. Let rise 30 minutes. Brush tops lightly with melted butter and bake at 425 for 8-9 minutes. 

*We also tried hand-forming a few rolls and actually liked the shape of the hand-rolled buns a little bit better than the glass-cut buns.  So next time I think I will skip the rolling out and cutting and just divide the dough into 12 pieces and shape into rolls.

Hawaiian Hamburgers

No summer visit to Vermont would be complete without Hawaiian Hamburgers!

My mom has been making these burgers for us for years.  And now it's a regular summer menu item at my house, too; because they're amazing. 

After eating these, plain old hamburgers are just plain boring.

The honey in this recipe makes the burgers a little sweet, the soy sauce makes them a little salty, and the spices make them...perfection. :)

What makes the burgers Hawaiian, you ask? 

That's a good question.  I think it's the pineapple ring you're supposed to serve on top. 

But we forgot the pineapple this time. 

And since I'm not a big fan of fruit in my main course and never add the pineapple to mine anyway, I wasn't disappointed. 

Just pass me a big bottle of ketchup, please. :)

Justin, Grill Master of the Day

Hawaiian Hamburgers

2 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup honey

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. curry powder

1/8 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix all ingredients together, then form meat into patties.  Grill; then serve topped with lettuce and sliced pineapple. (Or, if you're me...just ketchup.  And maybe a few slices of avocado!)

Oh and we always eats these burgers with baked sweet potato fries...generously sprinkled with seasoned salt. 

It's tradition. :)

Blog Post 100

I started this blog on a whim.

One cold night in January, while I was reading some other blogs and drinking a cup of tea, I just decided I wanted to blog.

And so I blogged.

And I just kept blogging!

I love it.

It is a hobby that combines all my favorite things...writing, trying new recipes, taking photos of my baby, and sharing little lessons that God teaches me along the way.

Blogging gives me another way to keep in touch with all my family and friends who live far away.  I love to write; so it also gives me a structure that helps me stay disciplined to actually write.

It's fun!

But blogging is challenging for me, too.

It challenges me to be creative.  To think ahead.  To try new things.  To be disciplined with my time.  To put myself out there without worrying about what other people might think.

And blogging has taught me a lot about myself.

For example,

● I am WAY more cheesy than I ever thought I was. Blogging really brings out my inner cheese. :)
● I CAN operate Josh's fancy-pants camera.
● I really (no REALLY) love to make yummy food.
● My life is more colorful than I realized!
● I can accomplish a LOT in a 2-hour nap period.
● I am most creative when I'm in touch with my Creator.
● And after all the recipes I've tried, it's still hard to top a box of Ghirardelli double chocolate brownie mix. 

My plan is to keep on blogging until it starts to feel more like work than play...or maybe just until Knox starts running and I run out of time to blog. :)

THANK YOU so much to those of you who faithfully read my blog.  I do this for me, but it definitely makes it extra fun and rewarding when I see your comments and "likes" or hear that you've tried one of my recipes.

I'm at 10,816 page views after 99 posts and that number is way higher than I ever expected it to be.

Of course I estimate that 8,816 of those page views are from my mother and mother-in-law visiting and re-visiting all of the Knox photos.  :)  Thanks for bumping up my numbers, moms!  ;)

Today marks my 100th blog post.

And Knox's 10 month birthday!


We've already been out celebrating. :)

 

Stay tuned for some of Mom Thayer's recipes that I picked up in Vermont!
 
(And to those of you who have been wondering, Knox's travel tent was a HUGE SUCCESS!!!!  We actually SLEPT while we were in Vermont!!!  It was a miracle!  Everyone who travels with little ones needs a Kidco Peapod.  I am sold.)   :)

Moose, Bear, Deere...and other Vermonty things

It's hard to put into words all that I love about Vermont.

I love her sweet air.
Her wildflowers.
Her clean grass.
Her loud silence.

I love it that one morning as we were getting ready for breakfast Josh caught a glimpse of something moving outside the back door and whooped, "Look!  MOOSE!"

And that we all scrambled to the windows to see a Mama and Baby Moose sauntering past my parents' house and on down the hill...just barely too quickly for us to catch them on camera.

And then there were the other wildlife sightings...like this huge bear...

Which my sister (very easily) convinced my mom she really needed to have on hand for when her grandchildren come to visit.  :)

 
And this Deere!

It's not every day you get to ride a Deere.

Vermont is the perfect place to take long walks...

Especially when you have lots of people willing to help you. :)

It's a place where, when you stop by to visit a dear friend, you might just get sent home with half a TO DIE FOR raspberry cream pie.

And a place where nice neighbors let you come to cut fresh RHUBARB out of their yard for Strawberry Rhubarb Birthday Coffeecake.

And Rhubarb Birthday Pie.

And anything else Birthday and Rhubarb-related you could ever dream of. 

Happy Birthday, Courtney!

Vermont is a place where you might be tempted to sit  out on your back step all day just to watch the tall trees swaying in the breeze...

But where you definitely need to learn how to close the screen door...so you can keep out the mosquitos.

It's a place where you get to just hang out by the counter...

 
And watch your mom working magic in the kitchen.

In Vermont you never know when there might be a shower!

Cute helicopter quilt my mom made for Baby W!

Beautiful things just happen...in Vermont.

The Land Flowing with Milk & Maple Syrup

TOMORROW we're going to VERMONT!  

The land flowing with milk and maple syrup!!

And I am completely out of maple syrup, so that means a trip to VT is officially overdue!  :)

Vermont is a dreamworld for outdoorsmen who like to pitch their tents in the pines and sleep under the stars...

 

And for babies who like to sleep inside the house in their tents...

...all night long!

Yes, this is Knox's handy dandy new baby travel bed, which we're hoping against hope will help him (and us) sleep a little better from now on while we're traveling.  ???

Because last time we took a trip we came home looking like this.

We've been practicing sleeping in the tent this week and so far it's gone pretty well...

So I have a glimmer of hope for more sleep this vacation.

Here's to hoping!

Yes, Monkey and Giraffe will also be making the trip with us to Vermont.

I'm always excited to go home to Vermont, but this visit is especially exciting because Knox gets to meet his Aunt Courtney and Uncle Justin for the very first time. 

They left for Indonesia right before he was born so the only interaction they've had with him has been over Skype, which is great, but you know...not the same.

We can't wait to see them...and my parents...and everyone else we love in Vermont!♥

Knox and I fly out tomorrow and Josh will join us there next week for a very special wedding...

My sweet cousin Kimberly and cousin-to-be Thomas!

which is going to be a blast.

Hurray!!!!!

So will I be blogging from Vermont?  

That's a good question.  I don't know.  I guess it depends mostly on how patient I am with the (long amount of) time it takes to upload photos to the internet from the middle of the woods. :)

And I'm afraid I am not usually very patient with that sort of thing...


So we may just have lots to talk about when we get back.


Either way, we'll see y'all later, y'all!!!

:)

Just Before the Sun Comes Up

 
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 

6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken.  

Luke 5:4-9

Does anyone else think it's a little interesting that on this particular day, when Peter leaned over the side of his boat and saw that his nets were overflowing with shiny, flapping fish, his first response was not to jump up and down for joy? 

His first response was to ask Jesus to leave him, because he was overwhelmed with a realization of how sinful he was.

That caught my attention when I read these verses the other day.


Why?  How did seeing those fish make Peter suddenly so aware of his sinfulness?

I didn't see the answer at first, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I think it's because although Peter believed Jesus, and although he was obedient, he was also doubtful.

He had just sat in his boat for hours next to this man Jesus, listening to Him preaching to multitudes who were hanging on His every word, listening from the shore.

Peter was impressed by what he heard and saw in Jesus.  He knew this Jesus was no ordinary guy...that He was someone truly Special.

But Peter also knew fish.

Before Jesus asked to borrow his boat he had been just been fishing all night, and with no luck. 


There just weren't any fish to be caught. 

So when Jesus told him to row back out and drop his nets, Peter wanted to believe in this Jesus; He wanted to believe He could do something out of the ordinary...a miracle...in his life...if He wanted to.

But he was also doubtful.  Master, I'm not sure if You know this but we have just toiled all night and caught nothing.  Are you sure about this?

And even with the doubt lingering in the back of his mind, Peter decided to do what Jesus told him to do.  He obeyed.  Because he really did believe this was no ordinary man.  

...nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.

He rowed his boat back out to sea and threw his nets overboard.

He believed.  And he obeyed.  But he also voiced some doubt. 

Sound familiar?

It does to me.

Oftentimes even in believing, and even in obeying, we doubt.


Then, when we peer over the edge of our boat and actually catch a glimpse of all the fish wriggling and jumping and tearing our nets...when God answers our prayers, when He provides for our needs, when He meets us in prayer and overwhelms us with His love...we are astonished that God actually came through for us!

And then we, like Peter, suddenly get it.

We can see so clearly, in hindsight, how wrong we were to doubt Him.

Lord, I don't deserve this!  I doubted You!!  I know who You are, I know what You can do...and yet I still doubted you.

When we see the miracle, we hang our heads in shame.

I am a sinful man, O Lord!  I don't deserve to be near You.  I doubted You.

But Jesus says,

Do not be afraid.  From now on you will catch men.  (v. 10b)

In His loving, patient, and quiet way.

Yes, I saw your doubts. I heard them.  I know how weak you are.

But I love you.  And I also saw your faith.

Don't be afraid.

From now on you will catch men.

Peter, I know I just blew you away with what I put in your net, but this is just the beginning!!!  There is so much more that I am going to do in your life!  I have a plan for you and you are going to see even bigger things than this...

Wow.  That is grace.


And so, Peter learned his lesson and never doubted Jesus again.  He lived happily ever after, trusting Jesus every time.

HA!

Nope, that line is not in there.

Peter did doubt again, many times.  But he also believed.

Months later, when Jesus told Peter to come and walk out on the water to meet Him (Matt. 14:28-32), Peter remembered all the miracles he had seen Jesus do before.  I bet the picture of all those fish filling and weighing down his boat flashed through his mind.

And he believed!  Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water!!

But then he looked around at his surroundings and realized what was happening (that he was walking on water!  and that there were big scary waves all around him!) and he began to doubt.

Yes Jesus had worked in the past, but this...this was way too impossible.

And he began to sink.

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matt. 14:31)

We believe, and we obey.  And yet we doubt.

It's so easy to believe Him in the part of the story where we are basking in the blessing...staring at the answer to our prayer, living our dream, leaning over the side of the boat watching the fish so plentiful that they are breaking our nets... 

But right before that, during the part of the story where we're slowly rowing out to sea for the second time in a day to throw down our nets where we know there are no fish...

That's when it's hard to believe.

Father, help us to trust You more FULLY, even in the dark hours that always come just before the sun comes up.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!  Mark 9:24