Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Here is one of my husband's favorite cookies, but a warning - they are very rich and for the true chocoholic!

4 squares (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 - 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
confectioners sugar


Melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup chocolate chips, and butter in microwave or double boiler. Cool 10 minutes. In bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 2 minutes; add vanilla and chocolate mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and then beat into chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Remove 1 cup dough and, with floured hands, roll into 1 inch balls. Bake on ungreased baking sheets at 350 deg F for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 3-4 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Freeze in tightly sealed frezzer bags. Dust with cinfectioners sugar, if desired. Makes 4 dozen.

Getting to Know Me and my Christmas Spirit

Tagged by Celeste

Oh boy! This is a fun one for me because, well, Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! Here goes! (Oh and I guess I will tag Kris and Michelle if you guys want to play!)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

BOTH! A good hot chocolate or peppermint mocha in the morning, and the egg nog after dinner. Yum!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa's presents are always wrapped in different papers than the family presents, and he fills the stockings too!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Colored on the house, and white on the tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Not in the past, but I have been thinking about doing that this year!

5. When do you put your decorations up?

Sometime during the week after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Tough call! I loved my Dad's breakfast tacos as a child, but our own almond coffee cake is giving them a run for their money!

7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child.

We always opened gifts on Christmas morning, never Christmas Eve. But one year my Mom (a nurse) had to be at work at 5:30 am and work until dinnertime. We were told that we would have to wait until Mom got off work that night, and were disappointed to say the least! (We were pretty young!) We went to Grandmas Christmas Eve evening and then went straight to 11:00pm Church. As we came home and started to our beds rather bleary eyed, we stopped as we passed the tree - Santa had come early! We got to stay up and open presents that night (well actually it was Christmas morning, just 12:30 AM!). Bless my poor Mom, who went to work without much sleep! I can truly appreciate that fact today!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I was 9 and my YOUNGER brother told me! How messed up is that!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

No, except for that one year mentioned above!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

The boys help organize the branches by size (there are different colored tabs for each size, so this is easy for them!). Then they help hang them in their spot on the tree, while I direct. I hang the lights, and then everyone hangs their own ornaments. Our tree is full of superhero and action figure ornaments, and then my Snoopy ones! We have topped it with a gold bow since I never found a star I liked.

11. Snow!

I wish! It is one of the few things I miss living in Houston!

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes. First time was at an outdoor rink in downtown Denver.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

Probably my stereo, because that year I had asked for several things that were shot down - A telephone (in my room), a TV (in my room) - I was a teen. So I didn't even bother with the next item I wanted - a stereo - figuring it would be quickly shot down too! Yet lo and behold, there it was Christmas morning and without even mentioning it! When I told my Mom that I wanted one, but thought they would quickly say no again, she just replied "a stereo is much different!". I had very wise parents!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

I attempt to keep proper perspective on the season! I admit that it is hard, as I do so love EVERYTHING that comes with the season (well, everything except crowded stores!). But I want the boys to know that this is Jesus's bday and all of the other stuff is the bonus part - like favors and games for attending the party!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Grandma's German Chocolate cake!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I do so love it all - Our Jesse Tree prayer each night, the shopping, baking, parties, carols, lights, decorating, crafts. But Christmas Eve Midnight Mass is my favorite - hands down! It was Midnight Mass in December 1993 that began my path to the Catholic Church - perhaps I will tell that story some other time this season!

17. What tops your tree?

The afore mentioned gold bow.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?

Giving - I really truly don't care if I get anything or not, I just love the atmosphere surrounding the season. That is my gift!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

No question - "O Holy Night"! And now I am singing it!

20. Candy Canes! yuck or yummy?

Yummy.

21. Fave Christmas Movie?

It's a Wonderful Life - I am a sucker for these old movies!

ENJOY!

Our Christmas Nutcracker

The very first Christmas decoration is in place at our house, and it is not the Advent wreath as is usually the case. It is our new Christmas Nutcracker, per request of Brennan. It is the one thing that he has been asking for the past few months as he sensed Christmas drawing closer. Now this special request has a little history that makes it special to us, so let me fill you in.

It has been noted on many occasions that Brennan is a mini-me of my husband. He looks just like him, acts just like him, even has the same tastes as him in all things. I am told that many years ago, my inlaws went to Europe and asked my husband and his sister what they would like them to bring back. My husband's one request - a nutcracker. They brought him back a nice nutcracker from either Germany or Austria (I forget). It was a hunter, so it was not really considered a Christmas nutcracker. Each year my mother in law would want to put it out for Christmas, but my husband was quick to remind her "no, it is not a Christmas one." (my husband is ever the stickler for this sort of thing, even to this day!).

Fast forward through the years, and our little Brennan fell in love with Dad's nutcracker, which stays on what we call our international shelf (a shelf in the family room holding goodies from around the world). Brennan also has become familiar with The Nutcracker ballet at Christmastime. The last two Christmas seasons, Brennan has asked if we could put Dad's nutcracker down on the fireplace mantle for Christmas. And he has been answered each time, as you might guess, "no, it is not a Christmas nutcracker".

So this year Brennan had one simple request "Can we get a Christmas nutcracker?". While I was out shopping the day after Thanksgiving, I found some nice Christmas nutcrackers at a good price, so I brought one home for Brennan. He has been absolutely giddy over it! And so today, Brennan placed our new Christmas nutcracker on our mantle for the very first time. Each time that I have walked past it this morning, it has made me think of Brennan and how much he is like his Dad. It makes me realize how much I love them both. And I send up a little prayer that Brennan may someday grow into just the kind of man that his father is.

When Colin and I were engaged, I told his mother I hoped we would have a little boy just like Colin was as he sounded like such a special little guy! God answered my prayer, and he is even more special than I could have ever imagined!

Attack of the Clothes

I never really understood why others would complain about laundry. After all, I would just throw a load in here, a load in there, and we never seemed to be swamped by clothes. But as we have added boy after boy, I have begun to see just exactly what others have meant. It started a few months ago when I realized that we could open a small Goodwill store for boys age 7 and under. So I limited the outfits that we kept for each boy at each size. I found smart storage options that would make these clothes easy to access. And before we packed for our Thanksgiving trip, I got all of the laundry clean, folded, and put away. Everything was great.

Then we returned. Forget the fact that I did 3 loads while we were up in Oklahoma. I still had 6 loads of laundry to do today as we unpacked every suitcase. This of course does not take into account sheets and towels as we left those behind. I am amazed at the amounts of clothes that get dirty with the hard play that goes on each day. And I no longer scoff at those who talk of their own laundry woes - many have more young uns to chase after than I do! Most of all, I am extremely thankful for my nice,working washer and dryer as I find myself musing "just how did the early settlers do it?".

Home again, home again, jiggedty jig!

We have returned from our yearly trip up to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. I always enjoy this chance to see everyone we have abandoned in our move to Houston 8 years ago! We did have an eventful week however...

-First, on the way up we had lots of trouble getting out of town (like, getting all of the way on the other side and THEN realizing that someone named Mommy forgot her wallet - oops! We had to go back and get it, then start all over again!)

-Then we blew out a tire at dusk about 90 miles from my parents house.

-After that an enjoyable 4 days in the southwestern OK town where all of my family is currently living - parents, grandma, aunt, and both of my brothers.

-We then headed up to northern OK to visit with my husband's family. Wonderful Thanksgiving dinner, more fun with grandparents, cousins, and Maggie - my inlaws dog!

-Day after Thanksgiving - yep I am one of those crazy 5 AM shoppers! We also got to visit with my college roommate and her family. Colin and I even enjoyed a late night coffee with Scott and Kathy sans little people.

-Watched the OU - OSU football game - Sooners won a close one, but otherwise great.

-And then Sunday, the day we were supposed to head back, when we lost our power steering somewhere in the church parking lot. Sunday and Monday morning were then spent in an attempt to fix it, but to no avail. It did get us back home tonight, however.

Through it all, in the spirit of the season, we are all thankful. So thankful for the opportunity to spend such quality time with loved ones. Thankful that our guardian angels watched out for us through all of our car troubles. And so thankful to once again be in the comfort of our very own home. We are so blessed - thank you God!

The Little Things

It's the little things that mean so much...and here are the little things that I am thankful for today

-It was date night with my husband! Since Lost is on hiatus, we ordered in Chinese food and watched "Cars" - great movie!

-I got my plastic underbed boxes for the boys clothes, so they are now neatly put away under their beds and not tumbling off of the closet shelves (in other words ending up all over the floor).

-Got to talk to my brother long distance for 20 minutes uninterrupted.

-Boys got ready and went to bed without argument

-I am going to get to sleep tonight before 11pm - Good night!

Happy Birthday Brennan!

Six years ago, I went to work feeling a little uneasy. After all, I had a OB appt that afternoon after lunch and at my appt the week before my blood pressure had been a little high. I knew I was close to delivering our first (born) child, and if that wasn't enough to make me nervous, I was thinking of the two miscarriages we had had already. I knew something could go wrong.

While I was monitoring lunch at the school, my insides were in a knot. A mother approached me and asked me how long I had - "any day now" I told her. She replied with the ever reassuring "Yep, I am glad I only did that once!". Needless to say it didn't help my ever growing sense of terror! God then blessed me with another mom, a wonderful woman who I admire greatly, who nudged me and gently said "It can't be too bad - I did it 5 times!". That's what I needed to hear!

I went to the doctor and got the news I suspected - blood pressure was rising rapidly and had to deliver. She told me to go straight to the hospital (across the parking lot) and check myself in. I did this and mentally drew a blank on my husband's work number (a number I knew by heart). 45 minutes later, I finally remembered it and called. He was on his way.

All through the night they tried to induce me, but to no avail. My blood pressure was spiking but while I was close to seizures, our little miracle remained completely unharmed - God was defintely with him.

And so by c section at 3:41pm on this day 6 years ago, our precious Brennan Joseph came into this world. It still brings tears to my eyes to remember the sheer joy - despite my poor condition at the time and the tremendous disappointments of having a c section and not being able to breastfeed right away.




Yet I would do it all again in a heartbeat, even knowing what it was like to go through it all, the fear, the uncertainty. Because having a child is always a risk worth taking, each and every time.

You have grown so much my Brennan. You are so eager to help and bring me so much joy when I may feel down! You have an empathy for others that just amazes me day by day. Happy 6th Birthday Brennan! May you continue to grow into the young man God is calling you to be!

Just a Glimpse

This morning, I received just a glimpse of what life must be like with girls. Almost, anyway.

Brennan and Nicholas were setting up all of the Little People in the Little People Castle. The figures were all lined up in particular fashion, so I asked them what they were doing. Nicholas held up the King and the Queen in his hands and Brennan explained "they were getting married".

This was all so sweet. I responded with "That's great! Brennan, who do you have?".

Brennan held up his Star Wars General Grievous (the weird alien looking guy from the last movie) and said "I have him. He's the priest!".

The Mother's Curse

"I hope you have a child just like you when you are older."

Well, apparently I do!

We have been having issues in toilet training my now 4 year old. Months will go by that he does very well, and then a few bad habits come creeping back (most concern not wanting to stop what we are doing and so we try our very best to hold it!).

I was discussing these issues with my own mother today and she laughed at me. When I asked why, she said, "Oh Michele, these are the exact same situations we had with you at that age! And you had been trained for two years when they cropped up!".

This little revelation has actually made me calm down in regards to these issues. Is it because I know that since I eventually came out of it, Nicholas will too? Or is it because I have fallen victim to the old addage quoted above.

Whichever it is, I am so grateful that I have my wonderful Mom who can put it all into proper perspective. Thank you so much Mom! I love you!

First Fruits

Jonathan had his first bite of fruit today - peaches! At first he made such a face that I thought he may not like them, but then I realized that he was turning his tongue over and over in his mouth. Finally he leaned over and went in for another bite..and another... Yep, we found a winner! It is so much fun to see each child with their own new experiences - it never gets old!

Photophobia

I have been lucky with my first two children. They both love to have their picture taken and the second is even oh so photogenic. And being the first children, we have many many professional pics done with them.

Then poor Philip, no. 3, comes along and well, no good excuses. We just haven't had any pics taken of him in a year. So that combined with the fact that Jonathan is 5 months old without a single portrait sitting led me to attempt pics with the boys this morning.

Jonathan and Brennan got some great pictures. Nicholas had some good ones taken with Brennan. But, Philip, ....no. The minute that he hit the table, he sent screams of horror ringing throughout the back of the store. We let him play, see his brothers sit for their pics. We gave him a baseball - the ultimate cure all. Yet still to no avail. Philip just would not let us take his picture (maybe he thought it would steal his soul or something - kidding!).

I find myself somewhat blaming myself - if I had just taken him more often, this wouldn't have happened and we would actually have pics to show him when he is older. Well, or at least show his wife if he marries, as I don't know too many grown men who care, but the wife usually does! Or maybe it was just our turn to have a photophobic child! After all, we at least have our pics from around the house as living proof of his toddlerhood!

Or maybe I should just try again in another year...

Update

After typing the last post, I found dear Philip with a stray marker drawing on the dining room glass door. When confronted with "Phil! What are you doing!?", he pointed at his masterpiece and responded

"Circles!".

P.S. They actually were circle shapes - maybe I should just be happy he is learning his shapes!

Guilty!

Philip, my 2 year old, has a definite tell for when he is into trouble. I hear a noise in the next room. I know for a fact that Philip is in that room. I call out "Philip, what are you doing in there?". Immediately Philip comes running full speed out of the room saying "oh! oh! oh!" and pointing frantically to something, anything in the room I am currently in. Anything to draw my attention away from the fact that he was up to something in the other room.

Yesterday, he was in the family room with scissors from Nicholas's school box, trying to cut pieces off of my plant basket. Last night he found a very old bag of jelly beans and spilled the entire bag on the kitchen tile - I am still finding jelly beans in strange places! This morning, he was in the laundry room pouring the cat's food into her water dish.

Yet he is always so eager to help clean up afterwards that it warms my heart, and so even though he makes terrible messes, I find it very easy to forgive him! After all, what's motherhood without a few spills here and there...

Voting Day Here in TX-22

I do follow politics pretty closely. I participated in mock legislatures in college. I actively campaigned for candidates of my choosing in both college and high school. Politics is the one thing that I regularly look for in the news, after all, these are the people we have elected to make major decisions that affect our lives.

We here in Texas district 22 are watching the results from today's election closely. And the reason why, is because it is possible that we will have a House representative that will not represent us or our interests at all. Now, before I say anything else, I should clarify that I am not a Republican - I may vote Republican often, but that is because the alternative would be voting for a candidate who is anti-life and anti-family. I actually have many sympathies with the traditional Democratic line, you know, the old FDR Democrats that actually did support the little guy and not try to kill him! But I digress...

I believe that a district should have a House rep who truly represents them, even if I may not personally agree with that choice. If it isn't my district, I shouldn't have a say. That's a representative democracy for you. Nothing irritates me more than hearing of any kind of voter disenfranchisement, no matter on which side, because that rocks the foundation of what our country is built on.

We may end up being victims of such an atrocity this election cycle. Democrats are usually champions for making sure every voter is counted and their intent is acknowledged. I have always admired that about them. But they have spent all summer in legal battles to make sure that Republicans could not run a nominee in this very Republican district. And they knew it too, because they didn't just put any Democrat up, but a very left, progressive Democrat. One that would only stand a chance if no one else were to run against him. Republicans did the only thing they could - supported a write-in.

The real kicker is that while most people here know how to write in a candidate, most do not realize that if they vote straight ticket Republican (as many do) they not only will not cast a ballot for the Republican write in , but will not even have the opportunity to do so. This is where the disenfranchisement comes in. Most voters seem to think they can vote straight ticket and then write in Sekula Gibbs, but a straight ticket vote bypasses all write in opportunities. This is just as devious as telling voters the wrong place to go vote and hoping they won't realize their mistake in time!

So I am watching the results today very closely, and praying that our district will not be deceived by the dirty political tricks. Much rests on our representative's shoulders, and one should only have to ask that it is a representative truly fighting for the majority of our people's wishes and values.

Jack's Demise

Well, Jack has been banished from the house, as he is starting to rot - which has led to lots of discussion as to why this happens. Even pumpkins have to go someday!

But there is always hope in death! Even for pumpkins! Last year, we placed our rotting pumpkin in the backyard (and forgot about it) letting nature take its course. Well, lo and behold a few months later, we started getting the nicest pumpkin plants sprouting from the ground. They were quite sturdy too, well, until Dad accidentally mowed them over! So this year we have placed our pumpkin in the designated garden area and are hoping for the best!

This pumpkin is just another little reminder of hope that God has placed in this world! It is His way of reminding us that death always leads to new life. Remember to place that hope on solid ground!

(So as to keep away those "lawn mowers").

Masquerade

Finally got the trick or treating pics off of the camera!

And carving our angry pumpkin!

Precious Moments

As a parent, there are lots of times that you have to wonder if these sibling relationships will ever work out...

...but moments like this are reassuring!

I've become such a wimp!

When my husband and I married and moved to Houston, the climate was much different than either of us was used to. In Oklahoma we had hot, but the Houston summer was just so humid!

Then a few months later, we experienced our first tropical storm (Francis - 1998). When I heard it was coming, I thought "oh, a thunderstorm, okay". I had NO IDEA what it was like, having never experienced flooding at all. Thank goodness my principal called me that morning and told me not to bother coming to work that day - I was going to but she wisely talked me out of it. I spent the day marveling at just how much rain could fall with such force for so long.

Yet as winter arrived, my husband and I reveled in the mild weather and even dared miss the snow and ice that we would get in northern Oklahoma. I, the one who wore shorts proudly when it was 40 degrees, laughed at all of these southern folks in heavy coats as soon as the temperature dipped below 60.

8 years later, the joke is on me! This morning, we woke up to 50 degrees. After lessons, the boys prepared to go outside and I opened the door. That cold air (or shall I say cool for all of you up north) hit and I immediately ushered everyone into the front hall to get coats and hats. As they went outside all bundled I looked at the thermostat - 54 degrees. And I had to laugh, for I, the queen of cold weather, had officially become a southern Texas wimp!

A Little Encouragement and New Hope

I have been out and about a bit more than usual lately, and it has mostly been with all 4 boys in tow. I usually don't like to take everyone out together not just because of the inevitable "handful" I will have, but also because negative comments or strange reactions from others make me uncomfortable. So I avoid putting myself in that situation if I can help it.

I have noticed though, that most reactions I receive are not negative, in fact they are quite positive. Just yesterday we were in a nice furniture store and two separate people were very positive about having 4 boys so close in age (not even a "they are all boys!" among them). The younger couple even commented on how they have two boys now but think that they might like more, they are just unsure at times if they could handle it.

I think that is my lesson from this. It is important to be out together not just to "make a point" or take a stand, but also to be encouraging to others. As I talked with the other young woman, I tried to be honest and said "there are days when it is rough and I think I have lost my mind, but overall it has definitely been worth every moment." That is the message other couples need to hear from us, because they won't hear it in the media or pop culture. That lots of small children can be rewarding, but it is not always easy. They need to realize it is hard work not so that I can have a pat on the back because well, I am doing it, but so that it will not paint an unrealistic picture of life that sets them up to feel like a personal failure when that inevitable bad day happens to them. Because I sure know that I have been there, many times!

I am so hopeful that more younger couples desire larger families than they were raised with. May we all be encouragement to each other

A Week Full of Adventures

I know that I have dropped off the face of the earth this last week, but we have had one thing after another! To start off, last Thursday both my husband and I fell ill to this stomach bug going around. We basically spent 48 hours in nothing but pure maintenance mode. The boys got to watch more tv than ever before in 48 hours! It seems a little unfair that we would both be stricken at the same time. At least the boys never caught the thing!

We then had a fun, but busy weekend. First was a pumpkin decorating party on Saturday across town and Sunday was Brennan's baseball - we only have one more game this season! We also spent the weekend gathering the last of the Halloween costumes and candy for Tuesday. We tried to go get a big pumpkin for carving, but the church pumpkin patch that we usually attend was sold out this year (I had heard that the pumpkin crop wasn't that great). Luckily Philip wasn't that interested in decorating his smaller pumpkin at the party, so we had that one for carving.

Monday morning we found out that Granddad would be in town on Tuesday and Wednesday - always exciting to have Oklahoma family visit! Monday afternoon was spent cleaning in anticipation. Monday evening, as we waited for Granddad, my husband discovered a water leak in the corner of our bedroom. He opened the service door for the boys bathtub (which sits on the shared wall in our bedroom) and found a leak, with standing water, a little rotting drywall, and some mold. We also found ants on the bookshelf of that wall that were eating away at the bookshelf. This necessitated a call to a bug guy, plumber, and mold specialist. We have now found the leak and are currently drying out the area. The ants appear to be isolated to the bookshelf and once we get the water out we will be able to tell the extent of the mold, though it doesn't appear to be too bad at this time.

And yesterday was all of the Halloween festivities. We got our schoolwork out of the way and had some great crafts. We got to spend the day playing with Granddad, who also held down the fort while we all six got to go trick or treating to the neighbors. We carved out our pumpkin and watched "It's a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown". And we look forward to our planned festivities for All Saints today.

And yes, I am up at 3AM! It appears that the sugar high has somehow filtered down to Jonathan (although he obviously hasn't eaten any candy, being 4 months old!). He is now sitting with me, quite happily I might add, as we type away this recount of the past week. I wish that I had a picture of him to post - munching away on his little fist as he sits on my lap being very content with life! So we seem to have survived it all...that's what matters, anyway!