Aedynn Philip

Well, I've been meaning to update this blog for forever.....and finally, here I am! :)

I do have some excuse for the past few days; and that is-I AM NOW AN AUNT!!!!
Aedynn Philip arrived Wednesday around 4:40 pm after a long day at the hospital. He has a full head of dark hair; and is the most adorable little guy in the world! I've been out visiting them all as often as I can, that is, without wearing them out too much. :)
It is so awesome seeing my brother and his wife in their new roles as parents; I'm sure they will be great! My brother was holding him this afternoon, cooing over him as Aedynn fussed, pulling his socks back on as he kicked them off, just trying to keep him warm and comfortable; and Allison watched affectionately from the bed.

After my brother called to tell us we had a nephew and to come on over, my sisters, one brother, and I piled into a vehicle. After we parked, the remaining three of us had to run to catch up with Hope, as she was sprinting towards the nursery even before the engine was turned off! :)

My mother has been over there quite a bit; only allowing herself to be pulled away to attend a graduation planning meeting for Hope. But I'm sure, as soon as they're done, they'll be heading back to see the first grandchild. :)

Well now, I've posted something; and now I have other things to get on to. So, as usual, I'll say "I'll try to post something longer later." :)

Freeze and Bake Rolls

These are some of the most awesome rolls ever! I made these last Tuesday with a creamy vegetable soup which turned out to be a flop; the rolls saved the day!
I thought I'd share the recipe with you!
From: Taste of Home; entry recipe by Jayne Duce.

2 pkgs (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast
1-1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
1/2 cup plus 2 tsps. sugar, divided
1-1/2 cups warm milk (110 to 115 degrees)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 tsps. salt
7-1/2 to 8-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
butter or margarine, melted

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add 2 tsps sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add milk, oil, salt and remaining sugar. Add enough flour to form a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Divide into four pieces. Cover three pieces with plastic wrap. Divide one piece into 12 balls. To form knots, roll each ball into a 10-in. rope; tie into a knot and pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining dough. Place rolls on greased baking sheets; brush with melted butter. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 20-30 minutes.

To serve immediately, bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

To freeze for later use, partially bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to cool; freeze. Reheat frozen rolls at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until browned.

Yield: four dozen.

January 3, 2008

My first entry for 2008.....Another year; as a friend put it, "2007 is in the history books, and 2008 is upon us whether we want it to be or not." Very aptly put, Amy!
What are my hopes for this new year? This year, I am 21, or will be in another fourteen days. "All grown up''....am I? Or do I still have some growing to do? Well, as I see it, we never stop growing; or rather, we will always have the opportunity for growth, whether we use that opportunity for the better or not...well, that's up to each of us.
I have run out of time again; so I will leave this for you and I to ponder; We only have one life to live: are you living it in such a way, as to leave no regrets when it is over?
Go ahead and grow up.

December 21, 2007

Christmas day is fast approaching. I'm sitting in the living room; as I write this, Matthew has challenged Reed to a game of chess, John is standing by to see who is to be the victor. My father has fallen asleep in the recliner, and my grandmother is in the other reading. Charles, as usual, is talking about football; my grandfather is on the phone, and my mother, Allison, and Kathryn are wrapping gifts. Hope is, as usual, baking in the kitchen. It'll be something special, of course; ''as usual''. :)
Celtic Christmas music is playing in the background; now daddy has woken, and is in the kitchen pestering Hope about her cookies; wishing they were done already so he could have one, no doubt. The lights are on, the greenery hung; and finally, I feel that sense of peace, love, and belonging that make Christmas so dear. And now that we have grown, and are moving in different directions, having us all back together makes it even dearer.
Earlier, as we sat around the dinner table; packed in like sardines, knocking elbows with daddy and John, I once again realized the importance of family, and the great blessing I hold in having so many. And again, I feel the Lord's goodness; His love for me.

I made Reed's wild hog sausage, eggs, and homemade biscuits for breakfast. The biscuits turned out better this time than they ever have. That's not saying much, since I only started making biscuits this summer. But at least I'm improving. :)
We had rather a late start today, as we girls had gone out last night to see a movie. We saw August Rush, and though I don't agree with everything in it, it was a sweet movie. After we got out, my mother comes up with a crazy idea: "Why don't we go back and see Enchanted?!" Before I realize that she is, indeed, serious, she rushes back and buys tickets for us all! When we got home around 11:30-12, everyone had gone to bed but John and Charles, who had waited up for us to make sure we got home alright. Wasn't that sweet of them?!
We are having a good time with my grandparents while they are here, and I'm very glad they were able to make the trip from TX. The must leave on Sunday, but I'm grateful for the time we have together.

OK, I have given my spill on family and feelings; now I should check my mail, and get back to the family.
Good night, all you out there.

December 10, 2007

Today I got together with 8 other women of all ages and made candy and cookies; it was lots of fun, and oh boy, were we packed in there! :)

I've been having trouble with my i-tunes, so decided to try to fix it while I was in town with a high-speed internet connection...and guess what? It still won't work! I'm getting rather put out with it.... :)

And, once again...it is too late to think up and post something that is really worth reading. So I'll sign off, and, once again, hope that I'll have some more time tomorrow......I know, it's pathetic. :)

December 8 (Already?!), 2007

Wow, it's the eighth?! :)
I thought I should change my blog layout to something that looked a little more Christmas-ier. :) But this was the best I found. Oh, well....black wasn't all that festive either; at least this one's brighter.

We've been getting busier and busier....I guess that's December for you. So I don't have much time to update my blog or share anything that's been going on, till late in the evening...and then usually I get stuck checking my groups and emails....and then, next thing I know, it's too late to write much of anything, 'cause I need to go to bed; like now. :)
So, once again, I shall try to put something substantial on this tomorrow; but for now, I'll be heading for bed.