It appears I'm blogging on a once a month basis, haha:) Ah well, I started this blog for my own sanity, not yours;)

I'm going to Grand Rapids today with a bunch of women from the nonprofit that I volunteer at. We are going to visit this awesome crisis pregnancy center that was once used as an abortion clinic, have dinner and then see a movie. This movie. I don't normally watch things like this. I was adopted. I know very little of my birth parents. I didn't have the best upbringing. I blame no one. It was what it was. But I have never been able to watch those Oprah shows where people find their birth parents. I have no plans to search for mine. I've always felt that if it was the right time, the Lord would show me. I'm not sure why I'm even going today. I really want to see this center, and I really enjoy these social events:)

Maybe I'll even post pictures, now that I know I can easily pop the little card in and out, lol!

So I thought I'd post a favorite recipe of mine now and then. This is one I discovered this past summer, who doesn't love a good oatmeal cookie? I'm a bit on the prejudice side when it comes to oatmeal cookies, I don't believe there should be chocolate chips in my oatmeal cookies. I'm deaply offended by that. I'm a raisins only type of girl!

One of my aunts gave me this cook book for Christmas one year:

The All American Cookie Book

I honestly hadn't used it much up till this past summer. I had found a good choc chip recipe in it and was interested b/c it gives history of the recipes in it which is kind of fun. But anyhoo, I wanted a good oatmeal raisin! And I found it! The best ever imho... and trust me, we made lot's of them! Took them to the beach all summer.

Dairy Hollow House Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 2/3 cup (1 stick + 2 2/3 TBL) unsalted butter soft

1 cup (5 oz) raisins 1/2 cup white shortening

3 cups old fashioned oats 1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups flour 1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinn 2 large eggs

1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 375 grease several cookie sheets

in a small bowl combine raisins and enough hot water to cover them, set aside

In a large bowl, stir together oats, flour, cinn, baking powder, soda and salt, set aside.

In another large bowl, with a mixer, beat butter and shortening till creamy, add sugars, mix, then eggs and vanilla till light and smooth. Stir or beat in all but 1 cup of oat mixture until even. Thoroughly drain the raisins. In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining oats and raisins, add to dough until evenly mixed.

Shape into balls about the size of golf balls. Place on greased sheets pat down slightly. Bake 8-10 minutes.

(I don't add nuts, and if I don't have shortening, I use butter)

If you try these, please let me know what you think:) They are brown sugary, buttery, chewy, and all around delish!!

btw, i added the nutrition tag, b/c i really do try to make as many of our snacks as possible instead of buying them.

Tears for the Duggar family morning. I also pray that God would protect and shield them from any negativity that this will inevitably bring. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel people can be. Michelle did not have a miscarriage in the sense that people are thinking. They did an ultra sound at 6 months and found no heart beat. Now she will have to have a forced/induced delivery.

I'm so thankful that I can cry and my Father knows what to do with these tears. He knows how to comfort her. He knows how to protect her. He already had a plan for that baby. I'm most thankful that Michelle Duggar knows that as well.

Cause when you're dead, you're dead, but until then there's ice cream. ~The Mentalist.

I LOVE IT!!

An update on the hair.

I am def in the "oily stage" and I no likey. I'm washing everyday b/c of it. It's not a big deal tho. What is a big deal is that I was seeing flakes. That is not exceptable. Kristal does not have flakes in her hair. Ever. If that does not go away, I will have to go back to shampoo. But I will be buying something all natural. I am trying to give this a full month, I figure I haven't given it a full chance if I haven't done it for a month b/c I won't get out of the oily stage or see if my hair adjusts.

My husband is a rockstar. Plain and simple. He worked full time, and went to school full time for 2 years while still being an awesome husband and dad. Last night he did his last class of his bachelors degree. And I think he is going to graduate with honors. I could never do what he has done. Now we get 8 months off and then he starts on his Masters degree.

I did make the laundry detergent. Seems to be working fine and will last us forever. I also found a very similar recipe for dry detergent that I might try next time. And I found another bonus, the homemade stuff is better for the environment:) No phosphates.

Changing the name of my blog yet again. I guess I just feel like a blog should fit the blogger, and it wasn't fitting anymore.

An update on the hair:

Day 4: washed and rinsed. As I was getting ready for work I noticed up toward my crown it looked oily. This could be the start of the oily period that they talked about, or it could be that I didn't do a good job washing, yes I scrubbed but maybe I didn't dispense it well. We'll see. But, since I'd about die before I'd go out of the house w/ oily/dirty looking hair, I quickly baby powdered the crown.

Today, even tho it was oil-ish last night, I will probably still not wash it today. I'm thinking it's a pony tail or braid day!

And on to other such life. I've gotten into this wanting to escape groove the last few days. It started when I went to the store with all the kids the other day and they were wretched! At this age, they usually aren't. It caught me off guard and to be quite honest, pissed me off. I have been in the house a lot lately, with every one being sick on and off. I was so thankful to go to work last night, just to get out with out the kids and be around adults! I've been begging people to DO something with me, something fun, but no one can lately. Mostly because it's like the middle of the week and they all have to work in the morning. I have to teach, but I guess it's a little easier for me to get up and deal than it is for them.

My point is that this escapism is a shaky path for me. I tend to be all or nothing with everything in my life, and when I feel this way I usually end up not being present in my head even when I'm here in body. Hoping I get out of the house soon and relieve a little stress before I go off the deep end!

that is the question...

Day 1, I washed w/ the baking soda

Day 2, I did nothing.

Day 3 I washed w/ the backing soda and conditioned with the apple cider vinegar. I also dried my hair, and flat ironed it. I was concerned that b/c I am used to using shampoo and cond with smoothers in them that I would have an issue with it, but I didn't. It styled just fine. I ran into my cousin at the store and she commented on how pretty it looked.

Day 4, I had no intent of washing my hair today. Unless I work out and get sweaty, I typically wash it every other day. But last night I noticed flakes up by forehead. Then it occurred to me that when I had "washed" it, all I had really done was rinse with it. I didn't do the typical scrubbing that I am used to doing. So this morning, I did. Feels much better.

So, here's a pic of it after flat ironing. It smoothed out with out frizziness fine. I would like to add that this is an experiment. I don't know if I will do this forever. I wanted to try it, so I am:)