..."little is much when God is in it..."

Can I just praise my Jesus for a while?! He is so good to me, to Chase and I, and we are so undeserving. I have been completely humbled this week as God has done great things in answer to earnest prayers.
Since several of you have agreed with us in prayer for these things, I owe you all an extra large THANK YOU, and a progress report.

CHASE PASSED HIS DENTAL BOARDS!!!!!!!!!!

This is SUCH an answer to our prayers. Chase had invested hour upon hour pouring over these 'Dental Deck' study cards in preparation for this test. Aside from the large chunk of time spent studying, the boards were a large financial investment for us - and one we didn't want to have to pay again. Chase had literally been on pins and needles, barely sleeping well ever since his classmates began receiving their scores.

And when God had already sent us to our knees in gratitude, he hit us again the next morning! This morning at Dental School, Chase received a $1,000 check for a Scholarship essay we (yes, we) wrote several months back. I had completely forgot about it, thinking the award had been handed out a long time ago.

We're considering doing several costly home improvement projects in anticipation of putting our house on the market this year, and I also need some dental work (terrible, I know - I'm married to a dentist). We're already doing all we can to be faithful stewards of what God has given us, but the student loans are mounting. I have earnestly prayed our 'verse' for this year. (Psalm 109:27) ...... "How Big Is God!"

And while I'm at it, I should mention that God has sent some absolutely wonderful patients to Chase while he's in the clinic everyday. Several of his routine patients sent him home with wonderful home-made goodies over the Holidays, and several gave us gift cards and money so we could go to dinner. What a blessing those sweet people were!

"Little is much, when God is in it......"

Post Christmas Post

As promised, here's a picture of a few of us at our Young Married Christmas Party. I thought my outfit was certainly the most tame, although I was frequently told, "I love the homeschool look!".

Happy New Year!!

Comfort Food

In my pursuit of domesticity (if that's a word), I try ALOT of new recipes. Luckily, I have a husband who will eat almost anything. One of my favorite websites to grab recipes from is ThePioneerWoman. I have yet to cook one of her recipes that we didn't like.

My absolute FAVORITE Pioneer Woman recipe is Apple Dumplings, which I could/would eat every day now that the temperatures outside (and inside my house, ha) are chilly. They are basically fool-proof, and the recipes is so forgiving I hardly ever measure ingredients anymore.

The picture below is from the Pioneer Woman website...because every time I make these they're gone before I can think about where my camera is.

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 whole Granny Smith Apples
• 2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• Cinnamon, To Taste
• 1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda (I use 4-6 oz and it's plenty)
  

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

The Blur That Was December

Well.....looks like my New Year's resolution should be to blog more. If "better late than never" is still acceptable, here are a few blurbs from the last month.

We celebrated Chase's 26th Birthday by starting the morning at the Rick and Bubba show. Chase listens to the show every morning, and we've managed to book Golden Ticket seats 2 years in a row on his birthday. (I realize that I look like I'm with child in this picture, but I assure you it's an optical illusion. Don't judge me.)

Chase studied for, and took his National Dental Board exam (a 12-hour, 2-day test). That was rough, but on the bright side....he finishes school in May!

Our GFBC Young Married group had our Christmas Party at the Doss Ferry Clubhouse, and Clay managed to find an even tackier sweater than last year. As soon as I get a picture, I'll post it.

We spent Christmas Eve in the hospital, as Chase's Grandmother was admitted for kidney failure. Some very sweet members of his parents' church brought delicious BBQ plates to us, and we had a 'picnic' as the kids called it.

Chase's mom and I were making breakfast casseroles and getting all of the 'Santa' gifts ready late into the night. We all enjoyed a Christmas morning brunch with Chase's great Aunt and Uncle, whom we love dearly. Here's a snapshot of some of the food, and a new apple cinnamon coffee cake recipe Chase's mom found.

Below are a few pictures of baby Henry. I kept him for a little while so Aunt Crissy could do some post-Christmas shopping.