Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Whoops! Forgot the fathers day photos!!!!


I'm officially losing my brain. ha. thats sounds weird. much weirder than losing one's mind. hmm. ANYWAYS! I forgot to add pics to my fathers day post! wake up soph! so here they are a week and two days late! but still so stinkin' cute :) I LOVE YOU JOHN!



Lemon bars! Don't be fooled into thinking these are tough!


Okay..someday I will actually like write a blog about whats going on in my life. We've got a new building, we moved. We're going to conference. People flake, people come, people are people. We have two rockin' stand up gentlemen who have completely devoted their lives to Jesus and to being discipled and available. Jesus is still moving despite my frequently filthy attitude. I am still baking up a storm (I'll post a pic soon of some AMAZING cookie tins I found at Michaels) for new people we heckle on follow up. AND! A month or so ago, I wanted lemon bars so I made some. I have always loved lemon bars, but they always seemed so haughty and very far above my meager housewifely status, so I never attempted to even look at a recipe. Lemme just say, these are one of the EASIEST desserts I've ever made. For reals. So give it a shot. They will rock your socks off. Perfectly tart, delightfully sweet on top and did I mention they look incredibly classy?! Well they do.
(To sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, I like to dump a cup in a wire mesh strainer and just tap it or shake it above the bars, BE GENEROUS! It may seem like a light dusting will be enough, but to really taste any of that nice sweetness in contrast to the tartness of the lemon, put a good coating on!)

1½ hours | 30 min prep

24 Bars

Shortbread Base

3/4 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling
Shortbread Base:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces.
In food processor(Or if your normal like me and don't have one, then just use a large mixing bowl and cut very cold butter into the mix), process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps.
Press mixture evenly into 9x13 baking pan.
Bake in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes.
While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.
Topping: In bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well.
Stir in lemon juice and flour.
Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread base.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes.
Let cool completely in pan then sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Mr. John M Foley...father of 3.

Can you believe John has three little girls? Can you remember him with his bowl cut and those dark mocking eyes? I can. I remember him when I was five, when I was ten, when I was fifteen and so in love but so mean to this boy that I was head over heels crazy for, and now...now, I'm 24, and we've begun to raise these three darling little lives together. He is such a wonderful father. So tender and in love, so proud and delighted. This journey, this fearful raising up of three lives, well, I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else. And I absolutely cannot wait to look back on it all, and see HIM reflected in the lives, decisions, characters, of our little girls three, and the children still to be had.
Happy Father's day Mister John M. I love you.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Hiatus, Shmiatus


okay...I liked what Leah commented on my hiatus blog...I should write it out as I deal with everything. Yes, I know. Keep a stiff upper lip. Well to be perfectly honest, I don't like stiff upper lips, I like soft girly ones. ha. honestly though, I started this blog to remember this time, I wanted to remember our kids at this time (since my brain is so not working) and I wanted to go back and see the change in myself, hear the character, hear the maturity and experience, through the voice of my writing. you know? SO! I will...don't worry, its not going to be me puking on everything we're doing. I LOVE what we're doing...but I want to hear that inner character...I want to look back someday and read and say, "wow, look how far God brought me...look how much I grew". Starting tomorrow. Cuz I'm just too lazy today. Ha. Prepare yourselves folks. Its about to get sophie-fied in here...take cover!

In the mean time...

Monday, June 7, 2010

Revision

Really quick...I just have to clarify, I absolutely Do not, or ever did feel like any of the delightful blogs I read, are boasting or bragging or anything like that. Simply, its what I felt like I was doing. Patti, Danielle, Anne, Steph...I read your blogs (and will everyday) and just KNOW you are most definitely the women portrayed in your voice etc. In fact (Patti!) I hope to be like you guys, I adore your personalities and your ability to mother your children well. Patti...you are and always have been a hero of sorts to me, I don't doubt life gets hectic for you, but you are indeed a magnificent woman. I cannot describe it really, except that my respect for you is not really something that can fit inside words. Your children are incredible, smart, saved...and that only happens when children have very very good parents. I honestly need a break, so I can try to get my life on that same path you have yours on...you blow me away, and you don't make me feel badly about myself, except to say, Soph, strive harder. And I will.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Hiatus...

I am taking a hiatus from my blog...its a long story. I started my blog, because I felt like I was failing horribly at everything. Failing at being a good mother, a good wife, a good Christian..everything. And I thought, maybe If I post things, i'll feel more pressure to be better to have good things to talk about. make sense? And so I would blog away, but see, its all a big fat silly lie. I would post and post trying I guess to fit in with the blogging crowd, I so want to be that mother that does so many cool things with her kids, never loses her temper, makes lovely meals, has a well kept home and is a phenomenal Christian above all else. But I'm not. Really, I'm not. I had to smile the other day when I read Patti Rice's post about how she feels bad when she reads this other womans post, because it makes her feel like she's paling in comparison..well everytime I read her blog, I get that same feeling..like, wow...ten kids, one with special needs, and she pulls off so much, and so flawlessly...what is my excuse?!
I don't have one. All I know, is that sometimes, pioneering can really take the wind out of your sails. I got married five years ago, four months after that I was pregnant with our first child, 9 months after she was born, I was pregnant with our second, 21 months after she was born, we were being sent to Chico, and I was five months pregnant with our third. And now...now I feel like all those years of putting off the things I wanted to do (sewing, crafting, singing) and all those years of chaos, have suddenly snuck up behind me and started whispering, "look at all you've missed out on". Its disgusting, I know this life I have is absolutely the most incredible thing I could wish for. But sometimes....sometimes, when life is absolutely going crazy, and I feel like I suck at it all, I think, "I'm only twenty four, and our marriage has been in this perpetual forward speed race, and...I wish I could just go back to no kids sometimes."
Does that confession make you cringe? It makes me. Unfortunately its been a persistent thought though...and I need to re gather myself I think. Come to terms with this crazy life and let my mind and soul wrap itself around the definitiveness of it all. That this is INDEED my life henceforth, and it will be insane and perpetually fast and not the slow lazy days of living, that those not in ministry can be granted. This is my life. God has called me to it, and I have chosen it. So now, I must give myself to it.
Does any of this make sense?
Basically, I've been struggling. And that didn't come out in my blog, which made me think, is blogging just vanity? This sort of boasting of networking sorts? Look how good a mum I am? Look at what I wife I am? I think it was for me, it was me trying to look like I had it all together, and I don't. And I don't want to be that person, I want people to hear ME in my life, not what I hope to be, or WHO I'm trying to become, but just hear where I'm at. I think, hearing that someone else isn't doing perfectly, helps everyone around sort of sigh a great big relieved sigh of "good, I'm not the only one barely treading water around here."
God Is a good good God, and I haven't been giving him enough of my time...so, I will take my blogging bow for now, and begin to fight this personal battle, and when I feel like I'm at a better place, and I can indeed be that good mother, sweet wife, happy Sophie that I know I can be...I will return with stories of pioneering, (we have a building!) and pictures of darling little rug rats, and all sorts of things. But now, my mind is cluttered and my heart is a little broken with the realization that I may never get to do those things I would've done, had I never had children or gone off to pioneer a church. And so in that, I must redirect my dreams and let Gods plan for me, become a joyful, happy dream of mine. Not one that makes me cry with its heaviness, and fills me with a horrible self pity for not being able to just worry about myself. Somehow, I must fall in love with the chaos and uncertainty of what I am doing, and let myself fall into the arms of a very gracious God. And right now, I'm sort of dragging my feet in the sand, and barely making an effort, and thats wrong. So off I go...I'll return. Thats a promise.
(here's some pics for fun)