Magic In A Bottle

Parker and I discovered something really revolutionary this week. Like, really revolutionary. This is riveting stuff, so I hope you're sitting down. It's.... SPRAY PAINT! Take a moment to collect your thoughts and silently judge (I can't blame you), and I'll give the back story. 

Decorating a new house is just plain fun. Making each house a home is one of our favorite parts about moving so often. Decorating a house is also expensive. If we bought brand new stuff for each house we lived in, we'd break the bank. Re-purposing and renovating is the way to go to spice up items you already have, like when we painted my desk for a fresh new look. Parker has recently built a bed for a guest room, and I wanted a new lamp for the nightstand. The lamps we had were just not right at all for the room- too dark, too old-fashioned. Parker suggested we just spray paint the base and buy a new lamp shade, and I was all in. A can of spray paint is $3, and lamp shades are cheaper than lamps with lamp shades. Winning.

It was just about the best idea ever. We taped the top of the lamp where the bulb goes and sprayed the lamp with a coat of paint. The trick with spray paint is to stand farther away so you don't have to worry about runs or globs. Two 30-second coats, and our new lamp was finished. So much easier/faster/better than painting with a paint brush! We are obsessed with how easy it was and how well it came out considering we put zero effort into it.

Before (Brown) & After (Silver)

We really love the new lamp, and Parker may or may not have asked me if there is anything else we can spray paint. I mean seriously, I know we are coming off as the biggest dorks, but spray paint is pretty much magic in a bottle. Painting with a brush is effective and necessary in many cases, but there are times when spray paint can definitely be used in its place, and it will make life so much easier. Creating a guest room has been so fun for us because this is the first house that we have been able to dedicate a room as a guest bedroom. It's been a neat process, but an expensive one. Even though Parker builds all of the furniture, new bedding, rug, etc. is expensive. This lamp made us feel a little better, and we are proud that we used something we already have. I definitely had to fight my natural inclination which is just to go buy something new every time. I am working on it.

Side note, but I had to take upteen million pictures of the lamps because this little unimpressed pup seemed to make an appearance in every single one. It was dinner time and she was over this picture taking business, so she made her presence known.

 

Have you ever given something a brand new look with just a simple change? Do you think Parker and I are nuts for being so excited about spray paint? (It's okay to say yes. I'd have to agree with you.)

Putting Down The iPhone

I feel like this is such an issue with our generation. Our phones are like oxygen and we need them 24/7. I can't remember where I heard this, but someone was talking about how kids on school buses are just silent now and play on their phones the entire ride to/from school. It kind of made me sad. I was that kid that loved riding the school bus and getting to talk to my friends before and after school. My sister and I actually asked my mom not to pick us up from school so we could ride the bus. It was a social thing where we all told jokes and swapped stories. (I promise I'm only 25. I feel like I seriously dated myself with that last statement. Moving on...) I can totally see how kids nowadays just sit there in silence and play on their phones. We are addicted.

source

I used to be able to just sit there and watch TV. Now, I watch a show and decide to scroll through Instagram while I listen. Don't get me wrong, I think technology is great. There is definitely a time and a place for social media and phone games, but I don't think that is all the time. 

I have gotten into a bad habit of having my phone with me everywhere. Does anyone else feel naked without their cell phone? Seriously, it's a problem. I don't think I'm alone in this either. I think most of my generation can agree that we can't remember what life was like before the smartphone came out. What did we do when we were in a waiting room or on a bus or hanging out with friends? Oh yeah, we socialized. What a novel concept that is.

Yesterday, I decided there needs to be limits. I'll still have my phone with me most of the time, but when Parker and I are hanging out or having a conversation, the phone stays in my pocket. When we are out to dinner with friends, the phone stays in my pocket. This may seem silly and trivial, but I think it will make a world of difference. When I am glued to my phone, I am missing out on real life. Having a conversation with my husband should be just that: a conversation with my husband. It shouldn't be a conversation with my husband while responding to texts and Facebook comments. I owe him the respect of my full attention. I know I hate it when I am trying to tell him something I feel is important and he is half-listening while reading an article on Facebook. I expect his attention when we are talking, so why shouldn't he expect the same from me?

From here on out, I am making a conscious effort to live in the moment and not in the phone screen. Like I said before, social media is a great tool. I love staying connected to friends and family and seeing what everyone is up to. There is a time and a place, and I just need to remember that the time is not with my husband, and the place is not out to dinner.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't put down the phone once in a while, you could miss it. I am pretty sure that is how a modern-day Ferris Bueller would say it.

Copycat Chick-fil-a Chicken Salad Sandwich

Lunch is the trickiest meal for me because I feel like it's the one with the least amount of options. Parker and I could eat cereal every day for the rest of our lives, so breakfast is easy. I could go through cookbooks and Pinterest and find hundreds of delicious dinner recipes at the drop of a hat, but lunch is just the abandoned step child of meals. I am constantly trying to find something new in an effort to mix it up. Chicken salad has been a favorite lately, so when I saw this Chick-fil-a copycat recipe, I knew I had to try it. Anything that somewhat resembles Chick-fil-a has to be good, right? That was my logic, and it paid off, because this recipe made for the perfect lunch! Parker and I really loved it, so it's continued to make an appearance throughout the summer!

 

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches):

1 cup cooked chicken, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1 hard boiled egg, diced

2 Tbsp sweet relish

1/3 cup mayonnaise

salt & pepper, to taste

4 slices of wheat bread, toasted if you prefer

leaf lettuce

 

Directions:

1. Mix your chicken, celery, hard boiled egg, mayonnaise, relish, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. 

2. Top 2 slices of bread with lettuce. Divide chicken salad evenly over the lettuce, and top the remaining piece of bread. 

We arem't reinventing the wheel here, so the directions are about as basic as you can get. I don't know about you, but I am all about basic when searching for a quick lunch recipe!

 Enjoy!

 

 

 

A New Home Calls For A Few Transformations

Real talk: we move a lot. If you know me or have read this blog long, you already know this. We have lived in 5 homes in 3 years of marriage, so moving is kind of our thing. You know how Ross's thing is divorce? Well, ours is apparently moving. (If you aren't an avid Friends watcher like myself, please side step that last sentence as it probably made zero sense.) One thing about moving so often is that you can't really buy things to go into a specific house. We have our furniture and decor and try to make it look good in each home we live in, but we always end up doing some re-purposing on different items to make them look better in the next home. 

 

We have been working on several little DIY projects that we are excited to unveil soon, but one of the first things we did was repaint my desk. I work from home, so Parker built me a desk last year that I decided to paint turquoise. I loved the pop of color, and it just made working a little more fun. My new office has very light blue walls with white trim. The turquoise desk was just not working in there, and let's be honest, it's always fun to paint and change things up. 

We decided white would be the perfect color in the new room, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results! My office feels so bright and open with the white desk. This is definitely my favorite office to date!

We finished painting late last week, so today is my first official day working at my desk. After bouncing around from the couch to the bed to the kitchen counter, I have to say, I am pretty excited to have a dedicated place to focus on work and a dedicated place where I can leave work once the clock hits 5:00. A lot of people say they would absolutely hate working from home because they would go stir crazy. I get it. I definitely miss the social interaction at the office, but working from home is a huge blessing with this military lifestyle. 

 

One of the most difficult parts of working from home to me is feeling like work is separate from home. I am just like the next person- once work is over, I want to focus on my family and take a break from thinking about the office and clients and responsibilities until 8:00 AM rolls around again. Working from the couch doesn't allow for that separation because Parker and I hang out on the couch after work too. The past couple of weeks have been slightly frustrating in that regard, so I am upgrading today. Having a dedicated space in a dedicated office makes a world of difference. I love love love my new work area! 

Before:

After:

We will probably move about 50 more times in our lifetime, so who knows what other colors this desk will end up being. For now though, I am loving the new white!

The Verdict Is In... (For Real This Time)

About a month ago, I wrote about the plane Parker was going to fly for the duration of his time in the Navy and what that meant for our family. Quick recap: he was going to fly the E2 delta, and living on the west coast was no longer an option. We had a 50/50 shot of staying in Virginia or going to Japan. We were really excited about the possibility of going to California, so finding out that was no longer in the cards was upsetting, and knowing we had a 50/50 shot of Japan scared the heck out of me. I know Japan would be such an adventure, but being so far away from family was just not ideal. The E2 was not Parker's first choice (he was hoping to fly the C2), but he had the best attitude about it and was really excited to be flying such a cool plane. We hadn't gotten exactly what we wanted, and the location was still up in the air, but we were at peace with it. Everything was going to be just fine. 

 

Fast forward, we find out they are moving Parker to the next class, and this class has both E2 and C2 slots. Suddenly, we are back to square one, and C2's are once again a possibility. We thought the E2 delta was a done deal, so we were shocked when Parker got the call. He just selected yesterday, and he is going to be a.... C2 PILOT!!!

We are beyond excited for this next chapter, and I cannot wait to see Parker fly the plane he was hoping to get to fly. The guys in his class are like family, and every single person selected the plane they want to fly. The aviation community is such a team effort, so getting to celebrate with everyone last night and seeing all of these pilots so excited was awesome. 

We feel so blessed and excited for this next chapter. We still don't know where we are going after this, and Japan is still a possibility. But you know what? So is San Diego, and so is Norfolk. We love it here and have some amazing friends here, and we also have some amazing friends in San Diego. We also have wonderful friends in Japan, and anywhere we go will be an adventure. We can't lose at this point, and we also can't seem to wipe the smiles off of our faces. God has been so faithful to us, and we feel so privileged that Parker will be flying the C2. Throughout this process, we have learned to accept the good with the bad and adapt when things don't seem to go our way. We both feel really confidently about where we are and the plane Parker is going to fly. We can't wait for this next chapter to start! God is good, yall.

our cheesy attempt at a celebratory C2 picture... so happy!

Finish This

It's Wednesday, so let's not over-complicate things on the blog. Today, we are simply finishing the sentence :)

 

Bacon is... overrated. I mean it's good, but I feel like it's revered like it's chocolate or something. When we do bacon in our house, we do turkey bacon to keep it a little bit healthier. I have seen shirts with pictures of bacon, bacon cupcakes, bacon in apple pie... I really don't get it!

The perfect meal... always has dessert at the end of it. I admire those people that don't have to have something sweet at the end of every meal, because that is so not me. Aside from the necessary presence of dessert, the perfect meal is one that is shared with people that I love.

My favorite food to grill is... hot dogs or sausages. There is something about a hot dog in the summer time! And by my favorite food to grill, I mean my favorite food for Parker to grill. I don't even know how to turn the silly thing on.

I beat the heat by... drinking water like it's my day job. I don't leave the house without a water bottle, and I am constantly drinking water during the day. Also, I love the heat. I'm from Texas... you either love the heat or are miserable for 8 months out of the year.

I add spice to my life by... having girls night every night on the couch with Jenny. It gets pretty wild over here. 

 

Can't you just feel the excitement in this picture?

 Linking up for Finish This series.

 

That's all folks! Do any of you have wild girls nights with your pups or drink water like it's going out of style?

 

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Burrito Bowls with Avocado Cilantro Lime Rice

Well that title was a mouthful. Anyway, I am a big Chipotle fan. There is just something about grilled meat topped with fresh veggies over cilantro lime rice. I found this recipe on Pinterest and figured, why not?! I was so pleased with this homemade version, and Parker thought it tasted like something right out of Chipotle. I followed the recipe for the rice, but the burrito bowl can really be anything your little heart desires. I just mixed and matched with what I had on hand, and it made for quite a tasty little dinner!

Ingredients:

 

Cilantro Lime Rice

4 cups cooked brown rice

2 avocados, ripe

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp minced garlic

salt and pepper, to taste

Burrito Bowl Fixins (just suggestions, choose what you like!)

Grilled steak or chicken (make it easy and buy the pre grilled meat in the frozen foods section)

black beans

corn

sour cream

extra cilantro for garnish 

tomatoes, diced

cilantro lime dressing

Directions:

1. Mash avocados in a large bowl. Stir in lime juice, cilantro, cumin, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

2. Add warm cooked rice and stir to combine.

3. Top rice with your meat and burrito bowl fixins and serve warm.

So simple, but so yummy. Enjoy!

 

Anniversary Getaway to Colonial Williamsburg

Our anniversary sort of fell by the wayside this year. We celebrated 3 years of marriage apart from each other while Parker was finishing up SERE school, and a true "celebration" was not looking promising as we impatiently awaited the arrival of our household goods and gained a new furball as soon as Parker returned.

We've always talked about wanting to go on a cruise, but we realize in this chapter or our Navy journey, it's just not in the cards. And that's okay. We decided to take an impromptu trip to Colonial Williamsburg this past weekend as a sort of belated anniversary weekend. With military life, you celebrate when you can, where you can. The awesome thing about Williamsburg is it is an hour away from our house. We get to go somewhere fun and skip the long road trip? Um, yes please. The Phelps duo was all in. 

Colonial Williamsburg was on our Virginia bucket list anyway, but I am so glad we decided to make a weekend out of it. We walked around the town Friday evening and got to witness the "Troop Review/March to Lexington". One of the neat things about Williamsburg is that these people go all out. Everyone is in period costumes, everyone's dialect is spot on, and everyone seems to really love to be there. Parker said we totally should have dressed up. I gave him a look, and that was the end of that. It was neat to get to see "the demonstration of the local militia and two field artillery pieces". I just asked Parker to sum up that experience, and those were his words. I must have watched something different, because I didn't get any of that. I saw kids in red coats playing instruments. The history might have been slightly lost on me, but I tried.

selfies with the fife and drum players

We wined and dined at The Trellis, a cute little restaurant where Parker ate stuffed quail. Doesn't that sound so fancy pants? I balanced it out with my cheeseburger and fries. We walked around some cute little shops after dinner and, again, Parker tried to convince me we should rent some period costumes. It went over about as well as it did the first time.

We stopped by the candy shop, so naturally my night was made!

Saturday was dedicated to seeing the sites and touring the historic buildings of Colonial Williamsburg. Parker is definitely the museum/history nut of the two of us, but we both thought the whole thing was really neat. We toured Governor's Palace and The Capitol (naturally my first thought was The Hunger Games), and we got to go into the cabinetry, carpentry, and blacksmith shops. The blacksmith shop was by far the coolest to me. There was a guy actually making tools over a hot fire, and a girl explained that blacksmiths are just like any other profession these days- you go to school for about 4 years and then do apprenticeships and more school if you want to be really good. I imagine there is a really small window of opportunity to be a blacksmith in this day and age, but it's such a neat craft.

Parker LOVED the cabinetry and enjoyed the carpentry too. Being really into woodworking, this wasn't at all surprising. The carpenter let Parker and I try the blade he was using to make roofing eaves out of cedar. I expected to be terrible at it and was, but Parker wasn't bad. Back then, the carpenters built the frameworks for buildings and houses. The cabinet makers built furniture. Since the cabinet makers were the ones to build furniture, Parker enjoyed that one the most and could have stayed in there all day.

 We also got to see the types of living conditions the soldiers lived in and were sworn into the "Colonial Army", complete with stick rifles and a drill Sergeant. 

Governor's Palace

With our tour guide from Governor's Palace

Blacksmith

Just being part of the Colonial Army, no big deal.

Saturday evening, we got tickets to the dinner theater at Shields Tavern. The meal was simple meats and vegetables, the lighting was dim, and the waitresses were all in costumes. It was a cool atmosphere. While we ate, they performed a short play that really just reminded us of Downton Abbey. If there is anything this weekend did, it was make us so ready for the next season of Downton Abbey to come on. I realize the time frames are completely off in the two worlds, but the whole day just felt like a scene out of the show. Anyway, the dinner theater was fun.

Hanging out with the cast afterward. They interacted with you during the play and made it fun for the audience.

Sunday, we had planned on going to Water Country USA and doing the water park thing, but we just didn't have much time, so Parker suggested we go to the outlet malls. Husband of the year. I wasn't going to argue. We went to the famous Pierce's Pitt BBQ for lunch, and all of the locals just raved about it. It was really good, but we are still adjusting to the fact that BBQ means pork here. We are from Texas. BBQ=brisket in our neck of the woods, but the pulled pork they served was tasty nonetheless!

Overall, Williamsburg was the perfect getaway. It was relaxing and easy and just plain fun. I am so thankful that we got this weekend to celebrate our third anniversary. Parker starts class this week, so this was sort of like one last hurrah before the crazy starts back up. We loved it!

Every Night Is Date Night When You're Married... *Slap

Marriage is one of those things that you can't fully prepare for until you are in the throws of it. I think it's probably similar to having a baby, though slightly less drastic. You can read and pray and prepare all you want, but there are aspects of marriage that I just wasn't briefed on until Parker and I were living together under one roof, completely sharing our lives. I remember being so ready to marry Parker. We would get to have every meal together and fall asleep on the couch to the latest rom com while eating chocolate (okay, so Parker and I may have had slightly different expectations on the idealistic marriage. He would probably skip the chick flick and sugar, but I digress). Marriage would be so fun. Every night is date night when you're married!

.... yeah, no.

Okay, so marriage IS fun. It's a blast in fact, but every night is most certainly not date night. Life is going to happen. Parker is going to have to study. I am going to have dinners with girlfriends. We are going to have people over. He is going to want to play video games, and I am going to relish an evening of reality television on the couch by myself. If every night were date night, we probably wouldn't appreciate it. Marriage is work, and you have to work in those date nights when and where you can.

 

The whole idea for this topic came from a text I received from a friend a couple of months ago. I can't remember the exact context, but he asked if Parker and I wanted to go out with a group that Friday night, and I told him we were doing a date night. His response was, naturally, "You're married. Every night is date night". I really can't fault him too much since I used to think the same thing. When you're married, you know this isn't the case, but when I was single, I certainly thought it was. When one of your friends gives you the friendly guilt trip of going on a date night instead of hanging out, you kind of want to slap them. Then you want to slap yourself for thinking about slapping a friend. Then you remember why you wanted to slap them in the first place, and you want to slap them again. It's a vicious cycle. 

The thing is, our marriage is not an episode of The Bachelor. We don't go on helicopter rides over one of the seven wonders of the world one night and then ride horses on the beach the next. That's cute, but that's not reality. The reality is that every night is not date night. Honestly, I am glad it isn't. It's hard to appreciate something that's handed to you on a silver platter whenever you want it. Date nights are special because they don't happen every night. Parker and I still get so excited to dress up on a Friday night and go on a date. We still get excited when both of our Tuesday nights are perfectly clear, allowing us to do dinner and a movie on the couch. Life is going to get in the way sometimes, but it sure does make those date nights you do get to experience sweet!

The Dad Behind The Blog

I have been wanting to feature my dad on the blog for a while now, so this "Boy Behind The Blog" is all about him! My dad is one of the funniest people you'll ever meet, and he's incredibly intelligent. We have a really fun relationship, and I got such a kick out of asking him these questions. He reads my blog probably more than anyone else, so he was overdue for a Q&A session. Without further ado, here's a bit from this month's boy behind the blog!

Questions and Answers (my responses to his answers are in grey):

1. How do you feel about Chelsea's blog?

Strongly

Clearly, he's one with the words. The funny thing about this answer is that I can almost guarantee "strongly" has multiple connotations. This is an answer open to interpretation if I've ever heard one.

2. If you could live a day in the life of one celebrity for a day, who would it be and why?

I want to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. so I can admit to Jeff Gordon that he's a vastly superior driver.

I grew up watching Jeff Gordon race on Sundays with my dad. He's always been a big fan! All of his Father's Day gifts growing up were some sort of Jeff Gordon paraphernalia. 

3. What is your favorite meal?

Bone-in ribeye from Bob's Steak and Chop House, duck and plumb sauce from Paris, or any Italian meal on Hanover Street in Boston. 

I'm impressed with the variety and specificity in this answer. He's well traveled, that's for sure!

4. What is your favorite US city?

Boulder, CO for a week in the summer, Indianapolis, IN for the Indy 500, or NYC any weekend of the year.

Apparently, he chose to hear "top 3" instead of "favorite" with this question. He felt that since he honored brevity so much on question 1, he had room to expand on this one. I'll take it. 

5. What is your favorite TV show?

It changes almost weekly, but this week it's "Fixer Upper" because it's the only home renovation show where everyone seems to always get along. 

He said this while watching "Flipping Vegas" where they always argue, so it's not entirely unreasonable to assume that influenced his answer. I was convinced he would say "Duck Dynasty" on this one, but since his favorite changes weekly, it looks like I was just a few weeks too late. He also came back into the room 20 minutes later and decided to change his answer to the live telecast of the Indy 500.

6. If you could have any career other than the one you have, what would it be?

I would be the lead singer for U2, focus on my singing, and abstain from politics. 

Apparently we are using these questions to passive-aggressively identify the celebrities we don't prefer. I had to laugh at this one. Apparently Dad is just not a fan of Bono at the moment. 

7. Who's your favorite pupper granddaughter?

It's close, but since you've narrowed it down to one for me, I suppose I'll go with Jenny. 

There's nothing like winning by default!

Thanks for participating, Dad! Jenny feels so honored to have been your answer to the last question. You've really made her pupper day.

The Power of Positivity

Moving requires equal parts patience, positivity, and ice cream in order to go well. I firmly believe all three are key. This move from Texas to Virginia has been the most stressful yet, so it's been all about perspective to get through it. To sum it up, I had to coordinate the packers by myself since Parker was away at the time, our packers and loaders were unprofessional and careless with our things, our move manager would not respond to calls, our things got temporarily misplaced, they were delivered 2 weeks later than they were supposed to, and we have a page and a half long list of damaged items. Not the best move we have ever had.

With each new item the unloaders wheeled into our new house, Parker and I cringed and held our breath to see what would be wrong with it. The coffee table Parker built when we got married is in pieces and ruined, the new dining room table my parents bought us for Christmas is banged up on the ends, my favorite pair of boots are scuffed, our dresser is chipped at the corners, wine glasses, a vase, and my cake stand were shattered, the washing machine is dented... I could keep going, but you get the idea. Moving day was supposed to be so exciting, but it quickly got pretty depressing. 

The movers had to bring our things in two trips. When they left to go get the second truck, I turned to Parker and told him that I felt so defeated. I didn't really want to see the rest of our things because I knew that list of damaged goods would just get longer. His response makes me smile and shake my head as I replay the situation in my brain. He said "It's okay! You know I have been wanting to build a new coffee table anyway. It's just stuff". I don't know why this surprised me since Parker is easily one of the most positive people you will ever meet, but it still took me by surprise. Instantly, my perspective changed. He was right.

The two most important things to me, and the only two things that mattered out of everything we transported, didn't get damaged in the move. Parker is in one piece, and so is Jenny. Stuff is nice, but it's meaningless. It doesn't bring me true happiness. Parker and Jenny make my world go around, and they both got to Virginia unscratched.

We had a choice to make as they brought in all of our things. We could be mad/sad/depressed/annoyed, or we could choose to see the positives. We can file damage claims, so we will be somehow compensated for all of the things that were broken. It may be a little banged up, but we have a table to eat at again. No more dinners in lawn chairs! It may have a small hole in it, but we can sit on the couch as a family again. It may be a little dented, but the washing machine still works, and I can finally do some much needed laundry. It may not all be in one piece, but we have stuff. 

Had Parker not been so sunshine and rainbows about the whole thing, I probably would have been pretty bummed out. His positive outlook forced me to see the forest for the trees, and in turn, I felt blessed instead of angry. Being negative is contagious, but so is being positive. That little dose of optimism is all I needed from Parker. I want to be that little dose of optimism for someone each day. You can be that too! Like I said, a positive attitude is contagious and just plain fun to be around. We can't always plan for life's bumps and bruises, but we can choose how we react to them. I always say you have to play the hand you're dealt. Sometimes, you get dealt a really crappy hand. I imagine you get all the twos and threes of the deck while everyone else seems to have the kings and aces. We don't always have control over what happens to us, but we can always control how we perceive it. There is so much power in positivity. The choice is yours, friends.

Sleepy eyes and big smiles... it must be moving day!

Peach Cobbler

Is there anything better than peach cobbler in the summertime? I don't eat them all the time, but a big juicy peach is one of my favorite fruits. I love them! Today, I thought I would share my family's tried and true peach cobbler recipe. It's 100% homemade and 100% delicious. If you ever feel like baking on a Sunday afternoon, give this peach cobbler a go! Paired with vanilla ice cream, it's a gold mine. This recipe is a little involved, but the end result is oh so worth it.

Ingredients:

 

Crust:

2 cups flour

1 cup Crisco

1 tsp salt

4 Tbsp ice water

Pie Filling:

8-10 peaches, peeled and sliced

2 cups sugar, divided

2 Tbsp flour

dash of salt

1/2 stick of butter

1 tsp almond extract

 

*For detailed pictures of making the crust, see my Chicken Pot Pie recipe. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a pie plate with cooking spray.

2. For crust, mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in Crisco with a fork, and add water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing well after each. 

3. Rub flour on your hands so the dough won't stick together. Pat the dough into a ball and cut into two sections, one slightly larger than the other. This will be your top and bottom pie crust. 

4. Roll our your larger half of dough and place on the bottom of the pie plate. Prick the crust with a fork. 

5. Place a sheet of foil gently over the crust, and heat for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and heat for 10 more minutes. Set aside.

6. For filling, in a large pan over low-medium heat, combine 1 cup of sugar and flour. Add in your peaches, a dash of salt, and the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Stir to combine. Add butter.

7. Let simmer so butter melts and sugar dissolves. Taste to see if it's sweet enough. If it's not, add a few more sprinkles of sugar. Add almond extract and stir to ensure filling is well mixed. 

8. Pour your filling into the bottom pie crust. Roll out the remaining pie crust and place on top of your filling. Seal crust edges together.

9. Sprinkle sugar on top of your pie crust, prick crust in the middle, and place pie pan on lined baking sheet. If the pie spills over the edges at all, this will make for easy clean up at the end!

10. Bake about 45 minutes or until top crust is golden brown. If the edges appear to be browning too quickly after about 30 minutes, place foil on the edges and continue baking until done. 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

We Interrupt Our Regular Programming To Bring You...

MOVING DAY!  

  Including, but not limited to, finding our coffee table broken into pieces.  Navy: 1 Phelps Clan: 0  

Hey, remember when this was a coffee table?

  More to come on this eventful move once we are not living in a sea of boxes up to our eyeballs.  Happy Monday!  

Guest Post: Needing God During Deployment

I am so excited to have Lydia from The Few, The Proud, and This Marine Wife taking over my blog for the day. I have loved getting to know her. She is just a few steps ahead of me in this military journey, so she has been such a wonderful encouragement and example to me. Take it away, Lydia!

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Hi there! My name is Lydia, and I blog over at “The Few, The Proud, and This Marine Wife.” I’m a lifestyle blogger, so I write about a variety of things: my life as a military wife, motherhood, and my favorite, DIY projects and crafts. Thank you so much to Chelsea for letting me take over her blog today! I feel privileged to be writing here and sharing my heart with you!

Any military spouse will tell you that nothing can adequately prepare you for the separation of training and deployment, except for the separation itself. Oh, there are the deployment workshops and meetings that lead up to the impending moment. Other military wives will give you tips for how to wade through the darkness of the separation that deployment brings. Family will offer up encouraging words and hands to help, but those are still not enough to prepare you.

Despite all the help and support, my heart was not prepared for deployment. I went to all the workshops. I surrounded myself with family. But, I still felt like a fish out of water. When I watched my husband get on the bus that would begin his seven-month stint in Afghanistan, my heart sank. I clung to our 2-month old baby and thought, Now what?

I’ve been a believer for many years, and I knew God would be my strength through that deployment. But, I didn’t realize how big of a role He would play. On that lonely car ride back to our mostly packed up, partly empty apartment, I whispered a simple prayer, “God, please help me.” Every imaginable emotion flooded my heart. I felt lonely, despite our new baby sleeping soundly in his car seat behind me. I felt scared. I felt anxious. I had just said goodbye to the love of my life, and I didn’t know if it was going to be our last. I knew he was going to be facing dangers unimaginable to me. I knew there was a possibility of him getting wounded or worse, dying. I couldn’t let myself dwell on these thoughts or else they would overwhelm me.

The first few weeks went by quickly, as I packed up our apartment and travelled to my parents’ home to spend the deployment there. I knew that I needed to have family around me, especially since I was a new mom and was venturing this path for the first time. I stayed busy. Busyness became my ultimate helper until one long and lonely night. I stayed up late in bed and broke down in tears. I sobbed uncontrollably. It had been nearly two weeks since I had last heard from my husband. Whenever I did hear from him, it was usually a short conversation that always cut in and out because of their satellite phones being in horrible condition. Fear racked my heart.  I don’t know if I can do this life alone, I thought.

Then, a still small voice pierced the loneliness of my thoughts. You’re not alone, the voice said, I am here. I took a deep breath and a fullness filled my heart. No, I didn’t hear an actual voice, but it was as tangible to me as if I had actually heard it. God was reminding me of His presence. He was reminding me how not alone I was. I knew I needed God during deployment. I’ve always needed God in my life. He is my strength and my comfort. But, I didn’t realize how much I needed Him. Curled up in the fetal position, with tears streaming down my face, I could think of only one verse: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; neither will the flame kindle upon you” (Isaiah 43:2). I whispered that verse out loud over and over again. I was passing through the waters of loneliness and swimming in the rivers of uncertainty. I was walking through the fire of fear and feeling the flames of depression. But in all this, God was with me. He never left me, and I needed Him more than ever.

Peace swept over my heart. This wasn’t going to be the last night of facing these emotions, but I knew I could have a peace that passed all understanding. God was holding me and hiding me in the shelter of His loving hands. All I needed to do was trust. I needed to trust that no matter what happened, He was Sovereign. I needed to trust that He was going to protect my husband but that if something happened to him, God had a divine purpose in all of it. I needed to let God carry my fears. I needed God’s peace to overwhelm my soul. I needed to remind myself that God is divine and that this was only a season. I would see my husband again, whether it was on earth at the end of deployment or in the glory of heaven. I would see him again and there was and still is always hope in that. I needed that reminder. Above all the help I had, I needed God.