Baking Adventures

We’ve got a budding pastry chef here. Francesca has decided she’s going to culinary school and from there she will open her own bakery. Today she wanted to try her hand at pate a choux dough to make cream puffs with a vanilla pastry cream. So fancy!

She patiently stood and continuously stirred the pastry cream for 20 minutes. It’s a good thing she had her daddy as a helper, because I have no patience for that! I always cheat when I’m making a roux and turn the heat up to thicken it faster, which would definitely not have worked here.

Piping out the cream puffs

   

Filling the finished puffs. How cool is it that this dough hollows out while baking?

The finished product! She dusted the tops with powdered sugar and then drizzled chocolate over them. I was so impressed that the dough and the filling came out absolutely perfect on her first attempt! I love that my husbands strengths perfectly compliment my wild and impulsive girl. He’s so patient, encouraging, and just laid back (I am so not laid back. Ahhh! Follow the recipe!) with her and he gives her the freedom to embrace her (messy!)creativity. And I can tell she appreciates him because she told him he can be her assistant when she opens her bakery. What an awesome duo!

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Pets!

Somehow we have as many pets as we do humans living here. When Sam moved out, we became outnumbered. Thankfully she has returned and restored balance to the force.

They love schoolwork almost as much as Francesca loves to wear a sweatshirt backwards and use the hood as a kitten carrier…

…and only half as much as they like napping and cuddling. (It’s kind of ridiculous.)

Here’s Lucy’s scratch-free cat carrier…

and Riley’s serious face. (Is that the mailman?)

    

Finally, who do you think is smarter? Professor Pup or Study Buddy? We think it may be a tie!

IF:Gathering 2018

IF:Gathering desires to disciple the next generation of women to live out God’s calling on their lives. We all get tired. Sometimes we even start to question if following Jesus is worth it. At IF:Gathering 2018 we’re gathering to be reminded that we weren’t given a spirit of fear or doubt or insecurity. We’re going to encourage each other to keep following Jesus with perseverance because HE IS WORTH IT.

This weekend 80 women from my tiny community gathered together to watch the simulcast. In five years this is the largest gathering we’ve seen in our area. For the past couple of years I watched from my friend’s couch with a small group of friends. The first couple of years I watched at home on my laptop. It’s amazing to see what God is up to!

         

IF:Gathering’s mission is to Gather, Equip, and Unleash women to disciple people who disciple people. Although the live simulcast is done for the year, you can still purchase the download to view at home. Or better yet, gather your people and watch it together! You can also gather monthly over a meal with IF:Table. In the picture below are ladies from two different IF:Tables sharing what gathering together monthly has meant to them. So good!There are also IF:Equip studies! What are you waiting for?

Classical Conversations

We love Classical Conversations! This year Francesca is doing Foundations and Essentials, and Katie is in the Challenge A program. It is such a huge blessing to our family to be part of a local community where we learn together and support each other. I figured since we’re more than halfway through the year it was probably time to dump some CC pictures. They are solely for the purpose of documenting for our future selves; I took most of these  all stealth-like because I didn’t want to be that mom.

Challenge A having tea after finishing The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

   

Challenge is hard work!

          

Science Fair!

                          

Foundations Fun!

           

Rockin’ Essentials!