Summer Installment

Friends and family :) I wish I could have you all in one place to smile at you and hug you! How nice it would be to be sitting around a meal with all of you and share with you about my summer! For some reason, I thought that summertime would give me more opportunities to write about our adventures, but instead I have found myself busier than ever other with To-Do items taking more precedence than scribbling down my goings-ons. But due to some lighthearted fussing from friends and some encouraging requests from family, I am giving you the summer installment of what's been happening in my Savage world!

Summer started in May with the end of classes for both me and Dan. I have completed my schooling with an undergrad in Psychology with a specialization in Christian Counseling and a Master's in Human Service with a specialization in Health and Wellness. I'm done! I'm still waiting on that diploma to hang on my wall, but it's a good feeling knowing that I did it! Classes were rough towards the end of the school year due to a difficult professor, but God gave me the grace to handle the situation and my 25+ page publishable paper on obesity was accepted!

Dan finished up his sophomore year at UNH with an awesome GPA and straight A's. He dedicated so much time to his studies, and as a plus, he LOVES learning what he is being taught! I am so proud of him for the diligence and commitment he has towards actually learning the material (versus just passing classes). He is so smart and I admire the character he shows by striving to be excellent in his field of study. He started up his junior year this fall.
I got to help him with some of his projects!
...the kind that involve me dropping turkey basters for data recording...

...not this kind...

Nannying the kiddos is still such a fun job, and it's especially fun now that we are familiar with each other and can play and talk easily. Ian makes me laugh so very hard with his little-kid-isms and jokes and know-it-all collection of bizarre (and exaggerated) fact-telling. Rachel and I have a lot of fun conversations and times together. I've been praying for both of them and praying that God will give me opportunities to speak truth into their lives! I'm glad that I am here for those delicate middle school times when so much of a child's identity can be determined by influencing factors.
Things we do: Play legos, board games, video games, basketball, baseball, and yard games, ride scooters, watch movies, go swimming, go to the park, relax and read, chase each other around the house, go on ice-cream outings, sit and talk and joke around, go blueberry picking... the list could go on! We have a lot of fun :)

Rachel and Ian

I'm also being trained to be a scopist by a lady I met, which was completely a God thing. When we first moved here and I was looking for nanny jobs, I also put on my application that I do housecleaning. I really doubted anyone would contact me for that, though. Low and behold, the next day I get a reply, and before you know it, I am housecleaning! Little did I know that she would later offer to train me to scope and that I would have also gained a friend!

If you don't know what being a "scopist" means, it's "a person who assists a court reporter by taking the first, rough computer translation of the reporter's notes and editing them into full transcript format." This measn that I proof for grammar, punctuation, fact-checking, ensuring that the text matches the audio, etc. It's a very fun job and I'm good at it! It will also be great for when we start a family since I can do it on my laptop anywhere I am! God is good!

*** Disclaimer: The typos and bad grammar on this blog do NOT reflect the work I do as a scopist! :)

This is the keypad for the stenograph machine that court reporters (aka stenographers) use to record everything.

I feel as though it is important to mention that our kitten is not "Horatio". In fact, he lost his name about two minutes after I announced in the last blog post that his name was Horatio. Our handsome little kitten seemed to NOT be a Horatio. Maybe I felt as though it were too technical of a name...

Whatever the case, we decided on Jean-Paul (he still needed a sophisticated name),
and we call him JP. It suits him well!

He no longer is a little kitten anymore,
although he definitely acts like one all the time.

Though we seem to have broken him (for the most part) of the habit
of jumping on the table when we have guests over...
He still enjoys doing things like climbing into the couch and getting stuck,
which leads to bribery with treats and meat to GET OUT OF THERE.

I think his logic is,

"Yeah, I'll take the bribe to come out of the couch.

But be warned: I can get treats ANYTIME. Trust me..."

He was right.

Sometimes, he joins us on our trips up north to visit Mom and Dad.

You may leave your submissions for the Caption Contest

in the Comments section at the end of the bog.

 He misses us when we take trips without him.  Stowaway! 

He's getting so big!

We've done quite a few fun outdoorsy things this summer!

Our first fishing trip was in May. I caught the biggest fish that night! We went fishing for white perch, of which I caught several, as well as a hornpout (which is like a catfish) and a nice sized bass! I'm not gonna lie... I still can't bait my own hook or take a fish off of my hook. I'm too sqeamish and get a little green in the face even thinking about it. 

(What are husbands for anyway? Obviously for wriggling, slimy worms and fish...) 

But it is so much fun feeling the line jerk and watch the fish break the surface!!

We've also done several hikes, camping trips, and rock climbing. 

One of the hikes we took was in my home mountains of North Carolina. 

Kristen, Lauren Murray, Lauren Harris, Seth, and Ethan joined us to catch the sunset on Bear Wallow.

Later in the summer, we also camped out in North Conway, NH, and hiked Mt. Washington the next day.

It

was a

long

hike...

...but

totally

worth it!

We also went on a second annual night-hike and camping trip with Sam Baard, with whom also joined us was her boyfriend, Bill. We had tons of fun! Last year it was torrentially pouring rain. Minus the rain this year, but it was still in the dark. 

Rock climbing at Rumney with Swiss!

 Thanks to several people, Dan received an early birthday present:

A membership to Indoor Ascent, which is a really sweet rock gym.

Waterfront activities have also comprised much of our summer doings. 

We love living a few minutes from the beach! 

Ogunquit Beach, ME

Wallis Sands Beach, NH

Hampton Beach, NH

 Dan and Toby tried their hand at surfing by offering a lady $5 to rent her surfboard for half an hour. 

They did pretty good considering the size of the waves! 

 Trips up north have also consisted of skiing on the lake!

In other news, there's been lots of celebrations that we've participated in!

My brother Josh, and his new bride, Summer, got married in May.

Their wedding was the most moving, beautiful weddings I have ever witnessed!

Our friends, Jonathan and Tabby were married the week before.

We are so happy for those two wonderful southerners!

They make a fabulous couple!

On the subject of jobs, HUGE congrats to my sister, Elizabeth, for landing a job in the cardiac ICU in Raleigh!! No more long commutes! It's especially a blessing because it helps to further her career. Answered prayer!!

Also, congrats to my brother, Caleb, for graduating high school and starting his freshman year at Appalachain State! AND for being voted into position for Cannon Treasurer! 

Also, a huge congrats to Toby and Jenni on their announcement of a baby in February or March! So excited for them! Also to Nancy and Bradley for the arrival of their new baby, Elijah!

Mother's Day was also a fun celebration! 

I made a fun garden cake for the Master Gardener (Mom)

and we made a yummy duck dinner!

I so wish I could have been there to celebrate my Mom, but I'm glad Josh and Summer and Caleb and Carrie were there to celebrate with her! As the years come and go, I realize more and more how I appreciate my Mom!




Dan just finished up his summer internship at TurboCam. He gained a lot of experience in the productions and design department and made some great friends and connections through the company. I've really enjoyed getting up with him at 6:30 every morning to make him breakfast and lunch and to see him before his day started!!  :)  Love that man!!

Often times, he would come home and do this.... hehehe...

We have also gone to some great restaraunts around,

which we REALLY want to introduce to you guys when come come visit!

(Hint! Hint!)

One is LaFesta Brick & Brew
(Best pizza in tha WORLD!)

Another is the Farm Bar and Grille.

We watched the Dark Knight Rises as a date.

 

Afterwards, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings. 

Couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a picture of the sign. YUMMMM!

We have also visited the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, ME, and Stonewall Kitchen in York, ME. 

Both are really great places to visit :)

Honestly, I could live in Maine for the rest of my life and be happy. It's beautiful.

Sarah (plain and tall) had it right. Green and blue and grey.

Earlier in the summer, we went to Portsmouth to watch a live performance of the musical "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" with our friends Elisa, Josiah, Theresa, and Alex. 

So! That's our summer so far! It has been jam-packed full of other things, like training for a 5K, hanging out with friends, summer cookouts, volleyball, etc.!

As of late, I've been challenged a bit in a few areas:
Strength of character to strive for my best (thank you, Dan)
Wisdom with money (trustworthy with the small things)
Complete and ugly selfishness (big green monster)
Planning for the future (be still and know that I am God)
Discipline in all areas of my life (beating my body into subjection, running the race)
How to live radically as a Christian (Radical by David Platt)
How to nurture the fruits of the spirit and reflect what a follower of Christ looks like (Romans 12)
How to be a woman and wife and friend who is hard-working a disciplined (Proverbs 31).

And while I'm struggling with all of these things, I feel as though I'm just sitting here.
Everybody should know the line from Princess Bride that goes, "We are men of action. Lies do not become us."
(If you don't, get with the program. Watch the movie.)
That line keeps running through my head. Men of action... Lies do not become us...
Denying where you are at spiritually is dishonesty, is it not?
Christians are called to be extremely active in their faith, personally and outwardly with discipleship.
The correlation I am making here is that if we are called to be so purposeful in our faith - growing, ministering, training, preparing, learning, stretching and challenging ourselves - then the laundry list of "challenging things" that I have listed up there should be things that I am seeking to tend to, like a gardener, instead of telling myself that "I'm okay."
People of action. People of truth. Of getting real with ourselves. Of doing something. Of not ignoring symptoms and lying to ourselves, but doing the hard thing and recognizing what we need to prune and what we need to nurture.

I challenge you to do the same.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 has been running through my head, as has Romans 12.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath; but we, an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified."

I'll let you read Romans 12. I especially am challenged by the last chunk of it.

Let these words sink in! Dan and I are trying to figure out how to do this together, to train ourselves to be "good athletes." It's hard, especially when it gets personal. It can get ugly.

When Dan and I were training for the 5K this summer, he would often push me to do better than what I was doing. You ran a 3.1 miles in 28:36? Great. Bet you can do it in 26:00... Bet you can do it in 25:00... Bet you can do it in 24:00...
GrrrrrrRRRRRR!!!!!!
Get off my back! Let me get comfy with my 28:36... 26:00... 25:00... I just got here!
But he would always push me to do better, to train past what I could do in order to increase breathing capacity, endurance, time.
I would get so mad.
Leave me alone! I worked hard for this! I want to get comfy before I go further! Real comfy! In fact, secretly, I might just stay here. Maybe I don't WANT to go any further or harder or faster! Plus, you have longer legs. Of course you can go faster. And I don't even like running that much. Do you even know what a big step it is for me to even run 3 miles without stopping? Gimme some credit here.

All of them excuses.
All of them resisting something that builds character, strengthens my body, stretches me physically and mentally.

When Dan and I (or even in general, Christian-Christian) come together to challenge each other spiritually, it's very often the same excuses and defenses we verbalize.

Mind your own business! This is personal! I am fine where I am at now, and I don't need you telling me differently! I'm comfortable growing at my own pace. Secretely, I don't want to be pushed that hard. It's not easy being accountable to someone. If I'm accountable, then I can't do things at my own pace. Maybe I want to stay comfortably where I am at. Plus, you worry about yourself - you have plenty of areas YOU can be working on. How dare you challenge me when I obviously could pick out things in your life! Sniff! I've been reading the Bible every morning. What have you been doing?

It's this whole cycle of being offended, pointing fingers, TONS of pride, a serious lack of character and discipline, the wrong attitude, wrong motivations...

I think that the way everyone challenges each other is going to be different. It doesn't mean that you're going to do an hour-long Bible study together every morning or night. That just doesn't work for some people. Some people are very private, and that's okay. What I have been hoping for is that Dan and I will be able to keep our hearts in a position where we are receptive to each other's challenges, soft-hearted and sensitive to the Spirit, and willing to share the ups and downs of life and of what God is teaching us through his Spirit and his Word. Such communion and fellowship and intimacy grows from that, I know.

When we were training together, I would get in such a big huff towards him when he pushed me.
But I would have been so more disappointed if he did not believe in me and did not want the best for me by challenging me.

It is so incredibly true with spiritually challenging each other. A lot of times, the challenges make me bristle and growl. But I will always desire that the challenge is made. Without someone walking alongside of me in this journey, it's way to easy to slack off and get weak in character.

I so love that man and the way he will not settle for mediocrity. Thank God for him. Diamond in the ruff.

Doing life with him is so much fun and always an adventure!
Pray for us to become a husband and wife team that will grow and take challenges head-on to run the race to win!!

Here are some fun recipes we have made that are really really tasty!

(I'm so thrilled to have heard from some of you that you tried out the recipes I have posted!)

Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

2 (8 oz) boneless beef top loin or New York strip steaks (or steak of your preference)

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 Tbs canola oil

1/2 lb sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbs and 2 tsp white wine

1/2 (14.5 oz) can beef broth (or make your own with beef bullion = 1/4 cup)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with flour. (I usually sprinkle it with some Montreal steak seasoning too.)

2. In a large skillet, cook steaks in oil to desired done-ness. Remove and keep warm.

3. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onions, and garlic until tender, adding additional oil if necessary.

4. Stir in wine. Bring to a boil for 1 minute.

5. Add the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 6 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half.

6. Add flour or add more broth for desired consistency.

7. Serve over steaks.

PF Chang's Orange Chicken

Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 4 green onions, sliced 1 cup tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (chili garlic sauce or another favorite hot sauce) 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup half & half 2 cups flour peel from 1/4 orange, julienne into 1/8" strips
Directions 1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add minced garlic and green onoins and let cook for about 1 minute. 2. Add tomato sauce, water, sugar, Sriracha and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside. 3. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Let the oil heat to 375 degrees F. 4. Combine beaten egg with half & half in a medium bowl. Pour flour into another bowl. Coat the chicken pieces by dropping them into the flour, into egg mixture, and then back into the flour again. Place the coated chicken on a plate until you have coated all of the chicken. 5. Cook the chicken in small batches in the oil until lightly golden brown on all sides. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked. 6. Discard the oil from the wok and then place the wok back on the burner over medium heat. Add the orange peel and cook for a minute to allow the oils to be released. Then add the sauce and chicken and cook briefly until heated through. (Dan was a genius and twisty-tied all of the orange pieces together so that we wouldn't eat them!) 7. Serve with white or brown rice.

Key Lime Poke Cake (AMAZING!)

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1 Tbs vegetable oil

4 eggs

Key Lime Filling

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup Key lime juice or regular squeezed lime juice

1 tsp grated lime peel

4 drops yellow food color

1 drop green food color

Frosting

1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker Whipped vanilla frosting

2 tsp grated lime peel

Garnish, if desired

Fresh strawberries

Key lime slices

Lemon leaves

Directions

1. Mix all cake ingredients. Bake according to box instuctions. After cooling for 30 minutes, poke holes in the cake with the end of a wooden spoon, almost to the bottom of the cake with a diameter of 1/4 to 1/2 inch, every 1/2 inch. 

2. In a medium bowl, stir together filling ingredients until thickened. Pour over the cake and spread evenly to fill holes. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Strawberry Rhubarb Apple Pie

(with Mom Savage's famous pie crust)

Crust

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cups shortening

5 to 6 Tbs very cold water

Directions
1. Lightly stir flour and salt together with a fork
2. With a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.
3. sprinkle in cold water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork after each addition until the pastry just holds together.
4. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball.
5. Divide the crust into two pieces, one slightly larger, and shape each into a ball.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the larger ball into a circle 2 inches larger than the pie plate.
7. Rolling the dough onto the rolling pin, transfer it to the pie pan. Repeat this method with the second piece of dough for the top of the pie after the filling has been added.

Fruit Filling

2 cups rhubarb, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

2 cups strawberries, halved

2 cups granny smith apples, cubed

1 cup sugar

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. In a bowl, mix fruit, sugar, and lemon juice. Depending on the tartness of the rhubarb, more or less sugar may be needed. 

5. After mixing, pour into the prepared pie pan. Scatter cut butter on top of fruit mix. Place top pastry on the pie. 

6. Cover with foil for the first 45 minutes. Remove for the last 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Orange Julius

Ingredients

1/2 can orange juice concentrate

1 tray of ice cubes (approx. 16 cubes)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Blend all in blender. Enjoy!!

Cinnamon and Honey Sopapilla Cheesecake Squares
(These melt in your mouth! Crowd-pleasers!)

Ingredients

Filling

2 (8oz) pkgs. cream cheese, very soft

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Crust

2 (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

Topping

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

Garnish

1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan.

2. Beat filling ingredients together until smooth.

3. Unroll the cans of dough and create two 9x13 sized rectangles, one for the bottom crust and one for the top crust.

4. Place one rectangle on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread filling evenly on top. Place second rectangle on top of filling.

5. Mix topping ingredients until smooth. Spread on the top crust.

6. Bake until dough has puffed up and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely (30 minutes-1 hour) before cutting into squares. Enjoy!!

As always, much love,
mrs. savage