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Friday, March 18, 2011
The News..
Well first off, for those who don't already know, my wife and I are having a baby! Yep! so we're excited about that, gotta lot of getting ready to do ;)
I have had a really busy week with work, well no busier than usual I'm just working harder at doing better. I've been out of state for work 3 days in a row which has been rough. And I've been doing pretty good about getting up earlier this week too! So I've just gotta stick with it so it will become habit ;)
There's been other small things going on, but not really worth mentioning right now I guess. If you want to stay more up to date with the things going on in my life, you can follow me on twitter! http://twitter.com/benjaguy or just visit my blog and look on the right side =) So anyways just wanted to tell y'all the news!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Here is the recipe:
4 Cups - hot tap
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water.
-Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!
We just washed a load of laundry with it today and it works great! It may be hard to find some of the ingredients so the Duggar's have included links to sites where they buy theirs. I found everything I needed at Harris Teeter.
Here was the cost of each item at Harris Teeter:
Borax $4.75 (it's $1.25 cheaper at Walmart)
Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda $2.95
Fels-Naptha Soap Bar $1.39
Considering that this yields 10 gallons and you only use a little of the Borax and A&H SWS, you'll have plenty of those to last several more buckets full. So it's practically dirt cheap!!! I even got the bucket free from the Hardee's I used to work at =P (it's one of the buckets they get pickles in, had to wash it a couple of times to get the smell out).
We also made some of this with my parents! They love watching the Duggar's, actually they are the ones that got me started ^_^ I like watching the show because of their Christian values, and a lot of their beliefs are similar to my own. Who knows, the Lord may bless us with 19 kids =P
If you visit their site they have more of their favorite recipes you can use! My parents had made the Tater Tot Casserole from their site, and it was delicious!!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bread

Here's the recipe for a 2lb Bread maker (which is what I have):
1 3/4 cups

3/4 cup Peanut Butter
3 tbs. Honey
1 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 cups Bread Flour
2 tsp. Yeast
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips*
*Add chocolate chips at the beginning of the second kneading period.
Cook on the Raisin, Sweet, Wheat or Basic cycle
It's moist, but den

I toasted a slice and put some jelly on it for breakfast this morning and it was really good! Now I can have PB&J with the Peanut Butter baked right into crust =P
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I'm Tired, and I'm Trying... (what's up lately)
I haven't been up to a whole lot of new things here lately. I'm just getting tired of living the same old sinful, lazy, dull, boring, mundane life that I am. I'm want to do something, and do something great. I want to be somebody. Someone important. Someone who made a difference in this world. Someone who can look back on his life during his last days and say, it was all worth it, it was a life well lived. I'm tired of just being lazy when I don't have to go to work, just laying around messing on the computer, playing mindless games on the computer, etc.
There's a lot of stuff I would like to do in this life before I die (or Jesus comes back :P ). I want my life to be well spent. The older I get the faster time is flying by. I can't get over how short life really is. It's been driving me crazy. So I'm doing my best to try and do the things I want to do, need to do, and am called to do.
One of the things most people don't know about me is I love to cook, not all the time, but most of the time. If I could I think I would go to a culinary school to be a chef. Or I would really like to open my own southern cooking restaurant, or any restaurant really. But since that's probably not gonna happen, or not in the foreseeable future (could happen if I set my mind to it, maybe one day, idk we'll see). So I've decided to try and cook a lot more at home. I've cooked a few things the past month or so, but I want to do it more often. I've grilled out a couple times these past few weeks which was nice, definitely looking forward to warmer weather so I can do a lot more of it!
Today I made some 'pizza bread' in the bread maker we got for Christmas (Thanks Mom & Dad!! ^_^). It doesn't really taste like pizza, but it would go great with spaghetti or Alfredo, or anything Italian really. And I also made some homemade fries for the first time (been wanting to for a while). They turned out pretty good. I decided to bake them, but I think I'll try frying them next time. I made some with only salt and pepper, but I liked the ones I spiced up a bit ;) I put some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and paprika on half of them and they tasted really good!!! Gonna up the dosage next time :P Oh and if you bake some homemade fries, grease the pan, even non-stick :P learned that one the hard way. I'll try to post what I cook with pictures, and possibly the recipe for everyone to read and see so if y'all want to try them you can! (I think I'll also do the same for projects I do and other things I make)
Another thing that most people don't know is that I have a heart for helping the poor and kids. I have always wanted to help the less fortunate (for as long as I can remember anyways). I'm sponsoring a child, well really another teen, not much younger than me through Compassion International. Her name is Andri, she's in Indonesia. I like being able to write letters to each other and hear about what's going on in her life. That's one thing I'd like to and need to do more, is write her more letters. She's planning to go to college to be a nurse which I think is awesome! So I love being able to contribute and help her! It's only $38 a month, which is only a small sacrifice, but it's something I can afford. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to sponsor more children!
I'm also hoping and planning to do more. There's a orphanage in Mexico called Rancho 3M that our church does mission trips to several times a year, so I would Love to go one time, and if I feel it's what God wants, go more. I've actually been wanting to go on missions trips for a while now, just never had the means, time or resources to do it. So hopefully soon! My wife and I also feel really strongly about adoption, which is something we've both wanted to do for as far back as we can remember. We aren't adopting right now, but we want to. So we've been looking into international adoption, there are so many rules and things though, so not sure how soon we'll be adopting anyone, but hopefully in the near future (next 5 years?). And my wife and I also feel strongly about fighting abortion. There are some women in our church who run an organization who help young women who are considering having an abortion. So my wife and I might try to get involved and help with that. She'll probably do more though, seeing as I'm a guy and it would probably be awkward for a lot of people :P
Work has been going pretty good. I've made it a point to do better this year. I'm thinking about it in a new way, and going about how I handle calls and everything a little different to try and keep from getting stressed a lot, like I did last year. It's still a pretty new job, but I think I'm starting to settle in. So hopefully I'll be good from here on out.
Another thing I need to work on is my spiritual life. It's been suffering for a while now. My wife and I decided we feel we need to stay at the church we are now, so I'm glad we have that figured out now. So now like I said in an earlier post, I'm making it a point this year (and the rest of my life) to go to church every Sunday I can (meaning I don't have to work, not taking vacation, etc.). My wife and I have missed quite a bit of church since we got married and have suffered because of it. And I also need to start reading my Bible regularly, I don't remember when I last had my quiet time. It'll be a struggle to do, always is, it go against what our flesh would naturally want to do. So I'll need a lot of prayer.
I'm also working on some sinful areas of my life, such as how I react when I get angry or upset, laziness (yep, I believe being lazy is sinful. resting is not, I'm not saying we don't need to have a day off and just to rest and have fun. but just plain laziness, doing nothing, all the time), and other things.
I'm sure by now after reading my posts y'all think I'm not really that good (for those that know me). I'm a sinner just like everyone else. Just because I'm a Christian, doesn't mean I'm perfect and that I don't sin or make mistakes. I'm just trying to be honest (it's something I've been working on, Honesty). I hope it helps anyone who reads my blog. I hope in inspires, encourages, and lets people know they're never alone in anything, there's always someone else going through the same thing, always. And being honest helps me, it takes a load off my shoulders. I never knew I could feel so good by being honest. Sure it hurts sometimes, it does to open one's self up, it leaves you vulnerable. But you feel so much better after the temporary pain. It gives others an opportunity to encourage you, help you, pray for you, and it gives you an opportunity to help others.
well I think it's time to wrap up this post, it's getting long and it's already 11:05pm so I'm going to end it by asking y'all to pray for me. Pray for guidance, wisdom, peace, and the aforementioned things in my post. We all need prayer, and we all will for the rest of our lives. If y'all ever need prayer, feel free to hit me up. Leave a comment, send me a message, hit me up on twitter, it don't matter. I'd be glad to pray for y'all!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Work
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Still Unbelievable...
It's hard, lots of arguments. Some fights. Even more disagreements. But even still, it's indescribable. One minute we're having an argument, the next I feel like I've never loved her more. And I mean literally, the next minute!
The house hasn't really gotten any further, as far as painting, unpacking, etc. I guess I'm just too lazy...well I know I'm too lazy...I need to do something about that =P It's amazing how much of a mess two people can make. I guess it would be easier if we'd get everything in order and completely unpacked. Still have the den full of stuff that needs a place, and all the Christmas decorations... I have no clue where we're gonna store anything either (wish I could afford to buy an outbuilding).
And it's tough being a leader. I've gotta make decisions for my family (just me and my wife right now =P ) that I've never had to make before. We visited a new church today cause we'd like something a little closer because we would be able to be more involved in church. But I just don't know. Sometimes I feel like it's what we need to do, and then others I don't want to leave the church we're at. I don't know if it's just uncomfortable going somewhere new or, if it's not what we should be doing right now.
I haven't really made a new year's resolution cause, I usually fail only a few weeks into it. So I've decided this is my new year's resolution: to be more diligent in going to church and being involved in it. We haven't really been faithful in our attendance since we've gotten married. And it's important so I'm determined to get this area of our life straightened out. So I could use some prayer for guidance from the Lord as to where we need to be right now.
It probably sounds like all I do is complain a lot, and I do. I'm just trying to write what I feel and be as honest as possible, without saying too much. That's one thing that my wife and I have been working on, Honesty. It's tough...really tough. But it's been really great. We're doing a lot better in our communication, now that we've figured out how to be completely open with each other =) definitely one thing I encourage others that are newly married to do.
But yeah, even though it's been tough the past few weeks/months it's been wonderful. Because I know that no matter what, God is still in control, and he's always keeping us. He is faithful, even when we are not. ^_^
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Finally...
Sunday evening Bethany & I went to a concert with my older brother Aaron and his friend Jonathan (great guy). It was the BarlowGirl & Reilly An Acoustic Winter's Night Tour. It was awesome! For those who've never heard of Reilly, they're a really awesome band! They have great lyrics, great sound, and great people! You should check them out! I've only seen them once back a few years ago at a New Attitude (now called NEXT) conference. But it was great, they're still an up and coming band so they would stay for a while afterwords and chat by the merch table. I had a great time talking the them, especially Dan & Noele Huie (they're husband & wife, and they're expecting). It was neat getting to hear their story of how they met, and how choosing baby names is difficult because of their different ethnicity. They're a really great couple. I'm hoping my wife and I will be able to afford to go to the NEXT conference next year (which Reilly will be performing at btw).
Monday was my Grandmaw's birthday!!! So we spent the evening at my parent's house celebrating and eating dinner. I also spent a little of the afternoon helping my PawPaw troubleshoot why his internet was not working. Turns out it was on Windstream's side.
Tuesday, oh bother, work was a pain... I had to drive to a store in SC that was 4 hours away because one of the employee's brought in a heater and plugged it into a dedicated outlet for the POS equipment and blew the power supplies for several terminals, one complete terminal, and the kitchen video system. And since it's so far away they were basically without terminals all day. But the good thing was I was able to get one of my brother's to ride with me and help me out. So that was nice, helped keep me awake on the ride home. Which I didn't get home 'til 2am yesterday... so I'm still recuperating a bit. My wife wasn't able to go because she had choir rehearsal and then after rehearsal they went and sang for blind people and their families at a church nearby.
Yesterday...well not much happened yesterday. Work was good, not many calls. Got to sleep in because I got back late the night before. I have the best boss btw! I pretty much just took it easy and played a some Fiesta. Oh and Bethany's choir got to sing at the Great Wolf Lodge near Concord Mills. After she got back I made dinner and then we watched Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, which was pretty cool.
As far as I can remember that's all that happened.... hopefully today will be like yesterday as far as work goes =P