Getting so close

Lauren is going to be such a fantastic mother! This is Micah Indy Dyer, not our baby (but we would take him).

I love This Picture

Doesn't Shane look like Rick Moranis from "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"? I love those buggy glasses. He went shooting today and forgot his sunglasses - these were the best alternative.

Men

Wild Eyed

The next photo shows me getting busted cause I wrapped my Scarf too tight around Lauren's very attractive nose and totally smashed it. I got all hopped up on a banana split, as you can see from the look in my eyes.

My teeth look incredibly straight it this picture.

And when I get this look I swear my nose gets more pointy which amazingly emphasizes the Crazy.

Almost 9 Months

We had birth class today. Lauren almost threw up. The videos got a little crazy.
Here you have our incubator in full glory.

Ski Season

I'm starting to feel a slightly anxious feeling, and I know the cure!
More then once this last week I have found myself down in the laundry room just fiddling with all the Goods. If its gonna be cold, there needs to be snow.

hubba hubba

What to do 24 hours after major surgery:

If you happen to be a man's man... and my dad... and you have a major surgery - the best thing to do for recovery is shoot guns...

Baby Come Back.. (sing it)

Finally! Lauren is Coming home From DC! Its about time!
Love you,
Shane

Interestingly enough there seem to be way too many pictures of Lauren and I on the blog right at the top, and Lauren always seems to be on my right. Kinda tacky... hey everybody look at us. Well... I should probably change it but I'm not going to. And just so that you know my wife has nothing to do with the design of this blog this one is me. hers is here
although she does post on here.

Rocket Science

Our new crib had at least 100 parts in the box... Here I am doing some engineering calculations in order to build the crib. It finally came together, with the help of my wife and two cordless drills. Notice the Elusive Lucy in the lower right hand corner... a white blur...

Update...

Update on Baby Dyer.
Click Here.

Update...

New Recipe on Nesting Habits.
Click Here.

Involuntary Whistling ....during church...

So today in church during the closing song Lauren spontaneously started to whistle. I was certainly surprised, seems like something I would do to get a reaction out of her. Truth is: I was not as surprised as she was when she realized what she was doing! Her eyes grew big as apples and she clapped her hand over her mouth with a slap.

To make matter worse I started laughing at a rest in the song, making Lauren laugh... couple of kids about to have a kid...

Find of the month, maybe the year..

My craftsmen mowers, Im thinking of starting a mowing business...

Ok not really. The mower in the background kinda blew up... it was crazy.. loud banging and smoking. Not good. But amazingly on the way home from work I decided to take a look at the D.I. and For 7 dollars!!! i got a bigger better 6.75 horsepower self propelled craftsmen 22 inch lawn mower. A 7 dollar upgrade from my free (came with the house) 6.0 horsepower 20 inch push lawermower. Thank you D.I.

Announcement

I started a new Blog! I'm really excited about it because I'm mostly going to talk about food and crafting etc. So, take a look, and save the link. I'll probably post here to let you know when I've updated it.

www.nestinghabits.blogspot.com

Quick Look at this!

You folks better look fast cause if Lauren see's this post it might be erased. I will do my best to keep it up here. Your job is to comment and say how dang cute and good looking she is for over 6.5 months pregnant.

Nursery Update

We are so close to finishing the nursery I can almost taste it!! If you have been to our house it is unlikely that you saw it in it's original condition. We have done a TON of work on every surface, and this is what our nursery used to look like. That's right, mustard yellow sponge painted walls, and matching ceiling.

We've made a few changes.

As soon as we put the finishing touches on the paint we'll refinish the floor and finally be able to open up those huge boxes that are currently housing the dresser and crib!

Gooey Honey Sticky Buns

I found this recipe in the September Martha Stewart. Bless her creative team, and the people who write her recipes. These sticky buns are sweetened mostly with honey, and are filled with marscapone, creme fraiche, honey and pecans. The pictures in the magazine are prettier than mine, but they were really yummy. So, I want to share the recipe with all of you.

Dough:

2T active Dry Yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1 cup whole milk, room temp
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
2t coarse salt
1t pure vanilla extract
5-6 cups all purpose flour
Oil for bowl

Filling and Topping:

4 ounces unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey, plus more for brushing and drizzling
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 T sugar
1/2 cup marscapone cheese
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl, let stand until foamy.
Whisk milk, butter, eggs, honey, salt, and vanilla with a mixer on medium.
Add yeast mixture and whisk for 1 minute.
Switch to dough hook, reduce speed to low, and add 4 cups flour.
After flour is incorporated, raise speed to medium and continue kneading.
Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time until dough no longer sticks.
Raise speed to medium high and knead for 10 minutes (by hand 15-20 till smooth)
Turn out dough on floured surface, knead by hand until very smooth, 5 minutes.
Transfer to lightly oiled bowl, cover in draft free spot, about an hour until double.

Make filling and topping:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in honey, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, remove and cool
Combine marscapone and creme fraiche in a bowl

Punch down dough, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface
Divide into three portions, and freeze 2 for up to 3 months.
Roll remaining dough into a 10 by 131/2-inch rectangle.
Brush lightly with honey, spread cream mixture evenly on top, leave 1inch border
Sprinkle with pecans
Roll dough into a log, pinch seams to seal, cut into nine 11/2 inch thick slices.

Pour honey mixture into 8-inch square baking pan, 3 to a row
Let rise in warm draft free spot until doubled in size, 30-40 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 375. Place oven rack in lower third. Bake buns, and rotate half way through until brown and bubbling, about 1 hour (cover with foil if they brown to quickly - mine did)

Immediately invert buns onto rack, drizzle with honey, serve warm, and ENJOY!

September is for Peaches

Picking out your peaches from the Orchard and letting them ripen

Making a new French Toast Recipe you've been thinking about since last peach season (that probably just applies to me)

Canning your peaches

Making jam out of them

Fresh Peach Pies

And enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Dear Grandmother,
Thank you for all those days we spent in my Septembers at home putting up peaches and making pies for people. I wish that I had been in your kitchen doing all of this with you.
I LOVE YOU!
Lauren

So you think your Busy?

There are not very many people who keep themselves as busy as my wife, here is a sample list of things that she is doing:

• Pregnant with our Baby Boy.
• Currently making 4 quilts at the same time.
• She try's to cook a gourmet meal, which are mostly of her creation, everyday.
• Adding her recipes to a personal cookbook.
• Painting the nursery/nesting.
• Extensive baby planning and consumer research during this heavy nesting.
• She is putting up peaches.
• We just had a party.
• She is planning 2 more parties in the month of October.
• Handles all the family Finances/budgeting.
• Secretary in the young womens program.
• Cleans up dog poop alot.
• AND SHE'S TAKING 18 CREDITS!

So, shes busy, and shes productive, and amazing.