Keira's birth story.

I thought I would post her birth story for those that are interested. I went in on Tuesday morning to be induced due to being 10 days overdue. Got to the hospital at 7:30am. Was supposed to start Pitocin at 8am but they had a hard time getting the IV in (blew a vein and had to try 4 times to get it in). My midwife checked me and I was 4cm and 80% effaced. I told her that I'd like to do the pitocin until I was 5-6cm and then have my water broken because I knew I could make it from 5cm because I had done it before with the other two. They started Pitocin at 9:30, very low dose. I took a nap and they kept upping it until about 2pm when my MW checked me again I was 5cm and just about 100% effaced. She broke my water (babies head was right against the bag so it was hard for her to break it).

After my water was broken labor really picked up. She turned the pitocin way down to let my body kick in. A little after 3pm I decided to get into the shower to labor for awhile. At this point the pitocin was completely turned off and my body was on it's own. I labored in the shower for awhile and the contractions were really picking up and I was having a lot more pressure. After two contractions that felt more like a pushing pressure I got out of the shower. I labored leaning over the bed for a bit but I was getting tired so I got into the bed and knelt (leaning on the back of the bed that was raised) then I sat for a bit and pushed thru a couple contractions but just felt like I wasn't getting far and was starting to feel like I wasn't handling the contractions well. Baby was also still pretty far up. With the next contraction I said I HAVE to stand up again so I stood up and leaned on the bed again. In the next couple of pushes she was crowning and shortly after she was born at 5:01pm. My midwife said she loved the fact that I delivered standing up and that's all it took for the baby to come down was the change in position and help from gravity.

I'm not sure of the total "pushing" time as I lost track of time, etc. She's a very aware baby and hardly cried when she came out. She was just looking all around and taking everything in. Her apgars were 8 and 9. She does have her sleep a little switched around but I'm hoping she'll sleep better at night within the next week or so as that's how long it took Hailey to figure it out.

We're all very glad that she's here. Hailey and Ethan love her and are so curious about everything. I asked to be released early from the hospital because I just wasn't getting much rest and really wanted to be home. The pediatrician was a little concerned because although Keira had had a bowel movement she had not urinated. The did agree to discharge her as long as I brought her to her regular pediatrician ASAP if she still hadn't urinated by this morning. Thankfully that happened last night so all is well and she sees her regular pediatrician for the first time tomorrow morning.

Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate them. Here is a picture of our newest addition:

Another quick update.

I know it's been awhile since I've written here. Life has been busy. We are still waiting for this baby to arrive; it seems God really wants me to learn the lesson of waiting on His timing. :)

I had an appointment with my midwife today. After discussing my options and concerns with her we have decided that if I haven't had the baby by Friday then I will have an ultrasound to check on the baby and she will do some light interventions to see if that sends me into labor. If, by next Tuesday, I still have not had the baby then I will be induced. I really do not want to be induced so I am praying that this little one arrives this week.

Other than waiting for the baby we have been doing some more work on the kitchen. It is nice to see it coming along. We primed the walls the other night and once we had them all white we discovered a few spots that needed a bit more work so Matt is working on fixing those spots and then we will paint.

The cooler weather has also been nice for baking. The kids and I have made a couple of apple crisps and a pie. It's a little different having to do everything in the dining room but we are managing. I also have 4 pumpkins that I need to roast soon and get in the freezer for making pies and other desserts for the holidays.

So that's my update. Hopefully I'll be able to post a birth announcement in the next few days.

The pictures I promised :)

Here are the t-shirts that I made for the kids. The baby's onesie says Pixie because that is what Hailey has nicknamed her. I also included a picture of the sweater that I crocheted for Ethan. He loves it and calls it his camoflauge sweater. With the carpal tunnel pain I've been having I haven't been able to crochet any more, hopefully I'll be able to start again after the baby is on a routine.

A pregnancy update.

I thought I'd write a quick update on how things are going. It seems hard to believe that I only have 24 more days until my due date; although, if she's anything like her big sister she'll make me wait longer to meet her.

I had my midwife appointment today and everything was great. My blood pressure & weight were fine. Baby is measuring right on, has a good heartrate and is still very active. I now start weekly visits, I can't believe how fast time has gone throughout this pregnancy.

This past weekend we worked on the nursery/girl's room and got all the furniture moved around and set up. Today Matt hung the curtain rods and I was able to hang the valances so the room is officially done. Yesterday I pulled the carseat out of the attic and got that all washed. It feels nice to have things ready for her.

As for me, I'm still having issues with the carpal tunnel syndrome but it has been better this week so I've been able to get pretty good sleep. Other than feeling really large I'm actually doing well. I've been having a lot of braxton hicks and after I drink some red raspberry leaf tea I notice they get much stronger and more frequent so I'm hoping all that uterine exercise will make things more effective when it's real labor.

The kids are still very excited and have started asking when the baby is coming out of mama's belly. I made some T-shirts for them (big brother/big sister) and put them in the hospital bag. Hailey was disappointed that she had to wait until the baby is born to wear hers (they'll get them the first time they come to visit). I'll try to get pictures of the shirts and post them. I'm actually really pleased with how they came out. I had priced some online but the cheapest I could find were $15/shirt so I found some clipart online and some sayings I liked and designed my own. I was able to get the shirts for $2/each at AC Moore so for three "custom" t-shirts (I made a little sister onesie for the baby from a onesie I had) it cost me less than $5 (that's counting the ink I used from the printer, I already had the iron-on transfer paper).

A lesson in Waiting on God.

"God has a time for everything and He works in us what needs to be done to prepare us for what is ahead. Having a sense of God's timing brings the peace to wait on the Lord for it" - Stormie Omartian

The quote above is one the struck me this morning as I continue my study thru the book "The Power of a Praying Wife". So often it is easy for me to get caught up in trying to fix or change things rather than waiting on God's perfect timing and resting in the fact that He is using every situation to prepare me for what is to come next.

This theme of waiting on God is one I have noticed as I've also been reading thru the Psalms. Here are a few recent ones I've read.
Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass"
Psalm 37:34 "Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut of, thou shalt see it"
Psalm 39:7 "And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee."
Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."

Another book that I have is called "Tea Time with God" and is one that I actually keep in the bathroom. It is full of scripture and short 1-2 page stories that are a great "pick-me-up". Today's reading was entitled "Which way is up?" and the theme verse was Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" The author related the story of a speedboat racer who was in a terrible accident and was thrown from his boat. When he was under water he had spun so much that he had no idea which way was up.

"He had to remain calm and wait for the buoyancy of his life vest to begin pulling him toward the surface to know where it was." "Life can put us in a tailspin at times, making us wonder, 'Which way is up?' We can lose our sense of direction and the focus which keeps us on course. How do we recover our bearings? The answer may be as simple as that discovered by the speedboat driver: Stay calm and let the 'upward pull' bring you to the surface. The upward pull in our lives is that which looks beyond our finite selves to the greater reality of God."

It is so easy to get caught up in life and all of it's demands that I forget to patiently wait on God for His timing and direction. It's easy to get impatient when things aren't going according to my timeline or to start to panic when I can't see how a situation will be resolved. What a gift though that God has given us in His Word. To remind all of us that He is in control and that we only need to rest in Him and trust in His timing for every situation.

A quick update.

I thought I would just do a quick update. We are doing well, I had my 32 wk appointment yesterday and both the baby & I are doing well. I do have some water retention and have started having pregnancy induced carpal tunnel again (I had this when I was pregnant with Ethan also). I have been trying to increase my fluid intake and am once again wearing my wrist brace at night.

This week has been nice as it's been much less busy than the last few months. I've really enjoyed being home and just spending some relaxing time with the kids. I have started to work at the projects on my "to-do" list also. So far I have made alot of progress on the hoodie sweater I'm making for Ethan, I had my car inspected, froze some meatballs & sauce for after the baby is born, and have kept up with the housework. I plan to really get busy on making the rest of the meals in the next week or two. I'm planning to make a big pot of chicken soup tomorrow and freezing half of that for after the baby is born.

So that is what we've been up to. Oh, and I wanted to share a quick story of how God has provided. After having Hailey we weren't planning on having any more kids so I sold all my maternity and baby clothes on E-bay. When I found out I was expecting again my sister offered me her maternity clothes, our taste in clothes can be very different so I took some but not all. I spent some money on some more clothes (mostly off of E-bay) so I had "enough" but not a huge selection. A few months ago my pastor's wife (who just had a baby in June) gave me a bag of her maternity clothes which included several nice summer dresses (something I was very much lacking). As for the baby clothes, my neighbor is big into going to yard sales so she had brought me a bag of baby clothes several months back and I had picked some up at the few yard sales I had been to this summer. I washed all the clothes and realized how few I still had, I had been watching several auctions on E-bay but the ones I liked went for way more money than I really wanted to spend. Once again, my pastor's wife offered me clothes, she said I could have all of the clothes that her baby girl has outgrown. So now I'm going to wait and see what I still need but I think this little girl should be set at least for the first couple of months (and I already know she's getting some clothes for Christmas!!).

I have realized how blessed we truly are and how perfect God's timing is for providing all that we need and how He truly does more than we could ever ask.

Some Arizona pictures

We had a nice trip to Arizona with my parents and I thought I would share a few pictures. Some of the "highlights" of the trip were seeing the Grand Canyon, the Montezuma Well and going to a wildlife park called "Out of Africa" (the wildlife park was definitely the main highlight for the kids). The kids did really well traveling and as always really enjoyed flying.

Montezuma Well

One of the many shots we took of the Grand Canyon

Hailey & I at the Grand Canyon (no fences at the edges so we really had to watch the kids.)

Ethan & Hailey at the Grand Canyon

Hailey getting help from the safari driver to feed the carrot to the Giraffe
Ethan feeding the Tiger

After getting home we started right in to a busy week of VBS at church. Our VBS program is done during the evenings so once again the kids were off their regular schedule but they seem to have adjusted back really well this week. This week is a bit busy for me as I'm making a wedding cake (it's a non-traditional one so nothing too elaborate). I'm looking forward to next week which starts a bit of down-time for me; well I should say "home time" as I'll be using the next month to make & freeze meals, finish some buntings I'm making for the baby, work on a hoodie sweater I'm crocheting for Ethan, and get things organized before this little one joins us.

A couple more crafts

The kids saw me making all the baby items and wanted something too; so I made these hats for them. I'm not too thrilled with how the pastel one came out but Hailey likes it :) Oh, and as for Ethan he loves to make funny faces for pictures :)

The Power of a Praying Wife.

I've started going thru the book "The Power of a Praying Wife" again. This will be my second time thru this book but I've gone back and reviewed sections of the book many time. I highly recommend this book and have given it at several bridal showers. The book is divided into 30 chapters, each one dealing with a different area of your husband's life that you can pray for. One suggestion she gives is to pray one "topic" per day for a month.

One of the things I love about this book is that she uses so much scripture. Every piece of advice she gives is backed up by at least one Bible verse. The second thing I love is that her advice is so practical, she even provides prayers to pray when you have no idea how to even start praying for your husband. The third and probably one of the biggest reasons I love this book is because she's very clear that praying for your husband is not a "magic potion" to "fix" him or all your problems; in fact praying for him is really about the wife and fulfilling your role as helpmeet. The very first area that she says to pray for is "his wife".

As I was going thru this study again there were a couple of points that I had underlined before that once again really spoke to me. I thought I would share a few.

"Gradually I realized it's impossible to truly give yourself in prayer for your husband without first examining your own heart...I had to first pray God's favorite three-word prayer: 'Change me, Lord' " The verse she gives to go along with this is Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear"

"Let go of as many expectations as possible. The changes you try to make happen in your husband, or that your husband tries to make in himself to please you, are doomed to failure and will bring disappointment for you both. Instead, ask God to make any necessary changes" Ecclesiates 3:14 "whatever God does, it shall be forever, Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it" Psalm 62:5 "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him"

She also talks about creating a haven at home for your husband. "Part of making a house a home is allowing your husbnad to be the head so you can be the heart"

There is so much more in just the first chapter. It is such a wonderful reminder to always be in prayer for my husband and that God has given me the privilege as his "second half" to pray for him in a unique way that no one else can.

Some other things...

I thought I would update what we've been doing at home in a separate post.

As for home, we are beginning to work on getting things ready for the baby's arrival. This past weekend we bought a new dresser at IKEA for Ethan so that we could move his (which has the changing table on top) into the girl's room. We rearranged the furniture some to fit it into the room. The plan right now is for Matt to build Ethan a loft bed so that Hailey can have his toddler bed (right now she is sleeping in the crib with the side rail off).

Work on the kitchen is continuing. I feel bad because I can't help much with the work but Matt is working on it in the few spare moments we have.

As for the baby, I had an appointment with my Midwife on July 22nd. All is looking well, my BP was good, weight gain was good and the baby's heart rate was in the 140's. She continues to be very active. The kids are loving it because she is pretty responsive to when they rub or press on my belly so they've gotten quite a few kicks in response. It's hard to believe that I'm 28 wks already. Time is still flying by. Now that we have the dresser for her I need to get some Tide Free & Clear and wash all of her clothes to see what she still needs.

I also had my glucose test on the 22nd and since I haven't heard anything from my midwife I'm assuming that no news is good news and I passed. I also got all the paperwork for the cord blood donation filled out and signed so that went in the mail today.

So that's a quick update on what is going on in our lives here at home. I hope you are all having a great summer.

Our Vacations...so far :)

One of the reasons I've been so bad at getting blogs written is because of the busyness of our summer. As I mentioned in a previous post we took a "mini-vacation" the last weekend in June. We went to Whitefield, NH with Matt's company (each year they give trips to the employees). It was nice to have a long weekend to relax and spend as a family. I thought I'd share a couple pictures that I took that weekend.

One of the things we tried to do was to take the kids on the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln. Unfortunately, as we were pulling out of the station the train broke down. The kids still had a great time playing on the "trains" in the playground there and after they played we took them on the Tram up Canon Mountain.

At the playground:

On top of Canon Mtn. with daddy.

Also, as previously mentioned we took a trip to VA to spend some time at my sister-in-law's house. We drove at night so the kids could sleep; this worked really well for the kids but I have to admit it was rough for me, not sure if it's because I'm pregnant or just getting old :) because we have done overnight driving many times before.

We had a wonderful visit with both my sister-in-law and mother-in-law. The kids had a great time playing in the pool that Auntie Manda bought for them. We also took them to the Life Sciences Museum in Durham, NC (again, thanks to the family membership we were given, this was free). The museum was nice because it had both indoor and outdoor exhibits. Here are a few pictures from our time in VA.

Being VERY silly in front of the sand sculpture:

Playing in the pool:

Another silly one..yes that's the bag for a camping chair that she's standing in:

At the museum, in a space "pod":

The ant farm was really cool:

In the butterfly house:

So as you can see we've been making many great memories. We still have one more trip before our summer vacations end. We are headed to AZ with my parents. We leave this Saturday for a week. We will be seeing the Grand Canyon and other sights there so I will try to upload pictures soon after we get back.

A quick update.

I had mentioned in a previous post that I did not want to buy a contoured changing pad because they were so expensive ($22). A few weeks back I went yard-saling with my neighbor and found a contoured changing pad in perfect condition for $1 !! I was so excited, at the same yard sale I found 3 adorable dresses for Hailey for 0.50 each.

Another "deal" I was able to get was on the infant car seat. The car seat we used for the other two kids is going to expire and the plastic is showing some wear so to be safe we wanted to replace it. The one I wanted (it has the highest safety ratings) was $130. I received a notice from Babies-R-Us that if I set up a registry I could get a $10 gift card. I decided to register, even though this is our 3rd, so that I could get the gift card. In a separate mailing from Babies-R-Us I received a coupon for $20 off any car seat. So using those two combined I was able to get the car seat for only $100. I know this may still sound expensive but it's actually quite reasonable for an infant seat, plus we are not willing to compromise on the safety of the seats we buy for our kids.

It's been a blessing to find so many useful things for so little money. I 've really been trying to use coupons more and look around for deals and it has been exciting to see how God has provided.

A busy summertime.

Summer always seems to be such a busy time for us and this year is no different. We have been enjoying trips to the park, visiting friends, and a mini-vacation so far.

Today I am taking the kids to the Boston Children's Museum (thanks to a museum membership we received as a family Christmas gift it will be free). This saturday is our 2nd annual block/street party with our neighbors. It's always fun to get to know the people who live on our street a bit better and the kids have fun playing with all the other kids on the street.

Next week we head to VA to spend some time at my sister-in-laws. My mother-in-law is flying to Thailand as a missionary on July 22nd so we will be able to spend some special time with her before she leaves (she is staying at my sister-in-laws).

I also have been in a very "crafty" mood lately (I think all of my nesting energy is going into doing crafts :) ) so I have crocheted a blanket and coming home outfit for the baby. As for the baby, she is doing well, she is still very active and growing bigger all the time. She seems to respond alot to when the kids talk to her (at my belly :) ). I have my next appointment on July 22nd.

Here are pictures of the items I've crocheted:

Craft Pictures.

Here are the pictures of the crafts I've done.  The first two are of the burp cloths & wash cloths that I have made.  The frog ones are more square and smaller (my first attempt).  The floral ones are larger and more rectangle.  I love how the sling came out.  I just put Hailey in it to see how it works but she loves it :). 

Crafts

I just wanted to share a couple of crafting things that I have done recently.  I'll have to take pictures to post but most of what I've made is in Hailey's closet and I don't want to wake her up.

Lately I've been doing baby stuff, of course :)  So far I've made some flannel burp cloths, wash cloths, and a ring sling.  I've also made a tablecloth for my neighbor (she doesn't sew and asked if I would be willing to sew it if she brought me the material) and I'm going to be starting cushion covers for her (either tomorrow or the day after).   I had never done a tablecloth before (I know simple but still something new for me) and I've never done cushion covers so I'm enjoying the learning aspect of these projects.  Thankfully, she's not too particular and has said she doesn't need "perfection" and to do whatever is easiest for me.

I'd really like to make a changing pad for the top of the changing table (the contoured ones are $22 at Babies R Us) but so far I haven't found any patterns online.  I'm not sure if I could buy the foam and other materials for less money.  I also thought of just making a flat, thick changing pad, maybe use waterproof material and then make some cute covers (think pillowcase style) for it.  Any ideas?

Yes, I'm still around :)

It seems like forever since I've sat down and written.  Life has been so busy and with the warmer weather there just seems to be so much more to do.

I'll give a summary as to what we've been up to the past month or so.

This pregnancy is going well.  The baby is healthy and is getting more & more active.  I was 20 weeks on Saturday so we're half-way there.  We found out at my 17 week ultrasound that we are expecting another baby girl.  She is healthy, which is the most important thing.  Hailey is excited to be getting "our" baby and is looking forward to giving the baby her bed (Hailey sleeps in the crib with one side rail off so it's more like a toddler bed).  Ethan was a bit disappointed at first because he really wanted a baby brother but he has adjusted and said he needs to get the baby a princess outfit.  

It is amazing to me how that God uses every occasion in our lives to teach and mold us.  I recently became aware of how much my attitude was being affected by the world and things that I was reading and allowing to come into my mind.  I "thought" it was just pregnancy hormones but after prayer (and a good "talking-to" from my husband) I realized just how pervasive I had allowed these things to become.  I thank God for my husband who will "tell it like it is" to me (in love of course ;) ).   So other than a recent attitude adjustment I'm doing well with this pregnancy :)

In other "news" my grandmother passed away last Tuesday (May 27th).  She had fallen a couple weeks before and broken 6 ribs.  Apparently that fall caused a blood clot which caused a pulmonary embolism.  She passed very quickly and we rejoice that she is home with the Lord and not suffering anymore.  Per her request my younger brother performed the funeral service and did a wonderful job.  He presented a very clear gospel message while also honoring my grandmother with a very personal touch.  

I have to say one of the blessings of my grandmother's passing was to see the tender hearts that my children have for people.  On Tuesday, after receiving the call from my mom that my grandmother had passed, I explained to the kids that we would be going north to spend the day with Mimi.  I explained that Mimi might be sad and they may see her cry.  We talked about my gram and that while we are happy that she's with Jesus we miss her and so are sad.  My son's first response after hearing that Mimi might be sad was "mommy, if I give Mimi a hug will that help her not be so sad?", my daughter immediately piped in with "I'll give her kisses so she's not so sad".  I said that was a wonderful idea.  A little while later my son came up to me and quietly said "mommy, I'm going to draw Mimi a picture of a smiley face so that she can be happy" he proceeded to go downstairs pull out paper & crayon and draw a smiley face inside of a heart.  He guarded that picture all the way to my mom's house and explained why he had drawn the picture.  These may sound like small things but it was encouraging to me to see them both thinking of how to help others and coming up with ideas of their own.

While we are certainly saddened to not have my gram here with us it has been such a wonderful reminder of the blessings God gives to us here on earth and also the eternal blessings that as believers we will have when we pass from this life.

So that is a basic summary of the big events in our lives.  

Some Quick recipes.

Lately I haven't been feeling my best so I've been depending on some quick recipes I have. I thought I would share a few of these.  They are quick to throw together and really good.

CHICKEN ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes

4 TBS butter, divided

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 can (14 oz) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and halved

¼ cup flour

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup dry bread crumbs

1 tsp dried savory

1 tsp thyme

Hot cooked noodles or rice

In a skillet, saute chicken in 1 TBS butter until no longer pink.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place chicken and artichokes in a greased 9 x 13 pan, set aside.  In a saucepan, melt remaining butter; stir in flour and nutmeg until smooth.  Gradually add broth.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in cheese until melted, spoon over chicken.  Combine bread crumbs, savory and thyme; sprinkle over chicken.   Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve over noodles or rice.  Yield: 4-6 servings.

TACO SALAD MADE OVER

4 Tortillas

1 lb ground turkey

1 TBS chili powder OR 1 envelope taco seasoning

½ cup salsa

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups salad greens

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 lg tomato, chopped

Ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place tortillas over balls of foil.  Bake for 6 – 8 minutes until tortillas are lightly brown and crisp.  Brown meat in skillet.  Add chili powder (or seasoning), salsa and beans.  Cook until heated thru.  Serve over greens in tortilla bowls  Top with cheese, tomato and dressing. Yield: 4

CHICKEN & STUFFING BAKE

1 ¼ cup boiling water

4 TBS melted butter

4 cups stuffing

4 – 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Paprika

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix water and butter.  Add stuffing, mix lightly.  Spoon stuffing along center of 9 x 13 pan.  Arrange chicken on each side of stuffing and sprinkle with paprika.  Mix soup, milk and parsley.  Pour over chicken.  Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is done.  Yield 4 – 6 

PICANTE BROCCOLI CHICKEN SALAD

½ cup mayo

¼ cup picante sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

½ – 1 tsp chili powder

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup chopped tomato

½ cup shredded cheddar

½ cup chopped green onion

½ cup julienned green pepper

½ cup julienned red bell pepper

Tortillas, warmed

In large bowl combine mayo, picante, garlic and chili powder.  Mix well.  Add chicken, broccoli, tomato, cheese, onion and peppers.  Toss to coat.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.  Serve wrapped in tortillas. Yield: 4 – 6

RAVIOLI WITH PESTO AND ARTICHOKES

2 (10oz) pkgs ravioli

1 (7oz) pkg pesto

1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped

Chopped black olives

Parmesan cheese

Cook ravioli according to package.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Serve with grated Parmesan. Yield: 4 (You can throw in some cooked chicken or other meat to make this a meal).

Some other things I've done lately is to make a big pan of something (for example I made stuffed shells the other night) and then just have leftovers for a day or two (thankfully my husband likes leftovers).  Also, we had a "breakfast for dinner" night.  I made a large batch of pancakes and cooked up some bacon.  The leftover pancakes provided quick breakfast for a few days too (just popped them in the toaster to reheat).  

My appointment

I just wanted to update on how things are going so far.  I had my appointment today with my midwife.  When I had my ultrasound they said my due date was Oct. 18th (so I would be 14 wks now) but when they sent the report to my midwives they said that my due date was Oct. 6th (making me a little over 15 wks) so we're not really sure.  I told my midwife I'm sticking with the Oct. 18th date since Hailey was late.  That way if I'm late it won't seem it (as long as I have this baby by the 18th).  

Anyway, my appointment today went well.  My B/P was 98/52 so she was happy with that.  The babies heartrate was 152 and the baby was pretty active again today.  I have my next appointment on May 12th.  I also have my ultrasound appointment that day.  One reason for the ultrasound is to follow-up because there was a spot of blood in my uterus on the 1st ultrasound.  Apparently, this is very common and usually clears up quickly.  I've had no complications so I'm sure this will be fine.  We will also find out if this baby is a boy or girl (which we're all looking forward to knowing). :)  

My dollar store finds.

Today I took a trip to the Dollar Tree down the street.  I'm always amazed at the things they carry there.  I had seen that they carry party goods so I decided to look for the supplies for my daughter's birthday party (she has decided she wants a pink birthday).  

I was able to get pink cups, plates, plastic ware, tablecover and napkins.  I also found some adorable invitations.  She also requested a castle cake.  I had been pricing the Disney princess cake figurines online and the cheapest I had seen was $10 for a set of 4.  The Dollar Store had 3 of the figurines for a dollar each (since she's going to be 3yrs old I figured this would work perfect).  The store also has chips, pretzels, pickles and other foods which will work perfect for the cookout we're planning to have (didn't pick these up today).  

I was so pleased to find all the supplies for so much less than I would have paid at the party store or even Target.  I often don't think of going to the dollar store but I'm definitely going to try to be better about checking here (they also had organic green tea bags & 100% Apple juice).  I'm always pleased when I find deals like this. 

God's purpose for me...

A while back I was reading an article about God's purpose for women.  The author focused on how we are to help our husbands and care for our homes and children.  I knew this but was reminded of this today.

I won't go into a lot of detail, so I apologize in advance if this is a bit confusing.  Today a situation occured in our family where I was not able to be the helper.  It was beyond my control (but certainly not God's) and I had to give the situation completely over to God.  While this was a great reminder that God is in control I was amazed at the feeling I had of being displaced.  Someone else was taking on my role of helper (granted for a very short and necessary time).  

After thinking this over and praying about it I am very thankful that God allowed this situation into my life.  Oftentimes I can take for granted, and dare I admit, resent the helping position God has placed me in (Selfishness can crowd so much joy from our lives).  This situation has made me so grateful for the family and home that God has given to me and the privilege that I have to serve and help them each day.  I was reminded of just how much they mean to me and how I must guard my heart from selfishness and ungratefulness.  

When I mentioned this to my husband he described it as "protective".  After thinking over several verses that speak of being the keep of the home.  I agree with him.  How protective we as mothers & wives need to be of our families and the things we allow to enter our homes.  While I could not (and it wouldn't have been wise to) prevent the situation today it was a good reminder to me to truly be the keeper (some devotionals I've read have said this is akin to a gate-keeper) of my home.

Cord blood donation

I've been wanting to write this blog for a while but as usual time & the energy to write rarely coincide. When I was pregnant with Ethan I received many brochures, mailings and information on banking/storing the cord blood for later use. The stem cells in cord blood are being successfully used to treat over 70 diseases (such as leukemia, non-hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma and many others). After looking over the information it was clear that the cost of storing the blood was way out of our reach financially and because we are very low risk for inherited disorders (also being successfully treated) we opted against storing the blood. When I was pregnant with Hailey I saw a special on Discovery Health Channel about a boy who was successfully treated for leukemia with cord blood stem cells. By the end of the special I was so in awe of how valuable this blood (the stem cells) are. At the end of the special they discussed how you can now donate the blood if you do not want to store it. What a great idea! I mentioned it to Matt when he got home and decided that I definitely wanted to donate. I contacted a company called Cryobanks International (based in Florida and a reputable company) that has an international database for hospitals to use. I filled out a quick health questionnaire online and requested an information packet. I received a more extensive health questionnaire in the mail, filled it out and mailed it back. Then I received the packet of materials that would be needed. I had discussed this with my midwife and she was willing to do the extra collection step. When Hailey was born my midwife followed the detailed instructions and collected the valuable blood. It was packaged in a postage paid fed-ex package and the nurse called to let them know it was ready to be picked up. That's it! It was such a simple process to give someone the chance at a new life. Plus it's great to know that if my children ever had one of these conditions there is a place we can go to to receive these life-giving cells, one where no human life has been destroyed. By the way, none of these diseases that are being successfully treated with cord blood stem cells can be successfully treated with embryonic stem cells. So if you are pregnant, or know someone who is I would strongly encourage you to consider donating the cord blood. I know I will be going thru this process again and will be donating this baby's cord blood also.

How willing are we to change?

Once again, I've had this blog floating around in my mind but finding the time to sit down and put my thoughts together has been a challenge lately.  Usually by the time the kids go to bed I'm too exhausted to put thoughts together. :)

I've been attending a Bible Study at church and we have been studying the book by June Kimmel entitled "That I may Know Him".  It's a wonderful book teaching the truths of God and showing how He worked in individual lives.  She takes you thru how God worked in Hagar's life, the woman at the well, and Hannah's life.  Right now we are going thru the chapters dealing with the woman at the well.

One of the things we were discussing was how Jesus broke the social "rules" and went thru Samaria.  He showed by His example that we are not to judge or neglect people based on race, history or our social perceptions of them.  In John 4:1-42 this event is relayed and not only did the woman marvel that he spoke to her (Jews did not like the Samaritans and avoided even passing thru Samaria) but his disciples also were suprised that he talked to her.

Jesus saw this woman's great need to believe.  She was a an outcast from the Jews because she was Samaritan and an outcast among her own people (she had been married & divorced 5 times and was now with a man that she was not married to).  How often do we look at someone and think "they would never come to Christ" or not even think of speaking to them because of some sin we know of in their life or because of how we might be perceived among our own friends/social group.  

Not only did Jesus minister to this woman and reveal that he was indeed the Messiah she was waiting for (which was an enormous privilege, seeing as he didn't admit this to many) but He also challenged his disciples to look and see the Samaritans that needed him that needed to be told the good news, that Jesus is the Savior they have been waiting for.  

Many times the Holy Spirit convicts us of something in our life and we may admit it needs to be changed but how many times do we just continue on our comfortable path. One of the most encouraging things to me thru studying this is the realization that the disciples took to heart what Jesus had said and done (Jesus stayed with the Samaritans for two days ministering to them).  In Acts chapter 8 the account is given of how Peter and John returned to Samaria to minister to the Samaritans.  How wonderful for them to minister to and fellowship with these believers, think of how much they would have missed out on if they had not followed Jesus' example to overcome the social barriers and see these men and women as lost souls needing Jesus and then as fellow believers.

I think one of the reasons this truth really spoke to me is that I have recently read a book entitled "Light Force" written by Brother Andrew (the author of "God's Smuggler").  In this book he shares his dealings with the Christian church in Palestine.  Many times we see this region of the world as being all Muslim (who, by the way desperately need Christ and should be in our prayers also) and don't realize that we have brothers & sisters in Christ desperately trying to reach out to those around them with the Gospel.  In one particular chapter it discusses a camp that they have set up where Jewish believers and Arab believers are sent into the desert together to labor and worship together, to break down those social barriers and predisposed ideas and to see each other as brothers and sisters.  What a powerful picture of what Jesus was doing when he went to Samaria!  May we all see each person for the truth of what they are, a soul that Jesus loves and longs for them to come to Him.  What a powerful reminder to always be aware that nothing is impossible with God and that only He knows where a person's heart is!  May we be diligent in sowing the seeds that God has called us to, regardless of who that person may be.

Blessings from God

I've had this bouncing around in my head for a few days but haven't had the time to sit down and write.  So here goes...

I had my ultrasound on Tuesday.  After some confusion which caused them to be 1/2 hour late getting to me, things went great.  I had given the kids the choice to either come in with me or stay in the waiting room with my mother-in-law (she was down visiting for Easter and a few days).  Ethan decided to stay with her but Hailey came in with me.

The baby was very active which is always fun to see and the heartrate was 160 bpm.  Hailey was fascinated by watching the baby, I'm sure she's going to make a great big sister.  One of the "highlights" was getting to listen to the heartbeat.  I know it might sound corny or cliche but it's always emotional for me the first time I hear my child's heartbeat.  After chasing the baby for a few minutes the technician was finally able to get some pictures to measure how far along I am.  I was 10 weeks 3 days on Tuesday so my due date is October 18th.

After getting home the kids wanted to see pictures online of what the baby looks like at this stage. So we went online and looked at pictures and read about how developed the baby is at this point.  I wanted to share this information here:

(this was taken from www.babycenter.com)

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

This just reminded me of what an awesome God we serve and how he cares about us and knows us even at our smallest.  This is such a comfort to me that God knows this child, it's unique personality, needs and path.  That God, in His Word,  has provided all the resources Matt & I will need for parenting 3 unique children.  I wanted to share a couple verses that I was reminded of while reading this description.

Psalm 139 1:1-18

 1O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

 2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

 3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

 4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

 5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

 7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

 11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

 13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Easter Dinner...What's on the menu?

I thought it would be fun to share what our menus for Easter dinner will be.  We will be hosting my mother-in-law, my brother-in-law and his family and possibly a close friend of ours.  My menu will be:

Spiral Ham

Scalloped Potatoes 

Asparagus

Cauliflower

Salad

Bread (my brother-in-law will be bringing this so not sure what kind)

Nana's Apple Cake (a Tastefully Simple product)

God's direction for our family

I know it's been awhile since I've updated this.  Life has been crazy.  My husband got home from India on the 14th.  We were all VERY happy to see him.  I was a bit surprised at just how much it affected the kids.  They both, at different times, started sobbing because they missed him so much.  Thankfully, he had a smooth trip and actually arrived home earlier than we expected.  This is almost unheard of because India is notorious for delayed flights.  

So this past week we have been adjusting back into our routines while he adjusts back to this time zone.  

I wanted to tell a funny story on how God changes the direction of our lives.  My daughter was born 3 yrs ago (in May) and at that time we said "that's it we have two we're done".  Neither of us had any desire to have any more children.  We sold or gave away almost all of our baby gear and I sold my maternity clothes on E-bay.  We were very content with two children and felt that our family was complete.  

Over the past year I've had thoughts of maybe wanting another child but would always go back to the fact that we were settled and that I was to be content with the two beautiful, healthy children that God has blessed us with.  Well, in February I wasn't feeling well and was having some strange symptoms so I took a pregnancy test and it was positive.  At first it was a shock but over the last few weeks I have already begun to feel an attachment to this new life growing inside me.  I still can't imagine what it will be like to have three children but I am grateful to God and enjoying the fact that His plans are best and I should never say never to Him :)  

I had my first appointment with my midwife today.  We were able to catch the sound of the heartbeat for a second.  The baby was very active so we weren't able to get a heart rate but I will be having a dating ultrasound on Tuesday to determine my due date (I always have to have one because we can't tell how far along I am without one).

So, our family will be growing.  I am grateful that God has chosen to bless us with another gift from heaven.  I just wanted to share this news and would covet your prayers for a healthy pregnancy and baby.  This blog isn't going to turn into a "pregnancy" blog but I will probably update after my appointments.

Back from being MIA

Wow, this past week has been very busy.  Last week I helped my husband pack up and head to India for a two-week business trip.  Thankfully he has arrived safely and is doing well.  With him leaving I had extra preparations to do (i.e. making sure all the laundry was caught up so he would have everything he needed to pack, etc.).  

I decided to take a few days and spend them with my parents so on Friday I packed the three of us up and headed north.  We had a nice time visiting with my parents Friday evening.  On Saturday some very close family friends joined us for dinner, it was very nice to visit with them and the food was delicious (they actually brought dinner to my parent's house).  On Sunday we went to church with my parents.  It happened to be the day for their monthly fellowship dinner.  It was nice to once again visit with old friends and enjoy some very yummy food. 

 On Monday my mother-in-law joined us and we headed to the Simon Pearce Glassblowing workshop.  The kids had been very excited about going to see the glassblowing, unfortunately the workshop and store were closed for inventory & furnace cleaning.  I decided to take advantage of being so close to where I grew up and took a trip down memory lane.  Showing the kids where I lived and around the town I grew up in, they also saw the church that my father was pastor of for several years.  We stopped at Applebees for lunch and then back to my parent's house.  

Monday night we went to visit my grandmother who is now in a nursing home.  It was great to see her and she really seemed to enjoy the kids being there.  On the way back we stopped at my other grandmother's house for a bit.  It was so nice to see them both as it's usually months in between visits.  

Today we spent the morning packing up and are now home.  My mom was very kind and did all my laundry while I was there so I was able to come home and not have a lot of housework to do.  

Tomorrow is back to our "normal" schedule.  We'll go to storytime in the morning and then to prayer meeting tomorrow night.  It was a very nice time away but I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight :)  

Kids & Vegetables

It seems that the topic of how to get kids to eat their vegetables is one that has come up a lot in recent conversations I've had.  So, I decided to put together some recipes that my kids really like.  I have to say, my kids have never really given us trouble in this area.  Ethan would be vegetarian if we let him.  While Hailey prefers carbs (pasta, bread, cheese, etc) she will eat vegetables.  But, these are some recipes I've come across and thought I'd share them.

Broccoli & Cheddar Nuggets

1 16oz pkg frozen broccoli, cooked, drained and finely chopped

1 cup bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients.  Shape mixture into nuggets and place on greased baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes.  Serve warm.

Stuffed Vegetables

3 bell peppers, halved & seeded

2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed.

1 lb ground turkey

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp ground mustard

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 cup Spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together all ingredients, except vegetables, sauce and mozzarella.  Chill, prepare vegetables.  Fill vegetables with filling (this will fill them generously).  Ladle spaghetti sauce evenly over each vegetable.  Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese.  Bake 40 minutes.  **I have used just zucchini or just peppers (whatever was on sale)**  It's like a pizza on a vegetable!

Vegetable pockets

1 can buttermilk biscuits OR your favorite dinner roll dough

whatever vegetables you like, finely chopped and sauted until tender, drain any extra juice.

Shredded cheddar cheese

Pizza sauce, if desired (this is totally optional and will obviously go better with some vegetables)

Roll out each biscuit to approximately 6 inches.  Fill with 2 TB vegetable mixture, cheese and sauce (if using)  fold in half and seal edges.  Cut a small vent hole in the top.  Bake at 375 13-15 minutes.  ** You can also freeze these before cooking them.  To Bake place frozen pockets on ungreased sheet, bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

**these pockets are so versatile and a frequent request from my kids.  Just use your imagination for fillings.  One thing to make sure of is that whatever you use is not too wet.

Cauliflower & Cheese soup

1 Medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook cauliflower in chicken stock until tender.  Do not drain.  Cool a bit.  Run thru blender until desired texture (for a chunkier soup just mash with a hand masher).  Set aside.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add onion and saute until limp.  Do not brown.  Mix in flour, salt & pepper.  Add milk.  Heat and stir until it boils and thickens.  Add cheese and cauliflower mixture.  Stir to heat and melt cheese. 

A couple other suggestions I've heard recently are:

*chop up extra vegetables and put in spaghetti sauce, on pizzas or in chili (if your kids will eat that)

*puree butternut squash until very smooth, add to macaroni and cheese

* Shred carrots and add to macaroni and cheese

*slip some finely chopped vegetables into a grilled cheese sandwich.

A lesson on prayer.

Prayer is a topic that I've been studying lately.  I have been learning so much and am more amazed each day at the wisdom of the God that I serve.  

This past week I read about when God answers prayer.  While most of it was a review there was one thing that struck me as very profound and something I'd "read over" many times but had never hit me.  Under this subject of God answers it was said that while we always want a "Yes" to our requests God's other answers include "No", "Wait" and "Trust".  I had heard that before but one of the examples that was given was of Mary & Martha when Lazarus died (John 11).  These women who loved Jesus and were friends of his sent him a message telling him that Lazarus was very ill.  But notice Jesus' response in verses 4-6.  He didn't run right to them.  He simply stated that Lazarus wouldn't die from this illness, Jesus loved Mary & Martha yet he stayed where he was for 2 more days before going to them!  His answer to their request was "wait".  

To these women the situation looked hopeless.  Jesus hadn't come, Lazarus had died and was now buried.  When Jesus shows up they even say "if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (verse 21), while Jesus was sad and deeply affected by the death of Lazarus He knew that a greater purpose would be served (refer to verse 4).  Jesus then raises Lazarus from the dead (proving that the sicknes wasn't "unto death") and many that were gathered there to comfort Mary & Martha believed on Jesus (verse 45).

If Jesus had come right away and healed Lazarus it could have been said that Lazarus simply recovered; however, there was no doubting the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (the Son of God was glorified, verse 4).  Not only that but there would not have been all the other mourners there (verses 18 & 19 state that many Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort Mary & Martha in their loss).  Jesus waited to come so that all these people would be there, as witnesses to this miracle that many would believe on him and gain eternal life.

So often our vision is so narrow and clouded that we can't see the whole picture.  Praise God that we serve Him who knows all and will answer our prayers according to His purposes and His timing.  When, from a human standpoint, all seemed hopeless God was working to bring glory to His Son and many to a saving faith!  

I would encourage you to read thru this chapter and prayerfully apply these truths to situations in your own life that may seem hopeless, or discouraging and thank God that He knows the beginning from the end and will work all things for His glory (John 11:4, 40), our good (Jeremiah 29:11) and for our growth (Hebrews 13:20-21).

A yummy recipe to share.

For the last couple days I've really been wanting some cinnamon rolls.  While I love the thought of having warm rolls for breakfast getting up at 4am to make them wasn't something I loved the thought of doing.  I found this recipe for overnight cinnamon rolls so I decided to try them.  They were very easy to put together and very yummy (not to mention how nice the house smelled this morning as they were baking).  Next time I will cut the recipe in half because this makes 24 rolls (the recipe didn't say how many it would make).  At least we have cinnamon rolls for awhile :)

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls:*

Dough:

1/4 Cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 pkg dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)

2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil (I used olive oil)

1 1/2 tsp salt

6-7 cups flour

Filling:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-2 TB cinnamon

Softened butter

Pecans and/or raisins (optional)

Icing: (if desired)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 TB cinnamon

3-4 TB milk (or until desired consistency)

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the first 3 ingredients, let stand until yeast is dissolved.  Add the remaining dough ingredients and mix well.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky.  Place in greased bowl and cover.  Let rest 3-4 hours.  Roll out dough into a large rectangle.  Spread generously with softened butter.  Mix sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle heavily over butter.  If using chopped pecans or raisins sprinkle these over sugars.  Roll up the rectangle starting from the short end seal edge.  cut into 1-inch slices and place into ungreased 9X13 pans.  Cover, put in refrigerator to rise over night.  

The next morning take out of refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Uncover rolls and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool Slightly.  Drizzle with icing.  Yield: 24

* you will want to start these early in the evening as they do need to rise 3-4 hrs before shaping and putting into the fridge.

An enjoyable weekend.

This weekend was much different then we had planned it but as with so many other times God's plans were truly the best.

Our original plan for the weekend was to meet up on Saturday with my parents and some of my other relatives for a dinner at a local restaurant.  Sunday's plans were to go to church and then to a birthday party for my neighbor's son.  

Due to some sickness and the weather the dinner for Saturday was at first cancelled but after talking to my parents they decided to come down anyway and that we would just go to dinner with them and then they would spend the night.  My kids were so excited to have Mimi & Papa spending the night.  Dinner was yummy!  Since my husband needed a tool for some remodeling we're doing  we headed to do a little shopping.  Although he wasn't able to find the tool that he needed we had a nice time out.  After getting the kids in bed my mom & I settled in to watch a movie we had rented called "Life is Beautiful".  It's a very stirring story and is one that will stay with you long after the end of the movie.  We both enjoyed it, although the subtitles weren't my mom's favorite :)

On Sunday my mom was not feeling well so she stayed home while we and my dad headed to church.  It was a nice time at church.  My parent's headed out shortly after lunch but it was so nice to relax and visit with them.  The kids had a lot of fun playing with them and are looking forward to the next time they can see them.  

So, although we missed out on the birthday party, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend.  I'm very grateful for my parent's and the close relationship that we have.   

Something New

After reading several different blogs I was inspired to start my own.  This is something new for me so we'll see how it goes.  My vision for this blog is to share parenting, cooking, crafting, Biblical truths I'm learning, and other life anecdotes.  

As the name of my blog suggests I was raised in two small towns (one until I was 12 and the other until I was out of college).  I love country life so it was a big change to move the the city after graduating college.  Since then I have married a wonderful man (also from a small town) who, alas, loves "being near everything".   This has created a growing experience for me; something, I admit, that has not always been easy.  Thankfully God is teaching me contentment and helping me to realize that it's not where I'm planted but how I grow in that place, that really matters.  

So feel free to stop by anytime. 

Before I close this I will share one "lightbulb" moment that God led me to this week.  It is easy to dwell on what we think our lives "should" be or what our "dream" life would be but God has promised that his plans are for our good.  Many times I've thought "if I only lived in the country then..." most of those "then" statements had to do with how my home would be run.  Crafts I would do, activities I would do with the kids, etc.  This week I realized that I can have those moments right here, I don't need the trees and quiet to enjoy those things.  This may sound foolish to many of you but it's so easy to get caught up in what I want and be pulled away by my own desires rather than realizing that God has provided many of the same (and many other) opportunities to enjoy Him, my family and the home he has blessed me with.

Some of these things that I have incorporated (not just this week, some of these I've been doing since I was married, it's just my attitude that has changed) are baking my own bread, canning applesauce and jams, sewing, crocheting and menu planning.  These have always been somewhat therapeutic activities for me, there's something about doing a task that women have been doing since Eve left the garden, and the physical labor of these things that is so very rewarding.  Again, it is not so much that my activities have drastically changed but that my attitude in doing those activities has changed; and after all, isn't that really what's important.

My disclaimer here is that I truly hope this doesn't sound prideful, I still have a lot of learning to do but it has been such a blessing and encouragement to realize truths about God and to truly meditate on his goodness.