Insurance

I calculated today how much we pay a month for health insurance for our family of 3. Each month we pay $650 through John's work. So thankfully, that means they are paying a portion of the costs. We still have $25 co-payment at the doctors and our prescriptions are $50 a pop. I'm totally shocked when I look at that number - $650!! That is $7,800 a year! Thankfully when we become a family of 4 later this year, the cost will not go up. BUT...it just makes me think - no wonder so many people in America cannot afford rising health care costs. I'm thankful for insurance and wouldn't want to not have it but my goodness, it is a lot of money. I feel so blessed to be able to have it for our family but again am just astonished when I look at the number and feel for so many other people who cannot afford to have insurance.

Garden

We finally got our vegetable garden planted. I can't wait for the plants to all start popping up so we can watch them grow. Joshua planted all the seeds and was a big helper.

Joshua's Room Makeover - Finally DONE!

We finally finished Joshua's room this morning. I think it looks really good and we really trimmed corners to save money. First by repainting a 30 year old bed red to look brand new. Then for art we had Joshua paint pictures and framed them for over his bed. Of course, we painted ourselves and I was able to find a great bedding set at Target for a good price.

Baby Blanket

As I mentioned in this post, after making some burp clothes for the little guy growing inside me, I decided to make a baby blanket using this pattern. It turned out really great, is super soft, and was very easy. I made 3 burp clothes and the blanket in 1 hour 15 minutes. I have more material left and am going to attempt to make a diaper/wipee holder next. I would say the 5 burp clothes (I made 2 earlier) and blanket cost me total about $8-10.

We've had a busy week and I haven't had much time to blog..so here is a picture! The 2nd picture is a flower arrangement picked and arranged specifically by Joshua for our dinner table.

Pregnancy Pic - 22 weeks

So when it's your body you really have no idea how much you are showing until you take a picture. I can't believe that I'm showing this much!! I mean I know my belly is getting bigger and I absolutely have to wear maternity clothes now but when you look at it like this it's amazing! I am TOTALLY having a "OH MY GOSH - I'm actually pregnant" moment!

Burp Clothes

I've gotten so behind on craft projects so I really enjoyed getting some done recently. I needed to get some gifts made for my brother's baby shower this weekend...so I made some burp clothes and made a few extra for our baby too. I'm also going to make a baby blanket using that cute choo-choo material with this pattern.

Chicken Salad

I have been craving apples through most of my pregnancy but now I'm onto Chicken Salad. So I figured I'd post a picture and this simple recipe for it since I'm eating it 2-4 times a week right now. Thankfully John humors me and let's me continue to fix it for dinner even though it has become a little excessive. :)Chicken Salad

• 2-4 breasts of boneless chicken (depending on serving size)
• Italian dressing
• Lettuce greens
• Salad fixins'

Marinate chicken breasts in italian dressing for about an hour. Grill until done. Cut up and serve warm onto of salad greens. I use lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, & cheese. You can use any salad dressing you like! Easy and delicious!!!

Strawberry Pickin'

This past Saturday we went Strawberry picking. Joshua had a blast! One of his favorite lines right now is "This way!" - as you can see by the first picture. He also loved picking the green strawberries - even though we kept telling him to only pick the red ones. Then, after picking the green ones, he would say, "Sorry green one." He had a great time also petting the farm dog!

Washing cars!

This is actually what we did last weekend...but I'm a little behind. Joshua had a great time helping daddy wash the cars.

Conversation Boxes

For our next MOPS meeting I'm in charge of creating the craft. We are making Conversation Boxes for the dinner table. I found some craft boxes at Oriental Trading company and we will be decopaging them then filling them with questions. I found this great resource for dinner topics and thought I would share. Sorry I don't have a picture.

http://parentsempowered.org/resources/conversation_jar.pdf

Naptime

Naptime at my house starts at 2ish. Joshua gets to pick out a few toys to bring to bed and then he does this fancy flip to get in his bed that signifies the beginning of naptime. (It's a flip over his bedrail - pretty fancy really. :) ) Anywho, he then proceeds to sit in there and play anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before finally falling asleep. IF he falls asleep. I have the joy of listening to his little mind at work during this time. It's hilarious to hear him talking to his toys cause he talks NON-stop in there. I always know it's about time for him to fall asleep when he starts telling all his toys one at a time that he loves them but bye-bye and then I hear a CLUNK as he throws the toy out of the bed onto the floor. It really is so sweet - but I guess he is practicing tough love - you were a good toy but you have to go. "Love you little red car, bye-bye little red car"...CLUNK.

Yesterday - updated

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my mom's death. I am so humbled by the many people who stopped to call me or write me yesterday. One of my dear friends had us over for dinner Sunday night and gave me a beautiful windchime to remember my mom. I am especially humbled that my mom's small bible study group is having a celebration in her honor tonight that they have invited us to. My mom was such a special lady and it's nice to know that even though she is gone she is not forgotten!

UPDATE: The celebration last night was absolutely wonderful. We were the guests of honor and were made to feel so special. First, there were about 15 "grandmothers" all spoiling Joshua. They even had some balloons for him that made his night. They started by saying a special prayer for my mom then we feasted on appetizers, a delicious dinner that they had made of chicken, roasted potatoes, squash casserole and more. Yummy! Then as if I wasn't full enough had a strawberry trifle for dessert. Next, they made a special presentation to me of a memorial brick that they had bought in honor of my mom to be placed in our church's courtyard. Finally, everyone shared stories about my mom. It was so wonderful to hear all those great stories of my mom and how she had touched each of their lives with her service and humility. It was a really special evening and I could not be more thankful for all they did. They are each such a blessing!

Poke Cake

One of my favorite spring/summer recipes - especially during strawberry season.

Poke Cake
1 white cake mix (prepared by directions in a 9 x 13 pan)
1 small box jello
1 tub cool whip
cut fruit of your choice

Prepare cake per the directions and let cool. Poke with a fork every one inch throughout the cake. Mix jello with 1 cup boiling water. Pour over cake and refridgerate one hour. Top with cool whip and serve with strawberries or other fruit.