Haven Swap

The ladies over at The Homespun Heart & With All I've been Given were kind enough to have a lovely swap that I participated in. Melody from Three Boys & A Dog was a great partner and sent me such wonderful things. My camera was still in the shop when I sent her box out so go to her site to check out what I sent her! Thanks Melody!!

P.S. I just noticed I forgot to include the picture frame she sent...I don't know how I forgot to take a picture of that as well...but there was a lovely frame too!

Seat Cover

I've been in a sewing mood lately...so I decided to upgrade the towel I've been using as a seat cover for Joshua's chair with something a little more formal and Joshua'ish. So I made this seat cover for his chair. There are straps on the back to tie to the back and on the sides to tie together underneath the seat. I used a thick fleece material for the bottom. I love having a cover on his seat since he often spills things and we do lots of crafts there so it saves my fabric seat from that mess too. And of course, this is easy to throw in the wash.

My Sweet Boy

I wish I was more consistent in blogging every day but some days just don't work out for me...so I'm trying to catch up. Anywho, Joshua loves to have his picture taken now and will tell me to take his picture if he thinks he is doing something cute. So the picture of him with the car was him trying to fit his Mr. Potato Head pieces on his car...the only thing that really worked was the glasses which he always says is "just like mommy" since I wear glasses when I don't have my contacts in. The other picture just made him look so innocent but don't be fooled. :)

Oh my!!

I just received my first award the other day then wow...I just received this other great award from Melody at Three Boys & a Dog. I'm so thrilled!!

You are supposed to give the award to 7 people. Some of these people just received the other award from me a few days ago so now they have been double awared....so I give this award to....

Sippycups are for Chardonnay

Our Sunshine Boys

Sarah
Wendi
Carrie
Natalie
Cindy

Please pass it on and let others know how much you love their blogs. :)

So close yet so far away...

I feel like I'm so close to having this baby but yet also so, so far away! It's driving me nuts. I'm SOOO ready!! The baby dropped earlier this week which made me very excited but otherwise, no change in my cervix or anything so still we wait. I have it stuck in my mind that it will be 3 weeks but I'm SOOO hoping it comes sooner. Thank goodness for a 3 day weekend to keep my mind off waiting. God is constantly teaching me patience and I continue to be a horrible student so I guess He just keeps on trying to teach me.

Pregnancy update & Nesting!

I think it's funny how different pregnancy is for everyone. All the symptoms I was expecting with pregnancy I never got...but all the ones I didn't expect - I did. I am still absolutely amazed at how God builds life through our bodies. It's so humbling to think that an actual human life is growing inside of me. I can't wait to meet our little guy!

As for an update, I'm measuring 2 weeks ahead and the baby is "locked and loaded"...okay not really, but I'm told..."in position and ready to go". My doctor and I am thinking it will be about 3-4 weeks...I'm hoping closer to 3. So we will see. I keep waiting for more "signs" that the little tike is ready to show his pretty little face...but haven't had many.

I am in nesting mode...but it's interesting how even nesting manifests itself in different ways. Nesting for me means stockpiling. For whatever reason, I feel it's necessary to stockpile everything. As if when the baby comes I nor anyone around me will have access to a grocery store what so ever...so I feel it's necessary to have crazy amounts of all things on hand. The instinct is also so strong I really can't NOT stockpile. I have even felt the need to make sure that all of Joshua's fall clothing has been purchased. But I am feeling pretty on top of everything right now. I haven't been cleaning all that much...just stockpiling...maybe the cleaning instinct is yet to come.

Finally, here is my 35 week pregnant belly pic.

Looky, looky!

I was just honored with a Gold 'Blogging Friends Forever' award! Our Sonshine Boys was kind enough to bestow this award on my blog. Thank you!!

Now it's my turn to spread the wealth!

The Blogging Friends Forever Rules are:

1. Only five people allowed.

2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog.

3. One has to be someone new, or recently new to your blog, or live in another part of the world.

4. You must link back to whoever gave you the 'Blogging Friends Forever' award.

Here are my chosen ones!

Sarah

Wendi

Carrie

Natalie

Cindy

Congratulations, Blogging Friends!

Now go forth and share your newly-won Gold Card with your Blogging Friends!

Freezer Meals Part 2

I am so tickled to already have 7 meals in my freezer. I'm sure it will be such a huge relief to have things already prepared and have one less thing to worry about as I adjust to becoming a mother of two! This week I made Chicken Enchiladas & Baked Ziti for the fridge. I have yet to make any bread for the freezer yet - but it's still on my list.

Chicken Enchiladas (This is an adaptation of an allrecipes.com recipe)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp margarine
1/2 onion diced
1 tsp taco seasoning
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
8 flour tortillas (large ones)
1 cup shredded Cheddar

Mix chicken soup & sour cream in small bowl. Set aside. Melt margarine in saucepan and saute onion & taco seasoning until tender. Add in chicken, peppers, and 2 tbsp of the soup mixture. Spoon 1/2 the soup mix in bottom of pan. I actually did 2- 8 x 8 pans and divided the soup in 1/4. Fill tortillas with 1/4 cup of mix. I put 4 tortillas in each of the pans. Cover with remaining soup and cheese. I cooked one that night and put the other in the freezer.

To bake from freezer. Thaw - cook in preheated at 350 for 25 minutes.

We both really liked this recipe!

Baked Ziti (This isn't very fancy but it's delicious!)
1 lb ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 - 8 oz container sour cream
2 cups cooked ziti noodles
2 cups mozzarella cheese
seasonings of your choice

Cook & drain ground beef - add spaghetti sauce. Layer 1/2 sauce/meat mix, 1/2 sour cream, 1/2 noodles, then 1/2 cheese. Repeat. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes. To freeze - freeze and cook frozen for about an hour.

Proverbs 31 Crafts

I have always loved Proverbs 31 and have especially become fond of it as a wife & mother as it speaks to the woman I strive to be. Monica at The Homespun Heart has been doing an amazing craft series focused on Proverbs 31 so I wanted to post a link to it and encourage you to take a look. I haven't had a chance to do any of the crafts yet, but am anxiously looking forward to as they are really great!

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Proverbs 31:10-31

My son hardly sleeps...

I have a 2 year old that only needs 9 hours of sleep a day...and it exhausts me. Thank goodness he is a happy child!

Freezer Meals - Part 1

As part of my preparations for the new baby, I have started planning & making some freezer meals to have on hand. I searched and found a ton of useful websites with lots of freezer meal ideas & recipes. I'm trying to take it slow so to start I baked 7 boneless chicken breasts yesterday and shredded them. Today I used the chicken to make 2 Chicken Pot Pies & Caesar Chicken Casserole.

Chicken Pot Pies
4 shredded/cooked breasts of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can veg-all (large)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
4 pie crusts

Mix ingredients together and split into 2 pie crusts. Cover with the other. Wrap & freeze. To bake: Thaw 1 1/2 hours then bake at 350 for 1 hour & 15 minutes.


Caesar Chicken Casserole Recipe was found at momsbudget.com here but I did modify mine..here is my modified recipe.

3 shredded/cooked chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced onions
1/3 cup light creamy Caesar dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 - 12-oz package tubed pasta (such as penne or macaroni), cooked and drained
1/4 cup croutons

Combine all ingredients but croutons, mixing well, in a 2 quart baking dish. Allow to cool and freeze. From freezer: Thaw casserole. Top with crushed croutons and bake in 350F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until topping is browned and casserole is bubbly.

I also made these Chocolate Chip Cookies this week and froze them. I did find I needed to cook them a little longer than stated - like 12-13 minutes but they are really good. Also, out of the freezer I found you can cut and bake them frozen and they turn out great!

Some of the great websites I found for freezer meals are listed below:

• The Freezer Chicks
• Mom's Budget
• Southern Living
• Mrs.Pear at Home
• Kids Cooking Activities

Next week I plan on making Baked Ziti & Bread for the freezer.

New Layout

Isn't my new layout pretty??? I'm so excited about it. Three Boys & a Dog recently changed her layout and recommended the free backgrounds at The Cutest Blog on the Block...so I went to check it out and it was SUPER easy to do and had lots of cute backgrounds. How fun!

Simplicity

At dinner last night we asked Joshua to pray for our food...which usually goes like this, mind you this is always said at WARP SPEED..."Jesus, thank you for our food, Amen." But last night, Joshua added in "thank you for Stegosauruses & triangles, Amen".

I love the simplicity of a child's prayer and what it can teach us. I think too often I get wrapped up in all the obvious prayer requests and needs and don't stop enough to thank God for the little things in life - like "Stegosauruses & triangles". So last night as we sat outside to play and "eat pickles (popsicles)" I couldn't help but be so incredibly thankful for my life. Things might not always go perfectly but we are so blissfully happy with our lives. I am so thankful that I get to stay home with Joshua and watch him giggle and play. I'm so delighted in how great a dad John is. I love that the simplicity of our lives means that sitting at home just being together as a family is more than enough for us. That we really need nothing more than "Stegosauruses & triangles."

"Always be joyful in the Lord! I'll say it again: Be joyful!"- Phil 4:4

My camera

My camera has been draining batteries like crazy all of a sudden so it is off to the shop. It's still under warranty so I wanted to get it in before the warranty runs out on Aug 24th. They said they will have it back to me in 10 business days which I am hoping is true...cause if not I'll be hijacking some one's camera on the way to the hospital if it's not here before the baby comes. Anyways, so sorry there will be no pictures for a couple of weeks. Now, I'm off to enjoy another beautiful day!

It is GORGEOUS outside!

We have spent pretty much all morning outside enjoying some very fall like weather. I turned off the air and have had the windows open too. It is incredible how beautiful it is!! Of course, the only downside is how much it's spoiling me for fall already. I'm ready for Harvest festivals, apples, pumpkins, cinnamon, and crisp morning air!!

Songs

Joshua loves to sing and is actually quite good at it. However, yesterday, while I was singing "Jesus loves me" to him he quickly corrected me that the song goes, "Jesus loves Josh-ooo-a". So in case you didn't know, make a mental note because the lyrics of the song have officially been changed.

Yay - we can finally buy groceries again!

"We're probably going to see gasoline at the retail level around $3.50 for Labor Day," said James Cordier, president of Tampa-based trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com.

Whoever thought I'd be so excited to see that gas might actually go down to $3.50 a gallon!!

Preparing...

It's amazing how much preparing there is for a second child. Most of my preparations include getting Joshua ready for the big change. Every day seems like a new lesson in independence for him which makes me so sad. I want him to be my baby forever and now I have no choice but to have him be more and more independent. He is now totally in his big boy bed and I would venture to say potty trained. I'm working on getting him to not have me carry him everywhere and get into his car seat by himself.

I know I am not alone in the apprehension of the change of going from a family of 3 to 4. We have such a rhythm now with the 3 of us and now everywhere I go I try to imagine what it will be like when I have to tote 2 kids instead of one. Simple tasks like running into the store for a gallon of milk won't be quite as simple having to lug a baby and a 2 year old. But really I'm also a little sad that we will have to share our attention with another child. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled about the new baby, I'm just sad for Joshua as I know he will have his world turned upside down. I'm sure he will be excited at first, but I know there will be lots of adjustments for him and I'm sure he will have times when he wants more attention then we will be able to give him. In the long run, I know he will gain so much from having a baby brother it just seems almost like the end of an era.

Our Little Monkey

Hot!

I am officially HOT! Yes, it was 95 yesterday and is supposed to be 95 again today...but I am hot sitting still in a perfectly good air conditioned home. Thankfully we are at the point in the year where every day is supposed to be getting a little bit cooler now. YAY! Weather.com says that the week I'm supposed to deliver this baby the average highs will be between 78-80. I am PRAYING that is true. Being in my 3rd trimester the hottest time of the year is just misearble. Only about 6 weeks now though so I'm truly counting the days at this point and thinking if the baby wants to come a week or two early I'd take that too. :)

Taco Chicken Cheese Dip

This is an absolutely delicious dip. Serve with tortilla chips.

2 8oz. pkgs. Cream cheese
1 Pkg. Sharp cheddar shredded cheese
1 can diced chiles
1 lg. Can or 2 sm. Cans chunk white chicken (use all white meat)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Mix all together and bake for 45 mins at 350 degrees.

In Memory of my mom

Tomorrow would have been my mom's 59th birthday. It was so incredibly hard losing her last year and this year is bitter sweet as I know I will welcome our new son in several weeks but she won't be here with us. But I can't help but think that she had something to do with this miracle baby that I'm carrying. Anyways, I found this sweet poem that I wanted to put up in her memory. Happy Birthday Mom!!

"Happy Birthday Mother"

It's sure to be the best one yet,

Though you left me here behind.

Did you think that I'd forget?

Your cake this year, will surely be,

A beauty to behold.

With the icing made of Silver,

And the candles made of Gold.

Yes your birthday in Heaven,

Will be such a grand affair.

And I know you'll look so lovely,

With a halo in your hair.

The Angels will come from everywhere,

To sing your birthday song.

And I know they'll be so happy,

That you've joined, God's Happy Throng.

No I can't send a card this year,

Or give a gift so fine.

So I'll just send a special prayer,

To that wonderful mother of mine.

By Winnie Lovett 1968

P.S. - This picture is about 13 years old...but I love it!

Finance Review

About once a year I like to take a look at our bills and review ways in which I can save money as well as ensure that billing is being done correctly. It is time consuming but almost always pays off. Here are a few things I have found from calls I made today:

• Call your credit card companies and ask them to lower your credit card rate - they almost ALWAYS do saving TONS of money.
• Double checking billing. For instance I found I was being charged $1/month for international call service on my phone bill - I have NEVER made an international call. So I had this removed.
• Cable/Dish - I looked at the channels we were using and was able to reduce the channels we subscribed to and saved $12/month.
• Insurance - Switching companies although tedious can often significantly reduce cost. Also, telling your current company that you are looking at other companies can often get them to look at new discounts offered that they didn't bother to tell you about. This is what happened to me. So far it has saved me $147/year on homeowners and I'm waiting on my agent to get back to me regarding the auto portion. UPDATE: My auto went down $55/month!!!!
• Prescriptions - I've mentioned this before in this post - but getting prescriptions done every 3 months as opposed to monthly has saved us a significant amount of money as well as being much more convenient.

So in about 1 1/2 hours today I have saved at least $80/month!!

I'd love to hear tips that you have for saving money on your monthly bills!

In the short stretch...

I'm beginning to feel like I'm finally in the short stretch of this pregnancy. Only about 7 more weeks left according to my doctor...yay!!! We took our birthing classes over the weekend which really made me feel like the end & the beginning are near. I must admit I knew very little about childbirth before the class and feel a bit overwhelmed afterwards but I'm hoping that it all goes smoothly. I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance and am not easily grossed out or anything and neither is John so I'm thinking I won't do too badly. My biggest concern is going through something so huge and so foreign and knowing that Joshua will be on my mind. I can't wait for him to meet his little brother and I'm praying all the logistics & transition for him goes smoothly. I'll gladly take any tips on getting a little one ready for a new baby by the way!

FUN!

Ok - this is totally a waste of time plugging in pictures in odd settings...but OH so much fun. I saw this on Angry Chicken's blog.

Ta da!

My mind isn't what it use to be

As I've mentioned before, I have been getting very little sleep - maybe 5 hours a night - all broken up in 1 hour increments which does not make for a real restful night. Anywho, I'm maintaining pretty darn well if I do say so myself...well...EXCEPT my poor blog seems to be suffering. When I read my blog posts from a year ago they seemed consistent, informative at times and some of them were even witty. But mostly, I never seemed to be at a loss for words. Now, well, you be the judge. Sadly, to talk to me in person or on the phone is pretty pitiful as well. I feel like I have the most dramatic pauses in most conversations because I either can't comprehend what was just said to me or I can't formulate words to come out of my mouth that make sense. Don't I sound like a delightful conversationalist!! Luckily, my most frequent audience is a 2 year old that thinks that I'm HILARIOUS and the second smartest person he knows. (I know this because he often defers to Daddy as the fix it guy or tells me we will just wait for daddy to get home if there is a need I can't seem to take care of.) SOOOOooo...I'm certainly not complaining, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to be pregnant and am very excited about meeting our new little man...but I did want to just let you all know what has happened to this blog and if you hang in there a little longer...there is hope that I might get at least a small bit of my smarts back.

Potty Training

Potty training continues to go fantastic! Joshua hardly if ever has any accidents. We did revert back to the pull ups which I heard most kids use just like diapers - but Joshua is not. He is treating them like big boy underwear and ALWAYS tells us when he has to poop and is starting to tell us when he has to pee. He needs to be a little more consistent on telling us he has to pee but all in all is doing just great. We still go try to go potty every 30 minutes which is tiring but it's working.

However, with potty training comes the need for some wardrobe changes. So we have been busy collecting things like 2 piece pajamas, underwear and no longer using onsie type shirts. My big boy is growing up so fast!

Cookin'

Joshua was clever enough to go into my kitchen the other day and get the oven mitts out so that he could take something "hot" out of the oven in his toy kitchen.

John's new hobby

Joshua has taken up sitting on his toy bus and going down the small hill on our driveway...John thinks it's fun too obviously. So see...I really already have 2 busy boys at home...and with one more on the way I may be in trouble. :)

For the birds...

John was throwing the ball for the dog tonight and somehow landed the ball smack dab in the middle of a bird's nest up in a tree. John climbed the tree to get the ball and luckily - no birds were injured in the incident.

The ball in the nest.

John up in the tree - see Joshua underneath it to see size.

Cow Appreciation

I just love Chick-fil-a and their business model. Today was cow appreciation day at our local Chick-fil-a. Joshua has really enjoyed going to Chick-fil-a lately to play on the indoor play set and thought it was absolutely hilarious today when we went and saw a bunch of people dressed like cows! It so adorable to see moms, kids, teens all done up in their cow attire! I wish I had my camera. Our Chick-fil-a also sponsors a kids night every Tuesday where they have kid's crafts for free. So today I'm appreciating Chick-fil-a and all the cow's out there!

ABCs

I saw this on Cheaper By the 1/2 Dozen and thought I'd give it a try.

A is for age.
33.
B is for burger of choice.
Bacon Cheese Burger - yum!
C is for what car you drive.
A 2007 Honda Odyssey van - which I LOVE and hope to drive into the ground.
D is for Dog's name.
Riley - which Joshua pronounces as Y-gee.
E is for essential item you use every day.
Dishwasher. I know I could do them by hand but to me the dishwasher is essential!
F is for favorite TV show at the moment.
There is nothing on at the moment...so I really don't have one.
G is for Favorite game.
Spades.
H is for Hometown.
I lived most of my life in Atlanta so I will always consider that my hometown.
I is for instruments you play.
I can kind of say I can play the piano - but I'm much better at the spoons. :)
J is for favorite juice.
Orange with ice.
K is for who you'd like to kiss.
I love kissing Joshua when he is NOT giving me puppy dog kisses.
L is for last restaurant you ate at.
A little deli down the road - we had a lunch date with my friend Susan.
M is for your favorite Muppet.
Hmmm...Fozzie the bear!
N is for number of piercings.
My ears use to have more than one hole..but now just one each.
O is for overnight hospital stays.
Never stayed in a hospital overnight...but will come September.
P is for people you were with today.
John, Joshua, and my friend Susan.
Q is for what you do with your quiet time.
Of course, I have to say - what quiet time! Read, blog, veg out.
R is for biggest regret.
Not spending more time w/ my mom or telling her how much I appreciated her enough.
S is for status.
Married 11 years.
T is for time you woke up today.
6:30am. Joshua wakes me up bright and early every morning.
U is for what you consider unique.
My life has been pretty unique...but I guess everyone's has...so I don't really know.
V is for vegetable you love.
Sweet potatoes or green beans.
W is for worst habit.
Bragging on my son - I never thought I'd be one of those moms who gloats so much about my child..but oh do I!
X is for number of x-rays you've had.
I really couldn't tell you...maybe 15-20.
Y is for yummy food you ate today.
Our first squash from our garden.
Z is for zodiac sign.
Pisces.

Baby Room

Here is the baby room. We finished painting today - which I wanted to get done while I still had enough physical energy & flexibility - which are both QUICKLY diminishing by the day. The room is pretty much done - although I haven't washed anything yet, pulled out any clothes or anything...so everything is empty and the closet is a disaster...but we are well on our way. YAY!

28+ weeks Preggie Picture

Ok...side angles are just hard on being flattering to a pregnant woman but here ya go. I also couldn't resist this sweet one with Joshua - I don't look quite so pregnant from the front. :)

A New Cousin

Joshua has a new cousin. My little brother welcomed in his first child last night. I was tired and don't even have all the details yet as I told them not to call me past a certain time. Aren't I pitiful! Anyways, his name is Jason and I know he weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. I'm sure everyone else is asleep at this point so I'm waiting before I call for more details. Joshua now has 4 cousins which is just so great to me because I have NO cousins. Both my parents had siblings and both died at early ages before having children. So I have no aunts, uncles, or cousins so I love that Joshua has so many!

UPDATE: We just got back from a visit with the new baby. So sweet! It was especially exciting to see Joshua interact with the baby. He COULD NOT have been sweeter and cuter! I can't wait for him to meet his little brother!!! He was kissing and loving on the baby. He was just absolutely adorable. Okay, I know I should be fawning more over the new baby but I just couldn't help but get all mushy over Joshua too! :)

Potty Training Continued...

So potty training is going much better than it was on Monday. I decided to use pull ups this week and go back to underwear starting tomorrow - if all goes well today. This is to get Joshua in the habit of using the toilet and to perserve my sanity. We still go every 15-20 minutes even if he doesn't want to. So far he has had few to no accidents in the pull ups. He isn't really telling me he needs to go but I understand that takes a little more time and I'm already making him go so much he might never really need to. He is doing great while we are out which I'm REALLY impressed with. I am making him use every public bathroom we pass just to get him in the habit of remembering that just cause we are out doesn't mean he doesn't have to use the potty. I've had a lot of friends tell me they give rewards and I'm not really doing that at all. I cheer for him and let him flush the toilet which seems reward enough for him.

Confession

Ok, I'm really embarrassed to admit this...but lately there is nothing on t.v. Not that I watch a lot but for those few moments that I do want to zone out there seems to be nothing on. So SOMEHOW last night I stumbled onto the Tori & Dean reality show. You know - the show with Tori Spelling. Then I got hooked cause she is pregnant with a young child. The reason I got hooked was because she is obsessive about her pregnancy. Which made me feel so NORMAL!! Ha ha. The episode I flipped on was an older episode and she thought that her baby could poke it's finger nail and rupture one of her major organs in turn smothering and killing the baby with blood. So, even though I'm slightly neurotic about my pregnancy I now feel really, really normal cause I certainly don't have thoughts like that. So here is to reality television making me feel like a normal person!!

Potty Training...

So yesterday went really well, maybe it was the excitement of something new. This morning - not so much. It's 10am and we've had 5 accidents already. I don't know if we have enough underwear to make it through one day. ;) Joshua is still very young to potty train according to my pediatrician but we thought we would give it a try. I'm not giving up yet. We will see how the week continues to go. My fear is that Joshua just doesn't hold his pee long enough. We have been going every 15 minutes and he goes every time but yet still has accidents in between. Lord give me strength!

Our weekend in pictures

Here is a picture of Joshua hiding during a game of hide & seek with his daddy! They take turns hiding and count to five before shouting, "ready or not, here I come". It's really cute but Joshua hasn't quite got the whole concept down...like only hiding his head and answering John when he says stuff like, "Hmmm...I wonder if Joshua is in the cloest?" and Joshua answers, "no!" Giggle, giggle! Too cute!
Joshua helping us paint baby brother's room- he just doesn't realize he doesn't really have any paint on his brush.

The results! I'm thrilled with how it's turning out. We only painted this one section for today - but it looks great! The T.V. is only there temporarily for guests - but will be removed once the baby is born. We are leaving a queen bed up in the room since we only have 3 bedrooms but the room is a good size and it's working out really well I think.

Finally, we started potty training today. We are going cold turkey straight into big boy underwear. Today worked out really well. We had one pee-pee mistake and one poopie mistake but Joshua went both pee & poop in the potty today. YAY!! We are still using diapers at nap & nighttime and pull ups for when we go out. I'm hopeful that once the baby arrives Joshua will be an old potty pro! I seriously almost took a picture of his first poop in the potty cause I'm such a proud mommy - but decided against it. So lucky for you I don't have any potty pictures for the weekend.

VBS Recap

What a wonderful week we had at VBS! Today was our last day as I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow which I'm EXTREMELY happy about because I don't think my sciatica could have taken one more day of VBS. Today in fact, we had to go in 1 1/2 hours late cause I was in so much pain but we got through it. It was such a blessing to be a part of such an incredible ministry and I'm so thankful that I could be apart. It took over 100 volunteers to make it happen so I'm glad I could do my small part.

Another lady and I taught the 3rd graders and had 15 kids. (Side note: it was extremely interesting to note the differences in boys vs. girls. I love my little boy and am thankful for having another one on the way - but boys are a real handful. It's amazing to see how different they are - boys being so physical vs. girls being emotional.) Total there were probably around 200 kids attending VBS at our church. Our church does a fantastic job organizing it and keeping the kids busy. It starts at 9am and ends at 12 each day. We basically rotated around different areas throughout each day starting & ending in the fellowship hall for music. We do crafts, movie, drama, snack & bible story time. Our church did such a great job letting the kids experience the bible story each day physically, musically, emotionally, etc. It really drove the story home each day. One day the kids were blindfolded and had oatmeal put above their eyes. Yesterday the kids got to even walk on water - a fun experiment with cornstarch and water makes this possible. It was such a great experience!

Joshua was in the 2 year old class and was brought to the finale music each day. I can't tell you how precious he looked every day walking into the fellowship hall seemingly in awe of all the kids and the "fast" (that is how he says loud) music. Every night at dinner we tell daddy about our day and I wondered how much Joshua was getting out of the program so I asked him if he heard a story about Jesus and he said, "Yes, walk water". I was FLOORED that he actually recalled the theme for the day which was the story of Peter walking on water. Anyways, it just goes to show you what little sponges their little brains are even at 2!

Quick Joshua Story

Maybe this won't sound as precious to everyone else as it does to me...but I thought this was a cute story. If Joshua gets up before John leaves for work we always stand at the kitchen window and wave to daddy as he leaves. John will stop his car right outside the window and wave and blow kisses. So anywho, yesterday after we did this Joshua said, "dad going to work". I said, "Yes, do you know where we are going today?" and he said, "Chase dad (to) work". It was really cute and funny I thought. If you don't find it cute or funny, then humor me, cause I don't get much adult interaction. :)

Brevelle Linen Company

Check out my sister-in-law's new Etsy shop - Brevelle Linen Company. They make some absolutely beautiful aprons, burp clothes, receiving blankets & more! Their fabric is absolutely gorgeous!!

Little blessings....literally!

Teaching our son good manners is something that I strive for but don't always know that I'm getting through. But this morning when I sneezed, Joshua, who is across the room playing with his toys, stopped and said, "Bless you mommy". Be still my heart - my boy does have manners!! He still thinks that it's funny to burp and toot but today that is ok because it's those "little blessings" that make motherhood so wonderful!!

VBS

I'll be teaching vacation bible school this week so won't have a lot of time to blog. Please pray that my sciatica will hold out so that I can make it through the week.

My cool dude!

The one with the sunglasses on top of his head is him looking like mommy he said since I seem to always have a pair of sunglasses on top of my head.

Plastic vs. Reusable Bags

Back in March I posted this on how I have switched from plastic grocery bags to the reusable bags. I continue to do so and am thrilled with how easy it is and how FEW bags of groceries I have to carry in. It really has made my life easier and is helping the environment so much. Anyways, I recently received this slideshow on why we should stop using plastic and figured I'd post again on this topic and encourage anyone who hasn't to give it a try.

99 days to go!

I'm so thrilled to be out of the triple digits! 181 days finished only 99 left to go! Yay! And this time next week I'll be in my last trimester. Yahoo! I'm really starting to feel like the end is near as my doctor now wants to see me every other week and of course, hitting my third trimester.

Pregnancy is amazing and I feel so blessed with this miracle...but it is SOOO much harder on my body then I figured. I'm seriously only getting about 5 hours of sleep - even though I'm in bed or trying to sleep for at least 8-9 hours. I get up to go to the bathroom at least every hour and 1/2 so no stretch of sleep is longer than that. I am also a stomach sleeper and sleeping on my side is just next to impossible for me. This little boy also seems to hate ANY pressure I place on him so if I get even a little bit tilted on my stomach he kicks and kicks and kicks. I can't wear certain clothes either if they hit him in the wrong spot cause that seems to upset him too. Picky, picky!

I absolutely LOVE feeling the baby kick but it is starting to get a little bit stronger and now it wakes me up at night too. This little boy is VERY busy at night. I find myself laughing in the middle of the night though wondering what the heck he is doing in there. He kicks me all over but it's definitely strongest on one side so I "think" I know what position he is in - but that is the other game I play with myself - wondering if it's a headbutt, a hand, or a foot kicking me. In fact, I think he still has enough room to do complete flips so I could be totally off. I also love that John can now feel the baby cause I feel like we can share in the baby a little more. I'm hoping that Joshua will be able to feel the baby soon...but the baby definitely kicks the most at night when he is asleep.

Other than painting and washing stuff the baby room is pretty done. Joshua loves to play in 'baby bwovers room". So I'm glad he is getting excited although I think he might be a little disappointed at first when all the baby does is lay around. So that is the pregnancy update for now.

Energy Savings

With gas prices going up and seeing a new report about how prices for electricity are going to start climbing as well, I've been looking up some ways to try to save energy around the house not only for saving money but for the environment. Here are some of my findings...

1. About a year ago we put up Gila Window Film. Which is a film you can get at your local hardware store. It reflects heat and UV rays. Once we got the hang of installing it we put it on all the back windows of our house where we get the afternoon sun really badly. It has made a HUGE difference. We use to not be able to keep the blinds open in the afternoon due to the heat/sun and now I keep them open all the time. It really works and does not tint the windows very much at all - so our view has not be obstructed. I HIGHLY recommend the stuff!

2. I just saw this article on Frugalchoice.com on ceiling fan efficiency. I'm the queen of ceiling fans and found it really interesting that in the summer keeping them on constantly does not increase your A/C efficiency.

3. We also installed energy savings bulbs in all of our lamps. I still need to find those for our can lighting since we have a lot of those.

4. We put in a digital thermostat to program for different times of the day. As well try to keep our AC at a higher setting then normal - which is tough right now being pregnant and HOT!

5. Unplugging appliances not in use is tough but something I've been trying to do more of. It's amazing to think they are still draining energy even when they aren't on.

Here are also some websites with great tips:

• Saving Energy
• US Dept of Energy
  
  I'd love to hear ways that you are saving energy!

A mind of his own

Joshua has certainly developed a mind of his own. Most recently, we could not get him out of a shirt. So we had to let him wear the shirt over his PJ's as a compromise. Doesn't he look so precious & hilarious!

Printer

Our printer has been broken since February. It's been quite a pain in the neck. So finally HP was suppose to send us a replacement/upgrade since they could not correct the problem. Well, it finally arrived last week and it was the wrong printer. So then, I called to tell them it was incorrect and they said the correct one would arrive the following day. Nothing came. UGH! So I called again and they said someone would call me back in 48 hours. No one called. Double UGH! So today, I finally spoke with someone who says that tomorrow I should FINALLY have my printer. YAY! So I'm all excited in hopes that I will once again be able to print things off. It's amazing how much we depend on the little things like a printer and when they are gone we feel so helpless. What did we do before technology?

Random Stuff

First it is HOT HOT HOT. It's suppose to be close to 100 tomorrow. 100! Yikes! So today we are off to try to find me a maternity bathing suit so we can go to the pool tomorrow. Joshua is all about his baby pool right now and wakes up first thing in the morning saying - Back in POOL!

Our garden is growing fast! It's fun to watch. I can't wait till the vegetables start to grow. I'm hoping to get a lot tucked away in the freezer as well as start making freezer meals for myself in late August for when the baby arrives.

John felt the baby kick for the first time this week. I just started crying when he said he felt it. I've been feeling the baby for weeks but of course, it's not as easy for me to get John to feel it. First because it's so sporadic and then it's not always hard enough. When the baby kicks really hard you can see my stomach bump a little. It's amazing to experience God at work in such a magnificent way.

We continue to be busy even though I thought things would slow down in the summer. Lots of play dates and time outside even though it's so hot. The last week in June I'm teaching VBS and hoping that my sciatica will hold off a little so I can do it - so please be in prayer about that. Usually if I make sure to sit a lot it doesn't bother me too terribly - but some days there is no rhyme or reason to it. The other day I really didn't do much and couldn't even stand up it hurt so bad. It is no fun! I'm hoping lots of time in the pool will relieve it and keep Joshua busy busy.

Finally, I had a training class yesterday so John stayed home with Joshua. I was so tickled to come home and find lots of surprises prepared for me. John and Joshua had picked out some very beautiful sunflowers for me. Had made a delicious pork chop dinner & made chocolate covered strawberries!! I always feel so blessed to have a husband that is so involved and am so humbled when he surprises me - just because!

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.