Love never fails

Brandon Heath is becoming one of my favorite new singers! I am not exactly sure he is a new singer, but new to me! The Christian radio station around here, Spirit 105.3, plays him all the time. This is one of my favorite songs right now. I literally cry everytime I hear it. What a beautiful lyrical composition of 1 Corinthians 13. What a beautiful picture of the love that God gave us through the death of His only son, Jesus. That is true love and that is the basis of our love towards others.

A couple of my favorite lines, "Love will not cease at the end of time." Wow! God's love does continue through the heavens even when our time here on this earth is over.

"Love still believes when you don't." This is one of the spots that always grabs a tear from me. Even in my moments of "God? Really this is what you have for me? I don't know." He still loves me, forgives me and holds me in His arms.

I believe that 1 Cor 13 presents the example of how we are to be toward each other. To those we love more deeply than anything, like our spouses and our children, to those who come in and out of our lives as blessings from God in the form of friendship and all the way down to those who drive us crazy and we would rather not know! Love is patient and kind. How patient has God been with us, in my unbelief years to now when I get so stubborn and question His perfect plans for me? How kind is He is the love He shows us? I see it everyday when I look at my husband, when I hug him, when I feel his arms surround me in love, when I feel our baby roll around in my tummy. That is how much God loves me! In this Valentine season, let us not only remember to love on our hubbies and wives but also to love on God and let Him pour His love unto us!

LOVE NEVER FAILS!!!!

For my friend

As I cannot bear to write a blog without a picture, and I don't have one specifically for this blog, I am posting my 2nd favorite thing in the world. (Okay in a few months he may take 3rd place, shhh...don't tell him!) HUNTER! Scott took this today as Hunter was sitting in the backseat of the truck waiting to jump out and go for his run. He loves going for a run! He especially loves to take a poo on the trail. Seriously, he could have just gone at the house but there is something about when he hits the trail. He must mark his spot! TMI!

So, I am writing tonight for my friend, Genesis. She posted on FB about a yummy Alfredo dish. I was inspired to share my Alfredo sauce that I scored quite a while ago, like 10 years ago! I joined some club, one of those things were they send you stuff monthly and you pay a small fee. Kinda like the CD club but this one was recipe cards. I got 2 boxes and a gazillion recipe cards! It is from Healthy Meals in Minutes. I tried to locate them via google with no luck. In any case, they are really good meals and while I have my standard favorites, there are tons I have never tried and would love to! They have moved with me about a 5 times, from Vegas to Puerto Rico, back to Vegas then to 3 different homes in Vegas. Sadly, only 1/4 of them are organized. One day....*sigh. So here is one of my favorite recipes. I love Alfredo sauce! Mmmmmm! Who doesn't love cheese sauce? But oh the calories! The fat! The belly ache! This recipe saves all that but still gives you the delicious cheesy flavor. Awesome! I have changed it up to make it even less fat/calories. Of course, it is a matter of taste. Either way, you will do better than the typical Alfredo sauce. Did I mention this cooks up in about 10 minutes? Even better!

Alfredo Sauce
1 tbl margarine or butter (I use Smart balance and it comes out fine)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbl flour
1 1/4 cup milk (we use 1 or 2%)
3 tbl cream cheese (I use reduced fat or fat free)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper (ground from the mill is best but the reg out of the shaker works fine)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (I don't really measure this out, we both like spicy so I just add by sight)
2 tsp chopped parsley (I usually use basil instead, I love fresh basil! Fresh herbs make all the difference in cooking, always use fresh over dry.)

Melt margarine on medium heat in a sauce pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk, cook whisking constantly for about 7 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and cook for 2 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese, stir for few seconds until melts then remove from heat. Add black pepper, crushed red pepper and garnish with parsley or basil. Serve over you favorite pasta. This is delicious with fettuccine, ravioli's. Ever get those yummy spinach ravioli's from Costco? This is a perfect sauce for them. I have added fresh spinach to it, yum! I usually add it when I mix in the parm cheese so it cooks just a tad. Can also add fresh mushrooms, any veggie. Get creative! This tastes best if once you add it to the pasta you let it sit just a minute to thicken.

So there you go Gen! You inspired my blog for the night, as our dinner was generic. Enjoy!

As I sit here with my wonderful husband and we feel Samuel move around I am in awe of the amazing, miraculous gift of child bearing and birth. A gift only given by God. I don't understand how anyone could think this just happened. It is just perfectly designed, there is no way it just happened. This has not and never will evolve into anything else. From his 1st little heartbeat at 5 weeks to his intentional movements now at 29 weeks. It is just amazing. It is just God. Perfectly designed, perfectly filled with His love. It is crazy that this baby is growing inside of me and moving around and responding so intentionally to our touches and voice. Amazing! I just can't think of any other word! Pregnancy may not always be a barrel of fun, and most often, it really isn't. These moments tonight, that Scott and I are enjoying, are fun and make it all worth it. I have a feeling I will forget all the yucky stuff, like everyone keeps telling me, as Samuel grows and amazes us each day, filling our hearts with joy. Reminding us in each of these and those moments how real God is and how much He loves us! In everything!

2Peter3:8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

A tale of dinner

Is it obvious yet that I love to cook, eat and talk about food? Last night I tried another crock pot recipe from Recipelion. It was awesomely delicious!

So I by no means am a Martha and have the most beautiful presentations. It's never been important to me, it's more about how it tastes. This was Scott's plate. Ribs (my protein), baked potato with cheese and sour cream(iron in the skin for me & more dairy), and steamed cauliflower with cheese (more dairy!) My Bradley instructor would be so proud of my nutrition in dinner. :)
So onto the goods-the recipe! This came out way better than I expected! The ingredients look intense, but it was super easy to make! You literally throw it all in the crock and cook it on low for 6-8 hours. I prepped everything the night before-has a baggie of dry seasons, a bowl of the wet ingredients and sliced up the onion.

Barbeque Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
• 3 1/2 pound beef short ribs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup tomato ketchup
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled
• 4 medium carrots, pared, cubed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional
• 1/4 cup water
Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

*I did not add the potatoes or carrots. I was out of carrots and just not a fan of cooked potatoes like that. If I had though, I would have waited to add them with about an hour-hour/half left to go, otherwise they get too mushy. I also mixed the cornstarch and water separately then mixed it in the crock. Seemed to make sense to me!
When these were done, I used tongs to get the bones out of the crock, the bones were cleaned. The meat just fell off of them, but as you can see in the picture, stayed together as a chunk. It was a really yummy dinner and Scott said I can definitely make it again! I think mashed potatoes would have been good too, then you could drizzle the extra sauce on them. Mmmmm! Neither one of us finished our two pieces so Scott had the leftovers for lunch today. I used 4 large Beef Ribs that I picked up from Safeway on sale. It was even their premium cut of meat! Bonus!

I am going to leave you now with a warning from one of the 4 year olds I teach "When I eat green Christmas cookies, my poop comes out green." Lesson learned today-don't eat green Christmas cookies. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 94:12-13 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.

What's for dinner?

As many of you know, Scott is on a bit of a different schedule temporarily. He was asked to go on a crew to fill in as acting sergeant while they are testing for new ones and hiring new guys. He is testing for sergeant too, I am so proud of him! It actually works out better for us, a bit. He doesn't have to leave the house until 5-5:15 now rather than 4-4:15 so we actually get to see each other, not just passing on the road! So on nights he works I prepare a crock pot meal so we can eat it when I get home and before he leaves for work. We end up with about 45 minutes together. So I set out this week to find new meals! And tonight for dinner......
Apple-apricot pork chops! They came out delicious! Last fall I got a free download of like 50 recipes for the slow cooker from Recipelion

They were super easy to make and came out so yummy!!!!
Ingredients
• 2 pork filets or chops
• 1 cup chopped apples
• 1 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup fresh or dried cranberries (optional)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or wine (or more apple juice)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients except cornstarch and water; cover and cook 7 to 9 hours on low. 30 minutes before serving, pour
liquid into a separate container to skim off excess fat.
2. Stir in cornstarch mixture and return broth to crock pot. Continue cooking on low until
smooth and thickened.

Serves 4-6

So few changes I made:
I sliced the apples, used apricot preserves (had some that Scott's grandma had made) and sliced the onion as well. I was running late this morning and didn't have time to chop everything. I think it was better though. Especially if you have peep who don't like onions, they are cut big enough to pick them out! Also, I used all apple juice no wine or sherry here! I served with brown rice and put extra juice over the rice with the apples and veggies. In hindsight, I think Quinoa would have been delicious with it!


I had to share this picture Scott texted to me last Friday. Hunter had a vet appointment to get a shot and they replaced some of the meds from his first aide kit that had expired. Mind you, he is very well treated at this vet, the Dr. works with many of the working dogs in the area and they spoil Hunter rotten with biscuits. However, he is afraid. I asked, yes, he jumped in the chair unprompted and was made fun of. He is a Police Dog after all! If the bad guys knew he was such a wimp....Oiy! Thank goodness he is a drug dog and not a tracker! :)

Highlights of baby Samuel. He is moving around like crazy! Literally doing flips in my tummy, you can see it! He moves around all day and sleeps at night. Could it possibly be a sign of what is to come? Is it possible he will sleep all night? One can always hope and read "Sleeping through the night" for tips! He is about 3 lbs now, although it is not an exact science. I am measuring about 2 weeks bigger, but again, not an exact science. I don't put much stock in that and my midwife, Sky, was not worried about it at all! I am a very short torso and where else is he suppose to go? Well, right now he is going up in my ribs and it hurts! Sky said most women describe it like they are being sliced with a knife, yep that is exactly how it feels! If I can handle this for the next 3-4 weeks until my belly pops out not up, then I can handle labor naturally!
It amazes me peoples reaction when I tell them a midwife is delivering me. Even funnier when I say we are going natural. Hey-I know it's not for everyone, it's just funny to watch other's expressions. People sure don't mind telling you how you should raise your child or what you should do with them. Sometimes it can be hurtful, but mostly I just want to say "Don't you think I am more concerned about my child than you and Scott and I know what is best for him and for us?" Yet, I don't say that. I just listen to them and then Scott and I do what we know is best for our family, as we are the ones who have to sleep at night with the decisions we have made for our family. Our choices are based most often on research and prayer, lots and lots of prayer. I trust that God does know what He is doing and loves this child way more than any of us! That makes my heart rest.

To educate oneself...

I got this cute little cupcake at the IGA in Granite Falls. I thought that was pretty impressive that I was able to get something so cute there! Anyone familiar with Granite knows what I am talking about! Anyone not, well, Granite Falls is the little town we live on the outskirts of. It also holds the closest, most expensive grocery store near us. When I only need an item or two, I'll go there. Sometimes they do have awesome meat prices. In any case, Granite is pretty much a camping town. It sits right at the base of the Cascade mountains, which is where we did most of our summer hikes. There are a ton of trucks-logging and mining that travel through Granite and then up the Mountain Loop Hwy. So, as you can imagine, that is the type of grocery store we are dealing with. And no, the turtle cupcake is not for the preggo lady. Last weekend was one of my EA (educational assistant) birthday. She only works with me in the morning so I bought her this and am making mini cupcakes for the kiddos, trust me, they don't need a full cupcake of sugar! They get enough crummy food at home!

So to the title of this blog. I am now 26 weeks pregnant. Last week I met with my midwife for the first time, I was seeing an OBGYN but after much discussion, research and prayer, Scott and I decided it was not for us. Yesterday, one of the midwives called me. Mine was on call later that night and not at work. Apparently they received my lab results from back when I went to my first OB appt and she had some questions about a result that was not positive. Unfortunately, this was the first I heard of it. I am not going to bash the Dr., his office or the nurse. I do not know the facts surrounding why this was never mentioned to me or treated. In any case, here we are, at 26 weeks with a low thyroid which has not been treated. She told me she would consult with an OB they work with and decided what we do from here. I think I should stop and give a little background on why the thyroid is so important in pregnancy. I never knew.

My thyroid provides the hormone to the baby in the first 12 weeks until his or her thyroid is developed. If mine is low then I do not have enough to provide for the baby. Mine also supports brain development in the young baby in those early weeks. An untreated thyroid condition in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, fetal abnormalities, heart problems and/or developmental delays. I should mention that about 7 years ago I was diagnosed with a hypothyroid. I took meds for a bit and it regulated itself. I believe all my exercise helped with this. In any case, I have not had any troubles for years and have gotten tested every year. I have no reason to think I went into this pregnancy with a low thyroid.

Yep, that is what I read yesterday after hanging up with the midwife. Not feeling so good right about then. Thoughts of why was this not mentioned to me before? The midwife said the first test, which is just a screening came out abnormal but then the 2nd came out normal. So...what does one do when faced with the thought that there may really be something wrong with my baby? Freak out? Worry? Cry? Scream? Call a lawyer? Or turn to God?

I chose the latter and crying. You think you are doing everything right and then some for your child and then find out some things are out of your control. But that is just it, Samuel has always been out of my control. He has always been Gods. Does God not love Samuel more than Scott and I? Does He not have the absolute best plans for us? The answer to both of those is that YES! Yes He loves Samuel more than we do and yes He has the absolute best plans for us! This baby's fate was decided long before Scott and I even met. God is way bigger than some Dr or nurse and their oversight or whatever it was!

My midwife, Sky, is amazing! She called me at 7:00 p.m. last night. Who does that? She apologized for not getting back to me sooner. Are you kidding? I didn't expect to hear anything until today or tomorrow! The OB they work with thought it was best that I start meds to regulate my thyroid now and they also sent me today to have it tested again. Sky did say that she feels very good about my 22 week ultrasound and that everything in that looked really good. Many abnormalities would have shown up then and Samuel has always had a very strong HB. As far as developmental delays, there is no way to tell until he starts to develop outside of me. At least I have spent thousands of dollars on an education int his very area and should be able to pick up on any delays early on. Early detection and intervention is the best and so important! She also recommended we meet with the Maternal Fetal Center where they could explain what all this can mean for the baby based on my levels a little more. For now, we rest in God's arms. We cannot possibly spend the next 3 months worrying about abnormalities and then the next 2-3 years worrying about developmental delays! It will get us nowhere and worry is a sin. I do not believe that is what God would want from us. He wants us to enjoy this blessing of Samuel and the pregnancy. He holds all of this in His palm along with us, there is so much comfort in that! Seriously, I slept well last night, stayed focus on work today and just didn't think much about it. Scott did well at work last night too and also feels more at peace about all this.

So why educate yourself? Well, I assumed if anything showed up abnormal in my labs the Dr would tell me. You should never assume such. It is our right as the patient to question everything! I should have asked him to go over my results with me. Scott and I have been preparing for everything and truly studying up on all sorts of things pregnancy, labor and delivery. We can't just take the Dr's word for it. We must ask the questions and get the answers of the effect such and such has on the baby, of the medical necessity of some of the things Dr's recommend. If we are going to question the doctors and nurses though, we need to have some idea of what we are talking about. There is power in education and don't we all want what is best for our baby?

Jer 29:11-13

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart.

I can't begin to tell you the number of times that that verse has spoken leaps and bounds to me and proven true in my life. It is the promise that we are holding onto now as we prepare for Samuel's birth.

So my prayer warrior friends, please do pray for us and for Samuel. Everyday may not be worry free for us and I may need this blog's reminder. We def need all your prayers for us and for our baby though and we appreciate them all!

The countdown begins!

Last year at this time I was beginning the countdown to our wedding day! In about a week from now a year ago I was shopping for my wedding dress, found it in less than an hour! (Including pic because I loved it sooo much!)

This year the countdown to baby Samuel's arrival has begun! I am 25 weeks along, that means 15 left! The fun gets to begin too, shopping and preparing! Just like last year with the wedding, Scott and I agreed to wait until after Christmas to start getting ready. So far we have painted his room and the crib should arrive next week! We ordered the Graco Charleston convertible, in cherry. Not a drop side, thank you very much recalls! His room theme began as Noah's Ark but we didn't want to limit ourselves to just that, and there just were not any cute bedding to match it! So we went with that and settled on jungle animals. We picked his bedding out from Babies R Us. Expensive, yes, but worth the cost. I learned that from Kiki's experience in buying a cheaper bedding set and by cheaper I mean less expensive from somewhere else. In any case, after a few washings, it is no longer around. Whereas, the set she bought from Babies has held up! There are actually so many things that Kiki has paved the way for me to know about having a baby and safety, it is invaluable to me to have that knowledge, Thank you!!!!! Pretty much his room will be jungle animals with a touch of sports here and there. We found some really cute wooden wall plaques at Babies to match his theme too! Oh and of course we found a light switch cover and a nightlight in jungle animals! I can't wait to get decorating!

So the countdown: 2 weeks is my baby shower in Las Vegas, given by my mom. You may be thinking right now, "where is my invitation?" Well, due to a snap foo with me and the Granite Falls Post Office, they are now on their way! You may also be thinking, "why is she doing it so early?" Well, February is the Olympics in Vancouver and it will be near impossible to fly in and out of here cheaply on the only holiday weekend I have. Come March I will be too far along to fly. So...that left MLK weekend. Thank you Allegiant, we paid under $100 roundtrip each to fly! 2 weeks after that Becca comes to visit, YAY! Mid-February is another long weekend. 3rd weekend in March is my baby shower here, thank you Sarah for doing this even in the midst of wedding planning!!!! We are so excited for you and Duncan to get married. It means so much that you and Erin would think of doing this for me! Scott is pretty thrilled too that Duncan will be taking him out, he wasn't too interested in doing a girl thing. :) The 3rd week of March is parent teacher conferences and our kids don't attend school at all, the week after that is Spring Break-Oh yea! 2-3 weeks later Samuel should be popping out, unless he decides to come early (please pray he doesn't! I know the difficulties that can happen in early babies plus the earlier he comes the longer I have to go back to work to finish the school year!) So much, so little time-it will all be coming fast and we are so excited and blessed here!

Scott and I have also decided to sign up for a run this summer. Probably just a 5K or maybe a 10K if we find a good one. It was my idea, gives me something to work toward and get myself back in shape! I had originally, pre-preggo, wanted to do the Seattle RR in late June, half. Well, having a baby in April, maybe getting my running feet back by end of May, def does not give me time to train properly for a half marathon! Maybe next year! I miss running! I know, now you are thinking "sicko!" LOL! Seriously though, I truly miss it! My favorite time to run was before school, I would wake about 5 a.m. get out of the house by 5:30-5:45 (when it was light out). For those who don't know, I lived on the outskirts in Henderson and behind my house was all dessert. The morning, with the sun barely up was so peaceful and quiet. If I was feeling brave, I would actually run through the dessert on a trail they had, otherwise I just did the loop around Wagonwheel. Those were precious moments spent with God. I didn't really run with an Ipod or anything, sometimes I did, but honestly, I enjoyed the time with God and my thoughts. Many a disagreement with family or friends was worked out during those runs. Many a wedding planning done, many prayers lifted up! If I couldn't run before school, I would after. Just before sunset were my favorite times! It was such a release from the day! Don't worry, I always carried pepper spray, there were several times I ran into a coyote, they didn't make the best running partners! :) So now I look forward to getting those moments back, to running with my husband and Hunter again and now to add Samuel to our daily runs. He will love it! Here we run the Centennial Trail, it runs way down south somewhere and we have a couple of spots here to get on it. Scott and I love running it, Hunter really loves it! It's paved and cuts through some beautiful land. To just be outside, with the fresh air, yes, even if it rains, I love it!!!!

So among the not being uncomfortable all time, not having back pain all the time, not have a raging almost migraine all the time looking forward to's, I am also looking forward to hitting the pavement! My asics miss me! Most of all, I am looking forward to holding this precious child in my arms and snuggling with him. I think I will miss having him in my belly though, I love playing with him now, waking him and making him kick or punch me. I love those delicate movements and rollings around he does. I can't wait to meet him and love on him like crazy! I can't wait to see Scott when he meets him and to watch him be the most incredible daddy in the world! He is already planning the fishing trips, the working in the yard days and the sports games they will do together. Yep, life is going to change majorly again this year, and it is all the plan God has laid out for us, and we are so excited to be a part of it and to follow His lead on all this!

My bible verse today: 2 Cor 1:21-22

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Need to finish dinner, Scott is officially off work and should be heading home. I miss him and can't wait until he gets here! I also need to mentally prepare myself to get back into work mode tomorrow, that is going to be difficult! I have enjoyed these two weeks off and the time to get to know Andrea more, spend time with her and to spend time around here getting things done and just being with Scott! Now back to reality-ick!