October Catch up: Rogers Homecoming Parade

Sorry it's been so long since I posted....October is always super busy b/c it's the midpoint in the semester. Retreats, football games, and students activities make Cole's schedule hectic and can make me a little tired when I have to be home alone some nights. In early October, we went up to Rogers where my parents live to the Rogers H.S. homecoming parade. What is better than a parade to entertain kids...it's free, it's outside, and there is candy! I made Charlotte a "Go Mounties" onesie to wear and we headed up to meet Mom and Dad (or Donnie and Pawpaw to Charlotte)for the Parade. Charlotte had a great time people watching and Mom and Dad had a great time showing off Lil' Bit. Going to parades is one of my favorite memories growing up. Since my dad was a band director so we went to lots of parades and watched the band march by. I'm so excited to get to make those memories with Charlotte now. Being a mom is the best! My apologies that the pictures are in the reverse order.....

This is after the parade....it wore her out:)

Donnie and Pawpaw

Mama, PawPaw and Charlotte

My dad isn't a proud grandpa at all:)

Go Band!

Soup Weather!

I love fall...it is absolutely my favorite season! If I could have gotten married in the fall, I probably would have:) The cool, crisp mornings with the mild days make my heart happy! The best thing about fall are all the recipes I get to bring back out. We eat lots of soups and stews in the fall and winter and I have found a new favorite: Chicken Tortilla. I think what makes this recipe is the enchilada sauce and topping it with fresh avocado. I also subbed a can of rotel for the mashed whole tomatoes, added a can of black beans, and put in a can of corn instead of frozen. I think that's why this recipe is a keeper; you can do whatever you want with it! So yummy! I did mine in the crockpot and it turned out great! MMMmmm Good!

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups water 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 7 corn tortillas vegetable oil Directions 1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. 4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

A Weighty Issue

I am trying with this blog to present life and all the things surrounding it in its true light. I need to be better about letting people see the real me, instead of the girl trying desperately to keep it all together. This post is a reflection of my true fallen and real self. Life has been a joy being a mom. I love being at home and I love my baby girl. One thing has been keeping me down....or up rather. My weight loss after having baby Penick has come to a screeching halt and will not budge. I realize this is normal to hold on to some extra weight while breastfeeding, but it is seriously depressing stepping on that bathroom scale and realizing no matter what I do, i will not be able to change this until next June when my baby turns 1(my plan is to try to nurse that long). I have tried running, eating less, eating more....and nothing works. This weight issue probaby wouldn't be half as depressing if I didn't know that my mom, who only gained 17 lbs. with me, immeadiately went down to her pre-pregnancy weight and fit right back into her clothes. Apparently, that skipped my DNA. I am not trying to use this to whine, so if it has come across that way, I apologize. I would like to know if anyone else has had this issue and what happened in your experience. I think I feel like people are snickering behind my back about how I look now. Is this normal? Has anyone else had these experiences? This is one post I would love lots of comments on....let me know what you think:)

Extreme Couponing

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to find an envelope on my bedside table with my name on it....obviously written in my husband's handwriting. I opened up the envelope where I found a bundle of coupons made by my sweet spouse. These coupons are to be cashed in for family time, alone time, etc. I was so surprised and blessed by this sweet and simple gift. I can't wait to cash in my first one! Which one should I use first?

It's Greek to Me!

I have a new fave breakfast...greek yogurt and granola. It is soooo good! Greek yogurt is supposed to be better for you...it's got less sugar, more protein, and a bit of a strong flavor. Less sugar and more protein is always good, especially if you are a nursing mama! I would suggest eating a flavored variety if you want to try it; the plain was a little much for me the first time. I like granola better with this than with milk. My personal favorite is the dannon oikos rasberry flavor. Try it and see if you like it! Yogurt wishes and granola dreams to all of you!

To write...or not to write....

Sorry for not writing lately. In my postpartum state, I'm having trouble deciding wht to put on here. What do people really want to know and what is just mindless chatter or whining..or wanting to look cool....so I've just froze and done nothing. I'll try to figure out with trial and error. But I know posting pics of my baby is always is a win.

Sounds and Smiles

Two of the milestones that you are supposed to see around six weeks to eight weeks are smiling and cooing. While we were out of town (look for the story on our vacation in the next post), baby girl started smiling for us, and not just because she had gas. Is there anything more precious than seeing your baby smile at you? It makes those long nights seem like nothing! The cooing followed a week after that and it looks like we have a talker on our hands:) I know it will keep getting better, but I am loving this stage. Here are some pictures of her smiling...however almost all are blurry. Still haven't mastered the trick of catching her at the right moment.

Loss of control

So, I have a confession to make...as a former teacher and a fairly organized person, I like to be in control...I love making lists and doing things to make my family's life run more easily. I loved the nesting phase of my pregnancy b/c my house was so organized and clean. And then came baby, and the Lord decided to teach me a lesson of dependence. I am in control of nothing...my energy level, my baby's moods, my emotions, my body, my appetite; it is all out of my hands. I really thought that after two weeks, I would have gotten into the swing of things, but as we head into the fourth of week of life with baby I feel like I am slowly returning back to normal, and that normal is not the normal I knew before. I think like with many other things, I want to get this right the first time, and if I can't I get frustrated. The Lord continues to show that He is ultimately in control. So even if my sweet baby girl hasn't learned how to sleep through the night, my God is still all powerful and knows what I need before I ask. The lesson in faith continues day by day....everyday brings a chance to learn more reliance on the Lord instead of my own strength. More updates soon:)

A Baby Story

We have celebrated one week of time with Charlotte. She is so sweet and good most of the time; the only time she gets really fussy is when she is hungry...she takes after her mama in that way. It's been great to have Cole home this week and have together time, just the three of us.

I thought I would take the chance to tell you about our baby's arrival. Last week, I was involved in a elementary music workshop for four days. Even though I won't be teaching next year, I still have to keep up my professional development if I want to keep my license current. I wasn't going to do the workshop, but I had a very good friend who convinced me that it would be better for me to get more professional development hours instead of staying at home, waiting for Charlotte's arrival. So I went to the first two days of the workshop. The morning of the third day was going involve a lot of movement activities...nothing that hard core, but movement nonetheless. The workshop was at the U of A. I joked with some friends, one of whom was due a week before me, that all the movement would put us into labor that night. Well, I got my wish; while at lunch in the union, my water broke. I felt like I was in a sitcom. So few women actually have their water break at all let alone in a public place. Three of my music teacher friends sprung into action...two walked me to go get my stuff from the band building and the other went and got her car. I called Cole and had him meet us at the BCM on the U of A campus.

Cole and I then hightailed it to the clinic to make sure it was my water that broke, with a short stop at home to grab our hospital bags. When we got to the clinic, I was checked by the nurse practicioner, who said it was definately my water that broke and that I was dialated to a three...I had been a one on Monday. We were then taken downstairs where the hospital actually is....our hospital is a women's clinic and hospital in one. We were put in triage b/c the hospital was CRAZY busy. Not long after I got hooked up to the monitor I started having contractions. At first, I told the nurse that I wasn't sure about getting an epidural. I really wanted to experience natural labor if I could stand it, but an hour later I was singing a different tune. I told the nurse I wanted an epidural. Not long after that, I started getting sick, b/c I had just finished eating lunch before my water broke. It was miserable trying to relax your body for a contraction, but being in so much pain that you can't help but tense up b/c you're about to be sick to your stomach. The clinic was so packed that we didn't get into a room until 4...and by that point I was dialated to a 4.

Luckily, an hour later I got an epidural, about 5 o'clock. By this time I was dilated to a 5. After I got the epidural, they went ahead and put me on pictocin to help along my labor. Everything before the epidural is fuzzy, but after the epidural, life was good. I will definately do it again the next time we have a baby. The pain was just too much for my body to handle. My parents arrived shortly before the epidural (poor them) and Cole's parents arrived shortly after. After the epidural, we just relaxed until 7. The doctor came in and said i was at a 9...and we would start pushing in the next hour. We kicked everyone out of the room at about 7:30 so I could get some rest. That half hour was so precious for me and Cole. We went through some psalms and prayed together for the birth of our baby and for wisdom on how to be good parents. At 8:15 we started pushing and by 8:48 we had a baby!!!

We are so blessed by Charlotte already. You know when your mom tells you "you'll understand when you have your own children." She was so right! First of all, the gospel has become so much clearer. I wouldn't give my daughter as a sacrifice for anyone, so it is so much more powerful when I think about the sacrifice God made in giving his ONLY son. Charlotte depends on me and Cole for everything. Sometimes she doesn't like what we do, like changing her clothes or her diaper, but it's necessary for her to be healthy. So much of the time we time, I act like Charlotte. I cry and complain b/c I don't want to experience momentary discomfort. But God, in his sovreignty, knows what I need...more than I could ever know. What a lesson that I know I will keep learning through the years.

Nesting=craft projects

Did you go through the nesting instinct when you were pregnant? I would say for me it has been one of the more intense symptoms of the last part of pregnancy...forget about braxton hicks. I was officially done with school on Wednesday and proceeded to make an UBER-long list of to-do's to keep myself busy over the next couple of days. Can I just tell you that half of that list got done on Thursday, which is ridiculous! But, I did get some really cute craft ideas done for Baby Penick's room. The first project involved taking embroidery hoops and painting them white, then placing three different, but coordinating fabrics in the hoops and then hanging them on the wall. It turned out so cute, I may have to make some to put in our bedroom as well. The second project was shelf with hanging pegs that I painted bright pink first. Then, I went over the pink with a bit of white paint and sanded down the whole thing with a little bit of sand paper to make it look worn. I love this crafting stuff! Better enjoy this energy while I can, because in a few weeks, a little one will be taking up all of it. I included some of my other creations for Baby Penick's room from earlier in my nesting phase. Hope it inspires you to get creative yourself.

Lasagna made easy....

I absolutely love Lasagna, but I hate the amount and time and the amount of dishes it takes to make it. Imagine my surprise the other day when I ran across this website called "The Girl Who Ate Everything" (a girl after my own heart). One of the recipes on her blog is a crockpot lasagna...and you don't even have to boil the noodles. It turned out good, except for the cheese layer that was a little dry, but I think I needed to use two eggs instead of one in that layer. Go check it out for yourself, and be free to make lasagna without the burden of all the dishes. Here's the link: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/easy-crockpot-lasagna-recipe/2/

32 Weeks (almost 33) and Counting!

32 weeks....in 8 weeks I will be a mom. Isn't that crazy to think about? Something will happen in the next 8 weeks that will change my life forvever....I will be responsible for someone else, for her every need. That is a huge responsibility. But honestly, I am so ready in the sense of being ready to meet my baby. I know that I don't know everything about how to be a mom and I will need lots of help from the Lord to learn, but my heart aches to see this baby and hold her and kiss her. I hope to enjoy the end of one phase of my life as I look expectantly to the next one! Hope you all have a blessed week!


32 Week Belly!!! Almost there!

Praises!!!!

God is so good...and i don't just mean in the generic sense of the term. He is so good to give us blessings that we don't even ask for. At our 20 week ultrasound, everything looked good, but there were a couple of small things that the doctor wanted to keep an eye on. He told us our biggest worry was still finding a name for our baby girl. One concern was that one of baby girl's kidneys was bigger than the other, not by much, but still something they wanted to watch. Another concern was a muscle or something that they could see on her heart which was unusual to be able to see...also explained as a minor concern. To be honest, I didn't give it another thought until today's ultrasound. As the doctor looked over our ultrasound pictures everything was NORMAL or GONE...his words, not mine. Isn't God good to bless us with that kind of reassurance even after he has already blessed us with peace of mind over the problem in the first place. He is so good to give us abundantly more than what we ask.

Baby Shower #1

Sorry I haven't written in awhile. It's been a crazy busy month and will continue to be probably until school gets out. Two weeks ago I had baby shower #1 put on by some sweet ladies from our church, University Baptist Church. I don't think I could have planned a better shower than what they planned for me. First of all, it was the most gorgeous spring day. I commented as I came into the house that I hoped somebody was getting married that day, because it just seemed like a good day for celebrating. Secondly, my hostesses did an amazing job with the food and decorations; the food part is especially important to a pregnant lady. And I was absolutely blown away by the number of people who came. I felt so blessed and so humbled by the love and generousity people have shown us since we found out we were pregnant. It makes me hope that I am showing that same kind of love and support to those around me not only in times of celebration, but also in times of trial. I was especially blessed by the college students who showed up. Our students lead such full lives and for them to take time out of their busy schedule to come to a baby shower blessed my heart. I so love the opportunity that God has given us in Fayetteville to minister to students and I am looking forward to being more involved in ministry after Baby Penick comes. I was so blessed by this shower; it was a great time to visit and catch up with friends and family and what more could you ask for than that!

Silly Me!

Earlier this week Cole was out of town with a group of international college students for a spring break trip while I was at home. Most of the time I would accompany him on college ministry trips, but due to the 10 (yes, that's right 10!) snow days we had this year, my school district decided to help ease the burden of making up the days by using the Monday and Tuesday of Spring Break. So, I stayed...no big deal, until Tuesday night when I started cramping, which shouldn't be a big deal, but it seemed like a bigger deal since Cole wasn't home. I called Cole and a close friend for thoughts on what to do, drank a big glass of water and went to bed. I woke up the next morning still cramping. This woulnd't be any big deal, except I have had several friends who have gone into premature labor...and those stories stuck with me. Fast forward to middle of the morning, I called the doctor and went in only to find out everything was fine except for a urinary tract infection. Made me feel a little silly, but I guess it was worth the peace of mind. I'm wondering if I will ever figure out what is normal during pregnancy...One thing is sure though, I'm glad I have the Lord to guide my head and my heart when I know both of them a deceitful. Praise God that he has the wisdom to make me a good Mom and wife and that I don't have to walk this journey alone!

Am I walking the talk?

So, as I was singing this morning in the band for our college worship service, the Lord really convicted me of how the words I was singing and the actions of the previous days had not been adding up. For those of you who don't know, I have a huge ESL project that is due April 1st. This project is to show the results of what I have learned and implemented from my ESL academy that I did last summer. As I was singing this morning of God's love being enough, I realized that I have not been living this out in my attitude toward this project. Number one, I have been trying to do this in my own strength...and number two, I am treating this project like it has some bearing on eternity (a little dramatic sounding, I know...but it's truth). I do know that God placed the desire to go to ESL academy for a reason and I want to work on this project as unto the Lord...but regardless of the grade I get on this project I have to keep in perspective that this "suffering" that I think I'm going through right now is nothing compared to Christ's sacrifice on the cross. If I get an "A" on this project or fail it miserably does not change the status of my relationship with the Father....it might change the way some people look at me, but then again I can't serve two masters. I have to trust that all the difficulties and challenges that seem to overwhelm me right now have been allowed or put in place by the Father to refine me into who he needs me to be. I pray that my actions and attitude over the next couple of weeks would reflect who I am in Him rather than who I am in me.

Laura Story - Blessings

Hope this song blesses you like it did me!

Hard Choices, Right Choices

So, I made the official announcement this week at school that I will not be coming back next year to teach. I first met with both of my principals to let them know of my decision. I think they thought something was seriously wrong with me, because I couldn't even tell them what I was wanting to talk about before I burst into tears....I know...I never cry right;) Cole and I have been planning on me staying at home with our children since we got married. I think in my plan, though, I thought that would be a year or two longer. I have been so blessed by my co-workers and students that the decision to leave became a very difficult one. But sometimes we have to let go of the current blessing to go forward to the next blessing God has for us. I am excited to stay at home next year, and I know that God will use the things I have learned as a teacher to change the world for Him, but outside of a classroom setting. This verse really seems to sum up what the Lord is doing:

Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

God bless! Have a great weekend!

It's A Girl!!!

So as most of you probably have heard or seen on facebook, we are having a little girl. Her name is going to be Charlotte Lynn. There was some debate about the name...I didn't care as long as I liked, but Cole wanted the name to be meaningful and tied to their faith. So, Charlotte is for Lottie Moon the famous missionary to China, and Lynn for Cole's boss and mentor at the BCM, Lynn Loyd. It's wonderful to know and call her by name and get to pray for her by name now. So, now all the fun begins....and I've already found the bedding I like...what do you think?

Belly Pics

So here are some belly pics...I think the timeline is 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, and 17 weeks. It's been frustrating for me b/c I am really anxious to show, but I still feel pudgy instead of pregnant. It's silly I know...and soon I'll be showing enough that everyone will know. Only two more weeks until we find out what it is!!!!