I Can Do It!

Last year I proved to myself that I can completely give up something that I really like.  I haven't had any coffee (except what was in the tiramisu I had last week) since the middle of February 2010.  It's been hard at times, (especially in the midst of the reminders of Indiana winters!) but I did it!  So, now I'm going to do it again.  :D 

I know it would be better for my health for me to give up soda.  I have a rather high risk of developing type 2 diabetes down the road, and I need to do what I can now to help prevent that.  I had successfully switched to diet while I was pregnant, but then the baby started reacting when I drank it after he was born.  So, I've been back to regular soda.  It's such an easy habit to get into!  I start out just having a 20 oz every now and then, then order a coke when we go out to eat, then we pick up a 2 liter or a case of cans to have at the house...It just snowballs!

I decided that when we go out, I will order either unsweetened iced tea (left plain) or water with lime or lemon.  For those times I really want something fizzy to drink, I found "La Croix cran-raspberry flavored sparkling water" (they also have lime flavored, and unflavored).  It has no sugar, no artificial sweetener, no sodium.  It's basically just water.  There is a bit of natural flavoring in it, but it doesn't add any nutritional value to the drink.  It's awesome!  I think I might like it even better than soda! 

Hmmm

I'm again wondering what I should blog about, so I think I'll just ramble a bit.

I feel like I've settled in nicely to a new normal with my little guy. He'll be four months old tomorrow, but it feels like he's always been a part of my life. He's now jabbering at me quite a bit, playing with his feet whenever he can get to them, blowing raspberries, and wrapping his daddy and me tighter and tighter around his tiny little finger.

I have started taking Greek from my wonderful husband. I'm on my third lesson, and enjoying it so far. It's giving me a bit of a mental challenge, which I've really missed. I figure I'll be a little better equipped for helping him with typing up his notes and such. There have been times that I've had to interrupt his current study to ask a question about notes for a previous study, and I hope to get a good enough grasp of the language that I don't have to do that anymore.

I'm waiting for the rest of the tulips to die so I can get back to work on the ivy. I have noticed that the section that I have done already has little bits of ivy popping back up here and there. Never fear! I WILL win this battle! Eventually that silly ivy will get the picture, and we won't see it again. The tulips have been a beautiful sight! I've had yellow, white, pink, purple, dark purple ruffly, pointy pink, orange, red and pink and white striped tulips all blooming in the front beds. They're a fabulous array of colors. Unfortunately, I once again didn't think of getting a picture of all of them until some started dying. *sigh. One of these days...

Speaking of pictures, I've decided that to try to help me remember to take pictures, next month I am going to try to take a picture of at least 2 different things of interest every day. Keep a lookout for that!

Last for tonight, I've started copying a pattern from a finished cross stitch that my mom had. It's a birth announcement type cross stitch, with a stork carrying a baby in a blanket (blanket appropriately colored for boy or girl), with full name and birth date under the baby. Mom had 2, one for one of my brothers, and one for one of my sisters. They're both rather old and dirty, but fine for making a pattern from. I'm thinking I'll make eight of them. One for each of us kids, then I'll turn it into a quilt for Mom. I may enlist the help of my sister(s) over time so that we can get it done sometime this century! :D

My cranky baby (due to teething) is needing me, so I will end with this jumble of thoughts. Good night all!

Have They Changed?

I'm copying this idea from my little sister. This is one of those "getting to know you" emails that wwent around several years ago. I dug it up and reanswered it. (Actually, I had to have my little sister send me my old answers. :D) My new answers are in italics.


1. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR KITCHEN PLATES? Mostly blue, I also have some with pink roses and some with harvest gold flowers blue
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Bible, various library books Essentials of New Testament Greek, and Psalms
3. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? no mouse pad no mouse pad
4. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Life Dicecapades
5. FAVORITE MAGAZINE? McCalls needlework and crafts McCall's Needlework and Crafts
6. FAVORITE SMELL? Baked goods fresh from the oven my baby
7. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL? burnt sugar rotten food
8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? Not already!! What time is it?
9. FAVORITE COLOR? Blue and Green Dark Red
10. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR? White Pastels
11. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? 1 It depends on the ring. Sometimes I let it play one full song. :)
12. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Girl: Salina Jane Boy: William Alexander Girl:Salina Jane Boy: Charles Fredrick
13. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT In LIFE? My salvation and relationship w/ Christ. Without it my life would be worthless My salvation and relationship with Christ
14. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA ICE-CREAM? vanilla vanilla
15. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST? no Nope
16. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? a living teddy bear :)
17. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? COOL cool
18. WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? Honda Civic Ex black 1993 Honda Civic EX
19. IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE WHO WOULD IT BE? Jeb's parents Fanny Crosby
20.FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK? I've had pineapple that was pickled in alchohol, and tirimasu soaked in rum, and they were both positively disgusting. None
21. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN & YOUR BIRTHDAY? I have no idea, and 2/18/xx Dunno, 2/18
22. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI? Yes no
23. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB WHAT WOULD IT BE? None, just housewife and mother. If I had to work outside the home, it would be waitress
24.HAVE ANY COLOR HAIR. I like my hair the way it is. I still like my hair the way it is
25. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Are you pouring or drinking? Are you filling or emptying?
26. FAVORITE MOVIE? The Devil Wears Prada Sound of Music
27. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? yes When I'm not holding a baby!
28. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? an empty shoebox, and a book Boxes of clothes
29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? None None
30. WHAT IS YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST FEAR? Losing my family Losing my family
31. SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU: she's my first answer to prayer My little sister
32. FAVORITE CDS? Classical and celtic The Pryor Sisters: See Him High and Lifted Up
33. FAVORITE TV SHOWS? I haven't watched tv for years tlc makeovers
34. KETCHUP OR MUSTARD? Ketchup spicy brown mustard
35. HAMBURGERS OR HOTDOGS? Hot dogs, cause I haven't had any for a while. Hamburgers
36. FAVORITE SOFT DRINK? GingerAle, club soda GingerAle
37. THE BEST PLACES YOU HAVE EVER BEEN? Niagara Falls, Awana camp Niagara Falls, AWANA Camp, Home!
38. WHAT SCREEN SAVER IS ON YOUR COMPUTER RIGHT NOW? None None
39. BURGER KING OR MCDONALDS? Burger King. Chicken? McD's Burger? BK

Did you learn something new about me?

A Different Dish

Wednesday I decided to try making roast with Yorkshire Pudding. Roasted potatoes, carrots, onion, and asparagus on the side, and we were good to go! It was sooo yummy! The Yorkshire pudding was a new twist to an old favorite of mine. (roast, potatoes, carrots, and onion) There's really not a way to describe it, cause I haven't had anything like it before. I tried describing it like a somewhat dry, firm custard, but that completely defies the definition of a custard. My husband said it was like a savory bread pudding, but it wasn't at all soggy, and wasn't really very eggy, so that doesn't work either.

Intrigued yet? :D It's super simple to make. You can even make it without the roast, it just won't have the flavor from the roast juices. You simply heat the juices (fat) drained off the roast (and/or oil to make 1/4 cup) in a square pan in a 450 degree oven. While that's heating, mix up 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour that into the hot fat in the pan, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until it's puffy and browned. Then, enjoy!

(I'd share a picture with you, but I'm the one that never thinks to take pictures until it's too late. Maybe next time!)

I Have to Say

I am so glad that we have progressed in the medical field so that it was possible for me to have a c-section, and have my baby and me both be whole, healthy, and alive! I understand that not all c-sections are necessary, but mine was, and I'm thankful that my Dr understood that, that it was a possibility, and that we were in a medical facility that was prepared to handle it.

I know a woman whose niece's baby has severe mental retardation because of the fact that they didn't do a c-section when there were several indicators that it was needed. The baby ended up having oxygen supply to the brain cut off due to the cord being wrapped around it's neck, and compressed during contractions and pushing. They finally did do a c-section after several hours of nonproductive pushing, but it was too late.

I know of another woman whose baby broke it's collar bone during delivery because it didn't have the necessary room to be delivered naturally.

I am so glad that my Dr was willing to allow me the opportunity to be induced a second time, and to labor for as long as I did before deciding for the c-section. She didn't just jump straight to surgery, it truly was her last resort to helping me have a healthy baby. I appreciate that!

Mixed Signals? and Other Weird Calls

Last night I got a call on my cell phone. I looked at the number, rolled my eyes, and answered. I was determined to take care of this once and for all.
"Hello"
A man's voice responded, "Hello, who is this? This is Derek, you called me"
"I'm not sure what's going on with your number and mine, but about a month ago I had several calls from your number from a guy asking for Derek. I have not called your number, and would appreciate it if you would stop calling me."
"I'm not calling you, you're calling me, I'm not putting in your number, just hitting send." Then he hung up.

That was the third phone call from him saying I'd called him. Hopefully that's the last! What's really weird is that about a month ago, I did have several phone calls from that same number, but some other fellow asking for Derek. I finally asked him what number he was trying to reach, and he gave me MY phone number. I explained to him that that was the number he was reaching, but it wasn't Derek's. He thanked me, and said he would try the other number. That was the end of that! (Or so I thought, until his number started popping up again, but with Derek on the other line this time!)

I had another call awhile ago with a woman asking for Kelly. I told her she had the wrong number, she asked if this was (my number). I told her it was, she then asked if I was the one who had emailed her about a horse. Mmm, NOPE!

A few years ago I got a call for a woman I'd never heard of. I told them they had the wrong number. They then asked if I knew where she was. When I told them that she didn't live here, and this wasn't her number, they said "So you DO know her!"

Another time I got a call from a cemetery place offering a free plot. When they found out that I wasn't old enough to qualify, they asked if I knew of anyone who would be interested in their offer.

I think my all time favorite, however, will always be the time my dad called the house collect from his work. I answered the phone the way I always did "N------'s residence, this is Heidi speaking". I heard an automated voice say, "I'm sorry, you have reached an answering service," followed by my dad saying, "No, that's my daughter!"

Sometimes it's No

I wrote this up for my other blog a few days ago, and thought I would share it here. There have been a couple of incidences recently that brought this to mind, and I think there are many life situations in whch we find ourselves tempted to respond in this way.


Sometimes when we pray, we get the answer we're wanting - "yes". Sometimes it's "wait". Not fun, but doable. But sometimes the answer is "no". Am I willing to submit my will to God's, and accept the "no"s? Am I going to do things my way to get what I want anyway? Should I then be upset when He steps in and reminds me His answer was "no"? Let's think about this for a minute. Imagine a young child asking for a cookie. Their mother says no. We see the child go into the kitchen, rearrange chairs to enable them to climb up onto the counter, get a cookie from the cookie jar, and just start to take a bite when their mother comes in and takes the cookie from them with the words, "I said 'no'!" Would we berate that mother for being unfair? Would we comfort the child in the fact that they didn't deserve to have that cookie taken from them, tell them how much they deserved that cookie, and how sure we are that their mother will give them another cookie? Why then, do we do the same things with our loving Heavenly Father? And why do we then call it trusting God? Am I really trusting God today? Or am I expecting Him to be my genie in a bottle, ready to fulfill my every wish?

Picture Post

I couldn't think of anything good to write today, so decided to share some pictures with you. Here are a few of my favorites.

This is what I saw when I checked on my baby after my shower yesterday. :D

Trying to get a good picture of my little "joey".

My guys!

Finally I realised that I could use the smile detector on my camera to get a good smile picture of my son. :D Isn't it great?Last, but not least, the picture of my flowers that I uncovered out of all the ivy.

That was more complicated than I thought! I may have to go ask my little sister for pointers for adding pictures to a blogpost. :P I hope you enjoyed!

Five Years Ago

• I was finishing up the drapes for my mom's house.


• I got to meet the first of my in-laws.


• My husband and his brother showed up at Mom's house in time to go out for lunch and pick up the tuxes.


• My Grandma broke the ball off her hip while washing her car so it would be pretty for my wedding.


• It was the day before my wedding rehearsal.


• My next to last day as a single woman!

So much has happened in the last five years! We've moved across the country, down the coast, and back across the country. We've loved and lost three children - one miscarriage, and our two foster children that we transitioned into a new home so that we could move back across the country. We've stood firm for the truth of God's word through one of the biggest trials we could face. We've been given a fourth child to love, and to bring up in a godly home. We've ministered in four different churches in three different states. We've made friends all over our wonderful nation. We've grown more fully and deeply in love with each passing day.

These past five years have undoubtedly been the best five years of my life! Thank you sweetheart for five wonderful years! I hope to spend seventy more with you.

Tomorrow

I will write a better blog post. :D

Is that what I think it is?

It sure is! Ivy is growing inside my house!

Ohio Visit

I've been putting this off because I don't really know how to say what's in my heart and mind here. We (my older sister, her two kids, my son and I), went out to Ohio last week to visit family. Really, we went out because Grandma is dying. She hasn't been out of bed for almost 2 weeks now. I was able to stay out there for an extra couple of days to get a bit more time to visit with her and with my mom and siblings who are still at home. Grandma was able to meet my baby boy, and held him on her lap for awhile. That was the last time she has sat up. It was incredibly hard to see her so weak and in pain. This is the lady who broke her hip - she broke the ball off of her hip joint - and stood up leaning on the car so the EMTs wouldn't find her on the ground. So for her to admit that she's in too much pain to sit up means that it's a lot! I was so glad to see her, and that she got to meet my sweet son. I got a picture of the two of them that I'll share with you all later. Mentally, she's still the same person she's always been. She told some of her favorite stories, gave advice, and chuckled and rolled her eyes at my stories. She's obviously lonely, I was glad to be company for her. I'm also glad that my siblings are there every weekday afternoon after school to keep her company. This is all so garbled, but that's how it is in my head, so it would have to come out that way. There is so much more I want to say, other heartaches from that visit, but it just won't come out. There are things I just can't open up and share with the world. I was glad for the visit, and am so very glad to be home again, in my own home, with my two guys.

Deja Vu

This past week I was sitting in the kitchen in my mom's house, talking to my wonderful husband on the phone at 5 in the morning. This is what I was doing 5 years ago! I truly didn't think I would ever be doing that again. It felt really weird. I almost expected to find my coco wheats in the microwave, and a cup of coffee on the table in front of me. If I hadn't had my son with me to act as a testimony to the reality of the last five years, it truly would have felt like the horrible waking from a dream too good to be true, yet so real you could feel it. However, my marriage has been a dream come true, we have been married for (almost) 5 years, and I am now home again where I belong. I am so glad I had to opportunity to take this trip, glad for my sister and my mom who got me there and back, and glad for my husband who let me (us) go for this week. I'll tell more about the trip later on, but for now I'll just say that this is the only - let me stress that now...ONLY - reason I would ever willingly be separated from my husband. I felt like I had a major part of me missing. Our son was just as bad. There were nights that the only thing that would calm him was hearing his daddy's voice on the phone. Now we're all together again, and our world is back in order.