IT'S A BOY!

We had the gender sonogram on December 21. My parents and GT were there, we left Audrie at the sitter's house. The first thing the technichian (Evelyn) did was look at his private parts to tell us he was boy! Which of course is something I knew all along! :)

We are naming him Hezekiah Eugene Nehls. We are going to calling him Ki. Hezekiah is my grandfather's middle name, great grandfather's middle name and great great great grandfather's name. And Hezekiah was a great King in the Bible!

Eugene is GT's middle name as well as his dad's and grandfathers.

Right now, Ki is 8 ounces (so 1/2 pound)...and my due date is May 26th. It was so strange when the tech did the 4-D sono at times I thought he looked like Audrie. How in the world can a 8 ounce baby already look like Audrie? I dont know but he did, my dad even thought so!

My dad had a dream the night before about my sonogram. He wouldnt tell us what the gender was in his dream, until after, and it was boy! :)

16 weeks

I missed my last doctor's office posts. These holiday's keep me busy! :)

I went to the doctor on December 7th (I was 15 weeks). We listened to the heartbeat again, 162...made me doubt my boy prediction a little. Audrie was there this time and she had no clue what was going on of course. She was like, what are they doing to my mommy??? Then I had a test for Chlamydia and Gonherria (sp?), I think...I assured them I didnt have either, but of course, procedure...blah.

So to the fun stuff...well, maybe not too fun. I really started showing about 3 weeks ago (so 13 weeks). It was like one day I woke up and had a belly. I am back to the weight I started when I found out we were preggo. I need to start taking belly pics each week or so! I have fully turned in my normal clothes to maternity. Ugh. Well except a few shirts I can still wear, but I am in all maternity pants.

We have an ultrasound on December 21 to find out if its a boy or girl! I really think its a boy. Like, if she tells me its a girl, I might fall out. I would love to have either. I LOVE having a girl. I think it is so much fun! I have heard boys are fun too and easy. I cant believe we are going to have 2! Sometimes, I think we are NUTS! :)

I will try to post on the 21 when we find out!

Day 9: Pictures with Friends

Day 8: Travel

Favorite places I have traveled!

Well, I have only been out of the country twice. Once for a mission trip, second for our honeymoon.

My favorite memories of traveling was with Centri-Kid!

The first summer we went to:

San Marcos, TX
Pineville, LA
Marion, IN
Bolivar, MO
Pass Christian, MS
Clinton, MS
Leesburg, FL

And the second summer:

Campbellsville, KY
Flagstaff, AZ
Hannibal, MO
Newport, TN
Jackson, TN
Hattiesburg, MS
Maryville, TN
Bluefield, VA

Day 7 Movies

I already said this in my interesting facts, but my top 2 favorite movies of all time:



and...



Some close contenders:
Count of Monte Cristo
Any Tom Hanks Movie (Philadelphia, Splash, Joe vs the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, etc...)
Rent
Walk the Line
Harry Potter
SO many more...but those are some of my most favorites!

Doctor's Appt No. 2

Today was my 2nd doctors appointment. I am 11 weeks and 3 days. GT couldnt come due to work, so I was by myself. Which makes me sad, but I know GT is making a sacrifice for us...because he really wants to be there too!

Basically, we just listened to the baby's heart beat...I keep say Ki's heartbeat, because I think its a boy and because I want to name him Hezekiah :)  but GT corrects me!

Then we went over my blood sugar levels, which have been good. And I have lost 2 pounds! :)  Not because im not eating, I guess the baby likes to eat too :)

I feel like I am already showing, but I am not sure if its just fat. I mean, I have lost 2 pounds, so I shouldnt look fat, right? Well, I say its "showing", sounds alot better than just a fat belly.

Next appt is Dec 7, then hopefully we will find out the sex before Christmas!!!!

Day 5 and Day 6

Well, I am a little behind. I was the maid of honor in my bestfriends wedding this weekend, so I was a little busy!

Day 5: Favorite Recipe

I have quite a few of them, but I will post a favorite Chocolate Chip recipe!

Ingredients

2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Butter
½ cups Sugar
¾ cups Brown Sugar
1 package Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 whole Egg
½ packages Chocolate Chips
½ cups Nuts (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Stir baking soda, flour and salt; set aside.
2. Combine butter, sugars and pudding mix, beating until fluffy.
3. Add vanilla and egg; beat until smooth.
4. Add dry ingredients; mix well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes.

And, day 6: Picture of Something that Makes Me Happy

What? I am pregnant... I mean my husband and daughter makes me happy too. BUT I love a sonic cheeseburger and onion rings!

Day 4: My Parents

This is my dad...Larry P

There is so much to say about what a wonderful man he is. He is a pastor and has been my whole life. God has used him in a unique way to go into broken churches and restore them for a new pastor. It just kinda worked out that way. So, we moved every few years growing up. Before I was born, my mom and him started 2 churches. He has also been a principal, singles minister, director of a retirement home, and im sure many more things. He is the hardest working man I have ever met. A week after he got out of the hospital for blood clots, he was cutting the grass at church! He loves to read book that continually make him a better man and closer to the Lord. This is something I have always admired about my dad. Even though he is the most wise man I know, he still continues growing and learning more. I could say alot more about my dad. I am so blessed to be given such a wonderful father on Earth, I know I am very fortunate.

This is my favorite picture of my dad and me at Disney World:

And here is my mom, Leslie:

I dont even know where to begin to describe my mom. She has been a teacher for most of my life and in the past 3 years she has been a coordinator of a elementary school. She is also a very hard worker and has always made it important to provide for us through working, no matter the sacrifice. I didnt realize this until I was older and began working a "real" job myself. She has always been a cheerleader and teammate with my dad through all of our moves, hard times and good times. She has always been my rock. I can be pretty emotional and dramatic and my mom can always bring be down to earth. She has taught me since I was a child how to be a Godly mother and wife. We did have some tough teenage years and now are bestfriends. We talk on the phone at least once a day if not 3 or 4 times. Again, there is not enough time or room to talk about how blessed I am to have such a wonderful mother. 

Here is one of my favorite pictures of us:

Seriously, how cute is she?

And then I could get started on how great they are as grandparents...but I wont, just know I am very thankful for them!!!!

Day 3: My First Love

This is a hard one to answer, because there are so many different "loves" that I have experienced.

My first teenage/crush love was in 8th grade. I wont say his name, but funny to think about how "in love" I was at 13! Haha,yeah right! Where is reality when your 13?

My first family love was my parents and brothers of course. I am so grateful for the example my parents taught us of love.

My first real deep passionate love has been for GT. I never knew love could be like this between humans. It is hard to explain until you experience it. It is a committed, unconditional, dont care what you look or smell like love.

My first mommy love obviously came from having Audrie. Again, a different love than is only explainable to someone who has experienced it. It is the I never thought I would touch someones poop, spit-up and snot and it just be a fact of life love. I never knew someone could need me 24/7 and make me so exhausted but still there is a outpouring of love.

Lastly, the best love, the ultimate love is from my Savior. Becoming a mom, I have understand more His love for me. It is His love that continues me going, instead I would have given up a long time ago. His love is there when I feel like I am not loved by anyone else. His love also brings mercy, grace and peace.  His love is why you exist and I exist. His love is why Jesus died on the cross so that we are able to spend eternity with him. I am Sooooooooo grateful for His love!

Day 2 Blog Challenge

Apparently, I am behind on the 30 day blog challenge since yesterday was the 1st! So today will be 2 blogs!

Day 2: Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

Well, this wont be too interesting. I started the blog to keep family update on my pregnancy with Audrie...then it turned into a fun outlet just to write about random things. I have never been good at journaling, but I found that I blogged better. Now, it is has turned into a sort of keepsake. I try to write about things Audrie is doing and about this pregnancy so I can look back and read them, and possibly even print them off and give them to Audrie (and future children) one day.


Anyway, that is why the web address is www.babynehls....however the title on the page is The Nehls Family. So original! I have thought about changing it, but I didnt have anything cute to change it too, I will take suggestions!

30 day blogging challenge...

I read on one of my friends blogs that she was doing a 30 day blog challenge and decided to do it to. I am not sure why but used to I had a loy to write about and now, all I can think to write about is Audrie or the pregnancy. And as much as I like to talk about both, I know it gets boring....and pretty repetitive.

So here is to Day 1!

Day One: Introduce, Recent Picture, and 15 interesting facts

I am Lydia, married to GT for 2 years and some months. We have a 15 month old baby girl and we are expecting our 2nd child in May. We live in Longview, TX. I work part time for a maternity home called Hannah House and my hubs is a service manager at Terminix. and last but not least....We love Jesus!

This is the most recent picture of us at Audrie's 1 Birthday Party!

15 Interesting Facts:

1. My favorite movies are Ever After and That Thing You Do.

2. I only brush my teeth once a day. (Sometimes twice, but usually just once)

3. I keep a monthly menu on a calender in our kitchen. (Since I have been preggo, I havent really stuck to it...I dont feel like cooking! or smelling food!)

4. My husband is amazing. I am spoiled rotten.

5. I could eat macaroni and cheese for every meal.

6. I love sweet food. Like, really. 

7. I love to cook (when I am not preggo) and I am obsessed with Pioneer Woman.

8. I lost 40 pounds this year. It has been 7 months, and I have only gained back 3 pounds!

9. I LOVED being a stay-at-home mom, until now. I am very excited to go back to work part-time.

10. I want 4 kids. All 2 years apart. I would be ok if it was all girls.

11. We have 2 Boston Terries, Allie and Zoe.

12. We have 3 nieces and 2 nephews!

13. My favorite TV shows off all time are LOST and Felicity, Surprisingly, both by JJ Abrams, but very opposite shows!

14. My favorite weird food to eat is puffy cheetos dipped in sloppy joe meat. Seriously, delicious.

15. I love to have a clean house, but I hate to clean.

Not sure if those were interesting, but they were facts nonetheless! 

I promised to blog more about this pregnancy, but really nothing is exciting yet. Here are the highlights thus far:

• I havent been too nauseaus 
• All I want to eat is fast food and sour candy
• I have lost 1 pound, however, my size 12 jeans arent comfortable any more :(
• All I want to do is sleep all day
• I think its a boy
• I got out my maternity clothes, but refuse to wear them this early, although I probably need to
• When do I start measuring my belly? I want to keep up with it this time.
• Right now, our baby is the size of a kumquat... what in the world is that? 

According to google images, it is this:

• If I am right, and it is a boy...I really want to name him Hezekiah and call him Ki. GT isnt quite on board yet.
• When I think that I have 30 weeks left it makes me dread it, and it makes me scared. All at the same time. 
• Our next doc's appt is November 9!

In other news...non-pregnancy related:

• We did nothing for Halloween. No decorations. No candy. Didnt do anything last night. Sad, huh? Partly, because all I want to do is sleep, Audrie is only 14 mos old, we are broke and mostly because I headed up a golf tournament that happened yesterday.
• GT and I went on a date Saturday night and it was wonderful. My mom gave us a gift card for dinner and we went to the dollar movie! We saw Inception. Very interesting. 
• We are almost through with Season 6 of the Office, and that makes me sad.
• My best-friend is getting married Saturday!
• Audrie is taking a nap, so I am going to toooo! 

Audrie at 14 months (and 3 weeks)

I was looking at Audrie's scrabook this weekend and telling some people about how I am so bad about journaling, but I scrapbook and blog about what Audrie's up to...and I realized, I havent done that in a LONG time.  For the sake of me being able to come back and read this when I have another 14 month old and think what was Audrie doing at this age...here goes...

• You dont really walk anymore, you run. With your head down and arms flaling. Which means alot of bruises and falling down.
• You have some thick thick hair, like mommy, and you are really tall so people think you are 2. But your not. You are a week away from being 15 months.
• Your vocabulary expands all the time. Right now you can say: mama, dada, bye-bye, ball, dog, duck, ruff-ruff, night-night, diaper, poo-poo, nose, cat, duck, hot-hot, cold, book, no, juice, toes, uh-oh, hello (only when pretending to talk on the phone), papa, papaw, naenae, nana (even though there is no grandparent named nana) 
• You can identify these parts of your body: nose, hair, belly, toes, foot, teeth and when we ask you if you poo-pooed, you point to your diaper.
• You can follow some commands. If we ask you to pick something up and bring it to one of us, you usually do. You can go find your milk, baby, ball, etc... You have learned to throw appropriate things away in the trash can.
• You still havent learned to sign "thank you" but you can sign "please" and "more". 
• You love to wave hi and bye, although you wont say hi. You wave now even when you are not prompted to. 
• You are learning to throw things, like the dog toys, and a ball, even though it doesnt go very far. 
• You also just learned how to kick a ball and you think it is really funny thing to do. 
• You can eat with a fork when mommy helps you and you really like it. 
• You love to buckle the top of your carseat with mommys help, you get really excited and clap.
• You STILL love Baby Einstein's Babys First Sounds

Thats really all I can think of at the moment. I have got to get better at doing this monthly. I know I am going to regret not doing it when this new baby is born and I am wondering what Audrie was like at that age.

This age, to me, is one of the hardest. Audrie is IN TO EVERYTHING...and does not listen to me very well. She listens to her sitter and other people, which I am grateful for, but I wish she would listen to me! I think it is most challenging because she cant communicate as much as I wish she could, so she just whines. and whines. and whines. I know each age comes with their own challenges and I also know one day, I am going to wish she couldnt talk! 

Pregnancy #2

I am so excited to finally announce that we are having a baby!!!!!! Again!!!!!! I promise to be better about blogging, and even hope to blog weekly about the pregnancy. I wish I would have been more detailed about my pregnancy with Audrie, so I could go back and read what I forgot...so here is hoping I will blog more during this one!

When we found out--I was supposed to start on September 15...and on September 13, I couldnt wait and took an early detection pregnancy test. It was a very faint line....so I went a bought one that said "pregnant" and took it the next day...and it confirmed that I am pregnant!

How I told GT-- I had the test behind my back when he came home. Told him to close his eyes and put out his hands. When he opened his eyes, he said, "What does that mean?"...Haha. I wanted to do something creative, but I just cant keep in a secret!

How I have been feeling-- so far, so good! I am not near as nauseous as I was with Audrie. Every now and then I will feel some nausea but its nothing compared to my first pregnancy. I would say fatigue is the most noticeable difference. I feel exhausted alot of the time and have no desire to clean my house!

Due Date-- May 28, 2011

Boy or Girl??-- We hope we can find out right before Christmas. I feel like its a boy. I am not sure why. Maybe because this pregnancy is different...maybe I just have that feeling. I want it to be a girl for various reasons, but I would be good either way of course!

First Doctor's Visit- Today, October 21, 2010! I am 8 weeks 5 days. We switched doctors this time. With Audrie we used Dr. Martin.  This time I wanted a man and someone who does more natural childbirths, so we switched to Dr. Doerrfeld. I am glad we switched, I really like him and so does GT :)

What we did this visit- met with the nurse, answered a bunch of questions. Met the doctor. He did a sonogram. Told me I had a tipped or titled uterus, so it was kind of hard to see the baby. We did see him/her and the little heart beating. He wants me to come back in 2 weeks to do another sono, even though everything was ok. Then we got a bagillion magazines and prenatal vitamins!

1 year check-up!

Audrie had her one year check-up yesterday...yes, its 1 1/2 months late! When her first 1 year check-up was here, our pediatrician had a family emergency....and the next appt we could get was yesterday!

She was being silly, not screaming out of pain! Well, right then a few moments later she was screaming from pain!

She weighed 22.04 ounces (55 percentile) and 32 3/4 inches (off the charts)...

She got 5 shots, which made me sad, but she got over them real fast! 

She keeps me very busy and keeps me laughing! 

Facilitating

I got this phone call a few weeks ago. It was a woman asking me to facilitate a Bible study at our church. My first thought was I have so much going. My second thought was, I am sure they tried everyone else and  I was the only one available. I said yes, because I am one of those people that have a hard time saying no to things like that.

So here I am. First day of Bible study and 2/3 of the class are older women. Like great-grandmothers older women. Dont get me wrong, they are some of the most sweetest, loving, funny ladies. But I left, thinking, God, what are you doing?

1. I go to this huge church and you picked me to teach this? Surely you have someone more qualified? I mean, some weeks I dont even read my Bible!

2. Why in the world am I teaching a Bible Study about "idols"? I surely dont have any of those.

3. Why am I teaching these older women? I know they have much more wisdom then I do. I am sure they are thinking, what in the world is this 25 year old doing trying to teach me something about the Bible, I am sure doesnt even read her bible every week!

God replied, I chose YOU. You do have idols and I want all of you. I want you to spend time with me everyday. You have just as much to bring to these older woman as they have to give to you.

I am so humbled. And grateful. What an amazing study we had today. I definitely have learned more from them.

What I love...

How do mother's with toddlers find time to blog? I do not understand. During naps, I am cleaning, doing my bible study or taking a shower.  (Sometimes talking on the phone to a girlfriend)...then when she is down for the night, I am exhausted. Too exhausted to think, much less type what I am thinking! But i love having a toddler. Before, I was sad as Audrie got older, which I still am sometimes...but,

I love seeing her do or say a new thing everyday!

I love that she can walk to me or away from me if it is time for a diaper change!

I love that she can communicate with me even if it is through sign language or grunting.

I love that she smiles because she is happy. Not just because she can smile.

I love that when we watch The Office, she dances to the opening song.

I love that she has such a strong personality!

I love that she is silly and carefree.

I love that she holds our hands especially if she is in a new place.

And...I love that she loves her daddy so much.

Makes my heart melt. :)

Hannah House Maternity Home

A while back... In May to be exact...I posted 2 things I would like to do before I die.

You can read it here if you want to.  It not, I will give you the short version. One of the things I want to do is be a part of a pregnancy center.

God heard my prayers and listened to my hearts desires!

Here is the story:

I had been hearing rumors floating around about a maternity home coming to Longview called Hannah House. Could it be? I kept asking around about it, and got bits and pieces of information here and there. Then I saw on our church website, Hannah House ministry and the contact was a girl named Courtney Armstrong who I knew through my short time selling Mary Kay.

I emailed her and told her of my passion and degree...Long story short...Many months later...

Hannah House is here...and I get to be a part of it!

What is Hannah House?  Hannah House Maternity Home is a ministry of Promiseland Ministries, Inc., and offers a place for new beginnings for teens and young women in unplanned pregnancy situations. Hannah House is a place for hope and love to come together as each girl seeks God's plan for her life and the wisdom to make good choices for herself and her unborn child. Hannah House welcomes young women ages 13-29 years old who have no other children living with them.

You can read more about it here.

I am so excited. The Lord is so faithful.

Thoughts on Homeschooling

I know my child is only a year old. But this year has flown by so fast. I think alot about her education and our future kids education. So many things to think about...private school? public school? homeschool?

I think I want to homeschool.

I know I lost half of you at that sentence.

Here are my reasonings:

I know Audrie can get a good education in the school system. GT and I both went to private school growing up until highschool--we loved it. We wouldnt change anything about it. But I want to be in control of Audries education. I want to be able to explore things according to her interests and strengths. I want to go further than the text books. I dont want her to have to learn things just to pass a test or get high scores on a standerized test. I want to teach her to love to learn. And I want to be there for it.

I know I could do some of these things if she was attending a school. But think about it, a child is at school all day, then they come home...do homework, then more school? No. They dont want to do more school.

GT's biggest hang-up about it is the socialization. Here is a really good article from the Pioneer Woman's website about this. What I asked GT, is who did we hang out with? Church friends. Youth group. We didnt hang out with kids from school. Seriously, what socialization is learned at school that cant be learned from church groups, sports groups, play groups etc...  And we are their parents. And we are quite socialized. We arent going to keep them locked inside all day.

I am not trying to keep Audrie and our future children from the "real" world. As my friend Lyznie always says, "the real world will shows itself eventually". And I think this is very true. When people say, so you're just going to shelter Audrie? I say, yeah I am. As long as I can. She doesnt need to know what is out there right now. She will find it out. Just like I did. But we will teach her what is right. We will teach her to make good choices. We will teach her to love. She will see an example of her family doing these things. So...all that to say, I dont want to homeschool her to keep her from the real world, but if it does, I am ok with it.

I hope to start being intentional about teaching her through Tot School. Kinda like montessori, but at home. I will blog about it through our journey.

My biggest question-- How do I homeschool Audrie when I have 1 or 2 other little ones? I know people do it. I know it can be done. But whew. It makes me tired just thinking about it.

I wrote all of this to get ideas? thoughts? comments?

Cloth Diapering Road Block #1

So, I am still in love with cloth diapering. Yes. I love it. Seriously.

About a month ago, I started noticing a problem. I would wash the diapers...once on cold-normal. then one on hot-heavy (heavy is just a heavier rinse/spin cycle, then it rinses one more time in cold)... and they would still come out having an ammonia scent to them. And this grossed me out. And it was giving Audrie little rashes because I wasnt fully getting rid of the ammonia.

At the time, I was using All Free & Clear detergent. I researched on the internet what to do. In that, I found the problem. The inserts used for the cloth diapers are made out of microfiber, which is super absorbent, but it can also get build-up caught in it. That is what was happening with our diapers. The detergent we were using wasnt powerful enough to strip the ammonia.

Here is the solution: Tide (Original Scent). Tide makes a clear detergent, but it only comes in liquid. We cant use liquid detergent because we have a front loader washing machine and it makes it smell musty.

Anyway, it worked for us! Audrie has never had a sensitive bottom so it didnt matter as far the as the little scent in the Tide. It really is very minimal! And no more ammonia smell!!!!

We successfully overcame our first road block in cloth diapering!

Top 2 Characters I would play...

Today is Top 2 Tuesday! It is 2 Characters I would like to play on a TV Show/ Movie...

1. Felicity. I love this show. I think I would say it is my top 5 favorites, maybe even top 3 of all time. I used to watch it when it came on in highschool. Then my girlfriends and I watched it by the season in college. I kinda would pretend like I was her, too bad my life wasnt that complicated. And it wasnt as exciting all the time. If you have never watched it...do it. It is so good! Plus I would get to kiss Ben and Noel. :)

2. Drew Barrymoore in Ever After. Ever After is my all-time favorite chick-flick. I would love to play her character and fall in love with Prince Charming. Ok, I did fall in love with my Prince Charming, it just wasnt all fairytale. :)

PW Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

One of my favorite things to get at a resturant is some sort of pasta dish. With lots of cheese and calories.

When I saw this I knew I had to make it!

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Time: 15 minutes. I almost forgot the night before you are supposed to marinade the chicken! And it was easy... I am not too good at juicing lemons so that took me a little time.

Changes: First off, while juicing my lemons for the marinade, I remembered I had 100% lemon juice in the fridge. So I got that buddy out and said forget juicing! Also, I didnt have the dijon mustard. The hubs cooked the chicken on the George Forman Grill instead of the outside grill.

Reaction: The hubs and little toot liked it! Also, my bff Jessica came over and she loved it too!

Overall: This dish was delicious. It was very lemon-y, but that made it even more scrumptious. I did have a little issue when squeezing the juice out of the lemons for the sauce, some seeds fell in and it was too late to dish them out, so not sure what do about that next time!  We had this for like 3 meals, it was so good!

PW Lasagna and Cupcakes

Last night, GT and I went to LoveStrong. It is once a month get together at a local restaurant where marriage counselors, Steve and Debbie Wilson, come and speak on a topic relating to marriage. They do this in Shreveport and in Longview.

In February of this year, GT and I attended a marriage retreat that Steve and Debbie did in Longview. It was really good for our marriage and made us realize some things we needed to work on before they became issues. My mom and dad have always taught me that I can always be a better person and by going to things like this it can really strengthen your marriage. It does NOT mean something is wrong.

 I think that is why alot of people are so scared to go to counseling. I will be the first to tell you that GT and I have been to marriage counseling. Our marriage wasnt on the rocks. We were actually really happy in our marriage. GT had just been laid off, I was 7 months pregnant and we needed someone to talk to. And we are so glad we did. Honestly, if we had the money I would go again. We can always improve.

Off soapbox now.

GT's mom and step dad came over to watch Audrie while we went to LoveStrong, so I made them dinner....from no other than...Pioneer Woman!

For the main dish we had Lasagna. Or The.Best.Lasagna.Ever. in Pioneer Woman's words.

Photo by Pioneer Woman

Here is the review:

Time: I have made this twice and made it different, so the first time it takes about 30 minutes to prepare and 20 to cook. Second time it took me 15 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook. Will explain below. It is easy peasy to make.

Changes: First time I made it just like her recipe. Second time I thought I would save some time by using Oven Ready Lasagna noddles. If you havent heard of these, they are basically noodles you dont have boil before, you just layer them in raw and they cook themselves. Yes, it saved me prep time. I hate boiling Lasagna noodles. However, you have to layer differently, because there has to be a meat sauce on the bottom. Here is how I layered:  Meat Sauce, Noodle, Cottage Cheese mixture, meat sauce, noddle, cc mixture then a layer of sliced mozzarella cheese on top. Worked out great! Just remember to add in the longer cooking time if you plan to use the oven ready noodles!

Reaction: Everyone really enjoyed it! I enjoyed it too!

Overall: I think I liked the second round better than the first. The first seemed to be really meaty to me, and I would rather taste the cheese and noodles.

Photo by Pioneer Woman

Desert: Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing

Time: About 20 minutes to assemble- 20 minutes to bake. Then it took about 4 minutes to assemble the icing and about 6 to put it on the cupcakes.

Changes: The recipe calls for you to have room temperature eggs and I didnt have time for that! Other than that the same...And I did sift and loved it!

Reaction: GT really liked them. He said they had a coffee flavor, I thought they had a dark chocolate flavor.

Overall: My only complaint is that they didnt turn out as moist as I was hoping for. Maybe it is because I didnt let the eggs become room temperature. Also, I poured the icing on as soon as it was mixed, next time I might wait a minute or two for it to become more stiff so I have better control of it. Anyway, all that to say they were good and I will make them again!

PW Lasagna and Cupcakes

Last night, GT and I went to LoveStrong. It is once a month get together at a local restaurant where marriage counselors, Steve and Debbie Wilson, come and speak on a topic relating to marriage. They do this in Shreveport and in Longview.

In February of this year, GT and I attended a marriage retreat that Steve and Debbie did in Longview. It was really good for our marriage and made us realize some things we needed to work on before they became an issue. My mom and dad have always taught me that I can always be a better person and by going to things like this it can really strengthen your marriage. It does NOT mean something is wrong.

 I think that is why alot of people are so scared to go to counseling. I will be the first to tell you that GT and I have been to marriage counseling. Our marriage wasnt on the rocks. We were actually really happy in our marriage. GT had just been laid off, I was 7 months pregnant and we needed someone to talk to. And we are so glad we did. Honestly, if we had the money I would go again. We can always improve.

Off soapbox now.

GT's mom and step dad came over to watch Audrie while we went to LoveStrong, so I made them dinner....from no other than...Pioneer Woman!

For the main dish we had Lasagna. Or The.Best.Lasagna.Ever. in Pioneer Woman's words.

Here is the review:

Time: I have made this twice and made it different, so the first time it takes about 30 minutes to prepare and 20 to cook. Second time it took me 15 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook. Will explain below. It is easy peasy to make.

Changes: First time I made it just like her recipe. Second time I thought I would save some time by using Oven Ready Lasagna noddles. If you havent heard of these, they are basically noodles you dont have boil before, you just layer them in raw and they cook themselves. Yes, it saved me prep time. I hate boiling Lasagna noodles. However, you have to layer differently, because there has to be a meat sauce on the bottom. Here is how I layered:  Meat Sauce, Noodle, Cottage Cheese mixture, meat sauce, noddle, cc mixture then a layer of sliced mozzarella cheese. Worked out great! Just remember to add in the longer cooking time if you plan to use the oven ready noodles!

Reaction: Everyone really enjoyed it! I enjoyed it too!

Overall: I think I liked the second round better than the first. The first seemed to be really meaty to me, and I would rather taste the cheese and noodles.

Photo by Pioneer Woman

Desert: Yellow Cupcakes with Sticky Chocolate Icing

Time: About 20 minutes to assemble- 20 minutes to bake. Then it took about 4 minutes to assemble the icing and about 6 to put it on the cupcakes.

Changes: The recipe calls for you to have room temperature eggs and I didnt have time for that! Other than that the same...And I did sift and loved it!

Reaction: GT really liked them. He said they had a coffee flavor, I thought they had a dark chocolate flavor.

Overall: My only complaint is that they didnt turn out as moist as I was hoping for. Maybe it is because I didnt let the eggs become room temperature. Also, I poured the icing on as soon as it was mixed, next time I might wait a minute or two for it to become more stiff so I have better control of it. Anyway, all that to say they were good and I will make them again!

Cooking via Pioneer Woman

So, I used to post recipes on here all the time...Remember those days????

Well, the problem is...I mostly cook Pioneer Woman's recipes these days...and I basically cant repost her recipes. I would be a poser. So...I have decided to link her recipes that I have tried and give a review!!!!

My reviews will include how much time it took me to make it...how easy/hard it was...what I changed or will change next time, reaction from people eating it...and overall opinions of the dish.

I will begin with last night's dinner which we had Josh, Randi, Frazier, Damian, Lynzie and Adalynn over for!

Appetizer:  Homemade Baked Chips by Randi and this homemade salsa...and Randi brought this super yummy white queso 

I have made this salsa twice now and it is SUPER easy and SUPER good. The first time I made it, it was a little better, I am not sure why.

Time: It took me about 15 minutes total...I had to chop the onion, chop the jalapeno, Get out and measure the spices, etc...Then throw it all in the food processor...12 pulses later...yummmmyyyy Salsa!

Changes: I didnt make any!

Reactions: My first batch I shared with alot of friends and the second batch I had at Audrie's birthday party..it was always a hit!

Overall:  We have loved this salsa. I have used it on nachos, enchilada's, tacos, etc...And quite scrumptious with just a chip! I will make this many more times and always have some in the fridge!

Main Dish:  White Chicken Enchiladas

Photo by Pioneer Woman

Time: This took me about 45 minutes to prepare. It wasnt hard just took time.

Changes: I did not boil a whole fryer. I used 3 large boneless chicken breast. I boiled them and shredded them. And I used Swanson's chicken broth instead of the broth from cooking the chicken. I did not fry my tortilla's, just nuked them in the microwave...it worked out good! The recipe uses 12 corn tortillas, I used 17 and two different casserole dishes to fit them all.

Reactions: Everyone seemed to really like it. Lynzie said next time maybe not so many onions-I was thinking the same thing. Maybe 1/2 large onion instead of a whole one.

Overall: Loved this meal! Tasted just like chicken sour cream enchilada's from a Mexican restaurant. It is worth the time! I will add this to our recipes list!

Side Dish: Fiesta Sides Taco Rice (GT's favorite)- Not homemade!

Dessert: Blueberry Crumble Cake and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Time: This took me about 15 minutes to throw together. It is super easy.


Changes: I didnt make any changes. However, I did use too much butter for the crumble topping so mine wasnt so crumbly, but still turned out yummy.


Reactions: Everyone liked this as well.


Overall: This was a simple, light, delicious desert. I think next time I might try it with different fruits...not that the blueberry wasnt good, it was, but it would be fun to experiment with others! 


Some reviews to come: Calzones, Lasagna, Sheet Cake...

This Season

A few weeks ago, I finished attending a Bible Study by Lesa TerKheurst. I wish I would have blogged more about because I learned so much...and...maybe I will...I find it hard to blog these days...The 1 year old keeps me busy!

Anyway, something I wanted to share that someone shared with me during one of our Bible Study discussions...the girl sharing had heard Lesa say it at the Feminar where she spoke.

When we are going through rough times...there are three reasons it could be:

1. God has something better for me in store.
2. God is protecting me from something.
3. God is trying to teach me something.

I have thought about this alot since she shared this. This year has been and continues to be hard financially for GT and me. We feel like we have come to a point where we need to decide to sell our house or not.

I love our house and I dont want to leave it.

But...its like...do we put if for sale and if its in God's plan then it will sale...or do we not put it for sale at all and just have faith that He will provide the means. I know He CAN provide-but is that His plan?

It helps me to think of those 3 things. God has a reason for us to go through this season of life. And it is just that a season.

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Matthew 6:30-33

Turning ONE!

So, I could write a "1 year old" post about all the fun stuff Audrie is doing these days. Like saying "uh-oh" and high-fiving, which is super cute. But I decided to do a different kind of post for her 1 year. And it will begin with a story...

When Audrie was 4 days old, my mom was staying with us. My mom insisted on taking care of Audrie during the night, so we could get some rest. Well, I had a really hard time with this, but by night 4...I was exhausted. So, we gave my mom the video monitor. The morning of day 5, my mom told us that something woke her up during the night and she looked at the monitor. At first she thought she saw a flashlight shining on Audrie and that someone was trying to steal her; but as she looked closer, she said it was a light that hovered over Audrie for a few minutes and my mom knew it was an angel.

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your way. Rev. 91:11

Whew, that gives me goosebumps. 

I wanted to share what GT and I have prayed for concerning Audrie this past year and will continue to pray for.

We pray that Audrie first and foremost will come to know Him as her Savior.

We pray that she will know the depths of Christ love for her.

We pray that she will do BIG things for Him.

We pray that she will love others without condition.

We pray that she will be a leader and not a follower.

We pray that she will know the Truth for herself and not just what others tell her to believe.

We pray that she will make wise decisions even when the un-wise ones look more inciting.

We pray for her future spouse if God's will is for her to be married. We pray the same things above for him as well.

We pray for her to have a deep faith and vast understanding of His word. 

The list of what we pray for ourselves as parents is like 100 times longer...but our main prayer is that God will rise above our parenting abilities because we know how broken and sinful we are as parents. We know on our own we could never parent Audrie in a way that is even close to how He parents us. 

I dont say all this to seem super spiritual. I say this because we feel the only reason we are parents is to show her Christ and to teach our children (Audrie and the future ones) the love of God. Sometimes we get caught up in the milestones and excitement of new life...which is very exciting...but GT and I have to remind ourselves often that the point of family and community is HIM and He should receive all the glory. He is the reason we have Audrie. He is the reason for our existence and our job is to glorify Him with it!

I just got really excited! 

All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. Jude 1:25

Tops 2 Things I would like to purchase.

Surprisingly, this was hard for me to come up with...

1. Cloth diapers.

I started cloth diapering a few weeks ago, maybe a month or so ago, and I LOVE IT. However, I would love to add more diapers to my stash. I have 12 right now, I would love to have 24...but even 18 would be better. AND Bumgenius came out with 4.0 and I really am excited about the snaps!!!!!!!!

2. A cruise...or vacation for just me and my honey bear. It would be nice without Audrie, but what would be nicer is if we could bring someone to watch her while we have fun! I can dream, right?????

What would your top 2 purchases be???? Go here and link up!

11 1/2 Months

Somehow I missed an 11 month posts....man, who knew summer would keep us so busy???? 

Here is what it is like at 11 1/2 months:

• You walk much better now and have better balance...from 10 months- 11 months, you kinda flopped around everywhere.
• Since switching to solely whole milk, you eat SO much food! I feed you Graduates Lil'Entrees and Lil' meals, you really like them. Sometimes I feed you what mommy and daddy eat, but we eat much later than you do. 
• You have started talking alot more, you say da-da, mama (only when crying), dog and ball.
• You shake your head "no" alot.
• You love to point at things and people sometimes, but mommy is trying to teach you that pointing at people is not nice.
• You give lots of hugs and kisses.
• You just started shrugging your shoulders.
• You are in to EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING goes in your mouth.
• You would much rather play with mommy's things then your 100 toys. 
• When someone sings "This Little Light of Mine", you put your finger in the air for your "light".
• You have started laughing at things instead of having to be tickled to laugh. 
• You and Mommy play peek-a-boo in the car, this really makes you laugh.
• You love giving the dogs kisses, but mommy isnt thrilled about it.
• You chase the dogs around, but they run from you because you pull their ears.
• You are starting to realize people's names...like if I say, "Where is Grammy?" you will look at her. 
• You are learning commands. If I ask you to bring me something, usually you will.
• You are fascinated with a ball. 
• Your personality is really coming out..it is so sweet, funny, caring, loving, silly, curious, you have no fear, and so much more...

I cant believe in just 2 little weeks you will be a whole year old! 

Myths of a SAHM

SAHM- Stay At Home Mom

1. I sit on the couch and eat bon-bons all day while watching soap operas. This could be further from the truth. First, what in the heck is a bon-bon? Anyway, occasionally, I will take a nap or watch a tv show (not soaps) while Audrie is napping- you would too if your job was 24/7. However, most naps are used for me to take a shower, do the dishes, read my Bible, clean the kitchen, clean the living room, do laundry, pay bills, wash diapers, etc...

2. I am lucky. Sometimes when I tell someone I stay at home with Audrie, they say you are so lucky. Luck has nothing to do with it. I am very blessed that my husband understands my heart and supports it 100%.

3. After someone says I am lucky, they say, I wish I could stay at home but we cant afford it. I understand in some instances this really is the case. However, what I would like to say back to people is...you could stay at home, you would just have to change your status of living. You might not be able to own a house, or drive the car you want, etc... You could stay home, things would just change alot. Which it has for us. What you mean to say, is you cannot keep your status of living and stay at home with your child(ren)...there is a difference.

4. It is easy. Being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest thing I have ever done. It is 24/7. When I get sick, there is no were for Audrie to go. When I need to run an errand or go to a doctor's appt for myself, I have a child with me. All my energy and attention goes into a baby except for during naps and when she goes to sleep.

5. It is for everyone. I have come to find that many women do not care to stay home with their children because they would rather work. I understand every one and every family is different. Being a SAHM is part of who I am. I was born to be a mom. Its what I always wanted. All I want to do is stay home and raise children. I completely think this is a individual decision for each family, I do not think one is right and one is wrong.

I have debated a long time over posting something about being a SAHM, but recently, I have gotten tired of people sayings things, like, I am jealous you get to stay at home. I dont GET to stay at home, I CHOOSE to stay at home.

My family has had to make sacrifices for me to stay at home. But this is so temporary. Yes, I could work and make some extra money for us, but life right now is priceless. Getting to spend everyday with my child is something I WILL NEVER and COULD NEVER get back. I would rather live in cardbox box and be home with my child.

Whew, that felt good.

Our Week in Pictures (and a few words :)

We have been quite busy these past few weeks, so I have been lagging on the blogging. Here are some pictures to show what we have been up to!

At the sprinkler park

Swimming at the city pool! 

Audrie and Frazier both had frog towels! We thought it was cute so we took a pic!

Lynzie, Randi and I went to this place in Longview called the Mud Hut where we painted on some pottery! I wanted to make a birthday plate for Audrie...and every birthday she would eat off of this special plate, but then I decided to make it just a "special day" plate since there are more special days then just a birthday! And I wil make one for me and GT eventually and then one for each of our future kids as we have them! 

Randi made the cutest LA Tech tray for her hubby for his bday...but...shhh..dont tell him, it is not until August! 

We had so much fun and cant wait to do it again!