Monday, May 21, 2007

Menu Plan Monday - May 21st

Well, I have decided to participate this week. I didn't last week, because I didn't really have a plan. It was more of a "survive on what's in the fridge/freezer/pantry until payday" kind of week. But this week I do have a plan. So, here it is:

Monday: Salsa Chicken Salad, biscuits
Tuesday: Leftovers (Dr. Appt, and Tee Ball)
Wednesday: Green Chile Pork Roast on tortillas, Spanish Rice, fresh veggies
Thursday: Leftovers (Tee Ball and Bible Study)
Friday: Stromboli (instead of spicy italian meats, we are doing ham and turkey), green salad
Saturday: Shrimp Fra Diavolo on Lemon Spaghetti
Sunday: Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup, breadsticks

So, that's it for this week. This is the last week of Tee Ball, so I don't know what I'll start doing with those extra two days! We might just keep them leftover days. We'll see.

P.S. I have to say a big THANK YOU to my sister Kim over at Wonder's Never Cease for all her help planning this menu. Thanks, Kimi, for all the ideas.

Friday, May 18, 2007

It's time once again....

....for belly pictures! I know you have all been anxiously awaiting my 20 week belly picture. But before I post it, I will give you an update on how things are going. Most of you know we had an ultrasound two weeks ago, and it is a boy. We have decided on the name Ezekiel Ray. If ya' don't like it, too bad! We will call him Zeke or Ezekiel. Nothing else! Just so you know. Pregnancy so far has been good. All the normal, uncomfortable things have been happening, but it's okay. My weekly email says the baby is 5.6 to 6.4 inches from crown to rump (that would be head to butt for those of you that don't know). It also says he weighs 9 ounces. I have been feeling the baby move for about 4 weeks now. He is a very active boy. We have had three comments so far about how much/how fast he moves (from our doctor, our midwife, and the ultrasound tech). The movement still can't be felt on the outside of my belly, but I can definitely feel him wiggling around in there. I have also discovered that he does not like to be pushed on. When I have my seatbelt on, he will kick against where the belt is pressing. When I'm slouched over in front of the computer (you know how bad my posture is!), he kicks on where my belly is bent. If I'm laying down, and pushing hard on my belly (especially when I had my ultrasound) it feels like he is throwing his entire body against the spot where I am pushing. I'm really excited (and maybe a little scared!) for him to come out so I can see how different he is from Sierra and Tyner. My next appointment is on Tuesday. Nothing important there, just weight and heartbeat stuff. Okay, enough of my rambling! Here it is:


I thought I'd post my 16 week picture also, just so you could all be reminded.


You can tell the belly portion has moved down a great deal. I always carry my babies REALLY low. And truthfully, I think my belly was so big in my 16 week picture because I was really bloated. Now, it's definitely baby in there.

Okay, there is my update. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Monday, May 07, 2007

Menu Plan Monday - May 7th

Okay, so I'm participating in I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. You post your menu for the week. I have revamped this menu several times, trying to pare down my shopping list, and trying to use things that we have around the house instead of buying new stuff. Menu's for the month of May are pretty easy, since we have leftovers every Tuesday AND Thursday. Sierra has tee-ball on those days, and it just makes it easier when we have to eat early to just do leftovers. So, here it is:

Monday - Skillet Mac N' Beef, Salad
Tuesday - Leftovers (Tee-ball game)
Wednesday - Southwestern Chicken & Rice (from The Mom's Guide to Meal Makeovers)
Thursday - Leftovers (Work, Tee-ball game, and Bible Study)
Friday - Slow Cooker Dump and Go Cheesy Chicken, Rice, Corn (Work)

I'm not sure about Saturday and Sunday. We usually eat dinner at the grandparents house one or two days a week, so this menu is flexible.

Anyway, there it is. Enjoy.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

It's a boy!

Okay, here are the pictures from our ultrasound yesterday. I'll try to explain each one so you know what you're looking at. The first picture is our 3D one. This is the baby's back, shoulder, arm, head, ear. That kind of thing. He was turned around, facing my back, and the u/s tech couldn't get a picture of his face. You can just see the bare outline of his face though.

This is just a picture of his whole body. That is his spine, and the round thing on the left is his head.And last but not least is THE picture. See the blob on the lower right. The two blobs on the sides are his thighs, and the tiny blob in the middle is his boy parts. The thing sticking out. Remember folks, he's still young. He's got 22 more weeks of growing in there to do.

So, there they are. Hope you enjoyed them.

Sierra's New Skirt

Well, here are the pictures of the skirt I sewed for Sierra. It took me a day to do it. It is the first thing I have ever sewed. She was very excited about it.




Tuesday, May 01, 2007

My Priorities

I've been thinking today about something important. My priorities (bet you already guessed that, huh?). I realized that I have been way too focused on myself and my selfish desires, and not focused enough on my family and what they need. I spend way too much time in bed, in front of the TV, with my nose in a book, or with my fingers glued to the keyboard. And not nearly enough time cuddling with my husband, taking care of my house, teaching my children, or talking to God.

I know that every woman needs to have her own interests, her own hobbies, something that makes her HER. But I feel like at this point in my life, I need to put that aside. I need to sacrifice part of myself, willingly, for the good of those around me. I need to turn off the TV, put the book down, keep the computer off, and get off my lazy butt. Really, that's what it all boils down to. I am just choosing to be lazy. I am "eating the bread of idleness" (Proverbs 31:27).

As I sit here, I can feel my new baby kicking the waistband of my jeans. And it occurs to: I am going to have three children in five short months. And what am I doing to prepare myself mentally for this? Nothing, absolutely nothing. I have done nothing in the last three months to streamline my household, I haven't done nearly enough in the last 3-5 years to train my children, and I haven't done a darn thing to show my husband that I am ready for the extra work that is coming.

I just finished reading another Amish story. I told you that so that this next sentence would make sense to you. Sometimes I wish I were Amish. I know their lives aren't perfect. I know that they struggle with all the same emotions, desires, and sins that we do. The thing is, they grow up without the outside distractions. Without TV, without the internet, without the "convenience" of a car. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying a car isn't convenient. But how often do we go somewhere we don't really need to go, just because we can? How often do we spend money we don't need to spend, just because we can get there (I just did it tonight!)? The Amish rely on family for their entertainment. They rely on work to keep them busy. They don't numb their brains (or their children's brains) in front of a glowing screen every night. Instead they fill it with conversation, with Bible reading, with games and family time. I wish I could convince my husband to go for 30 days with no TV, maybe even no internet. How much money would we save if we weren't paying for cable, or for a high-speed connection? How much more time would we spend together?

The other thing about the Amish I admire is their absolute devotion to God. I know there are some who practice the faith without actually living or believing it. It is that way in all walks of life, and in every religion. Our pastor mentioned this Sunday the tradgedy that happened several months ago in an Amish community, where a man went into a school house and killed several young girls. Do you know what the Amish families did? They forgave him. Publically. How much strength, and faith in God, does it take to do that? It blows my mind. And I so admire that.

Anyway. Sorry that got kind of off topic. The other thing about being Amish. It's kind of forced on you, all the non-electronic stuff. You don't really have the choice, 'cause it's just not there. Here, it is so easy to turn on the TV, or the computer. And it's so HARD to NOT turn them on. I really wish I could just get rid of them, and then I wouldn't have any choice.

Don't get me wrong. I love the internet. I love chatting with my sisters, looking at and buying stuff, emailing, reading blogs, checking my bank balance. And I love TV. Zoning out, laughing at cartoons with the kids, thinking about someone else's life and problems and forgetting about my own for a while. And I wonder if I could really give all that up. Is there some kind of middle ground? Is there some sort of compromise where I can have it ALL?

Anyway. There are my Eleven O'Clock ramblings for the night. Any thoughts on the matter?