We LOVE Lucy

It is with great joy and grateful hearts that I let all of you know that Lucy has arrived!

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:16-19

Lucy made her debut on Tuesday, August 7 at 9:38 PM and weighed 5 lb. 8 oz.. Pudge and I are so thankful and grateful for God's provision for us during labor and delivery and since her birth. Having Lucy has truly been a miracle and has allowed us to see the faithfulness of God in so many new ways. Thank you to all who have prayed for and loved on us during this special time in our lives. We are so grateful for our family and friends who have been around us for support during this time. I am working on writing the birth story now and look forward to sharing that with you all soon. I will leave you with a few more pictures that my VERY TALENTED SISTER took....

Little peanut

Such a girly girl already

Pretty in pink

Spicy Honey Chicken

I wanted to share a recipe with all of you that Pudge and I tried this week.  It was hands down the BEST grilled chicken with a glaze that I have ever had! Maybe that was due to Pudge, the grill master! Anyways, it is not an original, but here is the link to the recipe.

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/05/girl-who-didnt-eat-everything.html

Go try it this weekend! You won't be dissappointed!

I LOVE LUCY

Well friends, it's been a while since my last post, I know! Things have been busy the last few weeks as BSF is winding down, I have a brand new niece that is gorgeous, and not to mention starting to get some things ready for sweet Lucy. I wanted to post a picture of the baby belly for those of you out there who want to see (aka, my family)!

Baby Lucy and I at 26 weeks

Lucy is growing and moving around all the time. I can tell she is getting stronger as her movements are becoming stronger with each day.  I have started to feel her have the hiccups and Pudge has even felt them a time or two!

I have picked out and ordered the bedding and I go this weekend to pick up her armoire that is being distressed.  Things feel like they are coming together! My mom and I went and looked at paint samples this week and we bought a quart of a beautiful pale pink to try out on the walls.  I think this is the color Lucy's room will be and I think my very sweet husband will be painting Friday night! :)

I got some sweet things monogrammed for Lucy last week and I have to share some pictures....

Sweet initials

By the way, I LOVE her name! :)

A wrap shirt for the hospital.....my sis-in-law says these are the BEST shirts to put on them at the hospital because everyone (nurses and family) is constantly wanting to see the baby. Thanks Lindsey for the helpful tip!

One of the sweet ladies from BSF, who is an excellent seamstress, made these precious bloomers for Lucy. I cannot wait for her to wear them!

Lastly, let me leave you with a sweet picture of my new niece. Isn't she gorgeous?!?! I cannot wait for her and Lucy to play and grow up together. There are some fun times ahead!

Hopefully my updates will become more regular in the very near future! 

Motherhood is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank) By Rachel Jankovic

This post was originally posted on Desiring God Blog. This post is by Rachel Jankovic, who is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" . Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months).

Rachel's blogs at Desiring God have inspired me, encouraged me, and challenged me to be a better wife, a stronger Christian, and also have helped prepare me for motherhood. I hope you find they do the same for you.

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A few years ago, when I just had four children and when the oldest was still three, I loaded them all up to go on a walk. After the final sippy cup had found a place and we were ready to go, my two-year-old turned to me and said, “Wow! You have your hands full!”

She could have just as well said, “Don’t you know what causes that?” or “Are they all yours?!”

Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock-Bottom Job?

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

It's Not a Hobby

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?

It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.

Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone.

Baby Jacobs Revealed

The last post was written in order to reveal the gender of baby Jacobs. On Friday night, we gathered our families together to announce the gender of baby Jacobs. Jeff and I planned a scavenger hunt for the family that tied in clues to each member of the family. We had such a GREAT time sharing the news with them. I am SO SO SO thankful to Aunt Lou and Uncle Brett who helped to capture the entire night with photos and video from the entire evening! Thank you so much for doing this for us (we didn't even them to do this, they are just that AWESOME)! So if you didn't get the hidden message in the last post revealing the gender of baby Jacobs, maybe this link will help you.

http://vimeo.com/38751335

ENJOY!

Our Newest Layer In Life

In this new layer of life there is much to be learned.
There is no choice, it cannot be returned.

Soon we will introduce a young one to this world.
A new phase of life into which we are hurled.

God grants us gifts we don't deserve,

Igniting our passion for fresh ways to serve.

Remember us when to the Father you pray,

Living our lives to show this child the WAY!

Crockpot Meals: Salsa Chicken and Chicken Curry

I wanted to share a few new favorite recipes with you guys. I have now fixed this 1st dish twice and both times it has been so yummy. The second one I have fixed many times and we LOVE it! The best part about them is that they are so easy to prepare and they cook in the crock pot! (*I buy the slow cooker bags for my crockpot and there is SO much less of a mess to clean up afterwards!)

Salsa Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used the cream of chicken)

1 cup salsa (I bought the "homemade" store brand)

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup sour cream

cilantro, for serving (optional) (I also added a little shredded cheddar-jack, black beans and scallion on top)

Rice

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and heat just until everything is combined. I served mine over brown rice and then we put some black beans on top!

Slow Simmered Curried Chicken

1.5 cups chopped onions

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup medium salsa (I bought the "homemade" store brand)

2 tsp grated ginger

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp curry powder

¾ tsp salt

Hot cooked rice

Place onions and bell pepper in slow cooker. Top with chicken. Combine salsa, ginger, garlic powder and pepper flakes in small bowl; spoon over chicken. Cover; cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or until chicken is tender. Combine cilantro, sugar, curry powder and salt in small bowl; stir into slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 15 minutes or until hot. Serve with rice.

I hope you and your families enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Marshmallow Popcorn

I made a batch of marshmallow popcorn tonight, a recipe I found courtesy of Pinterest and OH. MY. WORD. If you love marshmallows as much as I do, you will love this recipe. It makes ALOT too! Here is the recipe:

Marshmallow popcorn

3 bags popcorn (pop and take out extra kernels)

2 sticks of butter

16 oz bag of marshmallows

1 cup brown sugar

Microwave butter, marshmallows, and brown sugar for 2 1/2 min. Take out and stir really well, making sure you mix around the brown sugar and butter. Microwave again for 1 min. Repeat until thin sauce. When done pour over popcorn and mix with a spatula. I poured mine onto some parchment paper on the countertop and flattened into a single row. This stuff is sticky and so a spatula works best for flattening it out. Next break up into chunks or bite size pieces, whichever you prefer!

This stuff is so good and is in NO WAY healthy! This will be a good go to recipe for parties and quick treats for gifts! Hope you all have had a fabulous Monday!

Dinner Tonight

I am trying a new recipe tonight that yes, I found on Pinterest! I love that Pinterest gives me new recipes and great new projects to try. Since Pudge has been out of town and got in late last night, we are having a low key night at home together. I am making for BBQ Chicken Pizza from this website for dinner tonight and it looks so yummy. I hand shredded all the cheese for the pizza too, since you cannot buy plain Monterey Jack cheese already shredded. Check it out and give it a try!

Way Behind

So folks, yes it has been 2 months since I have blogged. I am a MAJOR slacker. I will not even try to recap the holidays or new year, but just to say that they were fabulous and it was so great to be with family! Jeff and I had a lot of great time together and were able to relax over the holidays. We also celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary on the 30th of December! I am so grateful for God's grace in my life to give me such a Godly man to lead me. He truly is one of a kind and I am thankful that he leads me to the things of God, as well as pursues the things of God himself.

As most of you know, my sister was married in November and she is now living across the street from me. What a blessing it has been to have her so close! We decided to have a birthday party for my mom last night, as her birthday is coming up this week! We divided up the cooking for the party and it was a success! It was so awesome to be able to share in the cooking responsibilities and also fun that we didn't have to go far! We had a yummy chicken recipe that my aunt recommended. You can find it here. My sister made some FABULOUS mashed potatoes. That girl knows how to do some taters! We also had The Lady's Green beans. Yes, the Lady, aka Paula Deen. This was not my first time making these and it will not be my last. They are the BEST green beans you have ever put in your mouth! The KEY to the recipe is frying the bacon and sautéing the onions in the bacon grease! Sounds really healthy, right? So here is the recipe:

Lady's Green Beans

8 slices bacon (I actually use bacon bits)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 c. vinegar

2 (16 oz.) cans French style green beans (I've also used kitchen sliced)

Fry bacon, reserving drippings. In drippings, saute onions and add sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Drain beans and mix with liquid mixture. Place in 2 quart casserole. Crumble bacon and sprinkle on top of casserole. Cover and bake at 275 for 1.5 hours.

Just wanted to share a recipe with you all today and hopefully this will be the beginning of my entrance back into the blogging world!