Randomings

**I hit the 17-week mark of pregnancy #3 TODAY! So far, everything is normal and we'll be finding out boy or girl on February 9! I am so excited to know, I truly have no idea. Statistically, it should be a boy, but I never liked math, so maybe I'll fail the statistics!

**Chris was in England for 6 days last week. Don't feel sorry for me, though! My mom came on Monday night and spent pretty much the whole time he was gone with us. She's so great at keeping the boys busy and giving me lots of "me" time. I loved it!! I also LOVED having Chris back home on Friday afternoon. The poor guy is pretty jet-lagged and exhausted, but we're just staying home this weekend to help get him adjusted.

**While my mom was here, I had the opportunity to have dinner with my oldest (not by years, but amount of time) friend Jill. We met at PF Chang's in Lansing and had a delicious dinner and great conversation. Jill and I went to school together from Kindergarten-graduation and have been friends since about 4th or 5th grade. (Minus 8th grade, right Jill?) It's so nice to have a friend who has traveled life with you. There is no need for long background explanations about family dynamics or why we make the choices we do, we've been there through it all together. We do not see each other much, but we have one of those wonderful friendships where we can pick up right where we left off. I love that in a friend!

**I have a confession...The Bachelor/Bachelorette shows are one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I was so excited when this new season started 2 weeks ago, you have no idea. I know the show is pretty smutty and not really great moral watching, but I love it. My love may be fading...the bachelor on this season is an airline pilot. He took one of the girls in an airplane and flew her around some snazzy scenery, while in the background, "On the Wings of Love" played...seriously?!?! Cheese, anyone? It was almost too hard to watch..I should mention that the subtitle of the season is "On the Wings of Love", it seems like they are going to play this pilot card for every thing they can...gag!

**Do you memorize bible verses? Do you have a system for doing this? It's something I've really wanted to start doing, but I've always put it off or not gotten very far with. Any suggestions or ideas on how to get started and successfully pull it off? Should I do one a month? Two a month?

**I guess that's all for now. We're enjoying a quiet Saturday at home. My jet-lagged husband is napping and so is my wild little Mason. Both of my boys were awake at 6.45 this morning...we are an 8.00 family, but I guess they didn't get the memo on that today! We kept making them go back to bed, but they never went back to sleep...grrr! Enjoy your weekend!

What holds you back?

I may have mentioned before that I am studying Esther, (Beth Moore's study) and LOVING it! If I haven't mentioned it before, well I'm studying Esther using Beth Moore's study and I love it! This past week, we watched one of the video sessions which focused mainly on when Esther tells Mordecai that she will go to the King and she says, "If I perish, I perish." Meaning, she will literally risk her life and go see the King without an invitation in order to fulfill what Mordecai has already told her, might be her destiny, and save the Jews from complete distruction. (Esther "Who knows but that you might have been placed here for such a time as this?") If you've not read the book of Esther in a while, or ever, go read it!
The most profound thing (to me) that Beth Moore says in her video is that we can let our fear keep us from our calling. Our destiny. I can think of so many examples in my life where I have let fear keep me from doing something that might have changed a path in my life or a path in someone else's life. I firmly believe that none of my choices or times when I have let fear rule over me change ANYTHING about God, His plan or purpose for my life or anyone else's. God is God and His plan will be fulfilled, the issue is whether or not I will let fear keep me from being a part of that plan.
Stick with me here...
Last night Chris and I went on a wonderful date night and saw the Movie, The Blind Side. Such a great, great movie! What struck me the most was Sandra Bullock's character. She did NOT live in fear. From opening her home (a ginormous, beautiful home) to a large, wandering, African-American male, to hunting down his mama in the projects, to confronting a group of men who were threatening her and her family when she was very outnumbered. I kept thinking throughout the movie that this is exactly a case where fear could have kept her from her destiny...and in that case, her fear could have kept Michael Ohrer from his destiny.
I pray for courage like that. I do not want to live in fear any longer. I don't think until this week, I've ever fully realized that fear does have it's hold on me. In.Everyday.Life. I don't tell friends who don't know Jesus about his amazing love, for fear of losing that friendship. I don't try to befriend the other parents at Pre-school for fear of being rejected. I don't always obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit to reach out to a friend or stranger because I fear being misunderstood, seeming too desperate, trying to hard, being rejected.
It's time to kick fear in it's rear and live like Queen Esther, making my motto, "If I perish, I perish." And the reality is, MOST, if not all, of the things in my life that fear keeps me from, will not put me in a position where perishing is even an option!
So, I ask, What is fear keeping you from?

A peek inside my crazy brain!

My thought process for the past 5 days, no joke!
(Completely out of nowhere) Day 1: "Woah, I really want an egg salad sandwich...do I even like egg salad?...it seems like a lot of work to make, maybe tomorrow"
Day 2: "What should I have for lunch...EGG SALAD SANDWICH...do I even like that stuff, it seems like a lot of work to make, maybe tomorrow I won't be craving it anymore"
Day 3: "EGG SALAD SANDWICH...I know if I make it I won't want to eat it and it will be such a waste of eggs, which the boys love and eat all the time...oh, it sounds so good...when was the last time I had an egg salad sandwich...do I even like that stuff?...maybe tomorrow"
Day 4: "Darn, I really want an egg salad sandwich...I guess I should figure out how to make it...ugh! I can't stand the thought of boiled eggs right now...is there somewhere I can buy one? Maybe tomorrow"
Day 5: "SERIOUSLY! This craving will not go away! I've gone through the process of making one, but I still see myself in the end not wanting to eat the stupid sandwich...Craving, GO AWAY! If I still have the desire then for sure tomorrow, I'll make an egg salad sandwich!!"

Does anyone have any idea how to make the darn thing, because obviously, it's what the baby wants? Is it just eggs, mayonnaise and mustard? HELP!
Also craving Mt. Dew, much easier to satisfy!

Back in the Saddle Again!

3rd times a charm, right? After my 2nd loong blogging break, I've decided to have another whack at it. (And apparently, I'm putting as many cliche sayings as possible in this first post back).
In order to ease myself back into the blogosphere, I've stolen this survey from one of my favorite blogs, babybangs.blogspot.com, the answers are mine, of course! Welcome back to my blog!


...As if you needed to know more about me...

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while your blogging?
Since I've not been much of a blogger, I'll answer the question more generally...my most favorite night time snack is a bowl of cereal. I'll usually eat whatever we have on hand, but every time I get groceries, I am on a search for the best night time cereal snack...my usual go-to-Frosted Mini-Wheats, although I wish both sides were frosted!

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
My family

3. Beach, Mountains, or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?
Absolutely, without a doubt, the beach!!!

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
Laundry, it's my arch enemy

5. Who do people say you remind them of?
Good question, I really don't know. Based on looks alone, I'm sure they would say Giselle, you know the supermodel...OR NOT! :D

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying home with the fam?
I like a really good mix of the 2. I love being out with friends, but I crave my time at home with our little family as well.

7. What's your all time favorite movie?
For Love of the Game, with Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston. It's a baseball movie and when it came out I was a HUGE baseball fan (I still like the game, but I'm not as dedicated as I was then) It's still one of my favorites

8. Do you sleep in your make-up or remove it like a good little girl every night?
Oh, I sleep in it!

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?
I have always, always wanted to sing good enough to be on a worship team or in a worship band. I can not sing to save my life, I'm terrible! I'm fairly certain that God knows I would not be humble enough to ever lead people in worship.

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
Making people laugh

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?
The font he used...you know, because we met on the internet! (See, that made you laugh, didn't it?)

12. What is something you love to smell?
I cannot answer this question without first saying that I have NEVER smelled so many offensive things as I have since I've been pregnant. My sense of smell is more sensitive than it's ever been, and I've vomited twice just because of an odor. Now, something I love to smell, is this little tiny hat that my giant boys wore home from the hospital after each of their births. I've saved it in a special place and once in a while I'll pull it out and sniff it...one good whiff of the hat and I can almost feel my babies in my arms again!!

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
Silence makes me uncomfortable, and because of that I am a terrible interrupter of people...especially on the telephone!!

14. When you have extra money, what's the first thing you think to do with it?
Go out for dinner somewhere nice without the kids!

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?
I'm loud and if I laugh hard enough, an occasional snort gets thrown in. Chris Gray makes me laugh the hardest. Especially when he is just being a DORK!

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?
I'm a Target girl. I love it for everything, and especially for the Starbucks located within.

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
I would write more and read more!

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?
I'm not very good at being frugal, but it's one of my goals for 2010.

19. Who is your favorite character of all time?
Fozzie the Bear

20. Would you want to be famous?
Maybe a little famous for a long time, or a lot famous for a short amount of time

So, there you have it! I hope to back with a bit more regularity, but I'm making no promises this time!

Mind Blank!

I've been starting and stopping so many posts lately, I'm driving myself crazy. I love blogging, and I've really enjoyed doing it, but I'm in a total mind freeze lately. Each time I type something, I get tired of reading my own words...blah! I'll be back soon, I just need some good material! Any suggestions? Anything you're dying to know? Topics you'd like me to tackle for you? Anything? Anyone...anyone...Bueller? Bueller?

The One With All The Running

**The first person to guess how I came up with the name of this post will receive a 5.00 Starbucks gift card**

Do you remember this post I wrote back in May? It was all about how I had started running, I was really enjoying it and it was something I NEVER thought I would do...remember?
Well, this past weekend, I had a chance to prove to myself that 1) I can actually start something and stick to it 2)I can actually make a goal for myself and not only accomplish, but exceed that goal 3)Running is amazing!
On Thursday evening, I left my boys (including the hubby) at home and headed off to Akron, OH to participate in the Akron Marathon. 2 people in our group were running the full marathon; 2 were running the 1/2 marathon, and 5 of us were doing a full marathon-relay style.
My leg of the relay was 6.3 miles, and I was third leg. Might I remind you that 6 months ago, I had started the running thing by running for 30 seconds, walking for 1.5 minutes for 20 minutes. I moved up the running chart and struggled each time I increased the running time and decreased the walking. So, here I was, ready to go at it for 6.3 miles of RUNNING! I had been training and was fairly confident that I would be able to complete the 6.3 miles in 72 minutes.
My friends, I am here to tell you, that not only did I RUN the entire 6.3 miles, I did it in 66.23 minutes!! It was so much fun! The entire weekend was a blast, for too many reasons to list, but accomplishing something I set my mind to was an amazing feeling. I just don't stick to much of anything. (IE College!!)
I'm not sure if I have the tenacity, time, or strength to ever do a full marathon, but I am really hoping and planning to accomplish a 1/2 marathon sometime in the next year....that would be an amazing feat for me!
I could not write all about this weekend without mentioning how amazing the friendships and laughter were. I had the opportunity to bunk with a stranger (although many people knew we would love each other) and as we said good-bye to each other on Saturday evening, we were like "summer camp sisters"...you know, the crying, the promising to write, the clinging to each other...it was something like that! One of the greatest things God gives us is friendship, and that was experienced to the fullest this weekend, it was really, even greater than the running thing!!

*I REALLY wanted to post some pictures, but I can't get them to work*

Why I love fall...part 1

Soup, it's what's for dinner! This is one of the reasons I love fall...
I love soup! To me, it's a great comfort food, and I would eat it a lot more often, if the men in my family felt like it was "manly" enough to constitute a meal..(Insert manly grunting noises here)!
I found this soup recipe at the end of last winter, and loved it, and yesterday's crisply warm-ish, fall-ish day was a perfect day to start my fall soup-fest! The recipe is from the Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast cookbook. I highly suggest you try it soon! (And let me know what you think!!)

Cheese Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion undrained
1 (11.5oz) can condensed bean with bacon soup (cambell's) undiluted
3 Cups water
1 (16oz) pkg frozen Italian style vegetables
3/4tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. black pepper
9 oz. pkg fresh cheese tortellini (I use the Buitoni, I have used the whole wheat, but the regular is better)
1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients in a saucepan, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta; reduce heat to medium. Cook, partially covered, 7 minutes or until pasta and veggies are tender. Stir in cheese.
6 servings...1 1/3 cups/serving

And in case you're counting...
201 calories; 4 fat grams; 5.4 grams fiber

Enjoy!!

If you have a soup recipe that you love, share it in the comments section!!