God Answers Prayer (And Teaches Me A Lesson!)

A lot has happened since my last post about wanting a child. On December 2, 2012, after being a week late for the start of my cycle, I lay in bed thinking about whether or not I could be pregnant. Having gone through this situation once before, only to have my dreams shattered, I got out of bed and said to myself, "I'm going to take the stupid test just to get this out of my system and prove to myself that it's all in my head. Maybe then I can stop thinking about it and get on with my life!"

Imagine my shock and surprise when those 2 pink lines appeared. All I could do was stare at them, dumbfounded. Apparently, it WASN'T all in my head after all! After telling my husband the joyous news (and waking him up out of a dead sleep to do so) I began to... panic! Pregnant! I was pregnant! I was going to be responsible for another human being! This is what I wanted...right?

I began to research everything about everything about EVERYTHING about babies and pregnancy and... I forgot to do the most important thing.

I forgot to thank God for His marvelous blessing and ask for His wisdom and guidance during this time. I felt like such a fool, like such a... child. It was then that I got a clear glimpse of what I was getting myself into. Here, I had been demanding God's attention and blessing for months, much like my child will demand mine. Yet, I hadn't thanked Him for being so loving and blessing me, much like I'm sure my children will do to me. They'll start out immature, demanding, and panic at every turn. With love, support, and some lessons learned the hard way, I hope that they will become mature, patient, wise Christian adults. With a lot of work and a LOT of patience, God will turn me into one also.

Now that I've heard the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler, I felt safe announcing it to the world. My first Ultrasound will be on 1/7. My first picture of the little one God has blessed us with. I can't wait to start this thrilling, joyous, sometimes terrifying journey. I know it's going to be a serious learning experience for both of us!

Wishing, and Hoping, And Thinking, and Praying

That is what I've been doing. For several months now, actually.

We've been trying to conceive for 4 months without success. I'm not saying I'm worried. I know God's doing everything in His time. I just can't help but feel wistful, though.

Now that I have an adorable little niece to visit, I want a child of my own more than ever.

I spend my free time talking to my Lord, trying to make my feelings known without sounding demanding. It isn't always easy. Maybe it's just the hormones talking. I mean, I'm only 25. Plenty of women have been even older than I am before they had their first child. I still have plenty of time, right?

I know I should be patient. I know I should be "enjoying my free time while I still have some". I love my husband. I love our life together. I just think we have so much love, it would be a shame to not have someone else to share it with.

I will be still. I will be patient. I know you will do what's best Lord. I'm patiently waiting on you.

A New Chapter

As many of you may know, Keith and I promised we would wait until our 5th anniversary to have kids of our own.

And as many of you may know, anniversary #5 is just around the corner.

And as many of you may know, I like being prepared. So I need your help.

I need advice. Whatever advice you can give me. Everything I need to know about pregnancy, pretty much. I wanna know what to expect so I can be as prepared as possible.

Tell me what your must-have baby items are.
What advice best helped you get through your own pregnancies?
What are the best books I can read?
How can I keep my hubby involved in the whole process?
What am I in for emotionally and physically?

Whatever you want to give me, I'm ready to listen. So, bring it on, people! Hit me with your best shot!

Starting Fresh

I can't believe it's been a year since I've written in my blog. I took a hiatus because life got crazy. Really crazy. And I don't think it's going to get any less crazy any time soon. But working night shift has actually opened up my schedule for more time to post than I had before. And I think now is as good a time as any to start getting my thoughts on paper. Or internet, as the case may be. So, here we go again. I'll try to stick with it this time.

Personal Revival

I know I don't have many readers. I realize that I'll probably never have a huge following. But I'm throwing this out there on the off chance that someone comes in and reads this thing.

If you've been craving a deeper walk with Jesus, if you've been wanting to know God's heart and plan for your life, and if you've wanted to love Him, but didn't know how...

You absolutely, positively HAVE to see this. Watch it. Read the passages. Meditate on it. It WILL change your life:

Recipe of the Week

Hubby and I have decided to experiment with new foods/recipes. So, about once a week, we'll try to make something new that we haven't made before. This will usually be on the weekends.

This week's recipe is homemade Pork Fried Rice.

3 cups of cooked rice
2 eggs
1/4 lb chopped pork (I actually recommend using a little bit more. Maybe more like 1/3-1/2 lb, just because it gives it a bit more flavor)
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 clove of garlic (about 1 tsp of minced garlic,  which is what we used)
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1/2 cup corn

1. Crush and mince the garlic and chop the vegetables into smaller pieces
2. Place wok or non-stick frying pan on medium high heat, and add a little vegetable oil, just to coat the bottom of the pan
3. Sweat the garlic in the pan, and then add your chopped pork. Cook 3-5 minutes
4. Add the eggs directly to the pan and scramble. It should take less than 1 minute
5. Add the vegetables to the pan and stir for 1 minute
6. Add rice (spread it out so it doesn't clump too much) and remaining ingredients. (Also spread the soy sauce around to fully coat the rice)
7. Stir for about another minute until rice is fully coated and vegetables are cooked.
8. Remove from heat and serve! :)

Below is a video of the recipe (this is actually where we got it from!) to help you out. Enjoy!



What about you? Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Feel free to submit it in the comments section, and we'll feature it on a future post!

Decorating on a Dime- Wooden Roses

I recently came across someone who asked about decorating on a budget, and how to factor decoration items into their everyday expenses.

It got me thinking. And boy, did the creative juices start flowing. I'm thinking about doing a series detailing some ideas that I or others have used. Maybe it'll help you get some ideas for your own place.

Wooden Roses
I LOVE these things. I used to have guy come around my office selling them by the dozen for $20 for large bunches and $10 for small ones. That might sound like a lot, but consider the fact that these roses will never die. EVER. They hold up better and longer than silk ones, too. Plus, they come in many beautiful and unusual colors that real flowers just don't come in. So they'll always match your decor.

They look real, don't they? And they come in such pretty colors! These are mine:

If the lack of smell is the only thing keeping you from getting them, you can get a bottle of rose essence to spray on them. The only real upkeep might be to get one of those compressed air cans and spray the dust off them from time to time. Other than that, they're simply perfect!

Where You Can Get Yours:
They can probably be bought at most craft shops, though, to be honest, I haven't seen much variety or quality there. Your best bet is probably the internet. They have lots of places that sell wooden flowers of many varieties, not just roses. They come in lots of colors, and some will even print messages on them, if you're thinking of selling them for a fundraiser or something. Just Google "wooden roses" and I'm sure you'll find plenty or sellers. And if you happen to live around the Sunrise area, see if you can track down a local guy named George. He's where I originally got mine from, and he's such a sweet guy! George, if you're reading this, thanks! :)