2!!

 Precious little girl turned 2. We celebrated her real birthday with a dinner at home with her uncle and aunt, sausages (one of her favorites) and veggies and I made a hot milk sponge cake with vanilla ice cream and berries.

She opened a couple presents and we went around the neighborhood delivering cake & ice cream to our neighbors.

The board for documentary purposes :)

Playing with her new little doggy and carrier. 

On the weekend we had my parents over, her aunt and uncle again, and one set of family friends. The kids ran wild outside and we did an Easter egg hunt, then had tacos and more cake, ice cream, and presents. 

Happy birthday!!

Love this little girl so much.

Easter Fun

 We had Doug's parents over the day before Easter. They brought goodies of course!

I've been getting these turkey tenderloins recently and they are delicious! Just pop in the oven for an hour, and so moist and tasty. We also had baked potatoes, crescent rolls, asparagus and I made a lemon bundt from the Magnolia Table cookbook. It was pretty, but I would've preferred a stronger lemon flavor.

The next day we celebrated our risen Lord! 

We love our church, but I've found on the big ones, Easter and Christmas, I prefer a more traditional church service. I guess that's just the pipe-organ-builder's daughter in me. I love a good traditional hymn. So we went to my parents' church.

My mom's arms got a workout holding Jeanie most of the service. That girl just loves to be held. In retrospect, squeaky shoes were not the best choice when going to a church with kids walking up to the children's ministry minute, lol. 

The papier mache tomb of my youth has been replaced by a picture on a screen! Ahh the times they are a 'changing. 

Family pic

Followed by a nice Easter dinner at my parents' new house. Dad and Jeanie enjoying some fresh air and sunshine and a lake view. We had a potroast and other tasty things, and I made a chocolate cream pie. Which was actually too rich, who'd have ever thought a chocolate lover would ever say that!?

My parents and Doug took the kids over to a local park and I enjoyed a nap on their couch. Everyone came back and I chatted with my mom while she mended some of Jeanie's sleepsacks, then lunch turned into dinner time and we grilled some brats. Mmm. It was a perfect day. 

spring things

 

It was a winter wonderland this morning! Luckily it didn't stay around long. And of course I just finished de-leafing all my garden beds the day before. Hope those little spring buds weren't too cold!

Catching up with my photos from the last couple weeks. I'm hitting the sleepy part of pregnancy again and trying to nap if ever I can. 

New lamp, Jeanie broke the old one. Whoops! I'd actually tried to replace it a couple years ago and made about 4 trips back and forth to different stores only to find nothing better, so it was good to be 'forced' to have to replace it. 

August has been a coloring and workbook machine lately! He's so cute too, he's like "bye Jeanie I have to do my work" as he settles down, he seriously does this for hours every day.

Cat in a box lid.

Love visits from the neighborhood turkeys.

Doug's been having play dates with other dad friends when I've been at my work weekends lately. 

My Grandpa came down for a weekend at my parents' house and we came up for breakfast. (Unflattering photo for all here, but a nice short visit!) My grandpa will be 100 years old this week!!! And my last remaining grandparent 😢 

Playdate and lunch with my friend from nursing school. We walked the kiddos to the park and had a nice time chatting and catching up. 

August got a haircut. I was sad to trim off his gorgeous beachy waves. Was tempted to leave this little bit at the back, haha, mullet!

A babysitting trade afternoon with Liz's boys and we'll get a date day this month. 

A walk to the park and popsicles on the deck the other day when it was sunny. 

August and I made these salt dough Easter eggs

Hers turned out a lot prettier, but it was a fun little project together. 

And I think we're all caught up! I'm working tomorrow and then looking forward to spending Easter with our parents. Happy Easter everyone, He is risen!

recent reads

 This was the latest book club read. 

I feel like it's literally been years since I've read something really great. I always finish the book because I'm just that kind of person, but at the end, I'm always just kinda like "meh." Same story with this one. Haven't read anything really amazing since the Mark of the Lion series. 

Doug got me this cookbook from the library.

So far I made pancakes (not as good at my dad's); a cornbread spoonbread that was tasty, but I feel like only I'm eating it; and tonight I made sour cream chicken enchiladas which were ok but had waaaaay too much sauce. Also I'm noticing all her meals have like cups of butter, sour cream, or cheese. It's like does she eat this food and stay a size 4?!?

I haven't uploaded any pics from my phone lately so I guess that's the end of the blog entry today :)

VT3

 The biggest news around these parts:

My facebook announcement:

Lord willing, this September God will be granting one of my earliest little girl dreams, to be a momma of 3.

I feel so blessed.

A decade ago, when I turned 30, I was facing an unwanted divorce. A future so unknown and I feared so many dreams went with him as he left. But God. He literally opened the door of a friend's home providing a place to live, He opened a door for me to go to nursing school and start a new career, and in His timing, He led me to a wonderful godly man. And I'm so thankful. I never thought I'd be a 40-year-old pregnant lady, but I'm so thankful God dreams bigger dreams than I do!

All that said, we did think we were done at two- so if anyone has a baby swing, nursing cover, or bumbo to buy or borrow, we are in the market!

Doug and I had wrapped our minds around being parents of 2. We are busy and blessed with them, and there are logical reasons like only so much time, money, and attention to go around. But our hearts both wanted 3. I ended up having a daydream one cold walk into work one morning, had a talk with a OB doctor at work "go for it!" were her exact words, and came home and talked to Doug. He said, 'well we'd decided on 2' but agreed to pray about it. The next day we both said how about giving God a 3 month window if He wanted it to happen. For reference, August took 11 months, Jeanie took 6... and sure enough, this one took 2. So we figured God agreed with our desire for another little face at the table!

We are very excited. 15 weeks now, still so many nerves and fears, but very hopeful to meet this little bean on or around September 11th (probably after knowing my body!)

Thank you God!

recent things

 

We got a new gate, barring kitchen entrance when mama is cooking. Jeanie LOVES it as you can see ;)

a new niece!

and a friend's new baby!

new shoes! squeaky fun.

A quick weekend visit to Missouri to visit my friend Jill and her family.

Picked up by my family from the airport and out to dinner at Bob Evans. 

And tonight dinner and bday celebration at my parents' for their birthdays!