the good, the bad and the ugly

the good:  I've FINALLY gotten back enough energy to get back into a regular cooking schedule

the bad:  I've been battling a heck of a cold over the past week and a bit - let me tell you, you don't appreciate cold meds until you're not allowed to have them!

the ugly:  there actually isn't an ugly, it's just that the phrase sounded so incomplete without it ...but, since I tricked you into thinking there was an "ugly," I will instead share a soup recipe that I made while battling said cold - because it was easy and souper yummy...yes, I am that cheesy!  :)

I borrowed the recipe from Sheena, with a few adjustments to suit what I had on hand - it takes some time to cook down to the yummy goodness that it is, but hands on time is SO little and it makes your whole house smell amazing as it simmers away.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 
a touch of olive oil
1/2 a small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ear of corn (kernels cut off with a knife)
1 large carrot, sliced up
1 cup homemade chicken broth (more if you like it on the soupy side)*
2 cups water (more if you like it on the soupy side)*
1 chicken breast (mine was frozen, but thawed works too)
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
juice of 1/2 a lemon
S+P, to taste
lemon pepper spice mix, to taste


- heat olive oil in a saucepan then saute onion, garlic, corn and carrots, adding as much S+P as you like
 
- add chicken broth, water, chicken breast, wild rice and spices


- bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium low for a couple of hours...until the flavors blend and the chicken cooks to fall-apart tenderness!


- serve topped with extra lemon juice and lemon pepper if you like

*I didn't feel like a soupy soup (mine was more of a thick stew) so those are the numbers I used - Sheena's recipe suggests 4 cups broth and 2 - 4 cups water.

PERFECT food for a cold...or cold weather!  :)

Two

So I might have lied in my last post on here.  Not on purpose, though, I was just...unaware.

I claimed we were halfway there, but apparently we're closer than that.  How close?  Only time will tell.  I only found out about a week ago when we went in for our 20 week ultrasound - you know, the one where they check on the kid and show you ten little toes and ten little fingers then send you home with a picture of your little peanut to ooooh and ahhh over for the next 20 weeks.  

Except, when we went in, the technician didn't exactly do that.  Instead she showed us twenty little toes and twenty little fingers and sent us home with pictures of our peanuts to oooh and ahhh over.  Yep, you read that right - that "s" wasn't a typo, and no, we don't have a child with an extra set of fingers and toes - we have two kicking around in there.

It's still sinking in, actually.  And to be perfectly honest, the news is exciting but also quite overwhelming.  We now have less time (twins typically arrive about a month early, assuming no complications come up to make them even earlier) to get more stuff together; all the while scheduling more appointments and ultrasounds along they way, since we are now classified as a "high risk pregnancy."

I have had moments where I feel completely in over my head, but the Lord has also been constantly reminding me that He will not give us more than we can handle.  He will provide the resources, the emotions, the ability - everything, just as He always has.  I see this as a great opportunity to learn to trust Him even more - and that is always a good thing.

And since we're almost 22 weeks now, I should probably share a 21 week photo with you before I wrap this up!

to quote bon jovi...

we're halfway there!

...and apparently i like the color blue - maybe it's a sign?  haha.   i wonder if i'll actually double the size that i'm at right now by the end.  only time will tell, i guess.  speaking of time, it's about time i put down in words some of the baby-thoughts that go through my head everyday, so here we go...

dear baby,

i can't believe we're already 20 weeks along!  i remember your early weeks, when i would count down the days, just so i could say we had another week down and now we're halfway there.  where did the time go?  it still doesn't seem real sometimes, even though it's hard to miss when i look in the mirror now.  i've had such a great time carrying you so far - you've been a great sport and i've been very blessed to be feeling well. 

it's been so nice to finally start feeling you moving around in my belly lately.  the first time it happened, your daddy and i were enjoying a long walk when all of a sudden i stopped in my tracks -  i thought i had walked right into something, but it was really just you flicking me from the inside.  every time you kick or push against me, i can't help but smile and thank God for you.  daddy's pretty excited to see your little kicks and pokes -  it's just a matter of time... 

the weather's gotten cooler this week - we're heading into fall and then winter; i'm normally really sad to see summer end, but this year i get to look forward to your arrival in january.  it'll be nice to share body warmth with you as the cold sets in - i've been told you'll keep me pretty warm towards the end. 

i love that we're so close right now, but i can't help counting down the next 20 weeks until we finally get to see and hold you. in the meantime, there's lots of preparation to do.  everything from what to name you to where you'll be sleeping to getting the things we need to take care of you.  God is good and i know He will provide the resources and wisdom we need to make whatever decisions the next couple of months hold for us.  learning to trust Him more is just one of many ways that He has already used you to sanctify me; i'm sure there will be many, many more and i am so thankful for that.   

well, that's all for now.  we love you so much and pray for you every single day. 

love,
your mom

refocusing

a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we were pretty busy with all the renos going on at my parents house.  we looked forward to the weekend with such anticipation, longing for a bit of relaxation, time together and a slower pace.  the saturday was much more hectic than expected, but the sunday definitely fit the bill.  

there was church.  

there were good friends.  

there was sunshine.  

there was a drive out to the beach.  

there was a nice, long walk.  

there was sushi.  

there was picking out a favorite candy from the bulk bins at the grocery store.

and there was crashing on the couch together just to see what was on tv.  

it was grand. 

then monday morning, it was back to the hectic craze we've been calling life these days.  i thought with the renos behind us, it would be a bit slower, more relax-ier of a feel, but so far we are checking one thing off of the to-do list just to start on the next.  

i wrote out my to-do list (which is always way too much to realistically cram into the couple of hours we have between work and sleep), i looked at it and just sighed - i feel like we've spent the past few months just checking off recurring tasks and not really living. and it's left me drained, on-edge and unfocused.  then as i was listening to a sermon at work (while working, don't worry!) the Lord reminded me that our lives are not our own and that we are not meant to merely survive, but to live intentionally for His glory.  honestly, my first thought was "right - add that to the list"...the next thing the pastor said brought me such encouragement:

"the motivation for ministry doesn't come from ministry...[it] comes from the unveiling of the glory of Jesus.  That means there is a hope from His glory that is gifted to me to be one who is generous and works hard and serves and endures...because He is enough."

the text he was working out of was 2 Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

i could almost feel my soul take a deep, refreshing breath.  yes, my to-do list still needs doing, but the reminder to keep my focus on Him and the things he has set out for me to do, then let all other things come in secondary couldn't have come at a better time.  Thank you, Jesus!  

***

i know this was a bit of a long post, but i wanted to share how the Lord is working in my life right now - hopefully it encourages you as much as it encouraged me.  before i wrap it up, i have an overdue 19 week photo for you - we're almost halfway there already!

baby steps and breathing

hello there - it's been a bit quiet around this blog for a bit... things have been a wee bit crazy.  life at the moment = half finished projects, super busy at work, super busy doing work outside of work, regular tasks to keep up with, random extra stuff that's come up, prepping to be in a wedding this week, plus a little peanut inside making sure to let me know that i need extra time for appointments, sleeping, resting, eating, exercising etc.

this past week has been busy, productive, at times very stressful, but encouraging at the same time.  i have lots to share, and I promise it will come one of these days!  right now, though, my main goal is to breathe in, breathe out, then try to focus on the task at hand.  the list of tasks that i am facing is truly overwhelming, so i'm using a tactic i learned in university, when things got really stressful - baby steps.  just keep working at the pile step by step, keep priorities where they're supposed to be, and eventually, it will all get done.  so that is what i have to focus on right now...baby steps and breathing.  speaking of babies though - i do have an overdue 18 week picture to share with you.

not the prettiest picture of my life - it was the end of the day and I had just finished working out, but it documents the little one's progress just the same!  and with that, i'm off - i'll be back with some of the things that i've been wanting to share hopefully sooner rather than later!