Thursday, December 31, 2009

A Few Christmas Pics

For Christmas Dave and I went to Charlotte, and it was a nice time. :)  We got many great gifts, one of which was a chair I'd been wanting for the living room.  I'm pretty excited about it!

Here are a few pics to share:


Me with Caylee, Dave's stepsister's daughter
(I had to get my baby fix!)



Dave's stepmom (Teri) showing Caylee some love


Dave's brother (Dan), their dad (John), and Dave


Taylor, Caylee's sister


Look at my giant present!!!
(It was my chair, from Dave's mom and stepdad.)


Dave's mom (Cindy) and stepdad (Todd)


We got Cindy a GPS.  I think she was pretty excited. :)

So what did everyone get for Christmas?? Or is there any gift that you gave to someone else that you're really excited about?

Friday, December 11, 2009

Christmastime!!!

I was really struggling to get into the Christmas spirit for a while...it was just so warm here in North Carolina and I felt out-of-whack.  But now things are slowly starting to sink in, and I'm finding myself listening to Christmas music on a fairly regular basis. A few chillier days and some Christmas events definitely helped increase the Christmas cheer.  :)

My friend Kristin came over to help me decorate last week, and then last weekend Dave went out and purchased lights to put on the front of the house.  We both initially wanted white lights, but they seemed to be out of stock everywhere Dave went.  Then, when we thought about it, we decided that colored lights would probably be better because they'll be a lot more exciting for Krewson in a couple years.  So colored lights it is. :)


We'll need another stocking next year!


Last year my artificial Christmas tree broke as I was trying to put it up.  So I rushed out to Big Lots and found the cheapest tree I could.  Hence my 3-ft itty-bitty Christmas tree.  I think we may go shopping for something nicer at the after-Christmas sales this year. :)


This little village and ice skating rink was one of my favorite decorations when I was little. 
My mom passed it on. :)


I love this snowman.  He's so cute, and he lights up and swirls all kinds of beautiful colors.  Too bad the batteries leaked between last winter and now. :(  It's on our to-do list to try to fix the corrosion.


Two more of my favorite decorations.  The lights on the tree light up, if I'd get a new bulb for inside.  And the snowman lost his nose (see it laying next to him?).  Wow, all my decorations are broken. :( 
It's like the toys from Rudolph.


And finally, Dave's beautiful lights on the front of the house.  We'll probably add more as the years pass, but I figured those were pretty good to start. :)

So what are YOU doing to decorate for Christmas??

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

I made this chicken noodle soup last night and I absolutely love it.  It was cheap (minus the chicken), fairly easy  to prepare, and it made a TON.  Today I need to look up the best way to freeze and store leftover soup. :)

The recipe is from AllRecipes.com: Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
8 ounces egg noodles
12 cups water
9 cubes chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Directions:
1.
In a large stock pot, saute celery and onion in butter or margarine.
2.
Add chicken, carrots, water, bouillon cubes, marjoram, black pepper, bay leaf, and parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3.
Add noodles, and simmer for 10 more minutes.

A few tips and tricks from me:

*Assuming you do not have chicken that is already cooked, chop some raw chicken into chunks and then boil it until it is cooked through.  Then drain, cool (I just rinsed it with cold water), and shred using your fingers.

*I added extra veggies.  I upped the amount of celery, carrots, and onion, and I also added a can of white corn.

*I didn't have nine chicken bouillon cubes, so I substituted low-sodium chicken broth for some of the water.

*I left out the parsley because I didn't have any.

*You don't have to precook the noodles.  You just cook them right in the soup at the end.  I somehow got confused on this and started boiling them separately, then I was like, Wait a minute...

 Hope you enjoy!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Thanksgivingtime

I'm getting a bit behind on my blogging about our lives these days! So sorry!

So I figured it's about time I share a few tidbits from our Thanksgiving holiday.  This year we did Thanksgiving with my family and we're doing Christmas with Dave's, so the Saturday before Thanksgiving we packed the car and headed north.  We stopped in Cleveland, OH on the way (okay, it was a little out of the way, but not much :) ) to see my friends Ashley and Dave's house, and then Jaclyn and Michelle and their s.o.'s came to visit, also.  It was great to spend more time with them.  Then Dave and I headed on to Indiana, where we spent the rest of the week with my family.  It really was a great trip.  I got to see lots of friends, spend a lot of time with family, and relax.  Very nice. :)

Here are a few pics that my dad took on Thanksgiving day:


Aunt Sandy and her Thanksgiving turkey


Brady and me (he's adorable)


Aaron and his girlfriend, Allison
(I'm thinking she was unaware she was supposed to be looking at the camera)


Cory and me (please excuse the giant belly taking up half the shot)


Playing some Cranium
(which is not a game I enjoy, might I add)


Dave, me, and my grandparents (dad's side)


my girlfriend Alison and me


I also wanted to share the pic below.  I believe it was the day after Thanksgiving, my mom got out some leftovers to cook up, and suddenly all the family dogs became quite well-behaved. :)


Rogan, Chloe, Maggie, Ellie
(and Mom)

Oh, I also have some pictures from when Dave and I had coffee with Audrey and her husband Kevin.  (Audrey is my longest friend...since we were 1!  She was my maid of honor, too. :) )





It was a great trip! Can't wait to see my family and friends again! Love you guys!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Things I've Been Thinking About

There are a few things that I've been mulling over in my head lately that I thought I'd jot down and share.

First:

I have this tendency to think that when I take time to cook, clean, organize, run errands, etc., I'm having "me" time.  I regularly subscribe to FlyLady and Organizer Lady emails, and I'll frequently read that I need to take time "for myself."  And my immediate response has always been, "Well I do that all the time."  Then today an email from FlyLady really struck me.  It pointed out that all those aforementioned activities (cooking, cleaning, organizing, running errands) are not "for me."  They are for the good of my family, our home, sanitation, safety, etc.  They are me giving of my time.  Not me taking time for myself.  I don't know how I got this skewed perspective.  And then it became clear to me why I never get to read any of the books I want to read.  Why I don't feel myself growing closer to God as quickly as I'd like, why I don't feel my knowledge of Him developing as nearly as fast as I'd like.  Because I'm not taking time for myself, to read and grow with Him.  I have so many Christian books I want to study and learn, and I'm going through them at a snail pace.  Perhaps I've found some of the source of my problem?

Second:

Yesterday as I was driving to work, a Christmas song I was listening to had a verse that said

Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm



And I immediately had visions in my head of this young, brand new mother trying to cuddle the baby Savior as she shakes from the cold around her.  And I thought of how much I dislike being cold and shivering, and how it affects everything about me, including my mood and ability to function.  And it dawned on me...of all people, wouldn't you expect God to cut Mary a break?  After carrying His Child, enduring ridicule for being pregnant prior to marriage, traveling, giving birth in a stable...wouldn't you expect God to at least keep her warm?  Think about how miserable she must have been, sitting amongst animals with a newborn, shivering.  And yet, just like everyone else, she had to endure the hardships of this world.  She had to live the life we all live.  Clearly, God loved her so much and she had pleased Him beyond belief, yet He still didn't keep her from experiencing the struggles of daily life.  She had to endure them, and we all have to endure them today.  It makes me realize that I need to stop my complaining when something annoys me...such as I'm cold, or hot, or tired, or uncomfortable.  I need to get over it.  And not expect God to take it away.  It's life.  And I deserve every bit of it because I'm human and a sinner.  Loved by God and His child, yes, but a sinner nonetheless.  Instead I need to look at all the blessings around me and cherish them, especially the fact that I am saved and one day will be free from the pains of this world. 

If anyone deserved a break from suffering, it was Mary...not me.  My life has been a picnic compared to hers.  Who am I to ever complain?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Free Christmas Music!!

I'm not quite sure how I found this, but Amazon is giving away free Christmas mp3s until Christmas, with a new mp3 being available each day.  I'm pretty excited, since it appears that some of the artists are popular Christian singers/bands that I already listen to.

Check it out! :)

Amazon 25 Days of Free

Thursday, November 19, 2009

In God We Trust

NBC is presently taking a poll to see if Americans want the words "In God We Trust" to be removed from the American currency.

Just wanted to share with all my Christian friends...please go and vote (preferably to leave the words on there :) )!! I'm not sure how much longer the poll will be open.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

Monday, November 16, 2009

Welcome Ellie!!

Our good friends Sion and Emily welcomed their baby daughter into the world Saturday night.  Elle (Ellie) Ruth.  7 lb 1 oz.  I am soooo excited for them.  We went to the hospital yesterday to meet little Ellie and she is so adorable. 

I'm looking so forward to raising our kids together. :)

Here are a couple pics they sent out to everyone:


Right after birth I think.


Doesn't Emily look great??
Hope I look like that the day after having my baby. :)

Friday, November 13, 2009

Where does that expectation come from?

This past Sunday's sermon at church stemmed from the story of Mary and Martha, and I really really liked what the pastor had to say. The main point was that we put so many expectations on ourselves to be perfect or be a certain way, and that often these expectations are completely unfounded.

I really wanted to share it, because it took a load off my shoulders and somehow reached me in a way that all the books I've read and even my past counseling sessions were never able to. I wrote down in my notes, and even in my Bible, to go back and listen to it on a regular basis.

I know listening to a sermon probably isn't your idea of a great evening activity, but perhaps you could just play it while you're cooking dinner or cleaning up afterwards. :)

Here's the link:
http://www.crosspointe.org/messages/mp3s/2009_11_08.mp3
(Or you can go to http://www.crosspointe.org/messages/current_series/ ...until it's no longer the current series, then it will be in "past series". :) )



If you do listen to it, let me know your thoughts. :)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Friends, Fence, and Giveaway

So I just realized that I never posted about my wonderful Ohio friends coming down to visit me a couple weeks ago!!  Jaclyn, Ashley, and Michelle made the trip down and spend a weekend with me and Dave.  (Well, mostly they spent the time with me [shopping], and Dave joined in on a dinner or two. :))  It was great fun...I absolutely loved having them here.  The four of us have been friends since our college years at Ohio Northern University (ah, the memories).

Jaclyn, Michelle, me, Ashley

The three of them also got Dave and me a homewarming gift (candle and incense, yum) and baby gift (monitor), which I was super pysched about.  You can read about the monitor here: 22 Weeks 4 Days.

The second big item for this post is that Dave and I got a fence for our backyard!!  We were having a hard time deciding whether to take the financial leap, but with my growing belly and the weather getting colder, I was really dreading chasing the dogs down outside if they decided to run off.  Besides that, it's just great to let the pups run all they want.


We'll just ignore the fact that Rogan is apparently much skinnier than her fur leads you to believe and that she's already managed to squeeze through the fence posts twice.  Yes, that's right.  She can skimmy through.  It's unbelievable.  Those are not big holes between those slats, people.  Dave and I are not too thrilled about this, and we're considering ways to fix the situation.  One idea is to put some type of rope about a foot or two up from the ground zig-zagged through the slats, all the way around.  That way she'd have to jump and fit through in one leap, which shouldn't (!!!) be possible.  She doesn't get out on a regular basis...like I said, it's only been twice (once during which Dave apparently just stood and watched in amazement), but it's still a concern.  Until we find a remedy, my temporary solution is to beef her up a bit.  So she gets a few more bits in her bowl in the morning now.  We'll work on a healthier solution for down the road. :)

Finally, I must share with everyone that my friend Callie is having an Autumn giveaway on her blog!!!  So definitely go check her out at Through Clouded Glass.  She's got some good (and yummy) things she's passing out. :) The giveaway takes place this Saturday, so hurry up to get over there and enter!!

Alright I think that's all for now. :) God bless!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Baby Bump Buddies

I just had to take a pic this past weekend with my friend Emily and our baby bumps. :)  She's due this Thursday, so I knew it might be my last chance. :)  I'm so excited for her and her husband, Sion!  They're naming their little girl Elle, and they're going to call her Ellie.  I keep waiting daily for the phone call that Ellie is arriving!



For other updates on my pregnancy, check out my baby blog at www.babybesido.blogspot.com. :)

Friday, November 6, 2009

Care.com Free Weekend

For any of you mommies or mommies-to-be out there who may be looking for child care, Care.com is having a free weekend, where you can contact care givers for free.  Normally this service costs around $30/month (or $60/9 months or $120/year).

I posted a job a couple days ago saying that I may be looking for child care the end of next May, and I already got 6 responses.  The site also lets you be specific about if you want someone who is non-smoking, comfortable with pets, etc. 

So...just wanted to share in case it might help anyone else out. :)  The deal runs today through Sunday, so don't waste any time!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

The Covenant of Marriage

A good article, I wanted to share...

Seeing the Sacred 

My favorite tidbit is "You love each other. But it's more than love, or even commitment. You're devoted to the covenant—the principle—of marriage. I've always given myself to the person. I loved the three women I married, but eventually arguments became serious and one of us walked out...I've watched you survive things that would have broken any of my marriages. You've put your relationship above your personal feelings."

It's what I want my marriage to be.  How about you?

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

My Husband is an Ultimate Stud



See that guy wearing number 18, soaring over everyone else to catch the frisbee?  That's Dave. My hubby.  That's right.  He's pretty awesome. :)

(More pictures from ultimate nationals soon to come.)

10 Safety Tips

I got this in an email from a work friend, and I thought it was good information to pass on. It's 10 Safety Tips, for women in particular to keep in mind. It's easy to assume we'll never be in these situations, but better safe than sorry...

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you...Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.). DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your air bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor and in the back seat
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars..
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!

7.If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ.. RUN, preferably in a zig-zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird... The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door...' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack. Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Emily & Sion's Shower

On Saturday we had a baby shower for Emily and Sion, who are due with their first baby in just a few weeks!!  They are having a little girl, and Lael and I had quite a grand time decorating my house with pink everywhere. :)






We played the game where everyone had to taste the baby food and guess its flavor.  Dave won. :)


The diaper cake Lael and I made.  I was pretty proud of it. :)

Emily and her sister, Jessica


Emily and me

We played a game where everyone had to cut a piece of yarn to the length that they thought would fit perfectly around Emily's belly.  As you can see below, Kelly overestimated a bit.  In fact, both he and Dave...and a lot of space...fit inside his piece of yarn.



Emily holding Kelly's yarn around her waist.  Clearly, a bit of an overestimate. :)




Emily and Sion


Me and Lael


Candid shot of the girls.  You can see my baby bump a bit. :)


Lael, Emily, me, Kristin, and Jessica


Jeff, Dave, Sion, and Kelly

That evening, a few of us went to Sion and Emily's house to eat some homemade pizza, drink some warm fall drinks, carve pumpkins, and bake pumpkin seeds.  It was a nice time. I felt festive. :)


Me and Kelly gutting the pumkins. (I actually enjoy gutting the pumpkin more than carving it...is that weird???) Haha we never finished carving them...we got too distracted by the warm drinks and baking pumpkin seeds. So Dave and I will have to finish our pumpkin another night. :)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Stolen.

My credit card number got stolen!! :(

Thank goodness Bank of America was on top of things. They saw behavior they considered suspicious and put a halt on my credit card and started declining purchases. It was actually very convenient...they emailed me, then I went through security measures online, then selected which transactions were actually mine, and supposedly the rest will be taken care of. I hope. Two of the transactions went all the way through before the bank caught what was going on. I hope I don't have to pay for them. :(

And now my account has been deleted and I have to wait for a new credit card to be mailed. Good thing I keep one to use as a backup.

And... now all my automatic drafts will have to be re-setup.

Grrrr. People. I swear.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Our house...with paint. :)

Dave has been requesting that I post pictures of our house for quite some time, so I thought I'd appease my hubby and finally get to it. :)

My parents visited the weekend after we moved in and painted our ENTIRE downstairs except the bathroom.  It was absolutely amazing, and we are so thankful!!!


The living room before...


And the living room after, with gray paint on the walls. 


The other side of the living room before...


And after.  Why do I feel like this just looks worse, haha???? (Actually, I've cleaned it up quite a bit since this picture.)


The kitchen before...


And the kitchen after, also with gray paint.  This picture was taken at nighttime, so you don't really see how it looks during the day here.  It looks pretty when daylight hits the walls. :)


The piano/coffee room before...


And the piano/coffee room after.  These walls are painted a color called "Cappuccino".


The bathroom...the only room that didn't get painted.


My mom and dad painting.


My dad was so thrilled to have his picture taken, can't you tell??

Didn't my parents do an awesome job???? :)

This weekend Dave's mom and stepdad are bringing our dining room table and china cabinet, which I'm pretty excited about.  Then the coffee table that is currently in the kitchen will go in the piano/coffee room.  When we get the dining room table, we're planning on recovering the chairs and painting it...probably black.  You can check it out here:  New Home DIY Project #1.

We also plan on painting two dressers (one of which will be the baby's) and the baby's changing table sometime in the near future.  And we need to paint the baby's room.  Hmmm...lots of painting to go still. :)

Oh, and for all you inquiring minds, I did apply the grub treatment to our yard on Sunday.  I was pretty proud of myself for selecting and buying it and a spreader then doing the treatment on my own.  Now we'll just watch and see if it worked.  And for all you worriers out there, have no concerns...I never touched the treatment granules, only the bag, and I washed my hands thoroughly between each step.  So Baby Besido Krewson should be just fine. :)