7 Weeks

how far along: 7 Weeks, 1 Day. According to my app.

size of the baby: A raspberry! A cute, tiny little delicious raspberry.

 

baby is: Over half an inch long! It sounds SO tiny, almost like it's not even there.

 

movement: No movement, too early obviously. I'm moving pretty slow though. Very tired and very nauseous.

 

gender: No clue, don't care. I mean, if I'm choosing, I would love a boy. But I just care if it's healthy and happy.

 

total weight gain: Actually, with all this nausea and puking going on, I haven't gained any weight. I haven't been too diligent in keeping track but I am at 146 this morning.

symptoms: So much nausea. I spent the last two days (Saturday & Sunday) eitehr in bed or on the couch. Watching The Office and Selling New York on Netflix. I'm tired, ta-tas hurt, stomach is hurting from all the nausea, I pee constantly and I can smell everything.

stretch marks: None that I can see, but I haven't been checking very hard. I'm sure if I see one, I'll be all over it, but now it's not really a concern. Mostly my nipples have gotten darker and larger.

 

maternity clothes: None but I hate wearing jeans. They're so constricting and I just can't seem to want to look nice, mostly I want to be comfortable.

  

sleep: Yes PLEASE. If I could be in bed all day err day, I would.

 

missing: Feeling like myself. Can that be a thing? I really feel like my body has been hijacked and I can't wait until this dang first trimester is over and I can go back to actually caring about food.

 

cravings/aversions: Basically all food sounds gross except for bread/carbs. I live off saltines and ginger ale. Hence the weight loss.

 

cries: Jesse was joking around with me the other day and said "Is the rest of your pregnancy just going to suck for me?" referencing my inability to do basically anything around the house, and I lost it. I screamed and cried because how DARE he think he has it so difficult when I'm the one with the raging hormones and morning (let's be real, all day) sickness.

 

Jesse is: so supportive. He basically does anything I ask, gets me whatever food I need, takes care of everything around the house and comforts me when I'm crying, nauseated, tired, everything. He also bought me a gorgeous rocking chair and I just sat in it and cried for 10 minutes.

 

best moments: Telling my parents. My mom just hugged me and cried and said oh my god, oh my god, over and over.

not so best moment: Last night. I attempted to take my prenatal, because I've heard it's a lot better if you take it at night, and I tried to swallow and my gag reflex and nausea made me puke. It was awful. Goodbye lasagna, hope we meet again in my second trimester.

looking forward to: Tomorrow is our first ultrasound! I'm super nervous. I can't even feel excited because I can't even believe there is something in there. But I pray pray pray there is!

First Corinthians

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 1-13

I'm sure you've read/heard/listened to/seen that verse in many places in your life. I know I have. I've heard it at countless weddings, in tons of movies, in songs, and in church. I've also read it in the quietness of my own home. 

But I don't think I ever absorbed it until just now. Literally just this moment. 

The last line. And now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is love.

I've just never noticed before how true that statement is. The three things I need the most in my life are faith, hope, and love. 

In my struggle with infertility, I face these every single day in a way. This struggle constantly tests my faith, hope, and love. I am constantly struggling with losing my hope. To look at the future and wonder if we will ever be parents. But isn't that what keeps us going? The sheer fact that we can hope, that we can believe in things and keep our faith even when everyone and everything around us is telling us not to hope. 

And my love. My husband. The one person in the world that I am struggling through with. The one person that knows exactly what we want, what we are hoping for and what we have faith in. He is my love and I am his and without him, my faith and hope wouldn't matter. Because the greatest of these is love. 

Starting Over

I've been neglecting myself lately. Work has been busy (which I'm very grateful for), my marriage has needed some work and overall I haven't had motivation to do much of anything.

I stopped working out and eating healthy. That's never good. I basically gave up on getting pregnant. I was tired. I would basically go to work, come home, and crawl into the shell that is myself and stay there until we go to bed at night.

I guess I'm just writing this to say that I need a change.

I don't want to change my job, I love it.
I can't change my marriage, I wouldn't want to.
I can't change my living situation, I love my house.

Maybe I need a vacation?  I don't know.

Anyway,  so this happened, my sister-in-law announced her pregnancy to my husband and me on Sunday. Talk about devastating. I cried for hours after they left. My husband just sat there and let me cry. Which was nice, but made me feel even guiltier.

Just to clarify, I'm not angry she is pregnant. She and her husband have been trying for a year after suffering a miscarriage last June. This was the plan. This was supposed to happen.

I'm angry because I am not pregnant. I'm sad because it isn't me that gets to tell Jesse we are pregnant and see the look on his face. I'm disappointed that another woman in my life gets to have a child and I'm left standing at the starting line.

I love my sister-in-law so much and she has been exceedingly gracious towards me which I truly appreciate. But I can't help feeling this way.

I pray. I ask God for an explanation. For forgiveness for feeling jealousy. For a baby.

I went to acupuncture yesterday. It was recommended to me by my sister-in-law (the pregnant one) because she said she went twice and got pregnant.

It was good I guess. I was told that it's possible I am blood deficient and was given herbs to take (yuck).

So I'll take the herbs and I'll go to acupuncture and I'll take ovulation tests and I'll really try to give this another shot. I am so tired of feeling sad about not being pregnant and yet I haven't been doing anything about it because I feel sad. Vicious cycle.

I think the biggest reason I stopped trying (other than the chemical pregnancy last November) was because I was tired of the disappointment. If I'm not trying, I can't be disappointed when I will eventually get my period. But all that really happened is that I felt disappointed anyway and it caused fights between me and Jesse.

So I'm going to start again and I'm going to keep track of everything. Wish me luck!

Update

Hey.


Just stating that life is a little rough right now.


Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon, but for now, I just gotta keep going.

BIZ-ZEE

I have been BIIIZZEEEE. Busy.  Every weekend is full. Every weekday is full.  So I'm putting all my current thoughts here before they leave my head which could be any second.




- I'm considering trying the fertility doctors again. I want to have a child and I want my mom to have a grandbaby.  This seems like the best option for us now.




- Things are going well at my new job! I'm learning a lot and I'm just excited to really get in the swing of things.




- This year is going by SO fast.  I can't even believe it is June and before we know it, I'll be stringing lights again for Christmas.




- I bought a tribal printed maxi skirt at TJMaxx on Friday and I've worn it twice already. It is so comfortable! I never shop at TJMaxx, but I was in there for work and it caught my eye. I need to give that whole chain another looksee.


(I have searched and searched for a picture online but can't find it! But seriously, go to your local TJMaxx/Ross/Marshall's and look for it!)




- I got a turntable! Also known as a record player for the musically challenged (myself included). My dad's friend gave us his old turntable for free because it was just taking up space in his storage unit.  We finally got it all hooked up on Sunday and I've been playing old records nonstop. I'm in luuurrrve.


Disregard the hanging wires and mess.



- Made a chicken cobb salad on Thursday.

With herb dressing and sour dough croutons

- OK, bear with me, but we just started the Justified TV series, and don't all three of these men look super similar?

- This is my sister-in-law's cat, Phoebe, and she is precious.

Asking for more petttings

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have time to post in the next couple of days!

Return!

I'm baaaaaack!!

I've been checked out for quite a while now, because basically, I wanted to. I haven't been overly busy, just took some time to relax.

I also went to the beach for a week! It was lovely and awesome and beautiful weather and I had such a great time with Jesse and his family. We had a tiny bit of car trouble, but overall, everything was relaxing and fun!

In other news, I started a new job today!

My last job was not a good fit for me anymore and I needed to move on.  So I did! I am now an office manager for a real estate company and I'm pretty excited about it.  It will definitely take some getting used to, all the responsibilities and things to learn, but I'm excited to be expanding and stretching.

OK - now for a photo dump. See ya later toots!

Our ride down!

It was sunny and 80 every day!

We took a day to visit my Grandma who lives 2 hours away.

One of the best pictures of the whole week.

The brothers in front of the family house.

Goodbye beautiful Outer Banks!

Homemade Glazed Donuts

Alright! I made glazed donuts this weekend and they were DEE-lish.  I was a tad intimidated at first, but once I really got going, I realized how easy they were!

I made the dough the night before as instructed. I refrigerated it and just pulled it out cold the next morning. I have no pictures of that, as it really was pretty simple and self explanatory. NOTE: The recipe Ree posts on her website and the recipe she has in her cookbook are different! I followed the one on her website and I think it turned out perfectly.  But feel free to use whichever one you like!

The next morning I woke up around 7 to get the dough out of the fridge and rolled out.  I cut each donut and placed it to rise in the warmest environment I could create.  I turned my oven on to 220 degrees and then opened the door just a crack.  I placed the pans on top of the oven and covered them with towels.  I rotated the pans every fifteen minutes or so, that way the outsides would be warmed as well.  

Something's coming, something good!

This was after I mixed up the glazes.  I made a vanilla and a honey glaze.  I simply added powdered sugar, milk, and whatever flavoring I wanted until I reached a thick consistency.  You could even do a chocolate one or a maple one!

This was a beautiful sight.

Oh man. Once I saw how much they had risen, I was super excited.  Some had obviously risen more than others. but this is something that maybe I could work on in the future.

Testing out a couple.

Waiting for the oil to heat and stay at the desired temperature was a process in and of itself.  I was constantly checking it, turning it down a bit, turning it back up. It was never just staying at 375.  

Gorgeous fried dough.

I had bits of dough leftover after I rolled out and cut as much as I could.  The tiny donut at the bottom or this picture was just a piece of dough that I rolled into a log and then folded to make a circle.  I had three of those that I used to test the heat of the oil.  I definitely recommend this! It makes it much easier to have these "throwaway" pieces! (Though obviously I didn't throw them away. I ate them.)

Me enjoying one!

Of course I had to try one to make sure they were good.  And guess what? They were.

Glorious little donut holes!

This was about halfway through.  The donuts definitely stayed warm longer than I thought they would.  I would fry about 3 full size donuts or 6 donut holes at a time. Then I would let them drain and cool a bit.  In between frying I would dunk them in the glaze and let them set on the plate.  The ones at the bottom were dipped in crushed up French Toast Crunch cereal, as requested by my husband. My husband, the adult. 

Yes, I had two.

Finally, all the frying and dough rising, and glazing was done.  I sat back with my cup of coffee, my donut, and the Food Network.  It was a good time!

Some ideas for next time:

I will probably let them rise longer than one hour.  The donut holes and about half the donuts looked great. But I wonder if I had let them rise longer, if they would all look great. This didn't distract from how delicious they were though!

I used a mixture of Crisco and vegetable oil.  I thought this did the job pretty well, and I don't think I honestly would have noticed a difference if I only used one or the other.  I just happened to have Crisco on hand and thought I would throw it in.  Ree uses only Crisco, but since I only had one small can, I used about a cup and a half of this and 3 cups of vegetable oil.  I will use less oil next time as I threw a lot of it away and the donuts didn't need much. 

I will definitely experiment with the glazes and toppings! So many possibilities!

H54F!

Man, I never thought Friday would come this week.  And now here it is! We have a couple of things planned for this weekend, but I know they will all be fun stuff!

Three Wishes

1. I'm back into reading. Reading is an all or nothing thing for me. When I find a book, I'm immersed, reading constantly, finishing in a couple of days. Then I can't wait to soak up another one. But every few months or so, I can't stand the thought of reading. I'm just not into books! But the start of this summer, I want all the books I can get my hands on. I've recently finished reading Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty.  It was AWESOME. I finished it in one day. I can't wait to get started on her other books.  More on my list include, the Shopaholic series (just as a light read for the summer/beach), The Girl on the Train, and Jan Karon's new book coming out in September!

2. I'm going to make donuts this weekend.  I got such an urge to bake and came across Pioneer Woman's donut recipe. It looks difficult, but I think if I can just take my time with it, I'll be enjoying some delicious homemade glazed donuts!

3. One week from now I will be packing us up, getting ready to go to the beach!

4. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are officially moved into their new house. And guess what? It's a 5 minute walk from ours! We've been other there every day since!

5. My parents.  Unfortunately my grandfather passed away on Monday after battling various illnesses for many years. I am so fortunate to have both my parents still living and in pretty good health. I think maybe the silver lining of this tragedy is that I continue to deeply appreciate my parents.  I love them!

Motivation

Or really, lack thereof.  

There is something about this time of year, with this 80 degree weather, with the kids finishing up school, and the sun setting around 8:30 at night.

All of this, plus much more, makes me want to kick back with a glass of cold sangria and just hang.

I want to wake up slow, enjoying the daylight as it streams in through my blinds, go for a walk and hear the birds and see the lush green that is happening everywhere. 

I want to eat all the cold, juicy fruits and vegetables I can get my hands on.

I want to lie in the sun and let it warm my skin.

Unfortunately, all of this doesn't leave a lot of time for work. House work, actual work. Whatever that needs to be done, I don't actually want to do.

Not that I really ever want to do it, but this time of year makes me REALLY not want to do it.

There are some changes coming in the next few weeks with my current job, and that coupled with the fact that in less than two weeks we will be at the beach, means I have no motivation to do anything but enjoy life and focus on lounging on the beach and eating all the buffalo chicken dip my sister-in-law can make.

IN OTHER NEWS, I am down 13 pounds from where I started on March 17.  Definitely not where I want to end up officially, but still. This is the skinniest I have been in years. 

Of course my Timehop app decided to show me in a prom dress from 8 years ago today and it has plunged me into a deep depression. I can never again be the giddy 18 year old who can eat whatever she wants and still look bangin' in a prom dress.

But never fear, because my 26 year old self can drink sangria and stay up as late as she wants to, darn it.

Man, this post was all over the place. Talk about a mind that is far, far away from this computer, and sitting on the beach listening to the waves. 

High for Friday

Lots of things going on this week, so I thought I might let my mind have a little break and just jump into 5 things I love about summertime. Linking up with Katie, Della, Caitlin, and Tif!

Now here's the thing, I love fall and winter.  I love the cool, crispness of the air. I love the food, the smells, the clothes.  Winter is where it's at in my book.  But as I have gotten older, I have truly learned to stop and appreciate life. I try (being the operative word) to take each day at a time, and notice my appreciation for the world and the gifts I am given.

So in no particular order, my 5 favorite things about spring and summer.

1. The Earth is waking up.  Around March I get a little incensed about the fact that the Earth is dull and brown and ugly.  And then spring hits and plants, grass, and trees turn green and sprout buds and everything just looks beautiful again.

2. Nights.  Daytime in the winter is fine. But night time? It's bitter cold, and it gets dark very early, and though I do usually enjoy cuddling in front of our fireplace, or the still and calm after it snows, night time in the summer just beats winter.  The air cools down a little but it's still warm. You can go out because it's still light and I don't feel like I have to get to bed right away.  The windows are open, the crickets are chirping, and everything about it just feels peaceful. 

3. Dresses.  Is there any article of clothing more comfortable than a light, breezy summer dress? I don't think so. 

4. The sun.  Now please don't get me wrong, the sun is hot. HOT. And with the humidity? Forget about it. But there are those days, where I sit in my air conditioned office just freezing. The minute I step outside though, and I let the sun warm my skin, and I get into my car and it is so warm. I'm in heaven.

5. The pool.  I am a pool girl, not an ocean girl.  I don't mind the ocean, and I'll jump in if I'm that hot. But the waves, and the sand, and the potential creatures lurking around my toes, I'm not down with.  But the pool is cool, and clear, and calm. And I can leisurely take my time getting in, wading through the water so effortlessly.  I can dangle my feet in if I'm just not hot enough yet, or I can jump in full force.  The resort in Mexico we stayed at during our honeymoon had 4 pools! I loved every minute of our pool time. 

There it is. I'm sure there's many more. Ice cream, margaritas, barbecues on my parents deck, the 4th of July, to name a few. But I truly, truly appreciate summer for those 5 things. 

Link-UP!

"Regular" Sized

So as I was going through my daily list of blogs that I read, I hopped onto Venus Trapped in Mars and read this post.

And all I could think was YAAAAASSSSSSSSSSS. 

I won't go into detail here, only because I think Sarah just outlines it so perfectly. But this. All the time this. 


http://www.venustrappedinmars.com/2015_05_01_archive.html

Giving it up to God

via

Yesterday I was waiting on an email. And I felt ANXIOUS.

You know that kind of anxious where every 5 seconds you are obsessively checking your email or your phone and nothing is coming in and then you start to doubt and everything gets a little bit bad for awhile?

Well that was me yesterday.  I left work and went to the grocery store, with my phone in my hand the whole time. As I was walking through I thought, what am I doing?  

Some days it is so hard for me to trust in the Lord.  I constantly am thinking that I can do a better job at planning out this life. As if it is all up to me and what I decide.  But it isn't and I'll be honest, I have to get used to that.

I need to start praying.  When I feel worrisome, or troubled, or even sad or happy, I need to focus on the Lord and just pray. Pray for thankfulness, for my worries, for my sadness, and lift it all up to Him. 

So I stopped in the grocery store and I just shot up a quick prayer. I stopped checking my phone and put it in my purse. I got home, put the groceries away and started on dinner. And then? The person I was waiting on, actually called me instead. 

Lift it up to the Lord. Give it up to God.

High Five for Friday!

It is Friday, thank God!

1. I got my haircut last night by my very, very talented friend Lacey. She is wonderful and I love her! And then she cut 5 inches off my hair and I hated her. 

No, I'm just kidding, I still love her. But 5 inches is a lot!

2. We have a pretty uneventful weekend "planned", which is nice for me. I like being able to wake up with no plans, and no real way to spend the day, except for doing whatever we feel like.

3. It is officially May! Which means, it is officially BEACH MONTH. A whole week down in the Outer Banks with some people I really love.

4. The weather next week is going to be in the 80's! I am a winter girl through and through, but I kind of can't wait to wear sandals and have the windows open full time and get a nice little tan.

5. The Breakfast Club. I have seen this movie so many times, but we managed to catch it on our *new* cable last night, and I was reminded why I love it so much. "Remember how you said your parents use you to get back at each other? Wouldn't I be outstanding in that capacity?"

The Breakfast Club

Thursday Highs & Lows

A blurry picture of cats. 

Highs:

- We upped our cable so that now we can receive so many more channels plus BASEBALL. We pay more, but I am much happier with our service and I don't feel like I'm being cheated out of money for literally 3 channels that I watch.

- My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are moving into their new house next week.  OH and it is a block down the road from us! I'M SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU. My sister-in-law and I are constantly texting about drinking lemonade and gardening and walking the dog and going out and visiting and eating dinner together and basically doing everything we can do because we live 2 seconds from each other now!

- I'm going to the salon to get my hair cut tonight and it has been a long time coming. My hair has gotten so long and ratty and I can't do anything with it. Not that I do anything anyway, but maybe now I will? Hint: Probs not.

- I'm really trying to get back on track with my weight loss.  I have exactly 23 days to lose 6 pounds.  I've lost 10 so far and really kept it off, so I feel confident I can do this. 

Lows:

- Being woken up with pain at 5:30am. Oh, and not being able to fall back asleep.

- The Baltimore riots.  It is sad and heartbreaking and devastating and uplifting at times and then I have these weird dreams about riots and blood and I can't sleep. It's affecting me in a way I didn't know I could be affected. So I pray.

- My iPhone 5 battery is going kaput. I've been using it for 2 hours now and I'm at 86%.  Yesterday when I left work, I was at something like 31%.  I don't expect it to last 2 days, but I do expect it to last at least 8 hours.

- So yesterday afternoon the Orioles played the White Sox in an empty stadium.  We signed up (and paid a hefty price tag) for MLB TV, so of course, I logged on to watch it. But then I get this message that we are blacked out. WHAT?! Apparently MLB TV does not have the rights to play the games for people who live in an area where the home team is. Which means I can never watch Orioles or Nationals games live. And I can't watch ANY postseason games live, no matter what team or where I live. Isn't that some BS? Why would anyone want this? Boggles my mind.

Sausage & Zucchini Soup

I love to cook. I love to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't cook a lot of lunches though, yogurt and quinoa chips FTW.

I made this soup on a particularly chilly day last week when I got home early because there was minimal traffic and I needed something comforting. Jesse ate two bowls! It's that good.

Sausage & Zucchini Soup

2-3 links Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage (or any sausage you like, including chicken and turkey!)
2 large zucchinis (I used regular and a yellow summer squash)
Half a yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme (but you can use rosemary, basil, oregano)
1 can diced tomatos, any brand (I used fire roasted with garlic, but use the Italian version, or just plain if you want!)
2 cups dry pasta (any shape! or substitute quinoa, brown rice or any other healthier alternative, pasta is just what I had on hand)
3 c. low sodium beef broth
1/4 c. sherry or wine

What To Do:

Start by browning your sausage in small chunks in a small bit of olive oil in a medium high pan.  The great thing about using this hot sausage, or a chorizo, is the paprika oil it gives off. It gives great color to the soup!

Don't be afraid of the brown bits! They're good!

Once your sausage is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate to cool and drain. Add a little more olive oil if you need it, and then your onions. Sprinkle them with salt to avoid getting brown. We want them sauteed and translucent.  Add your garlic after about 5 minutes and then inhale that scent immediately. Delicious.

Make sure your pan is nice and hot and then add the white wine/red wine/sherry and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.  These add unbelievable flavor!  Next add your canned tomatoes. I fill up the can with a bit of water and swirl it around and then transfer that to the pot as well, but you can leave that step out if you would like!  Add your beef broth in 1 cup increments.  I added 2 cups, then felt I really needed a third, and it came in handy! But if you're making this for 1 person, you may only need 2 cups. 

Ugh blurry picture.

Add in any spices or seasonings. I used fresh thyme, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. It's all to your preference though!

Allow the soup to come to a boil, then turn it down and cover it to simmer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime...

Gorgeous veg

Chop up your zucchini and summer squash. You can certainly add more vegetables if you would like, just bear in mind the cooking times. Things like celery and carrots should be added in with the onions. Mushrooms can be added in with the zucchini.

Once you have your veggies ready, and the 10 minutes is up, add them and the pasta. This is an assortment of leftover boxes of pasta I have. I just threw some in and hoped for the best!

Why can't they just make portions for 2 people!

This was after 10 minutes of simmering. It's thickened up a bit, but not too much. This is definitely a broth-y soup, not a thick stew.

Allow the soup to come back to a boil, and cook the whole mixture (veggies and pasta included) for an additional 10 minutes covered, or until your pasta is cooked to your liking and the zucchini has softened. 

Soup bubbling away!

I served mine with parmesan cheese on top and leftover garlic bread for dipping.  Even with the parmesan cheese, this is a total of 336 calories per bowl. Not including the garlic bread of course.

Perfect dinner for a chilly night!

The great thing about this recipe is, it makes wonderful leftovers. Just heat it up for 2-2.5 minutes in the microwave and voila! Lunch. 

Pray

I am close to tears every time I pull up my Facebook, turn on the news, or check a website. The riots in Baltimore, the looting, the arson, it is all useless.  

I am for peaceful protests. I am for equality and justice. I am for police officers, for citizens, for the end to racism.  

But I cannot stand behind the actions of those men and women that are terrorizing and destroying their own city. 

Please, I ask for prayers for the city of Baltimore. I ask that you pray, not only for the family of Freddie Gray, but the police officers, the firefighters, the national guard and all of the citizens of Baltimore, that they may know peace and calm in their hearts. That the violence ends. That no innocent lives are lost.

One Short Day!

Instead of doing a whole recap of the weekend, here are some highlights!

- Friday night's dinner with friends had baked tacos! I had never had tacos like this, but basically she filled up the taco shells with the meat and cheese, then baked them in the oven. Everything held together really nicely and the shell was crisp on the top and yet soft on the bottom. The perfect mixture.  I'll definitely be trying this trick next time I want tacos!

- This guy turned one and he was pretty ding dang cute about it!

- A pretty successful interview with a company that sounds great to work for! Now is the time to pray and wait!

- WICKED. If you have seen the show, no explanation needed. If you haven't seen the show, go see it. I shouldn't have to explain myself where Wicked is concerned. 

To add to my collection!

The sets are incredible!

- Jesse ordered a whole year of MLB TV.  We have been going back and forth between getting better cable, or ordering this. I was against it. I want good cable! I want HGTV  and TBS and Bravo! But he ordered it last night on a whim and I gotta say, I am loving it! No more missing baseball games because we are so cheap!

So that was sort of my weekend in a nutshell.  We spent time with family and friends. We hung out. I made pulled pork in the crock pot. An all around good old fashioned weekend.

High Five for Fridayyyy!

Did this seem like a super long week for anyone else?

Thankfully, finally, wonderfully, it is Friday!

1. This weekend I am going to see Wicked with my mother and future sister-in-law!  I've seen it twice before, but not in a very long time, and I have always loved it. It is so well written and the songs are to die for.

Wicked!

2. We are hopefully starting our bible study up again with a few couples who go to our church. We took a little break due to everyone's schedules, but I am hoping it starts regularly.  It is just such a shot of goodness during the week, Jesse and I really look forward to it.

3. I am reminded every single day of God's goodness.  Yesterday was particularly rough, but I got a phone call on the way home that makes me realize that God is always on our side.  

4. My belt is SO loose you guys. Like I need Jesse to either poke a new hole for me, or I need to buy a new one. Also, I can definitely tell the next day when I've eaten poorly.  Last night I was tired and just wanted pizza.  We ate pizza, garlic knots, and leftover cookies. Not my finest hour.  I woke up this morning thirsty and with a headache.  My body needs vegetables and lean protein!

5. Jesse has off work tomorrow! He originally was supposed to work the whole weekend, but his days got switched.  So now we get to wake up together, eat breakfast, go to our friends' son's birthday party together, and just hang out together. I love weekends with him!

Linking up with Katie, Della, Catilin, and Tif!

Wins & Losses

It's a beautiful morning. So I'm going to dump some wins and some losses here and then enjoy my day.


Losses:

1. Last night Loft was having this massive sale on their already marked down items, so I convinced Jesse to go with me. His reward was going to Lowe's afterwards. Anyway, I grabbed a couple of things I thought were cute, took them to the dressing room and looked at myself in the mirror. AHAHAHA. Yeah, no. 

2. After 6 days late, I started my cycle. FUN.

3. We went to Lowe's last night to look for a weed whacker for Jesse. Found one with a leaf blower included for $130.  Looked online and it was at Walmart for $97.  Get it together Lowe's.

4. I took my contacts out last night and one of them had a hole in it. No wonder my vision was blurry all day.

5. Big changes at work and change is NO fun.

WINS:

1. Ordered that leaf blower from Walmart. WIN.

2. Ordered a sweater and a necklace for $30 (including shipping) from Loft. WIN.

3. I'm officially down 11 pounds. Only 9 more to go in the next month. I can do this.

4. I had some cannoli cream leftover from our Italian potluck last Saturday so I dipped girl scout shortbread cookies into it and it was good.  This does not in anyway reflect the fact that somehow I am down 11 pounds as seen above. 

Enjoy your these last two days before the glorious, glorious weekend!

Recap//Weekending

We spent a lot of time with family and friends this weekend, which was very nice. Saturday morning Jesse and I woke up early and went to breakfast at Family Meal.

Blueberry pancakes, breakfast sandwich, pimento hoe cakes, and coffee. (Grits not pictured, but delicious all the same)

They have so much to look at, it could take you two hours at least.

We went shopping at a vintage barn sale that's held once a month. We didn't find much, everything has gotten kind of expensive. It was such a beautiful day though, I didn't really mind walking away with nothing.

That night we had everyone over for our Italian potluck night. My cannolis and tiramisu turned out delicious! I was very proud.

My brother-in-laws and their families stayed until pretty late, I was so happy to fall into bed that night.

The next morning we went to church, had lunch with my parents, then went to a mall with a Bass Pro shop because that is what my niece wanted to do for her 5th birthday. She loved looking at the big boats, the fish tanks, and the 4-wheelers.

Checking out boats we could never afford.

We had dinner and cake for her at my brother-in-law's apartment a couple minutes away and left around 8pm.  I was exhausted, let me tell you. All in all, a pretty nice little weekend.

My beautiful niece who is almost my height now. 

Now I'm just counting down the minutes to the next one.