A Failed Nursery Decoration Project

A friend gave me the great idea of using an old window pane as a wall decoration in the nursery. It really was a great idea that I was excited about, but I failed to execute it very well, and it has now turned into hours of work, three cans of spray paint, scrap-book paper, and well finally trash. The idea was to use it as a unique picture frame, but when I purchased the window I was not sure exactly how I was going to use it so I probably didn't pick out the right one. So, I cleaned, sanded, scraped old paint, iron/glued on fake sides to hide the metal, rope and cracked wood on the sides (I needed to pick one that would hang the opposite way), spray painted it orange, and then after realizing that the age was still going to show through the orange, I decided to buy the crackle spray paint that would make it look purposefully aged, so the natural flaws would blend in instead of look as if I had tried to cover them up with the orange. Well, the crackle spray paint ended up turning out like white splotches and didn't crackle at all. So, basically, project is over, I am trashing this whole thing and I have moved on!

I have now decided to do this:I pulled this out of an Anthropologie catalogue along time ago and was going to do this in my living room but looks like the nursery gets it first. So, now I need to find some ornate picture frames (garage sale next weekend anyone?), spray paint those orange (yes, I will have to buy a new can!), and hang them on pink ribbons so I am still accomplishing my pink and orange combo with pictures. I have a baby picture of Micah and myself that I want to frame in the nursery, and then of course some of our sweet baby girl once she arrives. I am looking for 5 frames all together so if anyone has any good ideas of where to get some, let me know! Don't you agree that this picture is frame worthy!?!

Yes, it is my dear, sweet husband Micah!

Fellafels and Salad

I randomly picked up a box of Falafel mix at the grocery store in an effort to get a couple somewhat healthy but also very quick-to-make meals. I made the baked version instead of frying them, and made a Greek yogurt sauce to accompany them and it turned out quite good. I also made a quick Greek salad to go along with it and used the same yogurt sauce as the salad dressing. So, if you need a quick meal, pick up one of the falafel boxes at the grocery store. I honestly don't remember what I put in the yogurt sauce (I think it included onions, mint, lemon and garlic), but a recipe for one was on the falafel box to get you started. So, not necessarily fancy, but still reasonably healthy and definitely quick!

What I have been working on this summer

It has been a summer of growing and firsts- growing a baby, growing a garden, and yes a first for both! I have a very bizarre back-yard. It is a giant hill that is so impractical for any use, other than to hide us from the neighbors up top, that we let it become completely overgrown and it is a free-for-all. However, there is a lower tier, separated by rail-road ties (I know you are thinking of how beautiful that must look), that has been quite useful this year. With the help of Heather, we weeded the lower tier, and planted, yellow & green zucchini, onions, tomatoes, red peppers, jalapeno peppers, watermelon, lettuce, rosemary, basil and cilantro. I have been able to harvest quite a bit of the lettuce and herbs, but so far only one zucchini, and none of the others have produced yet. I have been a little impeded from giving it the true TLC it deserves due to growing a child at the same time which my pain tolerance doesn't really allow me to consistently weed the garden, fertilize, etc. As always, my husband has been a huge help and has watered, and once even weeded better than I ever did in that section. So, I thought I would show you a few before and afters.

Corn and Summer Vegetable Saute'

While at a recent doctor's appointment, I was leafing through their magazines and discovered a link to this - 20 fast and delicious summer meals. I wrote down a couple of the summer recipes and have enjoyed each one of them, so I thought I would share one of the new favorites with you. I happened to have my father and brother-in-law staying with us at the time too, and they both seemed to enjoy it. Especially for my brother-in-law, I think it was the most vegetables he may have eaten in the past year!

1 tblspn oil (coconut or olive is what I use)
1/2 c. chopped green onions (approx. 4)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. sliced okra (I couldn't find this at 3 stores, so I substituted with green beans)
1 c. shopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped / seeded jalapeno
1 c. corn (2 ears)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 c. cilantro
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 1 min. Add okra, saute 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper and jalapeno; cook 5 minutes. Add corn, cook 5 minutes, stir in beans, cook 2 more minutes. Stir in cilantro, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I added chicken to make this a little more hearty (and because some people are skeptical of calling anything a meal if it is vegetarian.). The recipe also mentions shrimp would be a good addition, but we happen to not really eat shrimp. I also served with a side of lemon-y cous-cous as I was also a little unsure about serving this to company without a grain or side-dish and I happened to have that on-hand. Enjoy!

It's a bird, a plane, a rash, a family, a firework, a pregnant lady

Our July 4th celebration was a lot of fun this year, but also a secret! Both Micah and I, as well as our dear friends, Jessica & Curtis (and their two kids) wanted a small, uncomplicated celebration. So, we combined our uncomplicated wishes, and came up with a great way to relax! We didn't tell anyone else of our plans so it could stay low-key (and because we were sneaking into Jessica's parent's house). I put on a bikini for the first time since pregnant, and we all went swimming, grilled out, and enjoyed each other's company while watching a variety of fire-works shows.

You might be asking what the title of this post has anything to do with the above description, well, here are some photos that will help fill in the gaps. (birds was just to get the quote started and I am sure there were plenty in Tulsa that day)

I had been craving some jalapeno poppers, the kind wrapped in bacon with cream cheese, and when I saw them recently published here on the Pioneer Woman blog, I knew I was making them for the 4th. Well, apparently with my super sensitive pregnant skin, cutting the jalapenos burned my poor hands and I developed this terrible rash that truly freaked me out for a couple of days until I was able to guess that most likely the burns, blisters and marks had to be from cutting over a dozen jalapenos. And here is what it still looks like, over a week later:(I have been hiding my hands in embarrassment ever since. A day later when it showed up, we were almost convinced I had preeclampsia and were on our way to the ER. Glad we didn't go after all just to be turned away for cutting a few too many jalapenos!)

While blogging, the TV is on in the background and we are half-watching a show on France and they were interviewing a photographer. He said the art of photography is , "showing life as it is, reflecting the world in which you live." If that is the case, I live in a world filled with beautiful children and families:


So, the plane part of the title comes in with this picture. I think I could double for the plane that landed in the Hudson Bay a couple months ago. Okay, just kidding, I know I am not that big, but still, wow!Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, enjoyed the freedom we have, and is grateful for our armed forces, and God's favor which has been upon America.

Officially Full Term!

I am officially Full-Term; it is safe for Daisy to arrive now! Unfortunately, she and I are showing no signs of being ready, or her actually being here anytime soon. So, I am trying to be patient, and make myself think of still needing to wait at least 2 more weeks before it is time for her to arrive. Granted, the nursery still isn't finished yet, so I could still use a little time to complete that project, but I am not entirely sure that is going to happen regardless of when she arrives.

Photos taken by Brenda Horan

A Fancy Shower

I had my second and final baby shower last weekend and it was so beautiful! I had a marvelous time, and was so incredibly blessed and showered with many useful baby gifts. The shower was decorated in the colors of the nursery - green, pink and orange. They had pink punch that everyone was drinking out of baby bottles (with a straw, not sucking through a nipple), delicious brunch food, and great decorations. So, here are some pics from the event.

The beautiful centerpieces, bottle with punch, and the tablecloths

were all in the colors.

Soon-to-be grandma (still working on what her name will be), and good

friend, Liz watching as I begin opening gifts.

A close-up of Micah and I's baby pictures which were hanging from

the food table's centerpiece.

Grandma "Suzu" (my mom), and I with some adorable baby hats

made by Gigi Graham.

The food table.

Look at the cute tablecloths! I have such great friends, and network of support from my church too that they would all come.

I was definitely standing by the food- it was so good! The centerpiece

decoration was a spray painted branch in orange, with baby picture of Micah and I, and baby accessories hanging from it, like bibs, spoons, teething rings, pacifiers...

It was such a fun morning, and an incredibly memorable event and welcome to the world for Daisy. Thanks to everyone who was able to come and for all the amazing and helpful gifts! This is one loved little girl that is about to be born.

Daisy's Coming Home Outfit

I finally picked it out. Micah and I went to Wal-Mart last night for a few random things and for the first time I let myself wander around the baby clothes. I saw the cutest little red and white dress so I couldn't resist (not to mention it was $3)! I decided this is what I am going to pack to bring to the hospital to bring Daisy home in- it is cotton, summery, girly, good for photos, has a bow and ruffles to make it a little fancy, and I would think comfortable. So, here it is:

Now, I am just looking forward to seeing Daisy in it!

"Asking Our Kids to be a mini Jesus"

In light of our impending start to parenthood, my husband sent this blog entry to me. It is a blog entry from Stuff Christians Like. You can read more funny, witty, interesting, entries here, but I have also copied this specific entry below:

A lady I work with once enlightened me, “You just wait until you have kids.” I’m not sure what she thought would magically happen the instant I became a father, but it didn’t (apparently). I know this because at the time she uttered her prophetic words to me, I already had two kids… precisely twice as many as she had.

My guess is she thought having kids would make me more wise, more mature, more patient… more something. She had an expectation about what parenthood would change about life. A lot of Christians do too. And it’s not insignificant:

We think the birth of our children will reveal to us the very face of God.

While you might not use those exact words, at some point, someone in your Christian circle of friends has said one of the following things to you:

“I really didn’t know God until I had kids.”

“When I became a father, I finally understood how hard it was for God to send Christ to the cross.”

“Being a mother—witnessing the miracle of life—radically changed my understanding of God’s love.”

There’s a million ways to express “Kids = Big Faith.” And if you’re single or childless, there has to be a part of you that thinks, “Fantastic! The missing link in my faith is having a kid. I have zero kids and zero prospects. I’ll just be over here with my small, incomplete faith. Awesome.”

Good news. It’s not true. Bad news? It also is. On some level, having a kid can show you God’s miraculous love. Some Bible verses support this notion that having a kid puts faith into a unique context. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11) That verse makes more sense if you’re seeing it unfold in your own child’s life.

However, we also way over-amplify what we expect our children to do for our faith. I personally have (many times) essentially said to my children, “OK, dad had a really bad day at work. Tonight I need you to show me God’s perfect and true love. I know you’re only two, but Daddy needs you to reconnect him in his relationship with Yahweh. Is that cool with you? You’re drooling. I’ll accept that as an emphatic yes.”

Those nights typically also coincide with the times my kids try to break me down like little terrorists. Fits are thrown, fights erupt, demands are made. The most menial tasks incite battle cries: “I do myself, I do myself!” One would assume applying the toothpaste to your child’s toothbrush when they want to do it themselves is not a cry-worthy, scream-inducing offense, but you’d be gravely mistaken.

Does God show up in parenthood? I sure hope so. Are kids a walking, talking daily reminder of Jesus? Not always. And if you go into parenthood expecting that, you’ll be sorely disappointed… or at the bare minimum, covered with pink bubble gum-flavored princess toothpaste.

A Quick Punctuation Apology

So, in the last four posts, please ignore missing words, duplicate wording, or random and incorrect punctuation. That is all because I created those late at night, my computer was working slowly, was super tired...so, all that to say I did not proof read a SINGLE one until today and I noticed all the many errors. So, I realize it is terribly un-fancy, but please ignore those and just remember the frills that are on my heart for you and this blog.

Handmade Gifts

There were a few gifts from the shower that were hand-made, so I feel they deserve a special mention; especially since I dream of being crafty but just don't usually have the . My friend, co-worker's wife, and fellow blogger, Kristena Derrick is queen of home-made cuteness and she once again proved her royalty. She crocheted black booties, made a fabric daisy on a onesie, and sewed three adorable denim reversible bibs! Visit her blog to see all the creative things she creates by clicking here. But, here is a taste of her creations:



Not to be outdone, by any means, my mother-in-law had the genius creative idea of making "Daisy's First Little Black Dress." My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are both very fashion conscious which I love about them. Well, her creation was met with plenty of "oohs and ahhs" at this creation. She hand-made this out of black satin, and created matching black satin bloomers too. She purchased the pink shrug to go with it to break up the black in case it was too much black; but really, it was just so adorable and unbelievably thoughtful too. She has actually been thinking about turning this into a business, and I am already ready to order some for friends. So, if any of you are interested in getting a baby's first "little black dress" just let me know and I will be happy to arrange that for you! I have already decided that Daisy will wear this for Dane and Megan's wedding in September when we go to Europe.
Excuse the poor image quality, not sure how Micah takes such great pictures, mine always turn out a bit funny.

One more shower coming up! I will be sure to post pictures from that one too! Thanks to all my friends and family who have been so generous in their time, creativity and support for me and my growing family!

My First Baby Shower!

I had my very first baby shower this past weekend! It was sooo wonderful; our friends worked so hard to make it a beautiful and memorable event for us. We truly were so spoiled by everyone with the generous gifts too. We of course got lots of girly outfits because they are so hard to resist buying and we got a few of the items we really need too. I have one more shower later in June and then that's it! The rest is up to us!
Some of the decorations and desserts. They also had onesies for people to sign and write funny messages on. The cakes were from Ludgers; one said Daisy Barnard, and the others had her initials. Yummy!

Yes, this onesie says "ipood", not "ipod"! Too funny.

Mom and Dad to be! notice the big posters on my side on the garage? They used those for the invitations too. The colors were pink and black; even the black dog had a pink ribbon!
They had some beer to give a "man section" to the party, however, it was quickly girlified by the ribbon that was added that says, "it's a girl!"
Notice all the pink, white and chocolate colored desserts? Everything was in those colors! Really, it was beautiful!

32 weeks!

Well, I have made it to 32 weeks, and now only a little over 7 weeks left! I thought I would give you a quick snapshot of what me at 32 weeks looks like. Don't scream, well, actually feel free since most likely I am not next to you, just don't tell me you did.

Memorial Day Weekend Visitors!

During Memorial Day two of my best friends from Belhaven College came to visit me so they could see me while I am huge and pregnant; it really is quite the spectacle! I am 32 weeks pregnant, and due to back pain, I am pretty limited in how much I can do, so it was a mild weekend (especially considering the fun and crazy times we had together in college). It was a true testament to being at a new stage in life - the married with kids stage! We had a great time catching up, relaxing, eating good food, and looking at all sorts of adorable baby stuff! So, here are some pictures from the weekend.
This is a blurry picture of the steak dinner we made, with grilled asparagus, salad and wine. MMM, delicious!
This is Jerremy's reaction to the Renaissance Fair of Muskogee. Okay, not really, we didn't take them there, we just told them all about it.
This is to show you my largely protruding belly and how funny I look sometimes. We picked out two movies and watched both of them in one night! Traitor and Man From Snowy River- odd combination, I know.
The friends - Kendra, me and Aimee! Thanks for visiting girls! You're the best.
Another dinner at home in the back yard. We made fajitas with guacamole, green tomatilla salsa, grilled pineapple...Wow, so good. Maybe one of these days I will get around to posting recipes for all the yummy food we made! I know you want them.

My Belly After Eating

In case you have ever wondered what a pregnant belly looks like from the mother's perspective, here is a picture. I also wanted to show this because it seems I can't keep food off my belly when I eat. I have figured out that this is because I have to lean so far forward at an angle to get my face over a table or else rest my plate on my stomach in order to prevent crumbs from landing there. So, this is after eating a sandwich, and yes, we were in such a hurry that I ate in the car. At least I wasn't driving!