Check your rear

The girls and I were out running errands as we were sitting at a busy intersection. 

The new Volvo in front of me slammed into a newer Lexis, which slammed into a Sequoia.

Unfortunetly for me I was a bit close to the Volvo to be able to get around the mess, so I was forced to wait.  They did the unthinkable (at least to me) THEY ALL GOT OUT RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION!!!  Everybody inspected the damages of each car, and then I guess they all agreed to get out of the way to swap info.  It was so nice of them.

Want to know the best part?  The driver of the fancy new Volvo was MAYBE 16 or 17.  I am sure his parents were thrilled when they got the call!

 

Happy Birthday America

 

My country,’ tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims’ pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom’s song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom’s holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Viewing Pleasure

Mother Hen had this video posted, it is hilarious and available for your viewing pleasure!

Seriously go watch it, the video will brighten your day!!

Happy Birthday

Today is our friends daughter, Faith’s birthday.  Happy Birthday sweet and beautiful girl!

Works For Me Wednesday - Helping Hamburger

Today Shannon is doing a Works For Me 5 ingredients or Less Wednesday and I am excited about all the new recipes we can share with each other!

Luckily my Favorite Ingredient Friday from this past week was 5 ingredients or less so I am reusing it here!

My oldest is super picky and this meal gets eaten in a heart beat and begs for more.  I will serve this with an ear of corn and some type of fruit to make it a well balanced meal.

Enjoy!

As I have mentioned before, I love the book Miserly Meals by Jonni McCoy and really if you don’t have it you should!  I have been enjoying mine for close to five years now, and there are so many great recipes dog eared!!

Helping Hamburger

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup uncooked macaroni

15 ounce can tomato sauce (I use two 8 oz cans)

1/2 packet dried onion soup mix (though the actual recipe calls for fresh onion soup mix, we found the whole packet is a bit too oniony for our taste buds)

1 1/2 cups water

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the hamburger.  Drain the fat.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Stir to mix well, cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until the noodles are tender.

5 ingredients or less works for me!

Thoughts from my brain

The last few days have been a whirlwind and there is lots on my brain right now.

• We are so blessed to have such excited people surrounding us, and encouraging us as we begin a new path!
• While we were having the sono, the boy kept his hands in fist the entire time!  The girls always had their hands open, as though they were waving (or talking with their hands like their mother), we joke he is already practicing to fend off the girls.
• Just a few weeks ago, I found all the boy clothes we purchased from before we knew Claire was a girl and I thought about giving them to a friend.  Glad I didn’t, I had enough to fill a laundry basket when I was done washing, random sizes but we have some blue in a house full of pink!
• Some peoples reactions were a bit hurtful, including a one word response without a bit of congratulations, then there was the person who completely ignored what was just said and switched subjects and never even acknowledged what was said.
• Someone said “I thought you said you would always have girls.” we did but we feel like we should clarify that we always felt like we would have girls and that we just assumed that was from God, but we never really prayed about it - tisk, tisk on us for being human!!
• It makes me feel better that Kim, now mother of 9 thought #9 would be a boy, she had a girl. 
• Everyone we know that has grown up boys has said “watch their aim” or “have fun potty training,” we enjoy these, because we really don’t know what we are in for!
• Claire hasn’t stopped singing and dancing since we found out it was a boy, and at the rate she is going she will be pooped by November!
• We are still stunned, this pregnancy has been so like the first two.  I am carrying high, I haven’t been sick, just going with the flow, eating more fruits than when I am not pregnant.
• Things that have been a weee bit different are that I lost extensive weight in the beginning (the doctor and I thought it was because I quit nursing), now that I am gaining weight you really can’t classify it under gaining weight just yet.  I’m a bit more tired by nightfall
• Still no name, we have time
• My husband CAN NOT STAND sweater vests on little boys (he still talks about his one traumatic experience), I think they are adorable.  He said he is willing to agree to holiday usage but no photograph of ANY kind though I have been told I can paint a portrait.
• Clip on ties are out as well.
• Claire is driving me crazy about buying him stuff, so we hit Target which had some adoreable stuff, but nothing that was a great deal so we hit Costco.  They had the organic cotton coveralls (which we use as jammies) for cheap, so I let her pick out two.
• We are still surprised and excited!

 

Golf Clubs or Tutus?

We have both really believed that we would only have girls (though we both admit we never prayed about it - we just felt this so we assumed so (and yes we know what assuming does as well).   It’s funny how people always ask hubs “you seriously don’t want a boy?” He has honestly said that he would be happy and content with all girls, especially since Claire can fish in a dress and has a desire for a pink shot gun. 

I will admit, when I was pregnant with Avery I really wanted another girl, but at the same rate a boy would have gotten just as many hugs and kisses and it would have been just fine as that would have been what God had planned for our family.  Claire really wanted a girl and so I think that “fed” my desire to have a girl so she could have a playmate to dress up with and be happy.

This pregnancy we have been in the mindframe of all girls, which would go great according to our plans. After all we already have girl clothes for all seasons, bedding, girly books, dolls, you name it we have it.

God reminds us who is in control and that HE knows better than we do! 

We found out we are having a boy! 

No doubt.  No question about it, HE is on his way.

Hubs and I sat there in a state of shock,  Miss Claire was grinning from ear to ear, as she has proclaimed since we told her we were pregnant that she wanted a boy and a boy is what she would get.  We would tell her no, we thought God was giving us another girl and she would just tell us no…….she has been right two out of two, maybe we should start listening to her!

The lady doing my sonogram was amused by us and our quiet state. 

We were stunned, that was the LAST thing we were expecting to hear!!! Even the doctor had been confident that it would be a boy with a heart rate of 170-177, turns out even professionals can be surprised! My father in law has also thought our crew would be made up of only pink as well! 

We do not have a named picked out yet, but we are blessed with time.

I spend my days having tea partys, playing dress up, and teaching the girls to be good helpmeets so I have lots to learn with God’s grace and help!

It will be fun and we are excited, this will be the very first boy on my side of the family, as of yet there are too many daughters and granddaughters to count! 

My husband is the only boy so we are excited that we will be able to carry on the name!

So rejoice with us please as we celebrate the coming of blue in the house full of pink!

{Baby also looked healthy, which is a HUGE praise!}

Tipping the scales

Could you imagine having this experience?

Holy Shmokes!