For Pete's Sake

My friend Leah said, "for Pete's sake post a blog if you're not in labor." Well... here it is. :) I'm still here praying and walking around the house asking God to make me patient and asking little baby to move every so often so I don't start worrying. I mean, the thought of that baby in there all squished just about makes my nerves come unglued. So here are some snippets from our weekend to keep us all entertained.

Saturday some of Ben's relatives came over just to visit and have some iced tea with us and they brought me these flowers from their yard. How beautiful! There's nothing like the smell of a real rose. (not those florist kind I mean) By the way, that bright pink one with the peach in the middle is a peony! Is that beautiful or what?


This was our living room when we first moved in. Let me just say painting is not for the faint of heart.

This is the living room (not completely finished) now minus the popcorn ceilings and plus painted walls. Ben was disappointed in how it turned out with the brown in the panels so he's decided he will try something else. He said it was too "70's revival." Unfortunately, I am not very good at decorating and I am much more of an audible person than visual... so I'm not any help. :)

This is the office/dining room area before we painted. P.S. I did not put that wreath up there.. it was left by the previous owners. :)

This is the seating area in the office now. We use this for our private consultations. (kidding)

This is the newly painted office area. We are going to move that mirror to a different place I think. We haven't decided what to put on the walls either, but we got a new light.


This morning I spotted a chipmunk under the bird feeders in our back yard. It's pretty cute so I thought I'd take a picture.

On other news, on Friday I got my hair cut to something that will be easier to maintain when the baby comes. That's right, little by little my hair is going to be molded into a mom helmet I think. I told my mom that probably by the time the baby comes I will have gotten a buzz cut. ha! You all will see pictures soon enough on that. While the lady was cutting my hair I looked up and saw her certificates and her name on there was Emily Loving. I asked her if that was her name and I told her I thought it was a really pretty name. (can you tell I'm sensitive to names at the moment?) She said she's only had that last name for a year and she said that before her husband she dated a guy with the last name of Schmuck. She could have been Emily Schmuck... well, that got me into my name rhyming and stuff. Ben and I are still tossing around names. Last night he asked me "what do you think of Charlton, or Grant." My brain can't handle any more name suggestions so I'll just have to meet this little baby to be able to name it.

Baby Barreth Update

I went to the doctor today and she said I am a little more dilated than last week. I asked her how big she would guess this baby to be and she said "a fairly good sized baby." (!) She said when she feels of my stomach she doesn't feel a whole lot of fluid, but rather baby. So she guesstimated that this baby is somewhere around 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. Basically this baby can come any time now and it's "fairly good sized."

Ragout and Popcorn

Last night I made a recipe that I've been meaning to try called "Rotisserie Chicken Ragout." I got this one from my friend Leah. If you are like me and looking for recipes with lots of vegetables and relatively healthy, then this is one for you to try. Ben and I both liked it very much. A ragout (pronounced RAGOO) is any kind of stew like thing sometimes and sometimes not containing noodles. Here's the recipe in case you'd like to give it a try.

1 C chopped yellow summer squash (I used one whole squash... a little more than a cup)
1 C chopped zucchini (I used one whole zucchini... a little more than a cup)
1/2 C chopped onion
1 1/2 tsps minced garlic
2 T olive oil
2 C cubed cooked rotisserie chicken (I cooked two chicken breasts that I seasoned)
1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used Great Northern beans instead because of price)
1 T heavy whipping cream (I used 2 T because I had a lot of vegetables... and just cause)
1 T minced fresh thyme (I used dried)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (I used more salt and pepper than 1/8)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Saute the squash, zucchini, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add cooked chicken and beans... let them heat through. Add whipping cream and thyme and other seasonings. Leave the Parmesan until the end.


On other news... Ben has been working on house projects. I still have not put up pictures of the office area...but it looks very nice. Most recently he has scraped down the popcorn ceiling in the living room. That means that the whole downstairs (except the half bathroom) have smooth ceilings! I know, exciting stuff. Here's a picture of my hard-working, wonderful husband.

This is an action shot of the popcorn being annihilated.

AWESOME

This guy is one word-- AWESOME!

Sunday entertainment

This first one is of Allison Krauss. I love her singing voice and all the instruments. I have several of her albums and I love them all.



I personally think this is a great pairing of voices. I have both of their albums and I love the song by Bonnie Raitt called "I Can't Make You Love Me."

Jesus Paid It All

Today in church we sang the hymn "Jesus Paid It All" by Elvina Mable Hall. The words struck me this morning and I wanted to share them with you as well as some background info I looked up about this woman. She was 45 years old when she wrote this hymn in the middle of a service on the back of the flyleaf of her hymnbook. She gave the poem to the pastor (I wonder what he thought about her writing in the hymnal!) and it just so happens that the church organist had just written a tune that he didn't have words for yet. The pastor made the connection and put the two together. She was born on June 4th, 1822, (maybe my baby will have the same birthday!) and died July 18, 1889. That makes her... let's see... 67 when she died.

I hear the Savior say, "Thy strength indeed is small, child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me thine all in all."
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.


Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow'r, and Thine alone, can change the leper's spots and melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.


For nothing good have I whereby Thy grace to claim; I'll wash my garments white in the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.


And when, before the throne, I stand in Him complete, "Jesus died my soul to save," my lips shall still repeat.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Another Day On The Farm

Today I had a doctor's appointment and afterwards I went out to Ben's Grandma and Grandpa's house. I love to go out there because it's peaceful and they are a lot of fun. There's always some form of wildlife to behold, so I took along my camera. *By the way, the baby's doing fine and the doctor said I am 3/4 of the way effaced, and 1 cm dilated. Apparently I've been experiencing real contractions although I thought they were just practice ones and they said it could be any time now.

This is a turtle that I saw on the road.

This is a snake that Grandpa caught in the garage on a freezer. He just grabbed it. It bit him too. Grandma said "don't worry, he's on blood thinner, so it looks worse than it really is." It takes some serious guts to just pick up a snake like this. I thought that he released the snake and later on I told him if that snake had bit me it would have been a gonner. He replied, "it is a gonner... vengeance is mine."

This is Grandpa getting some alcohol on his bite. Notice the snake coiling around his arm.

Then Grandma and Aunt Jo busted out the accordions. Jo is really into the accordion and she borrowed the small white one from a friend. She said that it was the baby one and the one she's holding is the "Mrs." of the accordions. She said she wants the whole family. I tried the small one myself and everyone laughed when I asked how to turn it on. It's like a harmonica... you squeeze it to make it sound.


Here are some of the spring flowers at Grandma's place. She works very hard on her flower beds.

Peonies

Here is a picture of some of the peonies from our yard. Aren't they beautiful?

Also, below are the lyrics to a new song that I heard part of yesterday for the first time. We turned the channel when I burst into tears in the middle of it. You'll understand why when you read the lyrics.

V1:
She took the test and failed it, we blamed each other for awhile, all our big plans had no little ones in 'em. We just weren't ready for a child. So we set the alarm for seven. There's a place right down the street. It was a night like any other night, but when I fell asleep...

Chorus:
I saw his face, he had my eyes, I swear he had your smile, chasin' a butterfly, he laughed and skipped and caught it softly, placed it in my hands, he said please don't kill the butterfly.

V2:
Well I woke up kinda shaken, tried not to wake her from her sleep. And then she quietly whispered, I just had this dream...

Chorus:
I saw his face he had your eyes I swear he had my smile, chasin' a butterfly, he laughed and skipped and caught it softly, placed it in my hands, and said please don't kill the butterfly.

V3:
The alarm went off at seven, but we laid in bed till noon, and she and I spent the rest of the day, painting butterflies in his room.

Chorus:
I saw his face he had my eyes, I swear he had your smile, chasin' a butterfly, he laughed and skipped and caught it softly, placed it in my hands, and said please, he said please don't kill the butterfly. Don't kill the butterfly.

Animal Surprises

Make sure you turn your speakers on for these! :)

Even pandas have to sneeze sometimes...

Beth Bread and Baby Shower

Well... yesterday I made the Beth Bread I told you about. Honestly, I didn't think it turned out like the Beth Bread I remember. Maybe the starter isn't the right kind, maybe it was something I did. Sometimes you have to play around with a recipe to see how to make it just right. The loaves look pretty though I thought. :) Below is the recipe in case you want to try it on your own.

1 C starter (it's supposed to be a sourdough starter... I think I made a sweet bread starter, but it's almost the same... I think)
6 C bread flour (I used all-purpose.. you think that made the difference?)
1 1/2 C warm water
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C oil (I didn't have quite a half cup, so I put in some applesauce... do you think that made the difference?)
1 T salt
mix and knead lightly. Let rise overnight. In the morning, punch down, form 3 loaves, let rise all day. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from pans to cool, can top with butter.

Yesterday the girls from my choir gave me a baby shower. We had a really good time and ate some great food- spinach quiche, two kinds of scones, fruit salad, and cinnamon twists.

The girls in this first picture are Sarah (on left) who is a GREAT cook and singer and violin player and piano player. I ask her all the time how one person can do all of those things really well. Then me... is it just me or am I getting that pregnant lady swollen face thing? Then Paula who I sing next to in choir. She looks like Princess Diana I think and she is a very accurate and great singer. They are both very funny.


This is a picture of all of the girls. The girl on the far left is expecting too. She's having a little boy and she stands on the other side of me in choir.

Amish Friendship Bread

Today is the end of the 10 day process for making the starter for this bread. I wanted to post the recipe and pictures in case any of you want to try it. From this starter I am making Amish Friendship Bread and also "Beth Bread." The Amish Friendship Bread recipe makes two loaves- one for Ben and I and one for my mother-in-law. (Maybe I'll get a few brownie points for that... or should I say bread points) The "Beth Bread" recipe will make three loaves and I will have one for Ben and I and freeze the rest for when baby comes. I still have lots of the starter left over so I put it in a freezer bag and stored it in the freezer. When I get ready to use it again I will put the bag out and let it get to room temperature and then use a cup of it and stick it back in the freezer.

Here's how you make the starter:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 C warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 C all-purpose flour, divided
3 C white sugar, divided
3 C milk

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container (glass, plastic or ceramic- NOT metal) combine 1 C flour and 1 C sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 C milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
2. On days 2 through 4; stir starter with a spoon. (wooden or plastic spoon) Day 5; stir in 1 C flour, 1 C sugar and 1 C milk. Days 6 through 9; stir only.
3. Day 10; stir in 1 C flour, 1 C sugar and 1 C milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 C to friends along with your favorite Amish Bread recipe. (or store in freezer) Store the remaining 1 C starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2). (The refrigerator cup is if you want to continue having the starter around and feeding it)


Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
By the way, Amish Friendship Bread is a sweet bread... not like for making sandwiches. That's the "Beth Bread" kind. Amish Bread has a very unique taste that is a bit cinnamony and delicious!

1 C starter (after adding day 10 stuff)
1/2 C milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:

2 C flour
1 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 C nuts (optional)

Add dry and wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Tagged

Ok... so I've been tagged by Lisa Swinney... so here's to you Lisa! :)

10 years ago it was 1998. Ok, now let me think. That means I was 21 and finishing my junior year at Jacksonville State University. I remember on my twenty-first birthday I went to bed early that night (so wild-I know) and then Adam and some other people came and banged on our door and "forced" us to go get ice cream. I've been addicted to the stuff ever since... thanks a lot. :) It was a wonderful time in my life. I absolutely loved college and my experiences there.

5 Things on my to do list
I always have a list going. I guess that's why I like blogging. I like documenting stuff. Anyway.. here is what is on my list at the moment.

1. Go to the La Leche League meeting today. (I went and that's a whole other blog unto itself)
2. Clean shower
3. Bring library books back
4. Ask Ben to help me hang some pictures
5. Remember to stir my Amish bubbly stuff. :)

5 Snacks I Love
I only get to choose 5? ha!

1. Red grapefruits
2. Salsa and tortilla chips
3. Chex mix- the bold party kind
4. yogurt
5. smoothies

If I were a billionaire I'd pay off our house. I'd give more to lots of different ministries. I'd invest some for our kid's inheritance and I'd get a massage every now and then. I know a guy named George that was asked a similar question and I really like his answer. This is what he said he'd do. He'd get like two huge Greyhound buses and go around Kansas City and pick up all the homeless people he could find. Then he'd take them to a really fancy restaurant and let them eat all they want. That sure would be interesting wouldn't it?

5 Bad Habits

1. Using about 3 new glasses every day. I like them clean.
2. Not flushing after every single time to save water. That's my theory anyway.
3. Buying a ham from Aldi's grocery and letting it expire sitting in the fridge. That's a true story.
4. biting my cheeks. I'm not sure why I do that.
5. I collect every plastic bag I get from the store and the other night Ben cleared them out. It was astonishing how many I had.

5 Jobs I've Had
I've had lots, but here are the most entertaining.

1. Caretaker in a mental facility. I did laundry, cooked dinners, bathed them. You can imagine.
2. "Picker" in a blue jean distribution center. I went around filling boxes with jeans. All I can say is that whoever is wearing size 50 jeans they almost killed me those months working there. They are heavy!
3. Summer activities coordinator at our church in Alabama. The first trip we took was to a cave. It rained really bad while we ate lunch and afterwards they were begging to go to the playground. I let them while I cleaned up. Little did I know the mire that the playground had become. All of the kids were covered head to toe in mud and having the time of their lives! My chaperons told me to put in an application at McDonald's.
4. I worked in the Nibble Nook at Ridgecrest one summer. Like I needed to work around ice cream.
5. Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart. I taught there 5 years and it's an all-girls Catholic school in Miami. I taught grades 1-6. I learned a lot there and really enjoyed it too.


5 Places I've Lived

1. Flintville, Tennesee (small town, had great hayrides in the fall, and everyone knows everyone)
2. Holly Pond, Alabama (sounds fancy, but it's basically a lot of really nice chicken farmers)
3. Jacksonville, Alabama (college town)
4. Miami, Florida (crazy driving, cafe con leche- not to be confused with La Leche League, hot and beautiful city)
5. Overland Park, Kansas (friendly people, laid back, famous for BBQ and crazy weather)

Ok... Olya and Leah, if you are up for this then consider yourself "tagged."

Some Neat Ideas

I am reading a book right now called "Every Day Deserves A Chance" by Max Lucado. If you aren't familiar with his writing, you should get a book of his from the library. Last night Ben was priming our deck in the backyard and I decided to take my book out there and read. I read this story last night and thought it was very clever.

"When my daughters were single-digit ages-- two, five, and seven-- I wowed them with a miracle. I told them the story of Moses and the manna and invited them to follow me on a wilderness trek through the house. 'Who knows,' I suggested, 'manna may fall from the sky again.' We dressed in sheets and sandals and did our best Bedouin hike through the bedrooms. The girls, on my instruction, complained to me, Moses, of hunger and demanded I take them back to Egypt, or at least to the kitchen. When we entered the den, I urged them to play up their parts: groan, moan, and beg for food.
'Look up,' I urged. 'Manna might fall at any minute.'
Two-year-old Sara obliged with no questions, but Jenna and Andrea had their doubts. How can manna fall from a ceiling?
Just like the Hebrews. 'How can God feed us in the wilderness?'
Just like you? You look at tomorrow's demands, next week's bills, next month's silent calendar. Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert. 'How can I face my future?' God tells you what I told my daughters: 'Look up.'
When my daughters did, manna fell! Well, not manna, but vanilla wafers dropped from the ceiling and landed on the carpet. Sara squealed with delight and started munching. Jenna and Andrea were old enough to request an explanation.
My answer was simple. I knew the itinerary. I knew we would enter this room. Vanilla wafers fit safely on the topside of the ceiling-fan blades. I had placed them there in advance. When they groaned and moaned, I turned on the switch."

Clever huh? I thought so...

Also, there are many recipes out there for homemade baby wipes. Here's the one I have decided to try:

• 2 TBSP baby wash
  
• 2 TBSP Olive Oil
  
• 2 Cups water

  Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box. (I'm using a tupperware container and I cut Bounty brand paper towels into fourths and put in there)
  

Happy News

I know many of you know the Baldwin family. Well... Joy (one of their daughters) has just had a baby on Saturday night. His name is John Brennan and they will call him Brennan. He weighed 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. She and the baby are doing well. I just thought I'd pass on this wonderful news!!

Nine Months and Counting

Well... here I am everyone. I'm now entering into my ninth month. Honestly, the time is flying by. Ben and I both are very excited to get to know our little baby and all that being parents entails. Yes, we know that it entails more than we realize...but what does worrying profit right? (I learned that from Jesus) Anyway... here are some thoughts and feelings from the ninth month. (or at least the things I can talk about freely on this blog)

1. If I thought I was going to the bathroom a lot a month ago... well... let's just say I was naive.

2. I am planning on using cloth diapers and I have discovered that the stores don't sell a lot of stuff for that. Also, people online are pretty passionate about their own opinion about that. I am personally doing it to save money. We'll see how it goes and if I can hang in there with it.

3. I am not overly anxious about the actual birth. I am anxious about when it comes home... forever... with ME!

4. I have read some women saying they wish they had more time being pregnant they love it so much. I do not feel that way. Although I've had a good pregnancy it's uncomfortable now.

5. I've started to stockpile food now. I'm collecting soups and canned goods and making extra with every meal to freeze. I hope this helps when the baby comes. I've also bought supplies to make my own baby wipes. I know... it's a little different, but hey, I got it from my Amish cook book! :)

6. At the beginning of pregnancy I would sit at the table and cry because I had to eat an apple. I didn't feel like eating then. Oh boy, how the times have changed. I wake up hungry and (this is aweful) one of my first thoughts is "what do you want to eat?" My favorite thing of late is toast with peanut butter and banana on it. I've gained a total of 20 pounds now and 5 of those in the last 2 weeks! I've pledged to myself to lay off desserts. We'll see how that goes. It's day two in that quest.

7. To help count down the days I am making an Amish friendship bread starter that takes 10 days to complete. I really like seeing the little experiment on the counter all bubbling and stuff. I'm going to try to make "Beth bread" with this starter. If you don't know Beth Baldwin, well... she makes good bread.

8. I'm really enjoying the flowers in my yard. I didn't want to plant anything until I knew what the previous owners had planted. Beside the house there were these stalks growing up a few weeks ago. I thought they were rhubarb, but it turns out they are peony bushes!! Yeah... so much better than rhubarb! ha! I'll show pictures below of some flowers we have in our yard. Happy Mother's Day!


Iris

Peony bud

Peony bushes

The Duggar Family

I first heard about this family from my friend Leah. (hi Leah!) I watched a clip on the web of them on the today show this morning and they announced that the mother is expecting her 18th baby. I can only imagine having 18 and homeschooling to boot! What a truly remarkable family. That lady's voice is so sweet it makes me go into wide-eyed amazement. I'll put the link below for you all to check out.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24537885/

P.S. Went to the doctor today and she said the baby is still head down and happy in there. She also said that only 5-10% of people make it to their due dates! Yikes.... it might be soon!!

Cute Baby

Today's Entertainment

I want to be a Celtic woman... well... kind of.

Amazing talent!

Baby Prep

We had such a nice weekend! Ben has worked really hard painting on the office area (used to be a dining room). I'll show pictures later on that. He also has put down grub stuff to well... to kill them in the yard. He is determined to have a nice lawn. We also had some friends over for lunch on Saturday.
Today the sermon at our church was great and we spoke to some people we met at the new members class. It was really nice. Then we went out to Ben's Grandma and Grandpa's house. They live out in the country and I love how peaceful it is out there. It never fails that I see some wildlife at some point. Today I saw a turkey. Grandma gave me some little outfits she found at a yard sale. Here we are trying to imagine our little baby in one of the outfits. Although I think my head looks huge in this photo, I'm posting it anyway!




Ben's Aunt Teckla was there today along with his Uncle Dennis and Teckla gave me these paintings she did for our baby room! She is a very talented artist and I think they are cute.

Crazy Orchid and Its Happy Sidekick

You know by now that I am fond of orchids. My mother-in-law is preparing for a move, so she asked me to babysit her two orchids. I call this first orchid "the crazy orchid." It's crazy because it is always in bloom- ALWAYS! It never stops! If you look closely you can see all the little buds that are about to bloom on it.

I call this next one its happy sidekick because it blooms very often, but is a little more reserved with showing out. In this picture you can see it has buds that are preparing to bloom.

Miami Moment in Kansas

Every morning I eat a piece of fruit for breakfast. Yesterday when I went grocery shopping I saw the most beautiful mangoes. I just had to get a couple of them. You see, I'd never eaten a mango until I moved to Miami. At the school I taught at they had really old mango trees with tons of fruit on them and around this time of year they would start dropping off. Besides fighting the squirrels for them, you also had to fight off the kids for them. Whenever we would hear a thump sound you immediately started running to see where the mango fell. Teachers would get to school at 7am to search the ground for new mangoes. You get the picture. So here I was this morning peeling my wonderful mango that I bought and thinking "ha ha.. here I am in the middle of the country in KANSAS and I'm peeling a mango." It's not as fun as getting one free from a tree though. Honestly, I have missed Miami in some ways. Especially my friends and coworkers and the fact that people like to dance in Miami. I also miss black beans and rice... but one of the things I miss is running toward one of those trees and finding the perfect mango lying there for free. If you've never tried a mango... go and get one!! They are at Super Wal-Mart. :)

Pitching Tents

Caution: This is not for young viewers, so make sure your children are not around when you watch this.

This is a clip of a preacher that has a slip of the tongue that I thought was really funny. I hope you all do not find it offensive.... but I had to post it.

Baby Barreth Update

Well... I went to the doctor today and everything looks good with me and the baby. I'm 33 1/2 weeks along now. The doctor told me that the baby is head down. Now I will go every two weeks for the next four weeks and then every week until we have little baby. She said "you're going to be sick of seeing me" and I said "no I won't, I'm nervous." She told me I'd be nervous in labor and then nervous about having a little tiny person to care for too. So the nerves never quite go away. On a lighter note... I bought a boppy pillow and a sling carrier off of Craigslist for $5 each. (you know me and Craigslist) Anyway... the picture of the bassinet is one I got off of Craigslist too. It's for the first few months when I want the baby to sleep beside the bed. I think it's really cute.

Highly Recommended

I just would like to recommend some products I've been using for a while. No, I'm not a part of some pyramid scam and I'm not going to ask you all if you bought any. My brother-in-law Jake bought me a basket of bath supplies for Christmas and these products are made by a company called Windrift Hill. They use goat's milk for their products and they live in Montana. I have honestly never used lotions or body butters that would even compare with this stuff. It's FANTASTIC!! All I can say is that without this lotion and body butter stuff I would have molted already in this dry Midwest.. not to mention my ever expanding girth. Here is their website. It's interesting to read about the goats at least. Enjoy!

http://www.windrifthill.com/

Songs

These are some songs that I enjoyed today. I'm not sure I totally "get" the fields of gold one, but I love it anyway. I really love the words to the other one.

The Three Stooges

Happy Early Mother's Day

This CRACKS me up!



M is for the moan and the miserable groan
From the pain that she felt when I was bo'n!
O is for the oven with its burnin' heat,
Where she stood makin' sure I had somethin' to eat!
T is for the time that she stayed up nights,
And took my temperature when I wasn't feeling right!
H is for the hard-earned money she spent,
To keep clothes on my back and tried to pay da rent!
E is every wrinkle I put on her face,
And every worry that I caused when I stayed out late!
The last letter, R, is that she taught me respect,
And for the room up in heaven that I know she'll get!

Signs of Spring

I set up Baby Barreth's crib with sheets and the bumper and all today. I got the bumper from my sister and my mom bought the crib. It's the Jenny Lind style. Doesn't it look pretty?
Ben bought me some tulips the other day and they are beginning to open!

We have a forsythia bush in our front yard and back yard. I love the blooms! Do you realize how long it has been since I have experienced a spring? By the way... it snowed here on Saturday and Sunday... not enough to accumulate, but enough. (can anyone say CRAZY?)

Blooms on one of our trees in our back yard. Ben has been out in our back yard faithfully for several days now watering and seeding and walking around in his shoes with the nails. It was warm enough tonight to have our dinner out on our back deck. It was really nice.

Bird house in our back yard.
Things I like about spring:
daffodils, the feeling of really cold water going down my throat, cucumbers that we had tonight for dinner, not having to wear a coat, watching Ben get excited about grass, neighborhood kids coming out to play, thinking of summer and watermelons. As you probably noticed, many of these things have to do with food. What can I say?

Eight Months and Counting

Today I start my eighth month! Almost there and I can't believe it. Here I am in my choir outfit in the backyard. We always joke and say that jacket looks like something the golden girls would wear. I have really grown in my seventh month. I'm starting to feel a bit heavier and like I need to walk like a cowboy. I had a wonderful baby shower yesterday and I'm really getting excited about becoming a mother. Just looking at those tiny outfits blows my mind! I do wonder more and more about whether it is a boy or girl, but it is kind of fun not knowing. The hard part is choosing a name! I "think" we've narrowed it down to two names if it is a girl. It will either be "Gwen Rebekah Barreth" or "Bronwyn Rebekah Barreth". I wanted a Welsh name because Ben grew up over there and my name is Welsh. For a boy we are still thinking and toiling. I like the name "Roman Jack Barreth" and Ben likes "Franklin Dean Barreth". Roman because we spent our honeymoon in Rome and I think it sounds strong. Jack is a family name.. Ben's great- grandpa. We knew a Franklin on Ben's Grandma's side that was a very kind and wonderful man that lived well into his 90's and was married over 70 years when we met him. He made a good impression on us... and plus, Ben thinks it sound friendly. My hesitation with Franklin is that I don't want it to turn into "little Frankie" or "Frankfurter" or something like that. I like the name Dean, but several people have told me they think of Jimmy Dean sausage. AH! Do you see how hard this is? Anyway... we're not sure about the boy names.

Indian Chai (Tea)

Yesterday I had my Indian friend, Sonia, come over for lunch. I introduced her to the world of quiches and she taught me how to make Indian chai (tea). I've had it in restaurants, but I wanted to know how to do it myself. Sonia has been gracious enough to teach me a few things in regards to cooking Indian food (my favorite cuisine) and let's just say it ain't easy. Everything is pretty much eyeballed as far as measurements go. Below I have converted what she showed me into measurements as best as I can. This tea is delicious and soothing and if you use decaf tea bags like me, it can be decaf as well. She said Indian people drink this twice a day... maybe more.

First you start out with two cardamom seeds. Yes, yes, I know... it is not an ingredient you normally have in your cupboard... but it's worth buying! You probably can get them at health food stores for sure, but maybe even Wal-Mart. They are part of the ginger family. Here's a picture of what they look like.
You crush these seeds with a rolling pin or anything you want. The more you squish them, the more flavor you'll get. Then you put 3/4 C of water in a small sauce pan and set temperature to medium high. (I put it on 7 on my stovetop) Then put the crushed seeds in there (including the husks) and also about 2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. When that gets boiling you put 2-3 tea bags in there and let them swim around until the water turns like a garnet color. I pulled the tags off of the tea bags first before putting them in. When it looks garnet colored you take out the tea bags and put in 3/4 C of milk in there. Let it heat up to a nice low boil. (I turned down the heat a bit after taking out the tea bags- to maybe a 5 or medium heat) When it boils take it off the stove and strain it through one of those wire mesh strainers into cups and enjoy!

My friend said that the cardamom seeds are soothing, but if you want a little more spice you can put ginger in there instead of the cardamom seeds. So... if you use ginger (which probably would be easier to find in the store) you take like a bit of ginger the size of from the top of your finger until the first line in your finger and peel it and chop it up. You put that in the water before the tea bags and then just follow the same directions. She said that the ginger one you usually make in winter because it makes you warm from within. Since I'm always hot right now she said that it would be better with the cardamom seeds for me. If you try this... let me know and tell me how you liked it!

Crazy Cycle

Here is the cycle that I am now on almost being 8 months pregnant.

I wake up about every 3 hours desperately needing to go to the bathroom.
I then realize that I am very thirsty so I go over to the bathroom faucet and drink about 10 hand fulls of water.
After I've gotten up, put water on my hands and moved back to bed and positioned all of the pillows I have gotten my heart rate up to like a brisk walk pace.
Just as I've gotten all the pillows in place and I'm telling myself to just take deep breaths and calm my heart the baby starts kicking.
When that stops I doze for about 45 minutes and the cycle begins again.

Ben tells me instead of 10 handfuls of water just to have 2 and it would be much better. ha!

Quiet Times

The pastor at the church we've been attending gave an interesting idea for quiet times. He said that when he first became a Christian he really didn't know how to feed himself spiritually. He'd read the Bible and not fully understand or didn't know what passage to read when he'd sit down for his quiet time. I identified with that. I sometimes go through spells where I don't know what to read and when I do I find it hard to make practical applications. Well... I'm trying out his idea and I thought I'd share it with you all. Basically any passage, including lists of names that you wouldn't normally think would "speak" to you... have something to say about who God is! He set out to read 3 chapters a day, so he'd write three sentences for each chapter he read.

You read a passage and then you write down three sentences.

1. Historical- tell in one sentence what is going on in the passage.

2. Doctrinal/Prophetic- tell how this foreshadows Christ and His Kingdom.

3. Inspirational/Personal- tell how it personally applies to you or a prayer to the Lord.

"The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever." (Psalm 119:160 NKJV)

Nice Meal

Ben and I both enjoyed this dish. This is the first time I've made it. I like making new recipes and trying them out. The problem I find with some of the Rachel Ray recipes is that you have to have so many ingredients that seem "exotic" to me. I mean, who grew up with their mom buying fresh herbs and shallots? Anyway... here it goes. I didn't use the thyme because I didn't have any. Also... if I were to make it again, I'd put slightly less cider vinegar in and I'd probably cut the chicken up into chunks instead of having the breast halves. Also... give the sauce a good 8-10 minutes to simmer to let the apricots get nice and tender. Enjoy!

Chicken with Sweet Raisins and Apricots on Toasted Almond Couscous
from the book "Rachel Ray 365: No Repeats"

3 T extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 T fresh thyme leaves (from a couple of sprigs), chopped
1/2 C sliced almonds
3 1/2 C chicken stock or broth, divided
1 1/2 C plain couscous
3 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)
2 T unsalted butter
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 T all-purpose flour
12 dried, pitted apricots, halved
1 C golden raisins
2 T cider or white wine vinegar (eyeball it)

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 T of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and chopped thyme. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook on each side for 5 to 6 minutes.

Toast the nuts in the bottom of a medium sauce pot over medium heat until golden. Transfer the toasted nuts to a dish and reserve. Return the pot to the stove top. Add 1 1/2 C of the chicken stock and the remaining tablespoon of EVOO, cover the pot, and raise the heat; bring the broth to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the couscous and parsley to the stock, then stir. Cover and let the couscous stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork and toss with the toasted almonds. Cover to keep it warm while you make the sauce for the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil. Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes. Dust with the flour and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the apricots, golden raisins, and cider vinegar. Whisk in the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and turn the heat up to high. Simmer the mixture until thick. Add the chicken back to the skillet, coat in the sauce, and heat the chicken, about 1 minute. Serve the chicken and some sauce over the almond couscous. It makes 4 servings.