How does my garden grow? Not very well.

We had a lovely Sabbath today!  Monroe actually did pretty well in Sabbath School.  She had fallen asleep right when we left to head to Church, so she got a good 20 minute nap and I think that's what helped.  It was wonderful.  Church wasn't as smooth, but she did okay.

After Church, we picked Kenneth up and came home for lunch.  It truly was an AMAZING lunch.  So yummy.  We had dinner roast, garlic mashed red potatoes with really good gravy, salad, rolls and Kenneth made baked mac & cheese that was so good.  We were all stuffed.

Yesterday, I started craving peaches and thought it would be fun to make a peach pie.  This was a first for me.  Because I am not the best baker in the world, I enlisted the help of the guys and I have to say, it turned out great.  Here's a pic of our masterpiece...

It was a very easy to make.  It was extra easy because the recipe calls for refrigerated pie crusts.  Of course they aren't as good as homemade, but it was still very good.  It was NOT vegan, although I did substitute some of the ingredients for vegan ones.  

Fresh Peach Pie 

2 refrigerated pie crusts
6-8 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 stick butter  (or vegan butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 egg (or egg substitute) plus 1 teaspoon water

1. Peel peaches.  We tried this method, but it didn't work as easily as it sounded.  Maybe it will work for you...Bring a pot of water to a boil.  With a knife, score a small X at the bottom of each peach.  Put the peaches into the boiling water, let them go for 30 seconds to a minute, and remove with a slotted spoon.  Place peaches into cold water (or just running cold water) and skins will just slip off.

2. Prepare crusts.  Place first crust into bottom of pie plate.  Cut the second crust into strips.

3.  Make filling.  Melt butter and sugar in medium saucepan until sugar dissolves.  Add sliced peaches, flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Cook for a couple of minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook the peaches longer if you like them mushy.

3.  Assemble pie.  Pour peach filling into first crust.  Arrange the second crust strips into a lattice design.  Flute edges, brush crust egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

4.  Bake pie.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until crust is golden. After 15 minutes of baking, cover the edges with foil.  Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before you cut.

5.  Serve with ice cream or Soy Dream (if you live in our house:) 

After lunch, Mark, Kenneth and Monroe headed to the park for the afternoon, while I took a much needed nap.  Tonight has been very low key.  We gave Rosie a bath and put her to bed.  She was SO sweet.  It was hard to say goodbye to her tonight.  Her little prayers are so adorable.  I tear up almost every time.  Of course she repeats exactly what we say, but it is so genuine and innocent.  I love that kid.

So, I found something that made me laugh today.  I'm sure you've seen the romper trend that is pretty big right now.  I've thought they were so cute, but I know that in my state, they would look horrendous.  My friend, Kelsey, however, looks amazing in them.  Here's a cute one from Forever21...

 

I was looking on the Motherhood Maternity website when I came across this...

Is it just me, or does this look ridiculous on a pregnant woman?!  What about all of the trips to the bathroom?!  It just seems so impractical to me.  To each their own, though.

For the longest time I have been wanting to watch Princess Bride.  I loved it as a kid and Mark has never seen it.  I feel like it is a must for anyone, so we rented it tonight.  In fact, Mark just walked in the door with it, so I better run.  I will leave you with pictures of my plants.  Good night! 

One of my tomato plants.  This one has two little guys growing! I accidently knocked off the first one:(  I'm trying not to get too attached to these two.  

My cucumbers!

  This little cilantro plant has driven me nuts.  I almost started thinking that some kind of parasite plant had moved in and took it over, because it looks nothing like cilantro to me. I pulled some tonight, and it definitely is cilantro, so I'm very relieved.  I hope it starts really growing soon.  

  

Getting Busy

I have been so busy today.  I cleaned the house completely, which took a lot out of me.  I mean I was super exhausted when I got done.  We also ran a few errands (Apple Valley and Target) and worked on projects.  It was very productive.

One of my dilemmas has been what I should do with some of the furniture and accessories from the guest room.  I really like a lot of them and the idea of storing them broke my heart.  (I know I'm weird).   The guest room kind of had a shabby chic feel.  One of my favorite pieces is the dresser that Mom Murrill found at a garage sale.  She gave it to us when we first got married.  We were going to paint it, but I could never bring myself to.  It's vintage and has a very old calendar that is stuck to the top.  I've decided to put in the living room/ dining room.  I know it's kind of a strange place for it, but I think I like it there.  It really seems to go well with my yellow hutch (across from it).

I'm so relieved to have the three projects done I was working on.  It feels so good to have that weight off of my shoulders.  Here's how they turned out...

Project #1 - Paintings for the Girls' Rooms 

     

The finished products.  

      

Poor Monroe...her painting is not very good.  I was so sick of doing them and I hurried through. I paid very little  attention to detail.  She doesn't seem to mind, though. 

You've already seen this one.

Project #2 - Table and Chairs for the Nursery 

I finished the top this afternoon.  It's NOT perfect, but I do believe it will work.  Mark finished up all of the painting for me.  I don't know what I would do without that guy.

        

Such a cute little set.  Thank you again, Nicole!  We love it.  It's just what we were needing. 

Project #3 - Mobile for the Nursery 

The jury is still out on this one.  I can't decide if I like it or not.  Time will tell. 

My next project is McKinley's quilt.  I figure it might take me awhile, so I really wish I had started it earlier, but I guess I just need to hit it very hard in the next few days/weeks.  

In Rosie news...I can't get over how much talking she is doing now.  All of a sudden she is using complete sentences.  I just love it.  I truly feel like we are having real conversations now.  Today, while I was changing her diaper she asked, "Mommy, where is daddy?"  I told her that he was at work and she said, "What is he doing there?"  It blows me away how their little minds are just like sponges. She picks up on everything...things I didn't even know she was listening to.  Tonight, she came in the living room with one of McKinley's outfits and said, "This is Sissy's".  It's just so cute.  They sure grow up too fast.

This afternoon, Mark and I were playing with Monroe in her room when she started to run and tripped on the rug.  Her little face ran right into her bed.  It was horrifying to watch, as it looked very painful.  It broke my heart!  She has never cried like that.  You know the kind where they can hardly catch their breath?  Poor little thing!  I asked her if she wanted a popsicle and she was still crying so hard she didn't answer.  I wasn't even sure if she knew what a popsicle was, but I thought it might make her feel better. Mark finally got her calmed down and said he was going to take her outside to play.  She was very excited to go, but stopped and looked up at me and said in a pitiful little voice and puppy dog eyes, "popsicle?"  Apparently she did know:) 

 Eating her hard-earned popsicle.  

    Showing off her battle scar.  It doesn't look that bad here, but it did bruise.

Well, it's late and I better head to bed.  Love to you all and a very happy Sabbath!

What's in a name?

So, there it is.  It was a hard choice and we changed our minds quite a few times...quite a few times, indeed.  But, I think this is it and we love it.  

We are still thinking of nicknames.  Monroe's nicknames kind of came on their own, so I figure that will probably be the case with this little sweetie.  We sure can't wait to meet her. 

Thrilling Thursday...Maybe not thrilling, but fun!

Today was a very fun day!  Melissa picked Rosie and me up and we headed to the Cosley Zoo.  It truly is the perfect place to take kids.  Not only is it free for kiddos and only $3 for adults, it is never busy and is small enough not to be overwhelming.  The kids also get the chance to see the animals more closely than at a bigger zoo.  We really had such a wonderful time.  They kids enjoyed playing together and Melissa and I had a great time just chatting.  On the way home, we decided to stop at Goodwill to check out their kid books.  Well, all I can say is that I totally hit the jackpot.

Remember my favorite book of Monroe's? Well, I found the whole series at Goodwill!  I couldn't believe it.  I was overwhelmed by such an amazing find.  They are the sweetest little books and I feel so blessed to have them all.  God is really sending me some treats this week!

I also found some books that seemed to fit into our lives right now...

 And these?  Well, they were just really cute...

I swear, if you are looking for good quality books for your kids, don't spend too much!  Go to Goodwill, thrift stores or garage sales!  I got all of those books for less than what one book usually costs.  And, they were in mint condition.  Nothing like finding a good deal.

Guess what we had for dinner????

Lettuce from our garden!  (Not just plain lettuce. I used it in a salad.)  I would love to say it was the best I have ever eaten, but that would be a HUGE lie.  It was actually really bitter.  Oh, well.  I grew it! Yay! 

In other food news, I had the best popsicle tonight that I would like to recommend to you.  We are big believers in all things Edy's.  I just LOVE their popsicles.  Our favs are the lime and the lemon.  When my parents were here they mentioned that the pomegranate was really good. I hadn't even seen that kind before, but decided I would start looking.  Well, yesterday I went grocery shopping and they happened to have some.  RUN OUT NOW AND GET YOUR OWN!!!  I mean it, go now!  They are so tasty.  I just loved them.  

I found out the coolest news this afternoon.  One of my friends from gradeschool/highschool/college/adulthood is having...TWINS!!!! How exciting is that!  She's a twin and that makes it extra special.  I can't wait to find out the genders.  Keep Alana, Michael and Isaiah (their little guy) in your prayers as they have a lot to look forward to!   

I also found out that one of my besties, Andrea, is having a little girl!!!!  I am so happy.  I had secretly really wanted it to be a girl.  I mean look at these two people.  How is their child not going to be drop dead gorgeous?!  If you would like to follow along with their pregnancy journey, here is a link to her baby website.

I really need to update the list of all the pregnant ladies I know.  It's really gotten out of hand.  I would say 80% of my female friends are pregnant.  So fun!!!

I have been working very hard on painting pictures for both of the girls' rooms.  I finished little bit's, but I haven't completely finished Monroe's.  I will post pics as soon as I'm done.  I did get a tiny bit crafty the other night.  Some of our friends from church just had a little girl (Hadley) two weeks ago and I got a few little things for them.  I wanted to make something small to go along with it, so I stuck with what I know and made a headband with interchangeable bows.  I would love to say that I got really creative, but I just did the same ole' thing.  Oh well!  I hope they like them.

Well, I better wrap this one up.  It's getting late and I've got a lot to accomplish tomorrow.  Oh, I almost forgot.  Look what I got in the mail...

The bag I won from Angie's blog contest!  I just love it.  Thanks, girl!!!

Have a great night everyone.  Enjoy your popsicles that you hopefully bought.  Love to you all!  -Steph

Nana and Papa's Visit

Like I've mentioned before, my parents came into town this last Friday.  It was WONDERFUL!  We had so much fun.  We were able to do some great stuff, while at the same time keeping it very low key.  My kind of visit!

They ended up driving rather than flying and I really think that made the trip feel even better.  We didn't have to worry about getting to the airport, ect.  They really liked the change, as well.  Another plus to driving...They were able to load up the car with goodies!  We really enjoyed that!

Here are a few of the fun things that they brought...

Rosie is one well dressed kid thanks to all of her grandparents!  SO CUTE!

 Adorable dresses for the girls! 

 Adorable dresses take two...these are my favorite.

 These are pretty cute, as well.

The pink version of my favorite outfit for baby. 

Not only did THEY come bearing gifts, but they brought along a huge bag full of Kamryn's clothes that my wonderful sis-in-law Tami sent.  What a huge blessing!  Everything was ADORABLE!  I'm definitely seeing the perks to having two of the same kind of kiddo.  We will use these clothes for years!  

Tami also sent another exciting item...

   

A beautiful Coach diaper bag!  I can't wait to use it.  Thank you, Tami and Shane!

On Sabbath, we headed to Sabbath School and Church.  Since S.S./Church take place right during Rosie's most important nap, she's not always on her best behavior.  In fact, she's usually at her worst and true to form, she showed Nana and Papa her naughtiest.  I always feel so bad for her, because I know she's being pushed beyond her limits when we keep her out, but we know we have to keep at it.  Hopefully it will pay off in the end.

We had a lovely lunch and then had some nice naps.  Later that evening, we decided to take an impromptu trip on the train to downtown Wheaton.  It was Monroe's first train trip and she loved it.  It was really fun.  We had dinner at Gino's East and enjoyed walking around such a cute little town.  

 Very sleepy girly hanging with her daddy in Wheaton.

 My wonderful Mom and Dad waiting for the train home.

On Sunday, we set some pretty lofty goals for ourselves.  The first was to set up Rosie's new bed.  All along I had planned to leave Rosie in her room because it is bigger and seemed less traumatic.  But as we surveyed the crib and realized that we would have to disassemble it and reassemble it in the next room, we got lazy smart and decided that instead, Rosie would be taking what used to be the guest room and the new baby would have Monroe's old room.  I was nervous that she would totally freak out at the change, but we went ahead with the transformation.  We took out the guest room bed and dresser and put together her little bed.  When she realized what was happening, she went totally nuts.  Totally nuts in the very best way.  She was soooo excited and soooo happy.  She loved her new bed.  When we got the sheets and her little quilt on it, she climbed right in and didn't want to leave.  It was time for her nap anyway and we thought we would go ahead and see how she did.  Well, it did take a few times going in and laying her back down (15 to be exact), but she did end up falling asleep and slept really well.  

That's her under the quilt on the right.  She seemed to take to the new bed pretty quickly.  

Since then, nights have gone pretty well and naps have gotten progressively easier.  One night we found her up pretty late "reading" a book in total darkness.  I also periodically find her with her silver tea set in bed with her or all of her dirty clothes in piles on the bed, but I'm willing to work with her.  It's actually been a much easier process than I had anticipated.  She adores her new room and could play in it for hours.  It makes me so happy and so relieved that she didn't totally lose her mind. 

Anyway, after Rosie woke up, Mom and I wanted to do some shopping for some things for the rooms and Dad and Mark wanted to go downtown to do some touristy things.  We both succeeded in our quests.  Mom and I were able to find some really great things to make Rosie and baby's room quite comfortable.   Mom also got me a few maternity clothes items, which I definitely needed.  Mark and Dad decided to go to the Cubs/White Sox game and had a great time, as well. 

When the guys got home, we decided to head out and find some paint for the dresser.  With some help from my mom, I decided that green would be a great choice.  We found the perfect color, had a lovely dinner and came home to hang out.  

Monday was the 4th and just happens to also be my parent's anniversary.  We decided to celebrate at the Cheesecake Factory and then we headed to North Chicago to drive around and enjoy the scenery.  It's really a lovely area.  When we got home we worked on the dresser and the little table and chairs.  

On Tuesday, I had to work half of the day, but the rest was spent hanging with my family.  It was so nice, but it was hard not to have Mark with us.  That evening the guys went to another baseball game, a Sox/Royals game.  Mom and I ran some errands and had some quality time with Rosie girl.  

Wednesday morning was pretty hard for me, as my parents left. It made me right down sad.  You've probably already read my post from that day.  You know, the really angry one.  Well, things have definitely gotten better since then, but I don't think having my parents leave will ever get any easier.  They just really mean the world to me.  

So I am not quite ready to post pictures of little girl's room, but Rosie's is pretty much complete.  So without further ado...

 Rosie's little nest

 I couldn't love a bed more.  I find myself going in her little room all of the time just to sit in it.  

 Her new little bookcase.  It was totally worth the splurge. 

Her new dresser/changing table refurbished by Daddy and Papa!  For $20 it has a totally new look and it's just exactly what I was hoping for.  I still can't believe we found it on the side of the road.  Paint, $12 @ Home Depot and Glass Knobs, $8 @ Hobby Lobby (they were 50% off)

I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  They are not too good.  Just so you know, I started feeling pretty bad that babycakes is getting all of Rosie's things and Rosie is getting everything new, but everyone assured me that it's not a big deal.  Having a new baby will probably be a hard transition for her and these little special touches will make her feel special.  Also, the new little kiddo won't know the difference anyway.  Hopefully that's true!  We soon will see:) 

Mumsie

My cousin Mark is the editor of the Southwestern Union Record.  He just wrote the sweetest article about my wonderful grandma, "Mumsie".  I thought you might enjoy the read.  God really does work miracles.  She's told me this story many times, but it never gets old.  Link to Article

Look what I found!

You all know that I am totally okay with taking people's garbage.  I know, it's such a flattering trait that I possess.  You also know that I am constantly on the lookout for outdoor toys for Rosie.  Well, all of the planets aligned yesterday when one of my neighbors pulled this baby out to the curb!

How could I resist?!  My dad brought out the hose and a bucket of soapy water and it is as good as new!  I don't think I've been that excited in a long time, but no one was more excited than Monroe.  She loves this thing!  Papa played with her outside on it for about an hour before she finally tuckered out.  I really think that God sends special little gifts like this sometimes to brighten our days.  He sure went all out yesterday!

Pregnancy Update-- Otherwise known as "Diary of an Angry Pregnant Woman"

UPDATE:  I wrote this blog during my lunch break today.  I was not feeling very well, I was tired because I slept horrible last night and my parents left this morning.  Talk about EMOTIONAL!  I went home early and took a nap.  What a difference some sleep makes!  I totally feel 100% better.  Not that I just love pregnancy, but I'm definitely not this sour.  Please forgive the following:)  Love you all!  -Steph

 

Three kids?  That would be an enthusiastic "NO!"

 

With my last pregnancy, I truly don't remember it being that bad. In fact, I remember myself loving being pregnant.  It always seemed like people were extra nice to me and loved chatting.  It also is the only time in my life that I remember enjoying being in a swimming suit.  I became okay with my body for once!  Seriously, when I think back about it, I remember rainbows and unicorns.  Life was happy. I was excited and glowing from the inside out.  Fast forward until now...

 

Lately I feel that my late "Great Grandma on the Farm" has crawled inside my body to live.  (Yes, we called her "Grandma on the Farm" and still do to this day.)  Not only do I feel like my body is old and decrepit and that I might have a stroke from this ungodly heat, but I also feel the utmost crotchety and crabby right now.    If you know my mom and grandma, you know that they are both the sweetest, most congenial people on earth. My great grandma?...not so much. She didn't take anything from anybody.  You didn't mess with that tiny little person. She put the fear of God in me and my mother before me.  My mom actually developed a nervous disorder for awhile because GGOTF told her that she might have to come live with her.  She was THAT bad and I feel like I'm becoming her! 

 

I miss my sleep.  Oh, sweet, sweet sleep.  I wake up so many times in the night because the whole side of my body has gone numb from laying on it.  Then I have to resituate my pillow mountain and start again on the other side until it does the same.  Rinse and repeat and you have my night.   And the heartburn...I really should look into buying stock in Tums.  They really are good, though.  I can't complain about them.  Keep up the great work, GlaxoSmithKline!   

 

So if you ask me, "How is the pregnancy going?, I will probably answer, "Just fine."  But inside, a mean old woman voice is screaming, "Get this baby out of me!!!".  Can you believe I have 8 weeks (6 would be ideal, but I wouldn't argue with 7) left? 

 

In other pregnancy news, my last Dr.'s appointment went well.  Mom Murrill was here and watched Rosie, so Mark got to come with me, which was a treat.  She is measuring great and her heart beat is steady in the 140's.  I told him about my itching fear, and he said that just because I had it last pregnancy, doesn't mean in any way that I will have it this time around.  That made me feel a lot better.  We had a great chat with him and I'm feeling pretty good about the labor part of pregnancy.  He is a big proponent of epidurals and I like that.  I don't think there is a right or wrong way, but the idea of less pain is always the right way for me. 

 

My appointments are now two weeks apart.  I have my next one on Tuesday.  

 

So, as you can tell, I'm in great spirits.  Seriously though, I really can't wait to meet my newest little sweetie pie.  I am just dying to hold her...hopefully sooner than later.

Sneak Peak

Remember this?

Yes, it's hard to forget.  We found this beauty on the side of the road and took it home last summer.  We saw potential and I'm so glad we did.

Look who got some new life breathed into it...

This is a little sneak peak of what I will post later.  I just LOVE it!  

Changes, lots and lots of changes

So, it's been a VERY long time since I've been able to blog.  It has been so long that I became extremely overwhelmed at even the idea of blogging.  I couldn't even make myself think about it.  I haven't even been able bring myself to read other people's blogs.  My GoogleReader is pretty much full.

I had been blogging so faithfully, so this lapse of blogging made me sad/mad.  I finally promised myself that tonight would be the night, but I have to admit, I have tried everything and anything to get myself out of doing it.  I guess I don't cope well with pressure.

I figured I would start small and over the next few days get caught up.  There has been so much going on and I really don't know where to start.  We have had guests, a doctor's appointment, finalized a name for the baby, gone on trips, had a garage sale, finished Monroe's new room, transitioned her out of her crib, got rid of the morning bottle, worked hard on the baby's room...the list goes on!  I guess the best place to start is at the beginning...so here it goes.

Last week, Mark flew to Tampa for an interview.  We still don't know anything and it could be a couple of weeks before we do.  Mom Murrill ended up driving up to Chicago to see us and to watch Monroe for a few days.  This was such a blessing and came at the absolute PERFECT time.  I had to work Monday through Wednesday and two of those days I had to work pretty late.  It was so nice to have her here to watch Monroe and to have help while Mark was gone.

Monroe was so excited to have "Memaw" here for so long.  They bonded and had a great time together.  I loved every minute I got to spend with her, as well!

Mom Murrill helped do some deep cleaning in the house.  Cleaning that I'm pretty sure I would have not been able to get around to before the baby comes.  We are talking about washing all of the curtains and rugs, cleaning all of the windows (inside and out), cleaning the baseboards, etc.  You name it, she did it.  It was such a blessing and made the house feel so much fresher.  She also cut Rosie's bangs!  She did a great job.  Here are a few shots of her sporting her new bangs in a new dress that Memaw got her!

 My little sweetie.  She really is a big girl now! 

We were able to do some shopping, as well.  We found some great stuff.  My favorite is this little piece that we found at Marshall's...

You can't totally tell, but it is a peachy pink color and we thought would look awesome in the new baby's room.  I just love it.  I will post pictures of the rooms later this week, but it ended up in a different place than I had planned, but it looks great where we put it.

We got to celebrate Mom's birthday with her which was a real treat.  True to form, I didn't get any pictures of her while she was here!  Ugh, I'm such a flake sometimes!  I did manage to get a few funny pictures of Max at her birthday dinner.

 They had been taking turns pushing each other in the car.  We looked out and found this happening.  He's such a trip! 

 Our little plumber! 

 

What a cute little bootie! 

She also helped Melissa and me with a garage sale!  I don't know what we would have done without her.  The garage sale, by the way, was a huge success!  Melissa hosted the sale at her house in Hinsdale. Hinsdale is an amazing area and we were busy pretty much the whole time. I only was able to get a few things together before the sale and the majority of it was clothes.  I didn't figure that I would do too well and hoped to make around $40.  Well, all I can say is I was flabbergasted to see that I sold $90 worth of stuff.  I would have done a lot better if only I had charged a little more for my clothes.  Everyone else sold their clothes for $1 or $2 per item, but mine ranged from $0.25 to $1.00.  I finally ended up taking off all of my tags and charging more and I'm sure glad that I did.  I think I mentioned before, but I'm going to use most of the money for outdoor toys for Rosie.  I figure I better get something for little kiddo, as well:).  That's only fair.

We were so sad for Mom Murrill to leave.  It was such a great visit, but luckily, just like times in the past, my parents came right after, so we didn't have to feel the sting of sadness for long.  

I better quit for today.  I've got another early morning and my mom and dad are still here, so I need to savor the last few minutes with them.  They leave in the morning. :(

Over the next few days I promise to post pics of the rooms, unveil the name and tell you all about how the big girl bed transition went.  I hope all is well with everyone.  I've missed you!