Curious 'bout the Clarks?

Merry Christmas, Ya'll!

2011-12-25T22:01:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2011 was a blessed year as we became a family of 5. I haven't kept up the blog, because there's just not enough time, and I didn't have a well-functioning laptop. We'll see, maybe I'll get back to my blog in 2012 with my new computer. Izzy is now 4 yrs, Clara has been 2 yrs since August, and Jack is 7.5 months. I have the very best husband (for me), and our children are our special treasures.

There are a few things I've learned this year about raising our children:

1. It's best to be flexible.
2. We hold our children with an OPEN hand, because they are ultimately God's children.
3. Hire cleaning ladies if you want to play with your children in a clean home.
4. You can become a coffee-drinker at 27 years old.
5. Have reasonable but high expectations-children love to rise to the challenge. They really are capable at such a young age of much more than people think.
6. Teach them the Word of God every day in catechisms, Bible verses, life lessons, songs in the car CD player, afternoon book reading, etc. Their minds are incredible sponges.
7. Even after you've kissed your kids goodnight TWICE and they want one more kiss, give it to them cheerfully, cause you just never know what tomorrow may bring.
8. Model a marriage that reflects the sacrificial love and joy of Christ. Make sure the kids know that your marriage comes first. Date nights, at least one per month, are essential!
9. Laugh instead of getting frustrated.
10. Remember, the kids are watching and listening to every reaction Mom makes.
11. Apologize to the kids when Mom has made a mistake or reacted wrongly.
12. Have fun in the everyday normal living.
13. Pray for these kids who've been entrusted into your care.
14. Schedules keep Mom (and kids) sane, but a dose of spontaneity is good for everyone.
15. Beware, parenting preschool age children is liable to be a season of life where Mom realizes all of her shortcomings. It's definitely a spi ritual growing time for kids AND for Mom.
16. Don't compare yourself to other moms. Be who God created you to be. You're the mom of your kids, and that is unique to only you!
17. Run really fast while pushing the grocery cart down the aisle and laugh wildly along with your kids. Who cares if everyone is watching. At least, you're enjoying the fleeting moments with your kids.
18. Don't worry, your kid will be potty trained for Kindergarten, and none of their peers will ask them when they became potty trained. Just when you think you have two kids out of diapers during the day, you realize you still have to wipe their behinds on the toilet. It will end... someday. :-)
19. Dance in the kitchen with your kids while cooking dinner.

20. Trust God.

My second favorite man... "JB" (as we call him from his longer nickname JackBoy) has captured my heart!

Apple Cider Donuts?!

2011-09-16T17:52:00.000-04:00

So we have had hot summer temps until the temperature dropped 30+ degrees today!!! In honor of the low 60s for our high today, I called the apple orchard to see if they had anything going on today. We drove 1 hour, but had a fantastic time there!

Johnny Appleseed presentation that included a lot of lessons about God:

Hayride around the orchard and to the pig pen!

Apple cider donuts, apple cider, and dried apples!

Picking out some apples. We'll be making sauce tomorrow. :)

Haha:

The favorite part of our outting, the baby pigs:

My favorite part of the outting, watching (and eating) the cider donuts being made:

Picture courtesy Izzy:

What a fun time with my three kiddos at Windy Hill Orchard in York, SC!
And somehow they stayed awake on the drive home, so we all got good afternoon naps at home!!!

Fam Vacation 2011!

2011-09-16T17:34:00.000-04:00

We spent the beginning of September at Garden City Beach, just south of Myrtle Beach, SC. I love being with Justin and enjoying our kids together. Life is still busy with the kiddos on vacation, but being at the beach is such a fun way to end the summer before the structure of the school year!

One morning there was a storm at 6:30am, and Justin and the kids were out on their morning walk. (I was sleeping still. Hello, vacation.) Justin said he grabbed Clara in a football hold, Jack was in the backpack, and he had Izzy's hand in his trying to book it back to our condo. All three kids were giggling getting wet and running like crazy. Other than that day, we had great, sunny weather. We decided to go to the aquarium that day since the sand was blowing hard, even though the sun did come out.

The aquarium:

Justin had a class he had to go to online on Tuesday evening, so I took the kids on a beach walk that night:

We got to eat breakfast with Justin's grandma, Melissa:

Classic Clara--on the balcony nursing her baby:

Found the BEST restaurant after 4 years of going to Garden City. The Gulfstream has a wonderful deck overlooking the marina, and the food was out of this world! I had the best tilapia I've ever had, and Justin loved his tuna.

I figured you need to see what Clara did almost the whole time she was awake on the beach: EAT.
Jack really liked the sand and water when the waves would come up to our feet:

Last night in G.C.:

The last morning, Justin woke Izzy at 5:45am to go fishing off the pier before we packed up and left at 10am.

August ends...

2011-09-16T17:19:00.000-04:00

One evening, we were waiting for Justin to come home from work, and I caught a few shots...

Lucy, named by Izzy:

My butterfly bush:

My cuties.

Can't forget an update on MY BOY!

2011-08-29T10:05:00.000-04:00

Jack at 3.5 months

I think he's about 17 lbs!

I think he's pretty awesome!

A snapshot of the month so far

2011-08-29T10:02:00.000-04:00

Aunt Tess stayed for a fun few days after Clara's b-day party!

After she left, we met friends in Blakeney to play in the fountains and eat lunch.

We said goodbye to Clemson freshman, Hannah:

I went to Angie's baby shower for her son, Ryder. Here's a pic of me with Trang and Naphtali at the shower:
We paint... a lot.

We lounge at the pool:

We love on Daddy when he comes home 1 hour early (happens once in a blue moon):

We went to Crosby's first football game:

But hanging out with Crosby's little bro, Abram, is more fun than watching the game:

And now this week, we are preparing to go on our beach vacation that starts SATURDAY!

Our sweet little caterpillar!

2011-08-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

Justin's sister, Jennifer, and I planned a joint birthday party for cousins, Joel (1) and Clara (2). The theme was centered on the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We served foods that the caterpillar ate, and we had a lot of fun working together on being creative.

Sweet sisters:

Jennifer found that cute litte outfit for Clara that fit the polkadot theme from the book.

Look at all Clara's newborn DARK hair:

Aunt Tess surprised us and showed up all the way from PA!

The party planners:

Opa DeBoer reading to the birthday kids:

Friends and family:

Relaxin:

One of the only girls Clara knows that is her age, Ella Grace Mitten:

Blowing out the candles:

Rainbow stripped cupcakes! Do you see Clara's caterpillar bows that are in her hair that I made?

What a fun celebration of God's blessings towards our families!

First week of Aug

2011-08-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

I'm a little out of order now, but I forgot to post about the first week of August. We gardened (Izzy in heels and elmo panties), had a visit from Uncle Bob and my brand new aunt, Shirley, and got prepared for Clara's 2nd birthday party!

The "after party"

2011-08-29T09:41:00.000-04:00

The Shaw family hosted all of us at their home for Sunday lunch and Sunday dinner!

Our pastor:

Happy Herma:

Maggie being surrogate big sis to Jack:

Fam of 4:

Justin getting snuggles about 10pm:

A full but wonderful weekend!

The Baptism!

2011-08-29T09:13:00.001-04:00

Our pastor performed Cam's baptism at Emmanuel OPC in Wilmington, DE. This church was a big blessing in our church's absence with support and making many meals.

What a blessing to witness Cam's baptism!

I only got the end prayer on video, but you get the idea of what was going on:

Our real reason for our weekend up north!

2011-08-29T08:47:00.000-04:00

We got a little friend time, anniversary time, but our real reason for heading up north was T. Campbell Fawcett! He had made it to his first out of hospital big milestone: baptism! We spent Saturday evening with the Fawcetts and Shaws, enjoyed a steak dinner, and really just loved being with our friends and sharing in their joy. Cam was only 8 pounds, but that was 2 pounds bigger than when I first held him. He is so handsome!

Big sis, Maggie

I really like this pic:

Cam snuggles:

He makes my heart swell!

When in Philadelphia...

2011-08-29T08:41:00.000-04:00

don't leave without eating...

A CHEESESTEAK.

5 years!?

2011-08-29T08:38:00.000-04:00

Justin and I have already been married for FIVE YEARS?!?!? What a jam, packed first five it has been!

We really do live happily ever after.

We spent a morning and lunchtime in historic Philadelphia, since Justin had never been there, and I hadn't been in a very long time. I couldn't stop saying, "This is so fun." Just doing something a little out of the ordinary that we both enjoyed was pure fun. Jack was along, but it really didn't feel like it, cause he hung out or slept in my sling the whole time. There were 13 different story tellers all around the historic center, so we sat and listened to a few of them. I was pretty impressed how "in character" they were during the entire story.

Hangin' out with B. Franklin and the commander of the naval forces, although Ben said he doesn't "hang out" cause he is a very important and busy man. Later on, we found out Mr. Franklin was quite the womanizer and ALL ABOUT making money. He invented fire insurance: if you pay us, we'll come to your house fire first.

My love:

Dutch, our 2000 lb. "engine" for our city tour. It reminded me the carriage tours in Charleston, SC. Very fun.
This post office has no American flag, because it existed BEFORE the flag!

What a great outting with my hubby!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

2011-08-28T21:59:00.000-04:00

I miss my dear friends, Blake & Annie Roof. Annie and I were friends and roommates at Messiah College, and I haven't seen her since her daughter, Missy, was born three years ago! Anyhow, along with our youngest children, Jack (May) and Lily (June), Blake and Annie suggested we eat on the deck on the Chesapeake canal. The babies were angels, and the four of us had wonderful conversation. Justin and Blake got along well and found they have a lot of the same interests. Being with Annie felt like we were back in school together (except we're wives and moms now). It was a refreshing night for all of us.

I'm certainly feeling their absence now that we are separated again from Delaware to North Carolina.

28 years of life

2011-08-10T11:50:00.001-04:00

I had a wonderful birthday weekend! All I could think about was the amazing, blessed life that I live. I have a God who has extended abundant mercy and grace toward me, and continues to do so each day. I have a husband who makes me l-o-v-e being a wife. I have two daughters who snuggle up next to me on the couch just because I'm THEIR mom. They have changed me. I have a son who I want to squeeze and hug and kiss all day long. I have extended family and church family who mean the world to me. How much more satisfied can I be?

Making homemade chocolate ice cream:

We couldn't celebrate my birthday without a cake, according to Izzy.

Goofy:

A happy celebratory lunch made by my in-law family:

Birthday dress from my mom:

Blessed, indeed.

A dinner recipe!

2011-07-18T13:06:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I haven't posted any of my recipes in a LONG time. Here's a healthy one that I LOVED, and didn't think was too time consuming.

Stuffed Onions (or you could use zucs and call them Stuffed Zucs)!

adapted from recipes from thejoyofcleaneating.com
and projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes

Baked Stuffed Onions (or Zucs)

Ingredients:

1 medium (about 2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled with a veggie peeler and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 T honey
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 large (unpeeled) sweet onions, each about 4 inches across
1 cup (packed) baby spinach
4 ounces mushroom, small dice
1/3 c. low-sodium beef broth
4 ounces pork breakfast sausage (optional), such as Jimmy Dean Breakfast patties, broken into small pieces
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil or 1 T fresh basil, chopped (I used fresh cause it's growing out back.)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Scatter the squash cubes on the sheet. Drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons of the oil and the honey, then sprinkle them with the red pepper, dried sage and salt; toss to coat evenly. Roast for about 30 minutes, tossing them once or twice, until the squash is tender but not mushy. Let cool on the sheet while you prepare the onions; leave the oven on at 400 degrees.

Cut and discard a 1/2-inch-thick slice from the top of each onion. Trim just enough from the bottom of each onion so they can sit level. Peel the onions. Stand the onions on a cutting board. Use a melon baller to scoop out most of the insides of each onion, transferring the inside bits to a medium bowl.

Place the onions in the shallow baking pan, then pour 1/3 cup of the beef broth around them. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for for 25 to 30 minutes. The onions should be tender, but still firm enough to stuff and cook longer without falling apart. Transfer to the stovetop (off the heat) and keep covered.

Mix panko breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Set aside.

Coarsely chop about 1 1/2 cups of the onion insides. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender, then add the garlic, spinach, and sausage, if using; cook about 4 minutes, stirring often and using a wooden spoon to break up clumps, until the sausage is no longer pink. Season with the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Add the cooked squash to the saute pan, stirring to combine. Stir in the breadcrumb and cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Uncover the roasted onions; stuff each one with about 1/2 cup of the stuffing mixture. Place the remaining mixture around each onion in the baking pan. Drizzle the onions with oil, re-cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve hot.

Notes:

This would probably be enough of a main meat poriton for 3 people. I might serve it with some egg noodles, or with a soup sidedish, or maybe a serve it with a sidedish of tomato/mozz/basil slices. Or serve it with a green salad and crunchy bread. That's what I did! The stuffing would be AWESOME in zucs, so you could cut a zuc long ways in half, scoop it out, add it to the saute, and then stuff and bake the zucchini boats! You could also just make this as a Thanksgiving stuffing/dressing, and add some craisins. It's delicious with the butternut squash!

Also, if you don't want to use breadcrumbs, you can use bulgur!

3 1/3 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat

After the sausage is cooked, add the bulgur, stir to coat evenly and cook for a minute or two. Add the remaining 3 cups of beef broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 to 30 minutes (depending on the grade of bulgur used) until tender. Then go on to adding the squash, etc. The time it takes to cook the bulgur depends on which grade you use: quick-cooking (Grade 1) will take less time than Grade 4.

Isn't he cute?!

2011-07-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

Look at my sweet 2 month old boy!

He really smiles for Iz!

Water and Cupcakes!

2011-07-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

Last week, we joined the Rouses at their salt-water pool for swimming and lunch. I love getting together with friends.
Grayson was cute talking to Jack:

The next day, we spent the morning with the Mittens for Ella Grace's 2nd birthday party!

Jack took a snooze while I helped with a few last minute set up jobs:

Carriel and Jack:

Cute pregnant momma:

There was a water-play theme, and a lot of the foods were fish shaped or on fish shaped platters!

The party was at their neighborhood gazebo.

Our friends Martyn and Georgiana:

Fun!

Aw, look at one excited Ella Grace:

Jack just hangin' out:

Clara, begging and begging for a cupcake!

Eating ice cream cone cupcakes with the birthday girl:

History and Family Names

2011-07-16T14:36:00.000-04:00

I think this picture is so cool! My Grandpa Beatty (my dad's dad) is the little boy sitting on the bench, and my dad's Aunt Clara (more commonly known as Claire) is sitting next to him.

Mooooooo!

2011-07-16T14:33:00.000-04:00

Our friends, the Fowlers, now live one hour away from us, so this year we found some new friends that would dress up like cows for free Chick-Fil-A. We met the Rouses at CFA to eat and play. Oh, and it's nice for the moms to have time to chat. ;)

Jack has a onesie and I have a shirt on that match the girls' shirts:

I didn't have a shirt that I could draw on for Izzy, so I used clear contact paper and colored spots to stick on her shirt. She even thought to wear her cow slippers!

Gotta have a cow with hairbows!

Back to NC

2011-07-16T14:29:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful, jam-packed July 4th trip, but you know what that means: got a lot of laundry to do!

Look at that boy surrounded by little girl swimsuits and dresses:

One HOT evening, we popped popcorn and watched a movie IN AIR CONDITIONING together:

Mrs. Sponaugle

2011-07-16T14:26:00.000-04:00

All high school and some middle school summers were spent taking care of deadheading our neighbors' flowers. Some days it took one hour, other days I spent three hours working and could have spent three more. It just depended on what was blooming and dying. I grew to L-O-V-E reblooming Daylilies and hate Hollyhocks. I couldn't wait to see the mulch spread all over the beds of their property each Spring and Fall. That's where I found my loyalty to dark brown, aromatic mulch that will NEVER be swayed by Southerners' pine straw.

Mrs. Sponaugle, known to everyone else as Mimi, was our neighbor. I'm pretty sure my sisters and I will always know her as Mrs. Sponaugle. I couldn't call her anything else. She is the hardest working gardener that I know! The five of us spent some time with her catching up the last morning we were in Hershey before heading to the airport. I found out the Sponaugles have been married for 53 years!!!

Fam Reunion!

2011-07-16T11:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my late-Grandpa Moyer and the oversight of some of my aunts and uncles, we were blessed with the funds to travel to PA for the Moyer-McClure family reunion on July 4th! We had a wonderful time with everyone, and enjoyed seeing the McClure farm in central PA (Calvin, PA).

Shirts from Nanna:

A baby turtle:

My sweet cousin, Mary Elizabeth, arrived home from ONE YEAR in Ecuador just the night before the reunion, so we were really EXCITED to be with her. I gave her many hugs and love her tons.

My mom's cousin, Sue:

Patriotic food:

The hostess:

Everyone!

A true highlight:

Sweet picture:

Izzy actually hit the target!

Family time!

Here's the Moyer family members that were there. Of course, we missed the ones not able to make it:

Cousin time

2011-07-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

Hannah is my youngest first cousin, and I finally met her at just under being 6 months old.

She weighs just a pound or so more than Jack. :)

My other young cousin, Sam, is Hannah's older brother, and he and Izzy got to be buddies.

Aunt Wendy meeting her newest nephew:

A delish dinner: Justin's grilled ribs and chicken thighs, and Dad's potato salad and pan fried trout!

My Uncle Matt:

Ice cream sundaes!!!

Chickens and Fish

2011-07-16T10:51:00.000-04:00

Izzy and Clara's favorite part of being at Nanna and Grandpa's is feeding the chickens and collecting the eggs.

Justin's favorite part of being there is the TROUT fishing so nearby! He went almost every morning we were there, and outfished his guide. Justin even caught a rare Palomino, pictured below:

If we lived there, I don't know if we would see Justin unless we visited him at the trout stream. ;)

Canoeing... with Barbie and a Gun

2011-07-16T10:46:00.000-04:00

Grandpa took us canoeing down the Swatara River for a couple hours one day!

Grandpa's first experience canoeing with Barbie! Izzy also brought her (play) hand gun along for the trip. Barbies and guns, what more do you need?

Mid trip stop to swim (and be a nut):

End of trip and Nanna, Aunt Tess, and Jack met us:

Just time spent

2011-07-16T10:37:00.000-04:00

Just spending time with loved ones is so satisfying. Makes me thankful that Izzy, Clara, and Jack have grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles that want to spend time with them.

A labor of love: dressing Tess and Maggie's old barbies for Izzy.

PSU vs. UNC?

Whate'er my God ordains is right...

2011-07-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

In light of Cam's physical trials and Luke and Evelyn's difficult days of not knowing what the Lord had in store for them, I had to work out knowing God's sovereignty in my head and trusting it in my heart. It truly is amazing to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. I love the Fawcetts, and pray that there will be a day when Jack runs around outside of our church with their Cam, just like Izzy and their Maggie have done these last couple years. This hymn is dear to me, and of course always brings out my tears.

Original Trinity Hymnal, #94

Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Holy his will abideth;
I will be still whate'er he doth;
And follow where he guideth:
He is my God: though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to him I leave it all.

Whate'er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path;
I know he will not leave me:
I take, content, what he hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait his day.

Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking:
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet am I not forsaken;
My Father's care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to him I leave it all.

From what I have found, the words are by Samuel Rodigast (1649-1708), who was a teacher and philosophy scholar and the devout son of a German Lutheran pastor. According to the Nordhäuser Hymnal (1687), Rodigast wrote the words for this hymn for a very ill friend, Severus Gastorius. Gastorius not only recovered, but as a church musician, he went on to write the tune for Rodigast’s poem.

The Psalter Hymnal Handbook observes: “A sermon on Deuteronomy 32:4 in hymn form, the text is a confession of unshakable trust in God's providence in our lives. The text expresses the kind of devout faith that produced Lutheran Pietism (which began around 1670) and provides a worthy vehicle for congregations to affirm trust in God's care.”

Meeting T. Campbell!

2011-07-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

My parents had to work on Friday, so that was a perfect set up for us to drive 2 hours to Wilmington to spend the day with our dear friends, the Fawcett family. We didn't have much time to see friends on our short trip since it was a family focused weekend, but we were SO HAPPY to have this opportunity with the Fawcetts. I know I've already posted about their son, Cam, having Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, so I won't go into it, but his condition is very serious. He's at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which is one top notch care center!

Evelyn's mom was a dear servant, and kept all three of our children, along with her granddaughter/Izzy's BFF, Margaret. She even fed Jack his very first bottle successfully. Thank you, Louise!!!

Evelyn had taken the train into the hospital early that morning, so Luke chauffeured us to the hospital just after lunchtime.

When we arrived, we lathered on the hand sanitizer, and then I saw Evelyn for the first time in over a month and met Cam! (Justin had already met him the weekend before.)

He was hooked up to the CPAP machine for his breathing, but eventually, Evelyn and the nurse made a special effort to...
allow me to HOLD and rock CAM!!!

I will NEVER forget holding Cam and all the emotions that I felt. It was a very, very special day. Knowing his life was so very fragile at that time was very overwhelming, and holding him made all the emotions of love incredibly strong. (Feeling that bond with Cam has certainly caused me to cry plenty of tears over the past few weeks when he was facing a second open-heart surgery in his short life, but God has been so merciful to him, to his family, and to their friends here in CLT in giving him enough healthy progress to wait for the surgery for a few months!) He looked tiny but so normal on the outside. It was difficult to see him act like Jack with typical newborn movements, and to know that things on the inside were far from normal. What a lesson in truly knowing that we hold our children with an open hand.

Finally, we said goodbye to Cam (although I didn't really want to leave), and went back to Evelyn's parents' home to eat dinner and spend time with everyone there. The girls had a wonderful time together.

What a day!

Crossin' the Mason-Dixon again!

2011-07-16T08:42:00.000-04:00

Jack took his first trip on an airplane for the 4th weekend! The girls were so excited to be on a plane again, and the trip was E-A-S-Y. Wish we could fly every time we go to PA, but Clara will not be free to fly in just a few weeks. Driving 9 hours isn't horrible, but I just don't like driving. The girls aren't bad travelers; it's really their momma who can't stand all the driving. A one hour and one minute flight=a happy momma!!!

Apparently, the FAA doesn't allow two lap children to be sitting next to each other, so I was across the aisle with Jack. Not sure of the logic behind that rule... If the plane goes down, what's that rule gonna do? ;)

Grandpa surprised us and met us at the airport!

Aunt Tess brought us the three carseats.

Aunt Tess got to make a lot of escalator rides with Izzy. Escalator=cheap entertainment for Izzy!

Just us...

2011-06-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

Clara not excited about sitting in the grass:

Jack not excited about taking pictures in lieu of being fed:

Too cute:

Get the paci!
Sweet kisses:

Love, love, love:

Oh, Mom! Puhlease, can we just eat lunch!?

One more... my fav!

Married 4 years and 10.5 months,
Izzy 3.5 yrs,
Clara 22.5 months,
Jack 7 weeks

Sweet Baby Cam

2011-06-27T19:51:00.000-04:00

Our good friends, the Fawcetts, have been living in Delaware for over a month now for the birth and care of their son, Cam, who has hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He is in the pediatric cardiac intensive care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which is one step more serious than the NICU. The Lord is healing Cam each day, but the Fawcetts have a long road ahead. My girls have gotten very used to praying for Cam. The other day, we were praying for our meal, and Izzy mixed up her prayers. We often pray for Justin to have wisdom at work, so Izzy knew to pray for Cam, but prayed, "Please give baby Cam wisdom." It made me smile. ;) We cannot wait to see him running some day with our little Jack, just like Maggie Fawcett and Izzy do.

One blessing that the Lord provided was for Justin to visit the Fawcetts, to get a first hand take on everything, and to give them some support from their church family. Justin said he will never forget holding that little boy. We now know how to pray for them even more!

Auntie Tess!

2011-06-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful visit with Auntie Tess! I wish my sisters could stay longer, cause they make life so much easier! The girls loved all the attention, and I loved having a few breaks from being "on call 24/7." ;)

We walked around the Matthews Farmers' Market Saturday morning, and then Tess took Izzy to get her very first real mani/pedi:
On Sunday afternoon, we had some of Justin's family over for Father's Day dinner.

Auntie loved Jack snuggles:

We spent a couple days at the pool, and Izzy had a blast swimming with Auntie Tess. I even sat on a lounge chair and read a book! That's probably the first and last time that will happen all summer, since I normally am watching the girls.
Puzzles and coloring this big poster were a big hit with the girls:

One night after Izzy's dance class while Justin was at a meeting, we went out for dinner:

Saying goodbye isn't fun for my sweet girls:

Wed nights...

2011-06-27T17:42:00.001-04:00

Wednesday nights thru the summer, we eat dinner at church and then have classes. Izzy goes to catechism class for an hour, and we go to a wonderful class on studying the Bible taught by Dr. Bob Cara from Reformed Theological Seminary.

Henry was practicing for being a big brother this Christmas:

Although I really enjoy cooking for Justin, I love having one day off from cooking dinner. :)

Summer movies!

2011-06-27T17:36:00.000-04:00

Regal theaters have $1 movies on Tues and Wed mornings throughout the summer.
We saw Tale of Despereaux, a book I loved reading aloud when I was teaching.

Jack slept in my sling on me for more than half the movie, and then just nursed (nice it was dark). Such a great little guy!
I told Justin I felt like the stereotypical penny pincher when all the kids were eating their theater popcorn, and I pulled out bags of cereal for the girls. ;)

Sweet little friends:

We stopped at a book store for an errand, and we saw a stuffed animal of Despereaux right after seeing the movie! (No, I didn't buy it.)
Hopefully, we'll get to Charlotte's Web in two weeks.

Growin' on up

2011-06-27T17:22:00.000-04:00

Izzy started her first extra activity this month: DANCE!
She is in a six week summer intro class to get her used to class before the real classes start again in the Fall. It's laid back and fun, and she doesn't have to wear a leotard and dance shoes until Fall.

The first class was so funny. Whenever Izzy starts something new, she is very serious and watches everything w/o participating. She did that the first time we ever went to storytime at the library, did that the first part of seeing Barney live, etc. Eventually, she warms up to full, all out participation. Anyhow, she stands completely still watching everyone dancing all around her. I forget what she is like and start urging her to participate, which leads to a teary, overwhelmed meltdown. I was laughing so hard, cause everyone else was dancing away and my kid seemed totally unsocialized. :) I left her alone and slowly she lifted her foot, and by the end of class she was the happy little dancer! Last week, I just dropped her off and ran to the grocery store before picking her up. :)

Aunt Maggie!

2011-06-27T17:06:00.000-04:00

My sister flew in from NYC to meet Jack and spend the weekend with us! Such a great visit.

Of course, there was plenty of "texting" and make-up with Aunt Maggie:

We made a trip to Target since things are cheaper here than in NYC:

We spent plenty of time at the pool!

The girls love bedtime stories, especially anything involving Snow White!

Snuggles with her boy:

We love when family comes to visit!

Pool time!

2011-06-27T16:59:00.000-04:00

Our first time at the pool one Friday evening in early June was a blast! I really look forward to the opening of our swimming pools in the neighborhood all Spring. Jack is happy as can be in the water!!! The girls buzz all around. :)

And since then, I've gone on my own. I have a great system for carrying all our stuff. We go at lunch with a packed cooler, cause there's always less people at that time of day. :) Then we head home for naps!

Food, Water, and Sand

2011-06-27T16:55:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed a morning at one of our neighborhood playgrounds with Carriel and her daughter, Georgiana. Izzy and Georgi have December birthdays 8 days apart. I always have a good time talking with Carriel! They put a new sandbox in the park that wasn't there last week!

Jack looks awfully big in this picture. Georgi, you are so sweet!

Angie and her daughter, Carissa, came to visit in early June bearing gifts. They brought hand-crocheted cupcakes for the girls' play kitchen with little "sprinkles" sewed on top (tiny beads). We are missing them this summer as they are visiting family and going to summer camps in Chicago.

Another day we met the Surratts at Blakeney during lunch time to listen to live music while the kids ran through the fountains of water that shot up from the ground. (I even walked through them with Jack. haha.) It was a fun outting for a hot day!

Another day we met Naphtali and Ella Grace for lunch at Panera. I LOVE catching up with Naph. We never, ever have enough time to talk. It takes us 100 tries to leave each other before we actually leave!

Naph is 3/4 done with her pregnancy with Baby Boy Mitten!

Celebrating!

2011-06-27T16:45:00.000-04:00

Justin's parents hosted a baptism celebration Sunday dinner. We invited our good friends, the Surratts, and Luke Fawcett to join us.
We sang before eating, enjoyed a feast, and certainly passed Jack around!

Thanks to Justin's family for working hard to make lots of food:

Jessica's chocolate pecan pie was to die for!

Baptized!

2011-06-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

One day that I look forward to after the birth of our babies is their Baptism Sunday. I pray that each of my children will not be able to remember a day that they didn't love Christ.

We make vows, or solemn promises, before the Sacrament is performed:
Do you acknowledge that, although our children are conceived and born in sin and therefore are subject to condemnation, they are holy in Christ, and as members of his church ought to be baptized?

Do you promise to instruct your child in the principles of our holy religion as revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, and as summarized in the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of this Church;

and do you promise to pray with and for your child, to set an example of piety and godliness before him, and to endeavor by all the means of God's appointment to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

Becoming a covenant child:

Justin is the first person to be baptized in our church to have his children baptized there, too. I think that is really special.
Justin's family, Justin's grandma, and my dad with us:

Not into any more pics and ready to eat:

My fav pair of JACKS!

2011-06-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

Grandpa Jack meets Baby Jack!!!!!!!
My dad drove down to Charlotte (9 hrs) after work on Saturday just to be at Jack's baptism on Sunday. He had to leave after Sunday dinner to be home in time for work on Monday! What a special time we had...

Checking each other out:

A proud Grandpa with a boy in his family tree (FINALLY!):

Love!

Jack at 3wks

2011-06-27T16:16:00.000-04:00

Here's our big boy at 3 weeks.

Uncle Jord visited one afternoon after work:

Uh oh, Jack!

2011-06-24T23:28:00.000-04:00

A sign that you have two older sisters:

I was driving, and heard Izzy exclaim, "Jack looks pretty!" I handed Izzy my phone to take a picture of Jack, cause I couldn't see him, and this is what I saw. This pic is a keeper!

Livin' life

2011-06-24T23:25:00.001-04:00

We seem to be missing articles of clothing just when I want to snap a picture. On second thought, maybe I want to snap a picture when articles of clothing are missing? :)

Clara and Izzy cooking...

Ahhhhh, I love them:

Clara putting Izzy down for a nap:

A sweltering day playing with buckets of water:

Watching a movie after playing in the water, LOL!

Memorial Day

2011-06-24T23:21:00.000-04:00

We invited Justin's family, Luke, and the Black family over to our house for Memorial Day. Justin made delicious spicy wings, and he also grilled burgers that I fixed for everyone. Jennifer, Trish, and Sarah provided all the sides.

Here are the "old men" relaxing:

Cousins on their mobiles:

Justin got to break in his "polish horseshoes" game that my dad made him for Christmas last year:
Look at my patriotic little princess wearing her flag hairbows that Aunt Tess sent:

Aunt Jean got some snuggle time with my AWESOME baby! I'm pretty biased. ;)

The joy of siblings!

2011-06-24T23:14:00.000-04:00

Jack is well loved.
I was rather proud of myself for bathing all three kids one night while Justin was gone at a meeting.

Oops, found Izzy had come down half the stairs with Jack. She carries him allllll around (talk about being a flexible mama and a laid back baby... haha), but I had to nix carrying him on the stairs.

My sweet, sweet kids:

That picture makes my heart swell. <3

Fawcett love

2011-06-24T23:10:00.000-04:00

Evelyn and Margaret had left to live in Delaware temporarily before and after the birth of their boy, Cam. He was diagnosed in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (I think that's correct), and was going to be born and cared for at CHOP. Luke stayed here till just before the birth, so he came over a couple times, and one time got the summer buzz from Justin:

Another day, Izzy and Clara painted pictures to send to Maggie in the mail. They miss her SO MUCH!

Details?

2011-06-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

Izzy enjoys sending mail to people. Wonder where she got that from? ;)
While writing to one of her aunts, she drew a picture of herself. Check out her ten TOES! :)

Time to pedal!

2011-06-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

Izzy has a couple bigwheels, but her legs are too short to pedal them, so she's never learned to pedal. After three nights of practice with Daddy, she can now ride her bike during our family walks! She was so proud of herself, and pretty determined to learn, too. At first, I thought she wasn't ever going to be able to ride a bike (WITH TRAINING WHEELS). It looked bad. But somehow, with Daddy's patience and her persistence, she did it!

Of course, riding a bike in a skirt:

Thanks to the Guidos for giving us this bike when they were done with it!

Nanna time!

2011-06-24T22:57:00.000-04:00

We had planned to have my mom come during the same time as the baptism, but since the baby hadn't come at that time, we had to postpone her trip and the baptism. Obviously. haha. We were all really bummed to cancel her trip, but little Jack made us wait!

Clara had a special time with Nanna learning how to do a lot of puzzles:

And Nanna taught her how to pretend to be in a parade. They marched around hitting spoons and wearing tupperware hats. ;)
What a fun Nanna!!!

Nanna Meets her first boy!

2011-06-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Baby boys have been nonexistent in the Jack Beatty family, so here are pics of Nanna meeting her first boy!

We drove to historic Waxhaw for lunch one day during her visit and walked around the town and their train tracks. Eventually, I got tired and took us back home. :)

First outting

2011-06-24T22:47:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, just before Jack was a week old, I took all three kids to Target, cause I NEEDED some nursing gear. I was surprised that it wasn't that difficult. It really was pretty much the same as before, just took longer to get everyone in and out of the car. I did find by the end of the little trip that I was ready to be home cause my insides were T I R E D. :) Naptime was enjoyed by all!

I was a little proud of myself, I'll admit.

Lots of resting

2011-06-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

Since I went home 2.5 hours after Jack was born, we did a lot of resting at home. The girls came back to us Monday evening, May 9. They had been gone since Wednesday when they went to Roanoke to celebrate Granddaddy's 80th birthday. They had planned to come back to us Thursday, but that ended up being Jack's birthday! Justin offically went back to work Wednesday, but he'd been working from home throughout the other days here and there.

Getting a little vitamin d...

Such the doting big sis:

And now life begins a new chapter of stay at home mom of THREE!!! :)

Follow up

2011-06-24T22:38:00.000-04:00

On Saturday evening, we drove back to see my midwife, Damaris, for a check up for both Jack and myself. He had to have blood tests done for the state of SC, and I checked out well.

This is where Jack was born:

We forgot to take a picture arriving at home after the birth cause it was just before 1am when we got home.

My friend, Carla, made Jack a baby memory book, and we stamped his feet in it before leaving the birth center that Saturday evening. Damaris ended up having to rush out of our check up, cause another one of her mamas was having her baby. :)

First of the fam!

2011-06-24T22:33:00.001-04:00

Grammy brought Izzy and Clara over to our house after lunch on Friday. We heard Izzy run in the door and yell, "Where's my Jacky-boy?!" That name has stuck.

Poppy came later in the day after work. He wants lots of grandbabies. I tell him I'm doing my part. ;)

Joel meets his first boy cousin, and Aunt "Jean" and Uncle Calvin meet their first nephew! Jennifer cooked me the most delicious chicken alfredo with lots of veggies in it. I was in heaven!

UncleJordyKate snugglin' with our big babe:

I'm pretty sure my master bedroom has never seen so many people. Good thing it was perfectly cleaned and ready for visitors! :)

Fawcett fun

2011-06-24T22:27:00.000-04:00

Luke, Evelyn, and Margaret have all three visited right after the birth of our three kids. Of course, Maggie was only 6 months old when Izzy was born, but I have pictures of her visiting the hospital. They have made it a special treat to come during lunch time each time with sandwiches and chips! I think it's a pretty cool tradition. :)

Maggie actually got to lay eyes on Jack BEFORE Izzy and Clara made it to our house! Shhh...

First friends visit

2011-06-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

My dear friend, Naphtali, was Jack's first visitor! She came Friday morning just after breakfast. I'm sure holding him made her anxious to meet her little boy coming at the end of September. It's so fun that her Ella Grace and Clara are close in age, and Jack and her boy will be close in age. :)

Carla held Jack for a good while later that day, and I can't wait to hold her next little one!

Our pastor ended Friday's visits. I always love having him come after our babies are born!

On Saturday, our very good friends, the Willinghams, came at different times during the day to meet Jack and to provide us with a meal! They have been to visit after each our kids were born.

Before heading down to South Carolina, the Roach family stopped by! Their son, Martyn, is exactly one year older than Clara.
I know not everybody likes (short) visits just after having had a baby, but I LOVE it. I enjoy sharing my little ones with the people that love us.

I'm back... with a birth story!

2011-06-22T14:32:00.006-04:00

I've returned to my blog. I almost can't believe it.

I have gotten so behind, that I've felt a little overwhelmed with how to catch up. Plus, I really wanted to write out a full story of Jack's birth, and that just took time! My in-box is full of emails that friends have written waiting for my reply. I'm getting somewhere, cause I've just finished Jack's birth story!

Here's the thing, I have written out a fairly detailed, somewhat graphic account of his birth in the water. I've also included many pictures and my personal opinons about maternity health care throughout the account. If, with those disclaimers, you still want to read about Jack's entrance into this world, click HERE.

My 10+ pound snuggle-bug!

The days before baby...

2011-06-01T10:33:00.004-04:00

May arrives... never thought I'd still be pregnant! We continued on with our daily walks, swing rides, and picnics:

Our girls really love to watch Barney, so we bought tickets earlier in the year for a May 3rd production near downtown of Barney. I thought it would be a good treat for them after the hype of the baby being born, and Justin planned to take them. Well, seeing Barney live ended up being a pre-baby treat, and I took them! At first, the girls were timid, but by the end of the show, they were SO BOLD dancing in the aisles with other kids. Seeing their joy made my heart overflow.

Goofing around at intermission:

On May 4, Poppy and Grammy picked the girls up for an overnight roadtrip to Roanoke for Granddaddy's 80th birthday dinner. Good thing Grammy and Poppy decided to take the girls with them........ ;)

He's here, he's here, he's here!!!

2011-05-23T10:11:00.003-04:00

Ok, he's been here for 2 1/2 weeks now! Jack Mathew Clark is his name.

I blogged within an hour of giving birth after Clara, but wasn't able to do so this time around. I did not give birth in a traditional hospital but instead at a maternity center, so I didn't have much extra time on my hands to blog. Plus, I cannot figure out how to post blog posts on my iPad. But alas, I'm getting a post put up for everyone!

I am working on writing up my birth story. That will come soon.

Cinco de Mayo/International Day of the Midwife/May 5, 2011:

My labor and delivery room:

Jack Mathew at just a few seconds old! The next picture snapped, although not appropriate for public posting, had Jack's face "pinked up."
My BIG boy at 10 lb, 10 oz!!!

Just about to head home at midnight that night (a little less than 3 hours old):
We had an incredible experience that evening, and are LOVING life with our three kids.

A few pics from Easter Sunday afternoon

2011-04-26T10:52:00.002-04:00

After her Easter Sunday nap, Clara was thrilled to open her basket of goodies:

Izzy teaching Clara how to hunt for eggs:

Relaxing with the Clarks and DeBoers after Easter Sunday dinner:

Might as well do some home projects

2011-04-26T10:44:00.002-04:00

Izzy and I planted our veggie garden, I weeded the flower beds, Justin mulched, and Justin hung ceiling fans in the past two weeks.

Habitat for Humanity from Pittsburgh sent us a Home Depot gift card for hosting them overnight, so we finally got a ceiling fan for our family room!

Our fam of four... for now.

2011-04-26T10:34:00.001-04:00

Easter morning pics we took at our neighbors' house:

40.5 weeks

What have the Clarks been doing?!?

2011-04-25T20:35:00.002-04:00

Well, while we wait for our little guy to be born, we have been staying busy keeping house, visiting family and friends, and of course, doing all kinds of things OUTSIDE!

Since Aunt Jennifer now lives just 10 minutes from us, we enjoy stopping by there as much as we can. Even without a fully functioning kitchen, she and Calvin had us over for dinner last week, which was sooo nice for me. One day, we stopped by for an hour or so just to eat a picnic lunch on a blanket in their big bag yard for a mid-day break. So much fun! Here's a picture of us checking out the new island that she designed and had built for her kitchen:

I'll post more Easter pictures that are on my camera, but here's a picture of the day after Easter and Izzy showing off her gloves that Nanna sent to her and the rabbit PEZ from Nanna that she was begggggging to eat:
Justin ordered 6 yards of mulch and finished most of the trees and flower beds on Saturday. Just a little more left to do, but he worked hard! I weeded the flower beds as he mulched (
shoulda got a picture of that! ha!), so hopefully the mulch will hold the weeds back till I recover from having the baby. Here's a pic of one of the peach-colored Iris flowers blooming and trying to hide that ugly meter box:

Oh, about two weeks ago, Izzy and I planted our veggie garden thinking that might help to bring on labor... but no, we just labored at planting. ;) Our green bean seeds have now sprouted and are growing in such nice straight rows. We are growing Better Boy and Beefeater tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapenos, yellow squash, zucs, cucs, and herbs this year.

Hiiiiiiii! One of the last days/weeks without a brother!

Clara: 20 months, Izzy: 3 yrs, 4 months

Oooooops!

2011-04-13T15:48:00.002-04:00

I haven't kept up with the blog recently. BABY on the mind! :) I'm due in one week!!! Thought the baby was coming last weekend, but all signs of labor have stopped, and now we're just hanging out. Without painful contractions every night, I have slept better, so I'm feeling kinda normal minus the large belly. The weather has been perfect, so we've been outside a lot on walks, taking picnic lunches, and climbing at this little rock park in the neighborhood. We've also enjoyed visiting Justin's sister, Jennifer, at her new house, which is JUST 10 minutes away. She, Calvin, and their son, Joel, are so happy to be in a wonderful home, and I'm enjoying seeing all the work they are accomplishing on it to make it "their own." I took Izzy for her first dental visit this morning, and I had my teeth cleaned, too. Clara sat on my lap on the dentist's chair the entire time! How cool is that? Well, at least my teeth will be clean for childbirth. haha. My wonderful friend, Naphtali, came over Saturday and helped me finish my cleaning list. THANK YOU!!! I'm guessing that the next update will announce the arrival of our #3! Izzy's anticipation makes me even more excited than I already am. I've gotta go pick the dogs up from the groomers now, serve dinner, and go to Bible Study. Adios!

One BIG sleepover!

2011-03-14T09:41:00.005-04:00

A new experience for us: hosting 24 Habitat for Humanity college students/leaders overnight.

This group was on their way back from building a home in Georgia to their school, the Univ. of Pittsburgh. We managed to feed them all dinner while learning about how their project for HFH worked. I was glad to have just enough food, and was shocked to realize just how much food 24 grown people can eat! In the morning, we mixed Daylight Savings with their early departure, so I was glad that Justin cooked breakfast while I prepared the fruit, coffee, and eating utensils. Even if I wasn't this pregnant, I think I'd have still needed a nap Sunday afternoon after church, but it was a fun time for us, and we were happy to help them out. The guys slept on the third floor and a few on the first floor in our family room, the girls slept on the second floor in the extra bedrooms... lots of sleeping bags everywhere! For having that many people here, they left our house neat and tidy. :)

The leader of this group, Jonny, is a Messiah alum, and I was good friends with his younger brother, James, at Messiah. Seeing college people that I haven't seen in a long time is ALWAYS awesome! (After they had gone, Izzy said, "I like Jonny. Hims nice. Hims carried Clara.")

Lots of shoes!

Izzy didn't want them to leave Sunday morning. I mean, all the extra attention (and cell phones for her to play on) was pretty fun!!!

Goodbye Nemo I, Hello Nemo 2, 3, & 4

2011-03-14T09:32:00.002-04:00

While eating breakfast one morning, I realized that our "Nemo" was upside down in our tank. I get grossed out by that kind of thing, so I was thankful that the girls had gotten up and started breakfast early enough that morning for Justin to still be home. Justin and Izzy flushed Nemo, and all we were left with was a large Algae eater named Marlin. Marlin hides in a rock most of the day, and prefers to come out to clean the tank when it's dark or when the kids are not around.

While at Walmart getting a few things Saturday morning, we stopped to get some new Nemos! The three of them have orange fins and gray/silvery bodies with bold black stripes.

Since Clara feeds Marlin, Izzy now has fish to feed again!

Gettin' ready for a boy!

2011-03-14T09:12:00.002-04:00

Last week, I organized ALLLLLLLLLLLL the kids' clothes. Just three years of clothes for every season adds up to more big tubs of clothes than I coulda ever imagined. At least, every single age/season is now completely organized in one of our attic spaces. I felt quite accomplished. :) Our little boy has been very blessed by friends and family and has bins of clothes for his whole first year already!

Then I moved on to ridding the nursery of pink accents and Clara's clothes. It is now completely ready for our little guy, and the pink has been replaced with BLUE!

Little diapers sitting ready:

Thankfully, the nursery was already "neutral" with orange walls and a clown theme:

34weeeks... and he's turned to a normal position! YAY!

Growing out:

SIX weeks... or so!

2011-03-09T09:36:00.004-05:00

Today I have six weeks until I'm due with our little boy! Of course, if I go past the due date, it'll be a little longer, but not too much past April 20. Maybe an Easter time baby?

You might get a kick out of these pics I took with my phone. The girls were playing doctor/midwife and doing just what they've watched during my appointments.

Clara's feeling Izzy's baby:

Izzy ran and got the soap (haha), because she watches Damaris put the gel on my belly before doing the doppler for the heart:

A flashlight makes a great stand-in doppler machine:

If you could hear Izzy, she's saying that she can hear the baby making some kicks on the doppler:

Isn't that too funny?! That's the first time I've seen them play THAT!

Hahaha.

Soon enough we won't be just a family with two little girls.

They sure are fun!

Here they are in the grocery store getting ready to go get a couple things.

Please turn around, little Baby...

2011-02-28T09:45:00.002-05:00

I told my midwife that the baby's jabs were really painful at times, which I've never experienced before. Once she felt the baby, she determined that he's very low and posterior, meaning that his back is lined up with my back. His back needs to be lined up with my front side. Damaris gave me a couple different exercises to do to pull him up and help him turn around, and wouldn't you know, the girls HAD to be in on them. ;)

Hahahahahhahahah.

7.5 weeks till the due date!

Justin's last birthday...

2011-02-28T09:08:00.004-05:00

Justin caught me offguard when he woke up on Friday and said that it was his last birthday... and then I realized he meant he was turning 29 and holding... ;)

Friday evening, we dropped the girls off with their grandparents, and we drove downtown to Chima Brazillian Steakhouse. So awesome! If you like steak, you would LOVE this place. It's a little pricier, but the whole experience is like a show. It's a lot of fun, and the service is top notch.

The gauchos speed around the restaurant with these huge skewers of meat, probably 2 feet long. You turn a little "chip" over to the orange side when you want them to stop at your table. Then you decide if you want that particular meat or if you are going to wait for another one to come by. If it takes more than like 30 seconds for someone to stop, one of the "servers" will use their iTouch to send a text to the back to make sure the gaucho with the meat you want comes to your table right away. That's how they send your drink orders in, too. Pretty high tech, if you ask me. Once the gaucho comes, you tell them if you want med-rare, medium, etc., and they slice the meat right there for you, and you use your little tongs to grab the meat before it falls. It's awesome! My absolute fav was the top sirloin. It was the best I've ever had. Justin loved the lamb.

Justin has been to Chima before to wine and dine customers, but he said it was FUN to have me there. He said it was cause he didn't have to work and was with his wife, but I joked that it was cause his Country Bumpkin coming to the City was pretty funny. ;)

In the center of the restaurant, there is a fancy-schmancy salad bar. Here's one example--it's the smoked salmon salad. There were ALL KINDS of things in the salad bar! Fruits, cheeses, calamari, caesar, arugula, shrimp salad, etc. When you dine at Chima, you just pay a flat fee for your meal, and it comes with delicious mashed potatoes, fried bananas, all the meat in the world, the salad bar, and cheese bread. Since it was Justin's birthday, they brought a complimentary chocolate lava cake, although they said they usually just do tiramisu or cheese cake for b-days. I was STUFFED by the end. It doesn't help that I have a 3.5-4 lb. baby taking up space in my abdomen. ;)

Earlier in the day, we stopped at Justin's office for presents and to pick him up for lunch. We were pleasantly surprised that his mom was happening to pick up his dad for lunch at the same time, so we all went to eat together at a pizza place near the office.
Izzy giving her present:

Clara watching Daddy open the present from her:

On Saturday, we HAD to have cake cause Izzy said we needed one in order to sing "Happy Birthday." ;) Justin's fav is Graham Cracker Chocolate Eclair Cake...

We're SO thankful for Justin's life. God has abundantly blessed us through him!

Mallows!

2011-02-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

After grilling dinner one evening, Justin surprised everyone with marshmallows to roast over the charcoal. :)

Can you tell she liked it? It really wasn't cold... Clara just didn't have any clothes on for some reason, so I grabbed her coat on the way out. ;)

Oh Sun!

2011-02-28T08:45:00.002-05:00

Blowing bubbles in the driveway on a nice day:

Wearing no cardigan sweaters to a princess birthday party!
Pretty princesses in dresses from Aunt Maggie:

Ella Grace and Clara were born 11 days apart. Our next babies will be about 6 months apart. :)

White Lasagna!

2011-02-17T20:18:00.002-05:00

I made two different lasagnas for Justin's mom's birthday dinner, one was traditional and one was White Lasagna. I liked both of them, but here's the recipe for the white one. The red one was very good with a more homemade red sauce, so if you want it, let me know. Easy Spinach Lasagna with White Sauce
Adapted from Juanita Peek on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
29 ounces Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1/2 cup skim milk
1 (12 ounce) package oven ready lasagna noodles (no boil)
1 big spoon scoop ricotta

1 pint 4% large curd cottage cheese

1 egg
8 ounces shredded carrots
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

(optional: broccoli, zucs, etc)

Couple splashes white wine

1/2 lb ground beef

1 lb Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used more)

Panko bread crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 10x15 inch lasagna pan with cooking spray.

Brown the meats and drain.

Sautee carrots and mushrooms in a little olive oil and white wine. (Here is where you could also add in some broccoli or zucs to be sauteed.)

Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes. With my hand mixer, I blended ricotta, cottage heese and egg. Then I lightly mixed in the spinach.

Combine pasta sauce with milk in a medium bowl. Mix well.

Spread about 1/2 cup pasta sauce mixture evenly in the bottom of the dish. Place 3 uncooked noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with half of the carrots and half of the mushrooms. Place 3 more noodles over the vegetable mixture. Pour 1 1/2 cups sauce over the noodles. Spread the remaining spinach mixture over the sauce, followed by layers of the remaining carrots and mushrooms. Also, layer in the meat throughout the dish. Place 3 more noodles over the vegetables. Pour remaining sauce evenly on top. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. I sprinkled extra mozzarella in the layers, too. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, spray side down.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and spoon some sauce over the exposed top noodles. Turn the oven off, and place the uncovered dish back into the warm oven for 15 more minutes. Serve at once, or let rest until ready to serve. I actually baked this for 30 mins one night (then cooled and refrigerated it). Then the next day, I let it rest at room temp for an hour or two before baking it for about another 45-50 mins. I sprinkled panko bread crumbs on top before baking it the second day.

I used Classico roasted red pepper alfredo, but some reviewers made their own alfredo. I just didn't have the time and sometimes homemade alfredo can be more expensive than just the jar. Also, some people did half the spinach and half sauteed broccoli, also could add some sauteed zucs.

I think that's all the tweaks I made...

Daddy love :)

2011-02-15T16:24:00.002-05:00

We didn't see Daddy on Valentine's Day until after work, but he didn't forget his girls. ;)

He brought cards, stickers, and gummy bears for the girls:

I'm pretty easy to please. Justin told Izzy he knew I'd be more excited about the chocolate milk than the flowers, which is true, but I do really like the flowers, too. :)

I do not buy chocolate milk due to the fact that I cannot control myself. Ha! I received the half gallon last night, and it will definitely be gone by tonight.
You may not be able to tell, but these steaks were HUGE!!! They are from the beef that we got from my Uncle Dick's little herd. No joke, they were the size of a regular-sized dinner plate. We put the girls to bed, and then had a steak-date night! Thanks, Mom, for the heart-shaped plates, too.

I am so thankful for family love.

And I can't wait to have one more person to love... soon!

Valentines from afar

2011-02-15T16:08:00.002-05:00

Auntie Tess was the first to send Valentine's Day cards. Izzy has finally reached the stage of being excited about receiving mail in the mailbox. Then on the actual day, Nanna sent the girls a package with cards and some new socks! Of course, the girls had to try them on right away. ;)

Clara takes her time "reading" her cards.

Izzy decided 70* was too hot for a shirt.

Attempting to open the package of socks:
Then the day after Valentine's Day, the doorbell rang with a package from FedEx sent by Aunt Maggie! The girls looked so cute when they tried on the new princess swimming suits and hand crocheted hats. Oh, Izzy also received a beautiful new Hello Kitty princess necklace from Aunt Maggie!

Doctor, Doctor!

2011-02-15T16:01:00.002-05:00

Grammy brought some bears for the girls from Aunt Sandy. One of them plays the rock song "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor), and the girls both LOVE it! Izzy was jumping all around with it.

Here they are outside dancing and running around to the music:
So happy! Thanks, Aunt Sandy!!!

Grammy's Valentines

2011-02-15T15:53:00.002-05:00

Grammy came over at lunchtime to bring some Valentine's gifts for the girls.

Clara was cute taking her time to inspect her card from Poppy & Grammy:

They both received matching dresses and headbands!
The Valentine books were a hit:

Grammy took us out for a Valentine lunch, and we got to sit OUTSIDE in the SUN!!!

Sweet loves

2011-02-15T15:33:00.002-05:00

Justin was gone before I woke up, so the three of us started Valentine's off with some very little but fun gifts... heart shaped sunglasses ($1/ea), stampers, and heart shaped note pads. Although we practiced saying "I love you!" in honor of the day, Izzy said "Happy Birthday!" later in the day to someone when I prompted her for what to say on Valentine's... ;)

I'm lookin' a little tired, but I just had interrupted sleep when Justin got home really late in the middle of my sleep and then left early before I was ready to really wake up. ;) He's so good to us working hard!

The belly grows...

2011-02-07T22:51:00.002-05:00

16 weeks and regular clothes

Just 5 weeks later! 21 weeks:

25 weeks:
29 weeks, 5 days:

CANNOT WAIT FOR APRIL!

SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!

Sweet sun

2011-02-04T13:22:00.002-05:00

I think tease sunny days make the returning cold much more difficult to bear, but last Sunday's sun and 70* weather was glorious. Justin had left directly after morning worship to head out west for work for four days, so we just played outside after naptime before returning for the evening service.

Ring around the rosie:

So sweet!

I LOVE these girls.

Dressin' the windows

2011-02-04T13:15:00.002-05:00

Justin's parents got us fancy curtain rods and new window treatments for our stairwell window and our master bedroom for Christmas!

The comforter is the same base color as these curtains. I just need to buy some hardware to hold the curtains back a little. One of the windows in our master:
I love what curtains do to a room!!!

Girls' room!

2011-02-04T12:58:00.003-05:00

We have enough bedrooms that the girls could have separate rooms, but I like the idea of them sharing a room, and then it's just less bedrooms to clean up (for now). One of our other bedrooms (that will come in handy the more babies we have) can fit at least 3 kids if not more. ;)

My mom painted and painted. The "new" bedframe for Izzy was originally black and used by my sister, Maggie, in Hershey, and then by me in my old apartment. She also painted the dresser that hadn't ever been painted when we got it second-hand, and it looks so fresh. She matched the knobs to the walls with the green paint. I laid green and white contact paper down on the hutch shelves above the dresser.

After many tries, I finally settled on these quilt comforters for the girls. The room needed bedspreads with bold colors/patterns.

New bedding from Home Goods:
Izzy's bed frame is from the '50s, and it's really tall. She LOVES climbing up into it like a little monkey and doesn't need a stool or steps at all. She's been in the bed for a week now, and no falling out!
I can't believe my 17 month old is in a twin! She does great in there. I wasn't planning to move her from the crib for another month or two, but we tried it for one night and had success. In the mornings, the girls have been waking up at about 7:05-10am, and out they both come full of energy.

So happy!

Nanna fun OUT of the house

2011-02-04T12:40:00.003-05:00

I always wish I had someone to do a quick, spur-of-the-moment trip to Walmart or Target with, so it was fun having Nanna here to just browse. However, when I found how difficult it was to find comforters for Izzy and Clara's new bedroom, I got TIIIIIRED of shopping. I made many trips back and forth from home to store buying and returning and finally buying. ;)

Izzy had to make our required aquarium stop when we went to Walmart to buy some primer paint.

We managed to hit Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Marshall's, Hobby Lobby, Ollie's, Home Goods, Walmart, another Marshall's, and another Target last week...

Nanna taught Izzy how to use cash, which was a new experience since I don't really ever use it.
Shopping made us tired and hungry:

I don't shop a ton cause I usually find that it makes me wish I could get things that don't fit in our budget (need to stay far from covetousness, greed, etc), so I think I got my fill for awhile!

We took a fun break Tuesday evening and went to see Secretariat at the $1 theater in town. The girls were great, and we loved the movie.

Fun IN the house with Nanna

2011-02-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

Nanna visited for a whole week!

Cheering the Steelers on to pre-Super Bowl victory:

Drawing:
Pretty painted red fingernails, and Clara's first time ever to have hers done:

Dipping cookies to make them fancy!

Ponytails and bread?

2011-02-04T11:29:00.002-05:00

Look at Clara's first ponytail!
Here's a great recipe for breadmachine bread. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jos-Rosemary-Bread/Detail.aspx When I made this last week, I added just a tiny more water and put in a couple shakes of grated parmesan. I also subbed 1/2 a cup white whole wheat flour and then just 2 cups bread flour. I used the 1.5 lb loaf white bread setting with a medium crust. It was really tasty dipped in olive oil/balsamic vinegar/ground black pepper dipping sauce. Ours was soft and moist on the inside with just enough crust.

I'm making it again for a dinner tomorrow!

Which school?

2011-01-21T10:47:00.004-05:00

This week for our MOPS meeting, I put together a school panel of three moms whose kids are high school/college/career age. They are all friends of mine from church, and they each have a lot of insight to give on how to educate our kids, whether it be public, charter, private Christian, or homeschool.

Thank you so much to Dawn, Loretta, and Herma for giving of their time to speak to about 35-40 moms of babies/toddlers/preschoolers. I was encouraged by their experiences, advice, and stories. The three of them shared for 10-20 minutes about how they educated their own children, the pros/cons of their method(s), and then answered our questions. The whole morning glorified God. THANKS!

Somebody loves learning!

2011-01-17T11:37:00.002-05:00

I know I've already written about our morning school lessons, but Izzy absolutely LOVES learning. It's very motivating for me!

This morning we worked on F and the sound /f/, read poetry with the /f/ sound, felt all kinds of feathers, put together a fish puzzle, counted items of FOUR and FIVE, sang songs, and more! Tomorrow, we'll have more "F" themed lessons and activities.

Snowed and Iced In!

2011-01-13T13:46:00.002-05:00

We were inside for about 3 days due to 4" of snow and a layer of ice that eventually covered that snow. On the third day, Justin was gone all evening for work, so we finally ventured out to Target to exchange something I had bought and to find a few necessary items (ie. milk). Thankfully, the sun's thermal load had melted most of the ice from the roads by then.

Justin worked from home some of Monday (but had to go to a plant that was having some issues) and most of Tuesday, but we sure didn't see him much. He was on the phone/computer, so our noise didn't exactly help him. He ascended up to our third floor to work, except for our much beloved lunches with him those days! Snow days are more fun outside when Daddy's not working and able to play with all of us, maybe next time. ;)

Izzy's grocery bags instead of boots:

She didn't mind playing all by herself... well, she had the dogs to keep her company out there. Yes, I took the picture from the doorway. ;)
Thankfully, Grammy had just surprised the girls with new slippers, so they have been put to use!

I've really enjoyed our days together... cleaning the house (with the girls' help!), continuing our morning school lessons, baking cookies, etc. I've even gotten to read Jane Eyre this week... gotta love some Bronte literature on these cold, indoor days. My Grandma Beatty would be proud. :)

2011 is in full swing

2011-01-07T10:38:00.006-05:00

We took down the Christmas decor on Monday, and then Tuesday evening the four of us packed up all the ornaments before Izzy and Justin disposed of our lovely Christmas tree. I leave a few snowmen up for January, as long as they don't look too Christmasy.

Riding their horses:

We're back on our regular life schedule now. I know the three of us definitely missed Justin the first few days this week, but all is well. Izzy told Justin this morning that he needs to go back to work today, so that we can pay for food at Chick-Fil-A. Hahaha. (And no, we don't go there often; she just loves the treat of being able to go to CFA.) Clara stopped her morning nap this week, and has joined Izzy and me in our morning school lessons. She enjoys the abacus that Grandma and Granddaddy gave to the girls for Christmas. Izzy pulled a chip out of the bag on Wednesday and exclaimed that it had three sides and was a triangle! I was a proud momma at that moment. LOL. I have now stopped running (mostly just cause it was too cold, not for any physical reasons), but I have switched to the stationary exercise bike in the mornings before the girls wake. I'm just enjoying everyday life with my girls, cause soon I won't be able to refer to all my kids as "the girls"...........

NYE 2010 just the four of us!

2011-01-07T10:18:00.002-05:00

Justin's last day of vacation.............

In the morning, the four of us drove to Ft. Mill, SC for my midwife appointment. Izzy loves to hear the heartbeat on the doppler, and our little boy has a heartrate that is about the same as Clara's was (high 150s)... hope it really is a boy. ;) My midwife found the head of the baby and showed Justin how to kinda grab it, and that was AWESOME! I'm 15 weeks away from the due date (Apr 20)... :) :) :) SO THRILLED!!!

Justin told Izzy we were going to forgo Walmart and Target and "class Mom up" by going to THE MALL to shop for boots that Aunt Maggie had paid for (for one of my Christmas presents).

She LOVES the "alligator" (escalator).

My midwife said she'd been shopping at the mall the night before and that there were lots of deals to be found on boots. We struck out on my size in two stores, but Macy's did us well. We found wedge boots (on sale) that I love! Thanks, Maggie!!!

On NYE evening, we tried the new Hickory Tavern in Wesley Chapel and had a great time together. It was fun to discuss the whole past year, how we had grown and changed, and look back on how God really did take care of us and provide abundantly when we had gone nervously into a year that started with a recession (and a job in sales).

Justin surprised us when he ordered the SEVEN layer chocolate cake, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it:

Hello, 2011!

Roanoke... 3 times in 3 months?!

2011-01-07T10:07:00.002-05:00

We took our time leaving on Wednesday, and pulled out a little before noon. Bye! We miss and love you all.

We broke up the drive home and stayed with Granddaddy and Grandma for one night in Roanoke. Izzy puked a huge mess on the way to VA, but it was just a fluke and she never was really sick, THANKFULLY.
The girls love their cats, especially Max:

They always cook great meals for us. Thanks a bunch for the hospitality. We love you! The girls and I have been spoiled to see Grandma and Granddaddy once per month in Oct, Nov, and Dec of 2010!

Always something to do in the country...

2011-01-07T09:59:00.002-05:00

Izzy loves tagging along for all the outside tasks at Nanna and Grandpa's...

Here they've lit the burn pile:

And then she joined Aunt Maggie in collecting all the eggs:
She said she "got 1,2,3,4,7,8,9 eggs!" Yes, she collected 9 of 'em.

Look in the hole behind Izzy... all the chickens lay their eggs in the same box!

Christmas Dinner on the 28th ;)

2011-01-07T09:48:00.002-05:00

My mom cooked up a feast for us Tuesday evening for our Christmas supper.

She had plenty of Turkey Hill eggnog for me, since we can't get that kind in NC. :)

Riding horsey, our childhood fav:

Old and New Friends

2011-01-07T09:31:00.003-05:00

We had a very short time in PA, but we had from about 4-6pm Tuesday evening to see two sets of friends, one old and one new. Graham, who I've been friends with since senior year in high school, lives in St. Louis, but was visiting his family in Hershey with his girlfriend, Shirin. They were leaving Hershey early the next morning and had about an hour free on Tuesday eve, so we hurried over to his mom's house after the girls' naps. I always love seeing Graham and Lynne, and meeting Shirin for the first time was a delight.

We pulled ourselves away from the cat (and friends) and headed over to the Coulters' home. Lindsay and I didn't know each other very well in high school, but thankfully, people can grow up and forget about cliques and embrace being in the same stage of life. We connected over Facebook after Lindsay had become a mom, and started emailing back and forth. I love it! Anyhow, she offered us a tub of beautiful boy clothes since her son was born in April (I'm due Apr 20), so we stopped to get that and to meet the Coulter family. Izzy and Clara loved Chase's selection of toys, and we all had a good time getting to know each other for a little while before hurrying home to my mom's (belated) Christmas dinner.
Chase was 9 months in this pic and weighed the same as Clara at 16 months! :)
Thanks so much for the clothes; we are blessed!

A clothesline... of goodies!

2011-01-07T09:10:00.002-05:00

On Monday evening after we arrived in Hershey, my mom said that a couple of the family members from her family were coming over for brunch the next day. I didn't realize that they were trying to have a mini-shower for me. Tuesday morning, Justin was trying all kinds of things to get me out of the house: Asking if I wanted to go out for breakfast--but weren't we having brunch??? Asking me to go to the store to buy something Tess needed--but couldn't Tess do that herself? Finally, at one point he grabbed my coat and basically told me we were going out to see what new updates my dad had done to his workshop/barn. It was cold, but I appeased him. After a few minutes, I'm suggesting we go back into the house cause there's only so much to look at in the cold. ;) Again and again, Justin would find another "treasure" or old saw that he just HAD to look at. Out the window, I saw an SUV pull up that I didn't recognize and people that I didn't quite recognize as family unless it was an unexpected stop from one of my mom's old friends??? So, I hurried Justin and we walked into the house to see this:

It took me a second to realize what was going on, but my Aunt Wendy, Great-Aunt Betty, and Mom's friend Debbie joined my sisters and mom for a little brunch and plenty of baby boy gifts for me!
(My Aunt Wendy will be having my newest first cousin, Hannah, this weekend by induction if she doesn't come soon!)

Justin was outnumbered, but his phone/email kept him good company. ;)

Mom made a delicious egg casserole and some breakfast danishes:

We received so many cute little blue and brown outfits! I'm getting very excited!!!

We made it!

2011-01-05T22:22:00.003-05:00

After passing this truck that blew over on the mountain pass and created some traffic for us, we made good time to PA and arrived in time for PRESENTS!

Somehow, I don't have Grandpa or Justin (taking the pic) in this picture, but we had a family gift exchange as soon as we arrived. Tess loved her Keurig from Maggie and us; I'd been so excited to give it to her!
Aunt Maggie got a free sample of dark eye shadow, so who better to give it to... maybe your niece who associates make-up and Aunt Maggie together?

Gotta love family time!

Thanks for your generous gifts--we love them all... games, crafts, my new purse, dresses, shoes, baby doll diapers, books, a Barbie, and so much more!

A White Day After Christmas!

2011-01-05T22:11:00.002-05:00

Look what we woke up to in Charlotte (and Hershey, PA didn't even get any!):

Preparing for our second season of redneck sledding:

Clara was so lightweight that she immediately dumped out of the basket when Justin started pulling her. Snow in the face when you have no snow accessories ended Clara's happiness, but Izzy didn't want to come inside until we made her.

The snow delayed us for a day to Hershey, but we did get there the next evening!

Almost a WHITE CHRISTMAS!

2011-01-05T22:00:00.003-05:00

Before we drove home the night of Christmas, the snow started to fall!

The snow started sticking on Justin's car when we got home!