15 in '15 List Update: September and October

Well.  It turns out having a newborn makes keeping up with a list near impossible.  There was not much done for several weeks, but we are back on track now!  Here's the update.

Summary (for those of us keeping score):
I've completed 7/15 items.
I've made at least some form of progress on 15/15 items.

Here are the details.

1.  Visit 2 new states.  COMPLETE!

Prior months recap:  Georgia (January), Iowa (April), Minnesota (April)

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2.  Print Instagram photos in Chatbooks.  COMPLETE!

They are happily on my coffee table waiting for visitors.
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3.  Read 12 more books.  (5/12 complete).

Prior months recap:  Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist (February), St. John Paul the Great by Jason Evert (March), Before Amen by Max Lucado (April).

Haven't read a thing.  I've really got to get on this one.
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4.  Run another half marathon.   Complete a post-baby 5K.  (Minor progress.)

I'm back to running again and it's SLOW going.  But, it's going.  You take what you can get, I've learned.
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5.  Take a fun trip for The Boy From Texas' 30th.  COMPLETE!

We spent a few days at the beautiful Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  If you missed the blog recapping the trip, click here!

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6.  Plant flowers in our yard and the fun pots we got.  COMPLETE!

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7.  Cook 52 more recipes in the Newlywed in the Kitchen series.  (21/52 completed).

Prior months recap:  5 through end of February; 10 through the end of April, 14 through the end of June; 19 through the end of August.

The last two months I've added the following recipes:  crockpot chicken and stuffing and apple crumble.

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8.  Finish Uncle Black Belt's book.  (Some progress made).

Prior months recap:  As of April, we had Chapters 1-4 finished and were just starting editing on Chapters 5 and 6.

Uncle Black Belt has been editing and adding to, he's sending me the updated version any day now, so hopefully we can keep moving on this.

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9.  Complete one Bible.com study a month.  (8/12 completed.)

Prior months recap:
January:  New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer.
February:  Breathe Spiritual Passion into Your Marriage by Gary Thomas.
March:  Praying for your Elephant - Praying Bold Prayers
April:  Discerning God's Will
May:  Hope
June:  Assurance
July:  The Lies of Busyness:  Devotions from Time of Grace
August:  Using Your Time for God

I didn't manage to keep up with this one (clearly didn't learn enough from "Using Your Time for God" eh?  Will double up the next two months to be sure and get 12 completed.
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10.  Complete 5 Pinterest projects (other than recipes).  COMPLETED!

Prior months recap:  Plant a ceramic pot garden (April), Plant a mixed plant pot (April), Send a birthday box to a friend (May), Make lavender bunches (June), baby folders (August).

I've actually managed to complete 6 projects....over achiever!  I made some really easy homemade stain remover.  I'd read great reviews and wanted to try it myself.  I am happy to report it works great!


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11.  Knock off three more bucket list checkmarks. COMPLETE!

Prior months recap:  Meet a blog friend in person (January); Stay at the Inn of the Mountain Gods

Going to go ahead and call having a baby a bucket list checkmark.  Women should get multiple checmarks for that nonsense!

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12.  Order books/prints/canvases of our wedding photos.  COMPLETE!


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13.  Listen to the New Testament.  (Minor progress made).

Prior months progress:  Matthew 1-10.

I have got to get this in gear.  

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14.  Pray Novenas for 12 friends and send them notes to tell them about it.  (8/12 completed).

Prior months progress:
January:  Novena to St. Anne for a friend suffering through infertility.
February:  Novena to St. Joseph for my single friends.
March:  Novena to St. Patrick for my friend and her growing family.
April:  Divine Mercy Novena for another good friend expecting a little one and a friend diagnosed with cancer.
May:  Novena to the Infant of Prague for two friends struggling with infertility.
June:  Divine Mercy Novena for a good friend going through a stressful time.
July:  Novena to St. John Paul II for a friend taking the bar exam.  Happy results...she passed!
August:  Novena to St. Joseph for a friend whose husband was looking for a job.
September (that month is a blur after giving birth, so I doubled up in October!)

October: Novena to Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin for a friend having a baby.
October:  Divine Mercy Novena for a friend who lost his brother.

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15.  Organize my pictures.  (Minor progress.)

The Boy from Texas assisted me and got all of the photos from my iPhone onto my computer.  Gotta start somewhere!

Me at 32

Another birthday has rolled around.  As I have done for the past 4 years, today I will reflect on the person I see in the mirror at 32.  (If you missed prior reflections, click to read 28, 29, 30, 31.)

At 32...

I'm now called a Momma. Not only is this the biggest change of the year, but the biggest of my life.  I had no idea what it would mean to have this title....what was required, how it would feel, how dang cute this little guy would be, how damn hard and great it is at the same time, this vocation of mine.  It has been unbelievably difficult, but has certainly changed my life for the better.

I've come to appreciate my job even more.  A year ago, I was able to keep my job and transfer to our office in the Panhandle.  This allowed me to have both the dream husband and dream job.  Talk about appreciating a job!  But after being on maternity leave for 2 months, I appreciate it even more. I truly enjoy the work I do and I have missed it while I've been gone.  I am looking forward to the mental challenge, writing, working with people, and chance to make a difference. I know that not everyone is blessed with jobs  they love, so I certainly appreciate this one of mine.

I have been reminded yet again that His timing and His plan far surpasses my own.  You'd think by now, I'd know this, but I'm always surprised when things work out for us.  We decided to just be open to a baby whenever the timing was right, thinking that the timing would be right to get pregnant about now.  His plan, of course, had us pregnant a month after our wedding and a baby already here by now.  Never would I have made that plan for myself, but I'm sure glad He did.  Similarly, our house.  After trying for months to buy a house in town, we were driving around after some very frustrating news on that front when we happened  to drive by a little white house with 8 acres and a for sale sign.  We never would have found this on our own and would be stuck in a brick house in town that The Boy from Texas would have hated.  His plan is always better.

I've become more sympathetic and supportive to others decisions.  I have learned that truly, most of us are just doing the best we can.  We make different choices, take different paths, do different things, but in the end, we're all in this mess called life together.  Why not be kind to one another?  Whether someone marries at 20 or waits until 30 or never walks down the aisle, we're all still people.  And whether a mom breastfeeds or bottle feeds, uses cry it out or pacifiers or baby massage, she's trying her best and that should be enough.

I'm learning to appreciate the little things.  A run in the autumn  air.  A smile from BB.  A note from a friend.  The Boy from Texas kissing my forehead.  An orange and pink sunset. Experiencing a thin place.  Clean sheets. A profound sentence at the right time.  Life is good, big things and small.

I feel settled.  For the first time in my adult life, I feel settled.  I don't wonder what the next step will be or what change I want to make or whether I will meet the right person for me.  Knowing that we are together in a place and season that makes us happy has been a great feeling.

Life Hacks #3

I am back with a few more life hacks today. Be sure to share any of your hacks--little tricks to make life easier--below!

Homemade stain remover.  So turns out babies are messy and stain everything!  After reading about a simple homemade stain remover on Pinterest I had to try it.  I am happy to report great results! It even took stains out of clothes that had already been washed before!  You mix 2 parts hydrogen peroxide, 1 part baking soda, and 1 part Dawn dish soap.  Mix well.  Apply to stain and scrub.  Let sit for one hour. (Letting it sit is important!) Wash clothes as usual.

  

I mixed mine 1/2C peroxide and 1/4C Dawn and baking soda. I keep it in a plastic container and use a tooth brush to apply and scrub.  Cheap, easy, works great!

Homemade animal fly spray.  I learned this recipe years ago from my friend Sarah. We first used it on pigs and I now use it for our dogs.  You just need a plastic spray bottle.  Fill 1/2 water, 1/2 vinegar and squirt in some Dawn dish soap. (Dawn should be sponsoring this post!) Again, cheap, easy, works well and no chemicals.

Re-using gift bags & tissue paper. I am a gift bag recycler. I have a big plastic storage tub full of gift bags and tissue paper. It seems silly to just throw them away!  I had always done this and had a small stash but I really hit the jackpot with the bags from wedding and baby showers.  I seriously may never have to buy wrapping again!  It is amazing the  money you save.

Free undies. If you are a fan of Victoria's Secret, you know their underwear is expensive. There are two things to know here. First, at their semi-annual sales, they have bins of undies on sale for a fraction of the price if you take the time to sort through the unorganized mess.  Second, if you have their credit card (free, no fees) they mail you a coupon about once a month for a free pair of undies.  Now, you only get whatever style is featured, but free is free and if you use every coupon you can really add to your wardrobe!

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #29: Apple Crumble

Last week I came across this recipe on A Blog for my Mom and thought it sounded good. When Honeycrisp apples were half off at the store, I took that as a sign and decided to give it a whirl.  It was yummy and easy...two important recipe qualifications!

The Boy from Texas Rating: 4

The Boy from Texas Comments:  He didn't make any comments but snuck in and polished this off the next afternoon.  I figure he liked it.

Apple Crumble

**This made two pies for me. I recommend you make this as a pie rather than a stand-alone.  I like the frozen pie crusts.**

2 pie crusts

Filling:

6-8 apples, peeled & sliced 

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Crumble:

3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, toss apple slices with 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Spread over pie crust.

Cut butter into small pieces and pulse with flour and sugar in food processor until crumbly. Spread over top of apples.

Bake for 40 minutes, let cool for 10.

Newlywed in the Kitchen Recipe #28: Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

The arrival of BB has greatly decreased the amount of time and energy I have in the kitchen.  So in my attempt to track down easy recipes, I came across this crock pot recipe that turned out excellent!

The Boy from Texas rating: 4

The Boy from Texas comments:  Pretty good for chicken.

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

*Serves 6*

2 pounds chicken, thawed

1 box (6 oz) stuffing mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 C sour cream

1/3 C water

Bag of frozen green beans

Salt and pepper to taste

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place chicken in crock pot and season with salt and pepper.

Cover chicken with stuffing mix.

In medium bowl, mix soup, sour cream, and water.  Spread over stuffing mix.

Place green beans on top.

Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. 

When cooked I stirred it all together to mix it and to break chicken breasts into small pieces.

I failed to get a picture.  Here is one of my kid instead.

I am the girl on the sidewalk...

I had a lot of fun at Oklahoma State. In college (and after on trips back to town), I was the girl in the bar.  I drank a lot of limees. Broke the juke box dancing. Kick lined at 1:30 am to New York, New York. I am fairly sure the bar tab from my group of friends paid for the patio that now exists at the Penny.

Today, I am the girl on the sidewalk. The one with her husband and child excited to point out Pistol Pete to an excited little boy wearing orange. The one who has talked to her girlfriends for years about bringing their kids to homecoming walk around. 

Yesterday, an intoxicated girl plowed her car into a sidewalk of homecoming parade watchers in the middle of the morning.  On a sidewalk I have walked myself hundreds of times.  Chaos ensued, lives were lost. Mothers, fathers, children collecting candy. Four were killed, forty more injured. 

To those of you still in the bar, live it up. Have fun. Make memories. Stumble home singing The Panhandlers off key. 

But don't you dare bring your crap onto my sidewalk. 

Please, please pray for everyone involved in this senseless tragedy. 

One Year. What We've Learned

One year ago this weekend I donned a white dress, he sported a new cowboy hat, and we vowed to love each other for the rest of our lives. 

It has been an adventure, the last 365 days. So in looking back on our first year together, I thought it would be good to reflect on what we have learned about love and marriage and what not. Begrudgingly, The Boy from Texas pitched in a few thoughts as well. 

1. Divorce is not an option.  No matter how bad the fight or how annoying the habit, we never threaten to leave. We don't joke about it. We don't consider it.  Because once it is an option, even in the back of your mind, it is an option. And that is a major problem. 

2. Be flexible.  Some things will not go as planned. Heck, almost nothing will go as planned.  Case in point...we thought that we might be pregnant by our first anniversary. Instead, we have a 6 week old.  Flexibility is important. 

2a.  It does not take everyone a year to get pregnant. Refer to item #2.  The fact that you are 30 and have old eggs apparently does not always change lesson #2.  

3.  Know how best to communicate, generally and on specific topics.  Knowing the best way to discuss things is critical.  Example: We cannot discuss money over text message without someone ending up mad. If we have those conversations in person or on the phone we are good.  Learn how to (and how not to) communicate with each other.

4. Our marriage not all hearts and roses. And no one else's is either. I am working on a complete blog post on this topic because I think it's that important. Society doesn't do us any favors by acting like other marriages are perfect all the time. They aren't. The sooner people figure that out the better. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the time for us it really is roses, but there are those days where a thorn gets thrown into that in the mix. Understanding that this is normal and will happen is important.

5. Simple phrases go a long way.  Don't underestimate the effectiveness of using "Thank you," "I'm sorry," and "I love you."  Use them more than you think necessary.

6. Talk about what bothers you or you don't get anywhere.   The Boy from Texas included this one. In doing so he said, "No one is a mind reader. Write that. Do you hear me? That needs to be in the blog. Write that down."  Enough said.

7.  And now, the best for last. We are so much better together than either could be apart. And we try to always remember that and be grateful for it every day.

One year down...a lifetime to go. 

When Your Vocation Seems Mundane

"Sometimes she must leave God at the alter to find Him in her housekeeping." -St. Frances of Rome

"It is necessary that the heroic becomes daily and the daily becomes heroic." -St. John Paul II

"...vocation is played out not just in extraordinary acts--the great things we will do for the Lord, the great success we envision in our careers someday--but in the realm of the ordinary. Whatever we face in the often humdrum present--washing the dishes, buying groceries, going to work, driving the kids somewhere, hanging out with our friends--this is the realm into which we have been called and in which our faith bears fruit in love." - Gene Edward Veith, Jr. (via my friend April)

Last night while I was up feeding BB at 2 in the morning, he spit up. It ran down my back. And I thought "Well, at least it's not poop on me this time."

Immediately I wondered,  "What happened to my life?"

 I used to live in an apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay.  Not so long ago I sipped lattes in Venice. I spent my days working on multi-million dollar lawsuits. I had a near death experience on a white water rafting (actually in a river after falling out of said raft) in Costa Rica. I wore cute heels and rode a trolley to work and won half marathon medals.  

And now, I celebrate puke on my pjs?

And in that moment I was reminded that sometimes, our vocation seems mundane. Sometimes God calls us to holiness by having us wash dishes and do 2 am feedings and burp the baby for the 157th time today. Sometimes we serve His kingdom and find our purpose in washing the never ending piles of laundry and making dinner again and paying the household bills.  

It is not sexy work.  Most of the time it is a thankless job. But it matters. It matters to my little family and to the world and to God.  

It's easy to forget that serving Him doesn't always look like a mission field in Africa or leading worship on the stage or driving around the country in your car sharing the good news. For some people, it does, and I am grateful for their calling. 

But for some of us, it looks like puke running down the back of our shirt at 2 am. Thanks be to God for that.

May we serve Him well. 

20 Questions

College Roomie posted these questions on her blog last week, and I had some free time (2 am feeding, anyone?) so I thought I would play along. 

20 Questions 

1. Favorite food
Fajitas. Chocolate chip cookie dough. Fettuccini Alfredo. 

2. Flip Flops or High Heels
Heels. I love a good pair of cute shoes. 

3. Favorite place to shop for yourself 

I am not much of a shopper. Target maybe?

4. Standard coffee order
I don't drink coffee. Seriously, never. Strange, I know. 

5. Road trip must have snack
Sweet Tarts. The old school ones you buy in the roll. 

6. DIY or Hire it out
DIY. And the "y" is really my husband rather than myself. 

7. Top 5 TV shows
I am taking thia to mean my favorite shows of all time.  Friends. ER. The Amazing Race. Friday Nighy Lights. Alf. (Don't judge me.)

8. Favorite Book
Hmmm....  The Help.  Traveling Light. Love Does.

9. Favorite form of exercise
Running.  But I also really enjoyed the spin class I took when I lived in Abluquerque. 

10. How tall are you
5 foot 3.5 inches 

11. Do you try something new at a restaurant or stick to favorites
I usually stick to favorites.  I don't care for change. 

12. One make up item you can’t live without
I don't wear make up. Like at all. Ever. The last two times I had it on?  My maternity photos and my wedding. 

13. What’s on your nightstand
Jewelry box, books I am reading, burp cloth, binky, phone charger.

14. What’s one thing that motherhood has taught you
Where the crap do I even start? Probably that I am capable of more than I think. About three days into this I was sure I couldn't do it, this baby was doomed, we might not all survive until the next day. And now, a month in, we are all still here. God gives us the strength we need when we need it. That's got to be the explanation. 

15. Music that reminds you of high school
That song "do you want to ride in the back seat of a caddy." Richard had a caddy and I bet we listened to that song a million times. 

16. If you could live anywhere in the world besides your current city, where would you live?

The older I get, the more I am drawn to home. Or San Francisco. Polar opposite answers, I know. 

17. Tell us something we might not know
I was the homecoming queen in high school. That one usually shocks people. 

18. Website you read/browse besides blogs
Facebook. Instagram. 

19. Morning person or night owl
Neither. That's bad, huh? I must be a middle of the day person.

20. What’s your best freature?

I think I am pretty funny. 

BB's Newborn Photo Shoot

As she did at our wedding and with our maternity pictuers, Super Mom absolutely nailed BB's newborn photos.  A lot of photographers will not even shoot newborns because they are super difficult to work with (and deal with in general...), but Super Mom was amazing.  Probably helps she's dealt with one of these little babies four times of her own.  We cannot thank her enough for doing such a great job of capturing our little guy!