Preparation

The church body is our family here in Western, PA as we don't have family close by. And they continue to reach out & serve. We are so thankful for that. Today, Ethan is spending the day with a woman from our church so that I could get some much needed preparations done. Baby boy #2 (still nameless) is due in 35 days, and I am cooking meals for the freezer. We enjoyed about two weeks worth of meals from our church when Ethan was born, and I'm looking forward to that ministry again. But I also had prepared about 7 or 8 more dishes that I stock-piled in our freezer to last another week or so. I am doing the same thing again this time around.

I also need to get out all of the 0-3 month clothing and get that put away, which will involve Dan building shelving in Ethan's closet for his clothes. The new baby's clothes will go in the dresser next to the changing table (since I'll be changing his clothes much more often at first). And Ethan's clothes will be in his closet.

I've actually forced myself to nap the past few afternoons when Ethan naps, because at 35 weeks pregnant, I'm worn out by 2pm.

So thank you for the continued prayers and support as we draw nearer to delivery day and meeting our new little one.

New Year, New House, New Baby

I know, I can't believe it either. I didn't update at all in December. I'll just recap our December quickly and maybe I can be forgiven for not keeping up. We found out that we're having another baby BOY in April, Dan refinished the hardwood floors in our new house, we painted the living room in our new house, we moved out of our old house, we laid new flooring in our dining room, our wall oven broke, we painted the entry & hallway, and we drove to Buffalo, flew to Florida, flew back to Buffalo and returned home. That takes us to January 4. (I am getting a new wall oven, by the way, thanks to the home warranty. That will be installed on Friday - can't wait!)

And after all of that, Ethan woke up this morning with a temperature of 102.6, so we're staying in this week & taking it easy. (the only advantage to that is he's really cuddly)

I do want to post more today - I received a really convicting song/video from a friend of mine that I thought I'd share..

A Weekend to Remember

Dan and I attended FamilyLife's Weekend to Remember conference that was held in the Pittsburgh area this past weekend. What a great get-away at exactly the right time! We could not recommend this conference enough to every married couple we know. There are 150 Weekend to Remember conferences across the US every year. The speakers were dynamic and insightful, the application projects to do together as a couple were honest & meaningful, and the message of the importance of the marital covenant relationship was central. It was a God-honoring time of reflection, renewal, and inspiration for our marriage & I'm sure so many others. There were couples there who were married for just a few months and couples who have been married for 45 years. Truly, every married couple has something more to learn.



Fortunately our church reached out to help out with the cost for us to go, but they have group rates for 5 or more couples, and they have volunteer rates if you're willing to put in some time volunteering for different things at the conference. If not, start saving. It is a worthwhile investment of your time & money.

Meeting the Needs of the Orphans in Africa

If you have a chance today to listen to Family Life Today on the radio, do so. Kay Warren is speaking about the orphan crisis in Africa and all over the world. It is part 3 of a 5 part broadcast on adoption. If you would like to listen, click here. If you click on the player that you prefer, the broadcast will load. Or, if you prefer, you can read the entire transcript of the broadcast. It is perhaps the most convicting 25minutes of radio I've heard in a while. And it really falls in line with one of my favorite books, Don't Waste your Life by John Piper.

On another note, we will find out whether our next bundle of joy is a little boy or a little girl on Monday, 12.1.08. Stay tuned for the results.

Auction

There was an auction today at the house we're purchasing. We're purchasing a house, have I mentioned that yet? It's a charming brick house with lots of potential. The current owner auctioned all of the contents that the home collected over the past 60 years. We went and watched as box after box left the property to go to a new home. People will buy anything and lots of it. Not only were we surprised at the amount of stuff that came out of this house, but the amount of stuff people would cart down the driveway to claim as their own. One practical thing I can say I learned from this experience: if you need furniture cheaply, buy it at an auction. We got a set of bunkbeds, which will come in handy in the semi-near future, for $5. We also got a piano for $10 and a 6 piece bedroom suite for a spare room for $75. Overall we were pleased with our purchases, but the best purchase of all was the house itself, which will soon begin to be filled with long lasting memories as our young family grows there and it becomes home.

The Morning After

Last night while following the election coverage on TV, I was reading some articles on the internet about it. I came across a great clip from John Piper that the girls over at GirlTalk posted. It really puts this election in particular into perspective. God is sovereign, and we don't live for politics. Check this out.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies

So my friend told me about this pumpkin chocolate goodness dessert that a local coffee shop was selling. Being pregnant & addicted to chocolate, I had to check that out. After consuming one of these delicious little treats, I sought out the recipe online. I have yet to make these myself, but I found a recipe that looks very similar to what I purchased and enjoyed last week. I'll let you know how it works out for me, but I attached it below for your baking pleasure.

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine sugar, pumpkin, egg, egg whites and oil in large mixer bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, salt and nutmeg. Beat on low speed until batter is smooth. Stir in morsels. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.