¼ English Cucumber
¼ tsp Salt
Finely chop cucumber, Toss with Salt – Let stand 15 minutes
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
Pepper to taste
2 green onions (White part only) finely chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh dill
Combine Yogurt -> dill. Drain water from cucumber and add to yogurt mixture.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Cucumber Dill Sauce for Salmon
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients:
5 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup light sour cream
10 oz. can of enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (canned corn works just fine, but drain it first)
4 oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
8 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup of each type of cheese.
4. In a second bowl, toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, green chiles, and half of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well.
5. Spread about half of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
6. Spoon the filling into each tortilla, roll the tortilla up, and place in the baking dish with the seam down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
8. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Noodle Salad
Macaroni Salad Noodles, cook according to package directions
Sharp Cheddar, cubed
Onions, diced
Olives, sliced
Pickles, diced
Egg Whites, diced
"Sauce"
Mayo
Egg Yolks
Pickle juice
Mustard
Dry mustard
Dill powder
Paprika
Layered Salad
(Grandma Jean)
In a clear, straight sided salad bowl, layer in the order below:
Layer of Lettuce
3 cups carrots, shredded
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small package frozen peas
3 green onions, sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Ranch dressing to cover & run down the sides
Cover heavily with grated Parmesan cheese
Cover & refrigerate overnight
Add shrimp, tuna, crab or bacon before serving.
Cherry Pie
(Courtesy of Food Network)
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Yield: 1 (8-inch) pie
Level: Intermediate
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or frozen tart cherries
1 to 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 tablespoon almond extract (optional)
Your favorite pie crust or pie dough recipe for 2 crust pie
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, to dot
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, to sprinkle
Directions:
Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Add the almond extract, if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water, too thin, add a little more cornstarch.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Use your favorite pie dough recipe. Prepare your crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8 to 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
OR for Lattice Crust:
(Courtesy of Simply Recipes - Elise Bauer)
1 Before starting the lattice top, roll out half of your pie dough and line your pie dish with it. The dough should extend beyond the rim of the pie dish by about half an inch. Put it in the refrigerator to chill while you work on the lattice. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of your pie dough to the same extent as the first half (about 3 inches beyond the diameter of your pie dish). It's easier to work with the dough if it is chilled, so if it the dough has softened too much, put the rolled-out piece on a flat cookie sheet and chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.
2 Cut the dough into even strips, 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wide, depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. You can use a blunt knife with or without a ruler or straight edge to guide you, or you can use a pizza wheel or a pastry wheel if you have one.
3 Fill your pie shell with the pie filling. Lay out 4 to 7 parallel strips of the pie dough, depending on how thick your strips are, on top of the filling, with about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch space between them. Fold back every other strip.
4 Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips as shown. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip.
5 Now take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip, as shown. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip.
6 Continue this process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.
7 Trim the edges of the strips flush with the dough of the underlying pie dish, which should be about half an inch over the sides. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the lattice strips, and crimp to secure.
Left: 3/4-inch strips. Right: 1/2-inch strips
Pie Crust
(courtesy of Pioneer Woman)
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 whole Egg
- 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
- 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Preparation Instructions
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Puppy Chow - Allergy Free Version
This Puppy Chow, or Muddy Buddies recipe is a really nice treat that even those without allergies will enjoy!
Ingredients:
9 cups crispy rice cereal squares
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
2. Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated.
3. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.
Ingredients:
9 cups crispy rice cereal squares
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
2. Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated.
3. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.
Peeaaaa Souuppp!
This soup is to die for! Photo is definitely from BEFORE it has been cooking for hours, since, after the soup is done, it really doesn't look all that appetizing. But let me assure you: This soup is incredible!!! Lincoln, my 11 month old, couldn't stop signing his request for "More, please!"
Crockpot Split Pea Soup (Ham Bone Soup)
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounces) package dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth
Method:
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.
Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:260 calories (40 from fat), 4g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 690mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (13g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 23g protein
Crockpot Split Pea Soup (Ham Bone Soup)
Ingredients:
1 (16 ounces) package dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 ribs celery plus leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth
Method:
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given, adding the broth last. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on high 4—5 hours or on low 8—10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.
Nutritional Info:
PER SERVING:260 calories (40 from fat), 4g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 30mg cholesterol, 690mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (13g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 23g protein
St Patrick's Day in December!
As a way to have easy access to recipes and not have to look them up again forgetting where I had found it last time I think this is an easy way to keep track!
In the crockpot for dinner tonight is Corned Beef and Cabbage! I realize it is nowhere near St Patrick's day, but this is a meal we like to enjoy a few times a year!
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
(From Martha Stewart)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 5 1/4 hours
Yield Serves 6
Ingredients
2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (root end left intact)
1/2 pound small potatoes, halved if large
6 sprigs thyme
1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon pickling spice
1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges
Grainy mustard, for serving
Directions
In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and thyme. Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of vegetables and sprinkle with pickling spice; add enough water to almost cover meat (4 to 6 cups). Cover and cook on high until corned beef is tender, 4 1/4 hours (or 8 1/2 hours on low). Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover, and continue cooking until cabbage is tender, 45 minutes (or 1 1/2 hours on low). Thinly slice corned beef against the grain and serve with vegetables, cooking liquid, and grainy mustard.
In the crockpot for dinner tonight is Corned Beef and Cabbage! I realize it is nowhere near St Patrick's day, but this is a meal we like to enjoy a few times a year!
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
(From Martha Stewart)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 5 1/4 hours
Yield Serves 6
Ingredients
2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch wedges (root end left intact)
1/2 pound small potatoes, halved if large
6 sprigs thyme
1 corned beef brisket (about 3 pounds), plus pickling spice packet or 1 tablespoon pickling spice
1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges
Grainy mustard, for serving
Directions
In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place celery, carrots, onion, potatoes, and thyme. Place corned beef, fat side up, on top of vegetables and sprinkle with pickling spice; add enough water to almost cover meat (4 to 6 cups). Cover and cook on high until corned beef is tender, 4 1/4 hours (or 8 1/2 hours on low). Arrange cabbage over corned beef, cover, and continue cooking until cabbage is tender, 45 minutes (or 1 1/2 hours on low). Thinly slice corned beef against the grain and serve with vegetables, cooking liquid, and grainy mustard.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Quick Note
Haven't posted in months and thought it would be nice to put another little note in the "book" to look back on later. Just really enjoyed reading old posts and seeing how far we've come!
My firstborn is 6 months and the cutest baby I ever did see! Each new day has challenges of its own and we are thankful for the ups in the midst of this new family roller coaster. I am trying to look to the Lord in everything, which is not easy because too often I am relying on my own strength and everytime I do this I fail. It is my prayer that I become less and He becomes great in my heart and the rest will flow.
The current dilema is whether or not to nurse Lincoln to sleep...or put him to sleep awake. Everyone has their opinion on this. Just praying that what's right for us will come about without too cranky a baby or mom. Lincoln is doing better every time we try solids. It was a real challenge at first, but whoever said eating for the first time was gonna be easy? And just because last time I fed him was fun doesn't mean that the next will go without a hitch! He loves watermelon and pineapple...and icecream...Thanks, Daddy! :)
This summer has been HOT. Today it was super humid and I think 101*. Woah...it's the sticky when you hop in the shower and sticky when you hop out of the shower phenomonon. Yuck! So, instead of sit around and complain about the heat, we head to the POOL! :) Lincoln loves the water and it's a great way to keep us both cool and occupied. Plus, we either meet friends there or find someone we know and have a great time chilling out and enjoying eachother's company. Yep, we're pool babies. AND, last week, as a 6 month old, Lincoln went down the waterslide for the first time with Daddy! I took him down lots and lots when I was pregnant, but this was the first time he went with Dad ;) I was super nervous, to say the least, but I think he really enjoyed it and has been talking about doing it ever since...at least that's what I hear when he says "dah dah dah dah....psdtttt..." with a HUGE smile on his face while he looks at...yep, Daddy! No, he's not saying DaDa, yet, but he is holding conversations with us, it's super cute!
We are eagerly awaiting the birth of our dear friend's baby Mau :) ...and then very soon after baby Larsen will join us out here in this HOT world, too! Yay! It is super fun that our good friends are having their firsts the same time we are.
For all the fun we've had this 4th of July, it started out pretty sad. My mom called to let me know that my Grampa, her dad, died this morning. We had a good idea it was coming, but that never makes it easy. We will miss going to visit him. So glad that he was able to meet, Lincoln, his first blood great grand baby! What a proud Great Grampa he was :) Lots of prayers for my mom's family.
...Need...To...Sleep...While...The...Baby...Sleeps...
Until next time :)
My firstborn is 6 months and the cutest baby I ever did see! Each new day has challenges of its own and we are thankful for the ups in the midst of this new family roller coaster. I am trying to look to the Lord in everything, which is not easy because too often I am relying on my own strength and everytime I do this I fail. It is my prayer that I become less and He becomes great in my heart and the rest will flow.
The current dilema is whether or not to nurse Lincoln to sleep...or put him to sleep awake. Everyone has their opinion on this. Just praying that what's right for us will come about without too cranky a baby or mom. Lincoln is doing better every time we try solids. It was a real challenge at first, but whoever said eating for the first time was gonna be easy? And just because last time I fed him was fun doesn't mean that the next will go without a hitch! He loves watermelon and pineapple...and icecream...Thanks, Daddy! :)
This summer has been HOT. Today it was super humid and I think 101*. Woah...it's the sticky when you hop in the shower and sticky when you hop out of the shower phenomonon. Yuck! So, instead of sit around and complain about the heat, we head to the POOL! :) Lincoln loves the water and it's a great way to keep us both cool and occupied. Plus, we either meet friends there or find someone we know and have a great time chilling out and enjoying eachother's company. Yep, we're pool babies. AND, last week, as a 6 month old, Lincoln went down the waterslide for the first time with Daddy! I took him down lots and lots when I was pregnant, but this was the first time he went with Dad ;) I was super nervous, to say the least, but I think he really enjoyed it and has been talking about doing it ever since...at least that's what I hear when he says "dah dah dah dah....psdtttt..." with a HUGE smile on his face while he looks at...yep, Daddy! No, he's not saying DaDa, yet, but he is holding conversations with us, it's super cute!
We are eagerly awaiting the birth of our dear friend's baby Mau :) ...and then very soon after baby Larsen will join us out here in this HOT world, too! Yay! It is super fun that our good friends are having their firsts the same time we are.
For all the fun we've had this 4th of July, it started out pretty sad. My mom called to let me know that my Grampa, her dad, died this morning. We had a good idea it was coming, but that never makes it easy. We will miss going to visit him. So glad that he was able to meet, Lincoln, his first blood great grand baby! What a proud Great Grampa he was :) Lots of prayers for my mom's family.
...Need...To...Sleep...While...The...Baby...Sleeps...
Until next time :)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Of Course...
...after I am totally stressing about Lincoln being so hard and crying all the time, we have a WONDERFUL weekend!
Nic wasn't feeling well Friday morning when he woke up, so he decided to stay home and get better! He did and we ended up having an amazing weekend. Lincoln seems to have exited totally-crazy-drive-mom-and-dad-crazy-fussy-stage! Yesssssss! We're really not sure if it's that he's growing out of it, highly likely, or if we are just learning to help him better? Probably a perfectly melded combination of both :) God did make us Lincoln's parents for a reason. Only He knows, but we are so thankful! Anyway, Friday we had a really nice relaxing day, went for a walk, celebrated Svanhild's birthday with friends and watched a few episodes of our current favorite: The Mentalist. Saturday, equally relaxing and enjoyable - we just adore Lincoln and enjoy so much doing things as a family. Even if it's just a quick trip to the store that turns into an ordeal because...now we are three :) We love the life God has blessed us with and are enjoying every single little Meyer Moment.
Loving God, my husband, baby, family and friends.
Longing to be a disciplined woman, to follow after God and not live a shallow life.
Learning to be patient with myself and my heaping insufficiencies.
Nic wasn't feeling well Friday morning when he woke up, so he decided to stay home and get better! He did and we ended up having an amazing weekend. Lincoln seems to have exited totally-crazy-drive-mom-and-dad-crazy-fussy-stage! Yesssssss! We're really not sure if it's that he's growing out of it, highly likely, or if we are just learning to help him better? Probably a perfectly melded combination of both :) God did make us Lincoln's parents for a reason. Only He knows, but we are so thankful! Anyway, Friday we had a really nice relaxing day, went for a walk, celebrated Svanhild's birthday with friends and watched a few episodes of our current favorite: The Mentalist. Saturday, equally relaxing and enjoyable - we just adore Lincoln and enjoy so much doing things as a family. Even if it's just a quick trip to the store that turns into an ordeal because...now we are three :) We love the life God has blessed us with and are enjoying every single little Meyer Moment.
Loving God, my husband, baby, family and friends.
Longing to be a disciplined woman, to follow after God and not live a shallow life.
Learning to be patient with myself and my heaping insufficiencies.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Just a little rambling...
Life is so different with a baby! Lincoln is 2 months old and I feel much older now than my 26 years! Hahahaha :) We are challenged every day. He is such a joy...but I would be deceitful not to admit, he is also sometimes a real cute pain ;) We are so in love with our little baby, but being parents has proved to be a hard thing for us! I hope no new parent would say it's easy. That would just not be fair!!! :) We are learning so much about ourselves as we are raising Lincoln. And I understand, it's only just begun.
Okay, so, our sweet...beautiful...full of life baby....cries!! Now, I don't have much infant experience, so I don't have any idea how much is "normal". Feels like he cries a lot and it's tough on us. I am trying to eliminate certain foods from my diet to see if gas is the problem. Just not sure, ah! I am sooooo hoping that in a couple...maybe a few weeks he will grow out of this "fussiness".
And all that aside, we have really good times with Lincoln where he smiles and enjoys "talking" to us :) I love it!!
Life is so different with a baby! Lincoln is 2 months old and I feel much older now than my 26 years! Hahahaha :) We are challenged every day. He is such a joy...but I would be deceitful not to admit, he is also sometimes a real cute pain ;) We are so in love with our little baby, but being parents has proved to be a hard thing for us! I hope no new parent would say it's easy. That would just not be fair!!! :) We are learning so much about ourselves as we are raising Lincoln. And I understand, it's only just begun.
Okay, so, our sweet...beautiful...full of life baby....cries!! Now, I don't have much infant experience, so I don't have any idea how much is "normal". Feels like he cries a lot and it's tough on us. I am trying to eliminate certain foods from my diet to see if gas is the problem. Just not sure, ah! I am sooooo hoping that in a couple...maybe a few weeks he will grow out of this "fussiness".
And all that aside, we have really good times with Lincoln where he smiles and enjoys "talking" to us :) I love it!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
You're Not Moody!
So last night, Nic and I were hanging out in our room - he had just called his brother and we were winding down for the night. We were talking about those guys who love their wives pregnant and they have baby after baby...to keep her huge, I guess? Not sure the logic there. Anyway, I was telling him that earlier that day I had thought, "oh no, what if my Nic is like that and going to want me to be pregnant over and over again!" Then I remembered that he, being the wonderful husband that he is, loves me for who I am "right now". Whatever I look like, act like, say, do not say, do not look like, etc, he loves me right then for ME, not anything else. What a great guy. I can really attribute it to his relationship with the Lord. I have watched him grow in the Lord in leaps and bounds since we married...almost 4 years ago! I am incredibly proud of him and am so blessed to be his wife. Anyway, all that came out when I meant to write this: Nic says to me "I like you when you're pregnant" (this is when I had said thoughts above about crazy-pregnant-wife-obsessing-husbands) I reply "You're not one of those, are you??" He says, "No...you're just normal" "Oh? How so?" "You're not moody." "Right, because I don't have my period?" I exploded with laughter. He can sometimes say the funniest things... I love my Nic. We are really enjoying this baby journey together. Gotta love the little things.
Monday, August 8, 2011
IT'S A BOY!
Yay! We're having a baby BOY!!!!!!
(and now I know how my Mom feels when she says "That's MY boy!")
I just had my 20 week ultrasound this afternoon and it was very clear what gender our baby is!
Everything looked and sounded perfect...
** Here are some things to note about our Baby Boy **
~ He weighs about 13 oz ~
~ He is between 7 and 8 inches long ~
~ His heartbeat is 143 bpm (Absolutely, THE most beautiful sound in the whole world!) ~
~ He likes to lay on his back and have his legs crossed "Indian" style ~
~ He loves to kick his Mommy! ~
After my appointment Nic and I went to Red Robin for lunch.
Then to Khol's to pick out something cute for our baby! This is what we chose...
He will be so cozy when he is born this winter!
And I couldn't help but get this... : )
Front Says "Moo the Cow"
And on his booty there is this adorable cow!
** And Some Things To Note About My Pregnancy **
~ I haven't felt sick hardly at all unless (in first trimester) I didn't eat every 2 hours, then I had a little tummy ache, but nothing that kept me down ~
~ I started to feel my BOY moving around at 16 weeks ~
~ Nic felt baby moving from the outside at 18 weeks ~
~ I prefer salty foods over sweet ~
~ I am having Reese's Puffs for breakfast every morning. Who knew? ~
~ At my 18 week appointment I had only gained 2 pounds ~
~ A few foods I am loving right now: Greek Honey Yogurt, Reese's Puffs, Potato Chips and lots of Milk! ~
~ I have been enjoying relaxing by reading a lot ~
~ I have never been really into swimming, but we've been at the pool at least a few times a week this summer - Gotta keep me cool in this sometimes unbearable heat! ~
Ok, that's it for now, I need to read...and take a nap!
I LOVE MY BABY BOY!!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Niagara Falls
We are planning a trip to Niagara Falls over Nic's spring break coming up in a couple weeks - we can't wait!!!! :o) We will be staying in Niagara Falls, Canada, and will be on the 21st floor with a view overlooking the Falls from our two person jacuzzi...Ahh, what a blessing!
This will be a late Anniversary get-a-way ♥
Life in Dubuque
Well, here we are still in Dubuque and we're loving it. We have had a pretty rough last couple months, but things are looking up and the Lord is faithful, as always. Work is going well for me and Nic is still doing wonderfully in his classes and enjoying being immersed in God's Word on a daily basis. We love spending time with our friends and have lots of good opportunities to have friends over to our apartment and we go to friend's homes often enough as well.
We are still in need of much prayer. God has been so kind with our hearts, we are trusting in His sovereign grace. We are trusting Him to provide direction for the future, contentment with where He has us, and relying on Him for our every need. We know that He knows what we need before we ask and that the things He provides are better than we could even ask for. He has a perfect plan for our days and we are looking to Him to make that clear to us. Right now, what we know is that we are here in Dubuque and have no clear word to be anywhere else. This could change quickly or rest for some time. That's the beauty of a life of faith - to not always (or ever) know the events of the future helps us to see a greater need to rely on the Lord, and that is what we are finding ourselves doing more and more as the days go on. He is loving and faithful and His righeousness is evident to us in so many ways.
Lately, we have been in awe of the greatness of our God. Specifically, as revealed in His creation. Nic has been perusing hubble's website and we've enjoyed and have been moved to praise God for all the amazing things that He has so beautifully created way out there in space. This has also moved us to a renewed amazement of how HUGE God is. How can we question that He will provide for our simple needs when He is outside our time and understanding and He is all powerful. We love Him.
Anyway, there's a little of how we're doing. We're all about Jesus. He is drawing us closer to Himself with each day that He allows us to stick around here. And....we love Him.
We are still in need of much prayer. God has been so kind with our hearts, we are trusting in His sovereign grace. We are trusting Him to provide direction for the future, contentment with where He has us, and relying on Him for our every need. We know that He knows what we need before we ask and that the things He provides are better than we could even ask for. He has a perfect plan for our days and we are looking to Him to make that clear to us. Right now, what we know is that we are here in Dubuque and have no clear word to be anywhere else. This could change quickly or rest for some time. That's the beauty of a life of faith - to not always (or ever) know the events of the future helps us to see a greater need to rely on the Lord, and that is what we are finding ourselves doing more and more as the days go on. He is loving and faithful and His righeousness is evident to us in so many ways.
Lately, we have been in awe of the greatness of our God. Specifically, as revealed in His creation. Nic has been perusing hubble's website and we've enjoyed and have been moved to praise God for all the amazing things that He has so beautifully created way out there in space. This has also moved us to a renewed amazement of how HUGE God is. How can we question that He will provide for our simple needs when He is outside our time and understanding and He is all powerful. We love Him.
Anyway, there's a little of how we're doing. We're all about Jesus. He is drawing us closer to Himself with each day that He allows us to stick around here. And....we love Him.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Looking Forward to Next Week
Thank you again, so much, for those of you who are still carrying us in your prayers. We can definitely tell we are being prayed for - God is demonstrating his faithfulness to us in so many ways. And he is helping us to enjoy so very much the many blessings has been lavishing on us these past weeks. Please keep praying that we will be faithful as he is faithful! (I'm thinking this is what "they" mean when they say, if you haven't experienced suffering in your life, your time is coming...but it hardly feels like true suffering with the King of Kings holding us up...He is the wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God and worthy of all our praise.)
We are eagerly looking forward to next weekend when we will - Lord willing - be flying out to Seattle to spend a little over a week with our family and friends there! We fly from one Des Moines to the other on Christmas Eve, and it can't come soon enough! We are really enjoying where we're at - life in Dubuque is only getting more fun with the snow - really, we are loving it! It's crazy, you'd think I'd dread each morning having to go out in the freezing cold to scrape my windows and sweep the snow off my car, but I'm not really minding it...yes, it's still very new, and maybe, come February when this snow is hiding under another few feet of accumulation I'll be sick of it, but for now it's wonderful. We love seeing the beautiful snow and being able to enjoy the novelty of it...almost everyday these days! Pray that we won't get snowed in, however, come next Thursday night when we'll be driving to the Des Moines in Iowa - I can't even imagine driving all the way to Seattle, that sounds crazy in this weather! :o)
Nic just finished up all his finals yesterday. He thought he may have to take one today, but when he went to his class he was instructed that he had an A in the class and there was no need for him to take the final - per Mr Glock (Sr.) He has done incredibly in his classes, has enjoyed each one for many reasons....and is so glad for a break from all the intense studying and reading! I'm happy for him, that he's worked so hard and now gets a mental break. He intends to put himself to work while he's on "break" in whatever ways present themselves, whether that means more hours at Emmaus cleaning floors or getting on with a snow removal crew (which he is doing tonight!)
Work is going well for me - I am learning new things everyday. I am so thankful for the people I work with....their patience and willingness to lend a hand whenever it is needed. The Lord has been showering his blessing on me with this new job. I am amazed at how something that can seem so "everyday" like a job can be such a joy.
Here are a few pictures of our new apartment - we love it so much! These were taken...by Nic...while our apartment was very messy...please excuse us :o)
We are eagerly looking forward to next weekend when we will - Lord willing - be flying out to Seattle to spend a little over a week with our family and friends there! We fly from one Des Moines to the other on Christmas Eve, and it can't come soon enough! We are really enjoying where we're at - life in Dubuque is only getting more fun with the snow - really, we are loving it! It's crazy, you'd think I'd dread each morning having to go out in the freezing cold to scrape my windows and sweep the snow off my car, but I'm not really minding it...yes, it's still very new, and maybe, come February when this snow is hiding under another few feet of accumulation I'll be sick of it, but for now it's wonderful. We love seeing the beautiful snow and being able to enjoy the novelty of it...almost everyday these days! Pray that we won't get snowed in, however, come next Thursday night when we'll be driving to the Des Moines in Iowa - I can't even imagine driving all the way to Seattle, that sounds crazy in this weather! :o)
Nic just finished up all his finals yesterday. He thought he may have to take one today, but when he went to his class he was instructed that he had an A in the class and there was no need for him to take the final - per Mr Glock (Sr.) He has done incredibly in his classes, has enjoyed each one for many reasons....and is so glad for a break from all the intense studying and reading! I'm happy for him, that he's worked so hard and now gets a mental break. He intends to put himself to work while he's on "break" in whatever ways present themselves, whether that means more hours at Emmaus cleaning floors or getting on with a snow removal crew (which he is doing tonight!)
Work is going well for me - I am learning new things everyday. I am so thankful for the people I work with....their patience and willingness to lend a hand whenever it is needed. The Lord has been showering his blessing on me with this new job. I am amazed at how something that can seem so "everyday" like a job can be such a joy.
Here are a few pictures of our new apartment - we love it so much! These were taken...by Nic...while our apartment was very messy...please excuse us :o)
Ok, this one is looking straight on our apartment - ours is the one up the steps with the lights on!
Isn't the snow beautiful?!
This is the church building directly across the street - and you can see that it's snowing!
And it rings bells...at least every Sunday...these last Sunday's it has been a Christmas hymn ringing!
Our living/office room - You can see our feeble attempt at Christmas decorations - Thanks to Cheryl Seeman we have any at all! We can't believe that our decorations were some of the things we chose to leave behind - what were we thinking?!
Lauren and I - baking in our cute little kitchen
(I LOVE having Lauren as a neighbor - and her roommate Megan is just as wonderful!)
This is the view from our apartment steps looking South down Locust Street
Just past the street lights on either side, depending on the day, is where we park at night!
Another view of our....messy....living room/office :o)
The entry into our apartment - up those steps is Lauren and Megan's unit
We LOVE our neighbors!
(Not to mention, Lauren is one of my very best friends, it's unreal to live by someone I love so very much!)
Oh, haha, and that thing hanging on the wall by our door, there, that's the only Christmas decoration that made it...we're not sure how it got here :o)
Our short hallway that leads to our bedroom, our storage closet, the kitchen, and then the bathroom...
Our bedroom, again, please excuse the mess...I know! The bed isn't even made :o)
Another view of our room - pretty good closet space, for this we are so thankful!
The other side of the kitchen - We've turned one of our dressors into a pantry - creative, huh?
Well, we had to be with our limited space!!
And it's actually not as cramped as it may look...
Bathroom - it's tiny! But...cozy, sure!
And the view out back - into the main courtyard/parking area - parking for those with more seniority than us :o)
For good measure, a picture of the other side of our kitchen.
I was baking ginger cookies this night and Lauren came down to hang out - love it!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Thank you all for praying for us. Those of you who already knew and those of you who are just finding out. We need the Lord's comfort and peace - He has demonstrated his great faithfulness to our hearts since Thanksgiving day when we lost our baby to miscarriage. No known reason, but when is there ever really a "good" reason for losing a baby? I can't think of one.
We are doing well considering... I'll post more details...when I get around to it.
Jesus is holding up our heads and we will praise his Name with our lives no matter what comes our way.
We are doing well considering... I'll post more details...when I get around to it.
Jesus is holding up our heads and we will praise his Name with our lives no matter what comes our way.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
We're so excited for our new Baby!
I'm pregnant! That's right, we're expecting a baby in July!
We really can't believe it...but we're ecstatic, anyway! Here's the story...roughly:
The days leading up to my "missed period" I was feeling a lot of the same crampy feelings as I usually did, so I was expecting to start my period as usual, but when this notorious Wednesday...which was also our 3 year anniversary...came and went I began to wonder. Both Nic and I decided it would be best to wait at least a few extra days before taking a pregnancy test because we've had these "scares" before and they always had turned out with a negative test result. But come Saturday night, I just couldn't stand it - my thoughts were that if it was negative, well then, at least I would know and could stop thinking about a BABY! :) So, that night we went...to the dollar store - haha - I guess, with the chances of a negative result, we weren't ready to invest anything huge at this point :) The next morning, I woke up early...I couldn't stand the excitement...and while Nic was still in bed I went to the bathroom and...well, you know what I had to do...Waited the allotted 3 minutes and there was definitely a pink line! Yay, I could hardly stand it, I would have screamed out loud, but it was early, and the rest of the Riley family were all still in bed! I left the stick on the counter and snuck back into our room and with the most enormous smile on my face burst out a giggle and said to Nic "There's a PINK line! There's defnintely a pink line - We're going to have a BABY!" Oh, and he was so excited too, in fact, while I was in there taking the test he was thinking to himself "I hope she's pregnant" :) And I am! Then I asked him to come look, he just had to see this pink line for himself! ...so he came, with a camera, silly Nic :) Oh we were so excited, hugging, kissing, you know, all that :) On the following Wednesday, I took another test, a more expensive one, not that it matters, really, either you have the hcg hormone because you're pregnant or you don't, ya know? And I have it, so there's a sweet little baby growing inside, I am so baffled. Anyway, we thought we could keep it a secret for a couple...months... YEAH RIGHT! The word is out and we couldn't be more excited to have shared the news with all our friends and family.
My symptoms so far haven't been too extreme, but they're normal. No morning sickness, I'm more hungry than usual, have to pee way more often, and have tender breasts (sorry, but I do!). Other than that, nothing really to note, I am about 6 weeks along, so baby is very very tiny right now. I am most excited, at this point for the first time I can hear/see the baby's heartbeat. I think that may make it feel more real, especially since my symptoms haven't been a total nuisance.
That's all I can think of at this point, plus I'm off to work at Old Navy for a few hours tonight. Please, by all means, if you have any questions of us, let me know :) I'd be more than happy to answer them. I've been a little scatterbrained lately, and would love to blame it on my baby, but I think that was a preexisting condition :)
We really can't believe it...but we're ecstatic, anyway! Here's the story...roughly:
The days leading up to my "missed period" I was feeling a lot of the same crampy feelings as I usually did, so I was expecting to start my period as usual, but when this notorious Wednesday...which was also our 3 year anniversary...came and went I began to wonder. Both Nic and I decided it would be best to wait at least a few extra days before taking a pregnancy test because we've had these "scares" before and they always had turned out with a negative test result. But come Saturday night, I just couldn't stand it - my thoughts were that if it was negative, well then, at least I would know and could stop thinking about a BABY! :) So, that night we went...to the dollar store - haha - I guess, with the chances of a negative result, we weren't ready to invest anything huge at this point :) The next morning, I woke up early...I couldn't stand the excitement...and while Nic was still in bed I went to the bathroom and...well, you know what I had to do...Waited the allotted 3 minutes and there was definitely a pink line! Yay, I could hardly stand it, I would have screamed out loud, but it was early, and the rest of the Riley family were all still in bed! I left the stick on the counter and snuck back into our room and with the most enormous smile on my face burst out a giggle and said to Nic "There's a PINK line! There's defnintely a pink line - We're going to have a BABY!" Oh, and he was so excited too, in fact, while I was in there taking the test he was thinking to himself "I hope she's pregnant" :) And I am! Then I asked him to come look, he just had to see this pink line for himself! ...so he came, with a camera, silly Nic :) Oh we were so excited, hugging, kissing, you know, all that :) On the following Wednesday, I took another test, a more expensive one, not that it matters, really, either you have the hcg hormone because you're pregnant or you don't, ya know? And I have it, so there's a sweet little baby growing inside, I am so baffled. Anyway, we thought we could keep it a secret for a couple...months... YEAH RIGHT! The word is out and we couldn't be more excited to have shared the news with all our friends and family.
My symptoms so far haven't been too extreme, but they're normal. No morning sickness, I'm more hungry than usual, have to pee way more often, and have tender breasts (sorry, but I do!). Other than that, nothing really to note, I am about 6 weeks along, so baby is very very tiny right now. I am most excited, at this point for the first time I can hear/see the baby's heartbeat. I think that may make it feel more real, especially since my symptoms haven't been a total nuisance.
That's all I can think of at this point, plus I'm off to work at Old Navy for a few hours tonight. Please, by all means, if you have any questions of us, let me know :) I'd be more than happy to answer them. I've been a little scatterbrained lately, and would love to blame it on my baby, but I think that was a preexisting condition :)
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