Cast your voting guess before Friday's ultrasound. See if you guessed correctly. :)
Boy or girl?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
So I have spent a lot of time talking in public about sex this week. That's unusual. :)
I finished the second of my two speeches this week. It seemed to go well. I enjoyed being able to talk about physical intimacy in marriage, and tried to use lots of great authors and researchers, as well as the Bible. I was praying hard, and asking lots of others to pray for me too, that God would be glorified in my talks, and that they would be helpful.
So now I am home, warming up in a cozy maternity sweat suit, homeschooling my kids (they are on a school break now), and feeling relaxed.
I finished the second of my two speeches this week. It seemed to go well. I enjoyed being able to talk about physical intimacy in marriage, and tried to use lots of great authors and researchers, as well as the Bible. I was praying hard, and asking lots of others to pray for me too, that God would be glorified in my talks, and that they would be helpful.
So now I am home, warming up in a cozy maternity sweat suit, homeschooling my kids (they are on a school break now), and feeling relaxed.
Monday, February 18, 2008
My hands smell like oranges.
Today after work, I stopped by a coffee shop for over an hour to work on a speech I have coming up soon. I sipped my "decaf chocolate mocha nirvana" on a comfy stuffed chair in the corner by the fireplace. People came and went, their conversations ebbed and flowed. I sat, reviewing my notes. Later, the coffee drained, the notes reviewed, I ventured out into the cold.
At home, I enjoyed hugging my family, catching up on their news, and seeing my sister. She and my daughter had just gotten back from indoor rock climbing (my daughter's present from her aunt). They told us stories of towering rock climbing heights, cool feats of strength, etc. "She does some things naturally that other people have to learn!" my sister exclaimed proudly of her niece. Did I tell you that my sister just won third place in a rock climbing competition last weekend?! I'm so proud of her.
Supper was venison and bean soup, toasted cheese bread, fresh sliced oranges, and then pistachio pudding for dessert. Now, I'm relaxing. Mark is wondering when it is his turn to get back on the computer. :)
Today after work, I stopped by a coffee shop for over an hour to work on a speech I have coming up soon. I sipped my "decaf chocolate mocha nirvana" on a comfy stuffed chair in the corner by the fireplace. People came and went, their conversations ebbed and flowed. I sat, reviewing my notes. Later, the coffee drained, the notes reviewed, I ventured out into the cold.
At home, I enjoyed hugging my family, catching up on their news, and seeing my sister. She and my daughter had just gotten back from indoor rock climbing (my daughter's present from her aunt). They told us stories of towering rock climbing heights, cool feats of strength, etc. "She does some things naturally that other people have to learn!" my sister exclaimed proudly of her niece. Did I tell you that my sister just won third place in a rock climbing competition last weekend?! I'm so proud of her.
Supper was venison and bean soup, toasted cheese bread, fresh sliced oranges, and then pistachio pudding for dessert. Now, I'm relaxing. Mark is wondering when it is his turn to get back on the computer. :)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Happy Chinese New year!
Today was a fun day. For part of school, we made invisible ink messages, having learned about coded messages that traveled back and forth in World War I. I was tempted to try to affix the messages to our cats at one point, since the armies used to send messages via pigeons and dogs. We laughed though that our cats would probably not cooperate, or would simply lie down in "enemy fire" somewhere.
For the Chinese New Year, we talked about that with my kids, and then I made Vietnamese egg rolls from scratch! I was so proud of myself! An acquaintance had given me the recipe, saying that her mom had gotten it from a Vietnamese friend who taught her how to make it right. They were delicious and fun to make.
Here they are: before being fried, and after being fried. I made
30 of them.
How are you guys?
Today was a fun day. For part of school, we made invisible ink messages, having learned about coded messages that traveled back and forth in World War I. I was tempted to try to affix the messages to our cats at one point, since the armies used to send messages via pigeons and dogs. We laughed though that our cats would probably not cooperate, or would simply lie down in "enemy fire" somewhere.
For the Chinese New Year, we talked about that with my kids, and then I made Vietnamese egg rolls from scratch! I was so proud of myself! An acquaintance had given me the recipe, saying that her mom had gotten it from a Vietnamese friend who taught her how to make it right. They were delicious and fun to make.
Here they are: before being fried, and after being fried. I made
30 of them.How are you guys?
Monday, January 28, 2008
So, I heard back from the publisher. They said that my "story was very compelling" and that my "style was original" but that they were too small of a printing house to do many memoir style books. So, I expected it, but it is still sad. Back to the drawing board of choosing another publisher to pursue. I am researching more of them tonight, after posting here.
So, it's encouraging that they deliberated so long over my book proposal, and that they found it "very compelling" and "original." But it's discouraging that they couldn't give me an offer. They seemed like a great publisher.
Other than that, I love this balmy, fresh warm air out there! I breathed in deeply the night's air as I walked to and from the Y and my car for J's last swim team practice tonight. Ahh, so fresh. It made me smile! J's season is over now, and he sadly said good bye to friends. It was a great first swim season for us. We'll go to the banquet in April, get his trophy, and then join the swim team again next year.
How are you? What's new in your life?
So, it's encouraging that they deliberated so long over my book proposal, and that they found it "very compelling" and "original." But it's discouraging that they couldn't give me an offer. They seemed like a great publisher.
Other than that, I love this balmy, fresh warm air out there! I breathed in deeply the night's air as I walked to and from the Y and my car for J's last swim team practice tonight. Ahh, so fresh. It made me smile! J's season is over now, and he sadly said good bye to friends. It was a great first swim season for us. We'll go to the banquet in April, get his trophy, and then join the swim team again next year.
How are you? What's new in your life?
Monday, January 14, 2008
Ethiopian Food
"I will praise you in the storm...I will lift my hands, [glad that] you are who you are..." What a good song that is on the radio right now. I don't feel like I am in the storm right now, but I love the assurance that He is there, always, unwaveringly, no matter the weather or the throes of life. God is there, He is big, He is strong, He is good and to be trusted, no matter the circumstances. Hmm, good song and good truth about our loving God.
Friday night while sipping tea at an Ethiopian restaurant with a friend, I decided that I wanted to learn how to make Ethiopian food. I bought a bag of the special Injera bread (sourdough pancake), and that night at home I printed off internet recipes of key Ethiopian dishes. Yesterday, after watching the senior high basketball game, I cut up onions; minced garlic; measured cardamom and coriander spices; chopped up chilies; simmered dal lentils; and worked away. Several hours later, I had four Ethiopian dishes ready for Mark and the kids to eat with me. I love that my kids are brave and used to eating new foods. They are actually very familiar with Ethiopian food, since our family likes Fasika's, an Ethiopian restaurant in town. Summary: while I had followed the recipes nearly exactly, it wasn't exactly what we had been hoping for, used to special dishes at Fasika's. One or two of them were really good, and we'll make again. So, the quest will continue another day, looking for recipes that reproduce those delicious dishes. My Atar Allecha dish was our favorite. "This tastes like theirs, Jen," Mark said. "Mmm, now if we just mix this beef from here in to that...Mmmm. Try that!" he said. We ate the food several times that night.
How are you? Where are you reading in the Bible lately and what is hitting you about it?
Friday night while sipping tea at an Ethiopian restaurant with a friend, I decided that I wanted to learn how to make Ethiopian food. I bought a bag of the special Injera bread (sourdough pancake), and that night at home I printed off internet recipes of key Ethiopian dishes. Yesterday, after watching the senior high basketball game, I cut up onions; minced garlic; measured cardamom and coriander spices; chopped up chilies; simmered dal lentils; and worked away. Several hours later, I had four Ethiopian dishes ready for Mark and the kids to eat with me. I love that my kids are brave and used to eating new foods. They are actually very familiar with Ethiopian food, since our family likes Fasika's, an Ethiopian restaurant in town. Summary: while I had followed the recipes nearly exactly, it wasn't exactly what we had been hoping for, used to special dishes at Fasika's. One or two of them were really good, and we'll make again. So, the quest will continue another day, looking for recipes that reproduce those delicious dishes. My Atar Allecha dish was our favorite. "This tastes like theirs, Jen," Mark said. "Mmm, now if we just mix this beef from here in to that...Mmmm. Try that!" he said. We ate the food several times that night.
How are you? Where are you reading in the Bible lately and what is hitting you about it?
Monday, January 7, 2008
We Heard the Heartbeating Today!
Hi guys. So the baby is now 2-3 inches long--some books say it is as big as an apple?! It has hands, feet, body organs, etc. Check out this cool link for pictures of babies at our stage. Scroll down to see week 12. The photos are so amazing!
http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment1.php#week5
How are you guys doing? What's new in your life? Was break relaxing for you?
Update:
Mark and I got to hear the baby's heart beating today at the doctor's office. It was so weird and so powerful to hear heartbeats coming from my lower torso. It suddenly makes it all so real that there really is a lifebeing living down there! Very wild, but very powerful. It's alive, growing, and has its own separate life and personality from me. Mark said he suddenly felt more protective of me and the baby too, as we drove home that day. Very powerful.
http://www.pregnancy.org/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment1.php#week5
How are you guys doing? What's new in your life? Was break relaxing for you?
Update:
Mark and I got to hear the baby's heart beating today at the doctor's office. It was so weird and so powerful to hear heartbeats coming from my lower torso. It suddenly makes it all so real that there really is a lifebeing living down there! Very wild, but very powerful. It's alive, growing, and has its own separate life and personality from me. Mark said he suddenly felt more protective of me and the baby too, as we drove home that day. Very powerful.
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