What they never tell you...

I have had a couple of really good friends that have already birthed their first and even second child. I have family who have brought many children into this world. I have many co-workers who have graced this city with their offspring. I have sat for hours in a Labor and Delivery class and I have my nursing licenses. But, what I have not had is the "DOWN RIGHT TRUTH TO PREGNANCY"!



No one ever felt the urge to tell me the small things that make pregnancy not so glamorous. All you ever hear is, I got sick, but I looked beautiful! Yeah, well they were right, I got sick but I am still waiting on the beautiful part to kick in. I don't think dealing with more acne now that I ever did in my teenage years is attractive, or fun for that matter. Right when I need my beauty sleep the most, the leg cramps kick in....the severe leg cramps...the leg cramps that wake me up in the middle of my sleep and cause me to shake my husband so violently that he thinks he is going to be holding his son in a matter of minutes....the leg cramps that make me scream out loud! Ugh, the worst charlie horse you can ever imagine.



"Oh, but Erica, you have lots of energy in this stage...Don't you?" Ummm, no actually I don't but thanks for asking. I feel like I have worked the longest night shift with the most demanding crazy patient ever. I feel as if 12 hours of sleep is no where near enough. When my alarm rings, I find myself counting the hours until I can get back in the bed. Excuse me while I yawn.

With all of this said, I L-O-V-E being pregnant. It is amazing how all of a sudden your focus goes from decorating your kitchen and bathroom to a baby room. You are excited about buying a stroller and bottles and don't really care about that new purse or the shoes you saw. It is the most thrilling thing when your baby is doing cartwheels in your watermelon size stomach and someone else is there to feel it.

It is the little things that make all the horrible things endurable.....bring on the acne, cramps, and feeling of exhaustion. Wyatt you are going to be sooo worth it!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas. . .

Well not really, but kinda-sorta.

I have started collecting shoe boxes, packing shoe boxes, and getting them wrapped! It is so exciting to see the shoe boxes roll in and think about all the little lives that will be touched!

It is amazing how different this year is from last. I have learned several lessons. For starters, every year I always have a couple of people that need the actual shoe box and I have been asking everyone I know for them. Then the light went off in my little head...CALL A SHOE STORE! So I did exactly that. A store here in Oxford displays the shoes and saves the boxes for people who ask for them! So do not fear, I have plenty of shoe boxes!

The online shipping fee that everyone pays prior to giving me the shoe box is amazing! I am always kinda nervous about handling other people's money. This way, it is all in your hands and I just tape the label with the barcode right on the box and we are ready to ship. Plus, this way you can claim it on your taxes! ;)

I have found a few "jewels" around town and feel like I need to share them with you! I ran into Fred's today to pick up some extra soap and gum for a few boxes and ran into the kid asile. I found hard back books that are all about Baby Jesus. How perfect? I mean we are trying to minister to these sweet children and I bought everyone they had...8! Oh, they were only $1.00! If you ask me, you can beat that. So, if you pass a Freds, run in and grab a book for your box!

I picked up two boxes from my sweet cousin and in each of her boxes, she had a "all about me" coloring page! As many times as I have searched this website, I have never seen them. So if you are participating this year and have small kids, print this page out and place it in your box! (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/images/occ_art/ColoringPages.pdf)

Another thing we are doing this year, is placing a card in each box that allows you to put your address on it. This tells the child who packed the box and gives them the opportunity to write you back.

We are approaching our goal....

As of October 16, 2009 we have 17 boxes!

Our goal for Nov 1, 2009 is 50 boxes!

Wyatt's Baby Shower

Thanks to my best friend from high school, Lisa, Wyatt has got it made. Sunday, we had a baby shower and we are truly blessed. I am still in shock at all the wonderful gifts we received! It was such a wonderful shower. Lisa had it all decked out from the blue punch with the rubber ducky floating to the blue napkins with Wyatt's monogram! How thoughtful was she? Now, you know why she is my very best friend!



We are so thrilled about all of the clothes, bibs, blankets, bottles, toys, monitor, swing, bumbo, books, bathtubs, snowman suit, bouncy seat, diapers, paci's, giftcards, night lights, diaper genie and so much more. (As I am typing this, Zach is putting together all of the little mans toys together and he just made the comment, "man people must really love us"!)

Thanks to all my wonderful family and friends for a perfect shower!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Put your bow tie on and lets eat!

I know, I know, the title is a tad bit scary!

When I was outside meeting new neighbors and visiting the "old", I should have been inside stirring away at the stove and making the perfect meal for my love. Who is going to argue, it is much more fun jibber jabbering with friends. That is when my husband pulled up and I thought uh-oh! I have not even gone to Kroger...Its another Abners kind of night.

Nope, Skillet lasagna was the perfect solution! It is so easy and it is really good. I mean lets be honest, it is no gourmet dinner. It is one of those type of dinners that is semi-comforting, in the sense that it takes you back to eating lasagna at home with the parents. So give it a try on the night you would rather run your mouth.

Bow Tie Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 small chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1-1/4 cup water
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
2.5 cup bow tie pasta
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free grated Parmesan cheese
Shredded fat free mozzarella cheese for garnish

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown beef with onions and garlic. Drain.

Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt.

Stir in uncooked pasta.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Combine cottage and Parmesan cheeses.

Sprinkle in basil and pepper to taste.

Drop cheese mixture by rounded tablespoons onto pasta mixture.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and serve.

I cut all ingredients in half for just Z and I and we still had some left over!

Operation Christmas Child: Year 2

It is hard to believe it has almost been a year since I ran around town gathering a shoebox here and a shoebox there. What is really hard to believe is that I am signing up for another year after I wrapped 40 shoe boxes! :) It was well worth it and I know the kids enjoyed every individual piece of the Christmas box! My Dad has to be proud, he loved a smiling child!

With all of that said, here we go again. Gather your shoebox and start to packing it up! I can hardly wait to start the whole process! I have already ordered the "Santa" paper and it should be here next week! I have also purchased a few Bible story activities to place in each box to really show these kids what it is all about!

I learned a few lessons last year and I am ready to do better this year! The first lesson I learned was to start early, so we are doing just that! I need all Christmas boxes by Nov 1st. It would be great if you can get it to me earlier!

If your did not receive an email for some reason about this project please leave me a message and I will be sure to forward it to you.

Oh, what a better day to start this project off than today! We started this tradition in Memory of my Dad and his love for Christmas and Children. Today is his Birthday. Do you think he might be eating an OLE MISS CAKE? HOTTY TODDY!