Trick or Treat

Tonight we did our annual (can I say that now that we've done it two years in a row?) trick or treat party with some of our coaching friends. Some couldn't make it this year because of sickness and things, but there was a fun crowd and the kids had a blast.

Sawyer is one of Lincoln's absolute favorite buddies. They're stinkin hilarious together.

Lincoln went - as he's requested for the past few months now - Joshua (battle of Jericho, Joshua). Today he put his armor on, ran up to me and yells: "My name is Joshua! I am MAADD!! And I'm gonna knock your wall down!!!!!!" He's a ham.
Noah got the hand-me-down hideous Frankenstein costume. And Noah had more fun trick or treating than anyone, I think.

Then there was best dressed couple (Okay, the only couple that dressed up), but loved their idea!!! Tammy & Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights!

And of course I had to pose with Mrs. Taylor herself. :)

Fun night. Precious friends. I am tired!
We have a super busy week ahead...hanging out with Jason's team tomorrow after practice, then going to first JBU b-ball game with the team, ultrasound later this week, home football game, Razorback madness with tailgating and family coming in for the weekend, Father/Daughter bowl night with cell group girls...I'm tired thinking about it, but it will all be fun! :)
And one more pic because I love this one.

I Tried the Broccolii Thing...

You know, from Pinterest...this one?
Supposedly the best way to cook broccoli???

And it really was awesome. Now it says anyone/everyone will like it, but my husband is avidly disgusted by broccoli and this still didn't work. I made it for myself for lunch after church. Yes, for lunch. And it was fantastic and filling.

I basically followed the recipe, but made some modifications. Here's what I did in case you want to try:

Broke apart 2 bunches of fresh broccoli and mixed in 4 sliced cloves of garlic (on foil in a square cake pan). Sprayed with cooking spray (instead of using recommended amount of olive oil - too much hurts my stomach).
I did mixed in about 1/2 TBS of olive oil.
Put a very generous amount of salt and pepper :)
Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. This was the perfect time.
Take out of oven and mix in some pine nuts (I will probably not do this next time).
Recipe says squeeze lemon over it, but all I had was a lime and it worked just as well - a necessary step - loved the zest!
Then it says put Parmesan cheese over it. OF course Walmart was out of Parmesan cheese (really??) so I found this stuff instead for a dollar and some change. I used the middle flavor.

I sprinkled about 1/5 of the package over the top and it was AWESOME! Saving the rest of the package for next time.

This is something I will definitely take as a side when I take next meal to someone. So there you have it. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed. I think I'm going to try to do this with asparagus next time and see if it's good.

Happy 3 Years :)

My sweet baby Lincoln turned three today! And we are spending this day with just our little family - fantastic. This morning I cooked cake-batter pancakes with sprinkles (which the kids loved, but the taste was so-so), then he opened his few presents from us.

Here are some little things about Lincoln at this stage of his life:

* He has now gone almost a week with NO paci whatsoever and has done fantastic. So glad to be done with that phase!
* He's also been perfect on using the potty. I can't even remember the last time he had an accident. He can also do it all by himself...undress, potty, and put clothes back on. You always know when he went b/c his shorts are usually on backwards :)
*He still loves "class" during my Bible study. I think he's going to have a blast when pre-school starts.
*He has a wild imagination that it captivating. I love watching all the stories he makes up with his toys and all the crazy adventures he does with them.
*He still loves all things Veggie Tales which warms my heart. I hope he never grows out of this.
*He loves to pray...at anytime in the day. When we go to church, he (unprompted) prays for Noah that he won't cry...and if we hang out with you, you can bet he will pray for you that night when he goes to bed.
* He has a bursting heart of compassion and care for others. If he sees someone upset, he will go check on them (even if it's a dog).
*The boy LOVES him some sports. More than you can imagine. He is always curious "who is playing each other" and "who is winning" and has a basic understanding of how most major sports work.
* The Tigers and the Razorbacks are his favorite teams.
*His favorite Bible stories are Joshua, David & Goliath, and when Jesus calms the storm - he also loves to act these out.
* I here almost everyday, "Mommy, how's that baby doing?"
* He has recently starting eating double of what he used to. It seems like he is always hungry!!
* He loves to take showers now.

This is an interesting time because it feels like the major "baby transitions" are gone now. Our next ones will be when he starts pre-school, the new baby, and when Noah moves into his room next summer. :)

Buddies :)

Big Foot

This big boy has a big 3-year-old birthday coming up next week. And it's as if his growth spurts are corresponding accordingly. Yesterday he took a 4.5 hour nap (I actually woke him up), and a 3.5 hours one today.
And his shoes just don't really fit.
So I got his his new Nike's his Gran-Gran bought him that were too big a few months ago.
And they fit...perfectly...today.
And they are a size 10.5 which I've been told, is quite monstrous for a 2 (okay, almost 3) year old.
Big boy.

In other news, I'm feeling a lot better in the days! I take a nausea pill most days which probably helps, but I'm loving the relief!

Another interesting thing about this pregnancy so far that was different than times before, is that I am already showing. No joke. 9 weeks and I have an obvious baby bump. It took me until close to 5 months to show in the past so I wasn't expecting to already be getting the maternity clothes out! I don't need them just yet, but I'm telling you - it will be soon.

I googled this (why I am showing months earlier) and it made perfect sense. After a few go-arounds, your uterus (sorry if you don't like that word) grows at triple the speed because it knows what's about to happen. And there's not as much tight abs to fight through. :)

I learned something new.

Everybody have a good weekend with this awesome weather!!!!!

My Favorite Chili Recipe (and it's crock-pot!)

3-Bean Chili (adapted from a crock-pot cookbook I own)

Combine the following in crock-pot (big one) and cook on low for 3-4 hours:

2 lbs browned ground beef (I use extra lean)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped yellow onion
2 can chili beans
2 cans black beans
2 can kidney beans
2 cans chili ready diced tomatoes
1 pkg chili seasoning mix
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Lots of salt and pepper (I tend to go crazy here).

This is by far my favorite chili recipe. It's super chunky and not too tomato-y (we're not tomato saucy fans here).
If you love the tomato sauciness, you can add a can of tomato paste. The recipe actually calls for it. I never cook with it.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The Great Outdoors

Remember this movie?? It was a family classic amongst our house when I was growing up. But don't be fooled...I am by no means "the camper".
Yes I've been several times, but not in the past 13 years (I believe).
And I did used to enjoy it...in the younger years.
But this weekend, I'm breaking that trend and we're going camping. We figured if we keep having kids at the current rate, camping trips are all we'll be able to afford one day. We're meeting my parents and Amy and Nathan out there. And yes, we're taking the toddlers!
Now - my husband is no different from I in the camping realm.

We are borrowing a tent from some dear friends...and I realized last night, we don't even own sleeping bags. So we're borrowing those from my father (who is an avid camper).
We're cooking out the 2nd night and I literally thought that meant "beans over a kettle" which I was already preparing for. But then my mom told me they are cooking a pork tenerloin, grilled chicken, corn on the grill, some sort of potato dish, and well - obviously not "beans over a kettle".

I can handle that.

Oh - and at the last moment, my faithful mom also got a small cabin on the campsite so that Noah could have a place to put a pack and play in...and she could sleep in there with him. This may also be PERFECT for a pregnant lady. :)
(I really am gonna try to "camp" though!).

And I really am excited - this should be fun! Lincoln is crazy excited because Papa's taking him fishing! :)
Happy Camping.

Just a Little More

Thanks for all the super sweet words and encouragement on here and FB! And the 2 new readers, thanks for introducing yourself!! :)

My friend Leslie (who is also pregnant - we were pregnant with our last 2 around the same time as well) talked about on her blog a while back how she is managing being pregnant, now with a toddler.

And I couldn't have agreed more with her response. Even though I am sick this time around, I've never been fortunate to stay home with either of my last 2 pregnancies. But this time, my kids are on amazing nap schedules that allow all of us to take naps every day for at least 3 hours - pure bliss for me right now and I can't remember a day I have not taken one yet. It's nice, when the sick feelings hit, to know we can just lay low and take it easy. Big blessing.

And the main main main main question I have gotten is "So are you hoping for a girl????"

Ha. A girl would be a blast. And obviously, so would a boy. :) The past 2, I actually had a preference (I wanted boys). And now, I do have a desire for a little girl! But the thought of three boys under the age of 3 sounds like an absolute BLAST as well. Time will tell...

I will say the poor third will probably not get a nursery. In fact, we're soon moving Noah into Lincoln's room with him, and going to turn the forth bedroom into a guest bedroom...we will probably leave the crib in the corner for this little baby. Noah didn't have a "nursery" for the first year of his life...he actually slept in a pack and play! At least this baby will get a crib. :)

And I might change my mind (I can't give up the toy room!!).

Anyway, I swear my blog's not going to turn full "pregnancy topic" mode now. Promise. Just excited right now and embracing the upcoming changes.

Oh and my sister, Kristen had her first ultrasound today! Everything looking great!!! She took pics for us when I had Lincoln and we joked today about she wanted me to take pics for her, but then we realized (A) I might be in labor, too and (B) if I'm not, I might go into labor in her room and cause chaos! Still crazy to me we are due a few days apart!

And, The News.

So here we go:
A few months ago, on the the first morning of Bible study for this semester, in the presence of two of my best friends and my little sis (which was super fun), I found out I was pregnant with baby #3.
That moment never gets old.

Today Jason and I got to see the little baby and hear the strong heartbeat for the first time. It was an especially fun experience because both our boys came with us and got to experience it as well.
[But Bethany, I might take you up on your offer next time...ha!].

With each pregnancy, I always fight fear of all the unknowns and "what-ifs" that could go wrong...but on the flip side, I'm always super humbled, feel completely undeserving, and in awe of God's power and provision. Then ultimately I am able to channel my worries to trust and know that HE who started this good work in me will be faithful to complete it...however He chooses to complete it.

I am due somewhere around the third week of May, and so far this pregnancy has been totally different than the previous two! I never was sick with the boys, but I have been sick almost 24 hours a day with constant nausea and some other unpleasants. I did get a prescription today that will hopefully help with that.

The greatest joy through this so far has been seeing Lincoln's reaction. I told him the day I found out, and he responded with "It's a baby girl and a baby boy, mommy." But then he came back later at lunch and told me there was only a baby girl in there.

He has since held to this.

It should be noted, he, too, has "puppy dogs" in his tummy (or so he tells me).

Over the past few years we have seen the trait of compassion/concern for others exploding in Lincoln's life. It's definitely a God-given spiritual gift to him that we see so clearly in multiple ways.

Along with that, he tells me - pretty much on a daily basis - "Mommy! Be careful with that baby..." if he sees me doing something strenuous. He did the other day when I was mopping the floor and was concerned I was going to slip...and at the store a while back, I pick up a gigantic thing of dog food and he yelled: "Mommy be careful with the baby!!!"

Every day he comes to me and asks to see the baby...he then tickles or kisses my belly. Sometimes he tels me the baby is sleeping and asks if he can wake it up (which is followed by a scream to wake it!).

He's been fun through this so far...he surprisingly understands it way more than I thought he would.

Anyway, so that's our news! A lot of you that read my blog already know all of this, but thought I'd officially share!

***Oh - one more thing (this is crazy!): My older sister, Kristen found out she is pregnant a week after me and we are due at the same time - how crazy is that?!

WPS

Obviously there was a big game this past weekend. The weather was perfect, we got an amazing tailgaiting spot (thanks to some family friends of the McMahan's). Love me some 6:00 games where the kids can nap early and enjoy the whole experience!

Our tailgating spot is right next to where the team does the run-through before the game. I took Lincoln over so he could see the team (for those that don't know, he's pretty much obsessed with the players and wants them BAD to come to his birthday party in a few weeks!).

While we were waiting for the team to get there, Lincoln started calling the Hogs. It caught the ear of some of the cheerleaders and band folk who thought it was awesome that the 2-year-old was so spirited. So they let him jump the rope and stand with them for the run-through.

It as so fun for him!!! He loved it.

He literally high-fived the ENTIRE team...didn't miss one of them. Tyler Wilson was even on the completely opposite side of us, but saw the little toddler across the way and hopped across the other players to give Lincoln a high-five. Precious.

But the coolest part was when Petrino (coach) came through with all his security guards surrounding him. Petrino saw Lincoln through the guards, made them all stop, parted them, and came over to Lincoln and I. He grabbed Lincoln's hand with both hands, said hello, and sat there shaking it for 5 seconds while camera man "got the shot". Total PR, but still total sweet.

Lincoln was elated. He ran back to Jason and said "I met the coach!!" He called him "Coach Pino".

I will add, Lincoln did get upset when he could not then keep following all the players to the locker room (cause he gets to do this at bentonville - why not here?!).

Grateful for all their kind spirits. Lincoln later told us that was his favorite part of the whole thing...even more than the Razorback cake. Ha.

Baked Spag

Alright. Sorry if this is starting to be boring, but - yes, another recipe for ya. I've made baked spaghetti before but this recipe was fantastic!! Pair it with a spinach salad topped with tomatoes, almonds, peppers and vinaigrette - and you've got yourself some goodness. :)

Here's the phenomenal picture of this tasty little dish (not my pic):

And here's the recipe link:
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/04/baked-parmesan-spaghetti/comment-page-1/#comments

Oh - and the kids:
You decide.

Clean Up

At the end of the night, we always have the boys clean up all there toys (i.e. throw them in the playroom), out of the living room/kitchen before bedtime.
I would like to say I'm teaching them to clean up for themselves (and I am, don't get me wrong), but really the light bulb went off in my head one day: "Hey! You don't have to clean this mess every night anymore...those little people are perfectly capable and can now do it for you!"
So, loving the new system; and yes, they are learning to clean up their messes in the meantime.

So the other night the living room was bad. Total disaster. Every nook and cranny filled with their toys. We sat on the couch and made them clean up every last morsel, putting it all away in their toy room. I told Lincoln it all "had to go in the toy room."

They did it, and then when we got up to put them to bed I saw this:

All toys crammed just right inside the door. Next time I shall be more specific in my cleaning up instructions.

2 Recipes

The first is a Pinterest floater...I have to bring a breakfast item for Bible study in the morning. Perfect time to try out something Pinterest.:)
I chose the Pumpkin Crunch Cake.

Cake for breakfast? Hmmm....not so sure. Pumpkin for breakfast? Definitely. So I go with the latter. I just made this (since Tuesday mornings are crazy enough), and happy to report it is ever so amazing. Yes, I tried it. You can't make something new and not try it out before sharing with 60+ people! But now I'm not so sure how it will fare after being refrigerated...I might have to try it again in the morning. :)

Oh - and this is SUPER easy and quick to make (except it bakes for 45 min).

NEXT UP....

Chicken Dump Soup (Crock-pot style...and what's for dinner)

Ingredients:

1 can rotel

8oz. Velvetta

3 cans Cream of Chicken

1 can chicken broth

3-4 cooked, and shredded chicken breasts

16 oz. frozen corn

1 can creamed corn

pepper (I use lots)

Dab of minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in the crock-pot and cook on low for 4-5 hours...stirring throughout so it doesn't stick to sides/bottom (or PAM spray works too).

This is my mom's recipe and super yummy, super easy, and loaded with sodium (yum).