It's Official

We finally did it!!! After months of talking about it and, to be honest, just putting it off...our house is finally FOR SALE. Our neighborhood is popular for trick-or-treat little ones, therefore our goal was to have it up by the 31st - ahead of schedule. So if you come by for some candy, expect an info sheet attached. :)
And we already have some interest coming to look at the house this week! I know I sound optimistic, and well - though I completely understand that the above photo has the potential to be taken on Lincoln's first day of Kindergarten - I am optimistic and I do know that the Lord has a plan for our family that will prevail.

Lunch Break News

I never talk about work on this blog, but today there was a fabulous surprise during the lunch hours at my school - some of our wonderful staff members all made about a total of six different kinds of soups and chili with an unbelievable spread of desserts to compliment - made my cold day toasty warm. :) Usually I leave on my lunch break, but I enjoyed some soup, conversations, and am writing this blog to finish up the break before returning to work.
This will only be day #2 of me being at work this day. It's been an unpredictable week that consisted of Lincoln having some tummy trouble and yucky diapers (w/ even YUCKIER diaper rash) that kept me home, followed by another kidney stone attack for yours truly two nights ago. I got kidney stones for the 5th month of pregnancy with Lincoln and thought I was in the clear this time. Apparently not. So yesterday consisted of me being doped up on pain pills (safe ones for the darling), in bed on a heating pad for 12 hours, but ended with being able to be the first in Siloam to receive the H1N1 vaccine - lucky me.
Now here's where I give an ode to an INCREDIBLE friend who has been keeping Lincoln this week and will next week while I finish up work (before staying at home with my baby!!!) - Christine Matchell. Jason and I feel so blessed that she so graciously offered to help us out in this way! Our husband's always get to spend an incredible amount of time together and I've enjoyed spending more with her. She's fantastic. :)
Also, Wednesday was another doctor's appointment...I thought it was my 5-month, but apparently it was my SIXTH month appointment - nice surprise. Everything is great and I thought it time to share the name we have landed on (at least have been stuck to it for the past 2 months or so)...
Noah Jackson McMahan.
Mr. Noah will soon be our latest addition to our crazy male-dominated family. :)

The Plan

This past week has been full of surprises and events that have challenged Jason and I to re-think our "plan" that we have so cleverly established for our family from now until the new baby is born. You see, Jason's new job has made it possible for me to stay at home with the boys and it is something we've been praying would be possible and feel greatly blessed to have the opportunity to do so. However we also decided back this summer that it would best financially for our family if I kept working until he baby was born in February. That way we could pay off some student loans and build a nice little savings cushion.
Well, my friends - as the motto of my life still stands - God had a different plan. :)
Last Tuesday we received a call from Lincoln's sitter saying that she was in the middle of a family crisis and, basically, this upcoming week was the last week she would be able to keep Lincoln. I hung up the phone frantic because good in-home childcare with licensed people that actually take kids under age 2 is INCREDIBLY hard to find! Jason and I began scrambling remembering "the plan" and trying to make "the plan" continue to go, well, as planned, knowing in the back of our minds how hard this task was going to be. So the next day I searched, got references for, called, and scoured the area for someone that could take over on such short notice. All full...everywhere I called. We are blessed enough to have amazing friends who all had offered in some way or another their help, and last week came up with "a plan" to get us close to the original plan. But it involved someone different keeping him from week to week and trying to juggle the schedules and all. Stressful, but we were willing to try and make it work.
Personally, the thought of getting to stay home early for me sounded heavenly, but I was trying to stay out of the decision as much as possible and let Jason decide this for us since I knew I was a little biased in the decision. After both of us praying about it together, he had decided that financially we would be less stressed if we could make it work and I was 100% submissive with his decision and ready to make it work.
Then yesterday morning, he woke up and said "Babe, I've really been thinking about my decision and I just don't feel at peace with it anymore - I really think you should put in your month's notice and stay at home with Lincoln."
REALLY??!!!! I said with wide-eyed wonder, still not wanting to be influential...and I reminded him I was in full support of working a little while longer.
But he assured me this was the direction he felt God was leading us.
And I argued no more.
So surprise to me - I GET TO STAY HOME WITH MY BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My last day will be his birthday, believe it or not, and what a sweet day that will be. :)

Here are some pictures of the weekend...a highlight, Lincoln is now taking steps!! I don't classify it as walking yet, but he has consecutively taken three steps. Precious. We also went to the JBU alumni day Saturday for free food and hanging out w/ new people - including Silvy who until Saturday I had only known through blog world...funny.

Papa bought him his first fishing chair...

Lincoln with his grandparent's dog - pretty good friends.
These pictures don't do justice, but this was the biggest dog I have ever seen! It was a Newfoundland dog - HUGE! And of course Lincoln wasn't scared a bit :)

The Irony...I know

After my last post, I thought it only appropriate to follow up with some of my Sunday activities of baking Peanut Butter Cookies (and putting my treadmill on Craig's List tonight- no joke...but remember? I'm joining a gym????)
Anyway, we have small group at our house tomorrow night and Jason suggested peanut butter cookies (which I never even think to make) and I hesitate because thin, crispy ones are no good (in my opinion) and I've never been able to find a recipe otherwise or try any for that matter that aren't soft and chewy. After a while of googling and reading reviews (and yes, typing in how to make Subway's PB cookies...), I found one that looked promising, busted it out and WALL-AHH!!
Success. They're truly amazing. The dough is even better. And my husband's reaction to them is priceless. Job well done...so well done, that I want to share my find. But unless you're in my community group tomorrow night, here's the recipe so you can try for yourself.
They truly are soft and chewy. My altercations were that I only used peanut butter chips (not chocolate chips, too), cooked them 9 minutes (less time) and on some of them (per husband's request), I shoved a chocolate kiss in the middle when I pulled them out of the oven.
Enjoy. :)

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a criss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Lost Love

Flowers planted? Check.
House clean? Check.
Workout accomplished? Check.
Though I need to explain something on this one. You see, ever since I was in Junior High, I have been a runner and avid fitness fanatic. I never missed a day of working out and have always eaten healthy my whole life. And for the 5 years I lived in California, this increased even more so. I mean, when you wake up in So.Cal every morning and step outside, the environment is literally screaming "Please come running today!". On the weekends I would do long runs from Huntington Beach down to Laguna Beach and back, ending at the fresh market alongside the Huntington peer. Glorious.
Then I moved to Arkansas to finish up graduate school and oh.my.goodness. running was no longer fun, but tedious and somewhat tortuous compared to the backdrop I had previously.
So to spurn my motivation I felt slipping from beneath me, my sister and I decided to train for the LA marathon since I would be going back. A goal. Great idea.
About a month into training, I got my first bout of kidney stones and found myself in the hospital. Setback to say the least (and because since these were my first, I thought I was dying and my body was shutting down for a week). Soon after "healing" (as those of you know who have had these wonderful things, you're never really healed), I then got my first ever sinus infection (welcome to Arkansas), followed by the stomach flu which I had not had since I was a child. Needless to say, my motivation for the marathon dwindled and so did my love for running, officially, as of about 1.5 years ago. I swore after I had Lincoln I would re-discover this love (because I do miss it!), but then I got pregnant again and decided it was a worthless cause. Now I still work out, but I don't love it like I used to and I long to be able to run 4 miles a day, 7 days a week (gosh I'd settle for five!) without feeling like my lungs are going to explode! I told Jason yesterday that after this little one is born, I WILL START AGAIN (running, that is) since we ARE NOT HAVING ANOTHER BABY FOR A WHILE. I promise (on the latter). Another kicker in this whole deal is I have always been a big gym person - and I like to go when it's crowded. There was always something comforting about knowing you're not the only one working out. And I would always challenge myself to go longer than the one next to me. In Siloam...no gyms. Bentonville? They have gyms and I'm excited. :)
Now here's the scary part. Since this pregnancy, so far every time I go on my walks or do any exercises, my right hip/side of my leg KILLS. Jason's been teaching me all of these stretches to help it, but I'm saying, I can't even bend down for the next 24 hours without pain. And then here in the next two days I've started having lower back pain. I'm hoping this is pregnancy related and not all my years of running punishing me.

Game Face

What a wonderful blessing to wake up to sunshine, amazing temperatures, cloudless skies, and to do all of this on my own timing. Yes, I woke up at 8:00am, before Lincoln! I got up, made my breakfast, got his bottle ready, walked in his room to check on him, only to find he was awake - just playing peacefully in his crib ready with a heart-melting smile when he saw me.
Loving Saturday.
I think today I might re-plant some fall flowers in front of our house, work out and enjoy the sunshine, bake cookies, and watch The Game. Yes, Arkansas gets another shot today. And Lincoln is ready.
Loving Saturday

Woo Pig Sooie!!

This weekend was the opening Razorback home football game. Jason's family came in with their exchange student from Serbia (Ogi) to hang out and go to the game. Jason's family has season tickets so this is a festivity we get to enjoy every year.
We always tailgate and are SO privileged to have an awesome tailgating location!! We're in the lot directly behind the jumbo tron so if you're ever out, come say hello!

Aunt Amy and Uncle Na-Na (that's what Lincoln says), came out before the game to hang out. We successfully taught Lincoln to "Call the Hogs" today! If you start the "Woooooo -" part he'll raise his hands up real high - we're still working on the "Pig Sooie!" but I'm sure he'll get it soon :) Lincoln with Ogi - his new friend. :) The McMahan men:

Lincoln was a trooper the whole day...he didn't get any hamburgers (see the face below) but he did get his first tastes of cheeze-its and watermelon which he delightfully enjoyed. He didn't go to the game (he'll be taking my pass when he gets older) but he did get to go shopping with his Aunt Erica and his Gran-Gran.