Trains, Rootbeer floats, Eyebrow threading & Randomness.

My blog seemed to fall by the wayside the last few weeks. I have missed writing and *hope* you all have missed reading!! 

My last post was on the 17th, when James turned 3 months! And today, the 29th I sit and rest for the first time since then! It has been a busy 12 days to say the least! Jimmy was given the task of directing the church's VBS program this summer. The church chose a curriculum called Mega Sports Camp. I played sports, as did Jimmy, but neither of us have done so recently. It was quite a challenge for us to work on a program that was sport based when neither of us are super "athletic" :) We ending up coaching soccer and our group consisted of boys from 3-6. oh my. I think I got a view into what to expect with our little boy and I will be the first to say, I don't know what I'm in for! The camp went well and we had one little boy accept the Lord! Even if all of our hard work was only for that one soul, It was TOTALY worth it! Jimmy was able to talk to him one on one and connect with him. 

My mom came to visit us the past week! She rode the train...for 27 hours :) It was so wonderful to spend some time with her! I was very thankful she was able to come the same week as Mega Sports Camp and watch James so we could devote our time to coaching soccer. It was hard for me to leave James, even though he was only in the church nursery, he was still away from us for the first time. I am so happy they got to spend some quality cuddle time together <3

One of the highlights of the week at Mega Sports Camp was the rootbeer floats on Friday night. They we delicious.

My mom tried to talk me into getting my eyebrows threaded. It is an alternative to waxing that is apparently better for your skin... We went to the Mall of America and found a shop that did it... Then we saw the video of the woman violently ripping out each eyebrow hair one by one... I refuse. I am a sissy and I know it. There is no way I'm doing THAT to my face! Ouch!! Have you ever done it? My grandma swears it feels "good"... Let me know, I would love to hear your experiences.

My sciatica is acting up again. It is very frustrating... not nearly as bad as when I was pregnant, but, sciatic nerve pain is pain no matter the degree. 

This Sunday is our last sunday in Minnesota. Jimmy said today "it feels like we just pulled into town!" I would totally agree. We are just finding our place, finding friends and getting comfortable and its time to head back to school! Crazy!! We have truly enjoyed our time here and the internship went very well! I think we have both learned alot! 

We will be heading back to NoDak for a few days then heading to Montana to visit family & work for a few weeks. While we are there one of my good friends is getting Married and I am honored to be her photographer and we will also be attending jimmy's 10 year high school reunion.

Phew! Now that I have caught you all up on what our family has been up to, I am going to nurse my baby and then immediately go to bed. We are wore out from all the happenings the last few weeks and need to catch up on our Z's before we have to make the 20 hour trek home! :)

Have a wonderful evening!

-Paige

1/4 of a year!

James is Three months old today! Thats 1/4 of a year! Holy smokes that went by fast!

At three months, James:

- loves to shove his entire fist in his mouth

- sleeps 7 hours a night consistently

- loves to talk to him daddy WAY more than to me

- is so close to rolling from back to tummy, but not quite!

- weighs 11 lbs 5 oz

- sleeps with both hands behind his head 90% of the time

- stays awake in the car, cooing & playing with Geoffrey, when he isn't looking out the window or intently at the "Warning" label on his carseat

- would watch TV all day long if his mama would allow it

- kicks and wiggles ALL the time

- finally has rolls on his thighs <3

I love this boy!

-Paige

A God That Heals

I believe in a God That heals. 

I am blessed by our church families who prayerfully intercede.

I am thankful for the health of our son. 

I can see God's hand in our son's three short months here with us!

I cannot wait to see what the future holds for our family.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Delicious Black Bean Quesadillas

I always struggle with good recipes using beans. My brain automatically thinks "chili". But, being summer, chili doesn't even sound good to me! I was searching for easy summer time meals and came across this recipe from Eating Well. I think next time I will add a can of drained corn to them and possibly some chicken, just to make it a little fuller. But they were absolutely delicious and SO easy! I altered the recipe a bit from what the site originally called for!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• 1/2 cup prepared fresh salsa (see Tip), divided
• 4 8-inch tortillas
• olive oil

• PREPARATION
  1. Combine beans, cheese and 1/4 cup salsa in a medium bowl. Place tortillas on a work surface. Spread 1/2 cup filling on half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently to flatten.
  2. Turn BBQ to low heat, brush outside of tortillas with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place quesadillas on grill & cook, turning once, until golden on both sides and cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes total.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  TIPS & NOTES

  • Look for prepared fresh salsa in the supermarket refrigerator section near other dips and spreads. Like this one from WalMart:

  

  
  
  We enjoyed some chips and the extra salsa and topped our quesadillas with taco sauce & sour cream. (We don't live avocado, or else some guacamole would have been great, too!) A side salad would be great with this meal as well! :) 
  
  
  OH- and sorry for the bad pictures, all I had was my husbands cell phone! ha. :)
  
  
  -Paige 

Meal Planning

"What's for dinner?"

You glance up at the clock as your husband walks in the door after a long day at work and then at the empty stove. oops! Its 5:30 and you still have nothing out for a meal! Meat? frozen. Veggies? we're out! Potatoes? I don't think they are supposed to smell like that...

I love to cook, but am terrible about cooking the same ten meals over and over again if I do not plan ahead. Since discovering the usefulness of a Home Management Binder, meal planning has become a necessity! Not only does it make your day easier to glace at the chart and know exactly what you need to remove from the freezer, you save money by preparing meals that use some common ingredients and by only shopping once a week! 

On Saturday mornings (because we go shopping on saturdays!), I usually sit down with my coffee and some scratch paper (multiple pieces) and start the meal planning process.

First, I find the meals I want to make and gather recipes I need. Second, I jot down each day of the week, and fill in which meals we will have each day. I then draw a line down the middle of the page. On the right hand side, I write down all of the ingredients and groceries I need to buy. After this list is complete, I grab a second piece of paper and make my real grocery list, putting each item in order from the back of the store to the front. (No zig-zaging throughout the store for me!) Last, I grab my Weekly Meal Guide (which is in a clear page-protector) off the fridge door and my dry erase marker and fill in which meals we will be have each day (these should be written down on the FIRST piece of scratch paper!) and Viola! You have a Week worth of meals, planned out, with all of the groceries freshly placed in your fridge, pantry and freezer! 

Meal planning has been such a huge help to our family. We have pizza on friday night. always. If we have enough leftovers, Thursday night is leftover night. For the remaining 5 days, I ask for input for 2 meals from Jimmy and I choose 3 that somewhat correspond with the things he chose! Done! Yes, it takes some time, but I am much less stressed during the week. I have started to enjoy sitting down and planning meals my family with love and discovering new recipes to spice up our diets! Click Here to get a free Meal Schedule Printable I made just for my readers!  

So begins your journey to Home Management!

-Paige

Modesty

What is Modesty? Is it a personal preference? Is it a social norm? What should Christian women wear? What does the Bible have to say about it? 

A common idea is that we, as women, wear revealing clothing and cause men to lust after us. Men lust. Men commit the sin, right? I disagree. Matthew 5:28 states, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Did you catch it? He has

committed sin WITH her in his heart. That little four letter word W-I-T-H ties women just as deeply into the snare of sin as any man who lusts after her. Any Godly women who strives daily to please our Heavenly Father does not want to be sinning in any form, much less, in a way that they are unaware of.    You would not commit adultery with the old man you pass on the street, so why allow them to go there WITH us in their brains? God created men to love the feminine body. Our culture, however is so sexual that men are desensitized to women's bodies. They are desensitized to bodys that God created them to adore in the loving, secure, holiness of a marriage.

I don't think women are the only ones who are "in charge" of keeping our brother's minds pure, they most definitely have a responsibility to be self controlled. But as women, knowing that men are visual creatures, be respectful. Be respectful not only of men's minds and hearts, but of yourself! Men may be desensitized to the women in ads, on billboards and in the skimpy bikinis at the beach, but we are not in charge of those women and we aren't those women. Be in charge of you, your body belongs to your husband or your future husband, let's keep it that way. Let's step up and respect the pure marriage that God longs for us to all experience. To quote the movie Fun with Dick and Jane don't let them get "All up in your goodies!" (haha, I love that movie).  

The biblical sense of modesty is to allow ment to view women as a whole lot more than just our bodies. Paul writes in 1st Timothy that he wants:

 "men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God." 

Don't get me wrong, I love jewelry  I love accessories and I love fun hairstyles, But I love God more and I love serving Him, worshipping Him and serving others a whole lot more!! As women, we have a responsibility to not distract others from their focus on Christ. I think the term "Stay classy" is a great way to determine if it is something good to wear.

 I have struggled since having James with weather or not my clothes are "mom clothes" My summer wardrobe, while modest, was not child chasing, holding, bending over material to say the least. As I have searched and searched for comfortable, modest, cute, CLASSY summer clothes, I have found that I no longer want to shop at stores I used to, you know, the ones where you have to ask where they keep the "long shorts" (the kind that actually cover your butt? ;) I know not every reader is a mom, but we all have the responsibility of adorning ourselves in clothing pleasing to our Lord and respectful of our bodies and our brother's minds. Like I said before, it is not 100% our job to keep men's minds out of the proverbial gutter, but why not make it easier for them?

This post is not meant to condemn anyone for wearing a bikini, doing their hair or wearing jewelry. But as a wife and mother of a son, I simply want to challenge you to take a second glance at what you choose to wear, and think of what impact it could have on men. Be respectful and Stay classy ladies :)

{A few stores which I have found to have great, modest, affordable clothing are LOFT, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, & J. Crew}

Have a Happy Day! 

-Paige

Birth Story

James Ezekiel

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

2:36am

19.5 inches long

7lbs 15oz

<<<<REWIND>>>>

Tuesday, April 16th 2013 4:45 am: I woke up rolled out of the bed at the Ramada that I laid in nervously all night, "Today is the day! I'm gonna be a mama!" Monday night, we booked a hotel room in Aberdeen because we had to be at the hospital at 5:45 the next morning for my induction. An induction that terrified me in EVERY sense of the word. What if he's not ready? What if it doesn't work? What if something goes wrong? 

I nervously got out of bed, and spent my last quiet morning curling my hair (If I was going to wear a hideous hospital gown and be stripped of every bit of dignity I have, I was going to AT LEAST look good while doing it!) Jimmy got up and packed up all our things and we hopped in the car and drove the 2 blocks to the hospital. 

Because It was so stinkin' early, we had to enter through the emergency room doors. We were lead up to our birthing suite and got settled while filling out paper work and getting all sorts of wristbands. (Did I mention I HATE bracelets?) so. annoying. 

Around 7 am, they finally got around to me, "here it goes!" We thought.

Wrong.

Because the hospital can only have a set number of "elective" births and because there were other's in labor before I arrived and finally because another woman came in just going into labor, they informed us that unless I was in labor naturally  we were going to have to go home and try again at a later date. SERIOUSLY? 

I don't think Jimmy had ever prayed so hard that I would go into labor, but It worked! I was in labor, all on my own, with NO drugs. SO THANKFUL! I have avoided the induction I was dreading!

At noon, my water was broke, meconium was discovered and so it began. (the pain that is!) I am not anti pharmaceuticals  by any means, but I wanted to give my best shot at no pain medication. I made it 4.5 hours. The hours flew by for me, but according to Jimmy, they were the longest 4 and a half hours of his life! I'm pretty sure the anesthesiologist was my favorite. His name was Leif. I don't know why I remember that, but I do! And I am thankful for him! :) My labor slowed so I was given Pitocin around 5:30 pm. My doctor said we should have a baby by 10:30pm and then told me to get some rest. REST? how do you expect me to just snooze away when I am going to be pushing a 7+ pound human out of my body?! HA! The nurses told me at about 1 am that I was ready to push. All of a sudden, I get nervous, anxious, happy, sad, scared, excited, overwhelmed, terrified, overjoyed. You name it, I felt it.

After an hour of pushing, we welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world... and they whisked him away to the warmer to suction him out. I was waiting for "THAT cry" you know, the one as soon as they come, out they take their first breath and let out a noise similar to a large jungle cat? He let out a noise, It was a small noise, but a noise big enough to inhale the meconium. While he was over on the warmer, I just laid there... all by myself... not really knowing what was going on. All of a sudden we needed chest x-rays and monitors. Then we needed an EKG. Wait? an EKG? What's wrong with our son?! With a heart rate of 69, they start to worry. They informed me that I was not going to be able to feed him until they got things all figured out. We were not able to hold him for an hour and half after he was born. It was the longest hour and a half i've ever known. We were so thrilled when we were finally able to snuggle him!

He had to sleep in the nursery because they needed to run more tests on him and had to administer his IV medications. At 5:30am, our doctor walked in and woke us up with "We might need to fly him to Sioux Falls"... excuse me? How about a "Good morning?"..Jimmy quickly rolled over on the couch and she told us that the nursery was only level 2 and he would need to go there, we would know for sure shortly. 

By the grace of God, a pediatric cardiologist from Sioux Falls was IN ABERDEEN. It was not coincidence. I truly believe God was watching over our son. While he was borderline level 3, the Doctors from Sioux Falls and the ones with us in Aberdeen were able to communicate via video and phone to discuss his heart. The doctors in Sioux Falles were able to listen to James' heart from the nursery in Aberdeen, isn't technology amazing? Aside from his low heartrate, they thought James has a murmur, but discovered he had a PDA (Patent ductus arteriosus). It is a heart problem that affects some babies soon after birth. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart. Before babies are born, these arteries are connected by a blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus, a blood vessel that is vital to fetal blood circulation. Within minutes or up to a few days after birth, the ductus arteriosus closes. In some babies, however, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent). The opening allows oxygen-rich blood from the aorta to mix with oxygen-poor blood from the pulmonary artery. This can strain the heart and increase blood pressure in the lung arteries.

The PDA was discovered simply because of the EKG's performed. A lot of babies have it, and it closes. They are not, however, monitored like James was, and since they found it, we had to have it checked out again. PDA aside, they were still a bit concerned about his low heart rate and kept him on a heart monitor 24 hours a day while we were in the hospital. 

Because I was not able to nurse him immediately, I pumped, which allowed Jimmy to feed him.

James LOVED his first bath, especially getting his hair washed.

We spend Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Morning cuddling and getting used to our baby boy.

On Friday, James was fit with a Holter monitor to record his heart for the first 48 hours we were home, and we were sent off. After a rough start, we brought home a perfectly healthy baby boy. We are so thankful for him, and for the wonderful care we received at the hospital. 

<3 Paige

30 x 30 | Week One

Today Marks the end of week one of my 30x30 Challenge! 

Here are my outfits:

Day 1

(Top: consignment, Bottoms: Old Navy, Shoes: Target)

Day 2

(Top: Marshalls, Sweater: Wet Seal, Bottoms: American Eagle,  Shoes: WalMart, Necklace: Forever21)

Day 3

(Top: Wet Seal, Bottom: Forever21, Shoes: Claire's)

Day 4

(Top: Marshalls, Bottoms: American Eagle, Shoes: WalMart)

Day 5

(Top: Wet Seal, Sweater: Wet Seal, Belt: Forever21, Bottom: Ross, Shoes: Target)

Day 6

(Top: Marshalls, Sweater: Billabong, Bottoms: American Eagle, Shoes: Target)

Day 7

(Top: Victoria's Secret, Necklace: Forever21, Bottoms: Buckle, Shoes: Claire's)

-Paige

Homemade Coffee Creamer

As I stroll into the kitchen, I hear the coffee pot doing what it does best. After a restful nights sleep and a long, hot & relaxing shower, I am now ready to enjoy the cool morning air as I sip a delicious cup of coffee...HA! 

...Let's be honest...

As I stroll  sluggishly drag myself into the kitchen, [TO MY RELIEF] I hear the coffee pot doing what it does best. After a restful  half nights sleep and a long, hot & relaxing  quick, lukewarm shower, I am now ready to enjoy the cool morning air  do my hair, pick up the house and prepare for our entire day as I sip chug a delicious cup of coffee.

I love coffee. And I occasionally do get to just sit and relax while I drink it (today I enjoyed The Price is Right while drinking my cup of joe!) Lately I have been making iced coffe and it is wonderful! Today I decided to make my own coffee creamer! It was great! I made simple vanilla, but plan to try a new flavor as soon as it is gone!

Here is the recipe:

BASE:

-14oz sweetened condensed milk

- 1 3/4 cup milk or cream (whole, lowfat, skim, almond, soy, heavy cream, half & half etc – whatever your preference, however the more fat, the more creaminess)

Mix the ingredients together well. I added them to an old (washed) creamer container. [using a super cool funnel that your inventive husband makes for you!]

FLAVORS:

French Vanilla Creamer

2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR vanilla coffee syrup

Vanilla Bean Coffee Creamer

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Chocolate

2-3 tablespoons chocolate syrup

(1 tsp vanilla extract, optional)

Chocolate Almond

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

Strudel

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla Caramel

2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Raspberry

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons raspberry syrup

Irish Cream

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Coconut

2 teaspoons coconut extract

Samoa (like the Girl Scout Cookies)

2 teaspoons coconut extract (or sub coconut milk or cream of coconut, heated & strained, for the milk/cream)

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

Peppermint Patty

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Cinnamon Vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice

3 tablespoons pureed pumpkin

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Honey Vanilla

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Almond Joy

1-2 teaspoons coconut extract (or sub coconut milk or cream of coconut if you heat it first, strained, in place of the milk & extract)

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Sweet Cream

Use 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream instead of the milk in the base recipe

2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR the inside of a vanilla bean, scraped

1 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Orange

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1-2 teaspoons orange extract

Hazelnut

2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

Chocolate Hazelnut

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

Cinnamon Cake

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Salted Caramel

2-3 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

1/2 teaspoon salt

Eggnog

replace milk in base recipe with equal amount of heavy cream

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons rum extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Toasted Almond

2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions & Tips:

In all these recipes, anything that has a dry or thick ingredient (like cinnamon, honey, etc..) should be heated up with a small amount of your milk/cream from the base recipe so it can dissolve properly. You don’t want grainy creamer! Then, add the rest of the milk/cream along with the sweetened condensed milk.

Stick a piece of tape on the container with the expiration date from the milk you used. I use this as a guideline as to when the creamer should be used by.

**I found the recipe on Facebook, but was unable to find who it belongs to. If you know, please let me know so I can give them credit! :)