When reality hits...

Early mornings...long days...swollen ankles and being exhausted beyond words...I think those are some signs that yes, oh yes, summer break is definitely over and the new school year is officially in full swing!

I've pretty much already summed up my week in the opening statement on this post, but here are a few other highlights from this week. :):)

Raring to go...that's how the day started anyway... I always get so excited about getting back into my classroom and decorating it for the year ahead. Our theme this year is "Set Sail for Learning" so it has been fun looking at anchor and lighthouse decorations.

I met my 2nd grade team at Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. This was a treat for Lilly and I because I haven't had many Chicken Breakfast Burritos since being preggo. It was great to see my teacher friends and have some hang out time before our meeting started!! The meeting lasted until 11 and then we were able to head back to our schools to work in our classrooms.

I spent Monday finishing hanging up my fabric and border on my bulletin boards and doing other odds and ends in my classroom.

I went home for lunch and ate leftovers. I was already missing the hubz and my doggy so it was nice to get to see them for a few minutes.

I came home that night and I was planning on cooking, but we agreed to just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk since neither of us were that hungry. It was off to bed around 10. Exhausted.

Apparently my rocket wanted to launch waaay before the sun came up! I woke up at 2:30...remember I am 31 weeks pregnant...can you guess why I woke up? .....Okay I will tell you since I'm sure you are dying to know! I had to pee! Well, then since I was up...my brain decided to turn on and it would not turn off! :( I laid there thinking about the nursery and what all we had left to do in there....then I thought about my classroom and what all I still had left to do there...and then I thought about the nursery...classroom...nursery....you get the point! Finally 2 hours later I decided to just get up because laying there wasn't getting anything accomplished besides making me even more stressed!

I fixed "Egg White Bites", took a shower, got ready, and headed to school sometime around 6:30. I had to call Doris, one of the custodians at my school so she could let me in the building. You know you have a problem when you are at work way before you are supposed to be! On the drive to school I had already started realizing how truly tired I was...it was still dark out and oh how I missed my bed already. I knew at that point that it was going to be a very long day.

I was able to get a few things done in my classroom before we had to be in the library for our all day staff development meeting. A sweet something was a nice way to start the day though...they had Waffle House cater us breakfast! YUM! This was a VERY special treat for Lillian and I since we normally have eggs or cereal for breakfast. I splurged this morning with a waffle, hash browns, and grits! YUM, YUM!

For our lunch break I grabbed a Chick-Fil-A sandwich and worked in my room trying to get a few other things done. After lunch our meetings continued until 2:30.

I stayed at school working in my classroom until 8. My mom came up to help me when she got off of work. She was definitely a sight for sore eyes! She helped me get their folders ready for tomorrow and get my outside bulletin board done!:) THANK YOU MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XoXoXo:):)

 

Nick was out of town for the night so Kimberly came to stay with me. I wasn't much fun for our sleepover since I was so tired, but it was still good to see her and spend time together! Cookie Crisp finished off the meals for the day...I wasn't very hungry and really too tired to even eat, so I opted for a quick bowl of non-nutritious cereal. I talked to Nick for a bit and then called it a day!

Exhausted.

It's "Meet the Teacher" day at school so I was excited about what was ahead! I ate a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and then headed to school. I worked on getting things ready for "Meet the Teacher", then during our lunch break I ran to Ingles to get balloons blown up for the kiddos. The school had Chick-Fil-A cater us lunch so Day 3 of Chick-Fil-A for me. (No complaints here...especially with the chocolate chip cookie in the box!:))

Here are a few pictures from my classroom with their balloons...





Meet the Teacher was from 1-6. It is always fun, exciting, and non-stop! Parents and students come in one at a time. Out of 22 children in my class 20 came...it was great getting to put a face with a name and meeting their families, too!:)

Nick got home around 2 so I left right after 6 so I could get home to see him. We decided to head to Fatz for dinner. I had Citrus Grilled Chicken and extra pineapple...oh so good! I went to sleep not long after we got back home. Another long day.

Exhausted.

We had staff development meetings all day today. They had breakfast catered for us from Tabby Cakes. It was really good! There was a variety of breakfast casseroles and fruit! For lunch I went by Chick-Fil-A for a sandwich and then back to work in my room until break was over. Our meeting lasted until 2:30. I worked until around 7 and then headed home. Nick fixed us turkey burgers, black beans, and sweet potato fries! YUM YUM! For dessert we had watermelon! Now that is a perfect summer meal if you ask me!:) We took Jonah for a walk after dinner. My ankles were pretty swollen from today...especially my right one...I broke it in a car accident 10 years ago...I guess that's why the swelling is worse on that one. :(

Nick read Lilly a bible story about Hannah tonight from her Children's Book of Bible Stories. I love hearing him read to her and talk to her! It makes me even more excited about her being here and getting to see him with her!! Ahhh...melts my heart just thinking about it! I already know that she is going be "Daddy's Little Girl" for sure!!:):)

Sleep wasn't hard to get to....I was very tired!

Exhausted.

 

And...that means...

8 weeks to go!!!!:):):)

 

How thankful I was that it was Friday....however it started off a little earlier than I would have liked! I woke up at 4:30 for a potty break and once again couldn't go back to sleep to get in another hour and a half. So I decided to get up and get going. I got ready and Nick took me to school at 6:45. He had to use my car to take the pressure washer to get fixed on his lunch break. Once again Doris had to let me in the building. Nick was laughing because I was the only one at school!

Sauvé picked me up at 7:45 and I rode with her over to another school in our district where our meeting for the day was being held. For lunch we grabbed a Chick-Fil-A sandwich (Yes, I think I ate from there everyday this week! Oh well, I will miss it when I am scarfing down my PB&J in the school cafeteria over the next 2 months!!:)) and then we headed to our classrooms to get a few things done before we had to be back at our meeting. It lasted until 2:30 and then we both agreed that we needed a little caffeine fix so we got a Caramel Frappé from McDonalds! It was my first time having one and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!! I'm sure it gave Lilly a sugar rush because it sure gave me one! She was bouncing all around my belly!! It did give me the boost I needed though to get things done. I was going...going...going...until 8:00!

Nick came to get me around 7:15. He hung out in my room with me. He actually arrived at a perfect time because my printer kept jamming! Luckily he was able to fix it before I had a panic attack. We stopped by Fuji for dinner when we left...he wanted it and even though I didn't (I suggested a bowl of cereal) I felt bad so we went to Fuji. I just got a salad, carrots, and zucchini. It was actually pretty good! We did a quick Wal-Mart trip for some needed groceries and then we headed home. Nick started a movie, but I fell asleep shortly after it started.

Exhausted.

Friday Ankle Selfie...

I guess it's still an ankle even though it's definitely a cankle. :( I even propped it up today as much and as often as I could!! Thank Goodness It's Friday!!

 

Saturday Ankle Selfie...

YAY I have an ankle again!!!:):)

I slept in for a little bit this morning...around 7:) I fixed us "Egg White Bites" for breakfast and I cleaned the house some. Nick got up after 8. We laid around for awhile trying to decide what we were going to do with our Saturday. While we were trying to decide what to do we spent some time praying together for our friends and family. It's not something that we do often enough together, but I love it when we do! There is just something special about being intimate with Nick and God at the same time.

 

Now, back to mapping out our day..For some reason Nick is feeling very pushed to get things done before Lillian makes her arrival. :) I think it's so cute! However, our minds are not focused on the same things at all. He has been pressure washing our house, cleaning out drawers in the office desk, cleaning and organizing the garage and all kinds of things! (My mom says he is 'nesting'!:):) I, on the other hand have been consumed with starting back to school and being preoccupied with thinking about the last things I need to do to finish the nursery. So, we kind of met in the middle when we decided what to do. I bought some things online that I had been wanting to order. A few things for the nursery and a few things for her newborn photo shoot when she comes home from the hospital. Then, we went to Frank's to get some flowers to go in empty pots. We normally go all out for flowers and plants in the spring and summer, but this time we decided not to for several reasons...we knew we were going to be gone a good bit over the summer so we didn't want to worry about getting them watered and we also figured we would be saving money by not buying any. Now that it is getting close to fall and close to Lilly being here we know there will be more people over than usual so we want our house to look nice.:) After that we headed to look at some furniture. We are thinking about turning our office (that doesn't get used thanks to laptops) into a T.V. Room. While looking at furniture for that room we also started considering getting new furniture for our living room, too. (By the way...this is 85% Nick...I am in agreement with him, but I am perfectly fine with things staying the way they are.:))

This is one that we are considering for the living room. It felt pretty good!:)

After stopping to look at furniture we had lunch at P.F. Changs! This was such a good idea...thank you hubby!! Definitely one of my FAVORITES! We had the Pick 2...Egg Drop Soup, Lettuce Wraps (YUUUUM), Sweet and Sour Chicken, and then we had Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake for dessert. Ahhh...heavenly!!!

Here's what my fortune was in my cookie...

I couldn't agree more!!!!:):):)

 

After lunch we ran a few errands while we were in Greenville and then headed home.

Nick put the flowers in their pots and I rested in the bed. Our night ended with...you guessed it...a few episodes of Cheers. :)

I couldn't agree any more with the doggie in the picture! Sunday morning started around 8 for me. I got some good rest though.:) I ate some oatmeal for breakfast on the way to church. We got up and ready in time for bible fellowship this morning and I am so glad we did! It was a wonderful message on suffering from 1 Peter 5.:) I could definitely hear God speaking to me this morning! I love how He gives us all such special gifts and the teachers in our class have already been such wonderful blessings for Nick and I.:):) The service was also very good today. He spoke from Romans 12 and had very good reminders on being 'transformers' not 'conformers'. This world so easily pulls us in and does everything possible to alter our hearts. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are both in the praise and worship band at church and I just love watching them perform! They are both so very talented...the Lord has given them wonderful gifts!!

After church we went home to change, ate a PB&J sandwich and then headed to Gaffney to run some errands. A stop at the Strawberry Hill store beside the yellow mall was a request that I made so I could get some delicious, juicy peaches!:):) After our Gaffney trip we stopped by Zaxby's to get dinner...a grilled chicken salad finished my meals off for the day.:) The rest of the night was spent being lazy...for me anyway...Nick did some yard work.

 

It has been a great week! Thank you God for blessing me so much more than I deserve!:)

Friends and Family are Some of God's Greatest Gifts:)

Summer break that is...

No more sleeping until whenever I feel like peeling myself out of bed. No more napping whenever I get the notion. No more beach trips, last minute lake trips, or multiple poolside days in a row. No more staying up until midnight or after watching silly T.V. shows or movies with Nick. No more days of not having any plans, random plans, or too many plans. Back to the grind starting Monday...

 

Here's how I spent my last week of summer break...

Well "Monday" began pretty early...around 3 A.M. I woke up to the sound of Jonah (our dog-son) throwing up. I found several places around the house where he had gotten sick prior to the one that woke me up. I was up with him until around 6 A.M. He threw up a total of 10 times inside and a few times outside. I, of course, as his mommy, was very worried about him, but I wasn't sure what to do. When Nick and I woke up around 8, Nick thought that maybe we should give him 24 hours before taking him to the vet in case it was just a little bug that he had. We were concerned that it may be Kennel Cough because our in-laws boarded their dogs at the same place Jonah was at and they had been coughing very badly since we picked them up Saturday. However, Jonah was not coughing at all...so I agreed with Nick to just wait it out and see.

About 9 A.M. our door bell rang...not typical...it was the guy from Service Masters here to clean the carpet! OOPS! I thought he wasn't coming until after lunch. I keep getting dates and times mixed up...just blame it on 'baby brain'. ;-)

I had oatmeal for breakfast and I fixed Nick an omelet and some bacon. Then, I got dressed and headed up to school to work on my classroom around 11. My sister-in-law, Kelly, met me up at school to help me get some things done. We got a good bit done and had a good time doing it, too! We talked and talked and talked and just had a great time getting to hang out!! Josh brought us Chick-Fil-A for lunch and it was yummy of course!

Here are a few pictures of the work in progress...

 

 
 

A HUGE THANK YOU to Kelly for helping me get so much done!!! XoXo:):)

 
When I left school I went by Wal-Mart to get something to fix for supper. Since I didn't plan anything to cook I just went with easy Pesto Chicken. That is one recipe that I have the ingredients memorized...chicken, basil pesto sauce, and mozzarella cheese!:) I fixed dinner for Nick and then I went to meet my friend Amy at Panera for our dinner date. I know I say this often, but seeing my sweet friends never happens often enough! It's crazy how much time goes by between our get togethers!! It leaves a lot of conversation to be had though because we have so much to catch up on. I had yummy Frontega Chicken (thanks to Erica for introducing me to it!!:)) and a bowl of Summer Corn Chowder. YUM, YUM!! Amy and I ate and sat and talked for a while! I love hearing her stories of 'life' at her school because our schools and districts are very different. She always has lots to share and we like to compare different things about where we work. I don't get to teach at the same school that she does, but I know she is a FABULOUS teacher because she has such a big, sweet heart!

I hated to hug her bye because I know it will be a few weeks before I see her again. I wish life had a pause button so things could slow down long enough for there to be more friend time!!

When I got home I was very...no...VERY surprised at what I found...Nick had put all of the furniture back in it's place from where he had to move it that morning for the carpet to get cleaned. AND here is what I was so very surprised and excited about...he had the crib put together in the nursery!! We were waiting on the carpet to get cleaned before we did that. It was so sweet...he had the lamps turned on and everything back where it was supposed to go in there. Ahhh...melted my heart!! We put the bedding on the crib so we could see what it looked like! That was an eventful 30 minutes! HAHA! Who knew it was so difficult to fix and tie a bumper to crib rails.:) Ahh the memories!!:)

Here is a sneak peek at the crib and bedding...

It looks soooo good!! So soft and sweet!! I can't wait to get the nursery finished!!

 

Here's a quote for today to my sweet Amy... I love you Amy Heinze!:):)

 

I woke up at 5 A.M...I was a little hungry and I was also worried about Jonah and I wanted to see how he would do eating a little bit of food. He threw up 2 times yesterday when Nick was home with him so he put his food up since he obviously wasn't able to keep any down. He ate some food and then we laid down on the couch for a little bit. I read some in my bible and he fell asleep right on my tummy.:) I don't know how much more love I could have for a dog! He is my baby boy!:)

I fixed Nick and I breakfast around 8...we had "Egg White Bites". These things are soo good and soo easy to fix! I use whatever veggies I have on hand and we just use the regular liquid egg instead of just liquid egg whites. I also add some cheese sometimes, too! They seriously taste like mini omelets! Nick loves to put salsa on his.:) Here's the recipe:

http://fitsuccess.blogspot.com/2013/07/grab-go-egg-white-bites.html

I took a shower and got ready. Then I met Emily at school at 11:30. I got to see her new *THIRD GRADE* classroom for the very first time! It looks amazing! Here's a link to her blog...

http://sweetcarolina3rdgraders.blogspot.com/

Not only do I love her as my best friend, I also love her because of her passion for children and teaching. She's one of those teachers that her love for what she does and why she does it just oozes out of her! She is also so very, very driven! Constantly reading and learning more about teaching and how to change or adapt things to help children learn even better.

After a tour of her classroom we headed to eat lunch at Delightful Dishes! YUM on top of YUM!! Not only was I SO excited to get to spend time with Emily, I couldn't wait for my Chicken Pecan Quiche, Pasta Salad, and Strawberry Congealed Salad! Oh my, it's all heavenly!!:) We had a great time chatting, chatting, and more chatting...trying to do our very best to catch up on so many things in the short time we had to spend together.

After lunch I brought her back to school and I went and worked in my classroom for a bit. I started looking at first week plans from last year to see what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to change. I didn't stay up there too long though. The 'summer bug' is still nibbling at me quite a bit.;-)

I went to Wal-Mart to get a few things when I left school then I headed home. My sister, who I hadn't seen in weeks came over! It was SO great to see her. There's just nothing like the bond that we have. She truly is my other half! It's hard to feel 'complete' when we go so long without seeing each other. We had leftover Baked Pesto Chicken for dinner and I tried to fix a new recipe for zucchini. Here's the link if you want to try it...

 http://lilluna.com/parmesan-crusted-zucchini/

They were yummy! BUT would have been even better if I would've used the right kind of grated parmesan. :) For dessert we had strawberries and nutella! The perfect sweet treat! It was my sister's first time trying Nutella and let me tell you she is ADDICTED!:):)

Nick and I went to see our friends, Brooke and J.P, so we could see their newborn baby, Ace. We brought them dinner from Capri's and hung out talking to them and holding Ace. He is absolutely precious!! Such a good baby, too! We loved listening to their story of Brooke going to the hospital to have him and then the story of his birth. So amazing!!

We left their house around 8 and headed home (a few streets over). Mom came to walk so Kimberly, mom, and I walked around the neighborhood.:) It was a great time having "The 3 Musketeers" together and getting a chance to catch up!:)

After mom left, Kimberly, Nick, and I watched "What to Expect When You're Expecting". Nick and I had already watched it, but he thought Kimberly would think it was funny and he wanted to see it again anyway. I fell asleep a little bit into the movie. This 'lil mama was tired!:)

 

Here's a quote for my sweet friend, Emily... I love you Emma Loo!:):)

 

I woke up around 5:30 and got up. I hadn't cleaned since we got home from the beach so it was that time again. I had some Special K Protein Cereal and a banana for breakfast after my cleaning frenzy. Kimberly and I got ready and headed to Emily's to have a  pool day with her and her 2 girls. We had a great time getting a suntan, relaxing by the pool, catching up, and playing with Emary Kate and Ellie.:) Emily made pasta salad for lunch and it was very yummy! We stayed until around 3:30 and then we headed back to my house. I'm so glad that we made time to finally get together this summer, but it made me sad to think this was our last chance to have a Wednesday pool date...before...break is over... :(

Not long after Kimberly and I were home, my mom called to tell us that she was taking our dog, Blondie, to be put to sleep. Blondie was bought many, many years ago by my 'ex'. He wanted her to stay at my house temporarily, but that changed when mom, me, and Kimberly all got attached to her. She was our baby girl! I loved that dog so very, very much! Then when I got married and moved out she got very close to mom and Kimberly. Long story short, she hadn't been doing good over the past month and after a few nights of staying at the vet having an IV in her to get fluids and a change in her diet she was able to go home. The vet wasn't sure how long she had. She is over 11 years old and has lived a very good life being loved by so many people. She did pretty good after her vet visit, but slowly she started going down hill again. Mom knew that it was best to have her put to sleep so she wouldn't suffer anymore. It was a hard night for all of us. Crying...thinking about all of the memories with her and just knowing how much she was going to be missed.

 

Blonde Girl you are loved and you will be missed more than you will ever know!!

I love this...

     I had planned on cooking tonight...wasn't sure what...but after the news about Blondie I wasn't really up for it anymore. So, we ordered subs from firehouse. A meatball sub and a few pickles finished my meals for the day.:) (I may or may not have asked for extra pickles;-))
     My cousin Amanda, her husband, Gary, and their kiddos came over around 9. Amanda was letting me look through some clothes that she had that her daughter, Taelyn had outgrown. I got a TON of sleepers, gowns, and precious outfits!! It was great getting to see them! They are more people that go on the list of "We don't see each other enough". :(
     Nick rented a movie for us to watch. I can't even remember the name, which is fine with me because obviously it wasn't able to keep my attention since I fell asleep about 30 minutes into it. Another fun day...but I was ready to get some Zzzzz's.:)

 

Here are a few quotes for my sweet sister, my best friend, Kimberly...

I love you Kimberly K. (KDUB)!:):)

 

 

I did some more cleaning this morning when I woke up. I had oatmeal for breakfast, then Kimberly and I went to see our mom at work around 10. We brought her a treat from Starbucks to surprise her. I knew she would be feeling down since what happened the night before so I thought seeing us would brighten her day...and it did.:)

Kimberly and I met Erica at the pool around 11:45. It was another nice, sunny day perfect to be poolside. However, we found ourselves in the pool more than beside it because it was so hot! I love spending time with Erica! She is such a special friend!! We started teaching at Oakland the same year...she teaches 1st grade right across the hall from me. She is a wonderful teacher! She is my 'go to' person if I have a question about anything or need any advice on pretty much anything, but especially school related topics! We share the same thoughts and views on a lot of the things we go through as teachers. It's nice to have her right across the hall from me! She's a great encourager and she keeps me grounded. Her love for children and helping them learn far beyond just academics is a breath of fresh air so often! God shines through her every day in so many ways!:)

 

A few years into our teaching careers, Erica and I were in each others weddings. Now we are both pregnant with girls are due 8 days apart!:) There's always so much to talk about with her. Of course we do the normal school talk and we share and compare preggo stories, but I love hearing stories about her family the most! They are so close and I just love it when she shares about them.:) We decided to head in from the sun around 3:30. Knowing the weather was calling for rain the rest of the weekend made it hard to come in, but we had gotten enough Vitamin D for the day!:)

Nick's mom came over around 6 and we went to eat dinner at Capri's with her.:) I had grilled chicken with grilled pineapple. (It's not on the menu, but I asked for the grilled pineapple and thankfully they fixed it for me!!) I also had a delicious salad and some veggies as my side. It all hit the spot.:) After dinner we had Tutti Frutti for dessert! My favorite...Pomegranate, Frutti Pebbles, strawberries, and blueberries! SUPER YUMMY!!:):)

Nick rented a movie for us to watch...I can't remember the name of it, but it was another one that sent me straight to sleep after the first few minutes in. Another wonderful day! So blessed:):)

 

Here's a quote for my sweet friend, Erica... I love you Erica!:):)

 

31 Weeks!!!!:):) 9 Weeks to go!!:)

Another early start this week, BUT for another great reason...my 31 week doctor's appointment!!! YAY!! I was so excited to see our sweet baby girl again!! Nick's mom, Nick, and I got ready and met my mom at the doctor's office at 8:45. They made me do the normal 'urine sample' and checked my blood pressure and weight...I'm up to 128.2 pounds. Not bad, not bad, but when I grew up praying to peek 100 lbs. and then doing whatever I could to reach 105 lbs.... seeing 128 on a scale is a little...umm...let's just say one of those times that you swallow and you get that lump in your throat. BUT I have a healthy baby growing inside of me, so it's expected!:)

Lillian is doing great! She weighs 3 lbs. 9 oz. and is measuring right where she needs to be for the October 10th due date. She was in her favorite position during the ultrasound. She moved a little, but not much. If only the appointment would have been around 6 this morning...that's when she normally makes her tumbling début for the day. :) She likes to keep her hand up at her mouth and she was sucking on her fist some. We got to see her little feet and her sweet toes, too! Precious, precious!! I can't wait for her to be here and hold her and just love on her!!

Here's a pic collage with a few of the  ultrasound pictures...

After the appointment, my mom had to go to work and Nick's mom had somewhere she had to be, too. Nick and I ran by Lowe's real quick to get a few things and we grabbed a Chicken Bacon Swiss sandwich from Arby's on our way home. I left for Greenville to run some errands that afternoon. It was a rainy, yucky day so I stopped by Starbucks for a sweet treat...decaf Java Chip Frappuccino! YUUUM!!! (If you've never tried one them, then YOU SHOULD!!) After running around and spending TOO much time sitting in traffic I headed home with a few new purchases.

I grabbed salads from Zaxby's and chocolate chip cookies on my way home for us to have for dinner. We climbed in the bed not long after we ate. Nick watched a few episodes of Cheers and I decided to see what my eyelids look like....good night.:)

 

Here's a quote for my sweet mommy... I love you Mom!:):)

 

Here's a quote for my sweet mother-in-law... I love you Cheryl!:):)

 

 

 

Rise and Shine with the birds this morning! Hey, they say...."the early bird gets the worm". I don't know about getting a worm, but I will tell you what I did get...a big pancake, sweet juicy peaches, and cheese grits from Strawberry Hill! I went to pick my grandpa up at 7:30 A.M. He said that we needed to get there before 8:00 to avoid the rush. (Oh, how right he was!!) We met my mom and her friend, Donnie, at the restaurant to eat. It was a great time! Great people+great conversation+great food= Great memories made!:)

YUUUUM!!!!!!:):)

 

I took grandpa home and stayed there talking to my grandma for awhile. I love hearing her stories about her life growing up and she shared some of her pregnancy stories. It's hard for me to complain about anything that I've experienced when she tells me about being pregnant with twins...my mom and my aunt Rita. Whew! Count me out on twins!! She had 3 other pregnancies not counting that one, too! It was great getting to spend time with her just sitting and talking. Those are the times that I will cherish forever.:) I feel SO very blessed to have them both as my grandparents. Their faith in God and their marriage is such an incredible testimony!

 

I left there around 11 and decided to ride over to Marshall's and Ross in Spartanburg to see if there were any good deals. I ended up heading home a few hours later empty handed. Trying on clothes is just getting to be something that I absolutely dread these days. It's hard going shopping...seeing something cute...trying it on and then realizing I look like an 'oompa loompa'...and there is NOTHING cute about an 'oompa loompa'!! No shape whatsoever! No waist! Just round!

 

Here are a few other funnies about being preggo and sporting 'the bump'...

 
 

I ate a tomato sandwich for lunch. Nick was busy today doing yard work, cleaning out the garage, and pressure washing the house (and anything else in sight:)). So, since he was busy I went to get my 'back to school' pedicure. Nothing like relaxing and getting pampered...especially when I can't imagine trying to paint my own toes at this point! Whoa...no...not happening!!:) After my pedi I went to Wal-Mart to get a few things. I came home and fixed us dinner. We had Smothered Chicken and Quinoa Skillet. It was VERY YUMMY! And VERY EASY! I will have to confess though in case you click the link and give it a try...I changed things up just a little. The directions tell you to fix everything in a skillet, but I couldn't imagine it all fitting in my skillet, so I only cooked the chicken in the skillet. I put the other ingredients in a pot and let it simmer on the stove. I also pre-cooked the quinoa (even though it says not to) and then added that to the pot. Last I added the chicken after it was finished. I then moved it all to a casserole dish, put the cheese on top and put it in the oven for about 5 minutes for the cheese to melt. Nick loved it too, but I'm not sure how much weight his opinion holds because he will eat just about anything! Bless him!;-)



http://www.healthy-delicious.com/2013/10/smothered-chicken-and-quinoa-skillet/

After dinner and dishes I decided to head to Hobby Lobby. After an hour here the only thing I returned home with were birthday bags for my kiddos. I looked and looked and looked and saw a few things I liked for the nursery, but I just couldn't make up my mind so I didn't get any of it.

Nick and I got into the bed after I got home. He watched a few episodes of Cheers and I dozed off during the first one that he watched.:)

 



Sleeping in just isn't supposed to happen this week...but for good reasons of course.:) I woke up around 7 and took a shower. I also did some laundry and made a few lists of things that we need. Wal-Mart list...school/classroom list...nursery list...I love lists! But my favorite thing is getting things checked off my list!!

I fixed Nick and I some oatmeal for breakfast and then we headed to church around 9:20. We went to a new bible fellowship class for the first time this morning. Kelly and Josh came, too!:) It was a great class and a great message. The service at 11 was good, too despite a fuse or something blowing which caused there to be no sound for music or singing this morning. And then, our preacher, Mike, had to speak at the loudest possible level for everyone in our huge sanctuary to hear him. Despite the setback it was a great message and as always it feels so good to come together with believers.:) Thank you God for the freedom that we have in our country to come together to worship and praise you!!

After church we went to eat at Jason's Deli with the Allen Clowns. Who can pass up a trip to Jason's Deli? Not me...or Lilly either.;-) Yummy salad bar with a scrumptious salad and then melt in your mouth creamy chocolate vanilla ice swirl ice cream for dessert! Yes, please!:)

Kelly and I went to Michael's, Ross, and TJMaxx while the boys headed to Academy to get things for their camping trip in September. Kelly and I had a great time looking around in the stores and lucking up on a few good deals!!

We picked our hubbies up from Academy at 4 and then Nick and I headed to Target. I was just planning on browsing thru the maternity section...I have refused to purchase anything maternity other than my bathing suits up to this point...however...after glancing at a black pair of maternity dress pants I decided to try them on. Ahhhh...the comfort of the elastic waist band. A few turns in the mirror and I decided they were worth the $35. So along with those and a few non-maternity shirts we made our way to the check-out line.

After Target we came home...I finished doing some housework and then before I took off my face paint for the day and put on a worn out t-shirt and gym shorts I decided to take a picture of me and my bump.;)...

 

The chalkboard says... Her heartbeat: 146 BPM...she weighs 3 lbs. 9 oz...I love talking to you and feeling you  move all the time...she's my little wiggle worm! And I love listening to your daddy talk to you! Melts my heart!:) Mommy Allen weights 128 lbs. and still loves salads, fruit, and chocolate.:)

 

Here's a quote for my sweet hubby... I love you Nick!:):)