Countdown: 8 weeks.

No kidding. It's been a month since I updated. Oh wow. wow.

Life moves on around here at an amazing clip. Sometimes, I despair how long 8 weeks looks but really, in just  8 short weeks my life as I know it will change drastically again! Just blows my mind, it does. I'm not quite ready for that change yet. I keep thinking one day things will slow down and I will have time to sit on my bum all day and wish for my due date to arrive, or at least check off that huge to-do-before-baby list.

I had my 5th ultrasound the other day. Baby is checking in at about 4 lbs. I think our little sir has aspirations of being an 8 or 9 lber. Aside from the task of birthing such a large child, I'll take a healthy chunky baby anyday. Baby is doing great otherwise, but all these extra appts. my practice has me doing are more then a little wearying. I have little appreciation for their extra care of this pregnancy. Forgive me.

Random stranger just tonight: "Oh Gosh. You're big. Due any day now??"  *happy cherry tone of voice*

Myself: "nope"    which may not have come out sounding very congenial but really lady, have you never read "101 thing to not say to a pregnant woman"?? it's a must read, one you can get thro in a Sunday afternoon.

I am sooo ready to be done w/ cleaning jobs, just a few more weeks till the end of the month. And then I feel sad at the same time to say goodbye to my favorites. Some of them I hope to pick back up. We'll see. 

And then, I may or may not have had a small meltdown at the midwife the last time about the amount of weight my body is accumulating, and at the rate of speed at which is it doing so. I'm slowly coming to the realization that this is how my body does pregnant. Every single part of it gets involved. It happened with Abbi too, and I lived to tell, and loose after the fact.

On one hand, I whine about weight gain, and in the other:

It is cut in half...

I think this time of year is in my top 10 favorite times of year. Things are so lush and green and blooming.

Saturday was prly the most perfect day of the season. We mulched our flowerbeds. This is how a resident princess mulches flowerbeds:

I love spending time in our backyard. Sitting and watching the world go by. Or roasting hotdogs, cranking icecream or making memories.

And sheets. There is no other way to dry sheets but then to hang them in the sunshine. Any other drying method is a tragedy to say the least. One of my most simple pleasures might have to do with slipping into bed between crisp, lovely smelling sheets at night.

 Abbi's imagination continues to grow. One day, we had a library in-house.

She grows up before our very eyes.

And she thinks daily of being a princess. And dresses like one. and plays princess. All. day. long.

These days. I feel soooo 'nesty'. Clarita started it, it's all her fault, with her post about feeling nesty that she posted a bit ago. It got me in touch with my inner nesty.  And now, all my heart desires is to stay home and putter and clean everything in sight. Back in April, I think, I had grand aspirations. Most of them have yet to be, except we do now own a moniter and a healthy stash of pampers for little baby: My list looks a little travel worn and there's still lots to do:

Scrapbook 2009 AND 2010. oh my.

BUT. I HAVE been working on projects. Oh yes I have!

Remember this space??:

For well over a year, we've lived with our clothes on a backdrop stand and out of wooden crates.

And the rest of our room was kinda 'meh' as well.

Then there was months of construction slowly dribbling along, this got done and then that. And then we'd wait awhile, and another thing would get done....

BUT WAIT. are those doors???? Possibly Closet doors???

WHY YES!!!

Cue the sound of angels getting their wings!

Our  new closet in all it's closet doored glory. His and hers. Just like I dreamed.

Daryl's brother did a great job.

And what's this?? Even the inside is done!!!!  This is the part straight out of my dream. The inside parts. We were delighted to find at Lowes a type of closet fitting that doesn't require mounting on the back wall of the closet. Because our back wall is plaster, and we were very nervous about hanging anything this heavy off of it.

How preatty, no? I think I can call it pretty because it has been nearly 3 years that we've lived without a closet here at this house. 3 years. And in all our years of marriage there was never a closet this accesible.

My husband has minimal clothes. And me? Yeah, my maternity wardrobe can hardly be described as plentiful either, so this size closet is kinda like a personal palace. 

I lack one shelf across the top yet, where all my shoe boxes will be stashed.  And then, I'm gonna be just like Cindy and take a pic of all my shoes and label my shoe boxes.

SO. altho 2009 and 2010 may not be scrapbooked before baby. Closet IS complete, and THAT is a HUGE deal. huge.

Here's the rest of our room. It will prly always be a work in progress cuz I'm slow like that. But it's starting to feel a little more pulled together, anymore the main needs are accessory love.

I think I've concluded that I will be painting this end stand at some point. I discovered that it's just veneer so it's really not very valuable or anything

Yesterday I found this quilt at homegoods. It kinda gives off a bit much of a beach vibe for me, but at the same time also does just the right things for the room, so I'm gonna try to play up the lime/citron tones for pillows and stuff.  Oh, and there's the headboard, which I don't believe you've ever seen in it's actual compledness. I have yet to be okay with the white, I continually second guess it.

Here's a fun project I did awhile ago. I love capiz light shades. but they are more then a little pricey. So I found these capiz wind chimes at a beach shop last year on our girl trip. They were pretty cheap. It took me a long long time to get around to restringing them together into this shade, but I love it. Plus it's kinda a little memory of our beach trip too.

It's so breezy, and makes a cool sound when a breeze blows through it.

So. here is one space that still needs love. I am on the prowl for a large statement piece for the wall beside the chair, because the room has none, other then a huge black mirror This will be a long search cuz it has to be just the right thing.

I might also whitewash my Craigslist Ikea chair. We've had that chair awhile and so love it. They are so comforable, I think. I wanted a spot in our room that we can sit w/ the baby if need be.

The pillows on the chair  are also a pending project. I picked them up for a buck at a yardsale, and I want to recover them for the bed.  I threw them there on the chair for now and  am kinda liking that pop of orange a bit.

This is another blank wall that still awaits filling. I have 3 square frames that I think I'll hang there, and put pics of the kids in them.

Anyway. so i think that's all i have to say now. Sorry to throw everything in one post. I prly could have broke it up and made several posts of it, but I love making you scroll so happy day to you

Help

I may have in fact fallen prey to the Lure Of The Small Shoes. Is there any hope for me?

an Easter Weekend

Wherein I de-brief about my crazy (in a good way) weekend:

At precisly 8:30 a.m Thursday a.m. my facebook status may have included facts that I was indeed anticipating company for Easter weekend, my exact words may have been: Just a little excited, but I have yet to vacuum one room, buy a bite of groceries or make a single bed. It will happen sometime between now and then I hope, but I'm gone all day today. 

Yes, my family was on its way for Easter weekend-or part of it at least, but Thursday was a busy busy day, there was MOPS, a cleaning job, and fundraiser subs to deliver that day--and at that point I really  didn't have any idea what I was going to be feeding my houseload of guests. I was just kinda hoping it would all work itself out.

As fate would have it, it DID  all work out, and well too, and till it was all said and done I hosted 2 additional groups over the course of the weekend plus squeezed in an afternoon nap Sunday  And survived and lived to quite happily tell

And am breathing a happy sigh as we speak.

If you wanted to know several random things about me #1 is that I work best under pressure #2 is that my love language is quality time and #3 is that my spiritual gift is hospitality.  All of the above attributed to me loving every second of this crazy weekend

Thursday after I was done w/ my mad dash of delivering the fundraiser subs, I still had time remaining to stop at the discount grocery, where I did another mad dash, throwing ingredients for various meal  ideas into the carts.  I really didn't have any idea what I would serve, when, but if the ingredients were on hand, it would be no big deal to throw the food together as needed.  Then it was on home, where my husband helped me work the majic around the house. He is a gem like that, plus he even had time to mow his precious grass By 9 pm that night, I was sinking in my chair, vacuuming complete, fresh beds waiting, and by midnight that night, guests had arrived and beds were full. Daryl and I are able to host all my siblings, wives and children semi-comfortably here at our house. I think it's great fun too, when they all come, it's a rare treat indeed. There is nothing more fun to me, then a house stuffed to the gills with family, people sleeping on every surface possible

Good Friday we breakfasted over a lovely meal of Scrambled eggs 'n bacon, and then sis and I were off to do a quick cleaning job, along w/ a stop at the local fruit stand, where purchases included 2 large avocados for $1. I love that fruit store

After that, the gang of us were off to visit my grandma who is in her upper 90's, i think she may be around 96 years old. She still is able to live at home, with the care of her family around her. It is an amazing thing really, to still have her with us. I highly doubt that she will make it to age 100--and really think she has no desire to reach that age either.

Then there was an extended family gathering for lunch. In my family circles, Good Friday is a religious holiday, no one works that day,  which is why everyone was able to get together.

Next on the list of things to do was naps for the kids and rest for the adults.

Then:

 The only photo of the weekend.  Our supper was had at the local little Mexican joint. It looks like we are dining in a grocery store, because. we are dining in a grocery store.  The place is a hole-in-the-wall, which is what my family enjoys best. It's part store/part restaurant, but the food is TO.DIE.FOR.   that lady there in the orange shirt? She is one of the two happy pg women who were in their 7th, nay, 10th haven of delight.  The food is just soSoSO good, esp to pg taste buds  Abbi looooves their rice and beans--and they are good. But their burritos, chimichangas and enchiladas and chips and sauce?? Yum. Yum. Yum. A delightful dining experiance all around.  Oh and how cute is my little niece Katie, right there, that little blonde in the blue and white??  We just found out on Thursday that her sibling, due just 8 weeks after it's Musser cousin, is also a boy!! Happy dance

Saturday a.m. More food needed.

I started everyone out w/ some fresh doughnuts from the corner grocery who is renowned for their fresh doughnuts. They are more then out of this world.

Our  brunch may have just included mostly all Pioneer woman recipes, of which you can't go wrong, so it was quite edible indeed

The menu:

biscuits and sausage gravy.

Amigos. An egg dish containing eggs plus fried tortillas, tomatoes and peppers, cilantro and lots of cheese. Sounds strange. Tastes AH-mazing.

Sour cream pancakes w/ NY maple syrup.

And frozen slushy peaches.

It was all SO good. But that just may be the pgnancy speaking.  (I'm darkly suspicious that even slop would taste good to me these days).

Then we commenced with some game playing and soon it was time for kiddos nap, and then yet again, time for people to leave. Many of the family had obligations at their own churches Sunday. So thus ended their quick day and  a half stay, why does it always go by so quickly!??!

The remainder of us went bowling, for some excercise after laying around like lards all day and eating Abbi thot bowling was a fabulous sport indeed, it was fun seeing her have such a blast with it.

Then more people left and our guest list was down to two. This is the part where my appreciation for my husband really kicks in. After the house cleared, he was buzzing around, throwing in laundry, stripping beds, straightening up, loading the dishwasher. I'm not even joking. I was ready to crash on the couch, and prly wouldn't have cleaned up until Monday a.m., but thanks to him, it's all done now.

We slept in this a.m. and before church I put some pork chops in a honey mustard marinade. On a whim, I defrosted an extra package so that I'd have some leftovers for Daryl's work lunch.  In conversation after church w/ my Sister in Law, on the Musser side, I learned that they had no plans for Easter lunch.  I don't think that's even legal, so of course I had to invite them over. There were those extra pork chops, after all, and somewhere in the fridge was a pack of hotdogs for the kids. We had a fabulous meal with those grilled chops, some potatoes in brown butter and green beans, and our last minute batch of company It was such a gorgeous day today we were wishing so bad we would have had a few eggs and chocolates to hide for the kiddos to find. But alas, we did not. I don't think they realized they were missing anything.

Then it was a quick nap, and another batch of friends whom I had invited for supper and games. Again pioneer woman's recipe, this time her fabulous steak sandwiches and restaurant salsa and chips. And if that wasn't enough, Judith had brought two monster pies. So we stuffed ourselves beyond what was  good and proper. Oh my. I will not need to eat for a week after all this good food.

And then, we gamed the night away.

And now. I am just sitting here unwinding and needing to de-brief and so I am.  It was like, a marathon of company this weekend. I feel like I sound like I want a pat on the back. But I don't. It was just such a whirlwind, but SO good and SO fun, I just wanted to talk about it for a little longer. So there you go.

I hope your Easter was happy and Blessed!

the building of the boy-- week 25

25.

it's a good neat number.

kinda right there in that long stretch between the ever-exciting 20 weeks, and the almost-finished 30 weeks.

not alot momentous happens between the two. a glucose test. A rhogham shot, if you need it. For me, a few more random ultrasounds, and offers to do more bloodwork to 'find out what happened' last time. Really, they can tell that by present day bloodwork???  Honestly, I think I'll pass. I'm at rest with the passing of older brother, it was God's decision, let's just let it at that.

Other then that, the stretch between 20 and 30 is kinda long...

But, these days are also fun.

Baby and I play alot.

He is ever active.

I can find him easily.

I rub, and he squirms.

I press and he kicks.

He even moved for daddy last night, thanks to some coffee mommy drank.

He's not the roller that his sister was, but he can certainly

shake the house with his kicks

He also hangs out lower, almost makes mom wince sometimes. I hope that means good things for my labor.

He is a man.

He demands food.

Man food.

Carbs. Protein. Strong flavors. Hot sauce. And any jalapenos mom cares to add.

Sometimes, mom cares about what she eats. The next, she just wants to throw caution to the wind. It gets really old to care. 40 weeks is a looong time to watch what you're eating if there is no sign of progress down, only up. 

Especially when there is that ever present insatiable appetite, because of the man-building going on.

This dude sucks alot out of mom these days.

She is more tired now then in the first tri-mester.

When sister lays down for a nap, it is ever irresistible to join her. Most days she does.

And zonks out totally.

Sometimes, she finds herself puffing after she's climbed the steps. whew.

Her daily walk in the park--when it's warm, is a huge workout.

Baby building takes energy.

Regular clothes stretched to fit have giving away to the bona fide 'big stuff'.

However, She is working on exchanging some of her old favorites, or not so favorites, for others.

There's just too much time left to wear what one is already sick of.

And that is all.  25 weeks and going strong.

The Making of a perfect Whoopie Pie

I spent the day this morning making whoopie pies to sell at a yardsale I am gonna have a table  at this coming  weekend. Selling whoopie pies at yardsale is kinda a small tradition of mine. I usually have a yardsale somewhere, with someone,  at least once a season, and usually always make a batch of  whoopie pies to sell. They go well, and it's a great way to beef up my $$ amount by the end of the day

As I made these this a.m. I remembered a sad thing. The fact that there are people in this world, ey even on this continent, even blog readers of mine--(one in specific), who've never ever made whoopie pies, and who have only tasted whoopie pies once. ONCE!!  Is that not the saddest thing you've ever heard?? It kinda breaks my heart.  Okay. I'm being dramatic.

But I  really do think it's very sad, because  whoopie pies are hands down prly my most favorite ever ever baked good. The combo of soft chocolate cookie w/ whipped frosting....uh. Yummy. so so good. It satisfies the chocolate craving, the icing craving, the sweets craving....any craving you could possibly have.  Oh, and prly the fact too, that an individual one contains enough calories to fuel a small person for a week, makes them all the yummier. 

So I thot I'd share my pie making process today on my blog. And yes, I realize if you've got any sort of Mennonite or Amish in your blood, making these is prly second nature, and you've got your own tried and true family recipe, so humor me.  This is MY recipe, and I think it's pretty good. That is a statement I do not make lightly either Not that I'd call myself a whoopie pie connoisseur, but I do know a good whoopie pie, from a bad one, no doubt about it. And this recipe passes every test of mine, so it's my favorite A friend gave it to  me, so I do gotta give credit where credit is due  This recipe has been the demise of my diet on more then one occasion, so proceed w/ caution.

I really only make these once or twice a year, because it is not a project for the faint of heart. Plan on a whole morning, or afternoon. I'm always whooped till I get these made, and the kitchen put back to proper decency.

First, The rich chocolatey batter:

4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

1 Tablespoon instant choco pudding

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

1 Chocolate cake mix (the richest fudgiest darkest one you can find) + the ingrediants it needs

I just mix all the dry ingredients, stir briefly and then add all the wet, and beat well.

Preheat oven to 350. using a cookie scoop, schlepp batter onto trays and bake 11-12 min. no more, no less.

I really cannot stress the importance of a cookie scoop enough! It ensures that each cookie is basically the same size as all the others. Unevenly sized cookies make me twitchy. I don't even know the size of my scoop, i think it's just the regular one, not too big, not too small--perfect for whoopie pies. 

See, even cookies:

You want the cookies baked just right too,  not doughy, like choco chip ones, and not over baked either. Just right.

As your cookies cool, you can pair them up. This is where my OCD kicks in. Each cookie MUST go w/ one just it's size and shape. oh and btw, you will prly end up w/ 4 dozen pie pairs.

Any resident monkeys can help you with any step of this process. This particular species is known for its beater licking abilities.

And then it's time for the fluffy yummy filling.  You can actually purchase buckets of whoopie pie filling @ stores in this area, but in case you are not so blessed, here is the recipe for this part:

Confession: I make the batch x2. I cannot even express how important a well-filled whoopie pie is to me. 1 batch of frosting is ok, but 2 gives them all a well filled center, which is oh-so-important.

2 egg whites, beaten until peaks form

2 Tablespoons clear vanilla (this is hard to find. I usually use just regular vanilla but then my frosting isn't quite pure white. Purists would prly have a bottle on hand, just for this)(wait, I AM a purist! WHAT am I doing using BROWN vanilla???)

4 Tablespoons Flour

4 Tablespoons Milk

4 cups 10x sugar

1 1/2 cups shortening (this is the part that adds the 184,569,302 calories to the cookies )

After beating egg whites, add vanilla, flour, milk and 2 cups 10x sugar, beat until creamy and then add the rest of the ingrediants, and beat and beat and beat.

Your kitchen may, or may not, look like this:

I am not a neat cook. I cannot. bake. neatly. It's physically impossible.  This photo does not show the sugar on the floor, and crisco on the cabinets. No I don't know how they got there.

And now, you are not done. It is time to frost cookies!  With the help of that handy-dandy cookie scoop of yours, this part is a snap, basically hands free. I mean, your hands will not have to come in contact w/ the frosting.

Scoop a generous scoop-ful of filling onto the bottom cookie of the pair. Generous meaning a big blob. Doing so, will make your frosting come out just right, if you made a double batch. I'd say it's prly an eighth cup of frosting? I dunno,it's just a good piled high cookie scoop worth. If you need to test a pair  for icing vs. cookie ratio , that is permissible.

Then just set the lid back on, pressing down a little, but not real hard. The icing will spread itself out, no need to employ a knife or spreader thingy. See, hands-free. So easy.

This is how much filling I like. Given, of course, this is not real pressed-down yet.  This is not a super sweet frosting, so that is why so much is so good.  (and why do I feel like I need to explain the frosting amounts to this degree???)

YUMMY!

And now, at this point, your cookies are frosted, your feet are killing you, the kids need lunch, your sink looks like this, there's crisco in spots that crisco should not be, as well as flour hurled from hither to yon,  and it looks like someone threw up chocolate crumbs all over your floor.

But you're not done.  Oh no. This next step is entirely optional, but not really. Something about the wrapping of the whoopie pie in saran wrap completes the majic--the chocolate cookie and filling marry and do wonderful things, the chocolate cookie does not dry out, which is a horrible horrible travesty, and the saran wrap keeps the cookies from sticking to each other in the wrong sort of fashion. Plus, it completes the spreading of the frosting to all corners of the cookie.

PLUS, it's the start of the summer season. These puppies freeze JUST wonderfully. Wrap them up , stack them on a tray, throw them in the freezer,  and you've got a freezerful of individually wrapped baked goods at the ready for impromptu playdates and picnics, or for that late afternoon chocolate fix.  Well, and freezing them keeps you from consuming 187,097,934 calories in one sitting. That's not a bad thing.  So grab a bar stool, and get to work. I usually tear off at least 4 or 5 pieces of saran wrap at a time, instead of tear-wrap-tear-wrap. 

Okay. so my batch is done, now this is the part where I attach a padlock and chain to my freezer. There is NO way, this PG lady is allowed more then 1 of these suckers!  I must say though, they satisfy every craving of my sweet-lovin' pregnant heart.

oh ya and a bonus image. i found this on my camera card.  Me in all my a.m. wakiness Happy Monday