Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Recipe: Tropical Soup

I love this cold soup. I usually make it for girly showers, brunches, etc. but Nathan and other manly men I know love it, too.

Blend for one minute:
1 large can undrained pineapple
1 c. cream of coconut
16 oz. sour cream
1 c. water
Chill overnight.

The next day, add:
2 c. bananas
2 chopped kiwi
1 c. shopped strawberries
1/2 c. slivered almonds

Yummy and so refreshing!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Doctor's Appointments and Surgeries

I'll start with the youngest:
Connor

9th month well-visit stats:
height: 27 1/2 inches (31%)
weight: 17 lbs. 3 oz. (9%)

Even though he's skinny, his weight is steady so the doctor is not concerned.
He had his hemoglobin checked and it was low. I invited him to join me in the Anemic Club and we high-fived.

And then I had the traditional conversation with the doctor:
Doctor: How is he doing?
Me: Great. So happy. Sleeping great.
Doctor: Ok. Let me check his ears.
Me: Cool. I'm sure he's perfect.
Doctor: He's got an ear infection.
Me: Awesome.

And that leads me to the great news......Monday he's getting tubes! Hooray!

And next we have:
Reagan

3 year well-visit stats:
height: 36 1/2 inches (37%)
weight: 29 lbs. (31%)

She thought getting her blood pressure checked was the coolest thing ever. She can draw a vertical line, jump on two feet, stand on one foot, say her first and last name, say her age, and follow multi-step directions.

And this was her conversation with the doctor:
Doctor: Are you brushing your teeth every day?
Reagan: Yes, I do it all by myself. All by myself. All by myself.
Me: But Daddy and I help.
Doctor: Are you eating lots of healthy fruits and vegetables?
Reagan: Yes, like pop-tarts and cookies and goldfish.
Me: She eats grapes and bananas and apple slices.

And lastly:
Me

I've had stomach pains for the past several months. I was sent for an ultrasound last week which revealed an enlarged gallbladder, gallstones, and kidney stones.

Last week I visited a urologist about my kidney stones. I have two large kidney stones that are too big to be passed, so the doctor explained that he will probably stick me in a tub of water, shock me (which will bruise me) to explode the kidney stones, then I should be able to pass them. I think all of that is a terrible idea but I'm going to do it. But not before having my gallbladder removed.

I went to a surgeon today. He pressed one spot on my abdomen which almost caused me to come off the table. "Yep", he said. "That's your gallbladder. That's what's causing your pain." So, this Friday that bad boy is coming out! I can't wait. It's a super simple procedure. Just 3 small incisions. It's outpatient surgery.

My favorite part of the appointment was when the surgeon said, "Wow. You're so thin I can easily feel your aorta." It was the weirdest compliment ever, but I grinned from ear to ear like a dork because a real-life doctor called me "thin".

I'm not nervous about the surgery itself, but I will be put to sleep and my body does not handle anesthesia well at all. If you think about it, please pray that my body handles it alright. Thanks!


Monday, May 24, 2010

Lately, I'm loving.....

1. This website: www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com

2. This food: Yoplait Fiber One yogurt- Key Lime Pie...only 50 calories and it tastes like a genuine piece of key lime pie.

3. This person: My family doctor for very quickly being able to figure out why my stomach hurts all the time. It's my gallbladder. And I think it's coming out soon!

4. This name: Evie Jane....pray for this sweet baby that will be here in less than two weeks and for her parents, Heather and Kevin.

5. This verse: "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Ps. 118:24 I think I say this with my children close to 20 times a day. Such a powerful reminder to be joyful, thankful, and purposeful in each and every day.



Friday, May 21, 2010

The Party

I had the best time planning Reagan's Cinderella party. I was such a tomboy when I was a little girl (my mom could tell you some stories!!!) so I think I assumed I would have a daughter that would be the same as me. Wrong! She likes to pretend with babydolls and play dress-up and sing princess songs. I can't even try to relate to that but I'm learning to embrace her girliness and go with it. I ordered these invitations from Walgreens. I love this precious picture of Reagan sitting on her bed in her Cinderella dress.



The Princesses:
1. Haley (Reagan's cousin)
2. Holly (Reagan's cousin)
3. Reagan
4. Clara (Reagan's best friend)
5. Brantley (Connor's girlfriend)

Both of R's grandmothers came:
Granny (Nathan's mom)
Gammy (my mom)

And all THREE of R's great-grandmothers! Such a blessing that R has 3 healthy great-grandmothers. My other grandmother (my dad's mom) died when I was a senior in high school and would have loved seeing this little princess!
Left to right: Grandma (Nathan's grandmother)
MaMa (my grandmother)
Mom Mom (Nathan's grandmother)

Aunt April (Nathan's sister) and her daughter, Haley
Reagan and Haley are only a few months apart and love each other to pieces!

Aunt Beth (Nathan's other sister....April and Beth are twins) with her daughter, Holly

The Spread:
I had fun coming up with princess-y names for all the foods. There was Royal Chicken Salad, Princess Peanut Butter and Jelly, Palace Potion, Cinderella's Special Strawberries and Grapes, Magic Wands, Castle Crackers, Fabulous Orange Fluff, and Party Pimento Cheese

I framed several pictures of Reagan and used those to decorate the tables along with blue and white "diamonds", blue fabric, and flowers. And then, of course, we had Cinderella plates.


The little girls table was in the foyer. Each princess had a treat bag with stickers, a necklace, and lip gloss. I borrowed Jenn's chair covers and threw together this sweet table using scrapbook paper, plastic wands, and a big ole' Cinderella centerpiece.



I found a crown cookie cutter in Pigeon Forge a few weeks and used it to make the Princess Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.




The magic wands were super easy! I just took a bag of pretzel rods, rolled them in melted chocolate frosting, then rolled them in chocolate sprinkles. I let them sit in the fridge for about an hour, then dipped the tips in melted vanilla frosting, sprinkled the tips with clear sprinkles, then let them sit in the fridge for a couple of hours until the party started.


I don't bake. Don't know how to. Don't ever want to. I'm content with cooking. Baking is not even on my radar. So when my dear friend, Karen, offered to make this precious cake I immediately took her up on it! Reagan LOVED it!
It was a perfect little princess party. Just the right number of little princesses. Reagan was all smiles the entire morning. I am so thankful for such a sweet and loving princess.

Monday, May 17, 2010

I do.

When I get nervous, I get red blotchy patches on my neck and chest. 8 years ago today, I was covered in redness because I was about to say "I do" to my favorite person.

I loved our wedding day. It was beautiful, fun, and hilarious. This is what I will always remember about May 18, 2002:

- My brother sang. Twice. Once during the ceremony and again during the reception. He has an incredible voice and it was really special. Not just because he's my brother but because if you had heard him sing when he was about 12, you would realize just what a miracle happened in that 6 year span.

- During the ceremony, in front of 500 people, my pastor said, "Mike is the only man in the whole world for you." Nathan's name is Nathan. Nathan Ray Trevett. My pastor felt like a huge loser and he still apologizes to this day and I still do not accept his apology.

- Nathan and I wrote our own vows. Our pastor lost mine. So I told Nathan his own vows. That was weird but also really fun.

- Nathan and I walked into our reception to the song "2001".

- We stayed at our reception for a total of 45 minutes. We had better things to do.

- During our "better things to do", MY DAD CALLED. The first words out of his mouth were, "I am soooooo sorry." Apparently, we'd taken our keys with us and Dad needed them to take our car to the airport. Blah, blah, blah. The bottom line.....awkward. And hilarious.

It's been an incredible 8 years. Nathan is my best friend. 3 pregnancies and a million stretch marks later, he somehow loves me more today than he did on May 18, 2002. At least that's what he tells me. And that blows me away. Of course I love HIM more. But he's seen all my crazy. He's seen me with post-partum depression. He's seen me huge and pregnant and miserable. And he continues to tell me I'm beautiful. That's a real man. He encourages my passions, offers loads of wisdom, leads our family with strength, and loves our children whole-heartedly. I love his consistent faith. He never waivers.

I love you all the way, Nathan Trevett. Happy Anniversary.



Saturday, May 15, 2010

Happy 3rd Birthday, Sweet Reagan!

Three years ago, I gave birth to this beautiful little girl. I had no clue how much I would absolutely love having a daughter. In many ways, she is the opposite of me, and in many ways, we are twins. Having Reagan Grace for a daughter is such a blessing. Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.

Here are some things you may or may not know about Reagan:

1. She loves to suck her thumb while rubbing the folds of fabric. She often says, "I wanna rub a fold."

2. She loves princesses. Cinderella is her favorite. She had a Cinderella birthday party yesterday. I'm posting those pictures tomorrow.

3. She reads a lot. Before naps. Before bed. To her dolls. To herself. To me. To Landon. To Connor. Her favorite book is Pinkalicious.

4. She changes clothes about ten times a day. Dresses are her clothes of choice. With pink shoes.

5. She didn't have hair until she turned 2. She still doesn't have a whole lot but it's growing more and more each day.

6. She has the most beautiful smile that can light up a room. She's always smiling.

7. She's petite.

8. She says this a lot at bedtime: "I can't sleep berry good."

9. She eats about once every 3 days. (See #7.)

10. She doesn't meet a stranger. She can talk to anyone about anything at anytime. Her personality is magnetic.

11. She loves to play "mommy".

12. She would drink a gallon of milk a day if I'd let her.

13. She wears crowns a lot.

14. She likes to shoot guns and play soccer but she likes to do it while wearing jewelry and crowns and bows.

15. Her favorite foods are pancakes, cheese quesadillas, yogurt, and ketchup.

16. Her favorite color used to just be pink. Then two weeks ago, she changed it to purple. And now she says her favorite colors are pink, purple, and white.

17. She has the most beautiful, big, blue eyes. They're gorgeous.

18. She is hilarious. She makes funny faces. She loves to tell knock-knock jokes.

19. She gets really, really giddy about everything....Christmas, trips, outings, friendships, parties. I have no clue who she gets that from. ;)

20. She loves her family and friends all the way. With her whole little self. She loves life.

Dear Reaganator, Reagie, Ray, Reagie-Spadagie, Sweet Girl,
First of all, sorry for all the terrible nick names. Secondly, having you as my daughter is such a sweet gift. You add so much laughter and joy to my life. I love having someone to get excited over little things and big things with. I love having someone to squint my eyes with and look at pictures of Disneyworld on the computer over and over again. I love the way you love others. You are one-of-a-kind. I love you!
Love,
Mommy

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Just For Fun

I would love to build a house one day. Ok, so here are 10 things I think I would want. Most of these lessons I've learned from our current house:

1. I love having our master bedroom downstairs. That way if I sprain my ankle or have a c-section I don't have to walk up and down the stairs to get to bed. And when Nathan and I get all old and get put in wheelchairs, we won't have to install one of those mechanical things that take wheelchairs upstairs.

2. I will never, ever, ever, ever have black countertops ever again. They show every tiny little speckle of dirt.

3. I love the blue walls in our den. The color is called "Rain". It's perfect. I think I may always have a blue den for the rest of my life. I'll be one of those people on Oprah in 30 years that gets made fun of for still decorating like it's 2010. And then she'll surprise me with a den makeover and then I'll hate it and go back to my "Rain".

4. I love having carpet in the bedrooms. I hate having carpet in any other room. I love big rugs.

5. I want a library/living room space where I can put floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and display all of my books. I might even buy a ladder like they have at the Biltmore House. Not because the ceilings would be that tall but just because it would look neat.

6. I want an island where I can cook up a storm while the kids are talking to me and playing games or reading or writing. And we can all see each other and smile.

7. I would love a rock fireplace with a big, chunky wooden mantel.

8. I also want there to be some rock on the outside. Maybe on the bottom of the columns on the front porch.

9. Now that I'm a cooking machine, two ovens would be fun.

10. I think den furniture that's not stained with spit-up and other baby leftovers would be awesome. It would be less sweet and special than what we have now. But also less smelly. But I'm not going there until we're out of the baby spit-up/leftover stage.





Tuesday, May 11, 2010

EASY Crock Pot Roast

Ok, this recipe is so easy and so delicious! I cooked it for dinner Monday night. One ingredient will sound weird but just trust me. It's the best roast I've ever eaten!

Ingredients:

1 roast (any kind...I used shoulder roast)
1 package onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% fat free and it was delicious)
1 can of Coke (weird ingredient but sooooooo good in this recipe)

Dump all of that into the Crock Pot and stir. Cook on Low 6-8 hours. I added potatoes to mine 2 hours before it was finished. Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!

Connor's Dedication

Sunday was Child/Parent Dedication at our church. Connor was as handsome as ever. He drooled buckets on our pastor. Then he smiled. My parents, grandparents, brother, and in-laws all came to our church to see our little cutie pie.


Nathan's mom and dad (Granny and Granddaddy)


My parents (Papa and Gammy) and brother (Uncle Kevin)


This was our 5,000,000th picture. The kids were TIRED.


Us, Pastor Mike and lots of baby drool

Friday, May 7, 2010

Mommies

Mommies buy hairbows and cute socks for their baby girls. They make important decisions about heart surgeries. They pray hard for wisdom. They make plans. They trust in God's sovereignty.
Heather is that kind of mommy.

Mommies love their babies before they are born. They believe their baby's life has value. They pray for healing. Mommies also love their babies that leave early to be with Jesus. They praise Jesus even in huge storms.
Crystal is that kind of mommy.

Mommies lay in bed for weeks at a time if it means their baby will be safe. They wait patiently for just the right time. They take their medicine and endure feeling sick because they care more for their child's health than their own feelings.
Mary Beth is that kind of mommy.

Mommies raise sons that grow to be loving, gentle, selfless husbands. They accept new people into their family. They love unconditionally. They work hard.
Lynne Trevett, my mother-in-law, is that kind of mommy.

Mommies affirm their children with words. They serve without being asked. They tell really dorky jokes because they know it will bring a smile. They hug their children when it hurts or when it's been a bad day. They call just to chat.
Rita Parker, my mother, is that kind of mommy.

Happy Mother's Day!

My Brother by the Numbers

27: # of years old he is today
87: # of inches tall he is
4: # of years he played collegiate basketball and dominated
8: # of months he blackmailed me when we were little kids because I said a bad word
1: # of times I kicked him in his stitches just days after he had surgery
1: # of times I begged him not to tell Mom and Dad
25,000: # of times I yelled, "Kevin, rescue me!" during tickle fights with our dad
25,000: # of times he rescued me
1: # of really large helmets he had to wear while playing high school football because of all his concussions
1,000,000: # of bones he's broken in his body
3: # of kiddos who think he is the best uncle in the world
1: # of brother-in-laws who loves him loads
1: # of sisters who couldn't ask for a better brother

I love you, Kevin! Happy Birthday!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Christmas in Pigeon Forge!


Two weekends ago, we went to Pigeon Forge, TN with my parents, my brother, and his girlfriend. This was our Christmas present from my incredible, giving, selfless, loving parents. We were supposed to go around Christmas time but that was the weekend that it snowed a lot and we had to reschedule. It worked out really well, though, because the weather was nicer and it wasn't crowded at all! We had such a wonderful time! We ate at Apple Barn and Old Mill, went to Dollywood, ate doughnuts, played putt-putt, shopped, and participated in
Extreme Stroller Racing.


Here we are in front of Dollywood. When Nathan and I were dating, he would constantly copy what I was wearing because he thought I was so cool. You can see that now he's doing the same thing with Landon. Go Cocks.


This might be my favorite picture because Whitney has no clue that my dad is right there smiling. She thinks it's just a picture of she and Connor. I hope she doesn't think our family is too weird. We like her.


See that really steep, high, scary water ride? That's definitely my 5-year-old on the front row. He's fearless. He rode every roller coaster he could get on. He's the man.



Connor turned 8 months old while we were in Pigeon Forge. As if I wasn't already emotional enough over my baby being a month older, he also chose that day to begin crawling. He was super excited! But maybe I cried just a little bit. And maybe Nathan fussed at me for wanting Connor to stay little. Maybe he encouraged me to celebrate Connor's life. Maybe I knew Nathan was right. But maybe I didn't admit it. Until right now. Nathan is also the man.



I'm sure you're thinking that our family is so cute. But what I want you to notice are my new sunglasses. I am officially living in 2010. I bought those shades that weekend. Prior to them, I was wearing tiny sunglasses that I think were cool like 5-10 years ago. At least they were when I bought them from the Ocean Lakes Family Campground Store in 2002 for $8.00.

Cranberry Chicken

This recipe is very similar to the Cranberry Pork Tenderloin recipe I shared earlier. It's super simple and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle Catalina dressing
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 pkg. onion soup mix

Directions:
Place chicken in a glass dish. Mix everything together and pour it over the chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Yummy!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Planning, Needs, and Peace....The Finale

This last post in this series of ways I strive for peace in our family is just a random, mish-mash of ideas. I hope you'll find a few of them helpful and encouraging.

1. Finances- Nathan and I have a budget that we monitor regularly. An incredible website we recently found is www.mint.com. We are both math people and love working with numbers but the website is super simple to use. It breaks down every line item in our budget and lets us know exactly how much we've spent in each category.

2. Days of the Week Clothes Organizer Thingie- I don't know what you call it but it's awesome. I have one in Reagan's room and one in Landon's room. It hangs in their closets and is divided into compartments labeled Monday thru Friday. Each Sunday, I just stick an outfit in each bin and they're set for the week. I ordered mine from a Lillian Vernon catalog. It prevents meltdowns and keeps me accountability for when I need to do laundry. It's a good thing.

3. Friends- It's a little bit ridiculous how awesome my friends are. I think I picked the best ones. Playdates. Coffee. Dinner. Supper Club. Book Club. Far Away Phone Call Friends. Former Co-Worker Friends. YMCA Friends. Ahhhhh. Friends are fun. And Nathan's the bomb-diggity at holding down the fort while I party hard with my friends (a.k.a. Meeting at Cracker Barrel at 4:30pm for supper.) Their encouragement and laughter helps my loo-loo brain function more peacefully.

4. Take a bath. Make sure you add bubbles and a little bit of color. I'm a fan of blue water. And make it really hot. So hot that when you get out your entire backside is bright red.

5. Television- I only let my kids watch television on Fridays. I am not saying I think television is the bad. I'm not saying I don't let them watch it at other people's houses. And you better believe if we're sick or it's Christmas time (Who can resist "Charlie Brown Christmas?"), or it's a lazy weekend, or "Minute to Win It" is on we're going to be watching some shows! But for our little family, it helps bring peace and provides us with more time. I've just noticed that, especially with our oldest child, watching television correlates with a bad attitude and a lack of consideration for others' needs. I've also noticed a lack of focus throughout the day if he's watched television earlier. And, quite frankly, it's just noisy and I've got enough noise going on in the house. I hesitated to post this one because there are loads of families who allow television and their children are doing beautifully. I think it really depends on the children and the needs of the family. I only threw this suggestion out here on the blog because it has helped our family.


Some powerful verses on peace:
"Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace- don't let it get away!" (Ps. 34:14)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentless, and self-control." (Gal. 5:22-23a)

The Message translates Gal. 5:22-23 this way:
"But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard- things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way of life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely."

Have a beautiful, purposeful, peaceful week!