A Few Christmas Twists

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. And once NBC added the National Dog Show to a new tradition, it is seriously just like an extra piece of bacon to an already perfect breakfast. My family all knows how I feel about "holiday skipping". If you meet up with my cousins, you will inevitably hear stories from many Thanksgivings passed including board game mishaps, movies, naked babies crawling under dressing rooms... So. Much. Fun. There will be no trees, carols, or presents until after the wishbone has been broken. (Except for this year, it never broke, it just kind of awkwardly bent. Which is really unfortunate since my brother brought a friend home from Germany for her first American Thanksgiving and we thought we would let her break it. And it didn't. But the photo was cute) I do make the exception for the "hot items" for kids because last year, my mom and I chased a Doc McStuffins office like a dog chasing its tail. But generally, I buy no present until the day after. (A big shout out to being an Amazon Prime member. I love you, UPS man, I promise.)

I tell you, Christmas changed for me and became MAGICAL when Nina came to us. I went to Hobby Lobby (she was 3 months old) and I seriously had more enthusiasm than I do when I enter the gates of Disney World. It was a complete game changer. Lee and I had recently discussed how we would do Christmas. We wanted to keep the magical portion of it all without losing that Christmas is celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Fast forward a few years and we realize that, really, Nina remembers very little from the last few Christmases. WE had fun, but I think this is the first year that she really GETS IT. So, we have done several things to do both: have the magical fun of Christmas (complete with trees, lights, stockings, presents, and yes, the ever-so-controversial Elf on the Shelf) and concentrated time for remembering that the purpose of the season is to concentrate on God's love for us and the birth of Christ.

While, I am in NO way saying that our way is the best way or that any other way is wrong. Hear me on that: there is no Christmas shaming from this girl. I have several friends that have young kids who are trying to figure out how to do both and here is what I'm loving from both.

Focusing on Advent
Since Nina is 4, we are just starting to teach her words that are mostly used during Christmas, namely "Advent". It really helped our cause that Nina's best friend, Emily's, family did the first advent reading of the year for our church. ("What is "advent"? "You know, where we focus on 4 things at Christmas and light a candle each week for each one. You know, Emily lit the "Hope" candle." "Oh yea!") We have an advent ring at our house (Okay, I'll be real. We ordered an advent ring and when we got it, it was broken into 5 pieces, so we have another advent ring currently on a truck somewhere that will be delivered to us this week. So, we have one, we just don't HAVE one. But we have candles. That counts, right?)

Decorating the House
For us, decorating is a family event. We sing, dance, unintentionally clean off book shelves from papers floating free from college... Family time (Mostly fun, except for cleaning part. And realizing how long I've been out of college).

How we Do "Elf on the Shelf"
We were gifted the elf when Nina was 1 and really, are low-key elf owners. Let's be real, I don't use my elementary education degree because of the creativity required. We're more of the "Try to not forget to move the elf" type of people. I recently was reading a blog about how many families choose not to do the elf because of different familial philosophies about what the elf does or represents at their house. (Again, no shaming here either way) While I was reading the comments on the section, I saw an idea that we have adopted and have fallen in love with. Instead of the elf representing mischief or spying, he is a messenger for us. Bernard (Yes, I LOVE the Santa Clause series) leaves "Missions of Kidness" for Nina to complete. Notes are left for her that reemphasize what we are learning in our family advent devotions and give a mission to show Christ's love for that day. Notes aren't left every day, but a few times a week. Nina loves her missions and she loves that Bernard brings them. 

The Greatest Gift
I read a blog last year about Ann Voskamp and her "The Greatest Gift" books and let me tell you, it has lived up to my expectations. We are using "Unwrapping the Greatest Gift". It has a daily scripture that walks through the Bible discussing scripture that demonstrates God's love to us and equates it to God's love through Christ. You can print off ornaments that can be colored and hung on a "Jesse tree" (Either paper, felt, or a small tree) that is solely for these special ornaments that illustrate each day's lesson. We ordered ours from Amazon, but they are currently sold out. I was able to find it still available on Christian Book.

Santa

We still do "Santa" but try to not put too much stock in him. He only brings 3 gifts to show the 3 gifts from the Wiesmen. Last year, Nina insisted on leaving Santa a banana because she was concerned he may get a stomach ache from too many cookies. 

We still sing "Jingle Bells" along side of "O, Come All Ye Faitful" (Which, hilariously, is the only song that seems to calm Brooks down when he's upset). We love to bake, send cards, etc. But I'm really loving our magnetic nativity board with a countdown and our family time with our Jesse tree. I love Santa and the fun and Magic of Christmas, but man, I love my Savior so much. Especially seeing the whole story unfold new in my child's eyes. 

I'm sure there are a ton of more ideas that people use to show the love of Christ and I would LOVE to hear them. The day I stop learning is the day I die. I thought I would share a few things we do!

No One Can Teach You to Teach

I come from a long line of teachers, and one thing I have heard from all of them is, "No one can teach you how to teach." I agree. In 3.5 years of undergrad (don't mock my overachiever, "I took too many AP classes", self), I took classes on educational philosophy, psychology, history, and methods, and my family was right, I was still clueless.

At UT, they have a 5 year masters degree education program. The intention is 4 years of undergrad, a semester of grad school (typically done in the summer) of research classes and then a year of student teaching while writing an action research paper. The first semester, you teach half a day and do classes the second half of the day and second semester, you teach all day and present your research.

 (And, in my case, plan a wedding. What was I thinking?! Oh yea. He was awesome :))

In the second semester, I was told I would be a traveling teacher with the hearing specialist in a neighboring county. I learned that I would hop in a car every morning with the teacher and we would go around to all of the schools in the county to provide services. I also learned that my teacher had been fighting ovarian cancer for four years. When I met Mickey, we had instant chemistry. She was laid back and jovial and had an awesome sense of sarcasm, which is my love language. We were a perfect match. We provided services to special needs preschools, sweet  elementary students, scattered middle schoolers (who would always hide their hearing aides from us), and a few high schoolers who wished we would just go away. While traveling around the county, we discussed our dogs (she had a schnauzer that provided her tons of company during her cancer fight), cooking, family, weddings... No topic was off limits. 

In our teaching, we had lots of tough situations. Parents who had divorced over their child's IEP, pregnant teens, parents who didn't bother to show up to their IEP meetings, and, of course, Mickey's cancer. 

What I learned is that there are tough things in teaching. Often times, the lesson doesn't work, the students don't cooperate, you're provided no space to work, no materials to work with... But that it's all in perspective because life happens. At the end of your life, is what is going wrong going to matter? (Which, for Mickey, could have been any time) She always chose joy. Always. She had a hysterical story to tell about every situation and I still laugh about many of them today. 

When I got my first teaching job, I was assigned a mentor teacher who embodied the same philosophy that Mickey had. It was as if my new mentor teacher had talked to my college mentor about how to teach me to teach. Meg is now one of my best friends in the world and gives so much wisdom to my career, including the advice I always turn to, "No matter what decisions are made by higher ups, I will show up and do my job tomorrow." And we always choose laughter. (Most of which, we find funnier than anyone else does) Incredible mentors.

Mickey and I have been Facebook friends where she and I would interact and relive inside jokes. Her sense of humor always has made me laugh more than most.

Last night, I dreamed that Mickey had moved into our house and told me that she had called hospice. I woke up shaken and grabbed my phone at 4:30 and realized that the last post on her Facebook was in an album called "Mickey's last trip to the beach" and it was posted at the beginning of October and my heart sank. I googled her name and found her obituary and found out that she lost her battle with cancer on November 11. 

My heart breaks that the world has lost such an incredible woman. I celebrate for her that she is finally done fighting. From her, I learned so much about life and how to face it. And I consider my life and career so much better off that I had her as my original mentor. I will forever laugh a little when I hear the word "behoove" and will never look at a ShopVac the same. 

If you're a teacher, mentor a new one that is starting and teach them the positive and the laughter behind our profession. And teach them that life is never too bad to not laugh along the way. 

My life is better off that I was taught that. 

Being a Pastor's Family

As a kid, I was most known for one label, a pastor's kid. (Most commonly called "PK") I had it the worst because, not only was I a PK, but I was the kid of a PK. A second generation. I learned at a very early age that my dad's occupation put labels on how I should act, what my grades should reflect, how I should dress... And when a slip-up occurred, the first thing to be said was, "And you're a preacher's kid." According to society, the standard to which I was to live was my father's occupation. Most PKs are grouped into 2 categories: rebellious terrors or too sheltered to think for themselves. To be honest, I (nor most of the PKs I know) fall into those categories. I most likely would call us, "fighting the same spiritual battles as everyone else while being held to a nearly impossible standard".

I also ended up marrying a pastor and I find many of the standards have remained the same, but with the new label of "Pastor's wife" but the label I call myself hasn't changed a bit.

Many people assume that being part of a pastor's family is miserable. Many expect that we are all busting to get free from it and people have asked why I wanted to get tangled back in it after living with it my whole life. 

The truth is, I LOVE being a PK and a pastor's wife (why does no one call us PWs? Does that sound like POW? I will start it now. PDubs unite!) While it is true that many Sundays, we are at the church for a collective 8-9 hours and that our evenings are filled differently, so are our hearts. As a kid, I did my piano practice during deacon meetings and used WD-40 to remove gum from carpet during choir practice (I LOVED that job). As a PW, we have a science for juggling our kids on Wednesday and Sunday nights. We get the privilege of kids coming home from college and coming over to tell us how they're still serving and learning. And that Nina identifies certain sports moves by which youth kid she has watched perform it during an evening sporting event. (We play "Jake Tyler" all of the time.)

Many church members get in a rut of only socializing with people near their age or same life experiences. As a pastor's family, we get the privilege of knowing all ages: young and the wisest. As a kid, I had tons of adopted aunts and uncles and grandparents, many of whom still hold those spots in my heart now. As a youth pastor's wife, we get to see these middle school kids come in and are super rowdy and we question them getting anything we're trying to teach them. Then, they come in as older high schoolers challenging US to be better and more passionate. 

I have also found that being a PK is its own secret society. There are things that most kids never think of. As Nina becomes more aware of her dad's job, I am teaching her the unspoken rules of being a PK:

- When someone comes to the house to talk to Dad, you play quietly in another part of the house. You don't ask why they're there and try your best to not overhear anything. 

- (My friend Abie's rule, age 13. Former PK, now a missionary's kid, aka "MK") When someone is coming over, they usually talk in the kitchen. Get your snacks early. 

- When socializing after church, do your best to not repeat the church business that you overheard in the car. (I had to learn that one the hard way.)

The truth is, I love doing ministry and I love that my ministry is intertwined with my husband's. I love that Nina and Brooks have 40 big brothers and sisters who teach her to serve others and to love big. I never have hated being a PK or PW because I have had the privilege of living with pastors who live ministry and not just teach it. I have seen their tears over other people's pain, their joy over life and love, and their devotion to a profession that is so much more than a label, but their passion. This life that I live isn't a life of obligation, but a joy of a daily challenge to a higher devotion. 

(That, and someone is always baking for us. Grin.)

The Boso 4 FAQ

Now that the details of another dramatic pregnancy have drawn to a close, it's time to get on with life. One of the things about going from 9 weeks of bed rest straight to recovery from HELLP and a cesarean is that I don't get out much. A few people have been awesome and have checked on me almost daily since July. I will never again underestimate the power of a quick text to someone. But when we're out, there are a ton of questions we're asked. So, I thought I would take time now to answer! 

Brooks

My little man is doing awesome. I was given steroid shots at 29 weeks to mature his lungs and I am so grateful they did. Born at 36 weeks, he came out screaming! He weighed in at 7lb 9oz and was absolutely perfect. (I don't want to think about how big he would have been if he had been full term!) Lee and I often joke about the fact that he was technically a preemie and he could hold up his own head while we were still in the hospital. His name, Brooks Walker, is a dual family name. Brooks is Lee's Papa Joe's middle name and Walker is my Nannie's maiden name. He is a super laid back baby who grins often and loves to cuddle. 

Nursing 

Because he is a "poor preemie", we had a bit of a time teaching him how to nurse. He wasn't interested in latching and because of his bad case of jaundice, he would have rather slept than eat anything. Once we treated the jaundice and I found a section in my La Leche League book on near-term babies and latch problems, we made a few adjustments and now we have no problems. He has a super cute squeak he does whenever he's hungry and it makes me giggle. 

Sleeping

When I was pregnant with Nina, a girlfriend of mine told me about a book called "Babywise". It's a basic, common sense book about scheduling that trains babies to sleep through the night without being super rigid and never "crying it out". It worked like a dream (see what I did there?) for Nina (she was sleeping through the night by 8 weeks and 12 hours by 11 weeks) and is already proving true for Brooks. He sleeps 4 hours, nurses, and is down for another 4-5 hours. No complains from these parents! 

Nina

Nina is obsessed with her brother. She loves to show him everything she thinks he needs to know about the world. (She's currently telling him who all the characters are on Handy Manny. Important things.) She has a changing table in his room so she can change her baby, too. So far, no jealousy. Every night, when we tuck her in, we let Brooks lay beside of her for "Nina Brooks cuddle time". It's her favorite part of the day. 

HELLP

I'm feeling okay. Every day is different. Some days, I feel good and some days I cry because I feel so badly. I have lots of headaches, and some days my vision is off, most days I'm very nauseated, and everyday, I'm so tired that I only have a few hours of energy. I'm on lots of iron for my anemia and have to still take it easy as much as I can. The doctor says it could still be a month or more before I start to feel like myself again. Coming off of 9 weeks of bed rest and 2-3 months of recovering from HELLP syndrome... If you know me at all, you know that not having energy is a direct contradiction of who I am. But, my blood pressure is going down, which is a great sign that I'm healing. Every day is different and one day closer to being better. 

Lee

Lee isn't called by his name very often around here, but "rockstar". He has coached soccer, worked, and taken care of all household responsibilities since July. Soccer is winding down with only a week left in the regular season and I'm slowly getting back to doing a few light household tasks. I'm hoping he gets a break soon. 

Adjusting to 2 kids

Most people cautioned us that we were in for a crazy ride with two kids. So far, it was a much rougher adjustment to one kid than 2. When Nina came, I remember thinking, "No, I can't feed you! I'm tired." But, now I'm used to someone needing me all of the time. (Note: I am not held responsible for any of these statements when Brooks is mobile.)

Overall, we are grateful. Grateful for a healthy baby boy (who grins when he pees on me or toots). Grateful for a big sister who loves to help (When being puked on, her feet can run really fast to get more burp cloths). Grateful that I'm alive to enjoy the moments. And so looking forward to so many more memories. 

Preeclampsia, HELLP, and a Sweet Love Bug

On Monday morning, I woke up tired. We had had homecoming at church the day before and I felt like I had worn myself out. Lee took Nina to preschool and I laid around the whole time. After school, Lee's mom came to get Nina to redeem her birthday present of a trip to Chuck E Cheese and I wasn't feeling well still. And although I welcomed her getting to have a blast, I was going to be sad without her. Lee had an away soccer game and I knew it would be just me all evening. As the day progressed, I felt worse. My head was hurting, I didn't have much of an appetite and overall felt yucky. I took my blood pressure and it was higher than it has been yet. Knowing I had an appointment the next day, I texted my doctor (fully expecting him to say to take it easy for the rest of the day) and he told me to head straight to the hospital. Surprised and a little panicked, I grabbed my last minute stuff and headed to Beckley. Lee was at his soccer game and met me and my mom at the hospital. They evaluated and did blood work. My headache hadn't responded to any Tylenol and was making me nauseous from pain. My doctor met us at the hospital and decided we would stay for at least a 24 hour urinalysis, and some more tests. After a long night, our doctor came in the next morning to inform us that my platelets were dangerously low and it was apparent that I had severe preeclampsia and something called HELLP syndrome. (A condition that affects the liver enzymes, platelets, and red blood cells.) A former student of mine had a sister who had lost a battle with HELLP, therefore I was aware of it. I knew it was bad news.

The only cure for preeclampsia and HELLP is delivery. So, we began the process to see if my body would go into labor on its own and started a drip of magnesium to prevent seizures due to the preeclampsia. My friend, Jenna, had had magnesium with her first pregnancy and had warned me that I would feel like I had the flu. She was right. After more than 12 hours, I had made no progress towards labor and my platelets were dropping. I was prepped and was heading in for an emergency c-section. With our last delivery, (which apparently is quite remembered on the Labor and Delivery wing) all precautions were taken to ensure both Brooks and I came out alive. Once I got prepped, we were ready to deliver. Both of my OBs were present and one of my other moms, Cookie (who works in the nursery and came in that morning just to be with us), and it was game time. And I was terrified. There was one point in the surgery where I could tell I was losing a lot of blood and immediately said my goodbyes to Lee. It wasn't what I wanted, but I knew how the odds were stacked against me. 1 in 4 cases of HELLP don't survive. And with my history of accreta, I was prepared for a lot of bleeding (with very low platelets). After, what felt like an eternity, but probably was just a quick moment, Dr. Rainey told me he was able to save my uterus and I was going to make it. The placenta wasn't accreta, but was tightly attached. Tears of relief and joy began to flow. I sent Lee to the nursery with Brooks and Cookie while they finished up on me. The anesthesiologist said, "You got lucky, Carmen." No sir, all that it is, is that God hasn't completed my story. It isn't a matter of having God on my side, because that would have been the case no matter the outcome. But, twice now, with rare life-threatening situations in delivery, God had chosen to show me that he isn't done with me.

At 9:17 on 9/17, my sweet boy was born at 36 weeks weighing 7 pounds and 9 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. He was perfect. The steroid shots had developed his lungs and had no signs of being a preemie. (At that weight, he may have come out walking if we had gone full term.)

After a day of intense nausea and vomiting (thanks, magnesium) and several days of recovery, we are home. My platelets and hemoglobin have a lot of catching up to do and my cesarean incision makes me see stars sometimes. But, we're home. I know that every nurse and doctor that we encountered in the last week was another opportunity to show the love of The Lord to these incredible people who have devoted their lives to healing. I know that this situation could have been so much worse. I know that apparently my body does not handle being pregnant well. I know that our friendship with our OB isn't a coincidence, but one to give us a peace and a confidence. But, I also know that The Lord is good. I know that His purpose for my life isn't complete yet. 

Nina loves the song "The Only Name That Matters". The chorus says, "When I wake up in the land of glory, with the saints I will tell my story there will be one Name that I proclaim." I have been overwhelmed thinking about what "story" will be my children's. I know that part of my story is helping them to discover theirs. 

We are a family of 4 (6, if you count the furbabies) under one roof tonight against so many odds. We are a couple who has had to say final goodbyes more times in 4 years than some couples in 40. I am a mother who cried grateful tears today when I hugged my doctor upon my discharge. I am a child of God whose story isn't done. 

"... Jesus, just that Name."

This Summer and Bed Rest

A teacher being married of a youth pastor means there is zero down time in a year. My busy time is his slow time and vice versa. And every year, in August, we say, "next year, we're not going to make this summer so jam-packed." And every year, by August, we're exhausted. This year proved to be no different and no less wonderful. A summer full of mission trips, camps, a beach trip, gardening... And bed rest. 

Halfway through my first week at camp, I noticed two white wrinkles at the top of the bridge of my nose and immediately noticed that my nose was beginning to swell. (A swollen nose was one of my first symptoms of pregnancy induced hypertension with Nina that later turned into preeclampsia.)I monitored my blood pressure for that week and the next and realized it was going up. I made an appointment with my OB and he began to evaluate. We were leaving for the beach just 6 days after returning from camp, so, he immediately began running tests. I packed for the beach and didn't know until less than 24 hours before we left if I was allowed to go. My tests came back that it was hypertension and not preeclampsia and was allowed to go to the beach on "take it easy" status. To avoid dragging this blog post through every appointment (I have 2-3 a week), and every blood pressure reading (2-3 a day), we have made it much longer in the pregnancy than I thought we would. When we began to realize this was going to be problematic, I received 2 steroid shots to mature the baby's lungs quicker, was told to transition from "take it easy when you can" to "you need to be still as often as you can". (Anyone who knows me, my OCD tendencies, and my high energy daughter, know that this is super tricky.) Even though I had the same "sentence" when I was pregnant with Nina, it was different this time. My first pregnancy, I think I felt like I was invincible and that I would break my baby (once born) if I pulled a shirt over her head. Now I realize how precious and sacred every day is that he gets to grow stronger inside of me and know that I probably won't hurt him if one of his arms gets stuck in his shirt. 

So, we wait. Two days a week, we are consumed with appointments. One day, I have a non-stress test, an appointment, and blood work. Another day, I have an ultrasound and an appointment. Other days of the week, what I do, or what I don't do completely hinges on those two sets of numbers on a blood pressure monitor. Some days, I allow myself to do a load of laundry (and sit to fold, of course), other days, I am "left side laying" (the way to best ensure most adequate blood flow to the arteries.) while trying to entertain Nina. (She often tells me, "Bed rest is just so boring for me." I know, kid. Join the club.) But we're adjusting. (We've been at this same routine for 7 weeks now. We'd better be adjusting.)

We have been consumed by kindness of friends and family through this whole ordeal. They have been eager to cook for us (Lee loves to cook, but is working and coaching soccer 5-6 days a week), call to check on us, offer to babysit, to bring reading material, to put up with my incessant texting... Some days, the love that we feel brings me to tears (and not just because of the hormones). But there are also days that are so tough. Especially early, I was researching NICU facilities, looking for preemie clothes, worrying if my bed rest was going to put Nina in therapy for the rest of her life, and being consumed with so many other possibilities. Basically, I have entirely too much time to think. 

On top if it all, as we rapidly are approaching delivery, we are faced with the unknowns of me having placenta accreta again. Traditional ways of testing for the condition (ultrasound and MRI) are for traditional cases (former cesarean patients or those with uterine scarring). The fact is, I shouldn't have had it the first time, so we have no idea if it will happen again. Our OB (who is a family friend) has been incredible to walk us through all of the possibilities and options. We are still praying for clarity as we make our decision as to how to handle this so to not have as traumatic of an experience as the last time. We desire your prayers as we seek wisdom, guidance, discernment, and courage.

Last week, I watched (and have watched again since) the interview with Dr. Kent Brantly about him surviving Ebola. (If you haven't seen it, you missed out on one of the greatest testaments to sharing The Lord through a terrible virus) Dr. Brantly talks about a prayer he prayed while he was in Liberia, "Lord, I know You can save me... But if you choose not to, I will remain faithful to You. I will not deny You." Oh, how my fears have been calmed by his prayer. We have no idea what will come about in the next few weeks, but we know we will remain faithful. 

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from The Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1

Baby Update and Twists In Our Road

When we first got pregnant with Nina, we were convinced she was a boy. We gave her the nickname "Sven", I had boy bedding in my cart on a website, I even wore blue to the ultrasound. We both came from families of 2 kids with the oldest being a boy; it just made sense. At her ultrasound, we were all amazed at a girl! When we got in the car, "I Danced With Cinderella" was playing on the radio and Lee nearly flew into a furious rage about the song. He was instantly a dad of a girl and had no desire to envision her wedding reception.

Then, once it came time to deliver her, we were checking in at the hospital. The woman at the desk asked if I had a living will or medical power of attorney. I laughed and said, "No, but it's 2010! Who dies in childbirth?" Dumbest. Statement. Ever. (As we all know, that was  a definite twist that we hadn't anticipated.)

Since then, parenthood has been full of unexpected twists and turns. Fast forward 3 1/2 years and here we are pregnant again. Obviously, we have fallen in love with being parents to a girl and were expecting this to be a girl again. When we went for the ultrasound, we decided that instead of a gender reveal party (introverts, like myself, are scared of parties), we would have the ultrasound tech tell Nina the gender and then she could announce it to us. (Which quite excited a little 3 year old girl)

The ultrasound came and the first thing seen was the gender. She whispered in Nina's ear. Time froze as I realized I would finally be able to picture what our family would look like. Nina looked confused and said, "I think she said I'm having a sister?" The woman (who is a lifetime friend of the family) said "No, come here." We immediately knew, and Nina quickly announced, "It's a boy!" As with Nina (who was 95th percentile), he is quite a large baby (91st percentile). 

The scan continued with the normal enthusiasm until we reached the placenta. Due to our previous exposure, I had a lot of knowledge (more than anyone should know about the baby-growing organ) about where it should be and what it should look like. As she scanned, I quickly stated that I had previously had placenta accreta and she then informed me that the placenta was low-lying and partially covering my cervix (placenta previa). We went to my OB appointment after and he confirmed that the baby was strong and healthy and seemed to be developing beautifully. He also stated that the placenta is seeming like it may be a problem again. Not only is the placenta covering the cervix, but also has attached in the same place as my previous placenta accreta, indicating a high chance of it repeating the engrowth. (A troubled place that we prayed the placenta wouldn't go to again)

As you can imagine, Lee and I are overwhelmed by the emotions and possibilities around it all. We will go back for another ultrasound at the end of June to see if the growth of the baby has lent itself to the placenta moving up and away from the cervix. (Which is a possibility) However, my uneventful pregnancy is now, officially, eventful. (And not in a good way.) We are making very calculated plans for the delivery of the baby and treatment to hopefully prevent the extreme circumstances from before. 

We aren't mad at God nor questioning His plan. Even as Jesus was praying the night before the crucifixion, He didn't demand God's mind to change, but prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) Since we aren't able to read God's plan for us nor are we able to see the bigger picture, we aren't praying for specific healing or for delivery from the circumstances. What we are praying for is calm in the storm. We are praying for peace in the turmoil. We are asking for contentment with the decided treatment. We praying for the opportunity to see God when our nature is to be angry with Him. As traumatic as the previous experience was, we have grown so much in our appreciation of our family and acknowledgment of what my purpose is in life. God left me here for a reason and since that time, I've been forced to evaluate why. Therefore, we aren't asking for a change in what is going on, but the strength to embody the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)

There you have it. We have waited several days to say anything because we didn't know what to say nor did we even know what to feel. We are in the process of researching as much as possible to be informed and hopefully not blindsided. Unfortunately nearly all cases of accreta and previa are in previous cesearean patients (of which I am not). Also, researching makes us feel like we're doing something. 

This weekend, I was overwhelmed by the song "Oceans". As our youth praise band sang, these words spoke so much to me:

"You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep, my faith will stand.

"I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine.

"Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand will be my guide.

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now."

The mystery continues in so many aspects of my pregnancy. But luckily I know that there is a plan and I have zero control of it. And for now, I am resting in the sweet kicks of my baby boy, in my trust in my doctor, and the fact that God has never failed and He won't start now. No matter the outcome. 

Giving up a bad habit

Recently, I was having dinner with Lee when we saw a well-admired mother in our community who has multiple children who have attended, and graduated from the top of their class at one of our country's most prestigious colleges. This family has made unique choices in their family that have obviously worked very well for their family. We asked the mother if one of her children would be participating in a particular sporting event (one that would require considerable time). She went on to express that she didn't think it would work well with their family schedule and then said words that have become engrained upon my whole inner-thought process: "That's just not our priority." (The child would still play the sport, just not for that organization.)

I was taken in a flashback to Lee coming home from a retreat for pastors several years ago and they had a priority session. They asked them to make a list of what they would consider a priority in their life. Then, on a separate list, they asked them to make a list of where they spent most of their time. I don't know about you and your time, but my time constraints don't always align with my set priorities. Since this conversation, I have found myself really weighing what we do, and the priority in which we put it. 

Knowing the majority of people I know (much like myself) would put down God and family as definite priorities, I then weighed how I spent my time. Does where my time goes reflect those as my top two priorities? How about when I try to mix the two and have spending time with God with my family. Or spending time to impress upon my children the Truths that have set me free. Is that shown?

As I evaluated my time, I was nearly sickened by myself in one particular area: my time I have spent on social media. I have found that when I am having "family time", I seemed to always have a growth in the form of my phone refreshing news feeds and timelines. Even if my phone isn't in my hand, frustration or preoccupation with what I've read is with me, influencing the way I feel and the conversations I have. The more I realized how much time I spent on social media, I also realized what a habit it had become. The amount of time that I am seemingly "engaged" in conversation, but every two seconds, I am hitting the phone button and opening my phone to check for notifications. I hated the way I have become the topic of countless blogs pointing to our lack of social engagement. I realized that I am choosing interest in people's posts over taking interest in my people. I have chosen communication with people I have met once over communication with those I have committed my life to. (I really hate when I have to end a sentence in a preposition.)

So, I am in the process of setting my priorities straight by kicking this bad habit. I will still have Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and will still post to the three. But, I am refusing to live my life attached to my phone to see how others are living theirs. Because, let's be honest: if that's how I'm living, I'm not living at all.

I'm not saying this to say that smart phones are the devil (even though I may have been searching for my old Razor). And I'm definitely not saying that everyone is as addicted to the habit as I am. (I may or may not have diagnosed Lee with the same addiction.) But, for me, I don't want Nina to remember me as someone she can only reach if she tweets me. I want to look her in the eyes and have a conversation and we know how to respond to one another. 

I hope the "that's not our priority" echoes through my mind for years. When we choose new jobs, activities, etc., I want to be able to align them with my priorities. 

I will spend the next few weeks redefining my priorities, evaluating my time, and kicking the button-pushing habit. If it takes me a while to get back to you, I've left my phone in a different room (or have had to force myself to uninstall apps to give me more of a barrier) and am probably involved in coloring, tickling, or talking about our days, as I should. Because that IS my priority. 

Pregnancy update: week 15

15 weeks (actually 14 weeks, 6 days. But for real, it's close enough) 

(Forgive how fancy I look today. It's Spring Break!)

By all sources, we are officially in the second trimester! (Praise Jesus!) Pregnancy so far is really going well. First trimester was vexed with all-day sickness from week 6 (pretty sure starting on race weekend) and flu-like fatigue. (All of which are normal and good signs of things going well!) (Also things that I'm so glad are over)

As with Nina, I show early and get traditional signs and symptoms earlier than the books say I should. I was in maternity clothes at 9 weeks and have already felt daily movements from the little one. (I first felt Nina at 13 weeks) Most folks think I'm crazy. And they're right. But, 'tis true.

(Me at 9 weeks.)

Generally, my symptoms are quite different than with Nina: 

-with this one, I felt car sick all day every day that got progressively worse during the day. 

-With Nina, I was only sick if I ate an apple before lunch. Weird. 

-With this one, my whole body is covered in dry skin that has turned into eczema (sometching genetic that I've had since I was 2 months old)

-With Nina, my face was a pizza: oily and covered in red spots. (Mom laughs about a morning I called her sobbing saying that my body would never be the same. She silently laughed in agreement, but was sweet and empathetic. Then she realized I meant my acne and then she could offer me hope.)

(15 weeks with #2 versus Nina. Obviously, I wasn't on spring break at 15 weeks with Nina.)

Many people say that it must be a boy since the pregnancies are so different. But, I have many friends with the same gender baby and completely different pregnancies. I won't be sold on a gender until the ultrasound. Also, folks ask what we want. All we want is a healthy baby. It would be more convenient to have a girl, since we have girl things, but fun to have a boy to have one of each. (And I would be lying if I said having a boy would make me nervous! I know girls! I mean, I kind of am one, but am willing to learn to be rough and tumble.)

No stretch marks yet and sleep is okay. Just a few nights of insomnia and 1-2 potty breaks a night. Appetite is slightly more, but not insatiable. Cravings have been few. Early in the pregnancy, all I could choke down was crunchy tacos, or  Asian food (Japanese, Chinese, Thai... I didn't descriminate). Now, I have a hankering for chocolate milkshakes, but have only given in a few times. It's a catch 22. I want sweets, but sweets make me feel nauseous. 

I haven't run any since the half-marathon. Now that the trimester of fatigue is over, I've had a cold followed by a sinus infection. I'm hoping to start putting miles back in today or tomorrow. Running is the only thing I really miss. 

Generally, this has been an uneventful pregnancy (I like it that way). I have had a few weird episodes of having a tingly tongue. The first time, I had a banana and 15 minutes later, a tingly mouth and tongue. I have had bananas since and no problems. Several weeks later, I had a babybel cheese then tingly tongue, dizzy, disoriented and felt like I was going to pass out. Lee had to pick me up from work and I slept for several hours. I felt tired for a few days after, but good. Then last week, I had spaghetti (with no cheese) and got tingly mouthed again. (But no other symptoms) I googled it (what else is a girl to do?! *grin*) and many people suggested food allergies. No foods are in common and I've had the food other times with no problems. The only thing that is in common is the time of day it happens: lunch time. It's odd and I'm doing massive detective work. (And promise to mention it to my doctor at my appointment next week.)

We have names narrowed down and nursery ideas rolling around, but can't move on either until we have a gender. Although Nina wants a sister, she informed me that "I won't be sad if we have a boy!". So basically, none of us care at all about which we get. 

More updates to come! 

QOTD: Have you ever had tingly tongue symdrome during pregnancy? (I named it myself. Don't be googling my pretend disorder)

The best advice I've ever been given

I've been given a lot of advice in my life. Especially when it came to college choices (let me take this moment to give a big "Go vols!" for their win in the NCAA tournament!! It's Tennessweet 16!), ministry, and heaven help, when you start having children. (That's one part of pregnancy that I was NOT prepared for! So far, the second baby seems to come with less unsolicited advice.)

As many pieces of advice have been invaluable, there are three different things that have been said to me that I echo in my mind often and always bring me to a place of reality. (And they came from 3 of my favorite women!)

1. You can't argue with crazy; crazy always wins - Melissa Dorsey

Any time I have gotten myself all bent out of shape and think of "what I'm going to say...", I'm always reminded of this especially when I'm reading things on social media that people are obviously feeling strongly about and other people start to argue with them and by the end of 259 comments, people are cussing, calling names and getting tons of "likes" for an extra-cutting remark. The argument ends and nothing is solved except that a relationship has ended and two parties have labeled the other as "hateful". 

Or maybe it is a person that suddenly gives you a piece of their mind and you have NO idea where their accusations have come from. This is where Lee's quote, "perception is reality" comes to play. How someone perceives a situation is what they think is true. And they're not gonna change their minds. I've also found that the crazy comes out in me the fastest when I let the crazy in my head. So, don't argue with crazy; crazy always wins. (And thanks to y'all that have put up with me when I've been the crazy.)

2. Don't go to the doctor if you have zero intention of taking their orders. - Meg Ashby

Second opinions may occasionally be sought after, but if I'm going to go to the doctor, sit in the waiting room for an hour, get an exam, and pay my co-pay, I'm going to take what the doctor says as some type of seriousness. People make a career doing what they do because they know something about it. And if I know all there is to know, why would I go ask? If I want opinions about running, and am faced with a professional runner or an ice skater, I'm going to listen to the one that has studied the races, tried out lots pacing techniques, has run thousands of miles, and thinks about running all the time.

I have zero medical training (okay, a few nuggets of audiology training that can help with ear problems, but that doesn't really count as being a "medical professional".) Some of the worst news from the doctors I've gotten was the bed rest diagnosis (I've been blessed with great health), but knowing that my doctor went to school for many many years to know what's best for mommas and babies, I listened, and I was able to keep that baby cooking for a bit longer. And paid my copay. 

3. Your #1 goal as a mother is to raise and teach your children how to be independent adults. -Jeanne Lowe

As a mother, I have found that there are multiple things that would just be easier if I did it myself. But, I think back to the things I was taught to do as a child that made a transition to adulthood so much easier. (Helping with laundry, learning how to cook, setting the table, etc.) Not only did I learn basic tasks, I also learned that the world and the people in it, didn't revolve around me, but that I was a small part of a greater world and I had to contribute to do my share. People were counting on me (both as a kid and as an adult) to do my job and if I did my part, everything worked more smoothly and the stress was alleviated.

I have also found this very helpful when it comes to emotional milestones. With Nina, there have been days where I want to hold on to the days of the past, and I remind myself that The Lord has given me this opportunity to raise up children that will love Him, will love his creations, and will come to learn and embrace their personal gifts. That's my job: to disciple, teach, and encourage. When she moves out of our house, hopefully she will know many basic tasks that she can pass on to her children. (The kid has already asked how long she has to wait until she can use the stove.)

The thing I am most grateful for is that these women pour their lives and wisdom into my life and the lives of others. 

And I'm so glad they're never the crazy. 

Fly to the Desert for Fun in Las Vegas

As I mentioned in my last post, I was pairing with Kendra to do her favorite travel spot. Here she is! 

Fly to the Desert for Fun in Las Vegas

 

Despite its reputation as Sin City, Las Vegas has a broad selection of things to do. Sometimes, I bring the kids along and enjoy family shows and activities. Other times, I go on business but take the time to hit a spa or a couple of great bars. Whatever brings you to Las Vegas; there will be plenty to keep you occupied throughout your stay.

 

1. The Spa at Aria Las Vegas

Although Vegas boast’s several quality spas, my favorite is the spa at Aria Las Vegas. This spacious resort is the perfect place to get away from the bustle of city life. As soon as I step inside, I feel the stress begin to melt away. Of course, lying on the warm stones of the Ganbanyoku beds takes the relaxation even farther. This spa also features a wide variety of massages and treatment options.

 

2. Wining and Dining

There are thousands of places to eat or grab a drink in Las Vegas. My favorite pairing involves a juicy steak and red wine. As a special treat, watch the water show from a table at SW Steakhouse. Scotch lovers will enjoy selections at Tom Colucchio’s Craftsteak. Affordable prices and delicious Italian food are always available at Fiamma Trattoria.

 

3. Mandalay Bay

It isn’t difficult to forget that Las Vegas is located in the desert. At Mandalay Bay, you can enjoy the water and relax on a sandy beach. The lazy river is a favorite attraction of mine. Kids love the wave pool. This is definitely my idea of a great place to spend a vacation.

 

4. Cirque du Soleil’s O

Of course, you can’t come to Las Vegas and not see a show. I love Cirque du Soliel. Their show O is staged using a 1.5-million-gallon pool. The water moves as the pool changes shape throughout the performance. The stunts and various characters leave the audience begging for more.

 

I hope I’ve inspired you to book your own trip to Las Vegas. The city certainly offers a large variety of hotels that cater to any family’s needs. Sites like Gogobot make it easy to read user reviews and find some cool tips and tricks. No two trips here are alike, so I’m sure you’ll find some of your own favorite things to share with others. I bet you’ll enjoy yourself so much that you plan a second trip as soon as possible.

 

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Okay... we're not really. I was asked by Kendra to write a blog about my favorite place I've ever traveled. I've done a decent amount of traveling in my day, so picking a spot was the toughest part. I began to consider my favorite trips:

- Multiple family vacations to Myrtle Beach, SC. (or as we call it here in WV, "The Beach") This would include lots of time with the clan, and tons of fun with Nina (even though she much prefers the pool to the ocean or sand). We're creatures of habit and comfort, therefore "the beach" is always a winner.

- Several trips to Walt Disney World with my 2 favorite times being in 2004 when all 4 Lowes were adults and had an "adult" Disney trip. (All very relative, knowing we still rode as many rides as possible) and in 2009 with just me and Lee as we laid around the pool and decided that it was time to add children to our family (Nina was born 13 months later).

- Several super fun trips to visit Lee's sister and BIL in D.C. (Bless their hearts, they're our permanent tour guides. And cupcake guides. I don't think they mind that part.)

- A few trips to visit my Auntie. (both in Seattle and Brussels) I haven't taken Lee to Seattle yet, mostly bc I know we would be moving there before our return flight. That city is his spirit animal. Or city. Whatever.
- And a family trip this past summer to watch my childhood "little sister" get married in Alaska. Such a beautiful state. If only it wan't so blasted far away! 

I decided to focus it on mine and Lee's weekend getaway spot, Stonewall Resort.

When Lee and I were engaged, we read a ton of books and our amazing friends, JD and Rhonda, met with us regularly to help walk us through marriage to help us think past the bells and butterflies and discuss conflict, finances, children... And we always found some food, too. One of the things we discussed was the need to keep romancing each other after diaper changes were more frequent than weather changes in WV in March.  

I nursed Nina for 13 months, therefore never spent the night away from her. As Lee's 30th birthday approached, we decided we would go away, the two of us, to celebrate. After much apprehension, we left Nina with Grami and drove an hour and fifteen minutes north to this local resort that friends had raved about. 

As we drove in, we found an incredible lodge and we were immediately in love. We checked in, went to have burgers at TJ Muskies that has fireplaces and a cozy environment. We fell in love with their Fripps and Dip (They're not fries and they're not chips. But they ARE addicting and amazing.) and the Smokehouse Burger. (Bacon, smoked Gouda, BBQ sauce, French fries onions. Yum!)

They have an outdoor, lake front fire pit and often have s'mores supplies handy and Adirondack chairs set up. They have an indoor/outdoor heated pool. With hot tubs both indoor and outdoor. There are maps of all kinds of trails, a campground, and a super nice golf course. ("Super nice" is how those of us who always come in last in put-put describe courses that bring people in based on the course alone.) Lee and I love early morning running there.

In the mornings, their breakfast buffet at Stillwater's is top notch. Be sure you don't miss their homemade granola. You will thank me. 

The beds are comfortable and rates are affordable. The spa is top of the line. We've had a couple's massage, a facial, pedicures...  Love it. 

We love that it's so close by and we can make quick, one-night trips. (Very important when you're married to a pastor and Sunday is a work day.) We also love that it's a spot that has everything you need without leaving the property. 

My favorite part is that it has become our weekend date place. We both chose to celebrate our 30th birthdays there and went there for a reset getaway this past fall. It has been the place where we're reminded that before we were "mom and dad" we were "Carmen and Lee". It feels like a quick, mini-honeymoon fully equipped with beautiful views, awesome food, and tons of togetherness. Stonewall is where we fall in love again every time we go.

(Mushy post over.)

Big Boso News and A Race Recap

The title of this post has two parts, but the context of them is intertwined. Yesterday, we saw the most beautiful thing: a tiny baby with a strong 120bpm heart beat! We're 7 weeks and 1 day along and, while it's still early, a strong heartbeat is such a good sign that this one may be a keeper! (I totally ugly face cried during my ultrasound because we were so excited!)

Our doctor asked us to take a few months off after the miscarriage and D and C to let my body and our hearts recover. As part of the recovery, Lee, Melissa, and I decided to run the Myrtle Beach half-marathon. The race was at the end of our "wait" period and a few weeks after the one year anniversary of Julia's passing. It was the perfect goal for all of us. We registered and trained and were ready. With a few weeks of training left, our wait time was up and we realized that, if God agreed with the timing, I would be 6 weeks pregnant when the start gun went off. The doctor promised us that would be fine and happy training! 

Since I always know just a few days in that I'm pregnant, I had a few weeks of pregnant running before the race. I was conscious to keep my pace slow, drink lots of water and take fuel, and made sure I stayed close to town to be close to bathrooms (thanks to my in-laws for being my potty stop). The week of the race, my pace was comfortably around the 9:30 mark, right where I needed it to be to make my goal time at race day. 

The day before we were scheduled to leave, we got hit by a huge snow storm that dumped well over a foot of snow in a day. We had to change our reservations and drive in the snow to get to Myrtle. After lots of traffic, we got to the expo at 7:30, got our bibs, met Melissa's guide runner, got some pizza and tried to get to bed. It was late, we were afraid of oversleeping, and we had the usual pre-race jitters, so sleep was little and far between. 

We woke up 30 minutes before our alarm and decided to get up. As per my usual pregnancy, not enough sleep equals nausea. Bad, intense nausea. I tried to eat and could barely choke down my breakfast. We got ready, opened the door and saw a monsoon. (There are no rain checks in running) We drove to the race, met up with Carl (the guide runner. And our new favorite person), let Melissa use her first ever porta-potty, and waited to start. I assured Lee that he didn't have to stay with me and that I had my phone and would be fine. 

We took off and my watch was set to stick to my 4:1 run walk program and I was quickly reminded of the blogs and articles I've been reading about pregnant running in the first trimester: the hardest part is breathing. From the start, I couldn't run for more than 2 minutes at a time. I had to pee at mile 2, but there were no bathrooms set up until mile 5 (where I had to wait in line for 10 minutes to use). My nausea won 10x during the race. I was miserable. I would NOT quit.

I saw a time clock around mile 9 and realized that Lee should be done and I was not going to be anywhere near my projected finish time. I pulled out my phone to text Lee knowing he would be really worried if he didn't see me when I told him he should. He encouraged me to keep going. My back was throbbing. Around mile 12, I couldn't choke back the tears anymore. (I had already choked back too much vomit. Gross. I know. No one said running was a pretty sport) However, not being able to breathe + crying + running for over 2 1/2 hours = hyperventilation. I had to stop and calm down to get what breath I had, back. Lee contined to check on me and it made me feel more secure. I crossed the finish line 40 minutes past my projected finish. 

I was so relieved to be done and in so much pain, I immediately sat down and sobbed. And hyperventilated again. Photographers kept trying to take my picture, and I kept saying, through my sobs "No thank you." (Manners are always important) I finally got to Lee and felt so relieved. He got me food, water, and chocolate milk and sat me down and went to get Melissa after she crossed. When she got to me, she was all smiles. I was so proud of her. 

(Liss and our Carl. We love him.)

Then she noticed I had blue lips. (The rain quit around mile 2, then we had 20 mph winds. Lee compared it to the scenes on The Biggest Loser where they run on the treadmill with a resistance band around their waist)
We got to the car and got back to the hotel to get warm and clean. 

(We took a picture of us smiling, but Brad didn't capture it. But, this is the best look as to how I really felt)

After resting and refueling, we were back to having fun. Dinner, doughnuts, and hanging out then back to the snowy WV early the next morning. 

(Nina tried her best to spur Elliot on toward potty training. To no avail. )

It was a decent race. Not enough potties (that may have been a pregnant problem) and almost no spectators. Placements were based on gun time rather than chip time, and fuel wasn't easily accessible. But the course was easy to follow and flat. I don't think I'll run a half marathon while pregnant again. 

This conversation happened with some girlfriends: 

We are so excited about this beating bean and so grateful God saw fit to bless us again. 

The morning after the race, we watched a beautiful sunrise over the ocean was such a promise from The Lord that new beginnings are new every morning. 

Morning by morning, new mercies I see. 

I've never been so excited to be nauseous and for a medal to be around my neck and a race be over. 

Onions

Yes. This post will be as fascinating as the title sounds. Many personalities are described like onions: "You have to peel back the layers to see what you're really getting." Anyone who knows me, knows this is definitely not true of me. I'm kind of like... grapes. I may be sweet at times, may be sour at times, may even have wrinkles spots, but you know exactly what you're getting into at first glance.

Anyway, as I have stated before, we try to save money a lot. I also really like to cook. I recently discovered that I wasn't being frugal, green, or like the culinary genius that I'm not, and I have been buying frozen onions that are prediced. 

I know it's sad. But, I never completely learned how to quickly dice an onion without crying all of my mascara off and reeking of onion. (Which, with being a high school teacher, always makes me wonder if it's onions or if I really have body odor)

So, I do what the Boso family always does when curious about how to do something: go to YouTube! (Seriously how Lee learned to tie a bow tie) I immediately went and bought a bag of onions and put my new knowledge to work. I was amazed at how quick, easy, non-teary, and un-stinky the whole process was. Also, HOW MUCH CHEAPER it is. After a few nights of practice, I literally stayed awake for a while (after I turned off House Hunters International. Oh, snow days. You've ruined my sleep schedule.) thinking about how much I love cutting onions. And folding fitted sheets. My brain is a very exciting place to be, I tell ya. 

Apparently the tears are triggered when the root is cut off. So, here is the technique I learned (and if you've known this for years and are thinking, "She is so lame." you are so right.)

Get an onion and a sharp knife. Preferably the santoku style

Cut the onion in half from root to stem

Cut off the stem and peel the onion and lay half cut side down on a cutting board

Put the palm of your hand on the onion and cut horizontally through the onion about 3/4 of the way. If it's a small to medium size, do 1 cut. If it's a really big one, cut in thirds. 

Now, take your knife and make many vertical cuts down with the knife around ge same plan as where your horizontal cut stopped. 

Now, cut across the vertical cuts and repeat the steps with the other half. 

You will have an onion diced to the fineness you want and it will be done super quickly!

And if you think about it enough, maybe your Nannie will give you your favorite thing from her kitchen from your childhood. 

(I was FaceTiming with my brother yesterday when I showed him I inherited the onion and potato bin. He was as excited as I was.)

There, you have it: an intriguing post on onions. Your life is now more complete. 

Snow Day, Snow Day (singing)

 It's official. I have been off of work for a week and, by the looks of things, I may be off a little longer. We had a foot of snow and today is the only "break" we getting and the temperatures are in the single digits. Sounds like more than another half foot on its way tomorrow. I love snow and I love snow days. But, I would be lying if didn't admit that I spent a long time lingering at the gardening section at Lowe's last night. I'm slightly concerned that my time in Alaska this summer, that left me wondering if I could live there, may be part of this constant snow. However, it's warmer there than here. Anyone want to move up to AK?!

So, I've been trying to keep us all entertained for a few days. I can't run right now for more than 25 minutes because of a strained quad (22 days from the half. Awesome.) (I've seen a physical therapist. I'm resting, heating, icing, and stretching, as recommended. I WILL run.) 

Because I can't run, can't work, can't really leave the house, and it's too cold to play outside, we have been doing a TON of cooking. Like, I'd better get back to running or I'm going to be braving the snow-covered roads to get to the mall to purchase new pants. 

For Christmas, I got Ree Drummond's second cookbook. I looked through it and before bed on Christmas day, I had already ordered her first. She basically takes "normal people food" and makes it "awesome people food". Nearly every recipe has been knock-you-over-on-the-first-bite type of food. Here are some of our favorites from the last few weeks:

Cinnamon Rolls 

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken Pot Pie (Probably my favorite of all. My girlfriend, Anne, gave me the hint to only use half of the shortening in the pie crust, and for the other half, use butter. A.maz.ing.)

Coffee Cream Cake (This is currently in my kitchen and I think about it all the time.)

French Breakfast Puffs (typing the name may or may not have forced me to walk to the kitchen to get one)

Tonight is Pork Chops and Applesauce and Cheese Grits. So excited!

All the recipes have heated up well and, for the main courses, I've been making full recipes so Lee and I can have leftovers for lunch. However, because we don't need 7 pans of cinnamon rolls, I have been using half recipes for the baking. My aunt got me this awesome cooking conversion magnet that I have used nearly every day for almost 8 years. Definitely a "can't live without" in my kitchen. (Thanks, Auntie!)

My college bestie, Katie, (who is equally as obsessed with The Pioneer Woman) and I have discovered the awesomeness of the cast iron skillet. Lee and I inherited our skillets from our grandmothers who have both passed away. So, not only are they seasoned with years of cooking, they're also very sentimental.  (Here is one skillet cooking Eggs in a Hole. Or Chicken in a Basket. Or Popeyes....)

My current favorite gadget is an appliance that acts as a grill, a griddle, a panini press, a flat press...  I use it for grilled cheese, chicken breasts, vegetables, Lee made pancakes (why does it always seem like pancakes are a man's domain??). I seriously can't get enough of it and use it all the time. The plates are dishwasher safe too. Love it. (And it's made by Cuisinart which has an excellent warranty and great customer service.)

Anyway. That's what we've been up to in our snowed-in villa. I think I'll stick to cooking instead of measuring snow on the back porch that caused me to fall down steps and I now have a very bruised back. Another story for another day. 

To answer a few questions

Y'all. It's a struggle with me today. I'm in week 8 of 12 in my half-marathon plan and I am starting to get tired. I have the incredibly weird (but apparently, not too uncommon) problem of not being able to sleep after a long run. On Saturday, I ran 9 miles and was (obviously) quite tired by the end of that day (I burned 19 WW points. I only get 26 in a day.) (We ate oreos.), but I laid awake for hours and barely got 3 hours of sleep that night. Now, my body is trying to play catch up and it's losing. I've read a lot about possible dehydration or my core temperature being too high for sleep. I'm not sure on any of it, but I will try anything. (Suggestions? My runs normally are over by 3:00pm, so it's not that I'm running too late...)

ANYWAY! I'm sure you could care less about my restless sleep on Saturday nights. Since my post on my goals from 2013, I have had a lot of messages, texts, emails, etc about 3 areas. So, I thought I would elaborate on them to answer them to the best of my ability.

Bible Study
Several years ago, I felt a strong calling on my life to start an in-depth Bible study with several gals from our church. We met on Saturday mornings at our house and did the 10 week study by Beth Moore called "Breaking Free". It was a great time to be together and dig deeper in the Word. What started as 5 of us in my living room in our pajamas (it was 8:00 on a Saturday! Courtney was the only one of us who even took a shower first!) Since then, we (our pastor's wife, Jennifer, and I have taken turns leading) have had several large group Bible studies and have grown so much as women in our church. I have two favorite Bible study authors: Beth Moore and Kelly Minter.

Beth is basically the Billy Graham of women's Bible studies. She has written tons of in-depth studies and books, and devotions. My first Beth, I did at home, by myself, and no videos and just fell into such a deep love with God and His word (A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place). Last year, we did James, David, we've also done Esther, Jesus... My favorite one was called "Living Beyond Yourself: A study of the Fruits of the Spirit". Check the study length before you begin. Most of Beth's are 10 week studies. Daniel is a 12 week, James is 7. We started Stepping Up: The Psalms of the Ascent last night and it is a 6 week study.

Kelly is relatively new on the horizon and has incredible insight. Her studies are typically 6 week and don't have video sessions with it. I have done her study called Nehemiah that was literally life-changing in the way it taught me to do ministry and how to look at leadership. I started No Other Gods and will finish it whenever we take a break in our study routine.

There are lots of other wonderful authors that the Lord has blessed with insight and writing ability to reach us. Dig around and find one that you can connect with!

Money Saving
I have had a huge inquiry into how we have saved money, especially our grocery bill. My big "push" goal for 2013 was to be under budget each month at the grocery store. Our budget is $400 a month and last year, I was $376 under my yearly budget. (That doesn't include our $40 a month budget for eating out) (I know what you're thinking. "Wow. What a glamorous life they must live." It's true. We fight off the paparazzi every day.) We have made several cuts and decisions that have totaled up to be huge savings:

1) Making my own laundry soap
August 2012, I made a batch of laundry soap concentrate and it cost around $4. I didn't have to make any more soap until December 2013. (That's doing 1 load of laundry every day, some days, 2.) It's a simple recipe that I got from the Duggars. I put it in a bucket and reuse an old laundry soap dispenser. It works really well. There is also a powdered version to which I can't answer for, because we do liquid. (If you do powder, leave your thoughts in the comments for others, please!) I also have been making my own fabric softener: 2c hair conditioner, 3 c white vinegar 6 c hot water. I swear y'all, big savings. (I also make my own cleaning supplies when possible. White vinegar makes the world go round) I tried making my own dishwasher detergent and it was terrible. Recently, Good Housekeeping rated the Great Value brand (Walmart) powdered dishwasher detergent the best rated dishwasher detergent. We love it and it was $2!

2) Making a menu and store list and sticking to it.
After several years of going to work, coming home tired, biting each other's heads off about what sounds good for dinner, we decided to make a menu and a store list and making a trip once a week. As you can see by our huge restaurant budget, we rarely eat out. When we do, I typically have eater's remorse when I realize how little it took to make and how much I was charged. I get the Food Lion sales paper and start to make my menu according to what's on sale. I try to use multiple types of recipes to keep produce from going to waste. (Using lemon zest in a recipe on Monday night and lemon juice on Wednesday. Then clean my garbage disposal with the leftover lemon.) I also buy meats when on sale and bag and freeze (Ground beef 93% was on sale in the 3lb packs. I bought it, divided it into 3 bags, labeled and froze!). I use a ton of the Pioneer Woman's recipes and she uses a lot of spices and from scratch recipes. So much healthier and so much cheaper. (And any time I'm in the kitchen with my new knives, Pandora on, and my favorite soux chef, life is good.) We don't buy drinks besides milk, and coffee (Normally Seattle's Best #4) and no chips or anything like that. Our snacks are fruits, cheese sticks, etc. I buy store brand when possible (Especially on things like tomato products, zip-top bags, etc) I do use some coupons, but I am definitely not an extreme couponer. (If anyone has any ideas about how to save money on chicken, besides watching for sales, I'm all open.) I enjoy making my own bread, but I'm short on time often, so I LOVE the Food Lion brand whole wheat bread.

Running
When Lee and I first got married, we lived at the camp and literally couldn't run halfway to the gate. We were both active people, but Lee had messed up knees (soccer player problems), and I had a messed up mind (Past tense of "had" is used very lightly) and was convinced I couldn't run. So, I couldn't. It's funny how it works that way. After Nina was born, we decided to get down to it and start running. Lee started first and after I had lost 50 lbs after Nina, I started. (May 2011) I was TERRIBLE. We were at the track running (Lee was doing speed work and I was pushing a ten month old in a stroller), and I was so excited that I was able to complete a mile running at a 14:00 min mile (seriously the most I had ever run). I found a plan on weightwatchers.com that was a beginning 5k program that finally addressed my big problem: It wasn't that I couldn't run, but I couldn't keep the pace I was starting with. I have spent days trying to find this program that I used and can't seem to find it. Basically, you kept your pace at a 15:00 minute mile and did little spurts of a 12:00 minute mile and increased it. I ran that whole summer pushing a jogging stroller (It really wasn't as noble as it sounds; it was how I ensured her morning nap time) and ran a 5k in September in 29:43.

 Ever since, I have been a hit or miss runner. Last year, I trained for my first half-marathon using Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program. 12 weeks of gradually increasing your mileage to accomplish the 13.1. This year, I am 4 1/2 weeks away from the Myrtle Beach half-marathon and I'm using Hal Higdon's Intermediate plan. I am combining it with the run-walk-run program from Jeff Galloway where I run 4:00 and walk 1:00. My times are getting noticeably faster even with my walk breaks and I find that I don't get nearly as tired taking regulated walk breaks. (I was taking them anyway, may as well make sure I'm doing it correctly) I am in NO WAY a running expert. Honestly, I read a blog last week about how most runners are afraid of being found out that they're not a "real" runner. That is SO me. Dig into it! Running is guaranteed peace and quiet! The key to sticking to a running plan is to register for a race as soon as you select the training plan. Once you have money in it, you won't back out.

If you have more questions, leave them in the comment section so I can try to fully answer everyone's questions. I'm honestly, not an expert in any of these areas, this is just what I'm trying to figure out!

Happy studying, shopping, and running!