January 2011

January 2011 was a very quiet and restful month for us here at the Wang household.

I didn't do much cooking because I was feeling pretty under the weather for a lot of it.  But somehow I still managed to try some new recipes out.
I made these amazing blueberry muffins from Liz! Sooo delicious.  Even Hubs thought they were pretty good.  How could I tell? Oh, just the quarts upon quarts that kept showing up in my refridge with Hubs gently nudging me saying, "They'll go bad if you don't do something with them."
Sheesh.  But I can't complain. :)
I also really enjoyed improvising with my crock pot, noodles, chicken and alfredo sauce.  Doesn't sound very adventurous but Hubs and I hit our grocery budget mid-way through the month (a prego gals gotta eat) and I needed to make due with what we had in the cupboards.
It was super easy and tasty.
I also, by the way, redeemed my egg bake fiasco from last year.  I searched all over for that blog but I couldn't find it. I'm wondering if I just put it on facebook at that time in my life.
I'll never do that again, blog. I love you way more than facebook.
Anyway, last year, I accidentally dropped an egg bake (casserole) in the alleyway and shattered it on our way to feeding 30 some student leaders.  Instead of just throwing it away and moving on, I stood there like a goose, sobbing over my egg bake.
I can imagine that turmoil now that I am crying every second or so from the raging hormones but I can't imagine what was happening to me then? Tired? Frustrated? Emotional?
Probably all three.
The incident was so tramuatic I called my mother who was with my grandma and my grandparents sent me a check for a new pyrex and a note advising me to get one with a carrying case.  The love of Grandparents knows no end.  I don't know what I would do without my Grandparents digging me out of rough patches like egg bake fiascos.
Well, that was last year.  This year I made not just one but TWO egg bakes (or breaks as my friend Alicia likes to call mine) and sent them merrily on their way to the student leaders meeting.  Once they were out of my hand I seriously considered popping the cork of sparkling cider (for the babies sake) and celebrating.  Even if they had smashed themselves to bits and pieces getting out of the car, I had done my part.
Don't you just love a story of redemption?
I know I do.

In January, I read... a lot.
The list includes:
Prince Caspian: Book 2 in The Chronicles of Narnia
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (Book 3 in the Chronicles of Narnia)
The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, Full-Color Collector's Edition)
The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia, Full-Color Collector's Edition)
The Magician's Nephew: The Chronicles of Narnia
The Last Battle (Narnia)
and on a slightly different note
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Overall, I enjoyed my books. Of course, I cannot ever come to the end of the Chronicles without shedding a tear and yearning to be with those that I love.  The end of the Last Battle is how I picture heaven and how I hope for things to be.  Running and adventuring through a land that seems so oddly familiar and yet more beautiful than words can express.  Old friends around every corner who are at the peak of their youth, waiting for you with open arms to welcome you home.
*sigh* I love Narnia.

The Kite Runner was an alright read.  I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was not in the bowels of an emotional meltdown.  I sobbed for quite some time after finishing the book.
Pregnancy or the book? Who knows.
It was tragic but gave hope for "ordinary people" to do extraordinary things.
I did read the book in almost one whole day, so I think that speaks to how it captured my attention from the beginning. I simply could not put it down.  I was drawn in and captivated by the author's description of life for these young boys.

Other than that, Hubs and I have just been creating a to-do list for the next six months or so of time.  But for now, we're enjoying the last little bit of our January.
 

Twinkies

 It's okay, if you have no idea what you are looking at.  It is REALLY hard to see, especially in this photo what "it" is but what they are is two sacs which hold our two little babies.

That's right. Hubs and I are expecting twins. 

We found out we are pregnant over thanksgiving and got to share the VERY early news with my family which was such a blessing for me.  But then a couple weeks later we had to call them all up again and tell them, "Oh and actually our doctor told us today that there are TWO."

And if you can't see the little babes I'm willing to bet you can read the "header" which our doctor kindly put there for us.

"Hi Mommy and Daddy! Surprise!"

and what a surprise it really was for us.

I think Hubs just took it as calmly as he usually receives news.  I, on the other hand, have been everywhere.  It's hard for me to comprehend that there are two little babies inside of me.  I feel slightly overwhelmed in a good way.  An undeserved blessing to first of all, get pregnant and then to have twins which we are ecstatic for.

My friend Deb told us that God gives us what He knows we can handle and gives us the children He wants to entrust us with.  That really comforted me and gave me a confidence in the Lord that I can do this.  Not by my strength but by His strength and His spirit I can be a mother to twins.

So we're taking it one day at a time.

And laughing about things as they come up.

Here's answers to some frequently asked questions and I'm sure I'll have more stories to share as the days and weeks go by.  Just wanted to share the initial story with you as the word is finally out.

And of course, if you have any other questions, please ask and let me know.  I have a feeling the love of talking about my children will only grow as they are born and get older.

How far along are you/When are you due?

I am 13 weeks. Almost out of my first trimester but definitely out of the "danger zone" for miscarriages.  I am due August 5th but many multiple babies come early so we're praying that they wouldn't come any earlier than mid-July.

Do twins run in your family?

Actually twins run in my extended family but when I asked my doctor if this was why he wouldn't really give credit to my family history.  I think genetics may have something to do with it but he said, "You're just having twins. There's no way to know how this happened."  So I was surprised he said that. But yes, twins do run in both sides of my family.

Have you had any weird cravings?

Arbys roast beef sandwich... oh yum! And breakfast meats like sausage and bacon. Yum! I also cannot get enough of Japanese food.  I absolutely wish I could have sushi now but doctor's orders say a big "no" to raw fish.  I eat chicken katsu, miso soup, okonomiyaki, soba noodles, and gyouza.  I am just starting to reintroduce mexican into my life.  I was absolutely grossed out by the thought of mexican food (very sad) but can eat some of it now.

Do you know their genders?

Nope, not yet.  We have to wait until Week 20 and hopefully they will cooperate with the ultrasound and give us a little peek.  But we are definitely going to find out.

How are you feeling?

I am doing well.  I didn't have any severe sickness.  For the first couple months I felt like I had an upset stomach all day.  I eat CONSTANTLY.  Some nights I have to get up once or twice to eat because if I have an empty stomach I get queasy very quickly. Not fun.  But I'm one of the lucky ones. I hear terrible stories of people who are sick and even have a family member who was sick her entire pregnancy. Yikes. :( But I'm starting to feel better as long as I eat. :)

How is Hubs doing with all this?

Hubs worked through a lot of "is this a good time to start a family" and questions about being a parent.  This is where we are super different but where we compliment each other.  If decisions are a pool, then I jump in and determine if I want to stay in the pool.  Is it too cold? Do I like the pool? etc.  But Hubs he likes to assess the pool, does it look like fun? He might even dip a toe in. Too cold? Then he'll stay out.

So in the pool of "should we have children" I was already doing handstands and sommersaults and all those fun pool games you enjoy.  But Hubs took his time and really went to the LORD about the pool.  Not that I hadn't but like I said, we're just different about decisions.  So when Hubs jumped into the "should we have children" pool he had already decided the pool was going to be awesome.

And then when we found out the pool was actually for twins (am I losing you with this analogy?) Hubs was like, "why not?" whereas I was like, "Umm the water is kind of deeper here."

But in real life, it's not a pool and there is never the option to get out for us and so we are just enjoying our sommersaults and back flips and playing marco polo.

If I lost you with that analogy, in short, Hubs is doing awesome with the Twinkies.  God really spoke to him about having kids in general so he never wavered when we were told it was two.  I never wavered per se but I also have been dealing with my own thoughts of things.  Like two cribs and two feedings and what if they are on different schedules and I never shower until they graduate high school.  

But I wouldn't trade my twinkies for anyone else and I know God gave us twinkies with His hand on us.  I'm thankful for His Spirit.

Thanks for reading and praying for our sweet babes.  Belly shots are sure to come (ohhh man!) and stories galore. Enjoy the ride with us!

Wilbur (psst, i also cross some things off my 28 list)

Earlier this month Hubs and I decided to do some yardwork... and unfortunately when I say "Hubs and I" I mean that Hubs worked really hard hacking up an old grapevine and replanting our roses and I supervised from the kitchen window.  I was actually rearranging our living room (I know, again!!). I am strange.  But anyway, we decided to get a small little bird feeder and see if we could attract any birds. 

Trying to get birds to eat free bird seed is a lesson in patience.  We had birds in our trees and birds flying above the feeder and sitting on our fence but for almost two weeks! No birds!

 See? Full and free for the taking. I almost pitched this thing into the trash.  I know, two weeks doesn't seem like very long but like I said, lesson in patience.

And then one day, Hubs heard a little twittering.... and it was the bird.

I'll call him Wilbur.

 Wilbur had officially arrived and my heart soared to see our feeder being used by such a pretty little thing.  (sorry for the awful photo~ I took it sneakily through a dirty (oops) window)

So Wilbur has arrived and our story is complete.

Or is it?

It seems Wilbur is quite the fiesty little fellow.  I'm not sure if I should be happy about our little guest or not.  Wilbur is very territorial.  We have never seen another bird eat at our feeder and in fact, we have seen some pretty serious "bird fights" in our backyard.  I'm afraid our feeder is advocating for birds to draw up gang lines and I'm not sure we want to stand for this.

So not only have we encouraged gang lines but we are also encouraging picky eating.

Wilbur will ONLY eat the sunflower seeds in our feeder and knock everything else in his way onto the ground.

What are two kind-hearted people to do with a gang associated, picky eatin' bird on their hands?

I really don't know.

But I'll be sure to let you all know when something happens.

Chances are Wilbur will tire of our boring little feeder and go find some new backyard to terrorize.  I hope we haven't scarred all our other birds for life.

On a lighter and random note: I completed #5 and #13 on my list of 28 things to do this year.

I took blueberry muffins to my neighbor and Hubs and I bought a drink for the girl behind us in the drive-thru at Starbucks.

But the way I see these two, I'd like them to become habits more than just a one-time deal. So although I'm crossing them off the list, I hope to introduce them into my lifestyle.

word of the day

I have a lot of thoughts rolling around in my head. There is so much I want to share with you and tell you but it's hard to find a starting point.

So I'll start with a blog I read the other day and maybe that will lead me to a point... eventually.

So I love this blog, Jones Design Company, (click on the name to get there) and the other day Jones posted this blog about being intentional but the part of her story that hooked my attention was that her friend wanted to paint the words

be intentional

above her bedroom door.

And that got me thinking...

"What word/phrase has been on my heart and would I want to put on my door frame so that I can better be reminded of what God is teaching me?"

There are so many words that float through my day that it's hard to choose just one but the most persistent two images/words that come to my mind are

sparrow and

cling

The word sparrow is on my heart these days because I recently read the verse in Matthew 10 that says, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (v. 29-31)  and that to me is a reminder that God, who cares for the concerns of a small little bird is much more aware of my needs.  

It's comforting to me, to know that God is aware and cares for me.

And the word cling has been on my heart for quite some time.  I'm not sure how long I've been wrestling with this thought but it's been since the fall.  I blogged about it earlier and mentioned how Jeremiah 13:11, while a strange verse to take to heart, reads, "For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the LORD, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen."  And yes, I realize that perhaps in the message bible this would read "whitey tighties" but I can't help it.  I was completely struck by this verse and not just how we are supposed to cling to God but how we were made to cling.

Can I get an amen?

And while we're on the topic of processing words/phrases that God gives us to reveal more of Himself can I encourage you that this thought of painting something on your doorway as a reminder, as a sign to you, is not something new.  It's not even something Navigator or Joanna or Jones Design Company related.

It's totally 100% biblical.  And even cooler, it's Old Testament.

Thanks to my Dad who forever remains my "go-to" for bible references and information.

Listen to this in Deuteronomy 6:4-9

"Hear, O, Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one.  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

 Whoa! How cool is that? The daily reminder of God's word and His promises for you is something God encourages us to do.

My Dad told me that this portion of the Word is called the "shema" and that every Jewish child was required to memorize it.  Jewish people would (and perhaps still do today) touch it on their way through the doorway as a reminder to them.  It's good and biblical to write ourselves reminders of God's promises.  And not only write them but take them to heart and truly let them become a part of our every day lives.

I have more thoughts on this and I feel like my head is reeling but let's just leave it here for today.... let's revisit this thought of God's word being on the forefront of our minds and even written out on our walls, doorposts and more importantly, our hearts.

So what words have you been struck by, meditating on, or can't seem to stop thinking about?

What words move you and inspire you to move closer to the Lord?

26. (2) (3) (4)

Some verses that have ministered to me and continue to...

*For as the sun and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.* Isaiah 55:10-11
Good verses reminding me that God's word will accomplish His purpose.


*And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.* Isaiah 30:21
A verse that is crucial for me when I step out in faith.


*Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things* Philippians 4:8
The verse that helps me focus my thoughts on things of the Spirit and the Lord and not of my own flesh and selfishness.

books.

I love books. Seriously. I love books.

I love the way books smell. I love the way the way they look with their hardcover spines beckoning you from the shelf.  I love that they took work and that a piece of the author is in them.  Books are no easy feat I imagine.

I love how books take you to another world, how they teach, encourage, strengthen and inform you.  You can pick up a book and travel to another country, to a made-up country, to someone's life, to someone's wishes, into someone's sorrows and even into their wildest dreams.

But it doesn't stop there.  By experiencing books you yourself can be changed.  Your dreams can reveal more about who you are and what you were made to do.

Books are so ingrained into my brain that I wanted my wedding pictures to include the bookshop where my Dad used to work and where I could get lost in the aisles of the books that smelled slightly like brown pages and love-worn covers.  If you don't know what that smells like go to your used bookstore, take a deep breath and enjoy the sweet smell of hard-covered confectioneries. (And yes, I realize bookstores carry paperbacks. And I own and am not opposed to paperbacks but I just loooove hard-covered wonders!)

Books. Books. Books.

I'm naturally full of books in my brain because Mikey and I "joined" our local library.

I am ashamed to admit that the last time, I can recall, being at a library I used it for naptime.  I lived off campus and the library was on campus.  It was also the only place of campus to be guaranteed silent.  I would snuggle up on a love seat and snooze till my next class.  Of course, I used the library for studying. But I was more likely to be chatting with my friends and since chatting is frowned up at the University of Iowa's main library, I was better off just going to a coffeeshop.

So here I returned, to the local library and man, talk about being a fish out of water!!  Do libraries still use the Dewey decimal system? Remember those film strips? I remember that Dewey was a worm, right? Oh, gosh, I guess he's a worm in my memory.  I remember we had to watch how the libraries are arranged and set-up in elementary school probably to avoid youngsters trashing the place.

When I walked through the door I felt like that elementary student again, I seriously felt so ridiculous. I was secretly hoping they'd give us a tour or orientation or something to help me figure out where to even start in the library.  Alone I thumbed my way through different subjects and titles, perused the magazine aisle and dvd section, made my way across the computers and ended up finding, on the way out the door, the crafting section.

So many options.  I can visit so many places and people for free at the library.

But now I'm at a loss.... so because I have a library at my disposal I would like to ask you....

What book or books would you recommend reading?

I'm eager to dig my way through the dewe... I mean the computer system and find some books.  I'll take old classics or new treasures. I'll take fiction or non.

Got any book recommendations?

December 2010 in January...oops!

I'm doing a review.... a little late but better late than never.

December was an interesting month with lots of new emotions.  Mikey and I made Christmas our own and were graciously offered many invitations to different events and to all of you who extended an invitation to us, we're so thankful for you.

We got a Christmas tree.  Mikey's first and my first as a married woman.  We decorated our home and even had a few gifts under the tree from Santa. :)

This month was filled with resting.  Both Mikey and I have been under the weather at different times and with school ending and our vacation starting we took our rest seriously and did a lot of things as close to home as possible.

Cooking looked like diving into family traditions.  Something new I tried to make myself was my Grandma Schupbach's chicken casserole.  It was really fun to make it myself!

This month I crafted some new little baby gifts but I can't tell you anymore because my family/friends who are expecting may read this and ruin the surprise. :)

And reading... well, since I rested a lot I read a lot.  It was a wonderful month for stories.
My Life in France by Julia Childs
Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries) by Dorothy L Sayers
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  by C.S. Lewis

I'm working my way through the Narnia series.  It's been a lot of fun to remind myself of how good a writer that Lewis was.  No offense to the movies and to anyone who enjoys them but blah! They are nothing compared to the books!! Read the books first.  Let your imagination come alive!  Don't watch the movies!

Okay, now that I am off my soap box I will move on (seriously, read the books!).  This year I am not setting any new years resolutions because as I said in September my year "begins" then and I set some really high and lofty goals for this year.  So, to keep me on target and to remind ya'll (if you want reminding) I put my goals on the side with an asterisk next to the ones I've finished.

**ahhh, i just finished writing the list on the side and oh no! I have a lot to do the next nine months.  Okay, September, come slowly!!**

Happy January to everyone.