February 2011

February has been a whirlwind of events.  Hubs and I waited till almost February to get the word out but I would definitely say that February was the month of everyone finding out we're having twins. :)

We're still so excited to realize day by day what a blessing pregnancy and the idea of becoming a family is to us.  

Hubs and I were able to be a part of and help in some ways with a student conference our region holds every year.  We were also able to help with an orientation this past weekend where we shared how God has been leading us to go back to Japan and how to discern where God may be leading the students who attended.  It was so much fun to be a part of both of these events and fun to visit with friends but whew, I get tired a lot more easily these days.

It took me almost a week to recover sleep-wise after the first conference so I told the people in charge for the second weekend that I would be sleeping at home and commuting on days that they needed us. :)  I got a LOT more sleep the second time around.

I made some tasty dishes this month.  I homemade some chili and even used tomato juice that Hubs and I had canned earlier in the fall. (note picture above)  There's something so fulfilling about using the herbs/vegetables/fruit from your own little patio.  I love to call it my garden but in reality it's hardly that.  Or at least, not the gardens I'm used to.  It's a modest collection of a few herbs, small strawberries and a little tomato plant.  I did not use the tomatoes from my plant to can.  Oh golly, no! I'd never have enough.  Plus, they're just cherry tomatoes.  But it's still refreshing to use the plants from our backyard.  Hubs has done such a great job taking care of everything back there and it's lifegiving for him.  Right now we're overgrown with cilantro so if you're in the area and want some, let me know. :)  I had daydreams this month about starting an actual beautifully larger garden in our backyard and was excited that planting this spring would possibly lead to some fun adventures this summer and fall.  But as patios would have it, ours has limited "direct/all day" sunlight.  And where the sun doth shine already, we doth planted there. :)

So I've given up the daydreams of seeing carrots, giant swiss chard, cucumbers and sweet peppers blossoming this season.  I'll have to tuck those dreams away for another day.  I will admit that I do daydream about taking my babies out to the garden to nap on a big blanket in the shade while I work in my garden, weeding, watering and tending to it.  In my daydream I have one of those beautiful large hats on that ties underneath the chin with the ribbony type material.

*sigh*

Aren't gardens so romantic?

There is something so beautiful about rows, beautiful vegetables all lined up like school children waiting to go to class.... I would love a picture of my grandmother's garden.  She always had the loveliest and largest gardens we would play in and eat peas from.

*sigh* 

Aren't Grandmothers wonderful?

Okay, for all my guy readers out there (hello. are you there?)  I'll move on.

In February, I didn't do much crafting.  I sent boxes of crafts though.  I finished some fabric flowers and some cute burp cloths and sent those to my sis-in-law who just had our newest nephew; Abel Henry.  What a lovely name, don't you think?

*sigh*

Aren't old fashioned names just wonderful?

I have to admit and I'm only able to tell you this because Hubs vetoed it harshly before my mother vetoed in herself.  I love love the name George for a little boy.

I do.  I love the fact that George was my Great-Uncle who got my Grandpa into a lot of trouble and I'm sure vice versa,  I love that George means "farmer" which translates to me "earth" which just reminds me of the simplicity and goodness that flows from below.  I close my eyes and picture the dark soil that I know and love that runs through the veins of Illinois.

....wow, is anyone still reading?  I'm probably boring you all. :)

Dad, I know you're still there.  Am I your daughter or what?

Anyway, I love the name George but Hubs unfortunately does not.  He can't picture a little baby named George and even though I think "Georgie" makes the cutest nickname I have been denied.  Maybe I'll keep it for a plant I own one day.

Speaking of plants and gardens.  I did, sadly, manage to kill a plant this month.  I have no idea what happened.  It was a house fern and supposedly an "easy" one to take care of but i woke up one morning to find it black and shriveled.  I've actually been nursing it for awhile so it made me quite upset to find it dead... buh! But alas, it's dead and good riddance.  When I researched online how to revive and care for it, I came to realize that it was actually not what I would consider "easy" but instead quite fickle of it's surroundings.  It can't be too humid but a little humidity is nice.  It can't have too much sun but wants sun.  It wants heat but not directly.  It can't be moved. at. all. and it apparently hates me.

So the high maintanence plant goes in the dumpster and I go back to the store to get another one.

Remind me to tell you the story of when I tried to grow asparagus.

This month, I read Jane Eyre.

One of the best books ever.

Read it.

The movie is coming out and I challenge you to READ the book before seeing the movie.

It's actually quite quick of a read despite it's size.  I tried to read a chapter before bed and oftentimes read more than one and would struggle with my eyelids growing heavy.  It's just so good.

Also, this month we had our 16 week check-up where the doctor assured me I am not gaining too much weight (so don't ask if I'm normal size, that's just not nice but it's been asked) my heart beating out of my chest (pounding seriously pounding) is quite normal and the babies heartbeats were healthy yet quite different.  One is faster than the other.

How cute.

Yeah, so about the heartbeat.  I would get these intense moments of a heavy heartbeat where I felt like my heart would jump from my chest.  One time Hubs said he could see the vein in my neck pulsating.  WHAT?!?! Crazy huh? Well, the doctor told me it's just because I'm pumping double the volume of blood.  

Again, I say, the pregnant body is amazing.

That's it for the month of February.

Oh, Valentine's Day... you want to know what we did?

Well, to make a long story very short since I rambled about gardens and Illinois' soil, we came home the night before Valentine's Day to find out toliet had been overflowing for some time....

from our neighbors plumbing as well since we share pipes.

So we were up till 1AM cleaning up toilet water.

I'll spare you the details!

*sigh*

Isn't getting a bleached bathroom and going to the laundromat to wash out your towels romantic?

I'll leave you with that thought.

Much love to you.

Belly shot on Friday and a fun series of recipes next week... provided I feel well but so far so good with the 2nd trimester.