Spiedies: It's What's for Dinner

We had a Secret Santa Christmas exchange at work on Friday. My friend, Kyla, had my name for the exchange. I guess I talk about food A LOT, because she got me a basket packed full of delicious foods. Truthfully, she knows how much Andrew and I like to cook together.

One of the things she got is something I had never heard of before- State Fair Spiedie Sauce. This marinade is authentic to New York, and everyone at work swore that I would become addicted to it as soon as I tried it. When I brought it home, Andrew immediately started planning what he wanted to do with it. We were going to have it for Christmas dinner, but we were entirely too stuffed from Miranda's family Christmas that we couldn't even entertain the idea of a big dinner.

So, we had it tonight!

Don't these look delicious?! Andrew did an amazing job with them. He put yellow squash, onion, red pepper, pineapple, and marinated chicken together to create a tasty feast. We decided that for the next batch, we will add mushroom, tomatoes, and maybe a green pepper for color.

I must admit, I am now a fan of this Spiedie sauce. It is not an overwhelming flavor, and mixed with these fresh veggies, it is a meal worth drooling over! Kudos to Andrew for a job well done!!

Mom... we plan to make these for you when you come to New York!



Merry, Merry Christmas!!

Andrew and I have had a wonderful Christmas. Although we are away from our family today, it was still a blessed day. We attended both the Christmas Eve and Christmas morning service at our church. They were both incredible, and it was so nice to focus on what this day is REALLY about. In fact, being here with just the two of us, we have really been able to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. It's been very nice!

Last night, a sweet friend that we met through church invited us to join her and her husband at her family's house for Christmas lunch. We readily agreed, and we are so thankful that we did! She has such a friendly family, and it was so good to spend more time getting to know them. Jason and Miranda have a 6 month-old son named Owen, and he is absolutely adorable! It's nice to know another couple in the same phase of life that we are. We look forward to having lunch with them next Sunday after church... if Sophia cooperates, that is!

We also exchanged Christmas gifts. We had so much fun keeping these a secret from each other. He got several items, but I think he was the most excited about his helicopter. I got all of the seasons of Reba on DVD. We are currently watching them! I really, really, really like this show!!

We also decorated a gingerbread house! I have always wanted to decorate one, but have just never done it. Andrew surprised me one day by bringing one home from the store. We decided that neither of us should be cake decorators... and that we need a few more years of practice to get the hang of this. It was still lots of fun & it turned out pretty cute!

I love our quiet life here together. We can make any situation fun and memorable. That's the best part about being married to your best friend!!

On a side note...

I am slightly terrified of Andrew's new toy. I have decided it's slightly evil. It destroyed the shamrock... twice. It also attacked my feet... and then continued to seek me out to torture me. It has a mind of its own, and this is a dangerous thing.



Before & After: Nursery Edition

It is an exciting day!! The nursery is FINALLY complete! After a long, long ordeal with flooding, mold, ant infestation, etc., we have finished it! Andrew worked SO hard on Sophia's room. It is so beautiful, and it's a far cry from what it was just a few months ago.

These walls were a hideous Easter green and dingy. I had forgotten how truly terrible they were until I went back to August's album of pictures. Yuck.

The nursery doesn't even look the same anymore!

Her room looks so peaceful and clean. I absolutely love it! I wanted it to be simple, light, and welcoming. It turned out exactly as I had planned. I love everything about it.

Now, we are really anxious to welcome our little one into our home! It is so nice to have a place prepared for her. Her room is our favorite room in the house. We have put a lot of work into it, and we take a lot of pride in it. After all, this sweet little girl is worth EVERYTHING we put into it... and then some!



Day of Surprises!

I had to work today while Andrew had the day off. I knew that he was going to work on tile flooring for under our pellet stove. What I didn't know is he has been planning to surprise me for a while now. With everything we've had going on, we haven't had time to put our Christmas tree up. For anyone who knows me well, you know that Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. I had hung a Christmas wreath on our door, and we have a poinsettia in our living room. I was content with that because of everything else.

Well, on my way home, Andrew told me he had a surprise for me. Later, while talking to my mom, I told her that I hoped my surprise was an assembled crib... or the Christmas tree put up. I couldn't think of anything better, but boy, did he ever surprise me!!

Take a look at what he's been up to today!

He put the Christmas tree up!! He had already hung the beaded candycanes my great-grandma made the summer before she passed away along with an ornament we got at a fish boil on our honeymoon. How sweet is he?!

He saved a lot of ornaments for me to hang- which is my favorite part!

We didn't get to use our new tree this year, but I love this sweet little tree! It now "feels" like Christmas. I cannot stop looking at it! It adds so much warmth to our home.

But, that's not all!!

He also had the crib together!! All I had to do was get the bedding in. Well, that, and he put up with another one of my shenanigans. You see, there was a warning sticker that covered the entire bottom board on the side Andrew is on. It looked terrible! So, he patiently worked with me to get the sticker off. That puppy was glued on!!

I am LOVING this sweet crib! It is so peaceful and serene- perfect for our Sophia.

Don't you worry about the bumpers... they are flush with the mattress! YAY! Sophia will be plenty safe. The comforter won't stay in the crib with her either. We are using swaddlers at night with her. Plus, she will sleep in a bassinet in our room until she is three months old or so.

See? The bumper pads don't stick up too far!

I also had to share a picture of the changing table. The bottom basket will be used as a hamper. The other baskets are filled with diapers, wipes, headbands, socks, and so forth. Once again, I love the simplicity of the furniture and accessories.

This is just a sneak peek. We still have some decorating to do and whatnot, but I know my momma has been itching to see pictures of the nursery. I will post before and after pictures of this room when we're completely done.

My husband is so awesome... and this nesting momma has a very happy heart! Such an AMAZING start to the Christmas weekend. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year. We may be far away from our family, but we have our own little family here. What's in store for the rest of our weekend? Well, we plan to go to both of our church's services, build a gingerbread house together, and exchange Christmas gifts. Most of all, we plan to spend quality time together and remember the true reason for this season... the One who blesses us with all we're given.

Living Tornado

Pregnancy has made my clumsiness even worse... my forgetfulness more prevalent... and the amount of disasters I create more frequent.

Today was the icing on the cake. My biggest goof-up yet.

Ugh.

While carrying one of four packages we received today into Sophia's room, I was watching my step (which is hard to do around this big belly), and I was not paying attention to what the package was doing in my arms. It knocked a brand new (thankfully small) can of paint off of the ledge near the kitchen. The lid popped off, and paint flew everywhere. It covered the floor, dripped down the wall, splattered the fish tank stand, and drenched the curtains I had washed and waiting to be hung. Thankfully, my clothes were spared.

Yes, panic mode kicked into high gear. Paint spreads very, very quickly. As you can see, the ladder is also in the living room... along with the step stool and Andrew's dolly (not the cute play toy). I, of course, spun around, box in hand, which knocked the dolly over onto a pile of boxes we still have in our living. Paint is all over these items as well. Good thing they're used for construction.

What a mess!!!!

So, what did I do with this mess? I quarantined the paint at Andrew's request, cleaned the items that need to be cleaned, and...

Decided to paint the two places on the wall that we patched and needed to repaint. That's what I call frugal... and creative. So, I should get credit for using this wasted paint wisely, correct?

So, after panicking and frantically working, I am now sitting on the couch and resting. Baby girl doesn't need to come today just because I'm stressed out. Oh, did I mention that we're having our first overnight guest tonight? Andrew's friend is staying with us so Andrew can take him to the airport. I have dinner planned for us. It does not surprise me one bit that this fiasco took place today... when I don't have much time anyway. Oh well, I'm excited "Uncle" Matt will be here. He's been a big help to us, and he probably won't be surprised when he shows up to a complete disaster.

Regardless... it makes for a good laugh, I'm sure.



Such a Tease

We woke up on Saturday morning to the biggest & prettiest snowflakes I have ever seen. I knew that it was going to be a "light snow", but we were excited nonetheless. These flakes were so big that we could see the pattern in them, and they glistened like diamonds in the sun. Sadly, we only got about a half an inch of this beautiful snow. It DID fall all day though, so that was beautiful to watch. Seeing our yard covered with a light blanket of snow made me SO excited for when the "real" snow comes. Of course, I had to get pictures even though it's not much to write home about.

I am most anxious to see the pine trees that line the roadside draped in snow. Oh, they're going to be gorgeous! I think our front yard is also pretty with all of the white.

On the sweetest note of all... here I am at about 36 weeks. It is SO unreal that we are only four weeks away from meeting our baby girl (give or take a week or two). She still continues to amaze us with her quirky personality, sassy opinions, and new movements. I have been feeling pretty good for the most part. I am definitely hitting that "uncomfortable" phase, and I move a LOT slower than I did even a couple of weeks ago. Plus- I swear the stairs at work are going to put me into labor. Andrew told me to use the elevator. I refuse. I could quite possibly be too stubborn for my own good.

And, if the stairs don't send me into labor, then{this song} will. In fact, it's playing now & I am restraining myself from dancing around like a mad fool since I took one too many trips up the steps today. haha!!

Anyway, I am so excited, terrified, anxious, and thrilled to meet our little girl. It's so many emotions rolled into one. I do know one thing's for sure... I want to kiss those chubby cheeks SOOOOOO badly!!

Ok, I'll stop rambling now. From snow to Sophia... what a ramble-fest.



Rehab Baby: Not What You're Thinking

Let me start by saying, I work with the best group of people. I would have never imagined that I would work with people that I get along so well with, and that would quickly become more like family. Maybe it's because we're here in New York without family, but I feel like we are collecting people to fill the gap that's been left by our families living so far away.

Yesterday, I arrived to work, and they had the place draped with pink decorations. I was so surprised, and I must say, the rehab department looks great with a touch of Sophia! Our rehab director, Travis, has dubbed Sophia as the "rehab baby" because she consumes most of our conversations. They have been able to watch her grow & hear about all of her milestones. It's been so neat to have people to share this time with while we're so far away from "home".

(I also don't know why the vertical photos loaded horizontally. I tried to change this three times before getting frustrated with it. So, just pretend like they loaded correctly!)

Ladies in the front... Cecilia, Jonel, me, Kyla, and Ellen. In the back... Travis and Anthony. Each of these people bring their own special traits to the table. They make my workday so much better & I am so, so thankful for that!

Please don't break your neck looking at this picture. This is the doorway to my "office" a.k.a. closet. It's tiny, but it's wonderful to have a place to go to when I need peace and quiet to fill out documentation.

Anthony drew the stork. Notice the red hair? That's for our little spitfire!

My office! I like it : )

They even decorated my chair! So fun!

They all chipped in with food for the shower. Ellen had a couple of residents make chocolate-covered pretzels for the shower. Jonel made that amazing ranch and veggie pizza. Yum!

Jonel also made homemade macaroni and cheese. Kyla made pink (strawberry) cupcakes that were absolutely delicious.

As if giving us 240 newborn diapers last week wasn't enough, they also all brought gifts yesterday! We got a couple of blankets, several outfits, a teddybear or two, feeding gadgets, and gift cards for Sophia!

It is SO nice to have people who love us and our baby girl so much. We are so, so thankful for everything that everyone does for us! Yesterday was just another reminder of HOW MUCH God has blessed us with.



Diner Dates: Two and Three

Andrew and I have been enjoying our Diner Dates on Wednesday evenings. I have not taken the time to blog about them, so I thought that I would just combine the two together. These evenings are so much fun, and it's really nice to get out into our new community.

Here's where we've been...

Curly's Family Restaurant. This place has been the cleanest so far. It was decorated with cutesy-pie country decor and festive Christmas knick knacks. We both got a crispy chicken sandwich. Andrew went the buffalo chicken route, and I avoided it because the menu described it as being garnished with bleu cheese. We both thought this meant crumbles. Well, it turns out, they've stopped serving it to customers with bleu cheese because most people didn't want it... and, to our dismay, it was bleu cheese dressing. All in all, the food was good. Afterwards, I was telling Andrew that Curly's trumped Savard's for me because the grease "tasted cleaner." He responded by saying, "The grease is what makes these places!" I can't help it that I like clean grease ;-)

This week, we frequented Mr. Chicken... which is also a family diner. We both had, wait for it, chicken! Andrew had the chicken dinner, and I had another chicken sandwich. Mr. Chicken was also fairly tasty, but I think we both agree that it's a place we'll go during the summer to grab a quick sandwich on one of our outtings to the state park across the street. This restaurant will close from mid-December to late February so they can spend quality time together as a family. I think that's really sweet!

So, Diner Dates have been a success! It's really nice to have a "set" date throughout the week. I so enjoy time with my husband!

Visiting Missouri

I know I'm a little behind, but I thought it would be nice to blog about some of the highlights of our trip back to Missouri. We had such a wonderful time, and we really enjoyed soaking up time with our parents (and family). The only thing that could have made it better is if Steve (my step-dad) wasn't on call. We also got to see my siblings, and it was so nice to visit with them. I wish that Andrew's siblings could have made it to the in-laws, but one had a houseful of sick babies, and the other thinks he needs to get an education or something. ;-) Regardless, it was a much-needed week of relaxation, visiting, and fun.

The week started off with a fabulous baby shower thrown by my sister and two best friends. If you missed that blog, poke around until you find it! It was so wonderful to see a lot of family and friends. We are blessed by the amount of people who came to celebrate Sophia.

I was also thrilled to see my Missouri best friend, and I love getting to meet Sawyer when he was only a few days old. He is so precious, and spending time with her was so good for my heart!

We got to meet our newest nephew, Liam! This little guy is full of giggles and smiles. Cousin Sophia enjoyed kicking him- I hope he's ready for her on this outside world. He is simply too cute for words, and I am so, so, SO glad that it worked out for us to meet him- especially since it was a last minute request. I don't even want to think about how much he will change before we see him again.

Auntie Miranda got to feel lots and lots of kicks, punches, and hiccups. Sophia already has her wrapped around her finger, I'm sure. We're so appreciative of Miranda- she was able to capture some beautiful maternity photos. I am very anxious to get the CD of prints so I can print pictures for the frames we purchased for Sophia's room.

On my birthday, we had a loud houseful of family. Our nephew, Brendyn, enjoyed some male bonding time with Andrew. They were pretty darn cute playing together.

We were able to hand out some of our Christmas gifts. I think Lexi and Brendyn enjoyed our budget gifts! I wish we could be there to see the others open theirs, but I hope they know that we love them all so, so much!

The week ended with my birthday celebration. Nothing like topping off a fun week with a delicious homemade carrot cake. YUM!!

It was an absolutely fabulous week!

Letter from Mommy

My Sweet Sophia,

As I take a break from preparing for your arrival, I can hear your Daddy working on your room. I am resting on the couch and looking at all of the sweet pink, purple, black, and white that surrounds me. I realize that if you are truly a Grant Owen, we will have to do some serious shopping, but I ignore that part the majority of the time (because it really would be no big deal).

Your arrival is not too far away. We only have 44 days between now and your due date. In some ways, I feel like you will NEVER get here, but in many other ways, I feel like we are nowhere near prepared enough to bring you into this world. We have been working so hard to get our home in tip-top shape for you. We want it to be clean, warm, and perfect for you- you so deserve it. I have also been washing your tiny clothes, packing our hospital bags, and cleaning your fun toys in anticipation for you. Daddy has been working hard on your room, installing a pellet stove, and completing various other tasks that I give him. Oh, he also secured your carseat into my Escape today!

So, in regards to environment, we are working so hard for you! We hope to have at least two more weeks to work on everything. By then, I think that it should be "good enough" to bring you home to!

We are also preparing ourselves emotionally and spiritually for you. We want you to know that you are always loved, that you have a mom and dad who love each other SO much, and that we have a Savior who loves us no matter what. We want to raise you in a nurturing environment filled with love, laughter, and peace. We want to model for you what a true marriage is about. We want to provide for your spiritual, emotional, and relational needs as well as your physical needs. We want you to always feel safe, provided for, and loved. We want to spoil you with love, but we do not want you to be spoiled with material items.

We want you to look at the world around you in awe of God's creation. We never want you to take a single moment for granted. We want you to appreciate everything in life- even when it is not easy.

YOU have brought so much love and joy to our lives. Being blessed with your life has opened our eyes to exactly what we want for our lives. We pray for each other every day, we pray for our relationship, and we pray for our roles as parents in your life.

We promise to continue to let God guide our path. We promise to love you. We promise to be there for you. We promise to love each other. We promise to teach you, protect you, and guide you.

We promise to work every day to be the best parents that we can be... and we promise to let God show us the way.

We love you, Sophia! We look so forward to meeting you... but, please, take your time!

- xoxo -

Mommy



Diner Date: Fish Fry at Savard's Family Restaurant

We went on our first diner date last night! We shared a plate of their beer-battered fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, and homemade macaroni and cheese (that we truthfully took one bite of). The food was good, but it's definitely not what we will remember the most.

Picture this... downtown main street closed, Christmas vendors filling the streets, families basking in the festivities, a Christmas parade gearing up to begin, and the sky spitting tiny snowflakes. Yes, this is what we were greeted with. We did not realize that last night was our town's "Village Christmas Festival". In addition to seeing all of this from our booth in Savard's, they also had a handicapped man playing Christmas tunes on the piano in the corner. He was so good!

Our pictures didn't turn out too well, but here they are anyway...

They seem to enjoy decorating fire trucks around here. They were really neat looking! This one was one of my favorites.

This beautiful tree was tucked back in-between two buildings. I'm glad I spotted it!

Horse-drawn carriage with a Santa Clause in the back. Very festive!

It was hard to get a picture of the main street, which is a shame, because it reminded me of Bedford Falls all decorated for Christmas.

We definitely enjoyed our first Diner Date! We haven't decided on where we will be going next, but it will be hard to top the atmosphere of this one!