Our Blessed Nest

Looped Jersey Scarf Tutorial

2011-12-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

I whipped one of these up last week for a quick gift idea and it turned out so cute (and EASY) that I thought I should probably share.

What you need:

1 yard of jersey knit fabric (this will make 2 scarves)
Scissors or rotary cutter
Ruler

Sewing machine

Process:

Wash and dry your fabric. (Always do this with new fabric, silly)

Lay your fabric out and fold it in half hamburger style (match up short ends). Find the middle and cut it in half so you have two LONG pieces. Fold your fabric in half (right sides together if there is a right side) and pin. Run a straight stitch along the SHORT end of your fabric.This will give you a loop.

Turn your loop inside out so the seam is on the inside. You can do this later if you forget, but it's easier if you do it now. Place some pins about 2 or 3 inches down from your seam. These will be a guide when you cut.

With a ruler and rotary cutter, cut strips 1 inch apart up to the pins.

After you cut all of them, you can tug on the strips and they'll bounce up and curl in.
That's it! See, I told you it was easy!
With my next one, I would maybe cut an extra strip and wrap it around my seam so you don't see it. I like how that looks. You could also do this with an old t-shirt by cutting horizontal 1-inch strips from the bottom up to create lots of separate loops. You'll stop cutting when you get to the armpits. Then, cut an extra strip and wrap them all together on one end. I'll probably hunt through my husband's shirts to see if there's a great color I can use.

Hope this makes sense. Let me know if you have any questions!

quick! quick!

2011-11-17T06:06:00.001-08:00

I can't even tell you how many times I've started a blog post in the last two months and then got pulled away, leaving the post to sit in my drafts box FOR-EV-ER! Sad.

This morning I've found the magic of Cheerios and self feeding.

I've been really busy getting ready for my first show! There was an application process to be in a Holiday Boutique here in town and they chose ten vendors to set up tables. ten! I was so thrilled when she told me my things would fit in with the other vendors nicely. It's so hard to know how much to make of everything, and since I don't keep an inventory, I had lots to tackle. But I'm feeling pretty good about everything and am just polishing up the last few items.

Lucy is almost 9 months. Holy cow. I need to get more photos on here. Truth is, I rarely find myself on a real computer. I have a very smart phone now which allows me to check everything I need to away from the computer. So actually sitting down at a computer...doesn't happen.

OK, Cheerios are gone and both Lucy and Charlie are full. Can you guess why?

Happy Thursday!

Fall is almost here!!!

2011-09-06T09:12:00.001-07:00

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I know, I know. I've already talked about this. You could probably find love letters to fall in every September/October of this blog since I've started it. I don't care. I'll say it again. I LOVE FALL!!!!!

There are certain friends that I think of daily during this season. I think it's because college was full of coffee shops and studying, open windows and sweatshirts, football games and rustling leaves across campus or apartment parking lots. We'd study late into the night with our apartment FREEZING from 40 degree temperatures- windows wide open and music filling the air. Warm beverages were never lacking and neither was the laughter.

I loved college and all the sweet memories.

And now, we're in a completely different season of life. I'm loving my role as a mom. Lucy couldn't be any sweeter. Our days are full of hugs, kisses and giggles. She's learning to play really well by herself and we've got NAPPING UNDER CONTROL!!!! (for the most part) :)

I didn't want to "cry it out". I did but I didn't. I wanted the time that comes with her naps. I've started a business from home and I NEED time to work. But I hated listening to her cry. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that most of her "crying" alone in her crib was more of a tired, complaining cry than an "I'm hurt/scared/uncomfortable" cry.

Most days it works really well. And our nights have been so. much. better. (!!!!) She sleeps from 9-5am, eats once and goes back to sleep until about 8am. That is an incredible change from our nights the past few months. Naps are coming along. I'm finding that it's really important for me to stay on schedule with her. She sleeps so much better when it's at the same time every day.

The most important thing I learned from all of you and your encouraging comments was that THIS IS NORMAL for a baby. Until now, I compared our little girl's sleeping habits to her only cousin, who has been sleeping through the night since week one. She also takes up to 3 naps a day- usually really good naps. So, I thought we were just incredibly messed up. Come to find out, little C is a super sleeper and not the norm. Phew!

Here are a few photos. Lady love is waking up- off to run some errands!

This girl LOVES her dog!

And her mama. :) (disregard my ridiculous facial expression)
Sitting up big for her 6-month calendar shot!

Senior picture, anyone?

Laughing at mom's song.

Seeping....or lack thereof

2011-08-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

We. Are. Tired.

If you're a parent, you probably understand the struggle of getting a small child to sleep through the night, or through a nap, or through ten minutes, for that matter. Or perhaps you're one of the few parents blessed with a child that has been sleeping through the night since the day you brought her home. If this is you, please count your blessings and give the rest of us some sympathy!

We've really struggled with Lucy's sleeping. She's an absolutely delightful child when she's awake. She laughs, she plays, she hugs and kisses quicker than you can wipe the slobber off your face. But when it comes time to nap or go to bed for the night, girlfriend wants to SNUGGLE and be HELD. She'll fall asleep just fine but getting her to stay asleep is a completely different ballgame.

I tried the "cry it out" method when she was pretty small- maybe 1 1/2 or 2 months old and I gave it a good 25 minutes. She. Screamed. She was far more stubborn than I and I ended up going in to get her. It was later that week that we took her in and found out she had some pretty severe acid reflux. We put her on baby Prilosec and our pediatrician told us that excessive crying (i.e. letting her "cry it out") could lead to lots of swallowed air and an increase in gas, which in turn would create a more uncomfortable baby than with which we started. No good. So, I decided I didn't want to let her cry herself to sleep, I didn't mind holding her and I would do the best I could.

Fast forward four months and we're still struggling. What's confusing is that some days she'll sleep for 2 hours at nap time, no problems or through the night without a sound. Other times, she'll be sleeping for ten minutes and wake up. I've tried for HOURS to get her to go back to sleep, to no avail. This, my friends, is sooooo frustrating. Especially when mama is running on little sleep herself.

Nate is a wonderful helper at night. He gets up and helps with changing and swaddling while I get ready for a 30-minute rocking/feeding session. At that point, there's not much he can do, so he goes back to sleep. But he has to go to work the next day and be productive so sleep is a must for him. I can wander around the house in my pj's like a zombie all day if need be, but that isn't an option for him. I also hold onto the hope that I'll maybe, just maybe get a small little nap if she decides to sleep. He helps big time on the weekends, letting me sleep in and playing with his sweetie on Saturday mornings.

The inconsistency is getting very old and very exhausting.

We've been calling our friends with small children asking for advice. Here are some things we've already considered:

* teething
* growth spurt
* new foods SHE eats
* foods I eat that don't agree with her
* too much dairy
* too cold/hot in her room
* acid reflux- increasing the dosage (Dr. approved, of course)
* learned behaviors "if I cry, mom and dad come pick me up"
* try sleeping her on her stomach? When she sleeps through the night, we find her on her belly. Hmmm...
* have already read "Babywise". I'm still not sure what I think of it. Clearly we're not using it.

**It's easy to think you've "done something wrong" when your child still won't nap well or sleep through the night at 6 months. I'm learning to give myself some grace. This is a season and it WILL get better.

I'm trying some dietary things first to see if we can make her more comfortable as far as the acid reflux goes. I also started letting her cry herself to sleep today.
*Nap #1 this morning, she cried for one hour. I checked on her every ten minutes, rubbed her back or stomach and whispered quietly that it was time to sleep. She would smile at me and be quiet as a clam. As soon as I left the room, screaming ensued.
* Nap #2 this afternoon, she cried but after 20 minutes, she fell asleep. I'm not sure if she was so worn out from this morning and not sleeping, or if she is already starting to figure out that she needs to sleep. I'll take it. She's been up there for 2 hours sawing logs and I have been INCREDIBLY productive. You wouldn't believe how much sewing I've done. :)

If you have advice, please feel free to chime in. If not, and you're still reading, congratulations.

Parenting is HARD sometimes. But for all the struggles, the only thing you need is one little giggle or smile to make every frustrating thing melt away. This little girl has completely stolen our hearts. It's hard to imagine life without her. We sure do love our little Lucy!

Back to School!

2011-08-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

Today is the day when all the teachers go back to school.....but not me!!! I'll admit, I feel a little left out. A little. I will miss my friends at work; the friendly hallway banter, breakfast together on plan days, arguing over where to go for lunch, setting up a classroom and labeling crayon boxes for each student, things like that. But I'm SO EXCITED to be staying home this year with my little Lucy love. I feel really blessed to be staying with her today and not dropping her off at a daycare somewhere. I'm very happy with the decision we've made.

Summer seems to have gone by quickly, but not quite quickly enough for this fall-lover! I CANNOT WAIT for fall weather. I love everything about it: the food, the smells, the candles and lotions, long sleeves, cuddly clothes, more blankets, hot beverages, crisp air, rustling leaves, the colors on the trees, crockpots full of CHILI, baking, open windows, harvest at the farm, FOOTBALL SEASON (!), the excitement of upcoming holidays….everything. I love it all.

But in light of living in the moment, here are some more pictures from this summer:

Discovering flowers (and how to tear them apart).

Learning to eat food!

Curly hair- so cute!

Swinging with Grandpa E on the farm. This made her VERY sleepy!

Wearing mom’s hat

Getting new photos for our new website. (!)

And we can’t forget about Mr. Charlie.

My dear friend, Meg, came up with a dinner night called “We MexiCAN go out for dinner” or something equally cute. Her challenge for the evening was a free margarita to womever wore the "loudest" shirt. These were the top two “tops”:

Meg and Nate

Lucy laughed when she saw what he was wearing. And in July! Dad, how embarrassing!

Here’s part of the crew. Notice James is wearing a "taco" shirt. Very appropriate.

Lucy doesn’t know how gross that ball is….thankfully, it was just out of reach! (but not for long)

Taking a break from playing. These two are best buddies.

Lucy went to her first swimming party Sunday night.

She was pretty impartial to the whole experience. Take it or leave it.

But she loved snuggling with Dad in a nice warm towel.

We didn’t even make it three houses down before she fell asleep in the car on the way home. Swimming is EXHAUSTING! Especially for little first-timers.

I’m running in my first ever 5k race this Saturday. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m really excited! Pictures to come!

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Fat Quarters Giveaway

2011-07-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a sweet little blog I follow. She's doing a fat quarter giveaway. Every Thursday she does a giveaway. How fun is that?!

SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

Lucy’s been enjoying summer- as you can see here:

We’ve had about a week of fusser-than-normal moments, restless nights, crying for no apparent reason….and I kept feeling her gums wondering if she was teething. After all, I’ve never had a teething baby before, I only know so many things to look for before I write it off. Well, yesterday she was chewing on my knuckle, one of her favorite things to do, when I felt a sharp little poke. And sure enough- THESE were popping through!

One of them is farther than the other, but they’re both definitely through!! I swear I check every day to see if there’s anything there. And yesterday, all of a sudden! People told me she’d grow up fast, but this is ridiculous!

Other fun things:

playing with the mirror before bath time every night.

Chewing on fingers.

Playing with mom and Charlie.

Kicking Charlie’s face. (He’s a VERY good sport).

Cooking with Grandma Tutu

Visits to Norfolk to see Great Grandma and Great Grandpa

My mom came to visit and stayed for a few days. We made some gifts for friends’ birthdays. They’re my newest homemade gift idea- coasters! They’re very cute and practical!

Here’s the design we have at our house.

These were for a friend (clearly). The pattern was foreign currency. He loves games like “Settlers of Catan” and “Ticket to Ride”. It was perfect for him.

I also whipped up this banner for a baby shower we had here for my good friend, Maggi. I used mostly vintage fabrics from Nate’s Grandma and mom. I loved the colors and I love that they have a history! Now they’ll help us celebrate birthdays and other fun events in our home.

Here’s the girls, minus Shari. We had a great time! And little E is going to be SO CUTE!!! We just can’t wait to meet her!

Also my brother James, who is a stellar graphic design artist, created some “bag tags” for my business. They’re so cute- I LOVE the logo he’s designed for us. Check out his other work- he’s good. Very good. And he’s nice too, so you can’t beat that!

If you’re in the market for a new logo or other graphic work, look him up. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

Well….that’s about it. We’re staying inside where it’s nice and cool. Temps have been crazy high here. It’s too hot to even run outside at night. I’m bummed about that. I was really getting into a good groove. I might have to look into a gym membership for a few months if it stays this hot. I have a race coming up in the next month and I need to be ready! It’ll be my very first 5k and I’m really excited. And to be honest, I’m proud of myself. I’ve never stuck with it for this long before. Hooray for new hobbies!!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Ooh la la!

2011-07-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail today! This makes me VERY happy!

Photos

2011-07-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

These should have gone in the last post. Alas.

A quick visit to see Martha & kids. Syd loved baby Lucy. :)Dead bug. Ha. Baby Finlee and beautiful mom, Molly. Looking pretty great after giving birth! And Finlee's hair is AMAZING!!!Family reunion. Grandma and "Mike's". She's just adorable. This is the only photo I have of Lucy on her first 4th of July. She was cooling off after our hot walk home from Mike's. What a cutie. :)

Big sigh

2011-07-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Holy moly. What a weekend we've had....and it's already Wednesday now. Sheish! We've been uber busy...(story of our lives) with company, "traveling", and different places to be around town.

My cousin, his wife, and their 14-month old, Logan, stayed with us off and on since Thursday night. It was so fun to see them and it was the first time we've met their little guy since they live in Texas. They had two weddings here and family and friends to visit, so we mostly saw them in the mornings or evenings when we were balancing baths and bedtimes for both Logan and Lucy. Life with two under two was interesting, but fun. They left Sunday afternoon and we jetted over to Mike's for his annual 4th celebration, which ended VERY early for us since we had to get little Lucy to bed. It wasn't even dark when we found ourselves walking back home. We laughed at the life we now live and how different it is from what we previously knew as a couple without children. Different...but still wonderful. We ended up grabbing the monitor and sitting outside with some of the neighbors to watch the sky light up on the 4th. Very nice.

Friday night(back up) we saw another Logan, my good buddy from college. He was in town with his lady friend from North Carolina. It was SO. GOOD. to see him. And really nice to meet her...what a sweetie. Again, turned in early. :)

Saturday was catch up, house projects, grocery store, etc. day. You know how those are. We also were able to stop and see Lucy's new BFF, Finlee Ebbers, at the hospital. She was born Friday and we just couldn't wait to give her a squeeze. She's beautiful and Chris & Molly are elated. What a blessing to share the joyous moments with them. We love them.

We also realized that Saturday night church services may be a no-go for us from now on. Lucy gets way too cranky by the end as it pushes into her bath/bedtime. Noted.

Sunday we were on the road to Omaha for one day of a 3-day family reunion. We were sad to miss out on so much of the festivities, but the weekend was just too busy. We were also supposed to be up in Norfolk Saturday for their annual 4th of July fireworks celebration. My parents always open up their home to friends and family and we watch the fireworks at the lake from the front yard.

Monday was full of yard work, house work and recovering from having company- laundry, cooking, etc.

I'm not even sure why I'm giving you a detailed report on our weekend. I could have just written "we were busy"....but maybe it wouldn't have had the same effect. If you're still reading, you are loyal.

Today I'm trying to figure out if Lucy is cutting teeth, sick, or just really crabby. Or maybe her acid reflux creeping in again? We tried switching her meds to a lighter version....but I don't think that was a good idea. Target better have her Rx ready today or else...... :)

Sorry this is so painfully boring. I'm considering deleting this post...but this is real life, so I won't.

Happy Wednesday, friends.

Crystal Davy

2011-06-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Blogger friends, some of you have not heard that our dear friend, Crystal Davy, has released an EP on iTunes! Here's the link. It's beautiful. You won't be disappointed, I promise. Support her, she's wonderful. And her sweet sister, Melissa, provides a delightful addition to Crystal's vocals. Love, love, LOVE them.

Oatmeal shmoatmeal

2011-06-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

I love the ease and "quickness" of microwave oatmeal....especially when I have a still-sleeping 4-months-old-today little girl and a tiny bit of time to enjoy my coffee and oatmeal. What I don't appreciate is that even though it's super speedy to make, it's so dag gum hot that I can't eat it for fifteen minutes after it comes out of the microwave. Rats.

In other news, Lucy and I were in Norfolk for 4 days last week visiting my parents. I have lots of great photos, but none of them are on this computer. Go figure. :) After Norfolk, we went to visit the other grandparents for Father's Day and then made a trip to Omaha the following day to visit Amber. We had lunch with her and Marisa and an all around fun girls day. By the time we got home we were ready to relax at home. I love traveling but man, it's nice to be back on your own turf.

In other news, I've been getting lots of new orders- thank you to all of you supportive friends who are placing orders or telling your friends about Oliver and Lucy Designs! I didn't realize how much I enjoy sewing. It's been fun to have more time and now that Lucy is a more reliable night time sleeper and daytime napper, I'm getting lots more done.

I guess I never mentioned that my burp rags are now in a sweet little shop here in Lincoln! The Basket Bunch is carrying Oliver and Lucy products- woo hoo!! They've been selling really well, so I received a second order and I think that's what got me excited. They're selling enough of them to reorder! How fun. :)

Nap time is over. We're celebrating 4 months with this girl today! We love you so much, Lucy!!!

Tutorial Time!!!!

2011-06-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to share this tutorial with you! I started doing pillows when I stumbled across this shower curtain that we destroyed by putting it through our washing machine (it was a dry-clean only)...whoops! It's been sitting in my sewing closet for over a year waiting to be used for something. So, I started cutting, and voila! New shams for our Euro pillows!! This is the back- you'll see them in action (sitting on a bed) in later photos. Nate and I recently switched my sewing room with the guest room downstairs. These are the only photos I have of them before we made the switch because, of course, I never think to do the photo before I attack the situation.

For those of you have been here since I started Oliver & Lucy Designs, you know that this looks nothing like what this room recently was- what with the sewing extravaganza and all. But, like I said….it’s the only one I have. And here’s a before photo of half of the guest room in the basement- it’s HUGE compared to our other bedrooms.

This was a wonderful room for out of town guests, but I was quickly running out of space upstairs and we couldn’t justify using that giant room for guests who visit maybe once a month. The rest of the time, it sat empty and lonely…..and just waiting to be filled with my creative juices!

Thus, the inspiration for a guest room makeover….which quickly led me to new pillows.

SO, the tutorial:

We were going for a calm, clean feel for our new room. The walls were painted (by my hard-working husband) a serene blue and we used the existing white curtains. So I wanted a color that would POP against the calm blues, beige and whites. Yellow. Yes.

I found some material and got to work. For this pillow, I wanted to make a pocket back so I could take it off and wash it if need be. First, cut out your pieces. I measured my ugly maroon pillow from one seam to the other and added one inch to that size. So, 18 inch pillow, cut a 19 inch square for one side.

For the other side, cut two pieces that are 19 inches tall and 12 or so inches wide. I wanted them to overlap a few inches- I really don’t know how wide they were. Just make an educated guess, people. Really.

Ok, then You set aside the 19 inch square piece. Iron down the long side of both pieces about a quarter to half an inch like this:

Do it to one long side of each piece.

Run them through your machine to hem the sides- just a simple straight stitch is fine. You could do zig-zag if you like the look of it. See that snazzy little guide on my machine?! It’s AWESOME- helps keep your lines straight. Get one if you love straight lines or if you’re kind of a creative free spirit like myself who doesn’t necessarily naturally sew anything in a straight line. Then, pin them on top of the 19 inch square piece- RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER!!! You don’t have to pin down the middle- just around all four sides. Stitch around the whole thing.

Cut your corners close to the seam- but not TOO close. This helps give you a nice clean corner when you turn your pillow cover inside out.

Next, turn it inside out and stuff your ugly pillow or the pillow form in. You are DONE!!!!

UNLESS you wanted to put something extra on it like I did. I had some felt that I had also ruined with the washing machine. Darn thing….it’s actually an awesome machine, I just don’t remember to be careful about special fabrics.

My felt completely shrunk down when I washed it, so I decided to use it to make a flower on my pillow. I cut four circles. I just free-styled it because I like the look. And also because I’m not patient enough to find four different things to trace and cut. Next I stacked them and secured them together with a button in the middle. I didn’t take a photo of this part because naptime was over and I needed to work quickly while Lucy played on the floor. Time was precious and limited.

Here’s a photo of the finished product. You can see the Euro pillows in the back with the shower curtain shams. Charlie is just waiting for you to come visit!

And here’s the new guest room. We’re still working on wall décor and a headboard that is going to be SWEET! We might even rearrange but for now, this is what we’ve got.

A good seamstress would have ironed her new pillow cover before taking photos, but that’s not my style. Take it or leave it.

Happy sewing!

Happy Birthday, my Love!

2011-06-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Today, I am celebrating THIS man!

Nate:

* is an incredible dad

* has taught me what it means to be intentional

* loves by serving

* keeps a tidy house!

* loves coffee

* is a wonderful leader in our home

* encourages me to do the things he knows I love

* believes in me and my ability to accomplish difficult things

* is the perfect balance to my dreaming self- he helps with reality checks and gets excited with me about new projects and hobbies

* has gone to Jazz in June nearly every Tuesday in June since I met him

* has walked beside me through some really hard seasons and never left my side

* understands the importance of a relationship with Christ and strives to grow spiritually

* is very smart with a computer (filling another void in my personality)

* is smokin' hot (!)

* is working on perfecting sourdough bread

* cares deeply for his friends

* is a family man

* took me to Blue Orchid for our first date 5 years ago in May and then for a walk through Sunken Gardens

* still loves the worm cake I made for him the first year we celebrated his birthday together. I was completely embarrassed by it- frosted it before it cooled and it turned into a melting worm. (also, we've both gotten cuter as we aged, if you ask me)....

* enjoys working with power tools and wood (just like my dad!)

* Appreciates good quality socks

* Helped bring this little love into my life:

* is a wonderful friend

* is creative and artistic

* makes a mean stir fry!

Nate, I love you more than I can blog or tell you with footprint cards or presents. You are faithful, you are encouraging, and I look up to you with the utmost respect. I'm looking forward to adventures and new seasons to come. Happy 31st, my love!

Crafty shmafty

2011-05-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

I guess I forgot to mention that the key fobs,wet bags and wallets aren't online yet. Neither are some other wonderful things I've been making. I've had a few people emailing me wondering "where can I get this stuff? It isn't online!" My apologies. Here's the reality of the situation: my husband is my web designer. He is also an incredible dad, helper of everything laundry-cooking-housework-cleaning, full time employee of a wonderful company, keeper of our yard, gardens, and outdoor projects, painter and creator of my whimsical ideas for interior design, as well as best-husband-I-could-ever-ask-for. He's busy. Very busy.

I don't know how to do fancy computer things.

I can sew during nap times, I can create the projects while simultaneously entertaining a 3 month old, take photos that aren't nearly as artistic as his while keeping the dog out of Lucy's bubble, and I can blog about all of the above. But getting them online waits for a time when he isn't doing one of his other hundred other jobs.

If you are really interested in what you've seen here, email me at:

I check email frequently and will get back to you as soon as possible. I'd be happy to visit with you about options, prices and finding the colors/designs you're looking for.

I can tell you this- as of now, prices are as follows:

Key fobs $6
Little wallets $6
Wet bags $15 (14 x 16 inches)

Everything else should be on the website. I've made some car seat covers for infant seats and I've been selling those for $40. The outside material is designed by Amy Butler and the inside is Michael Miller. I've sold all the ones I've made, but would be willing to make some more if you're interested. I'll get a photo up so you can see what I'm talking about.

Thanks for reading so faithfully!

Wet bags & Key Fobs

2011-05-21T12:26:00.001-07:00

Key fobs! I'm just loving these little gems. I slip mine around my wrist all the time when I’m trying to haul Lucy and the diaper bag to the car. Plus, I can ALWAYS find my keys, even if they’re at the bottom of the bag.

These make great gifts and they're super cute. I have LOTS of colors to choose from and the design on top can be switched....
We’ve also come up with the “mini fob”. Just big enough to slip a couple of fingers through. Still, very cute and practical. This little lady is a fun way to give a gift card- or keep your own credit cards neat and tidy. This was my first one and I grabbed scraps to test out the design. It's pretty darn cute if you ask me. The snap is STRONG- I sewed one wrong the first time and nate had to use a LOT of elbow grease to pry it out. I'm excited to make more of these with other coordinating colors.

I just finished this sweet wet bag today. It measures 10 x 12 inches (roughly). These are great to throw in a diaper bag and can be used for soiled clothes, cloth diapers, or any other messy things you don't want floating around in your diaper bag. The inside is made of a waterproof material and the whole bag can be machine washed. LOVE THEM!I've also heard of people using these for wet swimming suits in a pool bag. Just another idea. :)

In other news, Lucy is growing like a little weed. She’s such a sweetie. I’ll leave you with my favorite picture of her to date.

Lucy and Charlie

2011-05-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mornings at home.....I love them. Enjoy!

Summer of No Pants

2011-05-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot! I found this on a blog a few days ago and LOVE IT. I don't know that I'll do it...but I'm curious and maybe I will. Anyone else want to try with me? Check it out:

The Summer of No Pants

I'll do it if you'll do it. :)

Nap time? Blog!

2011-05-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our family is crazy about Asian food. Seriously, anything Asian- we'll eat it. Except I don't like sushi. Nate loves it and I've tried a bite off his plate multiple times, hoping that I'll grow up and aquire a taste for it. No such luck. I can't get past the seaweed flavor and texture....and the idea of raw fish puts me over the top.

I tell you this because I'm trying a new recipe today for lunch from my favorite Food Network Magazine. It's called Cold Peanut, Chicken and Soba Noodle Salad and you can find it here, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. I'll let you know if it's good enough to make again.

Last fall we planted a bulb that we recieved at Oliver's memorial service. It was one of the first things to sprout in our back yard this spring and it. was. beautiful. Nowhere else in our yard did we have such a strong and proud tulip. I loved it.

Here's a family photo from Easter at the farm. Lucy would have been 2 months to the day.

Here's a sweet picture of me and my girl. I can't believe that I can fall MORE in love with her all the time....she's so awesome. I mean, really....how can you not love this little muffin?!

THIS is the man I love:

I'm looking forward to some thunderstorms in the next couple of days and I have some new items going up on our website. Be sure to check them out in the next day or two! Two words: Key Fob!

A Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

THIS is why I’m celebrating: my sweet little lady. (Don’t worry, the specks are fake).

Today has been wonderful. This weekend has been wonderful. Here's a quick recap:

Thursday night LATE- Martha & Ryan arrived at the end of a long drive from Michigan.

Friday, Nate and I took the family (Charlie and Lucy) over to my brother's house to grill with him, Sarah, and my parents. Nate noticed that the school I worked at was having a carnival of sorts so the two of us walked over. We ran into quite a few of my students which made me realize just how much I miss seeing them every day. The hugs were such a treat- I can't wait for my visit to the classroom in a week or two.

We walked back to James' house and ate supper and sat outside in lawn chairs visiting while the dogs either a) laid nicely in the cool grass or b) weaved around the grill, legs of people, lawn chairs and tables, tangling the leash so whomever was holding the other end was forced to get up every few minutes to de-tangle. You can guess which choice Charlie made.

Saturday morning we woke after LUCY SLEPT THE WHOLE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The. Whole. Night.

I was in shock. I did get up at 4AM to see if she was still breathing and then she didn't wake up until 6:30. I didn't even care that it was 6:30 on a Saturday morning, I was so happy she'd slept for so long! We had time to shower and get ready before the first farmer's market of the season, where we met up with my parents and James. It was so good to be back down there- Lucy rode in the Baby Bjorn like a champ and we finished off the morning with coffee at Scoots. Yum.

Mom and I went for our first annual Mother's Day pedicures- very fun. We should have gotten a picture. I just thought of that now. Rats. They turned out really cute. We came back to the house for some much-needed Lucy-Grandma snuggles, sewing, and time on the deck. Spring.....is finally here- and how very sweet it is.

Mom and Dad headed back for home Saturday afternoon. We ate, went to church, and met Ryan and Martha back at our house. THEN, we took the family (again, Charlie and Lucy) for a late evening walk to Starbucks. There's nothing like walking late on a warm spring night with friends so dear you don't ever want them to leave. I wanted our walk to last forever. When we got home, we sat on the deck for a very long time and enjoyed the beautiful night next to the neighbors babbling waterfall. :)

Finally, (thanks to those of you who are still reading....devoted friends of mine) Martha and I went for a nice little Mother's Day run this morning while the boys plus Chris and Cade slaved over an incredible mother's day brunch. We came home, showered and had a wonderful time with great friends- celebrating our families.

I've got lots of photos- enjoy! And Happy Mother's Day!!!

The main feature: Nate’s AMAZING pancakes!

Sweet little Cade enjoying his strawberriesThe mamas! Love these girls!

My man and our girl. I LOVE my family.

OK, seriously…..how cute is she?!

Followed closely by our good buddy, Cade. What a gem!

And don’t forget our loyal dog, Charlie.

Martha and I- besties.(I know these next few pictures are terribly washed out, but I don't know how to fix them and Nate isn't home. Deal.)

These are the kind of friends we are. (Just kind of weird).

Our first celebratory Mother’s Day!

Great friends of ours, Chris & Molly

Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! 3 years ago today, my wonderful husband proposed to me over a picnic supper at Holmes Lake. Tonight we're making fish tacos (my first ever!) to celebrate the holiday. It's been a FUN 3 years and we've been VERY blessed!

Life is in full swing and we're finding ourselves really, really busy. Truth is, when I get a free moment of time from being mom to this beautiful little lady, my top three choices are (in no particular order):
1. shower
2. nap
3. sew

4. laundry/dust/vacuum/etc

Notice that #4 doesn't get considered often, which is why I listed my top THREE. Also note that cooking isn't in there at all! Neither is blogging. What is happening?!

I'm nutty over sewing....I have recently discovered the art of searching "tutorials" and am finding blog after blog of ideas I want to try! It's blissful. What would make it more so is if my sweet little Lucy would start taking naps for a decent amount of time. This girl. She loves to sleep, as long as she's being held and snuggled. The pediatrician told me you can't spoil them by holding a newborn too much. Hmmmm....not sure about that. She's been getting better....but it's really hard to get anything done. I have my wonderful mother-in-law to thank for her weekly visits to hold Lucy so I can get some things done. Aunt Emily "sacrifices" her lunch hours too some days to come help. It's pretty great. :)

Oliver & Lucy Designs is going really well. I'm keeping very busy- so much that I don't have much time to "play" with new projects. I keep telling myself that once I'm caught up, I can play around with new things. So far....I'm not caught up. But what a blessing to have so many orders that I am always behind. It's a very good thing.

Tonight my girl, Martha, and her man are coming from Michigan. They're leaving the kids at home and staying for the weekend at our house! His brother is graduating this weekend so they're going to be very busy with family things. But I'm so excited that we'll see them at least in the mornings and at night. Better than not at all!

Also, farmers market starts THIS SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At the end of the season last year Nate and I said "next time we come to the farmer's market, we'll have a baby with us!" and....she's here! We're ready with our MOBY or the Baby Bjorn (whichever is easier) and our reusable BAGGU Bags. I've got cash, and we'll make coffee. It. Will. Be. Divine.

One Year Ago...

2011-04-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

A year ago today we went to Omaha for one of the most difficult doctors appointment of our lives. Little Oliver's heart stopped beating one year ago today. :(

In my MUMS group yesterday, our speaker talked about our prayers that are answered with a "no".....things that we are so sure are the right thing for our lives, people we are certain we should marry, babies we are certain we should raise, jobs we are most definitely supposed to have.....and God can see this great big picture and know which things are a good idea and which things....well, things for which He has much better ideas.

Last year God had a better idea than what we had planned. I wouldn't be sitting here with this grunting little Lucy in the Baby Bjorn if God hadn't had better plans. I'm not saying I love that his answer was "no" to our little Oliver. And maybe it wasn't so much as a "no" as a "not yet". Someday we'll get to hang out with him. And for now, I'll love this little Lucy who wouldn't be here if Oliver were. Too bad we coulnd't have both. :) Some day.

Today we remember our dreams for him and the way God pulled us through a really hard season. Our first little babe won't ever be forgotten....and one day I'll wrap my arms around my little Oliver, whom I dind't get to meet this side of Heaven. Until then, we remember him with happy, hopeful hearts.

Mystery Solved

2011-04-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

We took our little gal to the doctor yesterday because of her increased fussiness the last few days. Sure enough, acid reflux. :( Poor little thing. Now she's on baby Prilosec which she HATES- it tastes really bitter (Nate tried it) and we can't seem to get it down. We tried way in the back of her throat, side of her mouth, cheeks, blowing in her face to make her swallow.....and nothing works. The only trick we've found is to mix it in with some milk in a bottle and have someone other than Mom give it to her.

But then, the milk comes back up and burns her esophogus so we're supposed to give her some Pedialite to help wash it down...and she also dislikes that. A lot. Maybe she's just not used to it. I'm trying little bits at a time to help give her some relief and she makes the funniest faces.

Hearing of parents home with sick kids takes on a WHOLE new meaning now. My word!

Grandma E. is in town this afternoon holding and rocking my little gem so that I can get some things done. Here's what I'm really looking forward to today:

1. taking a shower that lasts longer than 5 minutes
2. getting some of my orders done for Oliver & Lucy Designs
3. Dusting! (I sit and feed or cuddle my bug and see dust EVERYWHERE which I can't, of course, attack at the point of discovery because my hands are full of a sweet bundle).
4. a nap?
5. drinking coffee
6. laundry with TWO hands!
7. being in my sewing room with my music and not worrying about listening for cries
8. Seeing a great friend from NYC tonight
9. Helping another friend celebrate the night before her wedding day at rehearsal dinner tonight!

Oh, and who feels like a terrible mom? Me. BECAUSE yesterday I thought I'd try the "just let her cry herself to sleep" method....and then come to find out she was probably in a lot of pain laying flat on her back right after being fed. Sad. Sad. Sad.

Anyway, it's not the last time I'll accidentally do what I thought was the right thing only to find out it was the very wrong thing to do in that moment.

My mom might come this weekend.... :) There's just something about having mom around that makes everything seem more doable. She's so great. And if you don't know her, you should.

nevermind

2011-03-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

How wrong I was friends....how wrong I was.

1 month, 5 days

2011-03-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I think I may have found a pattern with Lucy! It took me a long time (a month and 5 days) to figure this out, but "my time" is going to be in the morning after her 8:30 feeding! (I think).

For the first month, we'd BOTH (Lucy and I) go down for another nap after she ate in the morning. Mostly because we hadn't slept much during the nights with her 2 to 3 hour cycles. But now, if I don't go back to bed I can get in a good 2 hours of sewing, laundry, emails, breakfast, etc. Hip hip hooray for patterns! This works, of course, if I choose not to go back to sleep when she does. Some mornings, a nap will be a must and that's when I'll sacrifice that extra time. In my book, sleep is totally worth it, so I'm fine with that. :)

And now, she's waking up, 20 minutes in. Maybe my plan is foiled. :( I spoke too soon. Bah.

Have a great Tuesday!

Oliver and Lucy Designs

2011-03-28T07:04:00.001-07:00

Hello to my faithful readers! (And those of you who aren't so faithful)!

I've got exciting news! I've been working on a few sewing projects at home and decided to start selling them online! It all started with a baby shower and some burp rags as a gift and then a few ladies wanted me to make some for them to give as gifts and before I knew it, people were ringing my doorbell to pick up their orders! It's been SO MUCH FUN taking orders and making gifts to sell.

Here's my new website: http://www.oliverandlucydesigns.com/

Nate, my incredible man, is the mastermind behind the website. He's amazing.

GO! Click the link and poke around. Enjoy, friends!

1 month old!

2011-03-24T15:32:00.001-07:00

Happy one month to my sweet little babe! I can't believe it's already been a month since we were sent to the hospital and laboring in a blizzard on the 4th floor. People say all the time, "it goes so fast!".... but now I see that it really does. Holy cow!

And to my Lucy:

I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone. You make me laugh EVERY DAY, multiple times.

I think you may have smiled at me on purpose today. That, or you were just glad to have a clean diaper. :)

I'm learning your cries.

If I want you to wake up all I have to do is lay you down in your crib. This is both good and bad.

You LOVE to snuggle and so do I. We spend a LOT of time watching food network and catching up on old episodes of "The Office".

They keep telling me I CANNOT spoil you by holding you too much, and I'm taking this advice very seriously.

Charlie really likes your pacifiers. We run them through the dishwasher on a daily basis.

You're learning to bat at toys with your hands.

I read to you every day in hopes that you'll share my love for literature. I think it's working. :)

There are already so many people in love with you.

I can't stop smelling you after you have a bath.

Charlie is VERY protective of you and always lets us know when you're rousing from a nap. We joke that we don't need a monitor when we've got Charlie. He has made it his duty to be your protector.

You grew from 6.10 to 7.5 pounds in a week and a half. I haven't weighed you lately, but I'm guessing you're over 8 pounds now. You're feeling stronger and less "breakable". I don't worry so much when I pull clothes on or off over your little head now.

You're holding your neck on your own for longer periods of time and pulling your body whichever direction you want to go.

You can already go from your back to your side all by yourself. You'll be rolling over in no time!

You don’t like wearing this hat today.

Little love, we are crazy about you. The last month has flown by and I'm looking forward to spring with you. Here's to the next month of growing and smiling!

Blog? What's that?

2011-03-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Being a full time mom is AWESOME....and an adjustment! I've loved being home with Lucy, but I expected to have more "time" to get things done around the house. We spend a lot of our hours taking naps and catching up from the short nights. She sleeps A. LOT. I didn't know newborns could sleep up to 20 hours a day. Jeesh! You'd think I'd get all sorts of things done while she's sleeping. But really, she's so snuggly and sweet that I spend a lot of time holding her while she's napping. I sadly have the food network shows down to the half hour- I can tell you who is on when and I always catch at least a part of Oprah and/or Ellen- as they're on at the same time. :)

Today I've broken out the MOBY wrap that our great friend, Mike, gave us. It. is. a. miracle. !!!! I have both hands free to do laundry, BLOG (!), fold blankets and rearrange pillows from our lounging, empty the dishwasher, etc. She wasn't big enough to use the last couple of weeks, but I'm pretty sure she weighs enough now for it to be "safe". She's loving time close to mom and I'm loving the mobility.

I've also been trying to get a lot of sewing done when she's napping (and I've put her down in her crib). There have been quite a few orders coming in for burp rags, gift sets, etc., which makes me SO happy. I love sewing and it's fun that I'm finding time now to do it. It's just a matter of organizing my time better- and I think I'm getting it (kind of) figured out. :)

Here are a few pictures from the past week:

Happy 1 Week, Little Lucy!

2011-03-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

I've been out of commission for a bit. Partly because life was getting busy trying to prepare for our little bundle- due this coming Sunday, and partly because I was busy giving birth. :) What a great day!

It was a week ago today, I taught the entire morning, had recess duty with my first graders, ate lunch with the gals at school, went home and made lunch for Nate so I could pick him up for our routine 38 week appointment. They had been watching me pretty close because, in short, my placenta was shutting down and the amount of amniotic fluid was decreasing weekly. We were having ultrasounds for a couple of weeks in a row to keep a close eye on her growth.

Anyway, we went to the appointment, saw on the ultrasound that the fluid was a little lower, but she still looked fine, and waited for the Dr. to come and tell us to go home and keep waiting. (That's what I had mentally prepared for- it was easier than being disappointed about not being sent to the hospital). He came in and checked for dilation and said, "Have you been having a lot of contractions?" I had felt crampy for about three days, but nothing more than your run-of-the-mill monthly cramps (ladies). "Heather, you're 4 centimeters dilated and fully effaced. You're in early labor and you need to go to the hospital! We're having this baby today!" I was shocked. Nate and I looked at each other in disbelief and felt a combination of "holy cow, are you serious?", "YES!", "WHAT? I'm not ready!", etc.

Our doctor called the hospital to tell them we were coming, and we were shooed out the door. By this time, a light dusting of snow had covered the rainy streets, which had frozen, making for a slippery drive there. We felt like we did the evening we got engaged- excited, wanting to call everyone we know, wanting to scream, a little scared....IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?!

We parked on level 3, pink. Pink for our little girl. We grabbed the bags that had been in the back of the car for a week- since they'd been watching us close, we were very hopeful of going early. We walked in casually, asked which way to labor and delivery and found ourselves on the elevator headed up to 4th floor- delivery. Yikes!

I don't want to make this sound like a walk in the park, but my labor was really NOT what I expected it to be. Nothing like the movies. We checked in, situated ourselves in our delivery room, I changed into the beautiful green gown, they started an IV, and Nate and I took to the hallways and walked around and around for about a half hour. We stopped and took pictures of the blizzard that was swarming outside our warm hospital hallways. I prayed multiple times for our families that were headed from separate directions, 2 hours south and 45 minutes north. I was worried more about them driving than I was of myself giving birth in the next few hours.

After about 30 minutes the nurse said, "If you want, we can start the Pitocin and get your epidural started". I wanted to wait on the epi, I'd heard it may slow down labor. But the anesthesiologist was headed home for the evening and he said he'd come back, but with the weather, he couldn't promise a speedy response to a call later in the evening. So, we went ahead and got it started. For the next few hours, Nate and I watched the food network with my parents, who made it safely from 2 hours north, Praise God! Nate's parents eventually made it- a trip that normally takes 45 minutes in good weather turned to a 2 1/2 hour trip in a blizzard. But they made it. My brother and Nate's sister also joined everyone and they all waited together for our big news. What a special night for everyone!

From the time we checked in to the moment she was delivered, we had been there about 8 hours. Everything went so quickly and without hiccups. We were suddenly parents! Little Lucy was here! She was born at 11:09 PM, weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. Just perfect.

She's absolutely beautiful. I can't stop holding her. Nate and I are falling for each other all over again as we watch a mom and a dad grow out of the person we already loved. It's a very strange reality, but we love it. The nights are definitely shorter, but God has given both of us an incredible amount of grace this week. We've learned to work as a team to maximize sleep for each other.

Charlie is learning to be a big brother. He always checks on her when she cries and whimpers when he thinks she needs something. It's very sweet.

I'm home now, at least for the rest of this school year and the summer. Hopefully I'll find a beautiful balance at home and be able to share photos and videos of Lucy as she grows. I hope to blog more often, sew more, have wonderful meals prepared for my husband when he arrives home from work, etc. But I know that probably won't all happen in the same day. Some days, none of it will. But, I'm hopeful and I'll try. I'll let you know how it's going.

For now, some photos of our sweet little miracle.

Most likely my mom on the phone…walking the hallways.

The blizzard outside.Little Lucy Lea
Our first family photo. love.

My cup runneth over.

Nursery Photos

2011-02-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

A lot of people have been asking how we're decorating the nursery. We don't have a "theme", persay....we're just going with what we like. Here are a few photos:

We purposely blurred the name on the wall and inserted said "Baby E" text. Ha! We're so sneaky...
Nate refinished his childhood dresser. It turned out beautifully! And there are some sweet memories tied to it. Now, it's a dresser/changing table for his daughter. Love.

Here's what we've been up to.....

2011-02-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Nate and I have been busy preparing for our little girl's arrival- date set two weeks from TODAY! We've had weekly appointments the last few weeks and on Thursday they implied that we may be meeting her sooner than expected. (YES!)

So, this weekend has been filled with the finishing touches on her room, final clothes being washed for our hospital bags and wrapping up last minute details. Such a joyful season in life!!

Most of you know I love anything domestic- cooking, baking, chrocheting, sewing, etc. I've been busy making burp rags for our gal and started experimenting with other items as well. Here's what I've come up with:

Tag blanket: These are made from 12 inch squares- one is a soft flannel and the other is minky, an incredibly soft fabric. I’ve sewn tags around the outside for different tactile textures.

Burp rags- very absorbent and cute enough for your standard stlyin’ mom!

Some rags match pacifier clips!

Pacifier clips are approximately 7 inches long. These are made with a cord that attaches to the pacifier instead of standard Velcro to fit almost any type of pacifier. If you’re interested in Velcro, contact me. Colors will vary on burp rags. Here are a few examples:

Gift sets!

I am willing to sell to friends and family if you’re needing some cute, homemade gift ideas for yourself, baby showers or other events. Contact me at heathereigsti@gmail.com if you’re interested in pricing!

Happy rainy Sunday, friends!

35 weeks visit

2011-02-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

Nate and I just had a 35 weeks visit to the doctor this morning. Our little lady is head down (good girl!) and measuring in at about 5 1/2 pounds. Her heart rate was good and everything seems to be right on track. :) Mom and Dad are VERY happy about this!

I'm on snow day #2 for this week and my plans today include some or all of the following (in no particular order and perhaps simultaneously):

* sewing more burp rags and finishing those turtle and bird onesies
* cleaning up my sewing room (what a mess!)
* correcting papers and grading tests
* finishing up sub plans for maternity leave (!)
* playing ball with Charlie
* laying around a bit
* watching food network
* drinking some more coffee (decaf, of course)
* painting my nails
* sitting in the nursery for a while- just dreaming
* reading chapters 1 and 2 of Proverbs for this month (a chapter a day and I'm already behind)
* journaling
* listening to some really fantastic music

Happy snow day, friends!

Poem #2

2011-01-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

This is too good not to post:

Ipod Touch

If you have a I pod Touch
and 125 dollars$
and your mom say
don't lose it
and you did
your mom will whack your bottom

1st grade poetry

2011-01-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of teaching 1st grade writing is the poetry theme we do this time of year. I thrive on the rawness and lack of rules and I'm sure my kiddos do too. Here is the first poem of the season- one we wrote together today. Enjoy!

Mrs. Eigsti's Belly

Baby E is locked in jail
Get me out of here!
19 inches scrunched and squished
She's a ninja, dear
Mrs. E hits marble jars
with her great big gut
Baby E has no idea
'cuz her eyes are shut!

T minus 41 days!

2011-01-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

Ummmm....if you have google reader, you might not actually make it to my web page very often. I read a lot of your blogs from the pop-up screen that tells me when there's a new post. If you DO, however, visit my blog, you may have noticed the floating baby on the right side of the page that says 41 days today!! That's creeping sneakily (that's a word, right?) upon us! YAHOO!!!

Yesterday we toured the hospital in which we will be delivering our little gal and it made me VERY excited for D-day. I can't wait to meet her. I wonder every day what she looks like, how much hair she'll have, if she'll be really chill or a wild banshee....it's going to be so fun to learn her! *sigh*

I also just threw in my very first load of very pink baby laundry. We've got to start thinking about packing a little (VERY cute Vera Bradly from my amazing sister-in-law) bag for her. And I suppose one for Nate and me (not V.B.) as well. How exciting! She's almost here!!!

34 weeks, Minestrone Soup and Easy Brown Rice

2011-01-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

We've reached 34 weeks! Here's a current photo:

Today I'm making a Minestrone soup from my all time favorite, Ellie Krieger. My dad actually found this recipe and made it the other day, not realizing that it was from Ellie. He and my mother both liked it very much, so that's what I've got on the stove as I write- filling the house with some oh-so-yummy smells. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
cup elbow pasta
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.

Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the Parmesan and chopped basil.

Per serving (2 cups): Calories 260; Fat 8 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 560 mg; Carbohydrate 37 g; Fiber 10 g; Protein 15 g

Find the website here.

The other recipe I'm posting today is a no-fail brown rice that is easier than putting on my socks at 34 weeks pregnant. Seriously. It's from Alton Brown- a chef mastermind. Here's the wonderful blog that introduced me to this recipe. I made it last week and it. was. amazing. Here's the recipe:

Baked Brown Rice

adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Boil the water in a saucepan and add the butter and salt. Bring to a boil.

Pour your brown rice into a glass baking dish (I use a square one). Once the water mixture is boiling, pour it over the rice. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven for one hour.

After the hour is up, take out the rice and fluff it with a fork. It will be perfect!

Snow Days!!!

2011-01-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

We’ve had 2 snow days this week. That’s right, TWO! Yesterday I spent the day in my pajamas working on projects on the couch. I’m embroidering some gifts and got quite a few of them finished. I worked on some hats, separated old yarn projects and rolled extra yarn into balls (you yarn-heads understand the tediousness of this task!)

I also worked on burp rags for our little girl!!! The worst part of these for me is the cutting. I hate to measure. I hate following the rules- but in order for these to turn out right, some measuring and cutting on the lines is required. I used my new pinking shears for these gems and have a nice little pile to stitch together later this week. The worst part is over!

My sweet little Charlie kept me company all afternoon- shifting on the floor as the sun moved across the sky. What a doll.

Here’s a little turtle for our sweet gal. I can’t figure out how to turn this photo. That will have to happen after Nate comes home.

And a bird: I still have to stitch around the edges and make the legs. I think he’s pretty cute.
And this tree was kind of an afterthought, but it turned out to be my favorite. First I cut the trunk and circles out of fabric that I used to make a quilt for Nate in 2007 for Christmas- before we were even engaged. I loved the idea of using “dad’s” fabric for a shirt for his little girl. Plus, I really loved the greens together. After all, spring is just around the corner!

Anyway, then I arranged the “leaves” several times before it looked the way I wanted.

Next I ironed on the leaves and trunk and then started to play with different embellishments. Usually I embroider around the edges of my iron-on patterns. But then I saw the buttons. Oh, the buttons!

I loved how it turned out. They look like little berries on the tree.I love snow days- and these two have been very productive!

We’re at 32 weeks and 2 days. Less than 8 to go! Every day we get more and more excited for our little girl. I have a baby shower this Saturday and I’m really looking forward to seeing friends and family from out of town! Hooray for everything Baby Eigsti!!! We are SO THANKFUL!!!!

2 MONTHS!

2011-01-06T19:35:00.001-08:00

Just FYI, 2 months from TODAY is our due date. 2. months. YIKES!

I'm so excited. I can't wait to meet her!!! But I also know life will never be the same and I'm trying to really appreciate the time Nate and I have at home- in peace and quiet. :) Can't wait to meet you little girl!!!

Happy New Year! 1-1-11

2011-01-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, my wonderful husband Nate worked a little magic and set up a mini photo shoot in my craft room. Here are a few of the results- they turned out beautifully!

He is so talented and I'm really thankful that we have moments like this captured. We feel beyond blessed to still be carrying this little girl and look forward to her arrival in 9-ish short weeks!

With the new year, I have many goals and hopes for 2011. I dream daily about what life will be like with our little girl living here with us. My heart still aches when I think of little Oliver and the lack of his physical presence in our home. Looking back on 2010, I recall many MANY blessings, but have a hard time seeing around the hurt of losing Oliver. We've grown stronger because of that season and we have seen God's hand at work through that heartache. But the hole in our family will always be there.

On Christmas I couldn't help but think of what his Christmas celebration looked like- so much brighter, more majestic, celebrating with JESUS himself. Some day we'll be there with them, and that will be a wonderful Christmas indeed.

As far as little E goes, I can't stop shopping for her! Her room is cleaned out, painted, decorated and ready for baby showers coming up this month. She is such a joy to us already! We can't wait to meet her. I'm feeling all kinds of squirms, foot jabs, wiggles....it's so fun! We refer to her by name when we're at home and we're trying really hard not to let it slip. So far, so good!

I love these belly photos. They're one more reminder of our little miracle and the fact that God has allowed us to keep her this long. We hold her with open hands, knowing that HIS plan is divine. However, we really hope that He lets us keep her for a long time. We're so excited and looking forward to 2011- the year we welcome our little girl into the world!

Happy New Year!

28 weeks 4 days

2010-12-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated for a long time. Here's a current photo from this past weekend:

Things are going well. We had an appointment today. Dr. said our little lady is measuring right on track. Today she's laying sideways with her head digging into my lower right side and her feet poking into my left ribcage. What a sweetie. :) I really don't mind....not yet anyway. Every movement is a reminder that we're blessed to have her and I'm thankful for that.

I've gained 19 pounds so far. They said about 30 by the end is what we're shooting for. They also said I'll be gaining 1/2 to 1 pound a week from here on out. That leaves 11 weeks until 40....or 8 weeks to full term. I can't believe it!

I feel like I've gotten MUCH bigger in the last week or two. I broke down and bought 3 pairs of maternity pants for work and my goodness....there's a reason they make them. They're SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE! Jeesh.

I am getting very tired again, my stomach is starting to ache all over and there are multiple times throughout the day that I just. need. to. sit. Lucky for me, I'm married to an amazing man who never complains about picking up my slack. He even surprised me a few weeks ago with not one, but TWO one-hour prenatal massage sessions for January and February. *sigh* What a guy. I can't wait to use them. I've already scheduled the first one. It. Will. Be. Divine.

Baby baby baby!!!!

2010-11-18T15:53:00.001-08:00

We're getting the nursery semi-pulled together....a little at a time. My wonderful Nate took off all the baseboards, sanded, re-stained and varnished before we were allowed to decorate. Now, we're watching the clearance end caps like vultures and scoring some pretty sweet deals.

Here's the progress so far:

Martha, here’s your close-ups:

The zebra has the hymn“Come thou Fount” as his white fur.

This owl has a belly made out of a torn-out book page. Don’t worry, I used a crappy cowboy book…nothing good.

Repurposed birds from a baby shower I threw for a friend…

These came in the mail yesterday- the first set of 12 reusable diapers. Average savings per child: $2,000. (!!!)

Our deal of the week: 3-piece luggage set for little girl Eigsti.

We found these at Kohl’s.

Originally $120.

Price reduced to $49.99.

15% off coupon

$10 off coupon

gift card from Grandma E.

Gift money

Total cost: –$1 (YESSS!!!!)

And Nate’s other project (as if he didn’t have enough to do!) Here’s the before picture of the floor:
And the after- new tile. He did a WONDERFUL job…it’s beautiful.

And just for good measure, here’s what Charlie is up to. There’s a new little lady that moved in this summer- her name is Bella and she LOVES Charlie. He might be partial to her as well…..as you can see.
Spread the love!!

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T18:18:00.001-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day. Today we remember the men and women who have fought for our freedom. And two of the most important men in my life have served our nation's country in this way: Dad and Grandpa.

My dad
* is one of the kindest, most gentle men I've ever met.
* Is a Vietnam Veteran
* He's always been an encourager, gave me freedom to dream out loud and share ridiculous visions for my future, and allowed me to be completely myself.
* He was always proud of me and made sure I knew.
* He's a verbal encourager.
* I used to wish so badly that I was a runner, because my dad was and I respected him so much for it.
* Some of my favorite memories are of him working on a project in the garage, the smell of sawdust or varnish permeating the air. I would sit for hours in a lawn chair watching him or journaling, classic rock on Z-98 blasting from his paint-splattered stereo.
* He's an amazing artist and craftsman and doesn't "play" with his talents nearly as much as he should.
* So many of his traits are similar to Nate's, and I'm thankful for such a wonderful dad to show me how husbands should really treat their wives.
* He and my mother have so much fun.
* I. Love. This. Man.

These are my adorable parents. We took this picture at the Omaha Zoo this past summer.

My Grandpa

* Has the biggest heart of anyone I know
* Is not afraid to cry
* Talks more about how blessed we are than anything else
* Should have written a book with all of his stories that we hear again and again and love it every time.
* Is a WWII Veteran
* Became a follower of Christ after he was married and had his first son- because a pastor knocked on their door to share Christ with his community.
* My favorite memories of him are singing "Down by the Old Mill Stream" and swinging on the front porch swing- just the two of us.
* He spends nearly every morning walking the mall with my grandma. He does more walking, she does more shopping. :)
* He loves wearing flannel and plaid.
* He's a "hat grandpa" and looks adorable wearing them.
* Grandpa LOVES Port wine. It was one of the 3 items on his Christmas list last year.
* This man and his wife have been married for over 68 years, and she still giggles at him.
* "Whatever you do, don't overdo it" is one of his favorite sayings.
* So many times I've thought "What would Grandpa do" and rationalized decisions based on his character because I respect him so much.
* He is wiser than any other person I have ever met- at least, I like his advice the best.
* I feel so incredibly blessed to STILL have the ability to call and have meaningful conversations with him.
* He is one of my favorite people in the whole world. Love him!

Here he is at the Lion's Club pancake feed a couple of years ago.

And for good measure, here are the ladies on a very windy mother's day this past spring. What a bunch of cuties. :)

November 3rd

2010-11-03T15:48:00.001-07:00

Today is blustery and cold; typical weather for early November. The skies are gray, trees contrast with dying vibrant colors, and fallen leaves whip across sidewalks and streets. Today is November 3rd.

Today I met my husband after work at the cemetery where our son, Oliver, is buried.

Today is his due date.

I woke up in a bit of a fog, not having slept well, but brushed myself off and headed for work. It wasn't until I was mere blocks from work that I realized how hard moments of my day were possibly going to be. The only sign of a Kleenex I had in the car were the drive-through napkins stuffed in the passenger side door compartment- just out of reach, and the half paper towel with smears of cream cheese from my morning bagel. I'm not sure if I just needed a really good cry, or if it was the realization that the wetness I felt on the paper towel was either from A) tears or B) parts of cream cheese that I was potentially smearing all over my cheeks that caused me to break down into the sob-fest. Could have been a combination of the two.

By the time I got to school, my eye liner was gone completely, and I was really wishing that I had my faux glasses to slightly cover the increasingly puffy eyes.

All joking aside, today has been, for the most part, normal. There have, however, been small bits of great heartache as I daydream about snuggling up to a perfect baby boy, who could have been here by now. I've allowed the visions of a new baby for Thanksgiving and Christmas enter my heart and head. I've glanced more than once in the direction of "Baby's first Christmas" outfits and "Santa's little helper" sleepers at Target and Khols. I've wished that he could be here with us. I've imagined Nate holding his son, Oliver curled up into the newborn ball, taking naps on dad's chest, and even wished for crying in the middle of the night from a little voice.

We are daily prayerful and thankful for our daughter, who will join our family in March. We love her and look forward to sweet moments with her. She will bring great joy in a few months, and we know that.

But today, we remember our little boy who will never be held this side of Heaven. We won't hear his cries or watch him learn to crawl. He'll never take first steps or attend a Thanksgiving or Christmas family gathering at Grandma and Grandpa's. We'll never buckle him into a car seat or pack a suitcase for him on vacation. He'll never play with Charlie or learn to crawl on our stairs. He just won't. And today, that makes me cry. We really wanted him. We really loved him. And we had such mighty dreams for his life.

Today we remember Oliver. We think of him every day. We love him always. And we look forward to meeting him and sharing in the joys of Heaven one day.

Happy November 3rd, Oliver. We love you.

A hat for Baby D

2010-10-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is a hat I made for my friend April's little girl last week. But now, I'm thinking that I'm going to have to make another one for our little lady! I might have to start experimenting with different colors and flowers!

The results are in! It's a......

2010-10-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Little girl!!!

This is a shot of her bum and legs. I think her shins and feet are tucked or going straight at the camera. She DOES have 2 entire legs.

These are her legs (on the left)- thigh, shins and feet, and her elbow is resting on her knee.

This is her body- sans the head. Her back is at the top, you can see ribs, legs on the left, shoulder and arm on the right.
This is a profile of her face. She’s looking up…..see it?
And in this one, she’s looking at the camera, one hand under her head and one up on top- looks like she’s poking herself in the eye.

What a sweetie! We’re so so SO excited….thanks for all the prayers! We’re feeling extremely blessed with a healthy little girl on the way!!

October 26 gender reveal!!!

2010-10-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Today.....TODAY we find out if Baby E is a he or a she. I can't wait!!! I've put myself out at work today getting my classroom ready for post-fall break, new calendar, report cards are done, new seating arrangement....

I'm trying everything to keep my mind off of the VERY exciting appointment we have today.

And to be honest, I'm a little scared. I'm trying really hard to "not be afraid"...but it's so easy to relive unpleasant appointments from the past and fear that we're going to be faced with more bad news today.

However, I'm trying to be simply joyful for this day. Excited for the news, hopeful for a clear picture, and so so eager to see the profile of our little miracle.

If you read this before or around 1pm, please pray for our appointment- that things will go well, that we will be ready to receive the news they have for us (hopefully good news) and that we would be able to enjoy our visit and the glimpse of our sweet little babe. I'll be back tonight or tomorrow with exciting news for you!!!

Enjoy this beautiful fall day!!

Standing on the edge of something good

2010-10-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Life's been pretty great lately. We went back to my hometown to see my folks last weekend and spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa, Nancy & Bill, and watched a sad, sad game against Texas. (watching the Huskers lose wasn't so great) We were at the farm the weekend before helping mom and dad E. with harvest, as you've seen....and we get to see if Baby E is a he or a she on Tuesday....I'm halfway through the pregnancy, feeling really good and just all in all happy.

Just thought you should know. :)

love.

2010-10-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am absolutely crazy in love with this dog. Seriously.

Belly Pics

2010-10-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should put a few belly photos up as well. :) I'll be 20 weeks on Sunday- half way there!!!

This was taken yesterday at 19 weeks, 2 days.

And this was a couple of weeks ago for a Saturday Husker game.

This is April and I at her shower on Sunday.

Nursery set-up begins!

2010-10-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

We've been waiting to set up the crib because we needed to finish a few other projects before we could start....and Nate, the champ that he is, finished a bunch of things while I was throwing a baby shower for April this weekend....so Monday night we were able to start assembly!!!

Here are a few shots from the night. Charlie was a BIG help...as you can see from the expression on my face. He just HAD to be in the middle of everything, as usual. :)

The animal artwork was a project that we started for Oliver, but we loved them, so we're using them for this baby instead. There are 7 all together- 12 x 12 inch frames and the animals are made from scrapbooking paper. They turned out really cute.

I sat down tonight to post and was overwhelmed at the amount of photos, stories, and events of which I should write and share. The task seems too daunting for tonight, so I'll just share a little at a time.

Last weekend we went to the farm and took Ann with us for her first combine ride. It was a beautiful day and she did a great job. :) And it's always pretty cute to watch Nate drive around tractors and combines like a real farm-boy. :)

And Charlie didn’t mind having a backseat buddy for the ride there. :)

Sams Club Samples

2010-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. Believe it or not, this recipe I'm about to share came from one of the sample ladies at Sam's this weekend. Tonight, we're having it for supper- with a little spin on her version. It's super easy and a nice change from the typical pasta salad.

Here goes:

Sam's Lady Pasta Salad

1 package tri-color pasta spirals (or whatever pasta you want to use)
Olive oil
dried basil
Chicken (canned or grilled)- we grilled ours and cubed it.
Parmesan cheese- shredded

Cook pasta. Combine with remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

If it's easy enough for samples, it's easy enough for you. :)

BIG news

2010-08-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure why it's taken me so long to get our big news up on the blog world. Perhaps it's the start of a new school year and the business that comes with it. Or, perhaps it's the fact that every spare moment I've had I've spent sleeping, napping, "resting my eyes", etc. Why? Because WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!! Tomorrow marks the start of week 14, which means we're "out of the woods" and moving into the second trimester.

Praise our good and gracious God!

Here's our first ultrasound picture at 10 weeks.

It's been a strange journey for us. We prayed and prayed that God would prepare us for the next season of life- whether that meant another baby, another miscarriage, or trouble getting pregnant. We trusted in His plan but at the same time wanted to be careful with our hearts. Thankfully, we had no problems, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten what it's like to walk through that hard season. Our hearts are much more compassionate to families who struggle, and we're thankful for that.

With the last pregnancy, I bought a journal for the baby the day we found out, and wrote in it even after we had lost Oliver. I wanted to write in journals for all of my children and give it to them at a special moment in their adult life- a wedding, graduation, or some other significant time. This time, I finally bought the journal a couple of weeks ago and it sits unopened in my sewing room. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's harder to invest yourself completely when you're afraid...or at least aware that sometimes God's plans don't guarantee that there won't be pain and sadness.

However, we are really excited. We've been telling lots of friends and coworkers and we're looking forward to the next season. I'm feeling MUCH better. This summer the couch, ginger ale, saltines and my ice cream bucket were my best friends. (Or maybe worst enemies!) I tried to remind myself that I was thankful to be feeling so sick because it meant that things were progressing as they should. :)

On a MUCH lighter note, if you know my mother at all, you know she's a food goddess. I love reading the recipes she posts on her blog and I admire her sense of adventure in the kitchen. She's been that way as long as I can remember and I'm thankful for the variety of foods she introduced us to as children. My brother and I are some of the best foodies in the business- we love to eat and we're both becoming very fond of our own kitchen creations.

Today Nate and I decorated the house for fall. With that came old CD's that reminded us of fall, and some good cookin' in the kitchen. This afternoon I made these blueberry muffins from a William Sonoma cookbook I inherited upon marrying Nate. (He came with a WONDERFUL selection of beautiful William Sonoma cookbooks)!!!

Ingredients:

For the topping:
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. each granulated sugar and firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the Muffins:
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I used 2 cups frozen- measured wrong! :)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin cups.

Mix topping and set aside.

With electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar. Add eggs and blend.

In another bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Add dry mixture to sugar, eggs and butter in 2 batches, alternating with milk and vanilla. Batter might be lumpy. Fold in blueberries. Don't over mix.

Spoon into muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

YUM!!!

I've just pulled a tater-tot casserole out of the oven for supper. I was telling Nate the story of how Grandma D. used to let me put the tots on top when she made it. I was always so careful to make a perfect pinwheel in her round baking dish. :) What fun memories.

I've got to run. Check my facebook for photos of the Colorado trip- and maybe I'll get some up here soon. And if you're lucky, maybe a belly photo in a couple of weeks. :)

August?!

2010-08-09T16:34:00.001-07:00

Dear Readers, I am still here. I'll give you a sneak peek into the next post- a rundown of our WONDERFUL little trip to Breckenridge, Colorado last week. It. Was. Fantastic. 60 degree weather all week, which was a very sweet little peek at this coming fall. And, I LOVE fall. Everything about it.....

Anyway, drool over this- my morning tea/Bible time spot with my sweetie, and check back at the end of the week for more photos!

Zucchini

2010-07-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

My great friend, Martha, was asking about zucchini bread recipes. I thought I had one from my dad, but turns out his zucchini recipe is a soup. I have a few that I thought I'd share here- in honor of wonderful Martha. And since people are starting to harvest all of the garden zucchini, there couldn't be a better time to share. So, here you go:

Mom's Zucchini Bread- from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
3 t. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil (I always use canola- it's heart healthy!)
2 1/4 c. white sugar (I cut this to 1 1/2 cups)
3 t. vanilla extract
2 c. grated zucchini
1 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and completely cool on wire rack.

Dad's Zucchini Soup (straight from my papa!)

Ingredients:
1 pound itallian sausage
1/2 pound ground turkey
2 c. diced celery
2 pounds sliced zucchini
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2 28-oz cans tomatoes (diced)
1 14-oz can tomato puree
1 t. salt
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 green pepper chopped
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parmesean cheese
*Can add 1/2 c. pasta if you want- cook first)

Directions:
Brown sausage and turkey with onion and celery in a large soup pot.
Add remaining ingredients except for zucchini, green pepper and cheese.
Cover, simmer 20 minutes.
Add green pepper and zucchini.
Cover, cook another 10 minutes.
Garnish with cheese.

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole- also from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
4 c. shredded zucchini
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, onion, eggs, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Stir in 4 ounces of the cheese. Spread this mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish; top with remaining 4 ounces of cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes.

And finally....
Nate's Chocolate Zucchini Cake (although, I think it's his mother's recipe)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. sour milk (?- I think they add vinegar? Maybe a tablespoon)
2 1/2 c. flour
4 T. cocoa
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 C. grated zucchini
1/4 c. chocolate chips (to sprinkle on top)

Directions:
Cream butter, oil and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat well. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Put in 9 x 13 pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. YUM!

I can't guarantee that these are all "healthy".....but they sure taste good, and when you've got zucchini laying around....you don't want to let it go to waste. :)

rats- take two

2010-07-13T10:53:00.001-07:00

I just posted on Charlie's blog- accidently. Good grief. Here it is again:

I've been stuck on this for a few weeks now:

I've been stuck because I haven't had much time to read. I'm only on chapter 10 and most of the previous chapters were read either yesterday or today. I've been a bit busy - or as busy as one can be with summer break and not a lot to do.

I took a couple of days last week and headed north to my parents' house with Charlie. My mission was to clean out the boxes I had stashed in the basement years ago when I was in high school and college. Eight trash bags full of clothes, and 2/3 of dad's truck bed full of "stuff" went to donations. It's amazing how badly you NEED to buy something and ten years later, it's completely lost value and is being dumped at the local goodwill. Makes me think about the things I think I must have.....

Other than that, summer continues to be a great blessing. I've had lots of time to read, cook, nap, spend time with friends, etc. And I like having the capacity to invest in other people when I'm not stressed out about work or students or report cards, grades, tests, etc. It's nice to be home. I think I could get used to this. :) Just in time to head back in 4 weeks. My dear husband probably appreciates a more relaxed me as well....it's just been an all around nice summer. :)

On to book 3!!

2010-06-25T14:35:00.001-07:00

You're going to think I'm nuts. Unless, of course, you've read the books yourself. You understand if you're a Harry Potter reader.

I just finished book 2 today and I'm on to book 3 this evening or tomorrow morning. What I'm really excited for is snuggling up with Mr. Wonderful (Nate) and watching the 2nd movie.

I'd better be careful. These long summer days at home are allowing me far more reading time than I ever imagined. I'll snap out of it soon, only 5 books to go! (HA!) I'm sure eventually Charlie and I will make a trip up to see my folks for a few days, and I'll get to my classroom at some point as well. But for now, I'm relishing in the opportunity to kick back and enjoy some light summer reading!

Harry Potter 2!

2010-06-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

Started reading Harry Potter 2 the other day- haven't had much time to read, however. My lazy summer keeps getting in the way. :) Actually, I've spent a lot of time with friends at Bible study, over coffee, breakfast, and gallivanting around town to all the girlie stores I could find. It's been a good week.

Summer Project

2010-06-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is my summer project:

I've never read the Harry Potter series. I'd like to. And, as a teacher, I feel that it is necessary. :) I purchased book one today at Bluestem Books.

I'm excited. :)

Some of my favorite things

2010-06-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

Nate and I are crafty. We love to create. I haven't been very good about posting photos lately, so you get a load of them now- a few of my favorite things from la casa de Eigsti.

This is one of many garden lights that Nate created this year. They've got a solar pannel in the top and they hang in the trees to create a sweet ambiance when the sun goes down. I love them.

I love to read. And I love elephants.

This plate comes from our good friends in Japan. We miss C & M so much!

Nate made this clock for me during the winter blizzards. It hangs in my sewing room and I love it.

Here is one of Charlie’s favorite blankets.

Whipped up this little tea towel for my good gal, Martha. Next time, I’ll get one of those rings before I try to hand-stitch again. Sheesh.

I knit and crochet and loved this bowl of yarn in the cozy cold winter.

It is my goal this summer to get my stitch on. I’ve got ideas buzzing around in my head and I just need to get some coffee and lock myself in my sewing room while Nate is at work. That would make me very, very happy.

Live feed

2010-06-13T19:58:00.001-07:00

Recently I added the "live feed" on the right of the screen. And it shows where my blog is being viewed- which is exciting for me because it tells me that people are reading! But it drives me CRAZY to not know who it is.

Just thought I'd let you know. :)

We just got back from Nate's brother's wedding in KC. I've got lots of pictures to share- but not tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

XOXO

Going Green- one load at a time!

2010-06-06T15:17:00.001-07:00

Here's a recipe I'm trying from my good friend, Melissa's, blog.

1 bar Fels Naptha
1 1/2 cup Arm and Hammer (All Natural) Washing Soda
1 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

(or any variation of these amounts, so long as the proportions are the same)

All you do is grate the Fels Naptha and mix it with the two powders! Note that the Arm and Hammer Soda is WASHING soda, not baking soda. I put all the ingredients in a bag, shake it up, and store it in my linen closet (which sort of acts as an air freshener too). Or you could store it in a little container or something too.

The thing with this home-made stuff is that you don't need as much in each load as you would with the store-bought stuff, and it has natural fabric softeners in it, so you can forget the staticky sheets that you never find until you put your arm through a sweater sleeve. The recommended amount for each load is about 2-3 tablespoons. Honestly, I put more than twice that amount out of personal preference, but just play around and see what works best for you. Also, this powder won't make suds like regular laundry detergents, but don't worry... it's still working.

The absolute BEST part is that it's a small step towards making your life a little more environmentally friendly, consuming less and saving money! It totally makes sense! All of the ingredients can be found at a grocery store, but don't forget to take your reusable shopping bags when you go!!

She's a real gem. I'm excited to see how it turns out. In fact, my first load might be done now! Happy laundering, everyone!

June-Bug-2

2010-06-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

For the record, I do have more good days than bad. :) I just usually feel like blogging and processing when I'm in a funk. So- that's when you usually hear from me. :)

I finished school last week so I'm on summer vacation! I'm going to miss my 1st graders, but will LOVE my time off. I plan to spend it in these ways:

reading
writing
digging into my Bible
going through a 90-day Proverbs 31 woman devotional with my best bud April
drinking lots and lots of iced coffee
playing with Charlie
planning meals for my man
Jazz in June
evening walks with my guys (Nate and Charlie)
Jason & Michelle's wedding (!)
tending to my garden
eating lettuce from my barrels
sewing
singing (really loudly) to lots of great music while I'm home alone
blogging

I'm excited for the new season. I'm looking forward to growing as an individual and REALLY looking forward to having the capacity to invest more in the people I love.

Happy summer!!!!

Memorial Day

2010-05-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Tomorrow is also a day to remember the people we love who have passed away. Generally, you take flowers to the grave of your loved person. We can't do that because the memorial service for all the babies this year isn't until October. But I'll still buy flowers. And I'll still think of Oliver.

This weekend, I'm bringing flowers home for him. Usually they're for me. This time, they're strictly for Oliver. They'll sit on top of the piano- one of my favorite places in our home. And I'll think of our son every time I see them. When I was pregnant, I used to play the piano and dream of the day Oliver's ears could hear the beautiful hymns and songs. I'd dream of telling him about Jesus and that he had a God who loved him even more than his parents do. I dreamed of teaching him the words to old hymns and letting him pound on the keys while I played along.

He's already doing those things now- and Heaven's hymns, I'm sure, are far more beautiful than any music I could have taught him here.

"Oh what peace the Spirit of Jesus brings
through the trials He will carry me
One day, in Heaven, our eyes will meet
Filled with wonder, all the saints will sing

Hallelujah! What a savior!
I owe everything to Him
Hallelujah what a savior
Hallelujah to my King "

We love you, little Oliver. Happy Memorial day!

Be Still My Soul

2010-05-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have been really hard. I'm not sure if I'm more sensitive right now and I'm noticing everything painful or what.....but it's been tough.

I thought I was getting better and that I was able to handle the entire situation more gracefully than before. But with Mother's Day, a great friend having her 10-week ultrasound, parents of students having babies or announcing a new pregnancy, friends posting due dates on facebook, or the child waving a long run of ultrasound pictures out his mom's car window as they drove away from school today.....I'm finding myself broken and sad. Just sad.

I'm not saying this to make you feel sorry for me or to boo-hoo all over myself. But this is me. This is real and this is me today. This is me yesterday. And I pray to God that this isn't me tomorrow.

I think, my dear friends, that this is grief.

I miss my tiny baby boy.

Mother's Day

2010-05-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my first Mother's Day. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm a mother to Charlie, a dog with whom I'm absolutely in love, and more importantly, a little perfect Oliver who lives in Heaven.

Today I've struggled to keep myself together. Tomorrow we're headed up to see my parents and spend the day with them. I'm so thankful to spend the day with my mom- there's no one else like her when I'm feeling scared and confused and trying to push the lumps back down from my throat.

I'm feeling much stronger lately. I'm not sure if I actually am stronger or if God's answering the flood of prayers for us and providing a peace that I can't understand. A part of me wants to sort it all out. Another part of me wants to throw my hands in the air and say "who cares what goes where- I feel better, we'll get through this, and I AM a mother and I'm celebrating that". Today I choose the latter.

Happy mother's day, everyone.

I couldn't have said it better....

2010-05-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Crystal, sent me this incredible link. It comes from here- I can take no credit. Here's a copy of the post that hit so close to home:

"I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people about grief in the last two and a half years. Some I’ve been able to answer personally, some I haven’t. There’s really no formula for how I decide which ones to answer and which ones not to. It’s more of an in-the-moment thing, where I have 15 minutes and can pour my soul into a response to a complete stranger.

Many of the emails come from people who know someone who just lost a baby–someone from church, a family member, a close friend. That’s probably because the people who just lost the baby are not even sure what’s happening and are completely and utterly in shock. The people on the outside have their heads on straight enough, relatively speaking, to put an email together and ask for help, or even just commiseration.

The one thing I’ve found myself writing to these people over and over again is this: Give brokenhearted love. Ask God to give you a broken heart. That will go further with your friend than any meal or house-cleaning ever could. Granted, I think meals and house-cleaning are immensely important to offer, and some people will be particularly gifted in giving those things. But if you want to go deeper into the loss with your friend, you’re going to have to be heartbroken.

For one thing, grief is really isolating. Especially when it’s a baby who is stillborn, people can sometimes think things like, “Oh, well the baby never lived outside the womb. It’s not like they knew that baby or anything.” And when you come home without a baby, there’s very little evidence that that child ever existed. So when you’re going through the hell of grief, it can feel like you were the only one who lost that baby, and that everyone else’s life has just moved on.

And in some sense, that’s true. Most people are not marking the days and weeks the same way as you are. But there will be a few who will.

And I suppose that’s who I’m writing for, the people who remember.

In our culture, people don’t like to talk about death. And dead babies??? Forget it. That’s because it’s horrifying. I’ll never forget how terrified I was to look at Felicity for the first time. And she was my child.

But brokenhearted love will choose to take on the horror and bear it with you.

In the first few weeks after we lost Felicity, a stranger who I didn’t know (but who went to our church) was signed up to bring me a meal. I kind of had my brave face on to answer the door, get through the interaction, get the food, exchange a few pleasantries back and forth, and get back to my existence.

But there was something very different about this person. As she handed me the food, she was sobbing. I’m not exaggerating here–tears flowing down her face. I was completely disarmed. I remember eventually she asked me if she could see Felicity’s room, if we had it set up. And before I knew it, I was climbing the stairs with this complete stranger, taking her into one of the most sacred spaces in my home.

It felt kind of crazy, but it felt safe. Because she was heartbroken. Just like me, heartbroken.

And even just last week, I had someone tell me that she stopped at Felicity’s grave. And she told me, through her tears, what she was thinking and feeling about that. It’s been two and a half years. She’s never told me anything like that before. And so we stood in her back yard and cried real tears together.

This is the bravery of brokenhearted love.

People who are grieving need to know that they’re not alone. They need to know that their loss is somehow your loss too. Tell them that you visited the cemetery–not for brownie points, but because you want to remember with them. Tell them that you cried in the bathtub the other day. Tell them that when you hear a certain song it takes the breath out of your lungs.

I’ll warn you: you might cry when you tell them these things. HALLELUJAH! You have NO idea what that will mean to someone who’s grieving. Let it FLOW! What are we holding it together for anyway? So our mascara doesn’t run? So we won’t feel embarrassed or uncomfortable? There’s a reason that lump forms in your throat. It’s because you’re holding something in that wants to come out!

So if you’re wondering what you can give your grieving friend, I know it sounds totally cliche, but…give them your heart. Lay it bare. Entering into their pain and sharing your experience of the loss will be profoundly comforting.

I’ve made it through the last two years and seven months because of brokenhearted love. It’s been a gift to me, from those who were willing to give it."

Flu-bug

2010-04-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Talk about getting kicked while you're down. Sheish. This month has been rough, if I may be so honest. Sunday night at about 1AM (Monday morning) I found myself starting the 8-hour grueling yo-yo pattern of bed-bathroom-bed-bathroom. Ick. Nate was an incredibly patient husband and took very good care of me.

Now I'm home for the second day- trying to keep crackers and gatorade in my system. Ironically this all started just hours after writing in my prayer journal about the struggles of slowing down. I like to stay really busy so that I don't have to think about the reality of life. Slowing down gives me more time to think and more time to process and inevitably, I become sad and emotional. It's easier to ignore and keep moving. God has a funny sense of humor. "Here Heather, here's the flu. Why don't you just sit for a couple of days, talk to me, listen- stay home alone, lay on the couch and just BE." Agh. Fine.

So, here I am.

This past week has been the hardest of them all. I'm hearing from some reliable sources that hormones take a few weeks to get back to normal. I feel so unlike myself some days. Postpartum? Maybe. A sad mama? Very possible. A "mom" who doesn't feel like a mom because there isn't anyone to show for it? Yes. Everything inside me knew I was a mom- but now....he's not here. Babies should either be IN their moms or close enough that mom can hold them. I've got neither. And that's hard to understand and hard to process through.

I know that women go through this all the time. But you don't think about it being this hard all the time. Deal with it and move on.

nice try.

One of the hardest things is seeing other people "deal with it and move on"- which is exactly what they should do. But I can't seem to get there. I can't deal and move because I think about it all the time. I miss him all the time.

I know it takes time. I know that it's OK to take everything one day at a time. Some days will be good, some days will be a lot harder. I know that it's OK to be sad and to cry. But I'm tired of crying and I'm tired of being sad. The very selfish mother in me wants to hold onto God by His shirt collar and scream at Him, "I WILL be a good mother. Nate WILL be a wonderful father. You WILL give us this child and we WILL take incredibly good care of him!"

But the sane person in me trusts that God's plan is far greater. Oliver may never have developed into a full functioning child. God may just have saved us some unimaginable heartache. He has a story for us and one day we will look back and see how this fits perfectly into the story with a beautiful ending. Right now in this season, this is hard.

Thanks for all your prayers and encouraging words. It's so nice to not feel "forgotten" even as the rest of the world moves on. We feel lifted by your prayers and we know that we're being supported by friends all around the world.

Oliver Richard Eigsti

2010-04-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

We've decided to name him. This baby was as much a life as any other child- we saw and have video of his heart beating and his little body moving around from last Monday. How quickly things can change...

The name we chose is Oliver Richard. We like the name Oliver because it is a form of "Olive tree" and when we thought back to what the olive trees symbolizes, we were reminded of the flood and Noah who sent out a dove to find land. The dove came back with a branch from an olive tree which was a sign that God takes care of us- even through storms, that He fulfills the promises He makes to never leave us and that He will always pull us through the "floods" of life with His mighty hand.

The name Richard is in honor of Nate's grandpa who went to Heaven a few years ago. He was a faithful prayer-filled man who loved the Lord and was admired and respected by his family and friends. We take comfort today knowing that Grandpa and Oliver get to take care of each other until we get there.

Dad's point of view

2010-04-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

Here's a copy of an email that Nate sent out to family and some of our close friends Wednesday evening. I thought it would be good for you to hear his point of view. It's beautiful.

Wanted to give you all an update on how things are going. It’s funny how quiet our home seemed when we came home from the hospital yesterday. Just knowing that our little guy (we’re pretty sure he was a dude) was no longer growing from the size of one fruit to another every week. It just seemed quiet. How can we miss a little guy that we only saw on the ultrasound once? It’s been tougher than we could have ever imagined. But, we are clinging to our faith and the God that gives and takes life. We don’t understand…we hurt…but we have faith in God’s plan.

Last night and this morning were both really hard in preparing for the surgery where they take our little guy’s body from Heather’s womb. Something about that surgery seemed so cold and invasive. As a father and a husband, it broke my heart to see Heather wheeled away this morning. I couldn’t hold her hand or even be with her as they performed the surgery. But I was comforted by the doctor’s remarks that it was a successful surgery and everything on the inside looked very normal and healthy. Outside of what appeared to be a chromosome mismatch, there is no reason the baby would not have survived. The environment in the womb is very healthy and had been progressing as it should. He didn’t see any reasons that we would have complications in the future. Heather was a trooper – she went through three nurses (two students and then one seasoned veteran) to get her IV in. Both hands now have some major souvenirs. The right hand has eight visible “attempts”. Heather is doing well this evening; a few cramps, but relatively well.

We were incredibly comforted to know where our baby is going to be laid to rest. The hospital will bury our child in October in the Lincoln Cemetery with other little babies that have not made it this year. We will be able to participate in a walk with other parents and see where his physical body lies.

I cannot tell you how loved and encouraged we have felt by each of you. Your thoughts, prayers, calls, texts, visits, etc. have been uplifting and a breath of fresh air while we mourn. We don’t feel that we are in this alone. Last night we were talking about how blessed we are with the friends and family that have supported us. Not only that, but also the many encouragements to keep our focus on how God is and has been taking care of us. A dear friend sent us the following song to offer comfort:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FobeElssLCs (we can’t find a clear version- but this gives you an idea) “Glory Baby” by Christy Nockels of Watermark

Brings us to tears, but gives us comfort. Also, Amy Grant’s latest song was a favorite of ours before the events of this week. The lyrics have taken on a whole new meaning after this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nMvvoXa9Yk

And so many verses:

Jer 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Psalm 139: 13-14 (NIV) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 34:18 (NIV) "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit"

So we rejoice with many tears in our eyes. Somehow. We don’t understand, but we trust. After all, that’s what faith is, right? We are moving forward a few steps at a time, hand in hand. For any of you that have children or will soon, please do not feel that you need to refrain from sharing stories, joys or challenges with us. We love each of you and your children the same today as we did three days ago. We would never feel offended, jealous or hurt. No need to walk on eggshells with us - so please share the stories and let us laugh, cry and support you as you have us.

We love you all and appreciate your prayers and support. If I could ask one thing I ask that as you continue to pray for us as we grieve, that you also pray for our parents and siblings. This was the first grandchild and nephew on both sides. They are grieving – as their hearts have also been broken. They don’t get the same attention and prayers as we do. So please pray for them.

Nate & Heather

Baby Eigsti

2010-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've been avoiding this post. Mostly because I'm not sure where to start. I've been looking forward to sharing our news for over a month- well, since we found out on February 28th that we were going to be the proud new parents of Baby Eigsti- arriving in November 2010. We. were. elated. We immediatly told parents on both sides about their first grandbaby, we sent our siblings cards addressed to "Aunt Emily" and "Uncle James"...phone calls were carefully made to those we wanted to be praying for us and our new family. And over the Easter holiday, we decided we were "close enough" to week 12 to share with any extended family that was there. Everyone was so excited.

Nate and I both took a half day on Monday this week to have our first ultrasound at 10 weeks. We saw a strong heartbeat, and our sweet little miracle on the monitor and tears streamed down both of our faces. He really was there! That was the first proof we'd had that our assumptions and positive home pregnancy tests weren't just a mean trick- we really were pregnant! And there he was!

We were then met with the words, "I have some concerns" and from that point forward our world seemed to quickly spiral down with information we didn't really understand and complications that we couldn't control. They sent us to Methodist in Omaha the following morning for a "second opinion" and by the time we got there, the baby's heart had stopped and we were looking at a time to schedule a D&C back in Lincoln. How quickly our dreams were stomped out; this option had never crossed our mind- we were now parents with a child in Heaven. The concerns had been over the amount of fluid that was on Baby E's brain. We were ready to parent a child with some mental instabilities. We were scared and unsure of how to tackle our new role as "parents of a child with special needs"- but we were going for it. The fact that we might go there that morning and find a dead baby were not options in our minds. We had never even considered that possibility. We were ready for some hard news- but not that hard.

My mom had driven to Omaha that morning to be with us at our appointment. I wanted her there to ask parent questions that we wouldn't think of on our own. Her being there for that hard news was vital. She called all the family on that side so we didn't have to. And there's nothing like a mother's hug when the world drops out from under you.

The surgery to remove Baby E was yesterday morning. Everything went fine. I hated going there. I hated knowing that we were going with our baby but would have to leave without him; that we would come home and he would stay there with all the other little babies that haven't made it. The doctors said everything looked really good and there was no reason other than a chromosomal mismatch that would have caused a baby not to survive in my womb. I think I'm supposed to be comforted by this. Right now, I'm not. I wanted that baby. I wanted a November 2010 birthday. I wanted to go to Jazz in June in tank tops and skirts with a cute little baby belly. I wanted to wander the farmers market in my flip flops and dresses- baby belly and Nate in tow. I wanted that baby.

What Nate and I are holding onto now are the promises we know to be true. God's timing is far greater than anything we can see or imagine. He knows what is best. HE knows what kind of life Baby E would have had. He knows how hard it might have been for us to struggle as parents to a child who could never have lived a full functioning life. We rest assured that God made a very difficult decision for us and that He ended this life in His timing so that Baby E, Nate and I would not have to suffer so much. Right now, we lean on those things.

We've had a revolving door of people we love stopping by to visit, phone calls, texts, emails, cards, etc. We appreciate them all. I default to "hostess" when people stop by. I pull myself together and act as if everything is OK. On the phone, I can give the facts, I can talk about any of it, I can quote the Bible verses we're holding onto. But late at night when the house is still, early in the morning while we're lying in bed unable to sleep, in the shower, on the couch staring out the window, when Nate sits next to my curled up body- those are the moments I'm caught off guard. Those are the times when I break down and simply can't bear the thought that he's not here anymore. And then I have to dream of Grandpa Eigsti or Ann's dad playing with our little one- people we knew and loved who are in Heaven- they must be taking care of our little guy. They loved us, they must love him too. And I'll always know that Jesus loves the little children and has already welcomed our little guy with His loving arms. I just wanted to hold him too. We both did. And some day we will- but we'll have to wait for a while to do that.

So, that's what's happening in our lives. It's been a really hard week. Your prayers are much appreciated. We love all of you and know we have lots of love and support from family and friends. That and our faith is what is getting us through this.

Better than a Hallelujah

2010-03-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

This song...I love it. I'm not a fan of this "video", but it's the only one I could find today- and it shows the lyrics, which are wonderful.

So, for you today, Amy Grant and "Better than a Hallelujah"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nMvvoXa9Yk

The embedded version is unavailable right now- go check it out on youtube. It's wonderful.

Post #301- 1st grade story

2010-03-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

I just HAD to share this story with you.

This is from the same student who produced the poems "vacuum", "scratch", etc. from a February post. Here's a story he wrote this week.

I have a kitty! We got her from the vet.
Meow, meow, meow went the kitty all the way home in the truck. We named her Meow.
I was bugging the cat. Poke, poke, poke! ERR! Meow clawed my cheek! OUCH! She made me bleed.
Pet her nicely! It makes Meow angry when I'm not gentle.
I like to play with kitty.

love. it.

no title today.

2010-03-01T19:35:00.001-08:00

A coworker and friend, Becky, came to school today and said, "Guess what I did for 2 hours Friday night..." Bowling, Checkers....I had no idea. Her response: "Read your blog." I was baffled. Was it really that good?

So tonight I went back to 2007 and perused through some of my old posts. It made me miss my college self- I was witty. I was hilarious. I made myself laugh out loud. I am proud of who I was. And wondered where she went. Maybe she's still around....just a little older and more refined. Refined. Ha.

My goal now is to get back to that creative, literary mindset. READ! Write! Sit at a coffee shop simply to....be at a coffee shop. Pretend to be a queen for a day, throw worms in the rain, smell and listen and feel the seasons like I used to.

Now it seems like life is just too fast. It's hard to remember to slow down and experience life. It's easy to go through the motions and forget about the joys and passions that I have. So....I will try to let myself be a little more free. Free to be ridiculous. Free to be hilarious. Free to suck all the marrow out of life. And for heaven's sake- spring and rainstorms are just around the corner- this shouldn't be difficult!

This is too cute not to post!

2010-02-23T18:28:00.001-08:00

Bathroom Makeover

2010-02-21T18:52:00.001-08:00

We've been very busy this weekend with a bathroom project. Our master bath used to look like this:

(Clearly this photo was taken BEFORE we moved in. Nate wanted me to make sure you didn't assume WE had a shiny gold free standing toilet paper holder or a fluffy toilet seat cover.)

New hardware, paint, lights, mirrors, towel ring and toilet paper holder helped spiff up what used to be a stuck-in-the-ninety’s style bathroom and gave it a calm, modern feel. Eventually we’d like to lay tile- but not this weekend. :) Here are a few photos.

That is a new light fixture. I wish we had a photo of the old one. I’ll give you a description: shiny, gold, ruffled frosted glass.

NOW:

New robe hooks:

And the finished product:

And here’s what else we’ve been up to:

Saying farewell to some dear friends, Levi and Courtney, who now live in D.C.

Snuggling with Charlie.

LOTS of baking.

My class playing math BINGO with my para.

Birthday breakfast with a few great friends. Here’s a fun game: spot James in every picture.

A Lincoln STARS hockey game.

A theme party for the LOST season premier. Even Charlie sported some Dharma gear. He is, after all, named after Charles Widmore.

New fabric for my next craft project.

Pink pancakes for Valentine’s Day. They were from one of my first graders, the box said "just add water", and they were terrible.

Our only photo of the evening after the other 4 guests had already gone home- Valentine’s Day dinner with Jay & Liz.

And finally, one of my1st graders signing his book to “RuthE” the school service dog.

Have a great week, friends!!!

Demolition Day

2010-02-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

Well, not really demolition per say....but we're redoing our master bathroom today. Nate's in there trimming and I'm waiting my turn to attack with the roller. Our color is "sage wood"- it's really pretty. I'll post before and after pictures as soon as we're done.

We're tearing out some old tri-fold medicine cabinets, switching out all of the shiny gold light fixtures and bringing in some brushed nickel details. Out with the GOLD, in with the new!!!

I've also been perusing ETSY a lot lately and it's totally inspiring me to create some "vondaful" things. Can't wait to show you!

1st grade poetry

2010-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

We just started poetry last week. Here are a few gems from one of my 1st graders.

Hamburger
I'm hot and tasty
on a bed of bread
covered with yellow and red
sitting on pickles
make sad
eat me all gone.

Spider
Crawl up rooms
doing a wacky dance
in the spotlight

Vacuum
Eat up dirt
yum yum yum

Mrs. Eigsti
Got treats
birthday breakfast
got treats
eat pancakes
have pop tarts
have cereal

Scratch
Scratch on my face
scratch right there
eye scratched
little tree makes
my face bleed

School Bus
Ride the bus
a bus
in my seat
the radio is all gone.

I'm guessing that the school bus was too noisy so the driver turned the music off. :) I'll post some more soon. These poems make my world a little more delightful- one line at a time!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

NEW LOOK!

2010-01-25T18:51:00.000-08:00

Nate the GREAT updated the look of my blog- SUPER cute! The bad thing is, I lost all my "followers" in the process. If you were a follower, will you follow again? And if you never were, please help yourself!

This Moment

2010-01-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

(This is not intended to be depressing. Just stay with me.)

Last night after an hour of tossing, I counted backwards from 300 by 3's and still couldn't sleep, so I was thinking about life.

It started with a comment I made to my mother a few months ago- one she probably doesn't even remember. I said, "When are you moving here?", insinuating that I missed them so much that they should pick up their lives and move 2 hours to a new city to be closer to me. (Completely selfish). Mom knew I was joking and we shared a laugh. And last night, for whatever reason, that came back to me and I realized that I don't want them to move here -simply because I don't want to ever "lose" my home. My parents moved into their current house when I was 3 and that's all I've ever known of "going home". Then the thought occurred to me that one day my parents won't live there anymore. One day another family will move into that house, paint over my mother's boarders and wall colors. And their furniture and nick-knacks and family paintings and photos of us growing up, old toys from my childhood, and blankets we've worn the fuzz down on....they'll all be somewhere else.

When we grow up, parents die. We clean out their homes. We go through things that once had so much meaning, and I don't ever want to get to that point in my life.

Right now, Nate and I have all of our parents. We have all of our siblings. I have every grandparent I've ever known still on this Earth. I have never had to witness the death of someone close to me. Our families are healthy, happy, and extremely blessed and I don't want anything to change. I wish that we could, for as long as we wanted, push a pause button on life. Say, "Lord, you've blessed me immeasurably. Everyone I love is here with me. Let's just not change any of it, OK?"

Wouldn't that be nice?

But here comes the part where I learn to trust God's plan for my life. Here's where I see that He has provided more than I ever deserved and I enjoy this moment. I live today knowing that my job here is to further the kingdom, and that He's given me an incredible support system to do so.

"I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:11

"Whatever is good...comes to us from God above". James 1:17

"Those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing" Psalm 34:10

"God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God" Romans 8:28

Today I am not sad. I am not depressed about the way things will eventually be. Today I love my family. I celebrate that we can laugh, cook together, hang out for holidays, call each other whenever we want, send cards to grandparents, visit relatives who live far away, and know that everyone is OK. I look forward to the times we have ahead and know that eventually we will get to spend eternity together. Now that is something to look forward to!

Croutons?

2010-01-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned that I recieved a bread maker for Christmas. Well, with all the snow days from school I've been....do I dare say it?.....baking TOO much. !!! We can't keep up. The joy of cooking and baking for me is the actual, you said it, cooking and baking part. Don't get me wrong, I love food- but I'm not one to love eating the same thing for days on end. I like it once, maybe twice and then I'm bored and ready to make something different. So, being able to make food FOR people....now that's what I love!

Anyway, we had some whole wheat bread that had been around for a good week and a half- no mold, so I decided to dice it up and make croutons. Last night I cut the leftover 1/2 loaf into 1-inch cubes (roughly). I spread them out on a baking sheet overnight- mostly because I didn't feel like baking them last night. And this afternoon, I tossed them in 1/8 cup canola oil and 2 teaspoons "Mama Mullen's Seasoning Mix"- you could use any spices you want- combo of 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, etc. Whatever you want, really. Then I baked them for 15 min at 350. I pulled them out halfway through and mixed them up a little. And when they came out, they were DE-LISH! Charlie loved the two that fell on the floor in the transfer to the container.

Anyway, super easy. Yummy. Healthy. Do it.

Confession

2010-01-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

I struggle a lot with fear. On any given day, if I try a couple of times and can't reach someone on their phone- like Nate or my parents or my brother, I go simply. ballistic. -to the point of tears. I automatically think the worst- start figuring out how I'll work through the details of "the accident" or whatever I assume happened to them. I curl a box of kleenex under my arm and wait. wait. wait. to hear from them (or the police or another family member notifying me of the details). I know this is completely ridiculous and a waste of my time. My blood pressure undoubtedly goes through the roof and the amount of stress I put myself through could probably be measured in metric tons.

I'm working on this. I know we have a God who loves us and has MY best interest in mind. He knows the plans. I don't. I'm not proud to admit that I do this, but it's something I'm trying to overcome through prayer and staying in the word. Today I found these verses very comforting.

"I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear HIM,
And rescues them." Psalm 34:4-7

It goes on to explain how beautifully he listens to and hears our cries. He delivers us from troubles, hears us, sees us.....

"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And HIS ears are open to their cry.
The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:15-17

What a beautiful reminder of his promise.

I have no title for this post

2010-01-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

I ran across this on the K-love website today. Get your Kleenex ready.

USC Draws Inspiration From No. 1 Fan - ESPN Video

Monday

2010-01-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

This is me avoiding grading any of the papers I brought home from school today.

Last night I made this meatloaf and this Curried Squash soup- which don't go together in any sense....but they were both good in and of themselves. Around 9:00 I decided I wanted to make these Carrot Cupcakes. YUM! I'm not kidding- they were the bomb-diggitty. The squash soup tasted like India and I've made the meatloaf before. Because of the turkey, it's got a different flavor than you're used to- and the "sauce" isn't loaded with ketchup and brown sugar like everyone's mom makes (which is super-yummy). But, it's a good alternative.

School was good today. It brings great joy to see my little peanuts waiting for me before school in the hallways every morning. I really do love my job. I could do without standards and benchmarks, or at least the pressure of them.....but I suppose if I were to simply hang out with children all day I would be in the day-care business- which I absolutely WILL NEVER do. Kudos to those of you who take care of our little sweetie pies while mom and dad are at work- but I wouldn't know what to do with them all day.

All this to say, I enjoy my job. :)

And with that, I must correct papers.

And I leave you with another great song: "Let the Waters Rise" by Mikeschair

So far so good

2010-01-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

I've been leafing through my Ellie cookbooks this week and so far have tried some pretty great recipes. Last night we had these:

Sloppy Joes
Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

* 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
* 1 onion, diced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 jalapeno, minced
* 1 red pepper, diced
* 1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
* 1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon molasses
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 teaspoon mustard powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 8 whole-wheat burger buns

Directions

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

I loved them. Nate wasn't sure about the beans, but they could be mashed next time for a smoother texture. Very good- healthy, worth a try.

Soup has been sounding oh-so-good with these oh-so-chilly temperatures this week. I went for this soup New Year's day- my only problem was that I didn't leave it in the blender long enough to take care of ALL the veggie chunks. Next time: blend longer. :)

Green Pea Soup
2005, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 large onion, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (10-oz) bag frozen peas
* 4 teaspoons plain nonfat yogurt, optional

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over moderately-low heat. Add the onion, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tarragon, salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook just until defrosted.

In a blender, puree the soup in 2 batches until very smooth. If serving hot, return the soup to the pot and bring just to a simmer. If serving cold, transfer to the refrigerator to chill. Ladle into bowls. Stir the yogurt so that it is smooth and top each serving with a swirl of yogurt.

Nate's parents bought me a bread machine for Christmas. I love baking and I've been making bread for years. But the ease of throwing all the ingredients into the machine, letting it mix and rise without my assistance....this is a new luxury! My first two loaves have been a "winter bread" and an "apple walnut". More often than not, I will probably mix and rise in the bread maker and then take out to bake in the oven. I'm excited. So is my stomach.

Coffee refill- coming right up. Followed closely by reading of some sort. :)

2010

2010-01-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2010! I'm looking forward to the new year- I have a feeling it's going to be a great one. :)

I generally welcome a new year with much anticipation and hope. I look forward to new goals, challenges, and find little pings of joy thinking about what might happen in the upcoming months.

Today I've had a song playing in my head over and over. Two, actually. The first is this:

The other is the song, "Be still my soul". I'm finding the lyrics especially intriguing today. Read at least the first verse- and the rest if you have time.

1. Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow for forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

And as long as I'm sharing music, here's another one of my favorites right now:

I don't like the cliche "New Years Resolution" deal. And I suppose "setting goals" is no different- but I do like to set some goals for a new year.

This year, I'd like to spend more time in the word; more time in quiet; more time being still- and consequently, more time journaling.

I'd like to get back into running- my heart needs it and I like feeling strong and healthy.

I would like to continue cooking lots of new foods- Nate and I really enjoy cooking and we've got mad skills in the kitchen- if I do say so. I'm crediting this ability to my mother, who is the cook of all cooks, in my opinion. Plus, we find great satisfaction in creating healthy alternatives to run-of-the-mill recipes. So...if you're hungry and in the area- come over to eat!

OK, must go. Hopefully you'll hear more from me this year!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

This year we're snowed into our first home. I suppose that's not all bad- although there is something about mom's food, the ambiance of "home" with grandparents, siblings, relatives, mom and dad.....I wish we were there.

The weather is downright crummy for driving. Winds, ice, snow....it's just not good. So we're staying put. Nate and I bought "Rummikub" and "Yahtzee" for our holiday at home. This is Charlie's first Christmas, so we'll celebrate with more dog gifts than he'll ever care about. My brother might brave the roads to come across town tonight or tomorrow. My cousin Clint and his family, and Emily & Brian are also really close, so they might come too. We'll just have a "kids Christmas" here since we can't be home with mom and dad.

I haven't blogged for quite some time. Things have been going fine. Busy, as usual. Today I'm drinking lots of coffee and reading "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett. So far, so good.

And, as my brother says, "There's a storm 'a brewin'".
Games, food and family tonight. Should be pretty great considering the circumstances.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Dad's Zucchini soup

2009-10-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

We had a few friends over for dinner tonight. It was a cold, blustery October evening and we thought soup sounded delish. So, we made two different kinds. The first was my dad's zucchini soup. I typed up the recipe for our friend, Mike, and I thought I might as well post it for everyone else too! I know zucchini season is ending, but if you've got any leftover, this would be a great way to use it!

Mike Mullen's Zucchini Soup

1 pound Italian Sausage (I used the Johnsonville mild ground sausage)
1/2 pound ground turkey (I used 1.2 pounds from a ground turkey package)
2 c. diced celery
2 pounds sliced zucchini
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2- 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1- 14. oz can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 green pepper chopped
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and turkey with onion and celery.
Add remaining ingredients except for green pepper, zucchini and cheese.
Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
Add green pepper and zucchini.
Cover and simmer 10 more minutes.
Garnish with cheese.

Happy Anniversary, my Love!!!

2009-09-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my incredible husband, Nate.

Today we are celebrating our first anniversary. Our year has gone faster than I ever expected. We've learned to love, we've fallen farther for each other, and we've shared experiences and have memories from our first year of marriage that can never be taken by anyone. That is something special. No one else in this entire world will have our memories, our inside jokes, and the understanding that we have for one another.

Nate has been a great teacher, a wonderful friend, and the best bed-buddy I could have ever asked for. :) This year I've learned more about myself than I thought possible. We agree that we've learned how selfish we really are, that it's hard to love sometimes, but that at the end of the day, crawling into bed with your best friend by your side is one of the greatest joys in life. We've grown in our culinary expertise (!) and experienced a few flops as well... (*cough*zucchinichips*cough*)

We've had a wonderful weekend with family. My parents came down and Nate's parents came up. We spent the day with my family and met up with Nate's side for a spot of shopping and supper at a Habachi grill. Most of us caught the flying shrimp- although, I did get two chances, and that's my only excuse for catching it. Our parents surprised us with a husker stone for our yard and we took some family photos with it. Charlie is especially fond, as you can see. We ate yummy cake- a replicate of our wedding cake by the same wonderful baker- mmmmm! Emily and Brian came over, and the night was a wonderful reminder of how incredibly blessed we are by our families.

Today was a great day. We started it off with pumpkin spice lattes and the Buffalo Run. (We didn't run, especially not after pumpkin spice lattes!) We watched my best friend run and she did great! You can see her waving in one of the photos- mid race. :)

We then stopped at my brother's house to see his newest basement remodeling project, visited with my parents who were still in town, and found ourselves in the Celebrate section of the newspaper! What a great suprise! Our parents are the best!!!

Breakfast at the golf course was next- and the weather couldn't have been better! The company couldn't have been better!!! We so enjoyed each other today- a pure joy and blessing for our hearts. We went to the movie, The Time Traveler's Wife, which wasn't as good as the book, but still pretty good.

So, we're blessed. We're thankful. And we look forward to the life ahead of us- together!

Still storming.

2009-09-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'm really not trying to be Debbie Downer. But school is really overwhelming me right now. We have what seems like a MILLION meetings- and no time to catch up on classroom stuff. By the time I've sat through a meeting or two, cleaned up the room, and gathered my ducks to sit down to do some planning, it's 5 o'clock and my carpool is ready to roll. Eeesh...

So I'm bringing things home every night to work on and the frustration continues to build. I've been challenged by the sermon this last week at Berean- BC talked about how our society "lives for 5 o'clock and weekends". I don't want to do that- my calling is a 24 hour deal- at school, at home, in the car, on Monday morning, and on Saturday night. I don't get to decide when I'm going to live for the Kingdom and when I'm going to complain about "only 3 more hours" or "is it Friday yet?".

So, this post is honest. I'm frustrated and overwhelmed. This post is not written in defeat, however. I know this is my mission field and I'm excited about the challenge. I just hope God makes me a little stronger for this next season and gives me wisdom to work smarter not harder. (And a few more hours of planning time would be nice. :)

Take care, friends!

Storms and flowers

2009-09-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

I love rain. Physical rain. Loud, fat, storming rain. Rain that invades my lungs and wakes my imagination. I love the inspiration I get from rain to be better; to love better; to create better.

This year I feel like it's raining in 1st grade. Although, not the wonderful, fresh fall or spring rains that I love. Here's an interesting and great metaphor that I received in an email today.

“little flowers never worry when the wind begins to blow…even little flowers know if it never, ever rains then they’d never, ever grow.” Sometimes as educators we may feel like we are facing storm after storm. As I learn and grow in this position, I am acutely aware storms are part of the job. But not the most important part, the rain is needed to harvest the positive outcomes.

It is ringing so true. I feel like this week has been a storm after storm after storm week. And I never open these "Lincoln educators" emails....but for some reason I did today. I'm glad I did. :) Keep growing, little Heather, keep growing!

Haiti

2009-08-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a video my friend, Ben Welstead put together from a recent trip to Haiti. It's incredibly beautiful and should be shared with many hearts. Thank God for willing servants and compassionate hearts.

Projects!!

2009-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

I never put up photos of our basement bathroom. This little half bath is off of the family room with the fireplace. When we moved in, the countertop was green, the floor was a linoleum white with green diamonds, and she had an angel boarder. NOT. OUR. STYLE. Here you can see some before/after shots. I think we've made a good improvement. :)

Before:

After (Clearly):

Here’s the old floor with newly painted walls and countertop:

New laminate wood floor. And a soft fluffy rug…

New shelf and things. :)

We also want to give a shout-out to Papa Eigsti for all his help with the floor. And for Mama Eigsti helping me run to Home Depot for all the man needs. :) We really appreciate your help!!!

And I hear the voice of many angels sing...

2009-08-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

This summer has NOT turned out to be what I expected. I've found that too much time by myself is not good for me. I become restless. I fail more. I stop digging deeper. I forget to get together with friends. My soul sort of shrivels...and I become an uglier version of me. This is not a "woe-is-me" post. I'm just saying. Heather + lots of time alone = no good.

I'm not created to be by myself. I'm not created to have loads of time on my hands. When life is busy, I'm incredibly productive, organized, and I feel a heck of a lot better about myself.

This summer I have not run. Well, Charlie and I ran ONCE last week....and he tripped me a handful of times. Perhaps that's why we haven't been back out with the Sauconys. :)

The last few messages at church have really hit home for both Nate and I. They've been on worship, affliction, and the vengeance of God. To write a fraction of the movement of my heart on these topics would take hours. (And Nate's parents are on the way over, so I haven't got the time)- However, I can share a tiny bit. I grew up in a very conservative Jesus-loving church. But worship when I was young consisted of pews, hymnals, a pipe organ and verse after verse after verse. The words to these songs hadn't meant much to me until just recently. The idea that these old hymns could speak so loudly to my heart; to my life AT. THIS. VERY. MOMENT, even though they were written hundreds of years ago; that what I'm going through can be expected; that there will be disappointments; that not everyone will have similar convictions; that friends will disappoint and life will seem lonely at times; people will make bad choices; we WILL be persecuted; "Christian" friends will shock me; "secular" friends will shock me.....all these things, I hadn't really considered.

In short, I've found a new freedom in worship. And I'm pretty stinkin' excited about it! :)

They exist!!!!

2009-08-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

Last week Nate heard lots of buzz at work about the "NEW COCONUT M&M'S!!!" For days we were on a search to find them. Hy-Vee, Super Saver, Target, Wal-Mart....nothing.

Then on Saturday, we stopped into a ghetto Walgreens and THERE THEY WERE!!!! They're pretty good. Nate liked them a lot. I liked them. I'd eat them again- but they're not as good as the Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms.

We had a really good weekend. Nate and I are finding in our first year of marriage that it's easy to get so wrapped up in home projects that we forget to spend time together- just the two of us- no projects. This weekend we didn't work on anything. We went to our friend, Mike's on Friday night for pizza and the movie, "Grand Torrino", which is a must-see. We shopped leisurely Saturday afternoon, enjoyed a fantastic service at Berean Saturday night, and had our slow Sunday morning with coffee, the newspaper, PJs, and french toast. We ended the weekend with "Big Brother" and the season finale of "America's Next Top Chef", and found ourselves under the moonlit sky on the deck last night with Charlie romping about in the yard. Life is good.

Baby Girl Thomas!!!!!

2009-07-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

My great friend, Martha, is having a baby girl!! She and Ryan already have twin boys- two years old in December, and she's due with her first little lady in November. Yesterday I bought some onesies and got my stitch on! Here's what we've got so far! The black heart is the only one that I've stitched over...but I kind of like them just plain. I might embroider some stems to the flowers...cutesie them up a little. I'll keep you posted!!

Marth, you're getting all of them!!!!

Tuesday?

2009-07-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Is it Tuesday? No..maybe it's Wednesday. Good grief. I seriously don't know.

Summer is quickly coming to an end....I go back to school in 2 weeks! I'm actually very excited to be back in a routine with my teacher friends and all the little people I love so much (students). I do NOT look forward to leaving poor Charlie at home for hours while we're at work. Nate does get lunch breaks and always comes home to eat, so he'll be able to let the pup out. But then back to the kennel until I come home. I've heard that dogs actually like their kennels because they feel safe and secure. He's a dog, he'll be fine, right? That's just until we can trust him enough to leave him out in the house while we're gone.

Anyway, my classroom is taking shape. I spent several hours there yesterday getting things ready, hanging posters and the alphabet, etc. I should go back in the next couple of days to keep hammering away...

Yesterday I made some pickles. Mom bought the cutest little cucumbers at the farmers' market on Saturday and forgot them in Lincoln. So I made them instead. I hope they turn out OK....

And I've been trying to finish the movie Mama Mia for 3 days now. I'm not an appreciator of musicals unless they're live on Broadway or the VHS of Annie, which I watched over and over and over as a small child. Dirty Dancing? Forget it. Footloose? Never gave it a chance. That movie Melissa H. loves....about the family and they sing and dance through the whole thing....what is it? SOUND OF MUSIC! I don't think I've ever gotten through the whole thing. I just don't like them. Mama Mia...I have to find out who her real dad is, so I'm making myself finish. :)

The last couple of weeks

2009-07-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since I posted last! Here's a quick rundown!

We had a Murder Mystery Dinner with a 50's theme on Friday night. Here we are in our costumes- thanks Molly for the awesome glasses! Uhhh....CANDY cigarettes, for your information. They just completed the gettup!

Nate was in Oklahoma for work last week so his mom and I drove down to visit her sister and niece in Tulsa. We spent a couple of days there shopping and doing girl stuff. :) We ate at a really cute restaurant called "Nibbles". Here we are: Judy, Linda, Molly, and me

When I dropped Charlie off at my parents' house, I found this beautiful flower in their yard. It's got some crazy name that I can't remember. Mom knows what it is. Starts with an M I think.....

Here I am with both dogs- Maddie from Norfolk and Charlie. It was HARD trying to get them both to look at the camera and sit. This was a failed attempt. :)

Speaking of failed attempts, for those of you who think everything I cook turns out, here's some proof that it doesn't always end up pretty. I tried a "Parmesan baked zucchini" recipe. They were supposed to be like zucchini chips.....but they got a little too toasty. I cut them too thin. Our house had a cloud of smoke for hours- and I even set the alarms off. AND I burned my beautiful baking sheets. Nice. :) Nate was a trooper though and still tried them. We both decided that they weren't my best dish. Oh well. Live and learn and continue to be a culinary adventurer!!

For those of you who have seen our basement half bath, the angel wallpaper is coming down TODAY! We've got paint and laminate wood floor we're going to try to figure out. I'll have before and after pictures for sure! TTYL!

Oh, and check out Charlie's blog. He did some posting today. :)

Fail blog

2009-07-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Poor birds...

see more Fail Blog

Fresh from the farm

2009-07-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made raspberry lemonade with some raspberries we picked from the farm. Did I tell you about that? We picked all kinds of stuff- zucchini, apricots, beans, peas, raspberries, and I already have more strawberries than I know what to do with in my freezer. It was AWESOME! Thanks mama and papa Eigsti!

I wasn't sure what to do with the raspberries and there weren't really enough to freeze for a batch of something later. I saw a crazy idea in the newspaper for raspberry lemonade and gave it a whirl. It turned out pretty good- and you can see in the picture how delighted (or scary) I look to be drinking it!

I've got a skype date with my girl, Martha, in Michigan in a couple of minutes. Woo hoo!!!

I found out this morning that I get to move classrooms. I was crammed into a tiny little room for next year that is actually supposed to be used for reading recovery or some other small specialized classes. But since our numbers are so big, they're putting a 1st grade class in there. Well, one of the other teachers moved up to 4th grade, so now I get to have her full-sized classroom in the 1st grade pod. It's kind of confusing, but it's a good thing. I went in this morning and moved all my stuff to a corner in the new room. The old teacher isn't completely out yet, so I'm going to wait until she's ready for me to set up shop.

Next week Nate's mom and I are driving to Tulsa for a couple of days. He's going to be traveling for work and we have relatives there. I've never been to Tulsa, so it'll be a fun little getaway. We're only going for 3 days, so it'll be nice and short. Charlie is going to go visit Grandma and Grandpa Mullen up north. He LOVES them and I have a feeling he's going to have so much fun he won't even know we're not there!

Must go- Martha will be calling soon. Oh, and you can thank my awesome man for jazzing up my blog page. He's the best!

Coooookin' up a storm!

2009-07-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I love about Nate is his adventurous spirit in the kitchen. He LOVES to try new foods, and I LOVE to cook them! We had some leftover steak from the 4th of July celebration at Mike's house- so we cut up some fresh onion and peppers and made some yummy fajitas. I had to take a picture because of all the fantastic colors. It was beautiful!

We also brought in a load of parsley to freeze ( I don't know what to do with it yet).

And some beautiful basil from the garden that turned into peso for dinner a couple of days ago. It was pretty good- pretty basil-y though. :) All it had was olive oil, garlic, basil and lemon juice. I've had some before that were more of a creamed basil...and that might be better. Although, not better for your midsection, or your arteries, for that matter. :)

Tonight I'm making a lemon butter chicken over bow tie pasta- recipe courtesy of my good friend, Amber, who lives in NYC. I'll let you know how it turns out!