life...

(24 weeks...)

I haven't written here for ages! Maybe cuz there isn't much news. We are slowly gathering things for baby Kaleb...we joined Freecycle (yahoo) where people advertise things they want to give away. We got a lovely car-seat/baby-carrier. We also got a couple bags of little sleepers (I don't know the official name) for Kaleb. They are all washed, ironed and ready to use. I couldn't help thinking as I sat ironing them that this may just be the only time they ever get ironed! ha! I want to have my son well presented, but I have been told the life of a new mommy is pretty hectic and as the baby gets his clothes changed several times a day to begin with, maybe wrinkle-free clothes aren't going to be a big priority! ha! We are slowly gathering together a circle of friends...it isn't the easiest thing to do here as we live just outside of the city centre and basically everyone is pretty busy with life, so we don't always have opportunities to meet people. Sadly I was unwell the last 2 sundays so missed church...which is something I DO miss! I love church...I know some people hate church...but I am not one of those people. Church isn't only a wonderful social opportunity...it is a wonderful worship opportunity and I love singing and praying to God without distractions of dirty dishes in the kitchen or dirty laundry needing washed. So as I was saying, we are gathering a circle of friends and it is wonderful. We realised that in London our friends were young and just trying to find their way in life...whereas here we have lots of 'professional' friends...they have their careers sorted out and have families of their own. But anyway...that is the fun of this journey called life! Everyone God brings into your pathway...is there for a reason...to be blessed by you and to bless you! God is good. Speaking of God's blessings...the bump is one of our constant reminders of God's blessings. Little Kaleb is a bundle of activity...mostly at night! The other night our neighbors had a party...complete with Karaoke playing a variety of very LOUD music until 5am. Our little flat pulsated with the noise and Tico and I were laying in bed with pillows over our heads trying to sleep in spite of it...while Kaleb was dancing and jiving and kicking and having a great time! But about the time I wondered if there was any stopping all this activity so I could get some REST...I remembered that having an active baby is much better than not having one at all! So instead of complaining I said a thank you to my God...he is so kind! The decisions I need to make for the next phase of my life are big life-changers for me. I have always dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom...and now that that possibility is facing me...I have all the dread and worry of how we are going to make if financially without me working, etc. But it is a journey of faith and I know God will provide for us. I just need to exercise more faith! I remember my mom (until the day she died) regretting having to go straight back to work after her kids were born. I don't want to have that regret...but making decisions like this aren't easy! Then the other worry is whether I am going to be good at my new 'job' of being a mommy! Will Kaleb like me...will he respond to me....will I be wise as a mom...will I balance the love I have for my husband and for my son properly? Will I build a beautiful nest of love for my family to grow in....will I be able to prepare my children for life in the real world? I suppose all these things are normal worries...but the other day I came to the realisation that I am not going to have all the answers before the journey even begins. I WILL make mistakes, I will not do everything perfectly....but I will try to be teachable and keep plugged into the Holy Spirit so that I can be a kind of mom/wife that is continually improving and not so sure of myself that I can't take advice. I will sign off by putting some pictures on here of random happenings in our life... Oh AND...the most exciting news is that we go on holiday to USA in 3 weeks!! Tico is so excited!!! and so am I!!!! Hope we can see some of you while there!!!

scottish scenery

me and Kaleb...27 weeks

my birthday...

My birthday cake...YUMMY!

The man of my dreams!

new news....

Today was a special day.... Mommy put on her Sunday best...

Daddy put on his Sunday best....
And we went to see....

our new family member, our son....

Kaleb....at age 6 months (well, 1 week shy of 6 months - in existence)...isn't he just the cutest little guy?!

The scan photos weren't as good as the first time around...but we still found him absolutely adorable!

out and about

Sometimes we stay in...
But we love to go out....and here is where we go...

Destiny Church Edinburgh

Princes Park

Sunset over Edinburgh

Crammond

Crammond Kirk (church)

A hedge...a GIANT hedge in Crammond

Crammond

Portobello...not a warm beach :-)

courageous enough to touch the cold water

Edinburgh Castle

Happy times in Edinburgh with Tico...he puts a smile on my face!!!

growing...

15 weeks

18 weeks

19 weeks

20 weeks


OK, it may seem weird to see my tummy splashed all over this post, but for my family, it will be interesting...cuz they haven't seen my body changing. Baby and I have been together for 20 weeks now. I am slowly beginning to realise when baby is moving and when it is just a gas bubble! ;-) Baby likes daddy A LOT!! Whenever he is around I feel movement. It is still not too distinct, like an arm or a leg, but it is movement. I was quite stressed at work the other day running around trying to get a report out by 5:30. At one point I leaned over my desk and was clicking around on the computer until my report had finished running on another PC, and with my tummy suspended in mid-air, I felt 'somersaults' and a bit of a circus going on in there. I stopped and put my hand on my tummy and my workmates asked if I was ok. I told them the baby was moving...they thought it was cool. We ooh-ed and aw-ed over it for about 5 seconds and got back to work! ;-) I am excited to start feeling movement. Our next scan is in a few more weeks. It will be so nice to see baby again. We miss her/him. Am starting to get a few more aches and pains here and there. (Like hips and tailbone!?) I caught a reflection of myself in a window as we were out the other day, and started laughing! It was so funny...I have a big bubble behind and a big bubble in front...Tico says it is to keep me balanced, otherwise I might fall over! He is so positive!!! ha! I like the bubble in front but the one behind, well, I am just glad it is behind and I don't have to look at it! ha!! (and it does make for comfy sitting!)

This is a fun adventure. We are so thankful for this path God chose for us. It is a blessing we are grateful for.

recipes that go good with coffee....yum!

I recently got a chain-letter type email asking for me to send a recipe to 20 people...well, it was quite confusing as to who actually sent me the email...so I kind of dropped it in the trash....oops!

But there is a nice recipe I recently found in a cook book I have. It is sooo easy and really yummy. I made it one day cuz I was craving something sweet...and then the next day it had completely disappeared by the time I arrived home from work...I think it was a hit at home! ;-)

It's from a Longabergers' recipe book:

APPLE TORTE

1 cup sugar

4 T. butter

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

2 cups chopped apples or a little more

1 t. vanilla

Cream sugar and butter together with mixer. Beat in egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add to cream mixture. Stir in apples and vanilla. Bake at 350F (180C) for 35 to 40 min. Serve with whipped cream.

My most famous recipe...one which is ALWAYS a hit...is one I got from my neighbor several years ago for banana bread. I am sure she got it from a cookbook...but I just call it Rima's Banana Bread, cuz I don't know where she got it from.

1 2/3 c. sugar

2/3 c. veg. oil

2 eggs

1/3 c. buttermilk (I never have buttermilk so I use milk with about 1 T. white vinegar)
1 1/2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. baking powder

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (or 3 large)

opt - 2 c. chopped nuts

Cream together sugar, veg. oil and eggs until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk and baking soda and mix well. Add baking powder, flour and salt, mix well. Add bananas and nuts. (or do what I do and just throw everything together and mix well all at one time!) Pour into greased and floured 5x9 inch loaf pan. Bake at 375F (190C) for 1 hour. (I usually bake for 20 minutes uncovered and then cover it for the rest of the time so it doesn't get too black on top).

It is extremely moist and delicious! Great with coffee for breakfast...or at any time of the day or night!

Enjoy!!

travelling...

Heading to London for Tico to play in the church.

The famous underground (train)

pizza with friends...

friends from our church in London....

Tico playing at church (my camera isn't great for long distance)

...the musicians all sweaty after the service...they played their hearts out!

loved traveling with my hubby to London...even more than I love chocolate!!!

Entertaining ourselves in the airport....while the plane was delayed!!

The plane arrives and we head home....happy!!

there may be crying for the night....but JOY comes in the morning light!

Dad with his beautiful bride...

me with my beautiful groom and the father of my growing 'blessing'...

I am sure that there's a bible verse that says that. I am quite convinced that blessings are even more treasured after a time of suffering or loss. When one loses something special or experiences a time of pain, and passes through the 'valley', then the mountain becomes even sunnier and more beautiful. At least, I think that is the way God intended it to be. Maybe that is why salvation seems even more wonderful after you realise what an awful sinner you are and how much you don't deserve what you got in Christ. If you think you are pretty 'OK' on your own merits, then the message of the cross is a 'pity' at the very least and an 'injustice' at most! But if you have found yourself lost or without hope and then God breaks in on your life, you are very unlikely to ever be the same. Your days will be filled with thanksgiving, your afternoons with praise and your evenings with peace.

If you were without food, you will appreciate food so much more when you finally get it. If you were starved of love, you will lap it up when it comes pouring in. If you were lonely and alone, you will radiate in the warmth of another's company.

Maybe that is why I see such joy in my father's face when I see his wedding pictures...more than the fact of 2 friends becoming 1 flesh...it marks the end of an era of suffering in his life....and in hers. It is like spring after winter....the cold dry ground breaks open with signs of life which we almost thought would never appear again. Maybe that's why I count every day a blessing with this little one growing in my womb. Like Hannah who prayed and cried before God, I also wanted to know the blessing of motherhood for many years. How many tears did I cry...how many prayers did I pray...only God knows. But in HIS time, after the suffering had ended, he showered me with amazing blessings...way beyond what I could have ever imagined when I prayed all those prayers in the past. So even in my 'pain' of morning sickness or the 'stress' of a bulging belly...I count it all joy...cuz I have walked the journey that took me through the valley. God is good and his love endures forever. His ways are past finding out (understanding). He has a plan that is beyond what we see in our little 'screen print' of the here and now. But contentment is one of the hardest things to master. St Paul said he had mastered it...how to be content in times of blessing and in times of loss...how to be content when full or when empty. I think it is all too easy to look at things we don't have right NOW that we want to have....and feel unhappy. But remember where you came from...look back over life's journey from time to time and count your many blessings. Remember the hard times only long enough to make the present times shine even brighter. Remember what you lost only long enough to make what you've gained more brilliant. Thank God for his salvation, his provision, his treasures, his blessings EVERY DAY! HE deserves our thanks...He is sooo good!