Tonight Stephen went with me to piano lessons (I teach at the church) so he could help me change the bulletin boards before my folks arrive tomorrow.

Ok, I better back up a little bit. Our church’s Homecoming celebration is Sunday, and I wanted the boards changed before then. But – my parents are arriving in town tomorrow evening, and I didn’t want to do the board while they were here, and since they’re leaving on Sunday, that didn’t leave me any time to do the boards.

So, Stephen went with me. On the way there, we stopped at Taco Bell for the free tacos they were offering. We did order a few extra things, but getting part of our supper for free was great!

Two of my evening lessons were cancelled, so while I taught the other one, he took down the bulletin boards. When I was done, all I had to do was put up what I could reach, and he did all the climbing up and down the step stool to do the high parts of the boards. It went SO much faster than when I try to do both boards by myself! I’m so thankful for him!

A little while ago, the church got a new air hockey table for the teens. After we finished the boards, we headed into the back room so we could play a game on the new hockey table. It was so much fun! It’s been forever since we’ve just enjoyed a competitive game like that. I was also reminded why we don’t play games like that much. . .I’m horrible at them and he usually beats my socks off at them. Which is what happened tonight, lol! I don’t know how many points I scored for him, but at least the puck didn’t go airborne at all this time. That usually happens at least once a playing session, lol!

It was so fun though. . .just having a few moments together before we headed home. I have the best husband in the world!

Our library has online access where you can request books. I went through several days ago and requested several books about labor and childbirth.

The library called me to say my books were in. I eagerly picked them up and began reading. I figure it’s my first pregnancy so I’d like to read what I can about labor, birth, and what I can expect.

What I’m wondering, is how in the world I managed to get all books that have a homebirth slant. Don’t get me wrong – the concept of homebirth fascinates me, but for reasons I’d rather not go into on this blog, it isn’t an option for me at this time. Someday, maybe, but not right now, at least I don’t think so. I’m not going to let it become a debate here, just making a statement.

It just made me laugh though that the books I received were all pro-homebirth and not so pro-hospital birth. I find it oddly amusing that it worked out that way.

Now what I’d really like to find is labor/childbirth books that have been written by Christian authors. . .but I have no idea where to find such books. Fundamental Christian authors would be even better. . .but. . .again. . .I haven’t a clue where to find them!

I just had to post about this giveaway I just entered over at molly-coddled.com. She’s giving away a Taste of Home Cookbook. Yum! I love Taste of Home!

I don’t typically win giveaways, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to try!

http://molly-coddled.com/2007/10/22/time-for-a-giveaway/

Wow – have I EVER been busy with computer work lately! It’s been a challenge, but well worth it.

The first project I finished this week was redesigning the new Fruitful Vine Newsletter template. When we first put the site up, I just created something so that the site could be up and operational. Then my pastor’s wife sent me a document showing me how she wanted the new template to look. . .and I finally finished it a couple days ago. There’s still a few portions of the site that we’ll be continuing to work on, but that’s partly due to the nature of the site and partly because the site is still growing.

Here’s what it looks like now:
Fruitful Vine Newsletter

There are pictures of the retreat on the site now, and we’re working hard on adding more ladies meeting theme ideas too.

Oh, and Susan – the tapes and CD’s from the retreat are supposed to be available soon. I wasn’t given an exact date yet though.

The other project I’ve been working on has been a biggie, but has been a LOT of fun. I recently opened a web design business called Grace Web Designs, and I just finished a site for a client. It’s called Sandy’s Candles 4 U. He makes scented candles, and has an amazing list of scents to choose from! I’ve really enjoyed working on that site, and it was a great feeling of accomplishment to be able to email him today and say his site was done.

My dad likes to tease me about a comment I made to him when I was younger. He’s a computer programmer in the aerospace industry, and apparently I told him I didn’t know how he could sit at the computer all day. Hmmmm. . .that viewpoint sure has changed, because I really enjoy working on code now! Ha!

Oat and Honey Rolls
Makes 2 large loaves or 30 dinner rolls

18 ounces warm water — (may need up to 20 oz)
2 Tablespoons yeast — (or 2 pkt yeast)
6 Tablespoons oil
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup dry milk
1 1/2 cups oats — (quick cooking or whole)
4 1/2 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let set until foamy. Add the remaining ingredients except oats and flour and mix well.

Add oats to liquid mixture and let soften (if using whole oats). Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. This dough is a bit stickier than typical bread dough, and is very soft. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until doubled.

Punch down and form, place in greased pan, and let rise again. If making rolls, 15 will fit nicely in a 9×13 inch pan. If making loaves, recipe will yield 2 large loaves.

Preheat oven to 350.

Bake rolls for 20 minutes and loaves for 30 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Brush with butter or margarine.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 143 Calories; 4g Fat (24.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 149mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

I’ve been mulling this over in my head for weeks, wanting to post, and yet, being unsure of what to really say. Well, ok, more how to put everything down in writing.

One of the many things I’ve learned about infertility is that the pain seems to always be there. Even after seeing part of God’s perfect plan unfold – and seeing exactly why He planned things the way He did – that pain, and especially the memories of infertility are still there.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change the way God had things planned. Not a bit. Through that first year, when we tried Clomid, and I was so desperate to conceive. . .to the anguish of backing out of a potential adoption match a couple years later. . .to adopting a beautiful son. . .watching him grow, and then hearing him pray every night, “Dear Jesus, baby please.”

I love how God used infertility in my life to bring me to Himself. I believe that if we had conceived as easily as I wanted, then I never would have admitted that I was lost, dying, and headed straight for Hell. I am SO thankful that God was merciful enough to bring us through infertility so that I could see that!

And yet. . .there are times when I’m amazed at how having a history of infertility can change your view of things. I’m six months pregnant, and yet I still have the hardest time comprehending that that really is true. I’m in constant amazement. I thought that we would never conceive, and had resigned myself to that, even knowing our God of miracles. Because of that, it seems to make each moment now surreal.

On the other hand, it surprises me when the old emotions surface. A few days ago, one of Stephen’s friends called to tell him that he and his wife were expecting their first baby. They just got married a few months ago. While I’m happy for them, I found myself wishing that it could have been that easy for us.

But how easily I forget that that wasn’t God’s plan. . .

There are times now that I wish I had a t-shirt that I could wear when I take S out with me. “I’m not really fertile – ask me about my journey to motherhood!” After years of averting my eyes at the sight of a pregnant belly, I’m well aware that now I’m quite possibly a visible reminder to others that they don’t have the miracle that they’re still waiting for. And really, that’s one of the reasons that I’m hesitant to blog much about this pregnancy – for fear of hurting those precious women who are still waiting for their babies.

In spite of that though, it constantly amazes me to watch as God’s plan unfolds. Only He knows what’s next, but it sure has been amazing to watch in the process!

Here’s a picture of the dress I’ve been working on. I first saw the pattern online and loved it. I did have a few adventures trying to sew it (didn’t buy enough extra fabric for the alterations I wanted to make) but I just love how it turned out. It is very comfortable AND modest – something that I’ve had a hard time finding with maternity clothes. I’d like to make another from the pattern, but we’ll see.

I’m 24 weeks along in this picture. It just blows me away that I’m already 6 months pregnant. Time really has flown.

I do have some concerns about my weight now though. At the beginning, I lost weight, and when I gained it back, it was at a nice and slow pace. Now I’ve been gaining an average of two pounds a week. Even my doctor was concerned about that the last time I was in, but I haven’t really changed how I’ve been eating. It’s one of the things I’ll be asking about at the next appointment, but I suppose to some extent, it’s just one of those things that only time will tell how it goes.

My next project is probably going to be diapers. We already have all the prefolds we need, but the plastic pants I used with S are too worn out to work well with this wee one. When S got older, I made him some fleece diaper covers that worked really well, so I’m leaning toward making smaller fleece covers since I don’t have any little bitty ones. I wanted to sew some all-in-ones, but the prefolds worked so well with us that that’s probably what we’ll do this time around as well.

A diaper bag is on my to-do list as well. There’s some Amy Butler fabric I’d like to get for it, but at $8 and up a yard, I’ve been putting off buying it. Guess I’m too much of a tightwad to get it just yet. Our local fabric store probably has some nice material, but I haven’t made it there recently to look.

A third project I’m contemplating is using some of my scrapbooking stuff to make thank you cards for after baby arrives. I’ve got a ton of nice papers, so all I need to do is actually sit down and do it. Ha! If it’s anything like S’s scrapbook, it’ll be a while. The pages I’m still working on for his book are from his adoption party – which was just barely over three years ago! Guess I’d better get working!

What a whirlwind trip! Wow. I knew it would be quick and tiring, but it still flew by faster than I anticipated.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. I’m so happy for my brother and his new wife! I don’t know how many people were there, but the main portion of the church sanctuary seats 400, and they had to open one of the side overflow rooms. My guess would be around 425 or so for the ceremony. It was neat to have them have that many people there.

Don’t they make a beautiful couple?

Now that we’re home, we’re trying to settle back into routine. I’ve been busy with site design for a couple of people, but I really enjoy it.

Hopefully later I’ll be able to post some of my triple coupon deals I got last week right before we went out of town. . .

You know, I learned something today. Multitasking can be a bad thing sometimes. Oh – and maybe I need to add a new category called “Kitchen Adventures” for things that happen around here, like this. . .

And like setting a glass saucepan full of sugar and water on the stove to boil for iced tea. . .and then going into the back room to work on tomorrow’s special music with your husband.

All of a sudden, I smelled something. I ran to the kitchen just in time to see my sugar syrup a dark, dark brown instead of the usual clear, boiling and smoking something fierce. Who knows HOW long it had been since I turned on the stove!

Stephen told me to go outside and dump it in the woods, so I did. It was so hot that it made the leaves on the ground smoke! We both had to laugh as one of our young roosters came running over to investigate the “goodies” that I had brought outside.

The pan is soaking in a sink full of the hottest water I could draw from the tap. Hopefully it will come clean. (I take that back. I just checked it and all of the burned sugar came off – with only about 10 minutes of soaking and not a bit of scrubbing. Now I’m happy.)

Aw, grr. I really got sidetracked this time!

We were over at the in-law’s house tonight when Stephen’s dad called (he was on his way home) and wondered if we were staying until he could get there.

It was a good thing we did.

The school had a pork bbq fundraiser today, and Dad was bringing the leftovers home with him. I think we counted 32 plates – and Dad was pretty sure that there were more leftovers in the school refrigerator.

We stayed quite a bit later than we planned, helping them take the food out of the trays so it could be stored better. When we left for home, we were able to bring some of the meat home with us, as well as some of the baked beans (Bush’s Beans – my favorite) and some of the chips.

I just had to smile. I’ll need to go grocery shopping one more time before we leave for the wedding, but I don’t want to bring too many perishables into the house right before we go out of town. It was nice to be able to bring home a few meals’ worth of bbq to save me some on buying groceries.

Isn’t that just like God though? I love how He provides us with “little things” here and there. Like getting 4 eggs today when last week we only averaged 1 or 2 a day. . .and getting a bunch of jewelry orders that won’t require me to order supplies right away. . .and having triple coupons come at a time when I have lots of really good coupons to use that should save us a lot of money. . .God is so good!