New "Friends on the Web"

My dear friends John and Christy, who are missionaries in Mexico, have started a blog of their own. (Fun background note: Christy has been one of my best friends since high school and 4 years ago she married John, who is my second cousin!) Anyway, they minister to school-age kids through an afterschool program and to the community at large in dozens of ways. I am always amazed at the challenges they face and overcome by God's enabling. I encourage you to check out their blog and learn more about what the Lord is doing in Croc, Mexico.

Benjamin's

A few days ago Zach decided that he wanted to take me out for a nice dinner at Benjamin's, one of the more upscale restaurants in town. (We realize that we are running out of time for this kind of dining experience.) It was fabulous! I think I have a new favorite restaurant in Indiana. Too bad most of you live so far away because this place is definitely worth a visit. We started with roasted red pepper/tomato bisque that was sweet and creamy, then moved on to house salads with a creamy Italian dressing that was so delicious we started dipping our bread into it. (I know, not very elegant table manners, but we couldn't resist.) Then it was a chicken breast with lump crab meat and red peppers in a basil cream sauce for Zach and tenderloin medallions stuffed with Boursin cheese in a Merlot sauce for me. And as for the dessert tray...let's just say I wanted one of each thing they showed us but exercised restraint and split caramel cheesecake with Zach.

Sigh. Delicious food makes me so happy! Eating delicious food in a romantic setting with my husband makes me even more happy. If anyone out there is interested in babysitting an adorable baby (I'm sure he will be) in a few months so we can go back to Benjamin's, just let me know!

Texas Shower

I took a little trip to Texas this weekend for a baby shower thrown by my mother-in-law Becky and her sister Debbie. These two sweet ladies went all out to make sure that it would be a special day for me--the table you see is filled with my favorites like chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, fruit salad, and cheese. Austin continued to get spoiled by his friends and family as we received some wonderful gifts like his stroller and car seat, lots of adorable outfits, and some diapers. Pregnancy has made me realize how blessed I am to be part of not one but two families that love me and my unborn child so much!

M.F.E.O.

I think Zach and I were Made For Each Other, as the little girl in Sleepless in Seattle would say. Of course today is not the first time I have thought that, but being Valentine's Day it's been on my mind. I really cannot imagine another human being complementing me as well as he does. He gets my sense of humor. He shares my love of chocolate and other sweet goodies. He rubs my big belly and tells me I am beautiful. He hasn't moved downstairs to the guest bed despite the fact that between me and my pillows, sleeping with me must be like being in bed with a baby elephant. A baby elephant who rolls over a lot, taking his blankets with her. In short, he is just about perfect. I am so thankful that God gave him to me as my precious husband.

Zach and I decided to make dinner together to celebrate our sixth Valentine's Day as a married couple, and our last one as a family of two. We have cooked most years rather than go out; it's something we really enjoy doing together and especially now that we live in Indiana, our going out options are kind of limited. We made Pork and Apricot Ravioli with an Apricot and White Wine Sauce. It was quite tasty. The sauce was really sweet but it paired nicely with the savory pork in the ravioli. I remember now why we don't make homemade ravioli very often, though: it is a lot of work! I was pretty tired of standing at the stove by the end and actually had to sit down while Zach worked on the sauce for a while. I think all our efforts were worthwhile, though. It is a nice feeling to end up with a beautiful, delicious meal that you can share with the one you love.

Zach making the ravioli

Ready to eat!

Good News

My doctor called me this afternoon to tell me that the results of my three-hour glucose test were good. I am thankful that this turned out to be only the smallest of trials in my pregnancy. I really feel kind of bad sometimes that my pregnancy has gone so smoothly. Why does God give some of us such an easy time while others suffer so much while they're waiting to meet their little ones? There's no good answer to that, I guess. I will just try to keep a grateful attitude for all the mercies of health He has shown me for the last six months.

Finished at Last!

Yesterday I finished a cross-stitch project that I have been working on for nearly seven years! Putting the last stitch in was a very exciting moment for me--there were so many times I thought it would never get finished! I started it the summer Zach and I got engaged. I planned to finish it in the year before we got married so we could hang it in our bedroom. That obviously didn't happen. But three bedrooms later it is almost ready for the wall. I just need to iron it and have it framed.


My next project is going to be a wall hanging for Austin's room. Needless to say, I have chosen a much simpler design this time. Of course I hope to have it done before he's born, but no promises.

Baby Updates

Zach and I went to our first "Birth of the Family" class last night. Most of the information was stuff I already knew: the stages of labor, terms like presentation, effacement, dilation, etc. But most of it was new to Zach, so I guess the two hours were worth it. Next week we'll start learning breathing techniques and labor positions, which ought to be more interesting. I can hardly believe it's already time for us to be learning this stuff! My pregnancy has really flown by.

On the not-so-good side, I did the one-hour glucose test on Monday and my results came back too high so I have to do the three hour test. I am not so excited about that but am trying to remember that I have been blessed with an incredibly easy pregnancy so far and if I turn out to have gestational diabetes it will certainly not be the end of the world.

Weekend Trip

Zach and I spent the past two and a half days at Fort Myer, VA with nineteen tuba and euphonium players from IUP. The occasion: the United States Army Band's annual Tuba and Euphonium Conference. We had a good time and I think the students did, too. Just imagine, two whole days of tuba and euphonium recitals, open reading sessions, and all the horns and mouthpieces you could wish to try!

Okay, so if you're like me, that doesn't really sound all that appealing. But I wasn't about to sit at home by myself for the weekend when the chance to explore Washington, DC was at hand! I went to a few performances with Zach, but each afternoon I took the Metro into the city to visit the Smithsonian. Friday I went to the National Portrait Gallery and Saturday I went to the Museum of Natural History. I think my favorite parts of the Portrait Gallery were the temporary exhibition about Katharine Hepburn (I learned that one of my favorite movies, Bringing Up Baby, wasn't very popular when it came out but is a hit now) and the Presidential portraits. The highlight of the Natural History Museum was probably seeing the gems and minerals section, including the Hope Diamond and a bunch of other amazing gemstones.

All that exploring really wore me out, though. I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that at six months pregnant I don't have my normal stamina for sightseeing. Kudos to the Smithsonian museums for having plenty of benches.