Where are you???

It seems I have lost my ankles somewhere in the past week. Something tells me I won't be finding them until after Gunnar makes his appearance. Don't mind the chipped polish-my sweet daughter has been away from home for the last 3 nights. Hopefully she will make 'em all purdy this weekend for me ;) Oh the joys of having a 12 year old little girl! Love her ♥

This moment in time...

We just celebrated Christmas-the birth of our savior Jesus!!! This is always a busy time of year but it's only as busy as we make it!!! Heading into the new year will bring many changes for our family. We are expecting the arrival of our baby boy Gunnar in late February and I am leaving my full time job to stay at home at the end of January. I am feverishly trying to get organized knowing how important it is for not only the new baby but also being out of a 8-5 routine. I know how to manage everything that has to be done at work and even handle what needs to be done at home in the short amount of time I have here. Being home will be like starting a new job-figuring out what needs to get done, when it needs to get done, and reminding myself of how important this job is even though I won't be bringing home a steady paycheck. I hope to find a couple of cleaning jobs or the like to supplement our income but my family needs to be my main focus. I still can't believe I will have a 12 year old and a newborn. CRAZY! That's where I am at and where we are headed will be an adventure for sure...

{Here is a picture of my dear husband and I at our church Christmas Party}

{31 Weeks and a few days}

Here are some updated pictures of Gunnar growing {and growing and growing}. I have a little over 8 weeks to go ;) but I am not counting on him coming for 10. I always estimate longer so I don't get to anxious. My last day of work is January 28th YIKES! I'm very thankful to be able to stay home with my children now but still a bit nervous. I know nothing other than going to work everyday. It is a dream come true to focus on God, my husband, my children and my home full time ;)

P.S. I have a really skinny Christmas Tree

What is a Veteran??

The definition of a Veteran via Dictionary.com 

vet·er·an

 /ˈvɛtərən, ˈvɛtrən/ Show Spelled[vet-er-uhn, ve-truhn] Show IPA

–noun

1.a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like: a veteran of the police force; a veteran of many sports competitions.

2.a person who has served in a military force, esp. one who has fought in a war: a Vietnam veteran.

–adjective

3.(of soldiers) having had service or experience in warfare: veteran troops.

4.experienced through long service or practice; having served for a long period: a veteran member of Congress.

5.of, pertaining to, or characteristic of veterans. 

 

My definition of a Veteran: One who has sacrificed much in order to protect our freedom, given up the convenience that so many of us Americans expect,  put others first in all circumstances, etc {I really could go on and on}. I have two brothers who have served many tours in Iraq and I have the privilege of working at a VA. I can't say THANK YOU enough to my brothers and the Veterans I serve everyday at work. 

 

                              

Love and miss you both!!!

{24 Weeks}

WOW! 2 more weeks has flown by... Trying to enjoy and cherish this time :)

My "protector" Scooch didn't want to take a picture so I had to do some coaxing. Can you tell?

PS I wasn't this big until at least 7 1/2 months with Haily!

Baby picture update

Just thought I would share these photos we got last week. Not the best views since he is ALWAYS moving {which is a good thing}! He flipped face down so we were able to get one of his whole body but from the back. Love how you can see the ears, arms, spine, legs, & feet. So neat to see him grow.

{October}

Having some fun with the family!

 Kristi carved A + K and Haily's said BEAST. I guess beast is the new awesome, cool, rad, etc. Don't feel bad, I don't get it either.

She made some cute cupcakes for our treat. {They were delicious}

And she picked up a pair for fairy wings for Haily and herself!!! We thought Guy would like to try them on.That's him wearing the pink leopard print wings.

Too bad his dad said he couldn't wear them. I think he looks adorable ;)

We are heading down there after church for {trick or treating} which reminds me...I'd better get the chili going or we won't be eating. 

~Have a safe and happy HALLOWEEN~

{22 weeks}

 

So, I'm halfway there... Haily and I decided that we have to get better at taking pictures. We have been doing so much stuff that we just keep forgetting. I have only one other photo that shows me looking pregnant. It's from our zoo trip back in August. YES, I wanted to get some pictures on here from then but just haven't found the time.

I am standing outside the chicken coop {Honey, can I please have one for Christmas???} in the kids farm corner. LOVE it! The coop-not my picture :) 

{Boy or Girl}

We were able to go as a family {on my birthday} to our ultrasound. 

Pretty sure we are expecting a BOY!!! 

You have a 58% chance of having a boy.
And you have a 41% chance of having a girl.
And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
The hair on your legs is growing faster during pregnancy, so it's a boy.
Boys are carried low. You are going to have a boy.
Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You prefer the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a boy.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.
You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd number, it will be a girl.
Your urine is a dull yellow color, so you will have a girl.
You have a craving for salty or sour foods, which means that it is a boy.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving meats or cheeses, so it is a boy.
Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.

This moment in time...

...Or the last 3 months

I've been 

tired, 

cranky, 

moody, 

lot's of headaches 

&

this is why.

I am about 3 months along 

and 

our little family is very excited! 

More coming soon but for now I must sleep.

A Glimpse...

Into Proverbs 31

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

I have picked up and put down Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be, a 90 day guide to living the Proverbs 31 life by Donna Partow. Through this book and various other ways I have been convicted to provide nourishing, healthy food for my family over the last year. God has opened my eyes to the fact that I need to take care of my body and help my family do the same. We have had some medical issues that have been resolved since we have started this journey which is conformation that we are on the right path.

So far this year our family has:

• Expanded the garden  
• Planted 3 dwarf fruit trees (apple, pear, and fruit cocktail)
• Planted blueberry and raspberry bushes.
• Started learning the traditional ways of preparing food 

I just completed the Ecourse at GNOWFLINS. It has helped me learn more about our food and how to gain more nutrients from it. I also entered to win A Peasant's Feast Ecourse over at Keeper of the Home. I couldn't believe it when she emailed me to tell me I won. HOW EXCITING! So, Thank you Stephanie at Keeper of the Home. If you have never been to her blog, I would highly recommended it. You can learn many new things in the way of nutrition and green living. She also launched a new site Saving Naturally, which has many great deals and tips.  

Visit me again next Saturday to see what else the Provers 31 woman is teaching me!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday {and where have I been}...

I been a bit sparse, oh, since about the 3rd week in May. You see I am a routine kinda gal. It doesn't have to be set in stone but some order in my life makes me happy. If I'm off when I usually work, I just don't know what to do with myself. Or if something funky gets thrown in the day that isn't normal, my hair stands a little. SO, I had several ladies staying with me for my SIL's wedding (several weeks ago) AND I had off 3 days. Talk about a double whammy :) Then after wedding weekend we had to get the rest of the garden in, play catch up on the house, etc. which got my routine all outa wack. YAWN!!! I am sure you get the picture. Any who...

Iamherenow.atthepresent.notgoinganywhere.Ithink.

Here's your kitchen tip for today:

When cooking dinner try to make extra! Let's just think about this for a minute, no a second is all it will take. If you are browning beef then brown some extra for freezing. Making mashed potatoes, cook some extra. Sunday while making our BIG Sunday lunch I cooked enough ground beef to make some plain and taco seasoned for the freezer. I also made a shepherds pie  with some of the meat and leftover m.potatoes that needed to be used up from the fridge. I now will be able to pull something together for dinner on the nights that I don't have much time or I just didn't get my to my meal planning that week.

Here are some links that might give you some ideas to save time in the kitchen:
Make Ahead/ Freezer Mashed Potatoes
Passionate Homemaking Freezer Meal Carnival
Homemaking Homesteader

Hop on over...

The last week and all of next week is going to be super pack. My sister in law is getting married~YEAH! I have much to do and not much time to do it in. So that being the case, I will be directing you to some blogs that I love to read!

Grace Unceasing is thoughts by Amy Thompson (my Aunt). She is doing a series of posts on a book about the lives of Kennya and Stephan Baldwin. It's good stuff! Hop on over and check it out.

Hop on over...

I watched this on Courtney's Women Living Well blog. If you are encouraged by this then hop on over to her blog and watch all of her videos. 

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

This week's kitchen tip is brought to you by the letter: C

After you put on your apron...wash your dishes and wipe your counters. I have found that when you clean as you cook then you will have far less dishes to do when your belly is full. Personally, I don't have a dish washer {more on that later} so as I am done using a pot, I will wash it up-no soaking necessary. If you happen to have a dishwasher then add the dishes as you go. I have also made a habit of cleaning the kitchen up before I go to bed {even when I am really, really tired} and it helps me to start my day off better. Have dishes in your sink??? Get off here and go do them...you computer will be here when you get back, I promise :o)

~Blessings

Grab a box of tissues and pour a cup of tea...

Angie Smith, wife of Selah artist Todd Smith has written this book which tells a very moving story. It's the powerful story of a mother who carried a child deemed “incompatible with life,” and the eternal insights gained from a baby that lived less than three hours on earth. It is available in ebook for FREE from Barns and Noble. You just have to register and the download link will be emailed to you. I haven't read it yet but it's waiting on me to enjoy with a nice hot cup of tea ~ in my cozy pj's of course :)

Angie also writes a blog Bring the Rain so go check it out.

Wordless Wednesday

 

(not the best picture - it was taken with my phone)

Recipe

Baked Oatmeal

This isn't the healthiest recipe but it's delicious! It makes so much that we are able to eat it several mornings during the week. That's unless you have 5 hungry girls for a sleep over and an Aunt who stops in and takes some home :)

2 eggs-beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil (or applesauce)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tea baking powder
1 tea salt
1 tea cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal

I just mix mine up in the order listed in the pan that I will be baking it in- less dishes that way :) Then I sprinkle a little sugar on the top (if my daughter requests it).

Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 preheated oven. {Don't be tempted to over bake}This keeps well and is easily reheated.

Kitchen Tip Tuesday

Use an apron ~ It has saved my clothes many times :)

Photo Credit

This moment in time...

• Getting ready for Presence on the Patio (Medina, New York) this Saturday. Many things still left to do. Stirring, cutting, stitching, baking, folding, packing - You get the idea.
• Helping my Sister-in-law pull things together for her wedding in 3 WEEKS! 
• Looking forward to several little girls coming over for a sleep over this Friday. Haily has been looking forward to this and is planning lots of things for them to do. It's times like these that I am glad we have the basement to "contain" most of the fun.
• Wondering why I said "Yeah sure" to Haily having several girls over the night before one of my craft shows?!?!?
• Tired thinking of everything that still has to happen this week and trying to remember that life goes on even if I don't get it all done :)
  
  
  
  Night Y'all! 
  ( I'm loud to use y'all 'cus I really say that, being from Virginia 'n all)
  HaHa I crack myself up
  
  
  

Babies

I can't wait for this movie to come out - not sure if I will make it to the theater to watch it or just wait for it to come out on DVD. Seeing how other cultures raise their babies might be an eye opener to how we approach parenthood. All those "things" that we think we "need" might just get tossed out to the goats :) Watch  the trailer and let me know what you think??

{Struggle and Hope}

Photo Credit: Godisalwaysfaithful

Over the last several years, God has blessed me with more than I deserve. Still, there are times that I feel forgotten, not important to God. Why? I know that God loves and cares for me. I think that Satan uses my weakness so that I doubt God. Doubt His love for me, His perfect timing & His plan for my life. It is in these times that I need to dig into His word for comfort and reassurance that He is concerned about every detail of my life. That He does have a plan for me. {I am positive that it is not my plan nor will it be in my timing.} I just need to trust Him and His word!


Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Psalm 69:13 But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation.

I am struggling right now but my hope is in the Lord~ Amen!!

Hop on over...

To {Show & Tell}

I have really been enjoying some of her projects. Here is one that I might attempt soon:

To see the original post with all the photos go here.

{Mama Mia}

When growing up my mother taught me to cook lots of homemade things. I have carried that into the season of life I am in now. Bread, mashed potatoes, desserts, well they're a piece of cake. Pasta was never on my list of homemade "from scratch". Until my daughter asked if we could make some pasta...I of course said "why not". Within a week I purchased a pasta machine. I guess I could have made it without the pasta machine but I sometimes I tend to dive right in. Last Sunday Haily and I dove on in by making ravioli. Never mind the fact that I didn't have {stuff} for the filling or any sauce. I'd figure something out. Here is a series of pictures showing start to finish...

For the filling I used a block of cream cheese with some fresh basil, salt, pepper and an egg. The sauce is just a can of tomatoes, crushed with italian spices and fresh garlic.

Oh, that little blurb on the picture with my daughter mixing the eggs in (with her favorite utensil - her hands). It says the shells are being saved for the compost pile...stay tuned for the upcoming compost post.

Havin' my cake and eating it too

I went to a baby shower for a dear friend of mine Saturday night. Her husband and my husband grew up together and are "like brothers". This is their 5th child and the first girl *sweet*
I needed to bake the cake so I chose a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. I had made is a couple of weeks ago for a friends birthday. My husband LOVED it and was excited that I would be making it again.


(Enter my perfectionist personality)


I thought to myself how I was gonna make this cake and get it out the door without him cutting into it. I would simply bring him a piece home. Then I thought of this post. I generally give my husband the biggest portion of meat, first or get him a drink, first. But my beautiful cake, OH NO I couldn't cut into it before I took it to the party. Now some of you might think I am silly for saying this but if I were to tell my husband that this cake was for my friends and he could have the leftovers (if any) then it would be almost like telling him he was second and my friends were thought of first. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a way that I could have my cake (it being pretty and whole when arriving at the party) and eat it too (making sure my husband received the first piece).

Here is a picture of my cake for the party:

Here is the one that I made for my husband so he could have the first piece:

(small custard size)


The response from him was all smiles :)

Now I probably won't be baking separate cakes every time. But I will be more cautious about putting my husband first and everyone else second. Maybe I should work on my perfectionism (is that a word??) too...


Blessings~Jac

a little bit of back in time...

Happy wife=milk in a glass jug

 

 

My husband brought this home to me... He knows how to make me smile. This is New Yorks very own Byrne Dairy milk in a glass jug. We don't have any Byrne Dairy stores near by so when he heads to Rochester, he brings me one back. 

 

Thanks Babe! 

{Bye, Bye, Baby} Part II

You know that your little girl isn't little anymore when she comes out of you closest saying "Mom, can I wear this" or she walks down stairs to show you that she can in fact fit {and walk} in your stilettos high heels. At least she thinks my clothes are "cool" enough to wear {I promise it wasn't 1980's week at school}. Just for the record my answer was yes to the clothes and TAKE THOSE OFF NOW BEFORE YOU BREAK YOUR ANKLE!!! 

When did you realize your little girl was no longer your "little girl"?

Jars of Joy

I was featured in my cousin Ethan's (and Mandee) podcast for my business Jars of Joy and Crafts. Hop on over and take a listen. Ethan is a 15 yr old entrepreneur, son to wonderful parents, big brother to 3 and he is very talented. God is using him in so many ways!!! 

Thanks Ethan for all you do for me! 

Love and Hate

 Scooch "Magooch" and Ravage "Ravy"

 [Proof they do love each other]

{Bye, Bye, Baby}

One of the greatest joys that God has given me is watching my little girl grow up. Everyday I see his imprint a little more on her ♥. Thank you Lord for this gift!

Gone are the days of my little baby girl sitting at my feet in the kitchen or curled up in my lap as we read a bedtime story. Now she stands beside me kneading bread or stirring the pot. She doesn't dig in the garden dirt while I tend to it, she is planting and harvesting with me. It seemed appropriate that as we marked this milestone that we give her a "big girl" room...

She will always be my little girl

        {I Love You to the Moon and Back}

Little Hands don't stay little forever

Mom stopped by to help :)

    After paint but before her new bed and shelves...

I'll post the complete project when it gets finished.

Rewind...

Here's what happened in the Chamberlain household during January...

Sew much fun!

My SIL's birthday comes at the end of a cold, snowy month. She on the other hand is full of SUNSHINE and all smiles~ALL the time. I wasn't sure what I could get for her first birthday back from Florida. I thought, thought, and thought some more. HMMM... I'll make her something, but what shall I make her???


She is getting married in 3 MONTHS! YEA for weddings ;) So I decided to make her some pillows • leopard print pillows • she L♥VES leopard print. I was "sew" happy when I was finished. I even made a picture frame with the same print as the matte for her. Here's some pics of the finished presents...