Home Sweet Home

Don't you just love the feeling of walking through the door to your own home after returning from a long trip? What a sweet luxury it is. Not to be cliché but there truly is no place like home. It's not about the material things as much as it is about the "familiarity" of everything. It's about being together as a family, the comfort of your own bed, the routine of daily living and knowing where even the little things are.

That's how we are feeling tonight. Pure joy. We've been spending the past few days in the hospital with our Little Miss. She came down with RSV, a nasty virus that typically just causes a bad cold in most adults and adolescents. In young babies, or kiddos under the age of 2 that were born prematurely, it can develop into a serious respiratory infection. PTL our girl is doing much better now and we are home. Thank you to all who have been praying.

After only a few days in the hospital and not getting much sleep, our hearts go out to all of you who have gone through, or are currently going through, extended hospital stays. We can't imagine what it would be like to be parents watching your child go through a serious illness like this family recently endured. We believe that God grants all of us the exact amount of strength we need, at the precise moment we need it, to walk through trials but still can't fathom the perseverance and courage that it would take. Which reminds me...if you haven't checked out this blog yet, please do. You will want to read some of the older posts to get caught up to speed but trust me, you're heart will be stirred to pray.

6 Random Quirky Things

Joani, one of my favorite gals, "tagged" me on her blog to write six random, quirky things about myself. I didn't realize how strange I really am (no comments necessary) until I started writing these down. I'm sure I could keep going but the game only asks for 6 items so that's all you're gonna get:

1. I do not like crumbs in my milk (or tea, coffee, hot chocolate…pretty much any liquid I’m drinking for that matter!). You know how people like to “dunk” cookies, doughnuts, biscotti, etc. in their drinks? That’s all fine and dandy but the fear of left-over slimy crumbs in the bottom of the glass prevents me from dunking anything (thanks to Hubby for reminding me of this quirk when he put crumbs in my tea the other night…on purpose, can you believe it?!)
2. I’m a news junkie. I have a slightly obsessive need to know what’s happening around the world and locally. I don’t read the detail under every story but do check online news sites (www.cnn.com, etc) a couple times a day to read the headlines and key news stories. I think the addiction stared post-911. I used to be an avid newspaper reader but have now gone “paperless”.
3. I’m a picky public restroom connoisseur. I don’t like to “go” just anywhere. I like when restaurants or stores have really fancy bathrooms. You know, the kind that actually have separate little “rooms” instead of stalls, where you have your own individual sink and real, clean and fresh towels? That’s quality at it’s finest. Of course, I’ve only been to a couple of places with bathrooms like that in my lifetime to date, but I’d “go” back to them all! Thankfully, if I’m in another country, I’m much more lax about this quirk (I’ve done my time on plenty of “squatty” pots in China and Europe and managed just fine).
4. I leave myself voice mail messages as reminders. If I’m driving in the car and can’t write something down, I’ll call my voice mail at home or work and leave myself a message with a reminder. The super quirky part about that is that I always, always, always unconsciously end the message saying “thank you”. Why in the world would I need to thank myself when I’m leaving myself a reminder? I know, weird.
5. I could be considered borderline germaphobic. I try to always use a paper towel to open a public restroom door on my way out (after washing my hands of course!), I use hand sanitizer whenever possible after shaking people’s hands (however if I know the person well, I don’t typically feel the overwhelming need to clean my hands post-shake. Strange differentiation, eh? As if knowing someone personally makes any difference to the germs!). I’m not super obsessive about all of this but am definitely “overly cautious,” especially after spending 2+ months with the Little Miss in the NICU (where you have to disinfect everything and be extra careful about washing up). I think this behavior also ties back to the picky public bathroom quirk above.
6. I don’t like the smell of an open bag o’ Doritos. Worse yet is smelling someone’s breath who just finished eating Doritos and a PB&J sandwich. Doritos and peanut butter do not make for minty fresh breath! This random quirk is thanks to my dear, sweet, older Bro who loved eating both when we were growing up. Of course, he also enjoyed breathing on his innocent sister afterwards (thanks Bro! I will get you back someday!).

OK, no more confessions out of me. Now, onto other friends! Here's a "tag, you're it!" to Dani, Liz and Tim to post 6 random, quirky things about themselves on their blogs. Don't worry, if you choose not to respond (or have already done this in the past), I won't be offended.

P.S. Joani, don’t let Mark tease you too much. As you can see, I too have the need to check several blogs almost daily!

To All The Women Out There

Think you're having a bad hair day? Don't fret, it could always be worse.

A Blog To Check Out

Kati posted about this family today and I had to check out the link. The blog is written by the husband of a gal with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). They had their own miracle baby, born a week ago very prematurely and still in the NICU. The mom, Tricia, is in the hospital trying to gain enough strength so she can be placed on the waiting list for a much needed double-lung transplant. Regardless of their trials, this family has serious FAITH.

While I read, I couldn't help but reflect back on our own time in the hospital when Hubby was going back and forth between my hospital room and our Little Miss in the NICU. That was seriously hard and yet this couple has an even tougher and longer trial ahead of them. PTL they know Jesus and He is their Rock.

Check out the blog "Confessions of a CF Husband" and be encouraged to pray.

I Love My Handy Man

Isn't it funny how God orchestrates marriage and knows how to bring the right person along at the right time? Sometimes the process seems to take a lot longer than we'd like but PTL! He knows what's best for us and creates the perfect match.

I love that my perfect match is such a "handy man". God knows that I am absolutely incompetent when it comes to building and fixing anything. I lack common sense and understanding of mechanical mechanisms of any sort. Thankfully, my dear Hubby is super talented and interested in these exact areas which helps to make up for my complete lack of skills.

I admit I do worry when Mr. Hubby makes comments like "this isn't going to fit, I might need to break out the saw" or "the hole isn't the right size, I'll need to drill more." Statements like this make me immediately resort to memories and fear of Tim Allen in Home Improvement reruns. Through it all though, Hubby has never once let me down when he's finished with a home improvement project.

Just this past weekend, Hubby even sacrificed a beloved gift card to his favorite store, Home Depot, to buy a new kitchen faucet (honestly, it was his idea. Of course, I'm not complaining one iota and am reaping the benefits). He installed it in a matter of minutes, even taking time on his own birthday! What a man.

Isn't Mr. Hubby the greatest? I have to agree but nope, you can't have him.

P.S. Hubby, before you even ask, this is not a "go ahead" to buy more tools. Nice try.

Guys Weekend

Happy birthday wishes go out this weekend to three of my favorite men!

First up on Saturday, is my dad (a.k.a., Papa). Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a serious "Daddy's girl". My dad has always been so supportive. He was known as the adopted Horse Show Dad for many young girls whose own dads never came to the events. He is bit stubborn, a quality that I didn't inherit (ha, ha), but I wouldn't change one thing about him. Our Little Miss beams when Dad is around and is quickly taking my place as "Papa's girl".

On Sunday, my main squeeze, Hubby, and his twin bro, Quent, will be turning another year older. I won't tell you how old they are going to be but suffice it to say...OLD. (Hubby is on the left in the pic below).I wanted to write an ode to my main man but I'm the first to admit, I am no poet. No need to torture you, our readers. Instead, I'll just say that I absolutely, hands down, without an inkling of a doubt, could not have married a better man. Hubby is more than I could have asked for as a husband and as a daddy to our Little Miss. Together with Jesus, he is the stronghold for our family. No matter what Hubby may say, he is also the "mischievous" one in our family and I love how he can always make me laugh.

As much flack as I enjoy giving Quent, I couldn't ask for a better bro-in-law. Quent is a bit more serious on the outside than Hubby, but deep down, he's just as goofy. When Quent and his family lived close to us, he and Hubby loved racing go-carts at a nearby track. Driving fast around and around in a metal contraption with a souped-up lawn mower motor and pollution-laden engine fumes brought out the young boy in both of them (along with their competitive natures). I imagine they will have the exact same boyish reaction when they are 70 (if they can still somehow manage to squat down and climb into the go-cart that is!).

Happy Birthday Dad, Hubby and Quent!

Winter Days

It’s officially 2008…unbelievable! Honestly, how many times have you written “2007” since January 1st? I’ve made my fair share of mistakes.

We really had a nice time over the holidays but are thankful that the rush is over. Now we can sit back and just enjoy Winter. We were so blessed this morning by the snow falling on our way to church. Doesn't happen often here so when it does, it's exciting for everyone (including the drivers). Having grown up in a snowy state, Hubby gets a little perturbed by the folks driving 20 mph just because they see a few flakes of snow (when the roads are nothing but damp). Can you blame him? Still, the slow commute to church was well worth the view and the pure, clean snow was a great reminder that God wants to bless us all in a fresh, new way this year.

Speaking of Winter, one of my favorite things about this time of year is homemade soup. Yep, it's simple, ol' soup. Soup is tough to get away with making in the summer because it's hot and that's when salads are "in" (yipee.). During the Winter you don't have to be sick to crave soup. You can make it as often as you want because it's the great comfort food of the season. Plus, there are many varieties, most are sooo easy to make, it warms your belly, can be fun to slurp (in other countries it's perfectly normal!), and is a sneaky way to slip the veggies in. I recently made this recipe (adapted from Allrecipes.com) along with easy homemade foccacia and it was yummy. Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share?

Italian Sausage Soup

1 pound Italian sausage (I use mild, turkey or chicken Italian sausage)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 boxes+ of chicken broth (the original recipe calls for beef broth)

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes with juice
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Approx 2 Cups prepared Orzo pasta or rice (I used left over brown rice)
Grated Parmesan Cheese (topping)

On the stove top, brown sausage with onion and garlic in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in beans with liquid, pasta (or rice) and zucchini. Add more broth depending on how much liquid you like in soups. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes. Top with cheese. Enjoy!

*** I used a Slow-Cooker (a.k.a., "Crockpot") and just browned the sausage, onion and garlic first. Place rest of ingredients (except zucchini, spinach and pasta/rice) in Slow-Cooker on low for 6-8 hrs. Add Zucchini and Spinach approx 2 hrs before complete. Add pre-cooked pasta or rice at the end.***