Good Graffiti

On my way into work today I noticed a truck with writing on it. Since all the snow and mush has now accumulated on the vehicles leaving a 2 inch layer of dust you tend to see things written on the back of vehicles of course. It simply said "JESUS SAVES" in large letters. Well that is very true and a great "graffiti" to see on the back of a big truck. Much better than "wash me"...Maybe some people will take it to heart today.
Just a good thought to start out a Friday!

Quilt Block

Here are the two blocks for Madeline's quilt. There will be 6 of each block. I have all of them finished and put together. I have one more row to sew on and then the boarders. I am excited it's getting done. I love the look of all the coordinating colors! I just thought I'd share an update.

Blessings come in.

I got my results back yesterday. Everything is fine. I do not have gestational diabetes! Praise God, I love chocolate and ice cream so I was really worried. All joking aside, I can do anything for 11/12 wks. No problem but I know it can make her a lot bigger and it would increase complications with birth possibly. So not having it makes me very happy. I also just got my yearly review at work and did get a little raise. Any raise is great in this economy. We have a lot to be thankful for in our lives, Nate & I both. Plus yesterday we found out we don't owe any taxes either, we get a nice amount back. God is good and we are thankful. I am making our very, very favorite meal tonight in celebration of all our good news. I thought I'd share the recipe, enjoy.

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce from Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine
Directions
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.
While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

This is easy, however time consuming but soooo very worth it. I found this for Nate when we lived in Albuquerque and we have made it for every special meal since then. You don't want to think about the fat grams in this, just enjoy and eat it. I leave the parsley out and will use Shallots instead of onion sometimes. Blog back and let me know if you make it. I hope you love it as much as we do.

More on pregnancy...

So I love being pregnant. It is so neat to feel her move! I am really amazed at how strong she is sometimes. I look down at my tummy and see little movements and then sometimes pretty big ones. I can tell she is laying on the left or the right side too. It is one of the neatest things I think I will ever experience. I am so thankful to God for giving me this gift! Aches, pains? Sure a few but so worth it! It is some small temporary pains for a long term gift! I have been feeling great other than the normal pregnancy aches. I did have to do the three hour glucose test yesterday so I am praying all comes back well with that. I cannot believe it but me, who loves to eat, has only gained 12 lbs! I had some extra to work with before I was pregnant of course. I am thankful for that too. I know more is to come the bigger she gets but that is on track to a healthy weight gain for pregnancy. I have a hard time losing weight with my thyroid condition. But it will be done when she comes. It should be nice weather and since I’ll be home 3 months almost then walks are definitely in our future.
Her room is looking like more than just a jumble of things thrown in it. We now have her bed and we are starting baby showers on February 27th. I am so excited to see everyone in my family again. I know a lot of them prayed for a baby for us, so it makes it extra special. I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by. I am sure the last month may drag on but the rest has flown by, it makes me sad to think how quickly the baby stages fly by too! I won’t think past that though. I have not been too emotional but little silly sentimental things make me cry. I have a song at church that I would sing when I was praying about a baby. It now makes me cry in church, which is strange since I’m not normally emotional. There are other little things that make me cry too, like I said just little sentimental things. I will post a new picture soon as the belly is increasing…