Rachel's Rags

Sniffle...

2012-01-19T17:10:00.003-05:00

I am being lazy today. I have the sniffles and I have a million projects to do and I am being lazy. It is a sin I know, but man is it fun! It is cold out and looks like more snow. I am sitting on the couch with the dog, aka "my heater" and watching Wuthering Heights...Madeline is sleeping and I am not even crocheting! I am not even cooking tonight. I will be going out with some lovely coupon I have aquired and Madeline & I are having a 'date' before Bible Study tonight. Here's to laziness today!

What I have been up to...

2012-01-13T16:03:00.004-05:00

I have been crafting a little here and there but not alot. My time has been taken up by a very cute little helper. She loves to take off with my yarn, fabric and other miscellaneous items. Unfortunately little gets done unless it is around the house. Here's what I have been up to:

I wanted a pretty cover for my Kindel Fire.

The inside of my Kindel cover. I wanted a pocket and something to keep

the Kindel in place instead of elastic sides.

A hat for a friend's daughter.

A fun new hair flower.

The fun new Frilly Scarf I am making...

And a crocheted kitchen scrubbie...because if you have to dishes it should be fun.

My neighbor has 'hired' me to make 3 notebook covers for her daughters so that should be fun. They will be similar to the Kindel covers and I will hopefully have time to make them before too long. So they get done I 'hired' her to watch Madeline for me while I work on them. My other lofty goal will be to create enough to do a craft fair this fall. It should be fun and I am excited for the challenge.

Happy crafting!

Flowers and feathers

2011-10-10T15:33:00.004-04:00

I have been making up some new hair flowers. It is really fun to make them and I love seeing how they turn out. They are all kind of unique. I charge $8 for the large ones and $5 for the small ones. If there is not a color you see but want one just email to rach.fairchild@gmail.com and we can talk about what you would want. The crochet flowers and feathers are $5 as well. I love to clip the flowers and feathers to headbands for myself, though they do look much cuter on Madeline...

Funky Feathers

Crochet Flowers & Heart

Peony Style

Poppy style flower

Purple silk Rose

Black silk Rose

Count down!!!

2011-03-28T15:28:00.003-04:00

We are moving again! I am so excited for the new house but really dislike, ok...hate moving! I just did this 9 months ago. Thankfully most stuff is still packed but there is the stuff we unpacked to make the apartment more homey feeling. We are moving our personal stuff like clothes, breakables and dishes ourselves but we are actually hiring movers this time! I am psyched!!! The movers we are using are very reasonably priced and will save us from rounding up our friends and renting a truck and feeding everyone. In all honesty it will cost just about $100 more for the movers and we keep our friends. So, since we are moving and I am packing that leads to no sewing. I was in the mood and very ready but I have no room at the apartment to spread out fabric and Madeline can always see me so that means she wants me. In the new house we are turning the formal dining area into a work-out room slash craft room. The other part about not sewing in the apartment is she can hear the sewing machine and it wakes her up. Stinky I know. So the countdown begins to April 28th as closing day and 29th is when we are moving our personal stuff and the movers get us all in on Saturday the 30th. Oh yeah, and we are having Madeline's first birthday party in our new house two weeks after we move in. Very exciting and busy for us but we are so thankful to God for providing us just the right house! We looked at many homes and even had an offer on a different one but it didn't work out. This is the perfect home for us. When we put in our offer we offered a little lower than asking price and for a few pieces of the furniture (the house was a model home for a local builder and the furniture was negotiable) and also for the seller to pay closing costs. He came back asking for full price and would pay closing and give us all the furniture!!! Well that was a deal! The home is half way furnished! So see, God is GREAT and He had this perfect deal for us and if we wouldn't have waited on His timing we would have missed out completely. We are looking forward to many years in this home and really making it ours and welcoming to friends and family.

Changes...

2011-02-25T08:59:00.003-05:00

Nate has a contract to work as a Fixed Duration Employee for Eli Lilly and it is up in 1 1/2 years. We sold the house last year in case he got a new job and we had to pick up and move across the country or something fun like that...well he did get a new job but we are staying in Indy! WOOT WOOT! I am very happy about that. I like it here, we are in between family and we have a great group of friends here. So smiles all around on it. Nate will have to travel to Chicago a couple times a month but not for long thankfully. Since there is a secure job, we can have a house! I love house hunting and think it is tons of fun. There are some great deals out there but man do they need work. We walked through one house that looked like they put mud or grease all over their feet and their animals and stomped through the house! I think we found one we really like and will probably put an offer on it the week Nate starts his job; March 7th. I am excited about the stability this brings. It is all still in God's hands and we are very thankful for the new job.
*side note: it is really hard to type with a 9 month old banging on the keyboard*

We have also been fighting this horrible virus again. We all had it for a month back in October but this time it is even worse. I have felt like death warmed over and Madeline has been clingy and fussy with this crud. She has been pitiful looking too with red eyes filled with yellow goop that hardens and a nose like a faucet! It is awful...She perks up for a while after she gets her medicine then fades pretty quickly. She is also a brute! She body slams the poor dog, 13lb dog verses 20lb baby is not really fair. She pulls hand fulls of fur from poor Maggie's tail and Mag's just sits there and looks at her. She finally growled yesterday but licked her 5 minutes later. I feel for that poor dog but she sure is such a good girl!
Well I still have plans to finish the pillows soon and think Saturday looks like a great day to do that. I hate unfinished projects and it has been since fall that I started 4 measly little pillows. Pretty pathetic that they are not done. Here's to finishing them Saturday and getting rid of this crud!

Here's to a new year...

2011-01-11T21:00:00.002-05:00

I am psyched a friend has offered to come by and have a play date for our munchkins so I can sew. WOOO HOOO! I really miss it and feel bad that none is getting done. I have even made up a few new patterns in that time and am still looking at the pillowcase half done on my sewing machine. I have to finish those pillowcases! Its not challenging maybe is why they are not done? I'll give any excuse right about now but I WANT them DONE and shipped to my poor friend who is waiting for them. I sure do love her for not freaking out that they are not done. Good friends are hard to find huh? Well here's to sewing on Thursday; it may not hurt that she knows I am cooking lunch for us as well...Chicken Corn Chowder in the crock pot. YUMMY, full belly and an afternoon of sewing. The only thing that would make a day better is to add a nap to that line-up huh?

My Cute Little Model (aka: my little ham)

2010-12-20T21:14:00.002-05:00

I have been crocheting hats lately. They are quick and easy for me to knock out and they pass time in the car or when I am watching tv in the evenings when the little bug goes to bed. My sis-in-laws friend was poking around the blog and saw one of Madeline in her hat and wanted one so....here it is. I added the flower for her to go with the hat. I never know what to charge for things; since they are handmade you cannot get them just anywhere but I think people would sometimes rather just go to the store and buy something cheap. I thought $15 was reasonable for a wool blend chunky hat with flower. She thought so too so SOLD. Woo hoo. I have left a little basket of these flowers and some other designs at my cousins hair salon and they have not sold? I am at a loss. I put $5 on most and $8 on the really big ones. They come with a hair clip or a pin so you can add them to your blouse/coat/______ fill in the blank. I just don't get it. Oh well. I am feeling some inspiration again. I just need to finish my friends pillows and then I have a few little lovies to make up and I designed a pattern for a Bible cover I want to try to make. That will be an adventure since I MADE it up and have no idea how that will turn out. Its only fabric huh? Well if there is a need for a nice warm hat, let me know I love making them...we can work out prices.

Time vs. Lack of inspiration & the battle of wills

2010-12-15T15:54:00.005-05:00

I have no time it feels like. I put Madeline down for her nap and she wakes up. What to do. I hate giving up time with Nate and her in the evenings to sew but I just need to. There is also the lack of inspiration. I have no lack of fabric, just the other two problems...Its a dilemma huh? Right now was the perfect opportunity to sew but just this second we are in a battle of wills, she wants up from nap (only 1 hr and is still exhausted but screaming at me!) and I want her to sleep! I don't know how much of the crying is okay. She looks abused when I finally give in and go in and get her-eyes red and face blotchy and it looks like she breaks out in heat rash. My child does not give up! She gets madder and finally just wakes herself up completely screaming instead of giving in to the exhaustion. SHE DOES NOT SELF SOOTHE! Passy be darned and blankie or bunny too...she just gets really ticked.
Who can be inspired when there is the sad, screaming baby? By the way she is normally a very, very happy child, just not at sleepy time.
There, blew off steam, sorry.

Madeline's New Hat

2010-11-11T15:57:00.002-05:00

When I travel I always take my crochet with me. It is so easy to get a hat or scarf done in the hour or two that we are in the car. Madeline normally sleeps when Nate drives and so here is her hat I made and a little flower as well. She did scratch her face (baby nails are vicious!) but I still love this photo.

Back to sewing

2010-10-21T15:13:00.002-04:00

These are a few of the little tag blankets I have made. The first was for Madeline and the second in red was for a friend. I am selling them for $15.00 if anyone is interested.

A few new pics

2010-09-02T13:51:00.003-04:00

It had to happen...

2010-08-23T19:55:00.002-04:00

Well Madeline spent her first night in her own crib...I spent the night in the guest bed right next to it. (I know...) Her room is shared with the guest bed since we went from a three bedroom home to a two bedroom household. I had been having her sleep in a side-by-side bassinet since we are nursing and the more you move her around, the less likely she was to stay awake. Now she is only waking up once or twice in the night, mostly due to the stupid passie I gave her and if she drops it out of her mouth, she wakes up wanting it back and cannot put it back yet herself. The other times is just wanting to be on her side instead of her back. She generally goes to sleep around 8:30 to 9:00 and wakes around 5 or so to eat and then maybe sleep another hour to hour and a half if I am lucky. We are hopeful she will start sleeping through the night and learn some self soothing techniques, I'm working on it. She is so big now. She is in 6 month sizes and is only 15 weeks this week. I cannot believe how quickly time is flying.
Also Tuesday August 24th is our 8th Wedding Anniversary. We are going to let a friend watch her for a few hours on Saturday so we can go out to dinner to celebrate...Did I mention this is the first time really leaving her? I am not sure where we'll go, but am more concerned that my little stinker will take a bottle for those friends and not scream when they try to give it to her. Our friends are so excited to watch her which is nice, they have three older kiddos and love having a baby around. I know I will be anxious to leave her but she is in very capable hands. Well someone is singing my name "waaaaahhh, aaaaaa, waaaahhhhh!" and wanting her nightcap. :)

2010-07-19T15:09:00.005-04:00

Mommy and Madeline (5 wks)

Tummy time on my play mat (7 wks)

My little black dress, Papaw says every girl has to have one...(6 wks)

So peaceful (8 wks)

Bright eyes after my bath (7 wks)

Just wanted to update some of my favorite pictures of my girl. I am so sad to go to work next week but know it is limited time back. Next week I go back on the 27th and then have Thursday and Friday off for closing and moving. I am happy to have a good friend watching her but it is still heart-wrenching to leave her. I left her alone with someone other than Nate for the first time on Friday and my heart almost came out through my mouth. I left her with a good friend and left her with some formula just in case. She ate it just fine. I wanted to see how she did with it if I am not able to pump enough while at work. She did fine however her belly did not like it; it took till Sunday morning for her to go #2. She was still happy even though constipated, go figure. She is a happy baby for the most part. She is only fussy if tired, hungry or gassy.

Update on me, I am great, loving nursing and find it amazingly rewarding to be able to nourish my punkin. It is hard being tied to her that way sometimes if I need to leave or am in public and there is no easy place to nurse but we are getting really good at discreet nursing. I am apparently

trying to kill myself, either that or Nate is...I was getting into the car today and in a hurry to get it cooling down for her and whacked myself in the nose with the door. I don't think I damaged myself too bad which is great since I had sinus surgery several years ago to fix my septum. When I got home I was trying to get into the fridge in the garage and didn't realize Nate had put the power drill on the top of it while doing some work. I do have some "cat" like reflexes because I caught it before it hit me in the head. It would have probably knocked me out...So hopefully tomorrow will be better and I will go about the day unscathed. I called Nate to make sure he had my life insurance paid up and he laughed and said he still needs me for now. hehe.

Well please be in prayer for us with the next few weeks coming of me going back to work and moving. There is a lot of stress coming our way but God is good and he has gotten us this far and answered our prayer of selling the house and he did it in under three weeks. I am going to have good help between my mother and step mother-in-law coming this week to torture themselves and watch the baby...I feel so sorry for them, such a burden I know. Well wish us luck, no posts for a while till after we get settled

Things I hear myself saying...

2010-07-07T13:01:00.003-04:00

1. "Stop hitting yourself in the head". -said once upon a time to my brother-in-love when I was picking on him. Now said to Madeline to stop hitting herself or pull her own hair...
2. "Yea, poopie!" -said now when constipated
3. "Oh yeah 4 hours of sleep is awesome!" -now said that she is sleeping four hours at first then giving me around another two afterwards.
4. "Stop licking the baby." -Said to the "mother hen" dog who wants to take care of Madeline.
These are a few of the things I hear myself saying on a daily basis and they are music to my ears!

Madeline is here

2010-05-25T18:29:00.004-04:00

Madeline was born on May 12, 2010 at 4:30pm. She was a healthy 7lbs 8oz and 21 inches long. And she has a full head of hair, light brown with blonde and red highlights (I pay good money to have my hair look like that). I went into labor on Tuesday and into Wednesday. We went to the hospital around 5am on Wednesday and labor progressed pretty well from there...I got to 7 cm and took the epidural, I had been up almost 48 hours and was worn out and as soon as they gave me the epi, my water broke. Around 3pm I was still at 9cm and she was not descending and they had the pitocin level pretty high so they advised c-section since she was not moving into position. They thought the cord could be wrapped around something and preventing it. I opted very quickly for the c-section since that is always a nightmare people have. I was glad then I had the epidural since if they hadn't done it already I would have had to be knocked out completely for the surgery. The surgery was pretty quick, around 45 minutes and went well. I of course didn't care ultimately how she came out, just that she was healthy. I am so greatful for her and she is just perfect. God has blessed us so much with her!

I am exhausted from the lack of sleep and she is getting stomach aches in the middle of the night, but so worth all the lack of energy. I now sleep in the day and am up at night, similar to how it was in college. The time is flying and she is 2 wks old tomorrow. I am off for almost a full 12 weeks and am praying that I don't have to return for long. I am sad now even thinking about having to leave her. I just will be an ostrich for a while and not think about it...

Here are some photos of her and the new family.

Madeline's eclectic room

2010-05-01T21:38:00.004-04:00

A friend had the cute blankie made for Madeline

Her changing station and light from Ikea

Her bed with quilt. I still have to quilt it and put the binding on.

More pics of the quilt.

Close up of the dust ruffle.

I love the Amy Butler paisley fabric. It would all be in that fabric if I could have done it. I like the others too but it is by far my favorite. The dresser is antique and the changing table is actually a buffet table from Ethan Allen I picked up when we lived in Albuquerque. We bought the bed new and a friend gave us their rocker. It is comfy, doesn't match though, but I am about practical. Most things will only be used for a little while anyways. The chaning buffet was perfect for the changing table and I like all the compartments that are in it, and there is a shelf in the bottom cabinet part. I do have plans to put up white curtains and then sooner or later make a paisley valance to go over the top...but I am not going to do it just yet. There are still more pressing things to do at the house to get it ready to sell. We don't have anything up on the walls because I don't want to have to deal with the holes and patching them when we sell. Lazy, I know but true. Hope you all like the room.

Prego Pictures

2010-05-01T21:33:00.003-04:00

Easter Weekend

39 Weeks

Jocelyn's Quilt

2010-05-01T21:24:00.003-04:00

Jocelyn & her new quilt.

My best friend Emily had her second little girl, Jocelyn. I had made her a quilt from the new Amy Butler fabric, its not a traditional "baby quilt" but oh the fabric is so great! Clementines had some of the line in fat quarters. I had to have it for this quilt. I really like how it turned out. I am not overly happy with the orange and blue polka-dots but love the rest of the quilt. Em really liked it to so that is important too. The pattern was a really quick and easy one. I like how piecy it is.

Week countdown...

2010-04-30T08:42:00.002-04:00

Well one week and one day till D-day. I am getting anxiously excited and really ready to meet her. Everyone seems to have some theory on when she will arrive, mine is when she is ready and tired of pushing out instead of down. She is funny. I will rub my belly and she will push out as hard as she can and have me rub her back. It cracks me up...rotten already. But hopefully it will help soother her when she does come out. Even my dad is anxious. He advised me last night on the phone that he is around town the next few weeks but after that he has to travel to Texas and cannot just jump on the plane back home if I go into labor. (Well Dad, I'll see what I can do? lol.) I am still feeling fine, no more back pains and even though there is not much sleep going on I feel rested enough. I have not worked on the room lately since we are getting the house ready to put on the market. I will post pics I promise when I get it ready. I will be quilting on Sunday so that is hopeful at least. I would love to have someone just quilt the blanket for me but I refuse to pay all that money, plus it is more special if I do it I guess.
Everything is packed and ready to go to the hospital, Nate has been packed for himself and the baby for a month. Cute huh, think he's ready and waiting? I do have a new belly shot Nate took yesterday and I will post that soon as well. Say a prayer that she comes soon on her own and also that we get all the work done at the house that needs to be done so we can focus on her when she arrives.

Well if it walks like a duck...it might be me.

2010-04-02T20:54:00.003-04:00

But I'm not quacking yet. I am now waddling. It is kinda funny but I try not to...I catch myself and correct it when I notice it. I have not had any problems in my pregnancy but Monday I was struggling! I have low back pain normally but it hasn't bothered me since I've been pregnant but something got me and it took me down! I was out till Wednesday. Poor Nate has been sooo good to me and has cleaned, cooked and even carried me to the bathroom. I am about 80% back to normal now and have been to the chiro every month since I've been pregnant to keep the back pain from happening and it has worked up till then. I went to the chiro on Monday and again on Tuesday. It really did help along with ice, I highly recommend chiropractic care to any pregnant person especially. Please pray my back pain stays away for the next 5 weeks of my pregnancy. I cannot believe that sentence!!!! Only 5 weeks? Wow this has gone by so fast and no posts about how quickly the baby grows okay :).
Her room is pretty much ready, I need to quilt her blanket but the main part is done. The dust ruffle is complete and on her crib already. I am going to put up curtains this week too, I didn't make the curtains, they are cheaper to buy but I am probably going to make valances to go with them though.
We are praying about some major things in life right now too. We are trying to work it for me to stay home...that's our goal. We will be putting the house on the market shortly after a few more cosmetic updates and with all our hope we will sell it asap! I have around 10 wks of FMLA to use before I have to go back to work after she is born so I will have to work till it sells but hope is in sight. I don't mind working but I don't want to do daycare if we don't have to. We do have it lined up for now with a lady who only watches 2 children at a time but it is pretty pricey and it is still not me watching my own child. It is one of the best options available since it is so private and she will get great care there. I am also wanting to try the cloth diapers too to save money and be green but I am sure the babysitter is probably not game for that, plus with nursing it will be easier not working and having to pump. I have a million and one excuses not to work but we just have to make sure that we are of course following what God has planned for our family...So we pray, alot. I'll update again soon and will post pics soon.

Stuck

2010-03-23T15:59:00.002-04:00

It is beautiful outside...sigh...I am in cubicle land staring out over them at the sunny day. *sigh* I leave in 30 minutes to my 45 minute commute home. But I have a sun roof at least in the new vehicle.
Oh yeah, we traded in our lovely little Lancer, which will be greatly missed, for a Mercury Mariner. We are in love with it. It is very luxurious compared to our other small vehicles we've had. It is an older model 2007 but it is pretty much fully loaded. Leather, heated seats and automatic everything. We are excited about the new "baby-mobile" and the room it will have. Ms Madeline will have lots of room for all her stuff we need to travel with. :)
Hope everyone else has some sunshine outside to look forward to playing in!

Not much going on...

2010-03-19T09:38:00.003-04:00

The belly is growing and I am getting less sleep, as is Nate. The round ligament pains are often and I am looking forward to May. I am so excited to finally meet her! I don't mind the aches and pains and the lack of sleep is only a taste of what's to come I am sure...The room is almost finished, I will post pics when I am done. I have to decide what to do with the curtains and quilt the blanket. Dust ruffle is complete as of last Sunday. I am looking forward to a more quiet weekend. The showers were a ton of fun and I loved seeing everyone but they wore me out. I came down with a Sinus infection last week and stayed home from work for three days. I did nothing...I hate when I am at home and cannot do anything. Sick or not it feels like wasted time. I wanted to clean and do other things and sew...I laid on the couch like a bump on a log. Maggie, Zeke and I caught up on our zzz's. Nate is in nesting mode again since there is lots to do before she gets here. He wants to tile the bathrooms first and then its on to yard work. Spring has sprung and we will soon be cutting grass and planting in the yard. I look longingly at my garden and know I will not have time. I will not miss pulling weeds but will miss all my fresh veggies! I will still have my herb garden and strawberries. I hopefully will have a decent crop of them if the rabbits don't get them. Since we have the ferocious beast that kills rabbits we may be okay this year since she has marked her territory. Rabbits run in fear of my shih-tzu! :) Laugh all you want but its true, she's a kill!
The house has been babyfied, there is baby stuff everywhere, clothes, diapers, car seat, stroller, etc. This kid has more clothes than I'll know what to do with. I have a ton of hand-me-downs and a ton of new clothes too. I am very thankful, I am sure she will use them and dirty them quickly. I love little girl clothes, they are so fun and cute! I am so excited to meet her, Nate is ready too. I want her to stay in and "cook" long enough of course but am getting anxious...its not as if we waited 4 1/2 years already, whats another 7 wks? Pray for patience for this for us. I'll update soon.

There's something wrong in the sky...

2010-03-04T11:37:00.002-05:00

There are no clouds, there is this yellow/orange ball in the sky! Oh, that's right, its what they call the sun! I had forgotten what it looks like its been soooooooo very long since we've seen it in Indianapolis! I am thankful today for the sun and the weekend forecast, they are talking 50's in March! It will be nice to have some warmth!

Good Graffiti

2010-02-26T09:13:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-24T15:42:00.002-05:00

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.

2010-02-12T09:43:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-02-11T09:02:00.001-05:00

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…

Oh the creativity of a pregnant woman...

2010-01-27T09:36:00.003-05:00

So now 25 weeks and counting I have entered into the heartburn, indigestion and two a night potty breaks. I am still loving being pregnant but am having to come up with many creative ways to sleep. I propped myself up with 5 pillows two nights ago to help the heartburn. Last night I used my mommy body pillow like a coil to help with hip pressure. There are normally at least 3 or 4 pillows around me, the bigger I/she gets the more I need. Poor Nate will soon only have a 1/4 of the king sized bed. It seems when you get your shoulders to stop hurting from learning to sleep on your side the pressure goes to the hips and then visa-versa. The indigestion I am used to since before pregnancy but she has had her feet/hands/something up near the top of the belly and pushing on me. I politely try to move her back down and she kicks me, ornery already, it is kinda funny. She's like no mom. I'm comfy, leave me alone; so I do. She is rotten already. I figured many of my pregnant friends have had their creative moments on how to get comfy so if you have any good suggestions I am game.

New Picture-21 weeks

2010-01-02T09:28:00.002-05:00

We took this picture at Nate's Uncles house for our Christmas picture this year. We always buy an ornament for the year and this years has a spot for a photo, what better than a belly shot?

New Purse & new quilt

2010-01-02T09:19:00.002-05:00

I finished the quilt the week before Christmas, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I pieced the back of the quilt too and then I used some of the special features on the sewing machine to sign it as well.

The back of the quilt

The new purse that I made. I love the fabric and the pleats. I made it for trade with my facialist/friend Christina for my next facial and massage.

Late post, Tables of Christmas

2010-01-02T08:50:00.005-05:00

Tables of Christmas is something our church does every year. This year there were about 140 tables. We went with a candy theme this year. The ornaments were all made of candy or about candy. Instead of snow on the table as decoration we used Skittles, the napkin holders were Twizzlers. It was a great time and the speaker was very good. We are already in the works for designing next years table.

Me & Epha

Me, Kim, Tricia, Epha, Kim & Amy

These are some of the other tables at the event...

I'll probably get coal for Christmas...

2009-12-18T09:35:00.002-05:00

I have been bad about blogging. I'd get coal from Santa. I have finally finished a quilt and will post the pics of that. Then on to my friend Emmie's quilt for her little one Jocelyn. I am in the process of picking out fabric for my little one's quilt. We found out it is a girl, so that is super fun. I LOVE PINK! It is my favorite color and cannot wait to buy fun stuff. We went and registered the day we found out. We are awful...but it was fun. Madeline is doing well (that is her name) and growing and kicking up a storm. I LOVE that feeling, there is nothing like it and I am still in awe of this whole process of being pregnant. Nate and I are still so thankful for this experience! He has been reading to the baby so it will know his voice and she starts moving around, she likes the deeper voices when she hears them. Our Bible study leader has a deep voice and she moves for him too when he starts talking. Its kinda funny. I raised my voice a few days ago at work on the phone because someone was not listening and she moved her hand, leg, arm (hard to tell) back and forth on my tummy. That one made me jump, she hadn't done that before. She's definitely getting bigger and stronger, you can tell since the movement is stronger. Nate asked if I thought I'd get tired of feeling her? I said I don't think so, I am just so happy she's there and if she does not move for a while it feels strange! My mother is dying to feel her move too, but they are very faint feeling still on the outside. She came to the ultrasound with us and was in awe as well. For her, it was the first ultrasound she'd ever seen. She kept asking the tech questions and I had to fuss to tell her to wait till she was done with the important stuff like the heart, lungs, kidneys, fingers, toes, etc then she can ask all the questions she wants to. She is just so excited about the baby too.

We will be celebrating Christmas with my dad's side of the family tomorrow night. I love going to my Aunt's house, it always reminds me of being a child and going there. I love her turkey dressing, it has been my favorite thing forever. I love holiday dinners! I will post pics soon and also a pic of the belly, it is getting round and is very noticeable. I love it though!

Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda

2009-11-25T09:49:00.001-05:00

You know when you miss an opportunity for God? I missed one last night. I should have spoke up but for some reason didn’t. Nate and I went to dinner at Gray’s Cafeteria last night and there was a large party in front of us. There was a single older man behind us. He thought we were with the party and let us ahead, I told him that we were not with them and he was fine to go ahead and it was just us two. He declined and stayed behind us. I smiled at him and said thanks and joked that even though the party in front was big I was sure there was plenty of food there for all of us. We went on down the line and got to the register to pay. I had a nudge in my heart….pay his bill. Nate normally pays, so I didn’t do it. I should have done it! I get to the table and I ask Nate if he ever feels like he should have done something then feels awful afterwards? He said yes, and I explained my nudge and Nate had one too, he even thought about asking him to sit with us for dinner. How sad, I was depressed. We missed out last night on doing something we really should have followed through with for God. I told him we need to really just act on those nudges when they come our way. I am sad we missed that one but am hopefully ready for the next nudge God provides and I pray that we/I follow through. We are blessed in our lives and though we don’t have a ton of resources (money) we have enough and God has always provided when we follow His direction. We think we have blessed someone else but we really are the ones blessed in the exchange, we know that we followed through with Gods plan. If we don’t follow through, God passes the blessing of giving to another person and we miss out. So this holiday season what Nudges is God giving you and will you do better than me and follow through?

Blessings...

2009-11-12T12:13:00.001-05:00

I have two updates today. Both happened on Wednesday. I went to the dentist and they scheduled me an appointment for 6 months later. I realized, hum…cannot do that. I am due May 8th. If I don’t have the baby by then or am still waiting, the last thing I want to do is sit in a chair and have someone mess with my teeth. So I scheduled it for the first week in June. That brought me to the realization that….Nate will have to watch the baby! That just sounds so strange to me! I completely trust him to watch the baby, honestly he is better with kids than I am even, but the thought that the baby will be here. My baby will be born by June. It is still honestly sinking in that we are really, truly going to be parents finally!!! I know even though the belly is growing that its true but it still seems hard to believe.
Side note: my little friend Jonathan (whom we steal often from his mommy) chalked my growing belly up to “just eating too much”. From the mouth of babes huh? He’s 7.
So in short, I think its funny I have to make sure Nate’s available in June to watch the baby.
The other wonderful thing I am truly thankful for is my friends. I love them. I have several friends who are family to us; Epha is one of them (well Sam and the boys too). I called her since I hadn’t talked to her this week on the way home and was telling her that it was a dinner out night since I had my dentist appointment. My loving friend was going to call me anyways that night and invite us over for Pot roast, and veggies. She said when she was putting it in the oven she thought of us and thought she would call to invite us for dinner. I was so thankful to not have to eat out, plus Epha’s pot roast is awesome! When we moved to Indy from Albuquerque we wondered if we would ever find as good of friends as we had there and we are very blessed here as well. So that’s the update for now…looking forward to Thanksgiving and seeing family and then to the December 8th Ultrasound to hopefully find out if the baby is a boy or girl.

Long time no post...

2009-11-06T08:26:00.002-05:00

Okay, pregnancy is great but it has wiped me out. I am 14 weeks this Saturday and looking forward to possibly having some more energy soon. I have so much to do and no energy to do it with. I know this is preparing me for when the baby comes but I have stuff to do before he/she gets here. Loads of stuff!
The belly is expanding and getting round, I heard the heartbeat again this week on Wednesday and it is definitely getting slower since the baby is getting bigger. I have long since gone ahead and taken the advice of a friend to switch to maternity pants and oh, they are so much better! We find out the gender of the baby on December 10th if it is cooperative, but I love seeing the ultrasounds, it is so neat and makes it feel more real. It is still surreal to me about being pregnant, even though I can obviously see the belly sticking out now. I have really started feeling better, no more nausea; except the occasional fight in the morning with my toothbrush still. (I even switched to a childs toothbrush so there is less to gag me with) Nate just keeps talking to my belly and patting it. The dog hasn't figured out yet that she cannot just jump right up on me onto the couch without getting in trouble, she plops right onto my stomach. As far as cravings, not really having any. I am just trying to find quick and easy and somewhat healthy things to make for dinner. I hate eating out of the freezer with processed meals but they are really easy. We have been busy each weekend so I don't get the chance then for meal prep like I normally would for that next week.
This weekend again is going to be busy. My Mom & Dad are both coming up and Dad & Nate are going to tile the new countertop in the bathroom. It will be great when it is done. Nate is still nesting and getting things organized which is TOTALLY unlike him! It is cute and really nice to have the projects completed. He is a great husband and will make a great Daddy too! We are both looking forward to feeling the baby and seeing it move, I think it will make it more real for him too.
Well that's the update for now, nothing really exiting other than the ultrasound coming up on December 10th.

Rant & a Rave

2009-10-20T18:02:00.002-04:00

Okay I will start with the rave first. I LOVE YATS!!! It is something I have been craving in this pregnancy. Their Chili Cheese Etouff'e is the BEST! I have been there twice in the past week. I want the same thing every time. There are other really yummy things there too. They are only local to the Indy area but they are so yummy.

On to the rant. I was so PSYCHED to go see "Where the Wild Things Are". I was so disappointed! It was awful! I was asked to go by my 6 year old friend Will who also was very excited. We were both very much looking forward to this movie, so much so that we couldn't wait till Saturday afternoon. He was scared! The monsters are not too scary in the beginning however when Carol, the main monster chases Max through the forest telling him "I will eat you!" that was it for him. He crawled up on mom's lap and was crying. This is a children's book and they made it into something very morbid and very scary for little ones. Yes the book is a little strange on its own account, however it is still a children's story. This is NOT a children's movie. I am not the sheltering type, but there were obviously others who shared my sentiments because twenty minutes into the movie they were taking their children out of the theater. Not only was it scary for kids, it was boring. The plot was weak and over most children's heads. The only good thing about the movie was the costumes of the monsters. Those were neat. That is my only like of the entire movie...It should have stayed a book.
Well there you go, there's my rant and rave, nothing exciting but that's my post.

My Favorite Time of Year

2009-10-02T08:17:00.007-04:00

I feel like I just posted about this not long ago. But it is Fall again! Somehow it went from 80 degrees down to 60's but the leaves are changing and it is fall. It seems strange changing so quickly and I am worried about not having a hot summer and that we will pay for it this winter. We will be traveling through some country areas this weekend and I am so excited to see all of the lovely leaves and scenery (if I'm not sleeping). I really want to plan a trip to Brown County to see the colors change and of course to shop. They have all sorts of fun shops and really yummy resturants to eat at with good southern cooking. I am craving Chicken-n-dumplins lately. I will have to go to Cracker Barrel or something, maybe sweet talk my mother to make some.
Fall also brings time for new fabric lines to come out! WOO HOO! Clementines just got the new Amy Butler line in and I am all but salivating to see what is in store! She just posted on her blog about the new fabric...I am two quilts behind but really have till December or so to start on my own but new fabric starts me to thinking. I just need the energy to start...

News Flash

2009-09-30T08:49:00.002-04:00

Well things will be changing in our house in the Spring. The long prayed for baby will be arriving. After four years of waiting and praying we found out we are expecting. After feeling crappy in general for over a month I have felt sick when I ate, sick when I didn't eat and I was so drained I couldn't function; plus there were some other issues....so into the doctor I went. It was not my normal doctor and he kept saying, "well hun, it sounds like you could be pregnant." I let him know that he was surely mistaken and that it couldn't just happen and we would find out on Monday when my blood tests came back. Well Monday morning I get a voicemail from my regular doctor telling me the blood test shows I am pregnant! I couldn't believe it so I called him back and the office staff handed the phone right to him and he confirmed it. The first call was of course to Nate and he was speechless for sometime and asked am I sure? Of course I am sure I told him, I checked twice with the doctor! So we went into celebration mode! The doctor wanted me to come in asap for an ultrasound since there were some issues (nothing serious) and got me in that very day. So we saw the baby bean on that night and all is healthy and it was so very cool to see the heartbeat and everything else about the baby. It just amazed us and made it real, kinda. It still seems surreal and we are so very happy that God has blessed us with this child. We just ask for prayer for a healthy baby and that I keep up my energy. I have learned the key to my feeling well is small amounts of food through out the day and a nap after work. Whoever thought of "morning sickness" is very inaccurate; it is all day sickness! But I won't complain even if I am sick, I am just so very happy to finally be pregnant. Please keep us all in your prayers!

Okay, I'm a Few Pictures Behind

2009-09-02T20:46:00.005-04:00

Here is the Picture of Epha & myself on the IndyMom's nite out I crashed.

It's a bad photo but I have a label now for my products

My Swap bag, I traded my Facialist an hour facial and 1/2 hr massage for this bag, so worth it!

The Lilly Bag. This is a medium sized diaper bag for my sister-in-law Sarah. It is some of my favorite fabric Chocolate Lollipop.

So I have been busy, but not busy sewing. We have had so many things to do, not exciting things but the mundane things of life. I am not quite sure how it is already September but it really is. This year has flown by so far!

This weekend, I get to meet my new niece, LillyAnn. She is about two months old and her & my Sister-in-law, Sarah are coming into town and we are traveling to visit with them this weekend up to my in-law's home. I cannot wait to meet her. I made her a couple blankies and the Diaper Bag above. I think she will like it; if not I'll keep it or sell it and we'll go for a different fabric. So off to bed after finishing the bag, another fun day at work tomorrow. I wonder if Martha Stewart needs someone on staff to sew, what a nice dream!

2009-08-23T14:34:00.002-04:00

This weekend was so much fun! We had Jonathan on Friday and went to Bible Study. Saturday morning we woke up and went to Sofia’s for breakfast; this place has the best pancakes I have ever had! After Jonathan went home and we had some down time, we went to WAMM Fest with the Turks and it decided to rain. So we left, went to dinner and then it turned into a beautiful night, so we went back and walked around. I was a little disappointed because I thought it would be some free samples of food since you had to pay to get in. No such luck. Everything was reasonably priced but there were so many places you just didn’t know which to pick, so samples would have been fabulous. WAMM stands for Wine Arts Music Microbrew so it was really my type of event. Sunday was church as usual, it was a great service and then lunch with The Riche’s. We normally go out for dinner but we stopped by KFC and got something to go and spent the afternoon at the park for a picnic and short hike. We then went to dinner at Morton’s steak house for our anniversary; 7 years on August 24! They had something going on in Indy called Devour Downtown. You could choose from several different restaurants for $30 per person. Morton's, Ruth’s Chris, Oceaneare, several others. But Morton's had the best menu for us. So steak it was! For the $30 you got salad, main course (3 selections), a side and dessert, now if you have been to Morton's before you know that a steak alone normally costs over that. It was great. I love a good steak sometimes. We had a glass of wine with the meal and can’t wait till the do it again in January for another Devour downtown. They do 2 a year. We will go some place different for that one just to try something new. So great weekend all in all; lots of fun!

A weekend in Pictures

2009-08-02T20:07:00.006-04:00

Carter, our NephewSome of the buggies from ShipshewanaMe & MomThe Stage at Conner Prairie

Nate & Ben napping

Epha and some of the ladies from Indy MomsMe and Ben (bottom left) and Will

Nate

We had a busy weekend. We went to Shipshe on Friday with Lori, the step-mom-in-law and then to her birthday party that night. Saturday was the trip home and then we went to Conner Prairie for the Symphony on the Prairie, it was Beatles night and it was really cool. They had four people that were dressed like the Beatles and they really sounded like them. I had a great time. Epha had to work and so did her husband so we offered to watch the boys and she gave us tickets and when she was done working the event came down and had a picnic with us. There were a few sprinkles but for the most part it was a beautiful evening.

Posting to post

2009-07-29T10:06:00.004-04:00

No major updates, I am quilting away on a quilt and have been playing in my garden. I have harvested a few zucchini and some green beans. The cucumbers are just about ready and I have tiny little cantaloupes. I am so excited for those. My herb garden is doing well and the zucchini about to go crazy, most are still little tiny ones. I am going to Shipshewana this weekend in Northern Indiana with my mom and staying with my in-laws. My step-mom-in-love is coming with us. I love my step-mom-in-law, she is really sweet. I should post pictures on that trip soon. We are going for all day on Friday and I am very exited about spending time with both of them. Saturday night we are going to Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie with my friend Epha to help watch the boys. She has to work and is getting us free passes to help with the kiddos.

Last weekend I went out on the town with Indy Mom's group. They had a mom's nite out and I was invited to go. It was at a little shop in downtown Indy on MassAve and it was so much fun. We went to Eye Candy; they had snacks, wine and some very lovely lemon meringue tartlets and the cutest jewelry for very reasonable prices. I would post a link for the website but they don't have one. I have a picture of me & my friend Epha but it is not loaded onto the computer yet. I will post this weekend probably with other pictures. Paul the owner and I did discuss him carrying a few of my purses. I have no idea what possessed me to do this; (well it could have been the few glasses of wine) but I did follow up with him on Monday and I am going to take a few purses in as soon as I have some done. So I will be back to designing a few new purses that are bigger and more chunky. So I will post pictures soon!

Mammas got a brand new bag!

2009-07-07T19:37:00.003-04:00

I needed a new bag. My other one was well loved and had the smell of coffee, funny how that happens when you spill it on it a couple times huh? So this is my new Sassy Stripes bag. I really like how it turned out. It is a hipster bag and has big pockets inside. It is pretty big, about 19" wide by about 15" tall. It is exactly what I wanted. So sewing wasn't completely out of the weekend.

A new pic of my MagPie baby. She just got a haircut! Isn't she too cute?

My God Son's 1st Birthday

2009-07-07T19:36:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Micah! He turned a year old on July 1st but we celebrated on July 4th.

A year goes by so quickly!

Friday plans down the drain...

2009-07-01T15:07:00.002-04:00

Okay, I was so excited for Friday; a day off work to do work I love, sew. Well that has been pushed to the wayside. The dog needs a haircut, BAD! Her furry little self is all knotted and won't let me brush them out. Her puppy fur gets so tangled since it is so soft. I will be driving down to Columbus to get her cut at my aunts. I am so sad. I still have my own purse only half done and need to start the next baby quilt, plus...I need to finish the other crochet things that should have been done a month ago. Why, oh why do I start twenty projects at once? Answer: because I love to work on different things and find something more fun to start in the middle. Not a good answer but an honest one, sorry. The rest of the holiday weekend will be filled with Family coming in from Elkhart, Nate's side and also with my God son's first birthday party on Saturday. Sew long sewing, such is life.

The Lovie

2009-06-28T21:11:00.007-04:00

I made my sister-in-law a lovie and thought I'd share what it looks like. I really liked how it turned out. It is my version of a taggie...My new little niece, Lilliann will be on the way soon!

Oh yes, and the perfect helper for all your sewing projects, Zeke, he's great at keeping my projects warm and fuzzy. He adds his own love to them :)

Shhh...don't wake him, he's working hard!

Well, he did kill two bugs yesterday, he earned his keep!

Oh the Zucchini I will have...

2009-06-28T21:07:00.004-04:00

I thought I'd post for my garden and show the lovely zucchini plants that are just about to bloom! I am so excited, I will have zucchini running out of my ears but all is well. I love to share! I also wanted to post my new friend who is the "Guardian of the Garden". My friends little boys picked him out for my birthday back in march and I just found the perfect little spot for him. He needs a name though, any thoughts?

Getting a little greener...

2009-06-26T09:42:00.005-04:00

Okay, I have a hybrid, I have a garden, compost bin and recycle...so I am taking small steps to becoming more green. Not bragging by any means because I still do some pretty un-green things like Ziploc bags and such. I however have gotten into eating local produce. I really started thinking about it when in California. So many neat places around there in Northern Cali that are using fresh, local produce and meats. Since I still love chicken and do occasionally eat red meat, I prefer to use the best. My garden is going well but for supplementing it I do need other additional produce plus I am not going to raise cattle or chickens. I will pay a little extra for the good stuff. My friend Epha gave me a great site to visit to get on a weekly/bi-weekly delivery system for fresh local meats, produce and groceries. It is http://www.farmfreshdeliveries.com/. I also bought some chocolate milk from a local grocery store and found that it is local as well and is right down the street from my work. It is Traders Point Creamery, I stopped by yesterday so I could get some milk and yogurt and found that they also have beef from their farm as well. There is even a Friday night farmers market that I could stop by on my way home too! So exciting. (it doesn't take much for me) I had my chocolate milk with breakfast today, it really is like drinking a chocolate bar! I get my first bin delivery from Farm Fresh on next Friday, it will have leaf lettuce, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, peaches, plums and many other yummie things. It is costing us $35.00 every other week which is about what I would spend for 2 wks of produce but since it is local it will last longer in my fridge since it has not been shipped across the country. Half my produce goes bad in a week because of that very reason it seems. So all that "green" I may not be but I am happy to support locals :)

Purse-Diaper Bag

2009-06-23T07:51:00.003-04:00

This is the most recent bag I have made. It has large, multiple pockets inside. It has been one of my favoirtes so far. My camera is back in action with recharged batteries so I will be uploading more pictures soon!

May garden

2009-06-21T21:08:00.003-04:00

I know its a little late in posting it but here are a few pics of the beginning of our garden. It has grown so much more with the 8 plus inches of rain we have had in June. I will post those soon...

Some lettuce in a container garden

Nine rows of veggies: Mixed lettuce & cucumber together, brussels sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, jalepenos, canteloupe, watermelon, and leaf lettuce.

The strawberries were really great. The one and only one we got to eat. Something is eatting them, we put coffee grounds out which is supposed to scare away squirrels but we have a little hole in the back yard in our hill and we think we may have a chipmunk. I bet that is what is havin my berries for a snack, that and my basil. Yummy combo huh? I was going to post new pictures of the garden but the batteries to my camera have croaked and I need to get some new rechargable ones. Well as soon as I get them, I will post the current pictures of the garden and the fun things I did this weekend with my sewing machine.

Got to go to Clementines too! WOO hoo! Love that store! I cannot wait to get started on the new quilt. I really need those batteries to get some new pictures.

My cup runnith over...

2009-06-19T08:48:00.002-04:00

I got into my car this morning and smiled. I do most everyday I get in my car. Last summer my husband had some welding type work in the garage to do and with some of the extra sauder and shaped it into a N <3>! Such a simple little thing and it makes me so happy. So I decided to remind myself of all the things I am thankful for or make me happy.
God
-He is good to me and has blessed me with so much! He loves me unconditionally even when I am not happy about what He is doing in my life.
My husband
-he’s a child at heart and it is so much fun.
My Mom
-She’s one of my favorite people and a great Mom, I would be blessed to be like her.
My Family
-There is sooooo many people in our family; Uncles, Aunts, Nephews (and one niece), Mom-in-laws, Dad-in-laws, Cousins, and brothers & sisters. I love my crazy extended family that I inherited when I got married.
My animals
-They are goofy and make me smile all the time (I’ll specifically leave out the things that drive me nuts about them though…)
My friends
-they encourage me and add joy and fun to my life.
My Sewing machine
-tons of fun and I make things with it.
My garden
-it will produce lots of yummie veggies for the fam and friends this year
My composter
-it makes me feel just a little bit more green and it will help my garden grow yummie food J
My job
-I have one. Short and simple…
My Bible study
-They are encouraging and everyone gives their own individual insight and thoughts on what they learn/know and I am blessed each time I go.
My Kitchen
-I love to cook and have so much room in which to do it. (It also brings joy to Nate.)
Side note: when my garden grows it will be even more fresh food and Zucchini bread yum!
My home
-I love my home. Not everything about it but that it is HOME. Where I can rest and enjoy my family. It is also a welcoming place for guests and I am thankful to be able to have people in my home.Well I am sure there is more…but that is the majority of the things I am thankful for.

Stress, stress, oh the stress...

2009-06-18T09:11:00.001-04:00

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us, we are wondering

how painful the best will turn out to be." -C.S. Lewis

So I have had this quote for some time. It is in my rolodex of scripture/quotes I keep at my desk. (It was given to me in college as a gift from my friend Emmie and it has gone to each job since then; it's a busy little thing.) I came upon it again today and found myself thinking how true it is. I know that God's got my, and my families, best in store for us, but it is not always easy. God has never promised a smooth paved road, he promises to be with us and guide us along the way, but we can hit "character building" road bumps along the way. My pastor says. "When you squeeze a lemon you know you get-lemonade. but, squeeze a Christian and you get? It's unknown." I want to respond with love and kindness and prayer when I am squeezed. Now in Rachel-land, not everything comes out roses and pretty words. It is hard to stay under and let God do his work in me. I know He will complete His work and that it will be in His timing and His way- "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 11:6-but the process is not simple or short. It leaves me thinking what's next? I'm not one to dare or tempt God, so I will not really ask Him that question. I know He will answer with more "opportunities" for me to learn. Now while I am thankful for the learning experience afterward, I am not longing for the next one either. God has his own timing and I don't understand it, nor do I really like it at times of course, but He has his reasons. He is building my trust and reliance on Him. There are some very tricky things coming up in our life soon and I don't know how it will turn out...but it will all be according to God's will.

Mission Accomplished!

2009-06-15T09:56:00.002-04:00

At 1:00 am on Saturday morning the last stitch was made for the Mom-in-law quilt. It was delivered on Sunday to her for her Birthday/Christmas and every holiday in between present. I really do like this quilt. It was in shades of blue, her favorite color. I got to Bloomington to give it to her and thought with alarm that I completely forgot to take a picture of it. I was so upset. I made my mother-in-law promise to send one. It is by far the largest quilt I have made yet. It was nice to be done with it and I was very happy about how it looked. So pictures are dependent on when she sends it to me...
On to the next quilts. I have so many lined up plus one of these days I need to start on the one for our nursery so I have one made for "our child" to come hopefully soon...(more about that later.) But for now on to the next project.

Mom-in-law Quilt

2009-06-12T13:39:00.003-04:00

Okay, I admit I have probably at any given time around 5 projects going on. I have two afghans I am crocheting, one for my cousin's graduation, one for my Sister-in-law's baby girl who is due the end of June. I also have two bags in progress, my quilt from a year ago. That keeps getting pushed back till I have time and can find 6 other squares to make. Then there is the Mom-in-law's quilt. It needs to have some finishing quilting touches and the binding put on. My goal tonight is to finish it. Done and out of my hair. I love the quilt but it is time for it to move on along...I have others to get to. I am anxious for the baby quilts I have to do. Those are small and easy to quilt, this thing is a full size quilt and the biggest I have ever made. It has been a bear to quilt and arrange around the machine while quilting. I will post a pic on Sunday because it will be done; has to be. Note: This is also the same quilt that gave me fits last year when I had the perfect fabric, ran out of it, couldn't get it any more and had to change the fabric in the middle of making the quilt. Wish me luck, say a prayer!

Resolution to the emergency

2009-06-09T09:18:00.003-04:00

Okay...well maybe not really an emergency but it was to me. When my sewing machine dies, it is a very, very bad thing. Especially when it is brand new.
So I have it now. The man at Joann's plugged it in and it beeeeeeeped at him too. I was so scared I'd get in there and look like an idiot and it would work for him (that always seems to happen). So I took Nate along for moral support, plus he heard the awful beep too. The guy was actually really nice (Nate said of course he was nice, it is the third time you were in for this). He got the same beep I did and just went and got a new machine, rang it up and it was done. He also asked it I would be interested in an upgrade to a Viking Husqvarna machine...well of course, how much I asked. It would only be the difference in cost between what I originally paid and the new machine cost. It should only be around $80.00 sooooo, nate said to check it out when it comes in sometime this week but in the meantime, I have a working machine. Since Singer is now made in China it is reflecting that. The Husqvarna's are made in Sweden. I think I will probably be going with that option instead since it is a much better sewing machine. This will hopefully be to an end soon.

On another note, I chose the fabric for my next baby quilt. It is called Chocolate Lollipop. There are other corresponding colors with it but I am so excited about the fabric, I really love it. I attached the link to some of the colors in it the main is D1650-390 and then one of the others is D1652-390. I also pulled out the dark pink, lime green and light blue as a solid corresponding colors and there is a fun stripe I found as well. I will be sewing on it soon, I have two afghans to finish first though, but I am dying to get started on it. That is all for now, I'll post pics along the way.

Beyond Frustrated!

2009-06-05T09:09:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I just posted about how much I love my sewing machine... I don't anymore. I am very angry at it. Here is the saga:
For Christmas Nate bought me a sewing machine. I got it early, in October because it was on a huge sale. It was exactly what I wanted. It had many decorative stitches and had all the special quilting accessories I wanted. Two weeks after I got it the display lights went out. I took it in to Joann's where I bought it from a "special" sewing machine department and they told me that they would send it in for repair and give me a loaner for the time being. FINE, not happy but FINE; a new sewing machine that already has problems in the first month is not a good sign...So almost two months later I get back my machine. It is working right until my next class I took at the quilt shop in May. The lights went out again...I took it back and gave the ultimatum; either a brand new machine or my money back. They then upgraded me to a better machine and it was great! It had even better options and would do the alphabet and numbers too. I was psyched! I quilted on it on Sunday and Monday this week and sat down before company came on Thursday night and to my surprise it beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepppped at me then the display went blank. I could not sew, or push any buttons. Now I am really not happy. This is the second reject I have received from Singer. I am off to Joanns tonight after work to discuss this with the manager at the sewing department, not a very nice (read: grumpy old) man. So please pray I keep my patience and don't try to strangle this person. ALL I WANT IS A WORKING NEW SEWING MACHINE....not a unreasonable request. So that is my gripe. Grrr.
Oh yeah, I have two purses to finish, a quilt to put the binding on and two new quilts to start on as well...So much to do and no machine.

My Sewing Machine

2009-06-01T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sew Mamma Sew is doing a questionnaire on their blog about what type of machine you have, so here is mine:

What brand and model do you have?
Singer Confidence
How long have you had it?
1 week
How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
$500 but I got it for $300; they upgraded me since my other Confidence Quilter had some mechanical issues.
What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? Quilts, clothing, home dec & handbags; generally anything that sounds fun!
How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I try to sew at least twice a week for a couple hours
Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I LOVE my machine! No name yet.
What features does your machine have that work well for you?
It runs very smoothly and I love that the feed dogs go down (my last machine did not & it was very hard to quilt)
Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
Not yet, too new
Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree?
Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
My hubby bought it for me for Christmas.
Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
Yes, I really like it. It is new and it has so many stitches!
What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
I wanted a machine with a few decorative stitches and a wide arm for quilting. I also wanted a drop in bobbin case.
Do you have a dream machine? Oh yeah, I would love a long arm quilter!

Dreaming in Fabric

2009-05-29T10:36:00.002-04:00

I have some really fun new fabric! I don't want to work...I want to sew. I have two new patterns I made up and am dying to get them done. I need a new purse! It will be striped and in many different colors. I am also scoping out for new fabric for two baby quilts. My friend Erin is expecting end of June and my friend Emmie is due in the Fall. Erin is one of my closest friends and I have known her since right before Junior High School (a long, long time ago!) She is doing the room in Pink & Brown which is easy to find fabric for; those are the "hot" colors along with Teal/Blue & brown. Now just to narrow them down. I will be going to Clementines Dry Goods to pick up some new fabric for those projects. I love that place, the fabric is great. They have a lot of Amy Butler fabric which I love! I have to pick out patterns as well but that normally comes for me after I pick the fabric. So little time and so much fabric and ideas! So that is all for now, busy weekend ahead again...fun but busy. I think next weekend maybe I'll stay in my jammies all day!

Busy Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-26T10:42:00.003-04:00

We had a very busy weekend! My mom came up to visit on Friday and we went out for dinner. Saturday we babysat our Godson, Micah. Then we went to a Indy 500 party that night. Sunday we had miscellaneous things around the house and Mom went home. I made up a new purse pattern and finished a purse in about 4 hours. I love the new purse!!! It is striped with a big bright flower pattern and I actually made up a new pattern for a flower to pin onto the purse. There will be a picture soon. It has 4 big pockets inside with lots of room. It is by far my favorite purse I have ever made! I loved the colors and the style. It was really fun! It is red, black, cream and also has some burnt orange and maize (dark yellow) colors in it. I made it for my friend Christina whom we saw yesterday on Memorial Day. They were our Monday treat! It was great to visit with them. They came in from Seattle to visit family in Chicago so we drove up for the day and met at the Brookfield Zoo. It was a cruddy day outside and of course Nate & I wore summer clothes, it was 75 in Indy and 55 in Chicago but we didn't remember to check the weather. It rained off and on, was cold & very busy but it was great to visit. They have three of the cutest kiddos and the newest addition Luci is really sweet (9 wks 0ld) I was a really bad baby hog and carried her in the little snugly. We got back home around 9pm Monday night and were tired but very happy to have visited with good friends.

This weekend looks to be busy as well. We are stealing a friends little boy (6 yr old) for Friday night so she can have a Mommie nite out. He is a blast to steal and loves Nate; I'm kinda chopped liver compared to him. Other than that we just have more paperwork to fill out for the adoption agency. As soon as we get that in they schedule us to meet with a case worker, set up home studies and attend meetings/classes and within about 6 weeks we have the home study done and get our profile out there and birth moms can see us then. If we are picked we'll meet with the birth mom and then so on from there. So say a prayer that we can come up with a good profile to represent ourselves and that we are chosen quickly by the right mom. I know its all in God's hands but prayer is so helpful!

Wine Country

2009-04-27T18:31:00.008-04:00

Well we are back. It was a wonderful trip. We stayed at the Petaluma Sheraton for our stay. We traveled all over the area. Wednesday when we got there we just drove around for a little bit and went to Sonoma for dinner at a little Thai restaurant. Thursday we went down to San Jose and went to the Winchester Mystery Mansion and took the tour. It was a very bizarre place but very beautiful. We we drove up Highway 1 for the afternoon and and had dinner at a restaurant called Lucas's on the coast and they served their own fresh fish they caught that day. Friday was San Francisco and out to Alcatraz. The tour of Alcatraz was really neat and the view from the island was great of downtown and the Golden Gate Bridge. We walked around Ghirradeli Square and Pier 39 and drove down Lumbard street. That night we went into downtown Petaluma and ate at Dempsey's. I really loved the place! They grow alot of their own produce and they are a brewery as well. Their rootbeer was great! Saturday we traveled through wine country and ate at an Italian market at Venesias's winery and we drove up to The Olive Press and Jacuzzi Winery; it was our favorite. I loved the wines at Jacuzzi, every single one we tasted was wonderful, they are not cheap so we bought one bottle but look forward to ordering more! The Olive Press was a really neat place to stop by as well, they grow alot of olives and make many different olive oils and blends. We brought back a bottle of one with crushed red peppers in it. We ate that night at Dempsey's again and it was just as good as the first time. I really liked the area. I really liked that at a lot of the restaurants they used fresh produce & meats that are local. I really wish we had more of that availability in Indiana. All in all it was a great vacation. We are not looking forward to going back to the real world.

The Winchester Mystery HouseThe Door to NowhereThe view of the vines

Alcatraz Island

Help! I've been locked up!

Lombard Street

A view from Highway 1

The Golden Gate

New Bags

2009-04-19T21:41:00.003-04:00

My Sister-in Law Katie's Tote
My Friend Kelly's Chunky Tote

Dawn's Messenger Bag

Me Modeling the Messenger Bag

I sure hope Dawn likes her bag, its in the mail on Monday. I made it with two small pockets in the inside and one really big pocket in the middle. The straps are on the side and have metal rings to secure them. Different Pattern completely. I couldn't sleep Saturday night and so I finished the drawing of this one and then three other sketches; at least the sleepless night was productive.

Just an update...

2009-04-16T10:12:00.003-04:00

Short post today. I have officially sent in the first part of the adoption paperwork. That is it. Won't post for a week or so since we will be on vacation but will post pics when we return.

The Refuge

2009-04-10T09:40:00.004-04:00

Thursday nights is normally our Bible Study night, but yesterday instead we were blessed to go serve instead. It was wonderful being able to get out and do something for people in need. The Refuge is a place started by a man from our church and it is a food pantry first and foremost but it is becoming more than that. They have an additional area for clothing and household goods and volunteers help people get the groceries from their list and then they can go over to the clothing area to pick out what they would need. This place is really nice, it is set up like a department store almost with different sections to "shop" from. Of course when serving you feel much more blessed to be the one serving than it does to receive in my opinion. The people seeking services from The Refuge are just about anyone...someone down on their luck, single moms and even a few dads coming in to get clothing for their kids.
Nate mostly stayed in the upstairs area to sort through clothing and hang them to get them ready to take to the clothing racks. I was fortunate enough to get to talk to some of the people and help them with picking out their clothes and chat for a while. One lady coming in had her cousin and her two children with her; the cousin and children had just been kicked out of their mothers home with nothing in hand. One of the children was a 2 month old and they found some burp rags and you would have thought they had won the lottery. It was a pleasure to help them and help pick out items we take for granted and don't even think to be thankful for. It really made Nate & I want to go back more often than what our Bible Study is going to do. They really have a need for grunt work, hanging clothing, packing seasonal items, labeling things, stocking clothing and food, etc. I came home feeling full. Not happy, sad or proud, but greatfull and full. I forget how we are supposed to serve others in our community. I get so caught up in my life and trying to sort through it that I forget the others who are in need. We have been blessed with much and do share it willingly, since it is given to us in the first place to be stewards of. We are good stewards of the money God provides I believe, but I feel we are being called to be better stewards of our time. Giving two hours a week or so instead of two hours in front of a tv is so much better used by helping others in need. I hesitate to make plans during the week since I feel so tired and worn out by the end of the day. This was the case yesterday, I was exhausted when I got home from work but after coming back from the Refuge felt energized. My body was still tired but my heart was full and I could have worked another two hours or more. My goal is to do this more often and not let my life get in the way of helping.

"Do nothing out of selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." -Philippians 2:3-4

Sushi Rolls

2009-04-02T20:00:00.006-04:00

Saturday I thought I'd try my hand at Sushi...here are the pics. I thought it turned out really well. I made them with cooked shrimp. I know its cooked but I am not a raw seafood person and I figured since we are in Indiana that fresh seafood would be hard to come by as well. It was really yummy though with shrimp.

Two more...

2009-03-02T20:44:00.005-05:00

A friend of a friend wanted a chunky tote with animal fabric. Now I am not a animal print person but really like how it turned out!

Also a lady from work wanted a cute little bag for her daughter. She explained what she wanted and here's what I came up with...She wanted fringe at the bottom and wanted an outside pocket for her cell phone, also wanted something that would hang right about at the hip, so thus the Hip Bag.On to new patterns and orders. I have two bags in the making and am happy to have one that will be easy and not challenging and the other I have to think of a whole new pattern for. Thanks for a challenge Dawn...

The king eats from the dog bowl

2009-02-26T08:10:00.002-05:00

So I know from the title that it is weird but the one who thinks he is "king of the house" came down from his lofty perch to eat from the dog bowl. I will explain....
When we got the puppy, we put Zeke's, our cat, food up on a table so the dog could not eat it. She LOVES cat food among other cat things (we won't go there). When Zeke eats his food he is messy, leaving all kinds of crumbs laying about on his tray and he will not eat the crumbs at the bottom of his bowl unless he is starving....so we give them to the dog as a treat. This morning Maggie was outside and Nate gave Zeke new food and poured the mass of crumbs into Maggie's bowl. I am in the bathroom getting ready for work and hear Nate cracking up in the dining room. I walk in and he tells me to be quiet and we look into the kitchen and there is the "king cat" on the floor eating his crumbs out of the dog bowl...What a brat! Well he saw us laughing and kept eating till he had his fill then flicked his tail and walked off. Maggie then came in and polished off the rest of the treat. I just thought that was hilarious and had to share our funny story of our in house royalty.

More fabric...

2009-02-19T21:33:00.004-05:00

Blue Indian style fabric

Fun Starbursts

New chunky tote fabric

Bingo Bag

2009-02-19T21:23:00.003-05:00

My friend had been whining that she wanted a Bingo Bag like the ones the "serious" bingo ladies have. She told me that if I loved her I would make her a bag; if not I was off the Christmas card list. Yes, to answer the question bingo is fun and we go about once a month. I have one money too. It is fun. I was bored one day and decided to go get some gaudy fabric and designed a bag for Angie. So I am officially back on the Christmas card list again...

Nothing new...

2009-02-19T13:05:00.002-05:00

So I have not had time to quilt or sew lately...it is killing me. I have had something to do around the house or events lately and this weekend is looking like the same. I have a couple special order purses I have to make/design and from there I have some new people interested in purses/totes as well. So I am busy but have no time to work on fun stuff right now. Work is also busy so I come home tired too...Oh well such is life. I did purchase some new fabric (Amber & Dawn) I just need to post it when I am home and have a minute or two. I will also be busy soon with baby quilts/afgans. I have several family members who are expecting and need to start them as well. Woo hoo, more projects. I'll update with pic's soon...

My Neon Sign

2009-02-17T10:42:00.002-05:00

I went to do my quiet time and God brought out the spotlights and neon signs…It started out normal enough with a short verse from Joshua 1:2 and then it goes on and says,

“He is GOING to do something, He DOES do, at this very moment. As faith continues to speak, God continues to give. He meets you today in the present and tests your faith. As long as you are waiting, hoping, or looking, you are not believing. You may have hope or an earnest desire, but that is not faith, for “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1)” -A.B Simpson

Well then…I think it is clear what I am being told to do. Plain and simple, I am to stop waiting, longing, hoping and BELIEVE that God will be faithful and work His will in my life. Short and sweet and to the point, but hard to carry out; but I will do my best and believe.

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.” Luke 17:6

Starting the adoption process...

2009-02-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

So we had our first informative meeting on the adoption process and it is scary! There are so many options and this was just one agency! For Domestic adoption in the state of Indiana if the birth mom has a normal delivery she has 24 hours afterwards to sign the papers. If she has a c-section she has 48. After that she signs off but for the next 30 days she can still contest and try to gain custody back; but at that point the courts are involved. That is scary for the adoptive party in the situation. And since nothing ever goes smoothly for us that would probably be us…Also during the process you may have to pay for health care costs for the birth mom; if she chooses not to go through with it you could be out that money too…
We are now considering International which means some time out of the country and bigger expenses. Now Lilly gives $10,000 and my work gives $5000 but if we go out of the country that opens up a whole new can of worms. The children are older when you go out of the country and you are never 100% sure of the care they received. I will have to go back to work, after my leave, and you possibly get into issues with attachment disorders and such. So I came home crying and scared of the whole process right now. Nate of course takes everything in stride but it is overwhelming to me and there are still more agencies we need to check out because if we do go out of the country we want to know all our options. I know that it is the agency’s responsibility to give you all the facts, good and bad, but it is scary thinking about it. I know pregnancy on its own has risks and scares and you never know what will happen that way either but this seems to be such an emotional rollercoaster and there are many possible things to go wrong…Could be I am a worrywart to begin with but I just have to prepare emotionally for this. Honestly when it is something you want so badly any paths off course are worrisome. Please keep us in your prayers that God’s path is very clear and maybe even lined with bright lights pointing the way. I heard this poem years ago and really liked it, I think of it often; it was actually part of my quiet time today of all things.

Chance has not bought this ill to me;
It’s God’s own hand, so let it be,
For HE sees what I cannot see.
There is a purpose for each pain,
And He one day will make it plain
That earthly loss is heavenly gain.
Like as a piece of tapestry
Viewed from the back appears to be
Only threads tangled hopelessly;
But in the front a picture fair
Rewards the worker for his care,
Proving his skill and patience rare.
You are the Workman, I am the frame.
Lord, for the glory of Your Name,
Perfect Your image on the same.
-unknown

More bags

2009-02-10T20:17:00.008-05:00

Chunky Tote

Maggie Bag

New purse pattern

2009-02-03T20:27:00.004-05:00

This is the Maggie Bag. It has a single pleat in the middle; no zipper but has a button closure. It is 10"X13" approximately. There is one large pocket inside.

Last weeks winter snow storm

2009-02-03T20:22:00.002-05:00

Just a pic update.

Here is the winter weather pictures I took. The dog ate the snow and refused to go out in it. It was so deep she would get stuck. But now it has refroze and she can trot on top of it. We got another 5" today or so...woo hoo I just love driving in snow (can you feel the sarcasm?)

Hello from the Land of Snow!

2009-01-29T08:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was traumatic. I got up at 5:30 to get ready for work and my boss called at 6 to let me know we had a two hour delay. After that it was delayed till noon and then eventually they closed the office. I had like 2o calls between work and friends from work to discuss it. It was kind of fun though. We got at least a foot in Greenwood of snow! I haven't seen so much snow in forever. I do have pictures and will post them soon. Also, Maggie got stuck in a huge 1 1/2 foot snow drift yesterday. I did rescue her from it but she was very cold and stayed right next to me the rest of the day! Phew, poor baby!
About purse pricing, they range from $30-40. I am designing a few new patterns too. I have one almost finished in brown and pink, hint, hint Jenn... :) I will post a picture of it and if you all like it I will make more.

Fabric on hand

2009-01-27T19:52:00.005-05:00

Pink Paisley and polka dots

Red & green flowers

This is one of my favorites!!! I love the flowers with the lime green polka dots!

Bright Pink flowers with White & Pink Swirls

Black & white

How to order.

2009-01-27T10:57:00.002-05:00

For cutom purses, let me know what colors you are wanting. I only have a few patters right now. I am still in the simple stages, but I have started dreaming, literally, about purses and patterns (Nate is really making fun of me). If you tell me what colors I can e-mail the fabric and see if you like it. I will take checks from people I know and will ship them via mail the cheapest way. I have to look into how to do credit cards, I might look into paypal. Glad to have orders! Give me a call or just e-mail at mrsrfair@yahoo.com

Maybe a small business...

2009-01-25T21:03:00.007-05:00

Well I am going to start selling my purses....we will see how this goes. I have made a few more and am going to start taking requests for custom colors. I found a new fun store with really really cool fabric. You can to go to http://www.clementinesdrygoods.com/ and see some of the cool stuff. Below are two new bags I have a close up of the one I am selling hopefully tomorrow...Wish me luck!

long time no blog

2009-01-14T20:34:00.006-05:00

Here are updated pics...nothing exciting.

New purse for a friend

Blanket for cousin

Tables of Christmas at church

Not much going on still...

2008-12-12T06:37:00.003-05:00

Things are about the same for the Fairchild Family. Nothing much exciting going on. The puppy and Zeke are still getting along fine. She is potty training well and we are accident free for about 4 weeks or so now. She is still expendable in Zeke's eyes and when we leave for a night and take her with us I believe he is hoping she will not be with us when we come back. Nate's job continues to keep him busy. One of the managers at Lilly is pregnant and due in March and so she keeps him busy trying to get all her stuff caught up before she takes maternity leave.
We are pretty well ready for Christmas; most shopping is done. Since we don't have a good place to put a tree and for the fact we are not home and also that we detest our current tree we are not putting up a big tree this year. I know it sounds grinchy but I have opted for a tiny (we're talking 1 1/2 foot or so) tree in the living room on a table with lights. The only place in our house to put up a tree is in the dining room. We never go in there and I don't feel like spending 2 hours putting up a tree that we won't even get to enjoy. I am thinking about buying one of those pencil trees, that is tall and skinny for the next years to come in this house since we don't have much room in the living room where we are most of the time.
Our church recently did Tables of Christmas. This is a HUGE to do at our church and is a beautiful event where you purchase a table to decorate and invite christian/non-Christians to the event. My friend Epha and I did a table. I will have to download pictures. She decided on the theme, it was peacock feathers and gold with brown. She found a tree and put some feathers with gold ornaments and other miscellaneous things in the tree. We went shopping together at Joann fabrics for other details for the table. We found some gorgeous fabric in green or teal with gold beading on it. I chose the teal thinking it would look better. I made a large 42" square out of it and sewed gold ribbon on it for a table runner and used the extra fabric to make napkins and a garland for the tree. It was beautiful! Some of the other tables had pink and brown themes. My favorite was the Charlie Brown table. Someone had old plastic figurines and made a Charlie Brown Christmas table...complete with wilted tree. She made chair covers out of yellow fabric and put a black rickrack around it to look like his shirt. I did take a picture of it and will post them when I hook up my camera to the home laptop. It is a lot of fun and normally there is about 250 tables or so and over a thousand women in attendance. * more on it later with pics*
Nate got his Christmas present early...yes Santa Clause was good to him this year. He got a 42" 1080P LCD TV. He found a deal the day after Thanksgiving and it was a great one; so he got it for his birthday and Christmas combined, throw in Hanukkah and several other holidays to boot! Also he turned the big 30 this year! I cannot believe it is here already! I know its just a number but really? WE ARE 30??? When did this happen? We've been together 10 years and married for 6 of it so it seems logical but so strange to not be in my 20's soon. I put together a small get together for him of some guys he plays poker with and had pizza and chocolate cake. Nothing big because he didn't want anything big...so I listened (for once).
That's about it. No great and exciting things, just normal life. But I'm happy with it.
I do promise to post pics soon!

Newest Fairchild

2008-10-13T11:15:00.004-04:00

Meet Maggie Mae Fairchild. She is a Maltese-Shitzu mix and is about 6 mo old. My mom's friend raises them and she had been asking us to take her for a few months. We finally relented on Saturday. She was a dirty mess and had mats and so we had to cut her hair really short. But she is still really cute and very very very sweet. Nate is completely smitten and Zeke has been tolerant (we are praying he continues). He ran up to her to sniff her today and thought she wasn't paying attention and she rolled over and just showed her belly to him. She wants to play but knows better so far...She is almost house trained and is very smart. She quickly realized if she goes potty outside she gets a treat and fly's for the backdoor and straight into where we keep the treats. She has picked her favorite spot right next to Nate on his couch and will jump up there thinking it is time for her to get loved on, rotten already. So if you would please pray that she continues to train well and that Zeke does not completely freak out!

It's Fall!

2008-10-07T12:59:00.004-04:00

I love fall. I wrote about it just about this time last year...I LOVE IT! We had a fall cookout on Saturday night and invited 11 friends and their kiddos and had a bonfire. We roasted hot dogs and had a pot luck (a ton of food) and smores. We had a great time! The weather was around 70 degrees and when the sun went down it was perfect for the fire. The kids wore themselves out running in our back yard and all played so well together. I will send pictures once we get a computer at home again. We had to send Nate's computer back to his company since he won't be working there for much longer...

We are starting to get some chilly weather at night and I am loving having my windows open. And it is the time of year you go to Brown County and walk around the shops. There are hills all around and the leaves turn beautiful colors. It is crazy down there with all the people but definately worth the trip! I went a few weekends ago with a friend and had a great time shopping and just gawking at all the leaves & people. The leaves hadn't turned all the way yet, but if the weather stays chilly in the evenings, it will be a beautiful fall soon enough!

Nate's New Job

2008-09-27T20:48:00.002-04:00

Well it is official. We got the news on Wednesday. He will be working for Lilly! WOO HOO! It is a huge answer to prayer. A little testing of our nerves and trust, but it is all better than we expected. He will begin as soon as his current company's contract ends in October so there should be no lag time between jobs. They will keep him busy at Lilly since his department is being audited. He gets great benefits and a better salary than we were anticipating so that is WONDERFUL! He is very happy and relieved with everything settled. Thanks for the prayers! God is Good!

Month in overview

2008-09-09T11:52:00.004-04:00

Well August flew by!!! We had our 6 year anniversary on August 24th. We stayed at home and had a nice dinner. When everything settles down with the job changeover we will be going to eat at Palomino's a nice restaurant in down-town Indy.
As for the job front, we are awaiting the answer from Lilly. He had two interviews last week and has a phone interview tomorrow. He IS the ONLY person they are interviewing so it is just a matter of finalizing things now...and the waiting game.
I have read a whole series of books in a week, the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I loved them and am waiting for the movie to come out on Nov 21! I have changed genres now to Beverly Lewis and the Abraham's Daughters books.
Other than that, nothing major...another back-up of the lovely sewers in our house and we got a hand-me-down fridge from Nate's dad; a really nice BIG one! Painted the bathroom and put up new lights and we are getting ready to start Totally Fit for Life through our church. I am going to the seminar on Saturday. Like I said nothing exciting other than the anniversary. Hope all are well and we'll update when the time comes about the job.

Updates

2008-08-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

Update for the Fairchild’s. We are doing alright. Nate’s meeting with the boss went well. There is no non-compete clause that he signed. Now we are just waiting on Lilly to give him the interview. Please pray for God’s will still. I know what I want to happen but I want God’s will above it. He is nervous and I am anxious so we have it covered, but are trying to keep it in perspective. So all hopefully will be sorted out soon. The contract is ending soon, like 3 more weeks I believe…
As for the other situation…Nate & I have always had a heart for adoption. We are starting to pursue this. We have been looking at our options and think we have decided on one. I am excited about it and we had decided a while ago but other things happened and we put it off. Please pray we make the right decision. This is a big one! Please pray it goes smoothly and that this is what we are supposed to be doing. After 2 years of trials, I am ready to have a smooth process. Nothing ever seems easy but as long as it is God’s will I am fine with it.
I know many people have gong through this situation and genuinely feel for them and understand. I am trying to keep a good perspective on everything and not get caught up in the time. I feel like I am getting old and don’t want to be 40 with a 5 year old. I know I am not old per se but feel like it when everyone else I know is several kids into the mix. We are the lone rangers on the two person family front. In Bible Study and with our friends. We love Zeke but he doesn’t count on that…
Please pray for both situations, I don’t want to be anxious about either but it is hard not to.

Nervous

2008-08-11T11:12:00.002-04:00

I am very nervous today. Nate has a meeting with his boss and he is going to discuss Lilly wanting to give him a contract. This is great news except there is like the 1% chance he is not sure if he signed a Do not compete clause. If he did we are in trouble. Lilly really wants to hire him and his contract is ending with them in 5 weeks, if he cannot take the job with Lilly, he will be in the outside office with some not so happy bosses and he will have to start traveling heavily, which he is not happy about. I have been praying all day so far and feel nervous still.

I keep repeating "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to the Lord." Philippians 4:6

This is my mantra lately anyways. I think I dream it too. I just had to unload my nervousness. Nate is going in after work to talk to them, so hopefully they will let him just move directly over to Lilly. They have been making cutbacks at his current job anyways, so this may be a load off. Either way they are losing the contract for Lilly, which means mega bucks gone for his current company and they would have to probably lay off two people or so it is in their best interest to let him go too. I will be nervous till I hear from him tonight. Nate is asking for prayer in this matter and that God's will is done and that it goes smoothly.

Prayer & Endurance

2008-08-10T19:30:00.004-04:00

Prayer is easy. Patience comes with time and enduring through trials. I prayed for patience in college and have never prayed for it since. I have learned that praying for it once was sufficent for me. Because God has been instilling it in me since them. The past 10 years have been me praying to not be patient anymore. (I say this in jest, kinda) I have always had to wait a long time (to me) for what I would like. I pray and pray and pray, then pray some more. I have been praying lately for guidence, clarity and strength to endure. There are things in my life I wish for, pray for constantly. One which comes seemingly very easy to everyone else, but not me. I struggle with this very much, especially since it is something I want soooooooo very badly. I want a baby. I am just fine with adoption but I would love to experence this myself. Either way it is not a "quick" thing. In birth there is the gestation period of course that I would have to wait through, or with adoption there is the year or maybe even longer that you have to wait. When you have been trying for two years, either feels like an eternity, as have the past two years.
We had decided on adoption but then other things happen that make me think that God is blessing us with a child of our own, but that is still not so...my body is just messing with my emotions. I have not been praying for patience but lately for endurance; that I may endure with grace the trials God is allowing in my life. I know God will never test us beyond what we can handle, but I feel as if he is really pushing me to my limit. I also know every seeming verse about prayer and patience which everyone is very quick to point out to me. I pray them often...and still do not feel content.
We are the only people of all our groups without children. I think that is the hardest. Everyone has fun kid stories to tell, we have cat stories or house stories. It is hard to find people without children our age to hang out with and if we were to find them they wouldn't be doing what we would want to do. This is a hard age pushing 30 without children. Most friends are at least on their second and even some on their third. Even our new Bible Study is filled with parents. We again are the only ones...
I guess I just need to vent, it was a rough week and sad things happened and for friends that read this please just pray for endurance and clarity for me. Please don't pray for patience, that is the last prayer I want prayed because everytime it is prayed, it leads to something for me to be patient for.

Earthly Belongings

2008-07-11T11:46:00.000-04:00

“A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother."
"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
-Luke 18:18-25

These are hard words to swallow. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” Rich or poor we seemingly cling to what we have here on earth to keep us safe. The US is a very “stuff” minded society, the more we have the better house we have the better we feel. Personally the thought of a house bigger than the one I have now is daunting since I hate to dust and vacuum... My husband & I have always strived to live within our means and not put ourselves into dept, however we do have several friends who have. The trouble it causes them is very sad; but they did choose to do this. In this passage Jesus is reminding us it is only “STUFF”, insignificant in the scheme of things. Some days I do wish I could just leave and go live with the Amish. I think they have the right view on how possessions are to be used. They share…could you imagine a community coming together for dinner or sharing their possessions? They hold loosely to the things of this earth and really only have what they need. We get caught up in mortgages, car payments, credit card dept, cell phones and I-pods.
We recently went to see Wall-E. I always love going to see Disney movies. It was depressing though if you really think about it. The only reason he exists is to clean up after the mess we have left on earth so we can come back to a “clean” planet. This is a big bold statement by Disney I think. But it is true...we do use things up, discard them and get the bigger better version of it. While the poor little robots on the screen clean up after us, we are getting lazier and lazier on this ship that was supposed to be temporary. They float about instead of walking while drinking food from a cup because they have become to lazy to eat and all the while they have a computer screen in front of them to talk to the person who is actually right next to them. It was sad. The cute part between the two robots is only for the kids I think…the bigger picture is that this could be us if we continue to keep holding on to possessions and not taking care of our environment. I am by no means one to talk, I am trying to be better; but there is a lot to do. I am drifting today from one thing to the next but all in all it just reminds me of this passage. Its all stuff, it is nothing compared to Jesus and the place he has prepared for us in heaven.

In Struggles continued apparently...

2008-07-10T15:22:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I was reading my book, Light From Heaven by Jan Karon today and came across a quote about suffering & struggles. I think God is telling me something huh?

If the trials of many years were gathered into one, they would overwhelm us; therefore in pity to our little strength, He sends first one, and then another, then removes both, and lays on a third, heavier, perhaps, the either; but all is so wisely measured to our strength that the bruised reed is never broken. We do not enough look at our trials in the continuous and successive view. Each one is sent to teach us something, and altogether they have a lesson which is beyond the power of any to teach alone. – H.E. Manning

I think I am going to have to take my trials to heart and go back and remember how God had pulled me through previous trials and remember exactly how trustworthy our GOD has been with all my other trials and tribulations. He is orchestrating my life according to His will and when I accepted Jesus I agreed to let Him have control.

So even as I was writing, (it takes a while since I am at work) I was reading in a daily devotional a friend and I are going through; I posted about it yesterday; it was also about trials. As if I didn’t think the Lord wanted me to consider these things more he gave me even more about it in today’s reading. I am getting hammered with this! This part of the book said “Once the lord has given us great faith, He has been know to test us with long delays” by John C Shairp. It goes on to quote from Alexander Maclaren, “Christ sometimes delays His help so He may test our faith and energize our prayers. Our boat may be tossed about by the waves while He continues to sleep, but He will awake before it sinks. He sleeps by the never oversleeps, for He is never too late.” I really think I need to listen since he is really speaking loudly to me about this. I feel like He had been silent for so long about so many things that now that I am finally hearing something, it is really loud and clear. Now comes the hard part of submitting…

In Struggles

2008-07-09T10:37:00.004-04:00

“The burden of suffering seems to be a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet in reality it is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for the pearls.”

– Julius Richter

I really have related with this quote lately. It was in my daily devotional Streams in the Desert. In my struggles and suffering I need to remember that I have to stay down and submit to God and I will find the blessing at the end of it all. It may seem dark along the way but if I relay on Jesus, he will keep my path straight and guide me. If he feels distant I have to also remember it is not he who is distant but me pulling away. He might not speak much along the way but if I draw close to him I will fell his company along the way.

Micah James Turk is HERE!!!

2008-07-02T21:04:00.005-04:00

Born via C-section 2:30 on July 1, 2008

Weighing in at 7lbs 13oz 21in long

Welcome to the world little one. We are excited to be God Parents!

Baby Micah's Room

2008-06-30T20:56:00.000-04:00

It is finished. The room was complete finally on Friday. Here are the pictures:

Alison's Baby Quilt

2008-06-26T17:11:00.003-04:00

I have known Alison since we were about 6 years old. She and her boyfriend Logan had a baby boy, Leland, in January...yes, I know this is really a late gift but hey I have been working on a whole baby room for my other friend at the same time. Zeke of course had to help with the quilt and I don't think I am allowed to lay anything on the ground without him to help. He is always such a big help... I was really pleased with this quilt. It is my fifth quilt. I am almost finished with the sixth and will add it soon. I have to finish it by Friday because the baby shower I am throwing is on Saturday. I will add pics of the whole room though since I made the curtains, dust ruffle, crib bumper and the quilt too.

Cabinets and Dressers

2008-06-26T17:03:00.004-04:00

We bought some dressers several years ago when we first got married from my old boss in Albuquerque. We loved the nice wood but like a darker wood. There was potential so we just dealt with it for a while.We finally decided that our bathroom needed updated so instead of painting the cabinets white we decided to try to stain them. We were very happy with the result. They were a oak color and it was pretty dried out looking. We sanded them and re-stained them a mahogany color. There was plenty of stain left over so we started on the dressers. I wanted a before and after picture of the dressers since it was such a big difference. We bought new hardware and really like the way it looks now. It was a lot of work but very worth it. As for the bathroom we are re-staining the medicine cabinet too and painting the walls soon. We also bought new lights for the bathroom and are excited to get them up soon too.

NEW CAR

2008-06-13T15:31:00.002-04:00

I will post a pic soon...we just bought a PRIUS! It's really neat! It is used and they just got it on the lot yesterday along with three others and they sold two yesterday and the other two today; one of course ours. It is exciting to have a hybrid. It will be nice to see the savings in gas!

Home Projects

2008-05-30T14:21:00.003-04:00

Well we are at it again. We have a home project. Last weekend we painted the small area on the back of our house that is wood. Just painted it about the same color it was previously. This weekend it is the bathroom. We are painting the cabinets white/cream and going to peel off the wallpaper border and I am so excited! In the next few weeks/months we will replace the countertop, medicine cabinet and the lights. It will be a brand new bathroom by the time we are done. Ultimately we are replacing the tile in there too...but that will be a little while. We want to do the kitchen tile too. It will be another busy weekend at the Fairchild house!

Heaven

2008-05-23T14:30:00.002-04:00

I have started reading the Heaven book by Randy Alcorn. It has been very interesting so far. I am meeting with a friend every two weeks to do a review of the book. I will be writing more about it soon I am sure. So far I highly recomend this book and think it helps give us a renewed interest in our eternal home.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-05-22T14:06:00.002-04:00

I am so excited about a long weekend. I have no new news to post so I am just stating that I am happy that this is a three day weekend! I have kept praying that today would magically turn into Friday, but that hasn't happened. God has moved time twice but I don't believe he will move it for this; unfortunately. Hope everyone has a great long weekend planned. We have plans with friends and a Indianapolis 500 party on Saturday night. Other than that it is supposed to be a beautiful weekend and I plan on taking a nap at some point. Hope eveyrone else has a good time too!

Plumbing Fixed

2008-05-06T14:52:00.001-04:00

After many issues...the plumbing was fixed. Nate did a GREAT job on getting it finished! I was so proud of him! We had two days no water but some friends of ours were kind and shared their shower so we could go to work on Monday. Nate finished it up on Monday night. We went out for Ice Cream to celebrate!

Plumbing Woes!!!

2008-05-04T20:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I walked out into the garage and I heard a pssssssss noise. I thought it was the heater. I was wrong. I heard it again later that evening and noticed there was water leaking. We pulled out our car and noticed there was alot more water. We thought it was the water heater at first but that was wrong too. It was actually the mainline pipe coming into the garage. We did without water for the night and today Nate started working on it. He had to shut off the water from the main water line in the front and it won't fully shut off! He is trying to sauter it wet. So we talked to my dad and got some other ideas. I am praying it works! I don't want to have to call a plumber and spend all that money! Plus I really just want a shower! I was working in the yard today with my dad. My parents came up today with a garden till so we didn't have to rent one; so we could save money that we apparently were supposed to spend at Lowe's & Menard's. We have made 6 trips to Lowe's and 2 trips for me to Menard's & 1 for Nate. So now he has a special coupler that clamps the pipes that he can sauter to the valve and get the water to stop flowing up as he is trying to sauter the pipes together. AHHHH!!!! PLEASE LORD LET IT WORK!!!