Perhaps it's time to invest in a larger wide angle lens

I'm reaching the point in my pregnancy where I feel HUGE!
Maximum capacity reached.
Weight limit exceeded.
No room in the in.
Caution: Wide load ahead
(follow with extreme care)

I cried the other night to Nate about being big and uncomfortable.
Then I warned him that I would most likely cry that next morning
when I go to get dressed and realize that nothing fits anymore.
And my once baggy sweats have now turned to spandex pants
and my use-to-be-comfortable-and-loose-fitting T-shirts
have all transformed into to tight fitting belly shirts.

So maybe, to make myself happy,
I'll go invest in a couple of retro flowered moo-moo's
and some neon colored slippers
then quickly run by the grocery store
to stock up on my favorite ice cream
and go into hiding... maybe.

(Blue toes compliments of my 12 year old niece, Haylee)

So pardon my pregnant hormonal pity party;
it should only last for a few more weeks
and then you'll get to enjoy my post pregnancy hormonal pity parties.
(Which promise to be as equally exciting.)

Gone in 60 Seconds

I'm not talking about the movie,
but rather the amount of time it took me (and Nate) to consume
an entire Zwahlen's Caramel apple
and I enjoyed every second of it.
(all 60 of them)

Thanks Emily!

All is Quiet on the Western Front

*This must be documented because it might not ever happen again.

Silence at my house is never a good thing. It usually means one of two things;
1. Someone has stopped breathing.
or
2. Someone is getting into massive amounts of trouble.

There has never been an option 3 up until this point in my life, which is now...

3. The kids are playing peacefully together. TOGETHER. IN PEACE AND HARMONY. ALL THREE OF THEM... PLAYING. This is truly a rare moment for me. It's not only the fact that they're playing, but the fact that they've been playing together for almost 5 hours straight without fighting, without complaining, without hanging on me. This moment is indeed monumental. Let the choir of angels sing.

The only time my kids play really well together is when I ask them to clean their rooms. They will find anything else to do except for cleaning their rooms and if that something else happens to be playing together then so be it. The rooms can wait...

at least until tomorrow.
And perhaps they'll play longer then, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

So close, yet so far away

Time is slooowly creeping towards the the finish line
and I'm ready & excited for the end result.
She's already spent 35 weeks cooking
and now she has just a few more to go.

Still no name,
still no crib & bedding,
still no clothes washed and folded,
but we did purchase a car seat.
Now all we need are diapers
and we're good to go!

A Photo Essay

The last installment (I think).

Site of the dead sea scrolls- Qumran, Israel

Mosque of Muhammad Ali - Cairo, Egypt & Mount of Beatitudes- by the Galilee, Israel

The Temple of Hatshepsut, Valley of the Kings- Luxor, Egypt

Petra, Jordan

Dome of the Rock- Jerusalem, Israel & Temple of Karnak- Luxor, Egypt

Ein Gedi, Israel

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I just posted round 2 of our trip on my Photography blog.
I feel like the Rocky theme should be playing in the back ground...
BOM,
BOM, bom, BOM...
bom, Bom, BOM...
bom, bom, baaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhm!!!

Click below to check it out

Egypt, Israel, Jordan :: Round 2

Our family, as stick figures

A family portrait
By: Kaleb

This could perhaps be an all time favorite family portrait.
I'll give you one guess to pick out which stick figure is me.

(I think prefer the stick figure pregnant version of me over the real life version for sure.)

You Want Pictures???

Then pictures you shall get.

It took me a very long time scanning through my hard drive to find these pictures,
especially to find one where I actually showed my braces.

I would say that the majority of pictures taken of me
while I had my braces on looked something like this...

But I managed to find this gem of a beauty,
which happens to maybe be 1 of the 5 pictures of me
over the past 14 months where I showed my teeth.
Let's just say they were hidden for good reason.


And let's just say I will be happy to never look at that picture again.

But the 14 months were worth the wait...

I'm happy to report that I didn't forget how to kiss my husband.
(it's just like riding a bike, but completely different)
And rumor has it, there is a Zwahlen's caramel apple waiting for me here in Utah.
Thanks so much to a friend who understands the need of a Zwahlen's apple.
It's currently about an hour and a half drive away from me.
Which is a much better drive then say, 3 days.

So the next item of business will be to give that caramel apple a good home.
And then perhaps try out the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's caramel apples and compare which one is better.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Seriously, Child

I'm not quite sure what to do with this one...
I tell her to just stand normal and this is what she does.

Don't blame me.
Blame Hannah Montana.

Happy Friday!

Awesome News...

The braces are off!

I could have possibly got teary eyed when I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw my new smile.

I could have felt the need to quickly explain to the cute little ortho assistants that were all standing around watching me look in the mirror for the first time that it's not my fault I was emotional- it's my pregnancy's fault and the fact that I'm highly hormonal.

The first item of business now that I have a brace free mouth is to kiss my husband and then perhaps kiss him again (assuming I can still remember how).

Next on my list would be to consume an entire Zwahlen's caramel apple, but sadly I don't live in Philly any more and there is no Zwahlen's to be found in Utah. So I will be in search of the perfect caramel apple around these parts. I'm sceptical it can be done, but I'm determined.

Why I Loathe the Laundry: Reason #83

In the words of Bono, "It's not a hill, it's a mountain..."

I'm trying to come up with sock conservation plan.
I'm thinking something along the lines of the three R's of sock wearing:
Rewear, Reuse, & Recycle.

I've been trying hard to have a clean sock pile as opposed to a dirty sock pile since this post. I must also say that Nate's sock collection has probably tripled in size since then too.

A Heart Felt Letter

Dear Dryers Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Double Fudge Brownie Ice cream with 1/2 the fat and 1/3 less calories than regular ice cream,

You help fill that empty place in my heart stomach that's hidden somewhere roughly beneath my rib cage and crammed somewhere above my growing fetus.

I'm not 100% sure where that spot is. I'm not even sure where most of my bodily organs that I use to call my stomach are any more. But what I do know is that you make me feel good. Really good. Especially when I eat you with a fork out of the carton and the kids and husband are not around to see me indulge in your creamy double fudge brownie heaven.

Thank you for the temporary gratification you give me. I promise to forgive you for the extra poundage I've put on during our few days we spent together with me secretly eating you in the corner of the kitchen.

I think now, for the both us, it's best if we spent some time apart for a while. It's not you... it's me.

I won't forget you and the fond memories we made. I'll always have that cellulite on the back of my thighs to remind me of your sinful deliciousness. I'll make sure to watch for you at the store and when the timing is right- if you happen to go on sale- perhaps I'll bring you home with me again and we can relive some of those memories. You know, for old time sakes.

Sincerely,
Ginnie

Ruffle Me Scarf Winner

First of all, thanks so much for all the cute name ideas. You did not disappoint. Now I'm just trying to figure out a way to birth that many baby girls so that I can use them all. I was a little surprised that Lily was the most common name suggested. That one is actually on my list of girl names that I love. I'm even more surprised that names like Rainbow & Puberta were only suggested once. Those two names are truly unforgettable and one of a kind.
Now on to the winner.

Through the magical random power bestowed upon Random.org,
the winner is...

Congrats Jessica! Email me your shipping information along with the scarf color of your choice and size (children's or women's) to ginniejphotography[a]gmail.com.

Recipe Love :: Chicken Curry in a Hurry

This makes my heart and stomach happy.
Yes, it's that good.
Would I lead you astray?

Ingredients:

• 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• salt
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 (12-14 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 packed cups fresh baby spinach

Directions:

1.) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook the onion, stirring often, until soft (about 7 minutes). Add the curry powder and continue stirring for 1 more minute.

2.) Stir in coconut milk, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.

3.) Add the chicken, stir well, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.

4.) Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted, about 3 minutes.

5.) Salt to taste and serve.

........

P.S. Today is the last day to enter the Ruffle Me scarf giveaway. Thanks so much for all of the name suggestions. There might be hope for my unborn child after all :) Puberta is now high on the name option list. We would probably call her Pube's or Pubie for short. I'm thinking it has a nice ring to it.

Baby in Waiting

She's not here yet,
but one thing is for sure...

(Kaleb's not smiling because Macie is touching him. Oh, the pain.)

She is loved.
♥


P.S. Don't forget to check out the Ruffle Me scarf giveaway below or just click HERE to enter.