The Joy of a Bath

There isn't a whole lot that can beat a warm bath soak after a long day, especially when you're pregnant.  Having that moment of feeling the weight lift from your body in the water, your muscles relaxing in the warmth, and to top off, the soothing feeling of a lavendar scrub rubbed into your skin... BLISS... and of course, joy...

The Beauty of Joy

Last year I focused on finding the beauty in all that was around me.  And so the focus slightly shifts as this year is all about finding JOY...

 

 

 

The Importance of Marriage

"Today, possibly the greatest act of love for the unborn that you could make is striving your utmost to heal and promote and maintain and provide for and respect marriage.

Know that your own marriage is good for the whole community. Every person you know -- and many you will never see -- benefit from your fidelity, your struggle, your resolve to love and honor your spouse. Your sufferings are a fitting incense rising to God -- they are not in vain.

When you appreciate your husband as the protector and provider of this safe haven for you and your children, you help the unborn.

When he loves and protects you and your children, he offers society a church in miniature -- a sanctuary -- and babies everywhere are safer.

Every person can love and respect marriage, God's plan, by his acts. Be convinced that marriage will heal society, and then act accordingly. "

A Day of Penance and Prayer - Leila

Reading...

"All mortals tend to turn into the thing they are pretending to be."

-The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

Who are you "pretending" to be?

A Christmas Party

 

~Dinner Menu~

 

Beverages

Homemade Eggnog

Hot Apple Cider

 

Appetizers

Assortment of Cheeses

Bloomin' Onion Cheesy Bread

Popcorn

 

Dinner

Spiral Ham

Sweet 'n Sour Meatballs

Hungarian Noodles

Gorgonzola Pear Salad

Broccoli Salad

 

Dessert

Assortment of Cookies

Strawberries

Melted Chocolate

 

 

 

 

 

New Goals

Since I'm due with my first baby in April, I'm a little apprehensive to make goals for this year. I'm not sure what I will have time for or what I will want to prioritize in addition to mommy/baby time.  As far as goals for after, I'm not sure yet what kinds of things I want as a mother with an infant. So I'm thinking I'll make a couple of goals for before the baby and then reconvene with goals after the baby.

Goals:
1. Paint one painting
2. Finish reading The Screwtape Letters
3. Pray in the morning and the evening
4. Have nursery decorated and set-up BEFORE the baby arrives
5. Have a natural birth

Overall, I've been getting stressed over... everything. So, my theme for this year is to ENJOY THE RIDE. Enjoy the ride and thus enjoy life and enjoy everyday for what it is. 

What are some of your goals this year?

 

The Beauty of Trifle

 

Toffee Brownie Trifle

 

Chopped Heath Bars

 

 

Cut up Brownies

 

 

Vanilla & Chocolate Pudding

 

 

Frozen Whipped Topping. You know that moment when you're trying to get everything on the table because your guests are arriving any minute so you need the last steps to go smoothly? Well that was the moment I was combing the frozen topping with the pudding and realized that mixing anything frozen is difficult. So, why did the recipe call for that? Go back to look at the recipe and see the magic words missed earlier: thawed....

 

But all was placed accordingly and in time. So, no need to stress, just enjoy the ride. The recipe was not exactly what I had anticipated, but then I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting from brownies and pudding. I imagine this would be a good one for a middle school slumber party though. If I have a girl I guess I'll pull this out then.

 

 

 

What's your favorite trifle recipe?

Learning about Childbirth

I've Learned:

2 Myths about childbirth:

1. Childbirth has to be excruciatingly painful.

• Apparently screaming, whining, and complaining make the pain worse. If you go in thinking your birth will be excruciatingly painful, it probably will be. Some women do not feel pain. Some women enjoy the birthing process.

2. Lying on your back is the best position to birth.

• Who knew that you can birth in different positions? Apparently, lying on your back tilts your pelvis so that the opening is angled smaller, making it harder to push your baby out.

2 Truths about childbirth:

1. The U.S. actually has a high maternal mortality rate in comparison to other developed countries due to increased medically unnecessary C-sections.  According to the World Health Organization, in order to maintain healthy births and decrease maternal mortality rates, the C-section rate should be no higher than 15%. In the U.S. it is 32%.

2. Working with the sensations of contractions can be more beneficial than trying to work through them.  Many women talked about the contractions feeling like waves and that riding the waves and feeling the ebb and flow of them was helpful. 

 

What have you learned about childbirth?

The Beauty of Thought

 

"What you think, you become."

-Gandhi



 

Think happy thoughts...

Merry Christmas!

C Рождеством Христовым!

 

 

 

 Troparion of Christmas:

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of reason upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.  

 

 

God is with us, understand, ye nations, and submit yourselves for God is with us.

 

Hear ye, even to the uttermost ends of the earth:

God is with us.

Submit yourselves, ye mighty ones:

God is with us.

If again ye shall rise up in your might, again shall ye be overthrown:

God is with us.

If any take counsel together, them the Lord destroy:

God is with us.

And the word which ye shall speak shall not abide in you:

God is with us.

For we fear not your terror, neither are we troubled:

God is with us.

But the Lord our God, He it is to Whom we will ascribe holiness, and Him will we fear:

God is with us.

And if I put my trust in Him, He shall be my sanctification:

God is with us.

I will set my hope on Him, and through Him shall I be saved:

God is with us.

Lo, I and the children whom God hath given me:

God is with us.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:

God is with us.

And they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, on them hath the light shined:

God is with us.

For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given:

God is with us.

And the government shall be upon His shoulder:

God is with us.

And of His peace there shall be no end:

God is with us.

And His Name shall be called in the great council of the angels:

God is with us.

Wonderful Counselor:

God is with us.

The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of peace:

God is with us.

The Father of the world to come:

God is with us.

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit:

God is with us.

both now, and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen:

God is with us.

God is with us, understand, ye nations, and submit yourselves for God is with us.

The Beauty of a Winter Mantel

 

After browsing Pinterest and looking in other people's homes, I've been collaborating this set-up in my head for a while.  I'm happy that I took the time to make this particular display become a reality. All items for the wreath and skate pieces were bought on 60% off Sale from Michaels, except for the skates, those were purchased through craigslist.  I thought it would be easy to find at least one skate for free from someone, but the task was a little harder than expected. However, I still got a good deal.

 

 

I would have preferred to use more large sized pine cones, but seeing as I do not have them, I will just have to remember to collect them when I see them on my next hike/walk.

 

The Beauty of Decorating a Christmas Tree

Every family has their own special way of making the Christmas tree look just right.  As I have just started my second year of marriage my family traditions are still new. However, my husband and I have definitely accumulated many old traditions from each of our families.

I have adopted my mother's views on getting a Charlie Brown tree.  Growing up I thought our tree had the most space between all the branches in comparison to our friends' trees, but I've realized in the more recent years that even my mother's trees were never true Charlie Brown trees. There were people out there with even MORE space between their branches. I know. I saw them. I, myself, am leaning, I think, to more space than even my mother preferred. My husband is leaning to more branches. We will see what the years will bring us and what our newish family will adopt in the end. As for this year, we have a decent amount of space between the branches.

Our Family's Steps to Decorating:

1. Tree Top - I have always been a fan of a star.
2. Lights - Per my husband's family I have learned that the tree does not look quite as nice if you do not wrap the trunk , as well as the branches. Also, per my mother and sister, one must stand away and squint at the tree. This way you can tell if there are any spots lacking light.
3. Christmas Balls - These are fillers. They go in the back for a touch of glisten and color.
4. Ornaments - The heavy ones go closer to the trunk, so as not to make your branch "slouch."
5. Sitting from all angles - very key! Look from all angles as  you decorate to prevent bald spots.
6. Icicles - I prefer glass icicles. Although my family always used tinsel on the end as well, I often remember just having to clean up my dog's puke with silver tinsel in it. So, somewhere along the way I nixed tinsel from my own idea of a tree.
    

In all the years I have taken photos of Christmas trees, they never come out looking very nice. This may be because my tree doesn't look nice, and maybe it's my own denial coming forth, but I think there's a special setting and maybe a certain type of tree that looks good in photos that I don't know about. How do those magazines do it? Of course their trees don't have their tops cut off of them, but still.

 

 

 

What are some of your rules for Christmas tree decorating?

The Beauty of a Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree Farming

Seeing that we celebrate the Birth of Christ on January 7th, we got caught up in our household with other tasks such as baby planning, getting sick, our church's Feast Day and 80th anniversary, as well as helping with an Orthodox youth conference.  Thus we never got around to getting our Christmas tree when there were plenty to be had.  Nevertheless there are kind and helpful people out there, ones who even open up their tree farm for us poor planners (our friends also were not able to get their tree, but their excuse is way better, newborn in the house). 

My family often would go cut down a tree. It was a family escapade that smelled so much of Christmas, because Christmas does have a smell! My husband and I were able to share in this tradition for the first time this year (last year we bought a pre-cut tree).  So our tree is up in its stand and waiting to be adorned.

Day 1 of this year and already a lesson learned:

We brought our tree home and it was too tall. Our eyes were bigger than our room this year. As we don't have a saw to cut the bottom, we cut off the top. NEVER CUT OFF THE TOP. Cutting off the top changes the shape and look of the tree. Now our tree looks like we cut the bottom and the top and decided to keep the middle of the tree. Oh well. I've decided to love my tree anyway. Next year... I won't cut off the top.

What traditions does your family follow pertaining to the Christmas tree?

The Beauty of a New Year

Greeting the New Year with a Masquerade

 

Making wall hanging masks: cardboard, fabric, LOTS of glue for glue guns, mardi gras beads, ribbon, and cut mirror

 

Mask centerpieces: masks, mardi gras beads, feathers, cut mirror, dowels, cardboard, rocks, fabric, rubber bands, ribbon, and additional creative mask accessories

 

 

A happy evening with dancing, sparkling cider (for me), laughter, and masks, masks, masks!

 

HAPPY 2013!

 

What did your New Year's Eve consist of?