a wee bit... on thurs

{one} what is your biggest pet peeve?
bad drivers

{two} what is your favorite dessert?
cake, yellow or white with buttercream icing and any type of fresh fruit filling

{three} what is the first thing you notice about people?
their height

{four} are you usually late, early or right on time?
ALWAYS early, by at least 10 mins - my mom and dad used to make me late everywhere growing up and it was always so embarrassing, so I go out of my way to always be early now. Not sure I will be very successful with this once I have a child of my own, but I will be early as long as I can manage it.

{five} have you ever fired a gun?
nope. I have never even seen a gun in person before.

{six} are you right-handed or left-handed?
right-handed

{seven} which do you prefer: coke or pepsi?
I am a Pepsi girl all the way! I have a strong dislike for Coke.

{eight} do you dance crazy when no one is looking?
nope. I was raised Baptist, so I guess you could call me a foot tapper. I might move my hips a little bit if I have had a few drinks. Ha!

{nine} what’s your favorite movie snack?
popcorn w/ extra butter

{ten} do you scream on roller coasters?
nope, I usually hold my breath or laugh at other people screaming!

a wee bit

{one} what is your happiest childhood memory?

I always loved Christmas Eve and waking up the next morning at my Grammie and Papa's house. My whole family gathered along with friends of the family for a big feast, Papa Larry was known to make me the occasional virgin Shirley Temple with extra cherries, we sang Christmas Carols, I was the little helper handing out the gifts to all of the guests, we went to bed to the sounds of sleigh bells ringing outside of our bedroom window, and we woke up to the biggest spread of toys any child could ask for. It was wonderful and I got to enjoy it every year of my life until the age of 25.

{two} what is your middle name?

Marisa

{three} what’s the habit you’re most proud of breaking?

I can't say that there is a habit that I have ever broken because I don't really have any habits.

{four} what do you order when you order chinese food?

sweet donuts, singapore noodles, chicken w/broccoli, hot & sour soup

{five} what’s the best bargain you’ve ever found at a garage sale or thrift store?

I have to admit that I have never shopped at a garage sale or a thrift store. Crazy, I know. I have nothing against them, I have just never sought one out.

{six} what’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?

I wore an apple costume at the North Carolina Apple Festival way back in the 90's. I got to stand on stage with my little brother (also dressed in apple costume) and the first President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. I stared at Mrs. Bush's shoes the entire time - they were sequined!

{seven} who’s your favorite game show host?

Howie Mandel

{eight} what’s your favorite breakfast food?

anything with cinnamon - cinnamon toast crunch, cinnamon oatmeal, cinnamon muffins, cinnamon toast, cinnamon bun cake

{nine} what’s your least favorite word?

diarrhea

{ten} describe something that happened to you for which you have no explanation.

Nothing is coming to mind. Everything happens for a reason and I always search for the logical explanation!

week 28, day 0

• Third trimester starts today.  Where has the time gone?
• Passed my 1 hour glucose test, check.
• I have gained 23 lbs so far.
• My belly measures perfectly at 28 cm from top to bottom, which is just where it should be for 28 weeks. Still no stretch marks - score!
• Baby boy's heartbeat was 163 bpm at my appointment on Thursday. 
• Craving cereal (specifically, Wegman's Cinnamon Squares) and Fall flavors like brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, and sweet potatoes. Dr. told me to get more iron in my diet.  I haven't been very excited about red meats so I will be researching other alternatives.
• Name is still not finalized - working on it!

so long, summer

Sadly, Summer is coming to an end, and I am trying to savor the last few weeks. I will miss these warm, easy mornings with the boys in the backyard.





Next summer, this baby boy will be crawling around out here, and it will never be as peaceful again. Fun, maybe, but not peaceful!


week 27, day 1

This is a summer favorite of mine.  I can't believe that it is so late in the season and I haven't had a taste of potato salad until now.  The photo doesn't look very appetizing, but trust me, it is deliciousness!



Southern Potato Salad

• 1.5 lbs large red potatoes, approximately 6
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, diced
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise*
• 4 tablespoons sweet or dill relish (whichever you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)

Wash potatoes, then place in a large pot and add cold water until it covers the potatoes by one inch. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once water boils, reduce heat to medium and move lid to side allowing steam to vent. Cook potatoes for approximately 30-45 minutes or until fork-tender.

Hard-boil the eggs and set them aside to cool. Once cooled, peel and dice the eggs. Drain potatoes and set them aside to cool. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them with your hands. Dice and add to a large bowl.

Add diced eggs and all remaining ingredients and gently fold together. Best when served chilled.

* Duke's mayonnaise is the best!  My dad's siblings buy it in bulk when the visit from Indiana and Washington because they can't get it where they live.  We only use Duke's in this house!

What are you doing to savor the end of Summer?

silliness

Silly boys! I love standing outside and teasing them, just to get a reaction out of them. That really makes me a bully doesn't it!?! Don't worry, after I get a few good photos, I go inside and give them lots of love and treats.



Look at the fluffy clouds and the blue sky, the weather couldn't be more perfect this weekend!


week 26, day 0

Yep, that is all belly (can you see it?), no basketball under my dress to deceive you.  It is awkward to see myself in photos or catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  I love that I am "all baby" as everyone refers to it, but I am still getting used to it.  Can you believe that I am only 2 weeks away from my third trimester - where is all my time going?

front porch swinging

After reading this post over at Too Much Good, I got to thinking about where I spend my time.  I do spend time in the kitchen, but it is not a room I like to stay in.  I don't like to be cooped up in the house, I love being outside.

Matt and I like to spend time on our front porch. It is beautiful in the morning watching the sun come from over the back of our house and start to illuminate the front yard. We live at the intersection of two culs-de-sac, so it is a very quiet street with not much through traffic unless someone is wanders back lost while looking for another street or for a yard sale. [Notice the repainted porch floor?  Matt worked hard on it a few months ago and I personally think it is an amazing improvement over the prior color.  The concrete paint selection has certainly improved in the past few years.  The new color chosen by yours truly!]  



With the beautiful weather this morning (only 64 degrees at 8:00 am with a nice breeze), I naturally spent some time out front.  I was then inspired to take some photos of what is currently growing in our front yard.  I love everything about our Kwanzan Cherry Tree - when it is not blooming like this, it is the perfect shade tree for our impatiens and the bark is beautiful.




I enjoy the swing the most and spend time swinging while talking to my parents on the phone, watching sunsets, watching Matt work so hard at watering our grass to bring it back to life, and of course drinking sweet tea, or my latest cold drink of choice, chocolate milk.





The only downside to the front porch is that the boys can't spend time with us.



They love their backyard, and we spend an equal amount of time out back on the deck so they can be around us. The backyard is for fun and activity, such as this:




All in all, the front porch is for relaxing. It is my "place of peace"!