Happy!

Happy Christmas!  

We had a wonderful Christmas, thank you for asking.  I hope yours was blessed. 

Our morning was simple, with my parents and brothers coming by to join us for brunch, and to load Lizzie with gifts.  The girl could have gone swimming in her pile of presents.  We didn't even get to her stocking, because the wrapped gifts under the tree were so overwhelming to her that she started throwing a fit.  It was pathetic and hilarious.  We had to confiscate a couple of toys; they were provoking her. 

A wonderful family from church invited us to join them for their Christmas lunch, so we all moved on from our house to their house, and feasted with them.  It was a blessing to be invited for Christmas into a larger family than just our immediate family of six.  Oh, and the food was the most delicious holiday fare I have ever had.  The turkey was marinated overnight in a secret recipe of Spanish mole' and spices, and every bite of it was amazing.  I ate two whole plates of food, and then had a piece and a half of chocolate cake.  I don't know how I managed to eat all that, but I do know that I looked like I got about a month more pregnant in just a matter of hours.  And then I came home and polished off leftover Chinese food.  And a bottle of O'Doul's.  

I have a few pictures, but the camera is not in this room, and I don't want to get up and load them.  I'm sorry, I am really lazy about putting up pictures lately.  You can blame it on the baby.  I know I do.

Happy Chinese Restaurant!

(This is just a little aside, and I don't even know if it fits or not, but here it is anyway.)  On Christmas Eve, I was worn out from Christmas preparations, and flat out refused to make dinner.  So we went out to eat.  It being Christmas Eve, the only thing open were the Asian restaurants, so we tried a new place, "Chinese Restaurant" in a Korean shopping center.  When we pulled up, the sign was in Korean and English.  Then we went in, thinking it was sort of strange, and Sam looked at the menu, because he was really confused.  He was confounded and told me to order--which never happens at a Chinese restaurant--rather, he is always the one who converses in Mandarin with the waitstaff, asking specific questions about the flavors and ingredients of menu items, then asking me if I'd rather have option A or option B.  We finally sat down, and they served us kimchi for an appetizer, along with pickled radishes and plain sliced onions.  Liz was having nothing to do with those appetizers.  She did, however, like the tea in the small cups they served it in.  Anyway, we ordered the food, and it was pretty good; it was not your standard American Chinese food, nor was it your standard Authentic Chinese.  Sam asked the waitress (who was also one of the owners) what the story behind the restaurant was, and she told him that her family was Chinese, but raised in Korea.  And now I know what a Chinese restaurant would be like if I ate at a Chinese restaurant in Korea.  We're going to stick with our usual authentic Chinese restaurants.  Since then we have ordered Chinese food twice.  From different restaurants.


Happy New Year!

Sam starts work on Monday!  He will be working part time at a retail store, and while it's not in his career path, and isn't full time, it is a store he really believes in, and he has so far enjoyed getting to know the guys he will be working with.  And a paycheck is a paycheck is a paycheck, even if it won't be huge.  He will have his eyes open for positions in full time work in construction management or something along those lines, but for now, we are so grateful for this option.  In the meantime, he hopes to become their best employee, so that he can gain the favor and position to determine his schedule and make the job really work for him and our family.

Having Sam at work will be wonderful.  These 6 months (yes, it's been since June) have been trying on us.  Thank the Lord that we have had everything we've needed.  Thank the Lord that Sam had foresight in the past to set aside money.  Thank the Lord that we got a great tax refund for last year.  Thank the Lord for His provision thus far.

Happy Baby!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I had another doctor's appointment.  I'm 12 weeks along now, and almost done with the first trimester.  We got to hear the heartbeat, and it was good and strong.  Even though I haven't anticipated anything going awry, it was so reassuring to hear it.  I was actually supposed to have an ultrasound done (for the neural translucency screening), but I mixed up the appointment time and missed it.  I'm rescheduled for Monday, which unfortunately is when Sam starts work, so he won't get to be there.  He wants me to video-tape it.  I'm not quite sure how that'll work, but I'll try. 

My nausea has been less pronounced than it was a few weeks ago.  Hopefully it is actually starting to let up, and will leave me alone soon.  In the meantime, I have the headcold from hell, and have not been able to smell anything since the day after Christmas.  This may be why I'm not feeling quite as sick to my stomach. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to rustle up a bedtime snack of decongestant and toaster strudel and a tall glass of milk.  Good night, and happy new year!

Menu Planning and Morning Sickness

Now that I've given my big reveal, it won't be so hard to keep up a more regular blogging routine.  Something about not being able to talk about the biggest thing going on in my life paralyzed me from writing.  I'm also convinced that my lack of rest contributed to my lack of quiet times which in turn contributed to my lack of a sense of purpose in writing, which therefore contributed to my lack of writing.  Besides all that, I felt like crap.

Well, good that we got that out of the way.  I have to laugh because I am talking about menu planning.  I have told myself for the last 2 years that "the next time I get pregnant I'll quickly cook up a bunch of chicken and prepare a lot of freezer meal kits, before the morning sickness hits."  I thought that was a really good idea.  And it was, until reality hit and my first identifiable symptom about 2 weeks into the pregnancy was violent nausea.

Honestly, it's a wonder that we haven't all starved, the way I've had trouble even going into the kitchen some days.  There is nothing worse than dry heaving while trying make something to feed your hungry, confused toddler.  Who would have known that chicken nuggets would be so offensive?  Or rice and beans.  Or spaghetti (honestly, the thought of spaghetti makes me gag.  Just gagged.).  Or a hot dog.  Or oatmeal.  Or an egg.  Poor Sam has had to fend for himself more often than not.  

Suffice it to say, we have not had a menu plan in our house for about 10 weeks.  We have been living on the nutritious meals provided by Marie Callendar and dear Mrs. Stouffer.  I have had more Super Sonic Breakfast Burritos (light on the jalapenos and onions, heavier on the tots) in the last 2 months than in the previous 10 months.  Our deep freezer (a "happy pregnancy/we just (finally) got our tax return" gift from Sam) is full of convenience foods.  I will seriously have to take a picture.  And we've qualified for a GA-funded EBT card, so we're loading it up right now, with as much as can fit in there.  The thing is nearly 14 cubic feet.  That's a lot of veggies and Michellina's, y'all.

I will, however, try to get to the grocery store tomorrow, to pick up some necessities - orange juice, Raisin Bran Crunch (seriously, have you tried it?  That stuff's good!), saltines, Gatorade, chocolate chips, and some variety of red meat.  And some vegetables, since those are good for you. 

Tuesday I will host the 3rd Annual Great Cookie Bake, however, this time without the baking part.  It'll just be the cookie exchange part.  And that's really what everyone comes for anyway.  I've narrowed down my options for contributions to either Saltine Heath Toffee Bars, or Classic Sugar Cookies.  One is super easy, the other is super cute, and can be super fun.  Which would you pick?

The Explanation

I am so bad at keeping secrets.  Really.  That is precisely why I have not been blogging for almost 2 months.

Well, that and all my creative energy has been going to my uterus.

Yep, you read that right--my uterus.

I suspected the last weekend in October, and confirmed in the first couple of days of November.  (You remember that supposed "bad spinach" I ate right before the brunch we hosted?  Yeah, sorry, I kind of had to lie.  But I really did think the spinach was bad.)  Since then we have been excited and slightly overwhelmed and thankful.  The morning sickness has subsided--slightly.  The exhaustion is manageable.  The gag reflex is going strong.  Coffee doesn't taste right to me. (Sorry, Company Girls, you'll have to bring your own today!)

Here is a picture of our adorable little alien creature, taken earlier this month, at 9 weeks.  I promise, it looked cuter on the sonogram screen than it does here.

Lizzie, at 18 months, has no idea that her shirt says Big Sister, but she likes that the little girl on the shirt has hair.  Or as she says it in her drawl, "hayah."

She will be 25 months old when the new one arrives in July.  Oh, little girl, you have no idea what awaits you!

Come to think of it, neither do we!

Hopefulness

It's late tonight, so there's no coffee this time.  We have bottled water.  And apple cider.  We can heat it in the microwave for a treat.

In the past few weeks, my mind has been preoccupied.  Not with anything bad, not even with worry.  And since the appropriate time to share what's been going on has not yet come, I have been trying to think of other things to write.  But with no luck.  So here is the brief update on life in the Chen household.

Thanksgiving was lovely.  We scorched a turkey in the fryer.  It turned out fine on the inside.  We (collectively--all 7 of us) ate an entire block of cream cheese.  We made mimosas.  We confirmed that our favorite dish of all is green bean casserole.  Not turkey so much.  My mom and I are already plotting how to make it even simpler next year.  We're thinking that Publix will make your whole meal for you, if you just order it ahead.  I know, there are all these domestic goddesses blogging about their homemade from scratch turkeys and pies and casseroles and sauces, and then there's me.  But you know what?  That's me right now.

We have a new deep freezer!  I am loving it.  The last three times I've gone to the grocery store I have come back heavy laden with frozen goods--vegetables, chicken nuggets, meats to freeze, and toaster strudels.  Yes, toaster strudels.  I had forgotten about them until recently.  Ah, with the little frosting packet to drizzle on top.... Sorry.  I think it's almost time for a snack. At any rate, I am looking forward to planning out an intense cooking weekend during which I will make meals and meal-parts to make my life so much simpler.

Target was fun to shop last week.  Old Navy was a zoo.  The weather has been exciting--tornadoes in my parents' neighborhood (maybe you saw it in the news on Tuesday) and freezing temperatures and t-shirt weather, all in the same week. 

Unfortunately, Sam heard from the company that we were kind of banking on hiring him.  They sent him a letter, bearing the good ol', Thanks, but no thanks.  That has been hard on him.  He's continued to apply to different places, but it's getting frustrating having no solid leads and no paycheck.  And nothing to keep him focused day by day.  It is hard for a man to be unemployed.  It is not particularly easy for his wife, either.

I know there's got to be more I can do; more I can pray; more I can help scour CareerBuilder.  But I get so tired of praying the same thing.  I get discouraged praying for this job and that job to be the one, and then his being turned down.  I know Sam is tired of hearing that he is not the candidate they're looking for.  I know he's tired of being home every day.

I know there is a good job for Sam somewhere.  I know that God is able to rearrange whole corporations to make room for him.  I know that until He does, we're going to have everything we need.

Deep breath.  Change gears.

I'm looking forward to Christmas.  We're hoping to make it out to visit Sam's family this month.  I am slowly motivating myself to do the cleaning and rearranging that will be necessary to make a space for the tree.  Lizzie will really enjoy Christmas this year, being 18 months old.  She has had a delightful sense of awe at decorated trees when she's seen them in person.  She saw a picture of a lit garland around a front door and called it a necklace.  She insists that she wants one.  I want to pull the decorations out of the attic and put a garland up around the front door, just to hear her say "wow!"

We bought (half off at Target!) a Thomas & Friends beginner train set, which Lizzie will be thrilled to open and play with.  She still has an outrageous crush on Thomas.  She squeals with glee when the show comes on TV.  I want to fill her stocking with bouncy balls and new socks and hair bows and bath toys.  I hope we'll get at least enough snow for Lizzie to understand what it is.  I hope we'll make fires in the fire place and light Christmasy candles and make cookies.  I want to host another cookie exchange.  I'm thinking it may be a simplified version this time. 

What are you most looking forward to this Christmas?

Tornado!

You never know what a day will bring.

Tuesday brought a strength EF 2 tornado to my parents' subdivision.  We are exceedingly grateful that 1) no one in the subdivision was injured, and that 2) my family's house sustained only minimal damage. 

first responders assessing the damage

There is one house that was completely leveled.  56 houses in all had some damage from the storm.  It came suddenly and without warning.  Power and natural gas were out or turned off for about 30 hours, and the temperatures were less than accommodating for workers and residents.  

a propane grill, blown on its side, in the middle of a lawn

I am grateful for the grace of God, protecting and preserving the lives of everyone in the neighborhood, and for keeping my parents' home relatively untouched.  It is truly a miracle.

For the Love of God

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might."  This is the first and greatest commandment.

How do YOU love the Lord? Is it obedience?  Is it doing something? 

Do you feel the overwhelming sense of love, like you do when you watch your baby sleeping, or see your husband clean up the kitchen?


I am usually stuck on the "how" because I like to have things spelled out for me.  What can I DO to show that I love Him?

But that's not what He's asking for.  "You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would have given" (Ps 51)


When I just TRY harder, it becomes something that I am trying to earn.  It is of myself.  It is not acceptable.  And it has no faith in it.  It's based on my own strength, performance, and motives.  It is wearying.  It is hopeless.  It has no true humility or self-sacrifice.  It only has obligation.

It is not as hard to know how to "do" things to show love (or at least the appearance of love) for others.  They are all around us, they can receive our attempts to love them.  God, on the other hand, is not as easy to love, if you want a list of ways you can love Him.  Maybe it is easier to love Him if you have a list.  I guess it worked out pretty well for the Pharisees, since they liked lists of things to do.  They could check their lists every day.  But Jesus didn't like their lists.  So that creates a problem if Jesus' (God's) opinion matters.

How do I love Him?  If I am asking myself, my truly honest answer is:  Poorly.

When I examine my heart, I realize I don't love well, because I just don't have that self-giving, self-sacrificing love automatically in there.  In order for me to love, I have to understand and accept and embrace the reality that I am well-loved.  "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4)

So my prayer is, 'Lord, help me to know that You love me, so that I can respond to your love, in kind."

How do you love God?  What does it look like in your life?  What does it feel like?

More deep thoughts and encouraging words at Finding Heaven. :)

my commitment to you

I love to write, I love to share, I love to engage in conversation, I love to hear from others.

The time off last week was good for me; I rested a lot, read a good bit, and reflected on what I want to focus on for this little virtual room I've invited you into.

Here is my commitment to you:

I will write with these criteria in mind:  Does it encourage?  Does it help or benefit?  Does it provoke thought or growth?  Does it glorify God?  Is it honest?

I will ask myself:  Does it fit with my purpose to Keep a graceful home, Live a shared life, and Grow a loving family?  If so, up it goes.  If not, then I'll pass.  (Keep in mind, that my 'shared life' does make for a broad category.)
I will write only when I actually have something to say.  I will not wait for inspiration to strike, but I will not write for the sake of putting one more blog post out there.

I will not write only to fit in with a particular meme or blog carnival.  If something I want to write does happen to fit, I will do my best to schedule and link as appropriate, but I have decided not to try too hard.

I will not spam your subscription or insult your friendship by assuming that just because it entered my mind, you desire to read it. 

If you have read my ramblings for any length of time, what has brought you back?  Related, is there something you'd enjoy seeing more often?