Apple Cake

Apple Cake:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 cups AP flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 tsps baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps cinnamon

1 1/2 tsps ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

4 small gala apples, cored & cut into 1" chunks

2 large eggs, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13 baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, & nutmeg. Add the apples, butter, & eggs. 

2. Spoon into pan, smooth out with a spatula. Bake 40 minutes. Toothpick test. 

Where have I been? & Taco Soup

Yikes! Just realized that I haven't been on my blog in almost a year and a half! I guess I've just been busy taking care of two kiddos that are 18 months apart. Survived a deployment & many other things......lots to talk about so....I'm excited to start blogging again. Yay! 

So without hesitation, here's a taco soup recipe: 

Crockpot Taco Soup:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can corn

2 cans rotel, I used lime & cilantro

1/2 cup frozen diced onion

2 tbsp. minced garlic

Chili powder & cumin

32oz container chicken broth

2 chicken breasts

Put all ingredients in crockpot, putting chicken in last and make sure they're covered with the broth. Cook on high for 6 hours. Take out chicken breasts and shred & place back in the crockpots.

•top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream....even some cilantro & avocado sounds delicious, too! 

Pregnancy Highlights 32 weeks (8 months)

How far along? 32 weeks 2 days

Baby's size? Almost 4lbs/17" according to websites/books

Gender? Boy! Samuel Jeffery.

Weight Gain? 20lbs (all since 20 weeks).

Maternity clothes? of course. If we are just staying around the house, I usually wear a sundress or a pair of cotton maternity shorts and t-shirt. If we are going somewhere, I usually wear my capris and a pretty shirt. I have a few yard-sale finds that I love.

Stretch marks? Only 1 new stretch mark that I see and it's tiny, but all my old ones are definitely getting stretched back out, but they aren't red (yet, lol).

Belly button in or out? Still a deep-innie, unless I am laying down and then it's not as deep.

Sleeping? Not enough....Even w/nap time during the day. Hello insomnia & over-thinking.

Foods I'm loving? Pretty much every thing, haha...Still really into cereal, but trying not too eat it too much because of the high sugar contents. Love pizza. Love eating out, of course.

Foods I'm hating? Nothing I didn't hate before.

Best moment this week? Feeling Sammy move so much, even though a lot of movements hurt me, I do love it. I love knowing he's strong & healthy in there and very active. I know I will miss it when he comes out, so I try to cherish it...even though I say "OUCH!!!" a lot, haha.

What I'm looking forward to? Basically, getting the c-section over with and just having him here already. Not that I'm not enjoying just having one baby, but I'm ready to get my body back and lose some weight and feel better physically and feel better about myself. (Same answer as before, except I am really looking forward to seeing what he looks like & how Anna reacts!)

What I miss? Being able to sleep on my back, roll over normally in bed, sleeping, being able to pick Anna up w/o hurting.

Symptoms? Just weepy about everything, but that's pretty normal for me, even when I'm not pregnant. I'm totally a "wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve" kind, and very sentimental anyways, so I'm a lot of fun during pregnancy, haha...

Weekly Wisdom: He will be here soon!!!! That's all I have, haha...I'm excited to see him and kiss him & to see how Anna loves him, too. & See Wesley have a little baby BOY!!

Milestones: My next appt. is August 22nd (I will be 33 weeks). I am setting my c-section date!! Hopefully Oct 4!

Emotions: Yep! Read previous blog post about Anna growing up....

My little Anna

I was having a really hard time yesterday thinking about Anna growing up and how much she is NOT a baby anymore--She's an extremely active, smart, little toddler! I was feeling really sad/crying (hello pregnancy hormones, plus my normal super-emotional self anyways).

I then started thinking about how I am having another baby and I won't be able to give her all of my attention like I have been able to since she was born (esp. the first 6 months when it was just me/her). I was really sad when God put this thought in my head---I am blessed!!! Of course I already know that, and I tell myself and others that all the time, but I don't always stop to think about HOW we are blessed and how MUCH we are blessed.

He put this perspective in my head: She is healthy! It's just part of life for babies to grow up (we were all once babies & had to grow up) and I should be very thankful/grateful that she is here on this earth and is healthy, so I CAN watch her grow up. I know not all people are blessed to have children, and I know not all parents are blessed by TIME with their children. Not all children are here on this earth for very long & everyday I thank God for Anna and that she is healthy and I pray that we all continue to have our health.

He also put this in my head: Wesley/I are healthy (for now, may we never take this for granted). I have a couple of friends, YOUNG friends, mothers, who are battling cancer right now. They have young children, whom they may not get to see 'grow up'. I pray for them every day and for their families. I pray that Wesley gets to spend the time with his children that he didn't get with his dad & I pray that I will grow old enough to see my grandchildren, since my dad wasn't able to do so.

I also need to remind myself that I absolutely LOVE the little lady that Anna is becoming. I cannot stop her from growing up, but I know we sure can mold who she is and how she grows up. I pray she has a love for the Lord, for other people (which is already very evident), and for herself. I pray that she continues to be healthy, strong, funny, smart, and beautiful, inside & out. I also hope that we have a great relationship as she grows older, as I know my mother and I didn't always have that and it breaks my heart.

....& I pray that she loves her brother very much, because he will be here all too soon, like it or not :-) Then I can start crying about how little he is and a few months after that I will have to remind myself that he is growing up, too.....

....& I'm sure we will be so proud of the big sister Anna has become!

Pregnancy Highlights: 6 months (24 weeks)

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along? 24 weeks 1 day

Baby's size? a little over a pound, according to websites/books

Gender? Boy! Samuel Jeffery.


Weight Gain? Somewhere around 10lbs, all of which I have gained in the past 4 weeks!


Maternity clothes? of course. If we are just staying around the house, I usually wear a sundress or a pair of cotton maternity shorts and t-shirt. If we are going somewhere, I usually wear my capris and a pretty shirt. I have a few yard-sale finds that I love.

Stretch marks? I think I got all my stretch marks when I was pregnant with Anna...thinking I'm already ALL stretched out...hoping there isn't anymore stretching, just growing, lol...So, no new ones!


Belly button in or out? Still a deep-innie, unless I am laying down and then it's not as deep.


Sleeping? Depends on the night & on Anna. The past couple of weeks she has actually been sleeping most of the night in her crib in her room, big improvement from sleeping in our bed most of the night. However, last night was a bad night, so we still have those! I occasionally wake up to get a snack. Last night I just had a glass of chocolate milk at 3am.


Foods I'm loving? Cereal, just like last time. Chocolate milk. Pizza. Ok...pretty much every thing. I haven't found anything I detest right now, but it was tuna...I think I'm ok with it now.


Foods I'm hating? Nothing really.


Best moment this week? Feeling Sammy and watching him make my belly lopsided...already! He is already so strong, I can't imagine what the next 15 weeks will be like!


What I'm looking forward to? Basically, getting the c-section over with and just having him here already. Not that I'm not enjoying just having one baby, but I'm ready to get my body back and lose some weight and feel better physically and feel better about myself.

What I miss? Losing weight and seeing the number go DOWN on the scale instead of UP! lol
Symptoms? Still a little round ligament pain here and there, pelvic pain (SPD) is getting worse, & fatigue! Annnnd lovely pregnancy-hormone induced emotions! lol


Weekly Wisdom: Well, lately I have been getting a little overwhelmed, with my lack of sleep & such, that I won't ever get any sleep again...So I just need to remember to take it one day at a time and ask for help when I need it. Obviously that won't be so easy, since we are 700 miles away from family and friends and most people we trust, but I do have a couple good friends here that I know will help me out! Hoping anyways ;-)


Milestones: My next appt on July 10th (I'll be 27-28 weeks) is the one where they will test me for gestational diabetes. I have to drink the orange drink before my appt and then come in and get tested. Hoping & praying it's negative.


Emotions: Wow...Well, I was actually doing really well up until a couple weeks ago, mostly this past weekend. I was ordering shutterfly pictures to put up around the house, so I looked back through ALL the pictures of Anna from birth-now and wow that made me sad. Also I have been missing my family/friends/HOME like crazy. I have been trying really hard not to talk to anyone about it and just to ignore it myself, hoping it would go away, but I miss home, Indiana, so much! I miss my nieces/nephews so much! I am sad that Anna can't get to know her family and cousins and friends as she's growing up. Sad that I can't take her to tall the cool places I wanted to share with my children around home. Church, the cool parks at home, library, etc. You may say oh you have all that there, but it's not the same, at all. Ugh...Anyways...It was also Father's Day. Sad about my dad, Wesley's dad, etc...So just a mess lately, haha.