Hi Baby!

The joys of motherhood keep growing with every milestone of my pregnancy. Beginning with hearing the sweetest sound of our baby's heartbeat… to the blessing of feeling our baby move for the first time. As much as everyone boasts about what a remarkable feeling it is... trust me when I say, you truly cannot grasp the magnitude of this blessing until you experience it first hand. I first felt this miracle on June 27th while laying down for bed and I will never forget that moment as long as I am alive. It was the most gentle flutter of our growing baby and in that very moment I was pleasantly reminded just how precious this gift from God truly is. Since that night I have felt the baby move multiple times and I can’t resist smiling every time as I think to myself quietly~ “Hi baby! Your mommy loves you so much already.”

Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup butter, divided
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4-1/2 cups milk
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute the onion in 1/2 cup butter. Add the flour; whisk until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in the cheese, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. (Stir constantly or it will stick to the bottom of the pan).
Drain macaroni and add to sauce; stir until coated. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Melt the remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Finding Time

As much as I miss my time with Trever, I couldn't be more proud of the man I get to call husband. Trever has always been one of those strong willed men with unmovable determination and currently works as a full time fire fighter, part time EMT for PMT ambulance AND is going to school full time to become a paramedic. Many who read this and don't know my Trev that well might think this sounds nearly impossible. However, for the ones that know my Trev...they will smile to themselves and think "Yep, that's Trev... don't know how he does it, but he makes it work". Not only does Trev make it work, he does it with a smile on his face and you will never hear him complain. He actually reminds me alot of my mother... she went to school full time and worked full time, all raising six young children. When asked how she did it, her reply: "You do what you want to do". I believe this is the same mentality God has blessed Trev with. One of the things I have treasured most about our marriage is our breakfast dates. In the midst of Trev's hectic schedule, he always seems to find time for us and one way he has done this is with “breakfast dates”. He will come off shift from working 24 hours, stop by the store (and surprise me with what's on the menu) then come home and cook me breakfast before waking me up. After breakfast he will shower and get ready for an 18 hour shift on the ambulance. Here is a look at what I get to wake up to on a "breakfast date" morning.

Vintage Treasures/ Home Decor

One of the things I was looking forward to most this summer was buying things for my home and remodeling. Here is some of my vintage finds and newest home decor:


Vintage bubble glass cream and sugar set that matches perfectly with my vintage bubble milk glass vases.



Vintage bubble milk glass vases that I purchased with my mom during a Sedona day trip to finalize things for my wedding. These will always remind me of that special time.



Vintage mismatched tea cups.



Wicker shoe basket that sits close to our front door, it's not only convenient and functional it adds a touch of decor.


Vintage inspired key rack~ love this find!

Doctor's Visit #3

Today we met our doctor for the first time. The past two visits we have seen a nurse practitioner and although I was beginning to feel comfortable with her… I was dying to meet the doctor that will hopefully deliver our baby. I was beyond pleased after meeting her. She reminded me of a black Audrey Hepburn. A lady of class professionalism and exuded a genuine energy. She was dressed in the most adorable gray shift dress, a black cardigan and adorable silver flats with jewels. I knew we would hit it off the moment I met her. Dr. Malcolm informed Trev and I that I am a low risk pregnancy since I became pregnant at an ideal weight. We then listened to our sweet baby's heartbeat and recorded it for the first time! This is my first time with the recorder but I am going to attempt to upload it on the computer... stay tuned. Overall, everything is great with the pregnancy and I am already counting down the days to our next appointment!

Delish Penne Bake

Ingredients:

3/4 pound lean hamburger
1 box of penne
1-2 cloves fresh or pre-minced garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion Chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 jar favorite red sauce
1 big bag sargento mozzarella and provolone mix shredded cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In large pan saute olive oil, garlic, onion, red pepper, black pepper, oregano,
and a pinch of salt until onions are tender and almost translucent. Add hamburger
and brown mixing well as it cooks. Add entire jar of red sauce to meat mixture and cover. Let simmer over low, stirring occasionally. Cook penne according to directions on box, al dente. Be sure not to overcook (leftovers will be mushy if overcooked). Once the penne is finished and drained, add 1/2-3/4 meat mixture to pasta, mix well (be sure to save enough sauce to layer dish twice).
Using a baking dish, layer the penne, then 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce, then cover with cheese.
Repeat layering steps (for a total of two layers). Bake at 350 for 25 mins.
Enjoy!
(You can add any variety of vegies to meat sauce ei. zuccini, olives, mushrooms.)