She's growing so fast!

Mrs. Sharon, a lady at church, commented on how much Emma has grown. I agreed with her, saying that she had gotten a few inches taller since March. She looked at me and said, "No, I mean she doesn't look like a baby anymore. Her face has thinned out, and she looks so much older."

Mrs. Sharon was right! I took this picture of Emma yesterday and compared it with a few other pictures of Emma that I'm working with for her scrapbook. She has turned into such a big girl. It doesn't matter how many times people tell you before they are born, but you never realize how quickly they grow up until they are here.

It's my party...

My sweet little girl will be turning 3--a month from tomorrow! I cannot believe how fast she's growing up. And I love celebrating every year that we have with her. That's right: I love to plan birthday parties for my baby girl!

For her first and second birthday parties, I went ALL OUT. I paid way too much money for decorations and invitations, and I cannot even begin to say how much I spent on food! My Mom bought the cake for her first birthday party. Any guesses how much it cost? $70! For a birthday cake!

Now we're preparing for birthday party #3. And Dan and I have really been feeling certain convictions about where and how we spend our money. Mainly, we believe that God is calling us to be DEBT FREE. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? And trust me, we have a long way to go. Probably several years. But we are committed to making solid financial decisions. We have slowly begun to see the fruits of our labor, and that usually gives us the encouragement to continue going. If that doesn't encourage us, then we remember and speak one of our pastor's favorite verses: Galatians 6:9. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Anyway, back to the birthday party. I have to say that I have had more fun this year planning ways to save for the big day. I created Emma's invitations myself, and I am currently making some decorations from a digital scrapbooking kit that I found at www.theshabbyshoppe.com. Guess how much I will be spending on decorations/invitations this year?! Less than $15! And I am having a great time!!!

We've even saved money on gifts--we have decided to buy her one gift, and am half-way finished with a scrapbook that I'm making for her as the second gift. And as you may know, three-year-olds are pretty narcisstic. They LOVE pictures of themselves! She has seen a few of the pages as I've been working on them, and she gets so excited. The best part?! I've only spent $8.50 so far.

Who knew?! You can actually have fun SAVING money while planning a party. Funny thing is, I'm pretty sure my husband has been trying to tell me that for a few years... :)

Another Baby Ethan Update!

This one took an entire week to come on the blog because my visit came in two parts--I had an ultrasound last week (no pictures this time, sorry) and my check-up this week. So here is how things are looking:

Baby's weight: 2 lb. 8 oz.--My OB informed me that this is officially off-the-charts for his gestational age. What a miracle!
Baby's hearbeat: 150s
Mommy's weight gain: 3 pounds--That's right--I gained 4 more pounds by 28 weeks and lost them all by yesterday's visit. The joys of heartburn and the nausea/vomiting that follows
Mommy's blood pressure: 128/72

So, at 30 weeks everything looks pretty much the same as it did at 24 weeks--except Baby Ethan's weight. We cannot believe we have 10 weeks or less until we meet our baby boy. What we can believe, however, is that God has been answering all of our prayers for a healthy pregnancy.

Now, if I can just make it through the brutal July and August heat... :)

Hello Bloggie, nice to see ya...

Three weeks with no blogging. Wow! It has been an absolutely crazy and wonderful three weeks, though. Between Dan's birthday, 4th of July, and Nerve2Serve Week, I haven't had time to get any new pictures on here. But here are some great ones from 4th of July weekend.

Let's start with a few from Dan's birthday. It was so wonderful to hang out with a few of our best friends--even though I was a little "gimped up" with an incredibly swollen foot. No worries, though. Mariann and Lindsay took some great pictures for me!

Nothing beats a good eating close-up!

Then came July 4th. We hung out at the house most of the day, and then we went to the Red, White, and Blue on the Green Celebration in downtown Summerville. It was hot, but we had a great time! We ran into Andrew and Lindsay AND Ms. Debbie and Cassidy and Christina. I ate way too much sugary food, though, and we had to leave before I got really sick. Good thing, too, because it started drizzling right as I was getting in the car.

We ended the festive weekend with a family birthday party at Papoo and Gigi's (Emma has six grandparents--what a blessing--so we had to get creative with the names!). Colleen's birthday is three days after Dan's (or, as Dan points out, three years and 362 days before his), so we celebrated both of them with a few minutes in the pool. There was a nasty storm, so we didn't get much time to play in the water. Plus, it was pretty cold from all of the rainwater.

And nothing beats the sexiness of your husband in a Speed Racer shirt and a towel skirt. That's why I love him!

You know it's a good week when...

You start AND end your week with a party!

On Sunday, we celebrated Mama Jean's 70th birthday out at Folly Beach. It was hot and windy, so we stayed inside the beach house most of the day.

Today, we were blessed to see the marriage of Mallary Chritton and Edwin Pope. We have been great friends with the Chrittons (Mallary's parents) for a few years, and it was so great to get to share in this special day with them.

Happy Anniversary

Dan and I celebrated four years of wedded bliss (or something like that) yesterday. I learned a valuable lesson: sometimes a nice date with your husband can turn a bad day around. Who knew I would cry so much on my anniversary? Whether it was the hormones, or the craziness of the day, or what--I do not know.

But Dan and I ended the really bad day with a wonderful dinner at Fonduely Yours, and I remembered all the reasons I love him so much! Here are some great pictures of us attempting a self(?)-portrait. I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard.

Great Summer Recipes

I got a few requests for the Key Lime Cupcakes recipe, so I got to thinking--I will share a few of my new favorite summer recipes right here. So, here you go:

Easy Fruit Dip
(1) 8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
(1) 7 oz. jar of Marshmallow Creme

Blend together with electric mixer, cut up some fruit, and enjoy!

Key West Cupcakes (straight from Betty Crocker herself)
Filling
1box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh Key lime or regular lime juice
4 drops green food color (NOT NECESSARY IF YOU'RE NOT INTO USING DYES)
1 1/2cups powdered sugar

Cupcakes
1box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Frosting
1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting
1 tablespoon fresh Key lime or regular lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated Key lime or regular lime peel

1.To make filling: In large bowl, beat pudding mix and whipping cream with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Beat in 1/4 cup lime juice and the food color; stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

2. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark and nonstick pans). Make and cool cake as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.

3.Spread 1 rounded tablespoonful filling on top of each cupcake. Stir frosting in container 20 times. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice and the lime peel. Spoon frosting into 1-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/2-inch opening across lower corner of bag. Squeeze 1 tablespoon frosting from bag onto filling on each cupcake. Garnish with fresh lime wedge if desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

This also works well if you just want to bake a cake. I sliced a 9"x13" cake in half and put the filling in between two layers.

Mandarin Orange Cole Slaw
(1/2 bag) cole slaw mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
11 oz. can of mandarin oranges, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in bowl. Blend into cole slaw mix. Add oranges and stir.

Hope you enjoy some of these fun recipes!