A Quiet Month

It's been a quiet month around here. Sorry for that! My book is due June 1...so just a few days away. I've been in the thick of editing, chasing around busy 15 month olds, and hanging out with my mom who came for a short visit. But I will be back in June. Thanks for sticking with me in the silence.

To tide you over, here is a picture of the twinsies. They seem the make the silence on this site all the more bearable, right!?!? Maybe I'm a little biased. Back to writing. See you on the other side!

10 Months: A Twin Update

 

 

It is so hard to believe they are 10 months already. Getting into the double digits with them makes me feel like this baby stage is quickly leaving us. And while I'm excited about the future with them, there is something about the cuddliness and sweetness of the baby stage that I will most certainly miss. It has been a while since I updated on these little twinsies, so I figured it was about time.

 

They are growing every day and busy as can be. They are all boy. They like to crawl, climb, pull up, and get into anything they can get their little hands on. Zach is a "swiper", as we like to call him. If you aren't careful, he will swipe anything, things like knives off the table, food off your plate, or the paper that seems out of reach. Luke is our bouncer. He likes to bounce all of the time. He also likes to stand, which can prove challenging at times. They are very happy little guys. And social. I am pretty sure they have never met a stranger. This is very comforting for me when I leave them in the nursery at church or have a babysitter for them.

 

Luke is still in physical therapy and helmet therapy, but doing better every week. We are so pleased with his progress. Zach is still bigger than Luke. He even likes to exert his physical dominance by stealing toys from Luke regularly. Poor Lukey doesn't mind, but Zach minds a lot when Luke takes his toys! They are learning how to babble and say things like "ma-ma" and "da-da" and even can wave and say "ba-ba"! Zach can't say it much yet, but Luke is getting there!

 

They absolutely love each other. It is such a joy to watch. They are never far away from each other, and if they are, they quickly come back together. Zach makes Luke laugh all of the time and I only wish I knew what he was doing that was so funny to him!

 

It's hard to believe that a mere 10 months ago they were my little NICU babies. God has done so much in growing them, changing them, and protecting them. They are the sweetest blessing to us and we are so very thankful for them. When I think of the Christmases without a baby, and how my heart longed for full arms, I never imagined both of my arms would be full. And full they are! We are truly celebrating God's kindness to us this Christmas. His kindness in sustaining us in the years of miscarriage and infertility. And his kindness in giving us these little miracles. We love them so!

Here are some more pictures of them in action!

Friday is for Food: Yummy Penne Chicken

It's been a while since I posted a recipe on here, so I figured it was time. This was my first Pinterest meal. I am not really on Pinterest, but I got on one day to look for hairstyle ideas for my brother's wedding and started looking at recipes instead. That's why I don't get on Pinterest! I get overwhelmed and distracted!

Anyway, the recipe calls for shrimp, but shrimp is not my favorite so I used chicken. And I also used whatever veggies I had around the kitchen. I really liked the addition of greek yogurt. It made it taste really good!

Here it is!

Chicken and Veggie Penne

What you need:

• 12 ounces whole wheat penne
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.) chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 10 ounces medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (or 1 chicken breast)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

How it's made:

• Cook penne according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.
• Add in mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to release their water.
• Turn heat up to medium-high and add in shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and opaque. If you are adding cooked chicken you do not need to do this step. Remove from heat, add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2 minutes.
• Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce.Stir until sauce is mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through. Top with parmesan cheese

It Went As Fast As It Came

This face pretty much sums up how we feel around our place today. Why such a long face and tears, you ask?

The Olympics are over.

For over two weeks we were glued to our television. I suppose it is a good thing that we will do more productive things now, like sleep and read books. But for right now, we are just sad. Sad that we have to wait four more years. Sad that all of the hype is over. Sad that our favorite athletes will now fade away from our minds.

When I was younger I would be depressed (maybe that's too strong of a word) for days. Now that I am an adult, I'm not depressed today. But I must admit, this morning felt a little bit like December 26th to me. And who really likes December 26th?

School starts tomorrow, too. Life will quickly be filled with papers to grade and lesson plans to create. The Olympics were good while they lasted. Now it's back to reality.

Bye, bye Olympics. It was a fun two weeks!

Friday is for....the Olympics are coming!

For as long as I can remember, the Olympics have always been a staple of my summer. Every four years everything stops and I am glued to the television, ready to cheer on the great USA. When I was a kid, I had more time to watch because I was home during the summer. Now that I am a teacher, I am back to watching the coverage during the day as well. To say that we are excited would be a huge understatement. We cannot wait!

The Olympics have always signified a big feat in my life. There was a period of time where after every Olympics I would get the "athlete bug" (if that is even possible for someone like me) and decide I, too, wanted to be an Olympian. My parents, the kind souls that they are, would oblige my childhood fantasies and enroll me in whatever sport interested me that particular year. As you probably know by now, I never became an Olympian, not even close. But in the spirit of the games, and for a good laugh this Friday, here is a brief rundown of my attempts at Olympic greatness (if we can even call it that).

The 1992 games

I wanted to be Shannon Miller. What young girl didn't, right? But I was a dreamer and believed that deep down I could do it. So what did I do? I enrolled in gymnastics. That might have lasted longer if I was an obedient child, but alas, I was not. My parents gave me guidelines. Keep your room clean and you can stay in gymnastics. A messy room proved more important than my quest for gold. So I was out. I would never have lasted long anyway. My family is not known for carrying the flexibility gene, and you need to at least be able to touch your toes to be a gymnast. I still can't do that.

The 1996 games

Hormones had now kicked in and my interest in being an Olympian was mostly related to my crush on Gary Hall Jr. Amanda Beard was a year older than me, so I thought if she could do it, so could I. So I joined a swim team. Halfway through the year I wanted to quit, but my parents made me stick with it, mostly due to the fact that I never really stayed with anything. The only person I ever beat in a race was my brother and that's only because I had endurance, not speed. And I definitely didn't win any actual races. Once during practice I hit my head attempting a flip turn and I never got the courage to do one again. That flip turn really does mean seconds in the pool. The closest I got to to an Olympian as a swimmer was staging my own medal ceremony in our family room complete with the national anthem, fake tears, and my brothers' soccer medals. This attempt only lasted a year.

The 2008 games

I graduated high school and went to college in the years following the 1996 games. I gave up on my Olympic dream and found other interests that better suited me. But the 2008 games resurrected that desire for swimming. Maybe it was the fact that the seminary I was attending had an indoor pool that tempted me. Maybe it was the fact that swimming was all the rage last Olympics. Or maybe it was the fact that my Olympic dream didn't really die when I quit that swim team. Trust me, it should have. My roommate (also a former swimmer) and I decided to test our swimming ability during the last Olympic games. So one night we went to the seminary pool, swim caps and all, and tried to see if we still had it in us. Judging from the fact that we nearly drowned, we did not have anything left in us and decided we will leave the Olympic games to the big boys and girls who have worked so hard for this moment.

I never became an Olympian. But like many Americans, I am a big fan. I don't think the games will incite any Olympic dreams for me this time around. I'm almost 30, just started running, and kind of like being the one on the couch cheering them on rather than the one trying to chase some childhood dream. Either way, I say along with the rest of America, "let's go USA!"

Friday is for Food: Ranch Cheeseburgers

My husband could eat cheeseburgers at least once a week. He LOVES them! I love a good burger, so I don't mind meeting this food need of his either. Lately, I have been experimenting with them. I have tried a couple of different options based on burgers we have had at restaurants or ideas from friends. This one, so far, has been my favorite.

What you need:

• 1 1b. ground beef
• 1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
• 4 slices of Monterrey Jack cheese (or whatever cheese sounds good to you)
• French friend onions
• Hamburger buns

Directions:

• Mix ranch mix in with the ground beef, form into four hamburger patties
• Fold the cheese slices into the patties, reform the meat into hamburger patties (you want the cheese stuffed inside)
• Grill until they are done
• While they are grilling, butter the inside of your hamburger buns and lightly brown them in a pan
• Once the burgers are done, top with french fried onions and your desired condiments. We put barbeque sauce on ours to give them some added flavor.

Enjoy!

Friday is for Food: Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes

This is a variation of a meal I had at a restaurant a few weeks ago. Daniel likes to describe it as an "explosion of flavors in his mouth." That's what he says when he really like something! It is simple, fast, and you don't have to use your oven. These are all wins for me considering that it has been over 100 degrees nearly every day for the last two weeks. So here it is. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Tomatoes

What you need:

-2 chicken breasts
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (or diced fresh tomatoes if you want)
- Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian marinade/dressing
- 2 slices of Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 1 avocado, sliced

Directions:

- Marinade chicken in the dressing for a few hours or overnight
- Heat grill to medium high heat and grill the chicken until done
- Towards the end of the grilling, add the cheese so it melts
- Remove chicken from grill, top with tomatoes and avocado

And there it is. So simple, yet so delicious! We had ours with bread and a vegetable, but you could do anything for a side, really.

Happy Friday!

Friday is for Food: Black Bean Enchiladas

This recipe is an adaptation of another enchilada recipe I really like. Daniel's brother and sister-in-law came to stay with us last weekend, and since my sister-in-law is a vegetarian I wanted to make something that we would all enjoy. Since I was making the beef enchiladas, I decided to try the same thing with the black beans, and it worked! I LOVE black beans, so I will definitely be trying this again.

What you need:

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (I use the organic ones from Kroger)
1 can of diced green chile's
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
Salsa (I almost always have this salsa on hand)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
Italian dressing
8 corn tortillas

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375

Heat black beans, onion, green peppers, green chile's, and 1/2 cup of salsa (or enough to moisten the beans) in a large skillet. Once the vegetables are softened add 1 cup of cheese. Once the cheese is melted remove from heat.

Brush the corn tortillas with a little Italian dressing, cover with wax paper, and microwave for 30 seconds. Scoop the bean mixture into the tortilla and roll in a 9x13 baking dish. Complete the tortillas. Top with enough salsa to cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 2-3 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Friday is for Food and Fotos

Last week we were in Dallas for Daniel's job. While we were there we also got to experience all of the culinary awesomeness that is in Dallas. We ate a lot of good, good food. In-n-Out Burger has added locations in the DFW area, and while we had seen it on our recent travels there, we had yet to try it. It was my first experience with In-n-Out, and I was not disappointed. But I'm easily pleased by a hamburger, so I might be an easy critic! Here are some pics to document our dining experience. As you can see, I could not wait to try my burger!



And because I never can get enough of mexican/Tex-Mex, the first thing I made when we got back Saturday was this amazing Pioneer Woman recipe. I actually thought about it the entire drive back. It was as good as my daydreams imagined! I had some leftover shredded beef in the freezer, so this all worked out nicely. It is worth your time if you are into this sort of thing (i.e. the goodness of mexican food!).

Happy Friday!

Friday is for Food: Pesto Chicken Pasta

I had this at a friend's house when Daniel was out of town a few months ago. And I have been DYING to make it ever since! She didn't have a written recipe for it, which is kind of nice and freeing. I sort of made up the name of this recipe based on what is in it. It is just so good! If you like veggies, pasta, and pesto, you will like this. If not, you can just skip making this meal all together because that's all that is in it! Here it is:

What you need:

- 1 box of penne pasta (I used whole wheat penne pasta because that's what I had, but anything similar will do)
- Fresh vegetables cut up into small pieces (Again, I just used what was on sale at Kroger this week, so I used 1/2 of an onion, 1/2 of a green pepper, 1 yellow squash, and a few chopped mushrooms)
- 1 jar of pesto
- 1 teaspoon of garlic

How to make it:

- Boil pasta in chicken broth according to instructions (this gives it good flavor)
- Reserve about 1 cup of chicken broth when the pasta is done
- While pasta is cooking, cook the vegetables in a little olive oil just until heated through
- Once pasta and vegetables are done, mix them all together and add pesto. Add enough chicken broth just to give it the right consistency. You don't want it watery, it just loosens the pesto a bit.

Serve warm (or cold) with french bread. Enjoy!

Friday is for Fotos

A couple of weeks ago, Daniel had a trade show for work at Mt. Magazine (the tallest peak in Arkansas). They have a beautiful lodge that we were able to stay at. Even though Daniel had to work, it was a very relaxing, much needed time away for us. We loved it! We went for a walk on one of the trails and for a non-outdoorsy person, like myself, it was still an enjoyable experience. Who knew?!

Enjoy the pics! Happy Friday!

Friday is for Food: Grilled Dijon Chicken

It's grilling season around here. Well, actually it was such a warm winter that it never stopped being grilling season. Earlier this week I made this chicken and we really liked it. I can't remember where I got the recipe, but I'm pretty sure I adapted it from something I read on a website a few years ago. So here it is!


Dijon Mustard Grilled Chicken

What you need:
- ½ cup of Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- Dash of garlic powder
- 2 chicken breasts

How it’s made:
- Mix the marinade ingredients together
- Place chicken in a glass baking dish and pour marinade over the chicken
- Cover and refrigerate for a few hours. I did it in the morning and left it there all day
- Grill chicken for about 7-10 minutes on each side and enjoy!

I served it with a vegetable and some french bread I had leftover. It went nicely together.

Happy Friday!

Friday is for Fotos: An Awkward Video

This was taken last week when I went skiing. I think "humbling" is the appropriate word here. I seriously thought I looked better than this video portrayed. Oh well. I guess skiing isn't for everyone.

Happy Friday!

Friday is for Fotos

Kool-Aid is in the refrigerator (his favorite).

The apartment is sparkly clean.

Hamburgers are on the menu for tonight.

And after nine days and eight nights away, this man is coming home to me today.

Can't wait to see you, baby! I've missed you like crazy!

Friday is for Food: Red Beans and Rice

I'm doing Community Bible Study this year and every month at our monthly group luncheons we exchange recipes with one another. It is so fun! Last month I was given (and tasted) this recipe and it is so good! I tried it myself this week and Daniel loved it. Always a plus. So here it is.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:
1 pound small, dried red beans, rinsed and sorted
3 tablespoons of bacon grease (I didn't have any so I used olive oil)
1/4 to 1 cup of chopped ham (If you have any. Again, I didn't have any of this and it tasted fine)
1 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cups celery, chopped
3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped (I used dried parsley and used less)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme)
1 pound of smoked sausage cut in 1 inch pieces
1 pound of ham hocks (I didn't know what this was and didn't have time to look for it, so I didn't use it and it tasted fine)
3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
10 cups of chicken stock or water
4 cups of cooked rice (I used brown rice because I like it. But any rice would be fine)

Directions
-Soak beans covered in water in pot (8 hours or overnight). Drain and set aside
-In a large pot, heat the bacon grease (or oil) over medium high heat
-Add ham, onions, celery, and bell peppers
-Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring until veggies are soft
-Add bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage and ham hocks. Cook for 5 minutes
-Add garlic, beans, and stock or water. Bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and starting to thicken. About 2 hours. (If beans become too thick and dry, add more water about 1/4 cup at a time).
-Remove from heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot.
-Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy - 15-30 minutes.
-Remove frm heat and remove bay leaves
-Serve over fresh rice. Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. I don't think it needed more salt (and I love me some salt), but it's up to you.

Enjoy! It's a little involved but so worth it! I served it with some garlic bread.

Friday is for Fotos: Reading List

What I'm currently reading (or just recently finished).



What I want to read.

I have a lot of work to do...

My name is Courtney. It's nice to meet you.

I have been doing this little blog for nearly 4 years now. Crazy! A lot has happened from 2007 to 2012, and the blog has been there for it all. I have been on two mission trips. I confessed to being a recovering feminist. I moved to Louisville to attend seminary. I met my amazing husband and got married. I struggled through learning how to be a wife. My grandpa passed away during our first year of marriage. I miscarried shortly after our one year wedding anniversary. Daniel graduated from seminary. We moved to Little Rock to plant a church. And now, we are walking through infertility. It has been a wild, crazy, fun, and sorrowful ride.

"Don't Waste Your Infertility" brought some of you to this blog. Some of you have been here for a while. Some of you are my family and friends. Some of you are far away friends. But none of you are strangers. I'm the kind of extrovert who hasn't ever really met a stranger. So if you are new here, let me be the first to welcome you to my blog. I'm glad you are here. If you lived near me, I would totally have you over for coffee. But since many of you are not, I'm glad we can connect through this little thing called the internet.

The blog is called In View of God's Mercy, and that's what leads me to write. God has saved me and bestowed his mercy upon me. My thoughts are in light of that amazing reality. Sometimes I write about personal things. Sometimes I write about cultural things. Sometimes I write about food (yum!). But most of the time I just write about the things he is teaching me on this journey called life. So if you are an old friend around here, consider this a little update/refresher. If you are new, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad to walk this road with you.

Friday is for Food: Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Spicy Chicken and Arugula Sandwich
from Cooking Light (I changed it a bit)

Ingredients:
2 (6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon of fajita seasoning
1/4 cup light mayo
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon of grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 (9 oz.) round loaf focaccia, halved horizontally (I used ciabatta rolls instead)
1 medium ripe tomato, sliced thinly
Sliced red onion (if you like red onion)
1 1/2 cups of trimmed arugula (I used spring lettuce and spinach mix, so you can use any green that you want)

Directions:
Heat grill
Place plastic wrap over chicken; pound each piece to a 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with fajita seasoning. Add chicken to grill.

While chicken is cooking, combine mayo, cilantro, rind, and juice; spread evenly over cut bread. Arrange chicken on the bottom half of bread; top with arugula (or lettuce), tomato, and onion. Cover with top half of the bread.

Serve with Paula Deen's sweet potato fries and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Friday is for Fotos: My Favorite Pictures

Next week I will get back to a Friday Food post. I just haven't made anything new and creative since we have been back, but I have some new stuff planned for next week's menu. So for today, I leave you with my two favorite pictures from our trip home. These pictures capture my husband perfectly. He loves children and babies, and Rebekah had been a little fussy before Uncle Daniel was holding her. After some quality time with Uncle Daniel, she was as content as she could be!

Happy Friday!

2011 Year in Review in Pictures

Pictures capture memories and moments throughout the year that we otherwise might forget. Below is a recap of our wild and crazy (and fun!) year, as seen through pictures.

January 2011- a lot happened this month. Zach and Emily came to visit, we went to NYC on a missions trip, and Daniel's grandma passed away.

(with Daniel's mom after the funeral)

February - the only picture I have from this month is when we went to Chuy's for my birthday. And with good food like this, it deserves a pic on the blog.

March - apparently I took no pictures.

April - another busy month. Daniel was in a wedding and we went to Little Rock to look for a place to live!

May - a bittersweet month. I had my last day of work at Christian Academy, we moved from Louisville to Little Rock, and Daniel graduated from Southern!

June - I think this picture is from June, but we got free chicken for dressing like cows. We were still recovering from the move, so we didn't do a whole lot this month.

July - I was able to go home to Florida for my mom's birthday, so I captured a picture of this sweet little guy! And we went to Dallas and Northwest Arkansas. I only took a picture of us visiting Razorback Stadium, but we traveled a lot in July.

August - again, I have no idea what we did in August. I took no pictures!

September - another big travel month. We went to Branson, Louisville, Ohio (briefly), and I'm sure we went somewhere else, but I just can't remember!

October - took no pictures! Micah came to visit us and I had surgery. No one wants to see pics of me recovering. Trust me.

November - another travel month. We went to San Antonio (hence, the Alamo), celebrated Daniel's 30th birthday and Thanksgiving, and went to Oklahoma City!

December - we went to Florida for Christmas! We met our new niece (precious!) and celebrated with my family. It was such a fun time and we were really sad to come home! This was our 4th Christmas together, so it was fun to take our 4th picture by my parents' tree!