12 October 2009

Five Days & Counting

If tonight is a good indicator, I predict a lack of sleep this week. I'm so excited to be married on Saturday! Because I can't put together more than three sentences due to lack of sleep and excitement, I'll share a picture from our engagement session.

08 October 2009

The Single Digits + Food

As of today, we're in the single-digit countdown until the wedding. I can't believe it! I'm so ready for the day to be here. Not only do I get a husband, but I get rid of the never-ending to-do lists. Hallelu! (Just to clarify, I'm most excited about the hubby part!)

It's such a full-time job having a full-time job. And then adding wedding planning and merging households. Oh. my. goodness. It's funny to me that people ask if I'm nervous about the wedding when they should be asking if I remember to breathe because of all the stuff there is to do.

But things will be done. And if they're not, I don't care. We'll still be married at the end of that day.

In other news--especially for you Tyler folk, along with those in the surrounding area--we have a new Vietnamese restaurant in town. My boss is Vietnamese and asked if I'd like to try it for lunch yesterday. It was wonderful! In fact, it was so wonderful that I wanted it again today. So we went back. I also have plans to go tomorrow with Jeremy. Yeah, it's that good.

Pho, pronounced "fuh", is across from the WalMart on 64. If you want to give it a go, but don't know what to order, I suggest the #20, Pho (with lime, Sriracha, & Hoisen added); the #4B, Seared Beef Salad (ask for rice on the side); and the spring rolls. I've learned that Vietnamese food has very little fat, so that's a huge benefit to eating it multiple times a week.

05 October 2009

Home Sweet Home...Almost

You know how nice it feels to finally make it home after an extended vacation? Or maybe even a long day? Well, Luke & Kathryn, Maddie's parents', almost made it home with her. Maddie made so much progress over the weekend, the doctor's felt it was time for her to go home. With the car packed and going-home outfits adorning mom and baby, this new family of three was excited to make the drive they hadn't made since September 24. But other plans were in the works.

Just before they were discharged, the doctor shared that some of Maddie's lab results came back elevated. Ultimately, this could be the cause of the bouts of apnea that trouble Maddie. Mom, Dad & Baby Maddie decided to stay at the hospital one more day for monitoring.


Please pray for the doctor's to pinpoint the cause of Maddie's elevated levels. Pray for complete healing for Maddie. Pray for peace and rest for her parents and family. Pray that they'll soon go home as a family of three.

03 October 2009

Readership is Up

It appears that readership has gone from nine, as mentioned in this post, to ten! Thanks, Claire, for sharing that you're a new reader. :)

Our wedding is two weeks away. I'm so excited! I've loved every moment of our engagement, but I'm ready for the planning phase to pass. It's such a long state of transition; I'm ready to cross to the other side.

I had a second bridal shower today, and received some great things. I can't wait to use it all. Though, today, I was kindly reminded by Claire (new reader, see above) that I can't use anything until after the wedding. I'm pretty sure she could see the wheels turning as I planned to use things tonight. Previously, I've been the enforcer of wedding gift use, but it's just so dang tempting to break out all the pretty things!

Crazy enough, I've heard that some people receive wedding gifts, and then don't use them. What?! I wonder, did this happen to you? What items are still sitting in a box at the back of a closet? I'd love to know if I registered for things that I'll never use.

02 October 2009

M'm! M'm! Better!

As cooler weather makes its appearance, soups will, too. I love soup! I even eat it during the summer. (I receive some grief for this, but it's not like I eat it outside in the 100 degree weather. We do have this special thing called air-conditioning.)

In my head, I've lined up the soups I'll make through the fall & winter, interspersed with Crock-Pot creations. On Tuesday, I made our first pot of soup. Can I just say that sharing a pot of soup with a boy is great?! Not only because I have a boy sitting next to me at meals, but because I won't have to eat the same soup for 9 days.

First up? Chicken Noodle Soup. If you're like me, you associate this soup with being sick. Along with Sprite and saltine crackers. And orange Gatorade with sugar added.

But this is actually pretty decent Chicken Noodle Soup. Really, it is.

Chicken Noodle Soup

3 chicken breasts
4 quarts chicken broth, reserved or canned
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 T butter
1 t fresh thyme
1 1/2 t garlic, chopped
2 t lemon juice
2 packages Reames Egg Noodles (in the freezer section)
Salt & pepper, to taste

Boil chicken in 5 quarts of water; reserve broth for later use. In the same pot, saute carrot, celery & onion with butter until translucent. Add garlic & thyme, and continue to cook about 10 minutes. Add broth and lemon juice to mixture; add salt & pepper, to taste. (Remember, the more salt & pepper, the less it tastes like sick-people food.) Bring to a boil. Add frozen egg noodles and return to a rolling boil, stirring to separate. Cook, uncovered, 45 minutes or until noodles are tender; stir occasionally. Add chicken, stir. Allow to cook another 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with crusty bread, toasted lightly in the oven with butter and rubbed with a clove of garlic.

*Time-saving tips: use canned broth & rotisserie chicken

01 October 2009

Update on Maddie

We have good news, prayer warriors! Maddie's prognosis is looking up. Praise the Lord! Take a look at the update on her mom's blog for the latest.

"The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His Love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17