30 weeks and counting!

Can you believe that I'm already 30 weeks pregnant!? Where has the time gone?! Last night I was having a "moment". Eliza will be 2 right at the same time that I have this baby.. and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Casey will be planning her birthday party... or getting it ready rather... and I will have a newborn. I'm confident that this one will be "easier" than Eliza was, just b/c I've done it once before, and I will have Eliza to keep me laughing through post-partum (Spl?). Casey will be AMAZING, as always, keeping me grounded and not letting my imagination run off with me. He is so good for me. Where would I be???

ANYWAY, as I was laying in bed crying last night, God gave me this truth, and my heart was settled. "I am in control." You see, I am at slightly a higher risk with this birth, since Eliza had "shoulder dystocia", which I learned from our OB that we are now seeing, has no real definition. What it may be to someone will be something else to another. Anyway, We've decided to see the OB incase something may go wrong with this birth.. and naturally, this makes me anxious. I KNOW that my God is in control, but I was praying,, HOW do I make myself REALLY believe this?! Then BAM! I said.. I know You are in control. You are in control.. and I just kept saying it... You are in control. You are in control. And this PEACE came over me. A peace that only God can bring. And I was able to fall asleep. God IS in control of this birth.. and He already knows what's going to happen. I can rest in this.

So here is my progress so far...

4 weeks to 30 weeks. :) We still have to get this new baby girl's room ALL ready.. including paint.. and a new mattress either for Eliza, or new baby. I can't believe how different it is being pregnant this time. Everything is going by so much faster, and I feel calmer (besides having panic attacks about Eliza growing up so fast). God has been so good to our family. I am so blessed!!!!!!!!!

Happy Monday from this Charlie-Brown-loving 21 month old!!!

Yay! It's Tuesday!

Let me be honest. I hate Tuesdays. I almost hate Mondays because the next day is Tuesday. It's depressing. I work at 4 am. That's right.. Feel sorry for me...

Lol, I'm totally kidding. Don't feel sorry for me. I'm blessed to have a job and on the upside.. I always get off at 1 on Tuesday! I almost always have Wednesday's off.. so its like 1 1/2 days off in a row, every week! :)

So tonight it's mommy and daddy movie/ pizza night! I can't wait!!!!

Happy Tuesday night everyone!!!

Green Living

I am not that creative. Sometimes I find myself in the middle of ENVY when I see or hear of something someone else is doing or creating. I've never thought of myself as a "writer/ blogger".  My husband is way more capable of thinking "outside the box" than I am. I really could go ON AND ON about this subject, but instead I will tell you one thing that I AM good at...

Cleaning. 

It is probably my no-thing-left-unnoticed personality that helps me out here. It's taken me a while to embrace this character trait of mine, because some can find it annoying and irritating. God bless my hubby who has lived with me for 5+ years now, and just "gone with it". He is amazing. :) But really, I find it a blessing to have this passion. Becoming a mother has really helped me LET GO of some things in life, because really, everything can be cleaned up!! Who cares what is looks like IN THE MOMENT. We have to enjoy things as they come our way. Although, I think Eliza is learning something, because she is always "cleaning" something. :) Maybe its just because she sees me doing it, or she really IS like me! 

Anyway, lately I've been getting asked my recipe for my homemade laundry soap... so here it is!! 

1 4lb box Baking Soda

1 3-4lb box Washing Soda (the size is a little over 3lbs now I think)

3 bars GRATED Castile Soap (I use Kirks Castile Soap b/c we sell it at Hy-Vee)

1-2 small containers of OXI CLEAN (or off brand), depending on how dirty your clothes are usually

MIX all these ingredients in a trash bag and ROLL it ROLL it ROLL it until you are SURE that it is all mixed. Use 1 TBS for smallish-normal loads and 2 TBS for large loads. I use the scoop from my Oxi Clean container, b/c it's 2 TBS. I normally add some more Oxi Clean to my Whites and Towels for an extra boost. And YES it's HE compatible. 

Also, during the summer time, I just use vinegar as my softener, and usually take out my hubby's basketball shorts, and fleece, since they aren't 100% cotton, they produce static. In the winter I usually use Seventh Generation laundry softener to help with the static situation, and may still take out the things that aren't 100% cotton. 

I've been using this soap for a couple months now, and it works just fine!! This is just one of the things that I do in my home to be GREEN. I use little to ZERO chemicals all throughout my home, and yes, I take pride in that. :) Hope you find this helpful!

Happy Sunday! 

Today.

Today I'm tired. Today I worked until 4, and Wednesday is usually my day off. Today I went to the dentist (which I actually like). Today my house is messy. Today my legs ache. Today my eyes and the area all around my eyes are sooo tired, and dark.

Today..... is one day. I'm so thankful that when I'm feeling overwhelmed by things that I didn't get done this week I can just spend some time with God, and then my family, and feel so much better. My God is bigger. My God is stronger than me. Especially in this third trimester (that is starting to catch up to me).

Tomorrow is another day. Saturday we are going to Des Moines with Casey's dad's side to an indoor waterpark overnight. I'm excited about this. Hoping to relax. Hoping to rest. Hoping. Sometimes that can be more stressful than restful.

Today I would normally have accomplished a lot more things. Oh well. Life goes on. :)

Sunday!!

It's Sunday!!!! Yay!!

 What sort of things do you do on Sunday? In our home, we go to our FABULOUS church, then out to eat, then Eliza and mommy nap (daddy may not "nap", but he MAY fall asleep on the couch:)), then we just hang out for the rest of the day!

I love Sundays! No housework, nope. Not on Sunday!!! :)

Happy Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!

Cleanliness is next to... craziness??

You know that feeling.

 That relief, that sigh of satisfaction, that weight lifted off your shoulders, that sense of accomplishment..........

You know... when...

Your house is CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I cannot even describe this feeling I get when my house is spic and span. I, of course, can't put it in the same category as love for my daughter or hubby, but OH THE FEELING of a clean house!

I recently had a little "getaway" with some of my fabulous gal pals, and this subject came up more than once. I LOVED our stories that we shared. Its very fun when you all have different ways of doing things, and reasons on why you do them.

So I've been thinking lately, with some encouragement, maybe I'll blog about that for a while. Not quite sure where to start.. maybe my day to day life being ME. A lot of what I do just seems "normal", but I'm finding out that I may be a little more "detailed" (to put it lightly) than some people. :)

What do you think?? Having a clean home sure is important to me!! :)