The 22nd week! 

A few things out of the ordinary.....LIKE:

Who needs a boyscout to start a fire when the Relief Society ladies are in charge?!

For Enrichment Night we had a bon-fire and a lesson on dutch oven cooking! I learned some new tips that I was able to share with Brett (because he likes to cook in our dutch oven)!

Above: Joani, Melinda, Candice 

We enjoyed some delicious cobbler and fabulous friends! 

We all bundled up, it was quite chilly out!

Below: Amanda, Meg, Heather, Jami, & Annie

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints just built a new Stake Center in the Columbus area. We helped host the openhouse yesterday. All the ward missionaries and several other members of the wards volunteered as tourguides. Our ward will actually be meeting in the new building starting next Sunday! It is beautiful!

And, the last big happening of the 22nd week....my first official stop & purchase at the maternity store! Coming up with a Sunday outfit from my closet seems to get harder each week! Last week I kept a jacket over my shirt the full 3 hour block because during Sacrament mtg, Brett and I couldn't quit laughing when he noticed that when I would sit down that the buttons on the front of my shirt were hanging on for dear life!! 

I guess that's a good thing though...baby girl is growing!

Here's a shot of dad during the 22nd week of "our" pregnancy! Way to brush those pearly whites...we don't want to get pregnancy gingivitis!

We went back down to Hocking Hills a couple weeks ago for a nice Sunday drive to see the changing leaves, have a friendly picnic, and a perfect nature walk (it was 80 degrees...the same day it snowed in Utah)! We went to the Cantwell Cliffs. There were a few places I was feeling a little clostrophobic squeezing through!

Meg and Kara

This place is so pretty! It was a dry summer, so the waterfall was also dry...which made it nice because that was the path we were walking!

The fellas...Brett, Landon, Rusty and Brett N.

The girls... Meg, Jami & Co., and Kara

Brett and Landon....what a happy couple! Funny, Brett is all about pics like that, but when Kara asks him to sit for a few normal pictures he's such a pooper! Sorry Kara! Thanks for getting a couple fun shots....he's worse than trying to make a 2 year old smile!

Kara and Landon...so cute! 

Brett N. testing his balancing skills

I have been loving the Fall weather....I just wish Winter would stay away for a while, but the weather said possible snow flurries tomorrow. Bundle Up!

Gettin Crafty!

The past few weeks I've been trying to be a little more domesticated! With the help of Megan and Kara we've come up with some fun projects...and they're simple enough that even I can complete them (ok, let's not discuss how long ago I really started my apron)!

This little bathmat thinger is just a towel folded in half with batting in the middle and tied like a quilt....perfect for laying newborns on right after their baths!

The apron was Megan's idea...I started quite a while ago and finally finished it! Megan just makes up cute patterns like this all the time! So frilly and girly...i think it's too cute to get dirty!

Kara and I whipped out these "Hooter Hiders" at a little sewing get-together I hosted while the boys were all at the Priesthood Session. For those of you not familiar with the lingo, basically they're nursing covers! We both made these ones as gifts for friends, but I just might make myself a couple...they sell for like $50 bucks online...rip-off!

I swear Kara tackles like 5 new projects per week! If she's not constantly working on something it will drive her nuts! This is her latest thing---headbands...well like a week ago. I'm sure she's created 8 new projects by now! 

Megan prefers to wear hers ninja style!

Thanks girls for letting your creative juices flow...and mentoring me through my projects step-by-step! You're the best!

CHICKEN POX??????????????

I had a conversation earlier today with a patient. I will share it with you all...it is a little sad, and I did cry and laugh at the same time as I was telling Brett, but now I can shrug it off and maybe make someone else laugh too!

So this morning I seated a patient (that I've seen a couple times before) and we are reviewing her health history and making small talk and in her kind-of broken English (she is from a country/culture I will leave unnamed, but it's important to the story) studies my face, tilts her head and HONESTLY asks me,

"DO YOU HAVE THE CHICKEN POX?"

I'm sure my jaw dropped! I quickly replied, 

"No, i'm 5 months pregnant and my complexion is just not agreeing with the pregnancy!"

She quickly told me about how her daughter is pregnant, yada, yada, yada....like it wasn't really a weird question! I don't know if it was her culture.....and that's where the lack of TACT came into play or what! What I really wanted to say (because I was so shocked, and let's face it, embarrassed) was:

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME LADY?! IF I DID IN FACT HAVE CHICKEN POX.....WHICH ARE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS......DO YOU REALLY THINK I WOULD BE  TREATING PATIENTS IN A HEALTH CARE FACILITY RIGHT NOW?!?! 

REALLY?!?!.....

.....REALLY?!?!

So, there you have it! A really weird and funny story that you wouldn't believe would happen, but I swear it took place today, in my life, when i'm already feeling so cute about being pregnant! AWESOME! 

My only happy place I have to go to about this situation right now, is I think I will tolerate a bad complexion over not having to have gone through the puking stages/morning sickness phase of pregnancy as most women experience. I really was blessed! 

So, TODAY, I'm going to be thankful for my CHICKEN POX!

Mexican Chicken Chowder

I just posted this on my friends cooking blog, but for those of you that don't check that I figured it was worth posting twice! Gotta love this time of year....and SOUP!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (3-4), cut into bite size pieces
  
• 1/2 c. chopped onions
  
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3 TBSP butter
  
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  
• 1 c. hot water
  
• 1/2-1 tsp ground cumin
  
• 2 c. half & half (can substitute milk for lighter soup...or do part milk and the part h&h)
  
• 2 c. Monterey Jack cheese/ or cheddar
  
• 1- 14 oz can cream style corn
  
• 1- 4 oz. can diced green chilies (don't drain)
  
• 1/4 tsp Tobasco sauce
  
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  
• 1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut into slices
  

DIRECTIONS:

• Brown the chicken, butter, garlic, and onion in large pot.
  
• Dissolve bouillon cubes in 1 c. hot water
• Add water mixture and cumin into pan w/ chicken
• Cover and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add half&half, cheese, chilies, and corn...Cook on LOW until cheese is melted
• Stir in cilantro and tomatoes before serving.

*We like to serve with quesadillas! My Brett even likes this and he's sometimes funny about soups because they don't fill him up, but he's the one that requested this dinner the last time I made it!