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Book of Mormon Challenge

We are trying to finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year and are a litttttle bit behind. So, what did I just do? Oh, I just downloaded the audio version for us to listen to and follow along with today!

Book of Mormon party at the Derricks!

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Flashback

Freshman Year: Little Girl Playing Dress Up

Sophomore Year: Frodo, 80’s, Dinosaur

Junior Year: Dragon and Dorothy

Senior Year: Bob from What About Bob and a Cheetah

Grad: Skeleton with Skeleton Baby

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Wise Men Followed a Star, the Way I Followed my Heart

How have I not blogged about this yet? Justin Bieber has released TWO songs from his Christmas album and I love them both. Christmas music AND Justin Bieber? How could it get better? I’ll tell you… his whole album is being released in less than a week and it is going to be great.

Plus, our little Justin is growing up and his voice is changing! He doesn’t sound so much like a 14 year old anymore (although I was fine with that).

Now, watch the Mistletoe music video over and over again until you love it as much as me.

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Beautiful Heartbreak

A little more than a year ago, my Dad dropped me off at the Cincinnati airport for the last time as a single woman. I could barely look at him in the eye because it was like I was saying goodbye to my daddy for the last time as a little girl–thinking everything was about to change. He jokingly, but holding back tears, said to me, “You can stay here, you know?” We grinned, I gave him another hug, and said goodbye.

It was weird leaving my home that day knowing that the next time I’d be married. I was worried about how things would be in the future. I was content where I was. But things worked out and getting married was the best decision I’ve ever made.

So, here I was on Tuesday afternoon. I took a walk down the beautiful street I grew up in, standing between my parents. The thought came to my mind how next time I’d walk down that road I’d be a mother. Next time I visit Kentucky, I’ll have a baby. Everything will change.

Sometimes changes seem so scary to me. It’s not that I don’t want those changes to occur, I just get nervous thinking how they’ll affect the rest of my life.

But change is good. Looking back, change is good.

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You probably have seen this video, as it’s making its way through Facebook and the blogosphere right now. It’s not my usual music style, but the video is so touching and the lyrics are very motivational. Enjoy.

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“You see that girl…”

Yesterday, I slept in until 11… but when my dad tried to give me a hard time about it, I reminded him not only that I am pregnant, I also am still on Mountain time and so it was really only 9 am back home. We got ready for the day and then I ran a couple of errands with my dad while my mom was teaching. For lunch, we ate at this fabulous German restaurant in Newport called the Hofbrauhaus. Cincinnati is known for its German heritage and so this place sits next to the river decked out in German decor with German music playing in the background. I got a schnitzel sandwich and my dad got a wurst with saurkraut. Delish.

A little bit later in the day, I met up with my mom and we went downtown to shop. For Christmas each year, we go to see the decorations downtown, but since I’m not coming home this year, we decided we’d see what was up at Macy’s at least. I couldn’t believe how dead the mall was down there, even Annie Anne’s had closed. So, other than Macy’s and TJ Maxx, the place was a ghost town.

Oh, when we were at TJ Maxx checking out, a very eccentric man (maybe he was homeless or had some mental problems… not sure) was talking to the girls at the counter. He looked over to me and said very loud for everyone to hear,

“You see that girl, she has two girls and a boy in her belly right there!”

He continued saying something like, “You know how I can tell? They’re moving and punching like this.” Then he started moving like Elaine from Seinfeld when she dances.

We all laughed, but then he kept going and I knew I needed to get out of there before the laughter turned to tears. Anyway, funny strangers. They always know what to say to pregnant women.

For dinner, we had Skyline of course. That’s always first on my list when I come into town. And to finish up the night, my parents and I headed to Newport on the Levee to see a movie called The Big Year. It is with Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Jack Black. It is seriously one of the best movies I have seen in a really good time. It’s a PG, so it’s very clean, very funny, and has such a sweet ending. Go see it!!!

And that is the end of Day 1.

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Crackle and Spark

A couple weeks ago, I noticed that my hair straightener was getting hot around the handle randomly. I loved that straightener and hoped that it wasn’t a sign of its death. But a couple days later, I heard some weird crackling sounds inside of it and then smelled a strange burning smell. It was then when I knew my wonderful straightener had passed.

I got it a couple years ago (I think three?) at TJ Maxx. I randomly came across it and was super excited because it was a nice straightener but was so inexpensive. So I hoped that this time I could find another straightener with the same quality and same low price.

I did! It’s a great ceramic flat iron that came with a mini one perfect for travel. I had to post about this because I don’t think people know you can get straighteners at TJ Maxx… they have a lot of name brands, so next time you need to buy a new one, head on over there!

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Chocolate Banana Bread

Last week I had a bunch of bananas that we forgot about that were about to go bad, so obviously I needed to make banana bread. But here’s the thing, I didn’t have any chocolate chips and I firmly believe you can’t make banana bread without chocolate chips. So, I thought maybe I could find a recipe for chocolate banana bread instead because I had cocoa powder on hand.

Brilliant idea.

It turned out wonderfully and was a little different texture than my normal banana bread. I definitely recommend it. (P.S. add chocolate chips though, if you have them.)

1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup lite sour cream
 

1.

  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.
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Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

Last Sunday for dinner, I made this delicious wonder. You know me… anything where I don’t have to actually cook the chicken myself, I’m sold. It was absolutely wonderful and very filling… try it this week!

  • 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
  • 6-10 frozen chicken breasts tenders (I only used 6, but had a lot of extra sauce and wish I would have made more)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (I substituted some dried onion instead because I didn’t want to get onion smell on me since we were about to go to church)
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups hot cooked couscous
  • Chopped dry roasted peanuts to top it off (optional, but wonderful)
  1. In 4- to-5-quart slow cooker, mix onion, diced and crushed tomatoes, honey, cumin cinnamon, and peanut butter. Add chicken. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken.
  2. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. (Or high for 4-5 hours)
  3. Serve chicken and sauce over couscous. Top with chopped peanuts.
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Ten Things

  1. I was watching Home Alone 2 and eating some apples on Sunday when T.J. said to me, “How is it having a built in table?” I didn’t know what he meant at first, but then realized he was referring to me resting the bowl of apples on my belly. My table. Yes, I have now succumbed to using my belly as a table and the saddest thing about it is, I don’t even know when it started.
  2. I got a $10 gift card to Kohl’s in the mail, just a promotional thing. I almost threw it away but realized there were no tricks and it worked on sale items. So, I bought a maternity blouse that was $30, on sale today for $16, and with my card, it was only six bucks! SIX!
  3. I woke up with a sore throat yesterday. Horrible. If you only knew how many hot chocolates, herbal teas, soups, and smoothies I have had since then, you’d be amazed. I’m amazed. But it looks like it paid off because the sore throat is just about gone.
  4. T.J. skipped his first class this morning because he’s been up so late doing homework recently. It was so wonderful. Usually I go to bed without him and wake up without him/right when he’s about to leave. I wish he could skip class everyday.
  5. As you might have seen on my facebook, I’ve had a couple incidents with people commenting on my large belly. Yes, it’s big, and guess what… it is only getting bigger. So, here are a little ground rules that strangers should follow.
    • Just don’t say anything. You don’t even need to ask my due date or say congratulations.
    • If you insist on saying something, think it out first and stick with simple things such as congrats or when’s your due date. When I reply, you can just smile.
    • If you must say something after I tell you my due date, just say something such as congrats, great, oh boy.
    • That’s it. Nothing more to it.
    • Oh and strangers, please do not rub my belly or else I might rub yours back and that would just be awkward, don’t you think?
  6. I drove through the canyon with a friend on Saturday and it was absolutely gorgeous. If you haven’t gone on a fall drive yet, you need to do it soon because the leaves won’t stay like that for long!
  7. I’m going home next month!
  8. I am in love love love with the name Elizabeth for our baby. I can’t get past it, but unfortunately T.J. thinks it’s too formal, too long, and isn’t into it. I like the formality of it, plus it’s a classic name and sounds like it belongs to a beautiful girl. How do I convince T.J.???
  9. Why don’t they sell maternity skinny jeans at regular stores?
  10. Was I the only one mildly disappointed about the Modern Family episodes last week? They weren’t premiere material, I don’t think. But The Office was great… surprisingly great, along with Parks and Rec.
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You’re not fooling anyone!

There is a commercial that keeps playing on my Hulu with these two woman who are supposed to be the same person. Really… am I the only person who thinks this was not planned out well? Not only are they completely different heights, their faces don’t look similar at all. Isn’t this obvious? I don’t understandddddd.

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