Tomorrow I will be 22 weeks out of 40. Here is a picture of me this week, I don't like my hair or smile but oh well. They were a little concerned early on because I was so sick and not gaining but let's just say the last day I threw up was Thanksgiving and I have a healthy appitite back and my parents put SO MANY candy bars in my stocking. Again let's just say that low weight is no longer a concern.

Mike and I look forward to a new resolution for the new year...WE LOVE RESOLUTIONS. Like our good friend Rob, said in his sermon this week... we categorize and type out our goals.

Anyway our biggest health resolution: Lay off the fructose corn syrup. I know it is impossible to never have any, but we both have so many health issues that are proven or suspected to be caused by sugar that it is a logical step towards health for us. We are not eating fast food as much lately and that has made us feel better too. My mom and dad were pretty good about not letting us have junk all the time growing up that I think I need to be an example in that with our kids. Depriving them is not cool I don't think but, having junk food all the time is not cool either.

And you know what else is not cool, I think...the fact that I still say "cool". Sheesh, I am nerd.

Good thing we don't plan on teaching Dorothy that Santa is the reason for Christmas :)

May Christ's birth be on your mind as you celebrate with family and friends. I am looking forward to it and wish you all a very blessed day. Love to all.

I love this recipe: Creamy Chicken Lasagna. Even more than that, I have been making the creamy sauce and using it for spaghetti. D loves tomato sauce, but she still has a hard time eating really acidic foods so adding the cream cheese helps.

So my dear auntie Jane reminded me that I forgot to post what we are having this second time around! It's another girl. We are very excited. We have decided on a first name, Margaret. We will probably call her "Maggie". This week marks the halfway point to this pregnancy. And I love eating. I can still hurl at the right smell, but food is more of a friend than an enemy.

So waaay back in the middle of October I was in my second art show. Our church has this really wonderful "Affordable art show" during the neighborhood fall festival. Also notice the two art pieces behind me, my nieghbor and friend Elizabeth did those and Mike and I got the green one for each other for our anniversary last week. I kind of love that tradition, buying each other a piece of our friends art for hoildays. He got me two pieces last year from our dearest Michael Winters friend.

It is great because the art show has very established/formally trained artists and crafters as well as newbie self trained ones like me. I made purses and onesies just like last year...and sold well (about 90% of my stuff sold!). I have barely sewn since then until this past weekend, when I made my 8 gifts for our churches gift exchange (tell you about that later). I hade a lot of people ask about my cowl (the tube scarf around my neck in the first picture, so I'll probably make some of those to sell next year).
I have got to make more girly onesies and more owls. I am also planning on making toddler shirts...but not until at least after Christmas!

(Thanks to my friend Ashley L. who took these pictures for me!)

Nine years of marriage!

Today Mike and are celebrating our nine year wedding anniversary. We were 19, in love, and never looked back. One of the best decisions I've ever made. Here are the flowers that Mike sent me today. I took these photos with Mike's phone so they aren't as clear as normal.

It is a combo of roses, daises, orchids, and gladiolas.

Here is the meal we made together. Lucky Dorothy got to share in the fun, we have a dinner date this weekend too!

Fillet Mignon, portabello risotto, and the best stinking salad I ever had
(spring greens, pomegranate seeds, garlic and herb boursin cheese, and blush wine vinaigrette) .

Happy December! Thank you so much for all the love again. Our life is taking on a bit of normalcy. Mike is still in major back pain but we see a specialist this week. We have our 9th wedding anniversary on Thursday and we find out the gender of the baby on Monday! Here is a picture of Dorothy's first corndog. About 2 minutes later she had taken the "corn" off the "dog" and inhaled them both.