6 years ago...

Luke proposed in a dark room, lit only by the Christmas tree lights, a couple of hours after midnight. I, of course said yes! :) It's been a crazy adventure these last six years; so far we've lived on opposite sides of the country, in three different states, and 6 different homes. Let's just say we'd be happy to drastically reduce that number in the next six years!

Looking back, it feels a bit like we've been on a roller-coaster. But despite the ups, downs, and wild turns (or, more likely, because of them), there's no one I'd rather celebrate the New Year with, no one I'd rather have by my side as we open yet another new chapter of our lives. I love you sweetheart! Thank you for all you are, have been, and are committed to being for me.

3 months old!

This is a little late, but Clara turned 3 months on December 2nd, it's hard for us to believe she's that old already! She is growing so fast, getting very big and acting very "old." Toys have become a lot more fun this month - she interacts with them and has a couple of favorites that she has long conversations with. Talking is old hat and she doesn't do a whole lot of it anymore, instead she has moved on to lots of squeals and screeches. :) She does not like leaning back against things anymore, she much prefers sitting up and will strain forward, trying to sit up on her own.

We had fun setting up a "studio" on our pull-out couch on her 3-month birthday and taking some special pictures in her Carhartt overalls (6-month size!). She was a great little model! Here are some of our favorites:



Clara had been a little gassy and colicky at night between 2 and 3 months, and it's gotten a little worse since right around 3 months old. We are working with her pediatrician to try and figure out if something specific is causing her discomfort or if it is just "colic" which she will outgrow. We are thankful for an overall healthy baby but would appreciate your prayers as we try and help our little girl be more comfortable.

The days are filled with blessings...

16. A husband who comes home after a long day at work, takes the baby and shoos me away to "take a break."

17. The chance to play with my horse last night for the first time in a very long time. He was wonderful!

18. Difficult situations that bring us closer together.

19. A happy baby who is so expressive and communicates very well.

20. Good conversations with my very perceptive husband. I am so blessed by him!

21. Unity of passion and purpose.

22. More sleep the past two nights - amazing what a difference it makes!

23. 35 minutes outside in my gardens this evening, cleaning up the dead plants and getting the beds ready for winter.

24. Apple pie and homemade bread, fresh from the oven, and a husband who appreciates them.

25. Warm soup from the freezer, gift from Mommy before she left.

26. Watching Clara sleeping on Luke's chest, a picture of peace and contentment.

27. Middle-of-the-night feedings. Seriously. I'll miss them when she eventually starts sleeping through the night. So sweet, quiet and peaceful. Special moments with my baby girl.

28. The way Clara smiles as she falls asleep, particularly while nursing. Precious!

29. Listening to Clara laugh in her sleep in bed with me after Luke has left for work in the morning.

30. The absolute joy of motherhood - getting to spend priceless moments with my baby girl, watching her stretch and grow, seeing her expressions, learning her habits and ways of communicating what she needs, going about our days joyfully together. Every second is a gift that I wouldn't trade for the whole world.

Give Thanks

This is something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Starting things can sometimes be a battle for me. I want it to be the perfect time, the perfect beginning, to have time to write perfect, meaningful words. But the search for perfection often keeps us from accomplishing the good. This is something God and my wonderful husband both continue to teach me.

So, inspired by the woman who has had probably the greatest influence on my life of any, I make an imperfect beginning. My life has been so full of gifts lately I cannot remotely hope to list even a small portion of them. But I will simply dive in and begin this list of 1000 gifts, a tiny fraction of the innumerable gifts I receive daily.

1. Love. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

2. A pastor who is willing to bare his own soul and reveal his weaknesses that we might better understand the love of God and what it means to show this love to others.

3. Prayers. Both of thanksgiving and of compassion for a sister who is mourning.

4. A godly husband, so undeserved, who loves me tenderly, passionately, completely, through thick and thin, good and bad, in sorrow and in joy, who shows me each day more of the love of Christ.

5. A beautiful daughter, true miracle, sweet gift from heaven. God is already teaching me much through her.

6. A greater understanding of the depth of love than I ever knew was possible.

7. Waking up each morning to smiles from the two people I love most in this world. Each of their smiles are precious and beautiful in different ways.

8. A little girl who smiles when I sing to her, who already has a love for music and sometimes even tries to sing along. :)

9. The gift of music and reasons to sing more in the past few weeks than I have in a long time.

10. A warm woodstove and the gift of wood from a friend to keep us cozy on cold falls mornings (and all winter long!).

11. The brilliance of a beautiful fall day in New England - crisp air, glorious leaves, warm sunshine.

12. Watching my little one sleep peacefully in her sling.

13. Seeing the expressions she makes as she wakes up.

14. Baby cries - communication from a daughter who is healthy and thriving.

15. Learning lessons about dependance and receiving from one so small and precious.

One Month Ago...

she made her grand entrance into our lives. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, her scrunched face and purple-red body appeared over the blue sheet separating my head and shoulders from the rest of my body. We only got a quick look before she was whisked to the nurses to clear her lungs and check her over to make sure she wasn't suffering any ill effects from her rather rough introduction to life outside the womb. For the next few minutes all we could hear were her shocked and somewhat angry wails and exclamations of delight from the nurses. And then, suddenly, there she was in Luke's arms, body bundled in a receiving blanket, head covered with a hat, and in between her big, blue eyes blinking in the bright lights. As soon as he held her she stopped crying and just stared at him, quietly flicking her tiny tongue in and out of her mouth and looking, taking it all in. It was like she knew that this was where she belonged, and she was saying hello for the first time face to face.

In the month since then she has gained over 2 lbs., grown 2 1/2 inches, and firmly entangled herself in the heartstrings of her two adoring parents (not to mention grandparents and extended friends and family). We have gotten to know each other more day by day, and we have watched Clara change and learn and grow so much already! I will never forget the morning when, halfway through nursing she suddenly stopped, turned her head and looked straight into my eyes. For a full five minutes she simply lay still in my arms and we stared at each other. I moved my head and she followed, her eyes never leaving mine.

Or the morning a week later when, as we were walking around the living room talking, she looked straight at me again and her whole face lit up in a real, true smile. Sure, there had been fleeting smiles before, with her eyes or half a mouth, but this time she just smiled and smiled straight at me with her whole face glowing. Now, every morning after she wakes up and nurses we talk and smile at each other for a good ten minutes. Watching that beautiful toothless grin spread over her face is like seeing the purest ray of sunshine break through the clouds and shine directly down on you. It is a fresh miracle every morning.

Of course this month has not been all sunshine and rosy cheeks. Luke and I have both shed tears at times over our inability to stop her cries. We have felt like we could not go one more minute without sleep, wondered if we will ever sit down and actually eat a meal together again (either we just have bad timing or she has a sixth sense about when to wake up crying!), and felt more compassion than we ever thought possible for a little stuffy nose when Clara had her first cold this past week.

But these things are so minor compared with the gift we have been given. The gift of this beautiful, precious daughter of God - the gift of watching her grow, of seeing her smile, of hearing her learning to coo, of gaurding her, caring for her, and watching over her for an all-too-brief time before she one day takes off on her own into this world she is just now beginning to discover. It is sure to be a challenging journey, but we are so thankful for the opportunity to travel this road together we are looking forward with great excitement to the days and months ahead. I just pray they go by slowly, as this little girl is plenty big for me at the moment, and I don't think she needs to grow up any time soon. :)

Clara's Room

Here are some pictures of Clara's room, ready and waiting for our little girl! Valances for the windows and the crib bumper are coming with my parents when Clara arrives. Other than that we just have to hang pictures and get a laundry hamper and we're all set! Many, many thanks go to Grammie and Bapa for their generosity in enabling us to do much of the upgrading needed to make a beautiful room out of a dingy, dark space.

View from the door of the glider and beautiful curtains Mommy made.

View from the opposite wall of glider, closet and crib.

View from near dresser of crib and bookshelf, door is immediately to the left of the bookshelf.

View from closet door of dresser/changing table.

Now we just need a little girl to put in this beautiful room! :)

Latest Pictures

I know pictures have been a bit lacking lately... here are some we just took today. :)

Pictures of Clara's room to come soon...

Watermelon :)

I have been addicted to watermelon lately. Nothing tastes as good as watermelon, it's so delicious! I think it's because I'm growing a watermelon in my belly... :)

These were taken yesterday, at 32 1/2 weeks. Just over 7 weeks to go! We are practically bursting with excitement to meet Clara. :)

Getting there...

Spring has finally sprung, I think, here in the northeast. Although it feels almost a little like fall, with warm, sunny days (in the low 60s this week) but very cool, clear, crisp nights (right around 30). But I'll take the warmth and the sunshine over cold, wind and rain any day! I think we are finally getting out of winter and moving on to the warmer days ahead.

We are also past the halfway mark now in our wait to meet our little girl! Today is 21 weeks, 19 to go... plus or minus a few days, of course, depending on when Miss Clara decides to make her arrival. :) I have been feeling her move a lot more, especially the past few days. She certainly rocks and rolls when she wants to! She must be growing like a weed, because my belly has certainly been expanding - every morning it seems it looks bigger than when I went to bed the night before. As requested, we took more pictures tonight; I'm hoping soon to be able to take some outside in the sunshine!

Clarita Elizabeth

Yes, it's a girl!!! :) We had our ultrasound this morning and there she was, happy as could be, little heart beating away at 155 beats per minute! We also saw her stomach, kidneys, bladder, spine, umbilical cord, brain... all healthy and wonderful inside her 10 oz. body. And tiny hands and feet waving, stretching and kicking up a storm!

We've had the name picked out almost since we knew I was pregnant - Clarita after my paternal grandmother, Elizabeth after my maternal grandmother, as well as my mom and almost every other female on that side of the family, where it goes back a long ways. :) We will call her Clara.

At the moment we could not be more excited or totally in love with our little girl than we already are, although I'm sure we will feel differently once she actually arrives. The technician said our dates were pretty close, so we're still aiming for Aug. 27th, although that may be slightly revised once the radiologist exams all the measurements. I have an appointment with the doctor on Thurs. so we'll go over things in more detail then, although right now the details don't really matter - we are just so happy and thankful to have a strong, healthy little one who is growing and developing well. :)

Thank you all for your many prayers and much support, we feel much loved and very, very blessed!

Good Food

This week Luke started a new job working for a construction company that does both commercial and agricultural buildings, mostly pole-barn-style which is his favorite type to work on! This means that he leaves home a little before 6am every morning and gets off from work between 4 and 5. However, he still has shoeing clients so Wed. and Thurs. nights he did not get home until 9pm or later! I'm so thankful for my hardworking husband!!! But all this hard work means he needs to be fed very well. And he has to pack a lunch every day, instead of pulling together something in the kitchen in between braiding projects. So I made a major shopping trip on Monday morning and think I've done pretty well feeding my sweet hubby all week. Unfortunately I don't have pictures... maybe next week. ;)

Monday night we had chick pea and cauliflower curry in the crock pot - SO EASY and so very very yummy. Luke used to think putting fruit/nuts/etc. on already cooked food was really strange, but now he's a convert. :)

Cauliflower/Chick Pea Curry

1/2 med. cauliflower, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 can chick peas, mostly drained
1 can coconut milk
1-2 T Patak's mild curry paste (to taste)

Dump everything in the crock pot and cook for about 6 hrs. Or 4 or 8, whatever's most convenient! Potatoes can be substituted for the cauliflower (did this a couple weeks ago when we didn't have cauliflower). We ate our curry with brown rice, raisins, and flaked coconut - craisins were delicious last time, pineapple and/or mango would be lovely as well! This made enough for one dinner (with Luke having seconds) and lunch for Luke the next day. :)

On Monday I found pot roast for only $1.89/lb, so I snatched it up! I've never made pot roast before, but searched allrecipes (my fave!) and made pot roast on Tues. night. Here's my adjusted version of the recipe I used:

1 3-4 lb pot roast (mine was 3.26 :))
1 onion, chopped
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 c water
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
Seasoned salt and garlic powder

I chopped the onion and put half in the bottom of the crock pot. The recipe recommended montreal steak seasoning, which I didn't have, so I rubbed the roast with seasoned salt and garlic powder, then put it on top of the onions, sprinkled the dry onion soup mix and remaining chopped onion on top, and poured the water and Worcestershire sauce over top. Cooked for 8-9 hrs. on low. Luke said it was yummy and tender, and he's been eating roast beef sandwiches all week! :)

Luke's crew has a coffee break every morning and one member is assigned to bring snacks to share. Yesterday was Luke's day, so Wed. night I baked a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting which I sent along, and his crew loved it. This cake was yummy and very moist - I left the nuts out, not knowing the tastes of the guys he works with, but think it would be even better with them in.

Beat with a mixer:
4 eggs
3/4 c oil
1/2 c applesauce
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 t vanilla extract

Stir together and add to eggs/sugar:
2 c flour
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

Fold in:
3 c grated carrots (use largest holes on box grater)
1 c pecans or walnuts

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake in a 350 oven for 40-50 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Blend til creamy:
1/4 c butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 t vanilla

Add up to 4 c powdered sugar, to reach desired consistency/sweetness. (I used 2 1/2 c, think I'll use a tad more next time as the frosting was a little soft, but nobody seemed to care!)

Mmm, there are few things that make me feel better than making good food that people can enjoy. I think I inherited this from my mother... ;)

A Guest and a Growing Resident :)

Our friend Sandy is on vacation right now in Florida and the Bahamas. Poor Sandy! So we have her australian shepherd maggie for two weeks. Sadie and Maggie are always a little disconcerted the first 24 hrs. or so that Maggie is here, but then they settle into a routine of playing together every morning, running around outside, and last night they sacked out on the couch with Luke:

Two content pups!!

This morning, as requested by multiple friends and family, ;) we took more belly pictures. Luke's shop happened to have the best light, and just as he went to snap the picture the dogs ran past the window outside, distracting me, hence the funny look. However, Luke decided he liked this picture the best, so it's the one you get to see. :)

We are 17 weeks exactly today, 3 weeks from halfway! :) I feel bigger and bigger every day, but other than that am feeling pretty good, with most of my queasies gone and headaches fading as well, yay! We had a great appointment with our OB a couple weeks ago, who we LOVE, and are looking forward to our ultrasound in just a couple of weeks!!!

Woohoo!!!

We are now officially in the second trimester! Yay!!! :) Things I am looking forward to:

- reduced queasies and somewhat more energy (already enjoying a little bit of this)
- finding out baby-O's sex (only 6 weeks to go!)
- warmer weather on the way!
- painting and setting up the baby-room once said warmer weather arrives
- riding again for a bit, if only on slow walks on quiet horses :)
- watching my belly grow as we continue to witness the amazing miracle of God creating a new little person
- finally fitting into maternity clothes (since my regular clothes already don't fit... =P)
- actually enjoying food again :)
- feeling baby-O move!!!

It's no wonder they call this the "honeymoon" trimester. :) I'm sure there are many more things I've thought of at different times that my brain just doesn't want to remember right now... but that's a pretty good list of the highlights! We are so, so excited. :)

For the faraway relatives... (and friends!)

Taken last night, at 12 1/2 weeks. I can't suck it in anymore! ;)

Working on a Major Baking Project...

We expect the final product to be ready sometime in the end of August. :)

As Requested

Here is Grammie's granola recipe, much loved by all the Pinckney generations. :) I've also included an approximation of my own adapted recipe, although I change things every time I make it depending on what I'm craving at the moment. I must say, though, that the most recent maple-pecan variation is, I think, one of the best yet. So without further ado, here they are:

Grammie's Granola

3 c rolled oats
1/2 c wheat bran
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 t salt
~1 c nuts, any kind (Grammie usually uses slivered almonds, my favorite is pecans)
1/4 c water
1/2 c oil
1/2 c honey
1 t vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and add to dry, mix well. Spread on a greased 9x13 baking sheet and bake at 250 for 1 hr., stirring every 20 minutes.

I always substitute ground flax seeds for the whole wheat flour, and have used a mix of chopped almonds, pecans, and/or walnuts for the nuts.

I have substituted combinations of corn syrup and maple syrup for some or all of the honey.

I usually reduce the oil to 1/4 c and up both the water and sweetener to compensate, or sometimes use 1/4 c oil and 1/2 c fruit juice (white grape, apple, etc.) instead of the 1/2 c oil and 1/4 c water.

I usually bake in two 9x13 glass baking dishes as the thinner layer helps the granola dry out faster, although I also do one dish sometimes and just let it bake a little longer. Once the hour is up I stir the granola one more time, turn the oven off and return granola to the warm oven for another hour or so (or until I remember it!) to finish drying and cool.

For Apple Cinnamon Granola: substitute apple juice for the water and 1/4 c applesauce for 1/4 c of the oil. Add 2 t cinnamon to the dry ingredients. (I usually use walnuts with this version.)

For Maple Pecan Granola: use 1 c (or slightly more) chopped pecans for the nuts. For wet ingredients use 1/4 c water, 1/4 c oil, 1/4 c honey, 1/2 c maple syrup and 2 t vanilla (or up to 3/4 c maple syrup, replacing the honey - I use honey to keep the cost down slightly).

Have fun experimenting and enjoy the results! :)

YUM!

Current favorite breakfast:

Roughly 1/2 c frozen triple berry blend, thawed
1/2 - 3/4 c french vanilla yogurt
1/2 c homemade maple-pecan granola

Antioxidants, calcium, protein, omega-3s (flax in the granola), whole grains, and, if you close your eyes and have a decent imagination, it tastes a bit like berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Now really, what more could you ask for in a breakfast food?

This is something I've been meaning to do for a very long time. More than a few times I have sat down at my computer and started listing in my head things I am thankful for. But for some reason I keep putting it off, not taking the time to actually write the list down or share it with anyone. So, the procrastination ends here. I have decided that my inability to list all the things I would like to at once is no reason to put off listing anything at all (very hard for my perfectionist self to do...)! So this is a beginning.

For winter things:

1. Beautiful snow that fell last night, refreshing the white blanket covering our world at the moment.

2. Morning sunshine turning the snow into crystals, coming through my window and warming our home.

3. Our wonderful woodstove! It is an absolute gift and in the chilly mornings I rarely leave the 8-ft. radius around it where the heat is the strongest if I can help it! (Luckily the computer, loveseat and refrigerator are all in this radius!)

4. Warm clothes. On these frigid days I am all too mindful of those who don't have Carhartt coveralls, fleece hats and winter boots to insulate them from the freezing temperatures.

5. My little canine heater. I'm sure she will show up on this list many times, but when it's chilly out she is a wonderful source of comforting heat as she curls up next to me on the couch and snuggles in for a good nap.

6. Our electric teakettle. It heats up water in a heartbeat for tea, hot cocoa or instant oatmeal, all warming necessities in a New England winter!

7. My husband and his commitment this fall to cutting, splitting and stacking firewood (and yes, I helped!) and this winter to bringing in heavy armloads, getting the woodstove going in the mornings and keeping it well stoked throughout the day so that the house is toasty warm when I get home at night. (And yes, I do my best to help and fill in when he's gone and I'm at home and most days I'm pretty successful. :) )

That's it for now. I feel as though it should be longer, but now that I'm started I'll be back often. :)

A World Transformed

Amazing what beauty such a destructive force as ice can create! Overnight our world was transformed into a million glittering crystals - a fairy realm that we were permitted to glimpse for a short time. To take advantage of the beauty we took a Sunday afternoon drive with some friends - I hope you enjoy this small sampling of our pictures!

These are for you, kk, because I love sun glare too! :)

Towards the end of our drive the sun was setting and you could just see the silver tips of the trees shining above these dark barns... peaceful and beautiful!

Winter Wonderland (or Chill Zone!)

Welcome to the Northeast, home of the "frozen chosen" - how may I help you?

I'm not complaining, I promise. I chose to live here and I chose to work at a job which requires me to be outside in the elements when most people wouldn't even think of venturing to the mailbox. Plus, I am fortunate in that I have a wonderful husband and friends who outfitted me very well this winter: from new insulated Carhartt bibs and good winter boots to ultra-warm Nike long-underwear, instant hand-warmers and toe-warmers and extra-soft fleece-lined gloves (thank you Luke, Ilona, Sandy and Jamie!) I am wrapped up from head to toe and my body stays quite warm no matter what the weather throws at me. I am thankful. I even enjoy the brisk feeling in the air, the cool light in the sky and the feeling of sucking cold air into warm lungs.

However, -4 real temperature with winds on top of that? You've got to be kidding me. This morning I watched in dismay as my car's thermometer dropped... and dropped... the closer we got to the barn. 6:35 - positive 1 at my house. 6:45 - 0 in Hoosick Falls. 6:55 - -2 in Buskirk picking up Vidal. 7:10 - -4 at the barn as we start our workday. Sure, I was warm, but after putting just 4 horses outside I wasn't sure if I still had a face or if it had fallen off somewhere by the pastures! The horses that live outside were covered with frost wherever they weren't already covered by a blanket - even the long winter fuzz on their necks was stiff and white! Logan (Luke's horse) looked like he had had his tips professionally done! This is when I profusely thank God for a heated tack room to thaw out in and a home made toasty by the woodstove my husband stoaked high before leaving for the afternoon.

Despite the cold, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty it brought along - trees, fences, horses all transformed to glittering white by the hard frost, snow singing underfoot as horses squeaked across it towards their pastures, crisp air and a beautiful sunrise shining through the clear, cold sky. I wished I had my camera, but I doubt it would've worked in the cold! But I do have pictures from the incredible ice storm we had in December, which I will post as well.