Hello Spring 2011

I seriously am so excited it is warm again outside.  I love May, love it!  Almost all my closets friends are born in May including my husband, sister and long time bff.  That is definitely one of the reasons I love it so much, I also just love the long days and early mornings, cool air in the evening and all the FLOWERS!  I love flowers.

We waited a pretty long time this year to get our patio ready for the summer.  April was super rainy and cold in the DC area and I didn't want to invest the money in flowers if it was going to go below freezing (seriously, you would have thought it was December the other day).  I was finally able to put up my new patio umbrella.  I love it!  My awesome hubby also power washed and stained the deck and fence, strung the lights on the umbrella and deck and just did a ton of work helping me get everything cleaned up this year.  Gotta love the special treatment that comes from being pregnant! 

Here are some pics of the 2011 deck and patio.  Aside from me being the obvious one, who wants to join us for a mojito?!  We've got lots of fresh mint growing like a weed on the patio from years past.

Frugalicious Frappucino Heaven

So everyone should know by now I love me some Starbucks.  I haven't been having very much of it lately but according to experts pregnant women are allowed up to 200mg of coffee/day.  The equivelant of about a 12 oz cup of coffee.  Since its been warmer, once every few weeks I head to starbucks and get a frappucino, otherwise I enjoy some coke zero every few days instead.  We will see if the frequency goes up in the fall when the PSLs (Pumpkin Spice Lattes) make their fabulous return.

If anyone else loves Frappucinos as much as me, head to Starbucks from 3-5pm from now until the 15th of May.  They are doing half price Frappucinos.  Today, my coworker and I did a Venti Split and the total bill for 2 Mocha Frappucinos came to $2.50 or $1.25 a piece! 

Now that my friends is a Frugalicious Frappacino!  Enjoy!

April Showers bring May Flowers

We had our fair share of April Showers in DC.  It didn't stop our perennial garden in the front yard from blooming up a storm.  It was amazing to watch my clearance pansies bounce right back, the tulips we planted spring up and the peonies just come out of no where.  The most fantastic part was our spring garden didn't cost us a penny!  Talk about frugalicious! 

Unfortunately, I didn't get many good pictures of the during part of the sprout so you guys will have to make do with the below.  Enjoy!

Semi Before the big bloom, prob early March:

Mid April:

Early May: Peonies bloomed, Tulips bloomed and faded and clearance pansies still going strong!



National Day of Prayer: My Child Poem

I'm not too sure why I have never brought up faith on this blog before.  It is infanct one of the most frugalicious ways of life out there.  Faith is free and freeing.  I'm not going to stand on a soap box and go on and on about my religion, but what I can tell you is that I have lived without the acknowledgment of God in my life and have lived with the acknowledgment of God in my life and from the second I made the change, I can't and won't go back. 

Aside from today being national drink a margarita day aka cinco de mayo, it is also the national day of prayer.  I am a firm believer in the power of prayer.  I have absolutely no doubt that prayer by me, Paul and my friends and family is how Paul and I got pregnant naturally despite being diagnosed with infertility.  It is also how Paul beat cancer so quickly.  I can tell you with certainty that I have prayed my heart out for many of those that I love wanting children or a miracle to happen and it does.  There have been times when miracles have happened like Bailey running into a moving car and surviving with only a headache and a bruise that makes you know God loves you so unconditionally that you don't even need to pray to keep your beloveds safe.  Sometimes what you don't want happens even with prayer; but I do believe all things are meant to be, no matter how hard it is to be on the receiving end of bad and unfortunate news.

I wanted to share with you all a poem called "My Child" which as a child of God and as an expectant mother is really amazing.  Each line is a verse either from the old testament or new testament.  Remember the old testament is the same in the Koran, Torah and Bible.  It is long, but I hope you guys spend the few minutes to read it.  Regardless of your religious beliefs, you will feel loved and wanted by the end I promise you.

"My Child"
You may not know me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139.1)
I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139.2)
I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139.3)
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10.29-31)
For you were made in my image (Genesis 1.27)
In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17.28)
For you are my offspring (Acts 17.28)
I knew you even before you were conceived Jeremiah (1.4-5)
I chose you when I planned creation (Ephesians 1.11-12)
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book (Psalm 139.15-16)
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17.26)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139.14)
I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139.13)
And brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71.6)
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me (John 8.41-44)
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4.16)
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you (1 John 3.1)
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father (1 John 3.1)
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7.11)
For I am the perfect father (Matthew 5.48)
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1.17)
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6.31-33)
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29.11)
Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31.3)
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore... (Psalms 139.17-18)
And I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3.17)
I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32.40)
For you are my treasured possession (Exodus 19.5)
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul Jeremiah (32.41)
And I want to show you great and marvellous things (Jeremiah 33.3)
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deuteronomy 4.29)
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37.4)
For it is I who gave you those desires (Philippians 2.13)
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Ephesians 3.20)
For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2.16-17)
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1.3-4)
When you are broken-hearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34.18)
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart (Isaiah 40.11)
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21.3-4)
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth (Revelation 21.3-4)
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus (John 17.23)
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17.26)
He is the exact representation of my being (Hebrews 1.3)
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8.31)
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Corinthians 5.18-19)
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5.18-19)
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you (1 John 4.10)
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8.31-32)
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2.23)
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again (Romans 8.38-39)
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15.7)
I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3.14-15)
My question is “Will you be my child?” (John 1.12-13)
I am waiting for you (Luke 15.11-32)

Love, Your Dad.

Almighty God

President's Day Weekend in Duck, NC

Most people know that the beach and the outer banks in particular is one of my favorite places.  Paul and I even have hopes of retiring there. 

Every year we try and take two-three small vacations.  One in June for our anniversary, one in December/January and sometimes one in September.  We had planned on doing something different this december from our normal escape the freezing cold for a sunny spot and had planned on going to Chicago to experience the city all lit up for Christmas.  Unfortunately, we found out Paul had appendicitis 12 hours before we were supposed to leave and had to cancel the trip.

I knew Paul was dissapointed and also was down in the dumps from the medical issues he was facing around Christmas.  So, I asked our great friends and neighbors Matt and Steph's parents if we could rent their beach house as a surprise Christmas present for Paul.  They were more than happy to let us stay in their beach house over President's Day weekend in February and were so kind to only charge us the cleaning fee.  They don't stay there during that time since most things are closed and the weather isn't much warmer than in DC.  Paul was thrilled to receive such an awesome surprise on christmas.  Even better was, right before we left for the trip, we found out we were pregnant!  I was about 5.5 weeks along when we went on the trip, which coincidentally is also about when the fatigue and morning sickness of the first tri hit you like a brick!

We had such a great time.  For the first time ever, Bailey, Paul and I were the only ones on the beach!  I couldn't believe it!  It was the first nice day we had since the fall (temps went up to the 70s!) and we were the only three souls on the beach..  We did some major relaxing, nappnig, reading and dvd watching.  I can't remember the last time we spent four days without cable or internet but it felt really nice to be disconnected and not have to worry about anything but what to eat and when to go for a walk.  Here are some pictures.