{tasty tuesdays} Thanksgiving dessert

Everyone knows that you have to have a pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, right? (unless you are a crazy person and don't like pumpkin pie... cough*lydia*cough)
Sometimes though, it's a lot of work to make a pie. Mixin' all those ingredients, rollin' all that crust out, making sure things don't get too brown... er, well, that's about it, but still. If you LOVE pumpkin pie, but want a slightly easier pumpkin-y dessert, have I got a recipe for you.

Kala's Pumpkin Pie Cake

(so named after the dear friend from whom I got this recipe)

1 large can pumpkin

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1 box yellow cake mix

2 sticks butter (I never said it was healthy)

Mix first 7 ingredients and pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the box of cake mix on top. Melt the butter and pour evenly over all.

Bake 50-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven, until set and golden brown on top.

Tastes great served with whipped cream, of course.

I don't have a picture to include, unfortunately, but I will be making this to take over to our family Thanksgiving (yay!), so if I remember to take one I'll stick it in here.

And now, just for fun, since this is a holiday-ish recipe, I thought I'd include this fun little holiday questionnaire that I found over at Ashley's.

Egg nog or hot chocolate? oh, I love them BOTH. I drink hot chocolate a lot this time of year, but egg nog is one of those special things I only allow myself a few times right around Christmas. It's better that way. (also, Jeremy hates egg nog, so I can't buy much more than one of those itty-bitty cartons)

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? well, I wrap presents and put them under the tree! I LOVE wrapping gifts and making them pretty and personalized. I love the sight of them sitting there under the tree, too.

Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like white on the tree, and a nice mixture of both outside. We always had colored lights growing up, and that's why I can't do completely without them.

Do you hang mistletoe? You know, I never have, actually! But I'm thinking I should, this year. I'm always glad of another excuse for smoochin'.

When do you put your decorations up? Right after Thanksgiving... or a teensy bit before. It depends. But I like them up as soon as possible so we can enjoy them that much longer! Our house feels so cozy and cheerful when it's decorated for Christmas... part of me never wants to put it all away.

Favorite holiday memory as a child? There are so many... but one of my favorites is when my brother Elijah and I would take our blankets and pillows downstairs by the tree, turn on the twinkly lights, and sleep there for the rest of the night. We did that every year for a long time, and it was always so magical. There was just something about creeping quietly through the chilly house when it was dark and everyone else was sleeping, then laying there cuddled up under our warm blankets, watching the lights make crazy patterns on the walls through the tree branches...

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Honestly, my parents never made a to-do about Santa, so I never thought he was real. There were never any shattered illusions to be had, in my case. :)

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? white lights, gold beaded garlands, and lots of blue, silver, white, and gold ornaments. And of course, all of our special "sentimental" ornaments are in there too, even if they don't match. :)

Snow! Love it or dread it? I love it, especially at Christmas-time. Although, I have to say that I'm kind of glad in some ways that we live in a place where we don't have to deal with it all. winter. long. I do wish it snowed here occasionally though... it's SO beautiful! Snow is a wonderment. Have you ever stood outside in a new-fallen snow and just felt the stillness and silence that blankets the world around you? Or seen how it turns the sky that amazing glowy color at night? Or walked through big, fluffy flakes as they fell, feeling them in your eyelashes and on your nose? Or woken up to a sunshiny day following a fresh snowfall, feeling so dazzled by the brightness and the sparkle and the the contrast of the blue blue sky with the white horizon that it hurts your eyes? Because if you haven't, you really should. It's amazing and there's nothing like it. I miss snow.

Do you remember your favorite gift? When I was 8 I received an American Girl Doll from my mom and dad (Samantha, because I thought she looked like me!). Also, one year not too long ago, my dad surprised me out of the blue and bought me a beautiful handmade scarf. It's still one of my favorites, and there's something so special about it because my dad picked it out all by himself, just for me. And of course, last Christmas, Jeremy surprised me with my little camera and now I can't imagine living without that thing!!

What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Celebrating Christ's coming to earth as we worship and sing joyful Christmas songs. The wonderful time we get to spend with any and all of our family.Teaching my kids about the true meaning of it all and why we celebrate Christmas, as well as passing on meaningful traditions to them, getting to see things through their eyes. Ahhh, I love it all!

What is your favorite holiday dessert? ummm, I don't know if I can pick just one... I'm kind of a pig when it comes to holiday desserts...

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Again, I don't know if I can pick just one! They are all so special in their own ways and mean so much to me, especially since they involve our dear family and the memories made with them.

What tops your tree? I don't really have a good tree topper... I need to find one I love. I think it's a star right now, though.

Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving. It's so fun to try to find that perfect gift for the someones I love. But lately, we have been getting away from presents a little bit, keeping it simple and inexpensive, trying to do little tokens of thoughtfulness. Christmas isn't about the presents, and I really would love it if we could all just give to each other all year long as we see fit, and then there would be expectations or obligations come this time of year. But that's just me. :)

What is your favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night... so beautiful, and so powerful. And I LOVE singing it. But oh, I love almost all Christmas music. Joy to the World. Silent Night. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Gah, I need to go sing some carols RIGHT NOW!

Candy canes? Not to eat, but they sure are cute and I love to have them around. Also, it's so fun to see the kids eating them and getting all sticky!

Favorite Christmas movie? Elf is definitely up there. I can't help it, it's so funny. Little Women is another favorite for this time of year. Sigh. I love Christmas movies too.

What do you leave for Santa? nothing... but I do try to have a well-stocked goody pile in case any friends or family want to come on by!

Go ahead, fill this out yourself if you want too... it's fun and I'd love to read it.

Crafty Challenge

I sincerely hope I'm not too late with this... what a horrible procrastinator I am!! Miss Alyssa, here is my submission for your "something thankful" crafty challenge. Thanks so much for hosting these, they are so fun!

The front of my special card for a very special someone...

...and here's the back. I love my special someone!
I can't say who, for they haven't received it yet...

the girls just keep on comin'

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I've been rather absent for a little while... it turned out to be a VERY busy week. Lots of errands to run, piano lessons to give, children to discipline (I love them more than I can say, bless their little souls, but sometimes it's just one of those weeks, you know?), mountains of laundry, organizing of closets, a family birthday party, and to top it all off, I decided to start on that big painting project. Thank the Lord today was Sunday and it was spent napping on the couch after church, cuddling with all my honey-bunnies, and having a quiet dinner at home watching a movie with family. To have a lovely day of rest after a full and productive week=wonderful!

This post isn't really about my week, though. Onto more exciting things: little girls. Little baby girls. LOTS of little baby girls!

In September, Lisa became a first-time mommy when the adorable Jillian was born. Only days later my good friend Stacie welcomed her little beauty, Lucy. Our fabulous Morgan is due to become a first-time mommy as well ANY DAY NOW when Madeline is born-- I am so excited and can't wait to hear the good news. And some of you may have read that Kourtni is giving Miss Genevieve her eviction notice once Thanksgiving has come and gone... so please, hurry up and be born, little one, we are all so excited to meet you. Lovely Megan is looking forward to the arrival of her first daughter, Kate, come February. Kourtni's sister-in-law Halee, who goes to our church, is also due in February with a little girl named London.

Jillian, Lucy, Madeline, Genevieve, Kate, London... what sweet, sweet blessings (and what adorable names!)

As you all know, in March, one more baby girl is due to arrive. OUR little girl... Rosalie Hope. Oh, I love that she has a name now... our darling daughter Rosalie!!

(In case anyone lost count, that is SEVEN little girls in as many months! Who will be next... Will Colleen and her beautiful belly join the club? Will our darling Davi get to add a girl to her wonderful brood of boys?)

a wee bit of craftiness

Since being pregnant, I feel like any and all of my creativity just disappeared. Like those pregnancy hormones took whatever creative brain cells I had and made them their tiny little hostages. And if one or two of those creative brain cells happened to escape the evil hormones and present me with an actual creative idea, well then, as it turns out I was too tired and didn't have the energy to take that good idea and do anything with it. Poor little brain cells. All that effort for nothing.

Lately however, dare I say it, I am having a slight return to creativity. Add to this the extra bit of energy I've found in the past month or so, and it looks like I may actually accomplish a few things! I've made out lists of projects and craft ideas in my little list journal, and slowly but surely am striving to check them off before this baby of ours arrives. I've really missed the part of me that is crafty and creative, so I hope this lasts.

One little thing I created last week was part of a gift for my beautiful friend Kourtni, whose baby shower for her soon-to-arrive daughter Genevieve was held on Thursday. My original intent was to sew her something cute, but I decided to be realistic and not attempt it-- my sewing skills still leave MUCH to be desired, something I am trying to work on. Also, Kourtni's mom is an AMAZING seamstress and creates the most beautiful baby bedding you may ever see, so I must admit to being slightly intimidated by that. :)

So, anyway, I came up with this picture for the girls' room instead:
Juliet (Kourtni's other daughter who is Emma's age) and Genevieve are going to share a room, and it is decorated so cute, in pink and zebra print. So girly and fabulous! It was quite fun using those colors to create something. This is in a 9x12 inch frame, just to give you a proper idea of the size. It's nothing too fancy, just papers and stickers and rick-rack, but I was pleased with how it came out. I especially loved this little heart/key sticker I found in a pack at Michael's (oh how I love Michael's...). I added the J and the G to symbolize that sisterly closeness. Cute, right?
The only way in which Michael's let me down is that they simply did NOT have zebra-print paper. I scoured that store high and low, but no zebra print. I knew I wanted that for the background, so I did what any dedicated crafter would do: came home and drew my own on a blank sheet of paper while watching Top Chef with my husband. I have to say, I'm kind of glad I ended up having to do that, because it made me feel even more accomplished and creative! And I'll take whatever feelings of accomplishment I can get these days. :)

I am SO EXCITED for Genevieve to get here...!!

In other crafty news, all I can tell you is that I bought two gallons of Adriatic Mist and one gallon of Jamaica Bay for a MAJOR project that I've been wanting to do for well over a year now. You will get to see those results, I promise!
One final tidbit that has nothing to do with being creative or crafty, but it certainly bears telling:

Emma and Annabelle got brand-new bunkbeds! And they are quite excited about that fact, in case you couldn't tell.

Girl, Get Your Scarf On!

A while back, the ever-fun and spunky-sweet Sarah Marie from Sarah Said did a post about how much she loves scarves, including a picture of her very own scarf collection. As much as I already loved her, I loved her even more then, because you know what? I LOVE SCARVES TOO. A lot. Well, that picture of all her adorable scarves plus our shared love for this fabulous fashion accessory gave me a little idea:
Presenting...

I know for a fact that Sarah and I are not the only ones with a love for scarves, so we thought it would be so fun to do a scarf exchange that everyone can participate in! Here's how it's going to work:

Please leave a comment on this post (or Sarah's, you only need to do one or the other) letting us know you'd like to participate (be sure to include your e-mail) anytime between now and November 30. Sarah and I will then draw names randomly and pair each of you up with a bloggy buddy to send a scarf to, and you'll receive one from them, too! We'll announce the pairings on Dec. 1st, and you'll then have until Dec. 10th to get your scarf sent off in the mail to your buddy-- that way, everyone has their brand new scarves in time to keep them warm and cozy for the holidays!

We've set a price limit of NO MORE than $10-$15, because we know money can be tight. If you happen to find an adorable one at Ross Dress for Less or on sale at Old Navy for $5, well then, great!! If you are the crafty type who can make one, good for you! The point is to have fun sharing what we love and all end up with a brand-new scarf to add to our collections. And you never know... maybe you'll make a new friend in the process too.

So, please, join us in the winter fun! If you'd like, grab this blog button and put it on your blog so all of YOUR readers can join in. The more the merrier!

<a href="http://joyouslittlewife.blogspot.com/2008/11/girl-get-your-scarf-on.html"><img src="http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/9018/scarfbuttoncb2.jpg" /></ a>

I have to say a great big thank-you to Sarah's husband Johnny-- she asked if he wouldn't mind designing us a blog button, and I hear he stayed up until 3 in the morning doing just that!! Thank you SO MUCH, Johnny, your hard work is much appreciated and we LOVE what you created for us. :)

Also, I must say thanks to sweetie-pie Sarah for being so enthusiastic and helpful about my little idea and doing it with me. Having her included has made it about a million times more fun. If you don't already read her blog and know her, please start now. She'll be a little drop of sunshine in your day! This is the first time we met in person, at the recent art show. Don't we look happy? Just think how happy we will be when you all decide to be a part of our scarf exchange! :) There's nothing more to say, except...

Girl, get your scarf on!

happiness...

... is both children sleeping sweetly in their beds, with peace and quiet filling the house. But I just can't stay away, I have to sneak a peek at my little snoozy darlings.

Ignore the puddle of drool and instead admire those sweet lips and cheeks, that curly tousled head

Here, she looks like the almost -5-year old girl that she is,

taller everyday, with hair that is getting so long...

But here, I see my baby again.


My little sleepyheads, I love you so.

"hi, I already know you!"

This past Friday I had the opportunity to go to an art show here in downtown Bakersfield featuring these two lovely girls:


Colleen and Ashley!

Not only did I enjoy looking at their gorgeous pictures hung throughout the gallery and marvel once again at their amazing talent, but I got to meet in person some of the people who have become my friends through blogging.
When I first walked in the door the first familiar face I spotted was Ashley's, and it was so cool to walk up to her and actually say hi in person. She might not even realize this, but Ashley was the very first person I didn't actually know in real life to randomly leave a comment on one of my blogs. I've loved reading hers ever since, and it's crazy to think how much my own little blogging community has grown since then. Believe it or not, Ashley is even more fun and even sweeter and prettier in real life, as those of you who've met her already know. I kinda wish she could have stayed in Bakersfield forever. And ever.
Colleen, the other artist of the night, is someone who I've not "known" as long as Ashley, but I've become just as addicted to her blog recently. And she is just a dear-- I'm so glad I got to meet her! Please note also how gorgeous and glowy she is.
More pictures:

Alyssa was there! (I've met her before, but it was great to see her again)

And look! The adorable Sarah Marie P and her husband Johnny came too! Now I have a picture of one of the world's cutest couples on my very own camera. Loved meeting you both!

Sarah and I. She's surprisingly tall, just like I'm surprisingly short. :) But I wasn't surprised by how sweet and lovely she is... no, I knew that already!


Such a cute picture of Ashley, rockin' that stunning red dress against the red wall.

The "bloggers"-- what a group! Christie (I got to meet her for the first time too), Danielle, Sarah, Ashley, me, Jimaie (yay for getting to meet her also!!), Alyssa, Colleen, and of course the lovely Lorie (who I don't get to see often enough in real-life, even though we've been friends for 5 years now)

Friends. For reals.

It was such a fun night. I can honestly say that each of these girls that I met for the first time are people I would love to hang out with all the time, if I could. And I simply love being able to put real-life memories and personalities with thes people who have become such a part of my life through the words, pictures, and stories that we share through blogging. Let's hope real-life brings us all back together again soon!

ps. I did not get any shots of Ashley and Colleen's photographs (mostly because I knew me and my humble camera would do them no justice at all), but you can go visit Colleen, Lorie, Ashley, or David to see some amazing shots of the evening.

{tasty tuesdays} Roasted Corn and Crab Soup

One of my favorite soup recipes ever. And it really is deceptively quick and easy!

image courtesy of bhg.com

Roasted Corn and Crab Soup

1 16 oz. package frozen whole kernel corn
2 cups chopped onions (2 large)
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped red sweet peppers
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 14-oz. cans chicken broth
½ tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/8 to ¼ tsp ground red pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup half-and-half or light cream
4 oz cooked crabmeat, cut into bite-size pieces (2/3 cup)*

Thaw frozen corn and pat dry with paper towels. Line a baking pan with foil and lightly grease. Spread corn in prepared pan. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes; stir. Bake about 10 minutes more until golden brown, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven; set aside.

In a 4-quart Dutch oven or large pot cook onions and sweet peppers in hot oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until nearly tender. Add roasted corn, 3cans of the broth, thyme, and red pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

In a large screw-top jar combine remaining 1 can broth and the flour. Cover and shake well; stir into soup. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir one minute more. Stir in half-and-half; heat through. To serve, ladle soup into bowls; divide crabmeat among bowls.

*You can substitute imitation crabmeat for real; it’s all I’ve ever personally used in this recipe. I also like to use a little more than just 4 ounces, since I love crab :)

Go, and eat soup. Lots of yummy soup.

playing catch-up

Yes, indeed, I have lots to catch up on! Where did this week go? It just flew right on by...

First things first: I've been so excited to pick my winner for the gender guess give-away! You all were so sweet to comment and leave your guesses, and like I already said, I loved hearing what everyone thought-- now, here is your due reward for all of that careful thought you put into those guesses.
Aaaaaand, actually, I know I said only those of you who guessed right would be getting a prize, but I just couldn't leave all you other people out. See how much I LOVE you all?? So yes, those of you who guessed "BOY" (15 total) were entered into a little drawing all your own! Let's start with that one.

the names go carefully into a bowl....

I screw my eyes shut tight (no pictures of that, it's no-make-up day), mix 'em up real good, and pull out a name:

And yay, it's the lovely Morgan, from over at Mrs. Priss! Here is your little prize, courtesy of the all-too-addictive-and-fun Etsy:

A sweet set of blue-bird notecards

(actually, on this particular prize, I was completely torn. Would you rather have this instead?? I think I'll leave it up to you...)

Just e-mail me your address, my dear, and I will have it shipped directly to you.

And now for the 10 of you who guessed (correctly, yay!) "GIRL".
A different set of names.... same bowl. But see, you can tell these are the "girl" names, because the bowl is wearing a cut lil' bow this time!

Eyes shut tight again and another name is drawn, and this time, it's...

Sweet Karen, from over at ThatMom.com (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it)! Hooray! How fun! And here's what you've won, also found on Etsy (or, The Place of Treasures Untold):

A lovely little pink birdie dish

I believe I already have your address, having asked your lovely daughter-in-law for it at some point, so your little giftie will be on its way quite soon.
Thank you, everyone, for playing along. You're all darlings!

Now that we have the prizes taken care of, it's time to post another belly shot. Here is my 21-week belly, taken on Sunday when I looked nice and presentable :)


I feel quite large lately, in all honesty, but that's ok; it means our little girl (whee, I love being able to say that) is growing healthy and strong. Of course, that doesn't account for the extra padding on my bottom and thighs, but I've chosen to ignore that part of my body until after the baby arrives. No problem, right?

Last but not least, I know I didn't post a Tasty Tuesday YET AGAIN, but I actually did have a recipe I really wanted to share this week! So I'm just going to go ahead and do it two days late. You'll be glad I did, trust me, when you taste this a.maz.ing bread. I think I ate a whole mini-loaf myself (hmm, come to think of it, THAT could account for the butt and thighs...).

Pumpkin Streusel Bread

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup sherry

Streusel Topping:

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp butter, slightly softened

3 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Sift together dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Beat well.

Mix pumpkin mixture with flour mixture and sherry. Blend just until ingredients are combined.

Pour into a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.

For streusel, cream butter with sugar. Add flour and ginger. Blend with hands to form small crumbles. Add walnuts.

Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to finish cooling.

Just look at that beautiful orange batter. It stays this lovely color when baked too.
As you can see, I actually like to bake mine in mini-loaf pans (found in the foil pan section of any grocery store) because the little loaves make such perfect and fun gifts to pass out. Also, I doubled the recipe (it uses up one whole smaller can of pumpkin that way), which makes 5 mini-loaves. Just remember to set your bake time for less, since they will get done faster!!

And, enjoy. This recipe is one my mom made for one of her amazing Christmas Open Houses, years ago, and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. Whether you want to keep it and eat every single crumb by yourself (and I wouldn't judge you if you did), or tie a pretty bow around it and make someone else's day with some home-baked goods...

... you will find that this is a perfect fall/holiday recipe too yummy to make only once.

Whew! That's enough for one day. Don't worry, those Disneyland pictures are still coming, as well as a blog about the Amazing and Wonderful week of adoption festivities...

just not today. :)

P.S. Look at what I saw in our paper this morning as I was flipping through the "Go and Do" section!

So exciting to see some names I know!! Ashley and Colleen are both such amazing photographers, and I couldn't be happier for them. Congratulations, girls! Do go and check out their show if you get a chance.

Election Day

Today is the day. And I am proud to say, along with hopefully all of you, that

You may have noticed that I've never blogged about my political views and beliefs on here. That's not because I think it is wrong to do so, or because it simply doesn't matter to me and I just don't care, or because I haven't made an informed, thoughtful decision, or because I'm not passionate about the affairs of this country we call ours.
Rather, it was a conscious decision on my part to NOT blog about such things because I choose not to bring politics into this happy place of mine. I know there are people out there who would both agree and strongly disagree with me, and that's ok-- but I don't feel that THIS is the place I want to discuss it. It's entirely my own personal feeling, and that's the beauty of having a blog-- it's yours to do with as you want or don't want.

I like to think that if I DID choose to write about my political decisions and beliefs that all of you, my readers and friends who I've come to love very much, would show me the same respect and friendliness that I honestly hope I have shown those of you who have decided to write about politics, whether I agreed with you or not. Politics can be quite tricky and divisive, we all know that, but hopefully we could all refrain from discriminating against, hating, or judging each other simply because some of us might happen to think very differently. We're all entitled to our own opinions and beliefs, however they may have been shaped-- that's one of the blessings of living in a country like America!

So, no, I'm not going to write about my decisions on here, but any of you who've read my blog for any length of time know that I'm a Christian, a believer in God and the Bible, a woman who holds her faith very dear-- I've made no secret of that. By God's grace it's a part of who I am, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Thus, I'm sure most of you can guess what some of my political thoughts and beliefs are. And that is all I'm going to say about that! :)

One thing I've heard a lot about in the many many months that have led us up to this day is HOPE. I like hope. I believe in hope. Hope is necessary! But I've realized more strongly than ever that my hope does not lie within one man. No one man alone, be he Republican or Democrat, can ever really bring the change that I hope and pray we will see someday in our country.

I was nervous about today, stressed out, tired of so many different things about this election. And then I providentially listened to a certain song, whose words are the perfect "election day" comfort:

"My heart is not proud, oh Lord my God

My eyes are humbly fixed on You

In matters too great for me to know,

Like a child I will trust them to You.

For I have stilled and quieted my soul

Like a weaned child within me

Be still my soul

Be still my soul

Forgive this proud heart, oh my God

Humbly fix my eyes on You

In matters too great for me to know

Like a child may I trust them to You

For I have stilled and quieted my soul

Like a weaned child within me

Be still my soul

Be still my soul"

These words are from Psalm 131. Do you know what the last verse in that Psalm says?

"Hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forever."

Amen to that.

God be praised, no matter what today's outcome may be!!

Allow me to end the suspense...

Aren't they sweet? Oh, such wonderful memories of those baby-days with my two beloved girls.

Emma

Annabelle

Sisters

And one more makes THREE!

That's right, we're having another GIRL! I thought I might be disappointed if Baby turned out not to be a boy... but I wasn't, not at all. A boy would have been wonderful, and fun, and so welcome for lots of different reasons-- and Lord willing, we may still get a boy someday-- but I find myself thrilled and elated at the thought of another precious girl, another sister for Emma and Annabelle. We're ALL thrilled, even Emma, who needed a little convincing since she didn't really think she "needed another little sister." Oh Emma.

I am pleased to report that our little girl is completely healthy and normal so far and everything looks great. Praise God! That is a gift in and of itself.

Thanks so much not only for your patience with me this afternoon (I know I've been terribly slow about posting this, so sorry), but also for all your gender guesses. It was SO FUN to see what everyone thought!! The final tally stands as such:

Total Guesses: 25

BOY: 15

GIRL: 10

So, to the 10 of you who guessed right, I'll draw your names soon and see who gets the little prize, which I will announce tomorrow! And to all you boy-guessers... well, sorry, but you were wrong. :) (although in all honesty I would have been right there with you too!)

I actually did a video to make the big announcement (thus the reason I took so long), but on watching it back I didn't like it and it was lame. This is much better, trust me.

Whee!! A girl!! Now to pick a name.... and start saving up for all those weddings...