Christmas Traditions: Food

Surprisingly we don't have too many Christmas traditions surrounding food. I will have to work on that. Our first Christmas together (all of one year ago), I knew I wanted to have something particularly yummy and amazing. So my dear friend Reenie helped me to find a good recipe for monkey bread. You can find all sorts of recipes out there but as long as it has sugar, pudding, cinnamon and butter, you are good to go. I do not put raisins in mine but you can if it floats your boat.

Monkey Bread
20 dinner rolls (I use the Rhoades kind in the freezer section)
1 cup brown sugar
1 pkg. of vanilla pudding (the cook and serve)
2 T cinnamon
1 stick of butter

Place the rolls in a greased bundt pan (or a 9x13 if you don't have a bundt, Meghan). Sprinkle the sugar, pudding and cinnamon over the rolls. Pour the melted butter over the top. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and go to sleep for 8 hours.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Christmas Traditions: Movie

Another post! I'm a blogging maniac nowadays. Hopefully this week I will post about the Christmas traditions that Rick and I are (hopefully) starting as a family. I had many grand plans for an advent calendar, but as Rick said the other day, it was too "ambitious." So instead, we are doing a little at a time. I am glad that we still have a year or two until Lucy understands what's going on (in life in general). It gives me time to get my act together.

Anyways. I love watching movies that center around Christmas. Or at least have a scene that makes a big deal about Christmas. I'm not hard to please. Some of my favorites are:

White Christmas
It's A Wonderful Life
Elf!
The Holiday (I watch it for Jack Black)
Little Women
Sleepless in Seattle
Home Alone (a good one to watch with Rick)
Home Alone 2

How about you? Anything you would add to the list?
And just to make you smile:

Julie and Julia

Last week I watched Julie and Julia three times in two days. I loved it. Meryl Streep was brilliant. Julia Child must have been one amazing lady. After I watched it I went to the library and checked out "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" (see Sarah, this is the kind of stuff you get at the library). I glanced through it but I hope to try at least one recipe before returning it (probably late).

The movie inspired me to do many things:
1. Buy colored lights... accomplished (on sale at Target). My plan is to put them up in our house for birthdays.
2. Stop being so dramatic... Julie drove me a little nuts. I'm still working on this one.
3. Go to Paris.
4. Make something from the cookbook.
5. Buy "A Bushel and A Peck" by Doris Day.
6. Have more dinner parties like this...

Good Deals (Thanks mom!)

Today was a long day of errand-running. Lucy again cried at the Giant, but the old ladies still loved her. Her favorite place was Acme. I only had to get 2 things so I took her out of her car seat and held her (she needed a break from the car seat). The way that she was smiling and looking around you would think she was the Queen of Acme.

Mom tipped me off to this good deal. If you buy $20 worth of Proctor & Gamble products at Acme then you get $5 off your next purchase and 5 free redbox codes! Major deal. I use Tide detergent so I bought 2 of those and I had a $1 off coupon.

At Giant this week there are $1 Doublers but you can only use 4 of them per purchase. Using all my coupons and the bonus card savings, I save about $30.

Shop Rite has 1.99 bacon!! Must buy.

And finally, the best find of all. There are all sorts of bloggers who put the best deals at grocery stores. To find the grocery store near you go to Be Centsable. You can search by state and then grocery store. This has helped me to match the deals with my coupons. Hope it works for you too!

Lucy Happenings

Sorry that I haven't been around recently. I'm sure that you've been able to get through life without my blog updates. I will try and be better since everyone loves Lucy.

Lucy in her Bumbo for the first time. She was very proud of herself. Note: Rick dressed her on this day.




Halloween Banana Costume.


With her cow from her favorite place on earth.


Eating food for the first time.

Mo Knows Best

Yes or No?

Dear Giant

I sent an email to Giant going something like this:

Dear Giant,
I heart you. But the ShopRite and Genuardi's have a sweet coupon deal. Do you think you could do that?
Love,
Traci

They emailed me back:

Dear Mrs. Traci Healey

Thank you for sharing your comments with us. I appreciate that you took the time to give us your feedback.

We are in the process making this available to our customers as we speak.

Again, thank you for contacting us. If I can be of any more assistance, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,

SuAnn

Steals and Deals

I've been trying my best to save money, especially at the grocery store. I clip my coupons and go through the ads each week. Here's a few deals that I'm taking advantage of this week. Meat is always the most expensive thing for me to buy...

ShopRite
Bacon (Oscar Meyer) is only $1.99! This made my day.

Genuardi's
Chicken is 1.68 per lb.
Boneless beef round roast is 1.99 lb. (I'm making some beef stew this week!)
On Fri, Sat and Sun only... Ken's Salad Dressings are 99 cents.

Giant
There is a coupon in the ad for extra points for a free turkey. You have to spend $50 though.

I've discovered some good deals recently. You can print out a ton of coupons on the internet. But a few stores (Genuardi's, ShopRite and Superfresh) have a program where you can load coupons onto your club card. A good coupon resource is www.afullcup.com. You can find Target specific coupons, as well as others. There are also threads that you can read to find the best deals in your area. It always helps to have someone else do the work.

Let me know if you find any good deals!
p.s. has anyone ever shopped at Superfresh? It seems cheap, but I've never been to one.

2 months.

Happy birthday Lu.
I love you.

Shout Out

To the peeps at the Route 3 and Exton Giants for helping me out. A special thanks to the young woman who helped me out to the car and unloaded my groceries.

What was I doing? I'll give you a hint.

Life with Lucy

It's been 4 weeks since our Lucy was born, and what a month it's been! Even now I can't believe she's my daughter, and that I'm responsible for her little life. Right now she mostly sleeps, eats, poops (a lot) and cries (somedays more than others) but there are times when she's very awake and interacts with us. Her smiles are big and very cute. Last week Rick put on his hard hat that he wears to power plants, said "Hi Lucy," and she gave him the biggest smile. I think our girl has a sense of humor. Last night I was singing a song to her before bedtime and she looked right at me, paid attention to me and smiled. I melted. She also loves to take showers and feel the water. Other than that, she is just like her daddy. Seriously.

I love her more and more each day. The first few weeks were tough, but they were worth it. Here are a few pictures. (Note: I am not a photographer nor do I have a fancy camera.)

Lucy Caroline Healey!

7 lbs 12 ounces
20.5" long

Pushing

This could be a while though.

Sent from my iPhone

9cm

Sent from my iPhone

Epidural is in

Traci water is ruptured, leaking, not dfully broken yet. She's a
champ, nurses said she could have delivered natural she was doing so
well.

Rick

6cm

Sent from my iPhone

Hospital

We are at the hospital. Traci is 3+ cm dilated. Soon we will walk
around. If she gets to 4 we stay, if she doesn't progress we go home.
Come on Lucy!

Contractions

After brass on the grass tonight traci has been getting contractions.
Not always consitent or intense but between 5 to 10 min apart. Come on
Lucy!

Rick

Update

No baby yet.

Testing

Hey everyone,

His is Rick. I am testing how posts from my iPhone work so that I can blog when Traci gives birth. Don't worry, we're not there yet but I think it will be in the next couple of days.

Over and out
Rick

Sent from my iPhone

Life As We Know It

It's been a pretty crazy few months for us. Actually it's been a crazy year. But here's what Rick and I have been up to recently...I wish I had pictures but I can't find my camera cord.

-We closed on our house at the end of April and spent the next 5 weeks tearing down the kitchen and a bedroom ceiling, slowly rebuilding and then painting anything and everything within these walls. It wouldn't have been possible without our families, friends and community group. We still have lots to do, but it feels more like our home now.

-My last day at the church office was May 22. I miss it but am definitely enjoying my new life as a stay at home wife (almost mom).

-We moved on May 30. Three or four weeks later, we finally had a sink and a working kitchen. I love it so much.

-My mom and sisters threw me the most beautiful baby shower. It was perfect.

-Rick and I took our "babymoon" to the Finger Lakes, NY. Let me tell you, Ithaca has some crazy people in it.

-We finally finished painting Lucy's room and moved all of the furniture in. It's beautiful. I wish it was my room.

-She should be here in a week or so!

You can pray for me. There is still a lot to do and I don't feel nearly as prepared as I would like to be. Add to that the drop in energy. So I would appreciate prayers and lots of them! Pray for these last days and that we would get everything done that is supposed to get done.

And pray for an uncomplicated labor and delivery, and most importantly a healthy baby girl!

What God Has Done

It has been quite the month! Awhile back I wrote a post about how Rick and I were looking for a house and trusting God to provide. As we prayed and searched, we both thought that God wanted us to stop looking for a place to buy and ask my parents if we could live with them for 6 months or so. They kindly said yes, and we had lots of faith for that plan.

Then, Rick and I started taking a class on prayer taught by my dad. In the first class, he said that you should write down something to pray for over the next 3 weeks and see how God would answer that prayer. I wanted to pray for a stand-alone Chick-fil-a but Rick vetoed it. Still, I didn't write down a house...thinking that it wasn't God's timing. But Dad's class inspired me to pray more and so it became more apart of my morning routine.

One morning in late March, I felt like I was supposed to pray for a house. And that I would have faith for God to provide us a house. So I did. When I got to work I figured it wouldn't hurt to see what new houses were put on the market that day. I looked at only one house, called Rick (about 4 times), emailed him at work, finally talked to him. He had seen it too.

This past Friday we officially became homeowners! They accepted our first offer (we submitted one the same day we looked at it), and by God's kindness, everything worked out with no surprises. We spent the last weekend working on it (needs a lot of work). Rick, my hero, and his dad took out the entire kitchen! Hopefully we will finish all the work by the end of May and move into it on May 30.

God is very, very good! I'll post some pics of the house and prayer requests (mostly having to do with my swollen ankles).

Good Eats

Last night I made this recipe for the first time last night...and man, was it good. Rick craves anything with lots of sauce, so I one and a halved the recipe. I didn't double it because I didn't want to use that much butter, and we are only 2 people! That was definitely the way to go. Mmmm...next time I think I will double the amount of chicken and quadruple the sauce to make lots of leftovers.

And the best was that I have all the ingredients in my pantry (well, cupboards technically)! I love it when I don't need to buy crazy ingredients.

Are there anything that your husbands or family members eat that you wouldn't think to keep in your kitchen? Like Rick loves honey and will put it in his cereal, but I very rarely eat honey. Just curious...

Third Trimester!

I'm 27 weeks today and according to my pregnancy calendar, I'm in my third trimester. If I didn't have a pregnancy calendar, I wouldn't know anything about where I am in my pregnancy except that it's supposed to end on July 20.

Our girl, Lucy (no middle name yet), seems to be growing and she has been kicking more than ever. Sometimes I feel a repetitive kick which I was thinking was her keeping time or practicing for marching band, but I read today that it's probably the hiccups. Oh my. I still don't feel ready...lots to do!

As for me, they've officially hired someone to replace me in my job and my last day will be towards the end of May. I can't believe it, but I've been praying that God will make me more excited about this next season than sad about the past. Hopefully, many good things are to come.

I'll have most of June and July to work on some things and have fun. I've been making of list of things to do. Any suggestions?

Meal Planning Mondays

I saw this idea on some other blogs and thought I would make a "Meal Planning Monday." Isn't that exciting?

Honestly, meal planning and deciding what's for dinner is one of my least favorite homemaking things to do. I'm wondering if I will like it more when I'm not working, but generally I get all frustrated with it.

Monday - spaghetti with garlic bread!
Tuesday - BBQ meatballs with broccoli & cheese
Wednesday - Nicoise salads (it's a copy of my favorite Salad Alley salad)
Thursday - skillet chicken and broccoli
Friday - "Homemade" pizza

Lime Chicken

I tried out this chicken recipe the other night, and both Rick and I decided it's a keeper. It's not pretty (but what chicken is really?) so some asparagus brightened the plate up.

That website has been a good resource (she's even got recipes for elk!) so make sure to check it out. I've been looking more into meal planning and recipes so I hope to put some of those things on the blog soon.

Having Babies

Sometimes I get afraid people will think I’m silly for getting pregnant soon after getting married (a little over 3 months). Mostly because I would have thought it was silly. When we were engaged, I asked Rick to give me at least 6 months before we started trying to have kids. It could have been longer, but hey, I’m getting old.

But one day I read this and God spoke to me.

Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Reading this, God showed me my heart and it’s fears and then He showed me the promises of His Word. I was convicted of two things.

The first was being afraid of what people (my family and close friends) would think of me. What would they say about me? Would they think I was crazy for not wanting more time alone with Rick? Would they think I was missing out on the newlywed years? Maybe. Does it matter? No. Because the promise of this verse is that children are from the Lord…a reward…they bring blessing to their parents…there is no shame.

The second is that I was afraid of the future. What if we couldn’t provide for our kids? What if we couldn’t buy a house? What if all the money I wanted to spend at Anthropologie suddenly went to diapers? Well, the first part of this psalm spoke to my anxieties: “…he gives to his beloved sleep.” The anxious don’t sleep well, but God’s beloved do. He cares for them, builds their house and watches over them. Now that is a promise.

So God spoke to me. He eased my fears. And then I very clearly knew what repentance and obedience looked like. I was to trust Him in all things and have kids. And now that I’m pregnant? I know that this is what God called me to do from the beginning…and that gives me great joy.

Blogger’s Note: I understand that there are perfectly good reasons to wait to have kids. And I’m not saying my story is the best one to follow. But it’s a good reminder that God is the one who sets our priorities.

Surprise!

It's a girl! It was definitely a surprise (to me), but a very good one. At first I was stunned and then I was so, so happy and started to cry. Rick was excited, gave me a kiss and said he thought it was a girl. It's comforting to know that God is the one who chose to surprise me with this little one.

I started to cry because I realized that this baby girl is part of a legacy. It's a legacy of what it means to be a woman who loves God, of how to care for and follow a husband, of how to laugh at yourself and your faults, of how to fill your home with joy and fun.

Mom, she is your legacy. Now it's my turn to try and teach her all those things that you taught me and modeled for me so well. I hope that she loves me someday half as much as I love you.

February 25

One year ago today Rick asked me to be his wife at sunset at Battery Park in NYC.

Rick...I still can't believe you asked. Saying yes was the best decision I ever made, and you are the greatest gift I'll ever receive. Thank you for making marriage so much better than I ever could have imagined.

This is one of the pictures we took that day (pre-engagement).
And Rick, I was wrong. You did wear that outfit. Good job saving it for a special occasion.

Cravings

I don't know if I've actually had any pregnancy cravings. Just a big desire to eat something in particular. But I like to pretend I have just so I have a good excuse to eat some yummy things (and sometimes it gets me out of making dinner). They've been...

• Peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• Skittles (lots and lots of them)
• French fries
  
• Chicken Parmesan and french fries

Not too much else on the pregnancy front. I've been feeling the baby move for about a week now. I love it. Rick has decided he will learn to tap Morse code on my stomach to send signals to the baby. He's got SOS down and is now working on Hi. And in two weeks we'll know if it's a boy or girl! I can't wait.

Thank You For Voting

The polls are now closed in the "what am I having?" poll. Nine of eleven of you think that I'm having a boy. According to the old wives' tales, I am having a girl (the baby's heart beat was 160). And Rick and I don't know. We've gone from boy to girl to we don't really know. In my heart of hearts, I'll be happy with either (even though I've always pictured myself as the mom of a bunch of boys). We're planning on finding out the sex and will know in the beginning of March (God willing)!

Question: how do you know when you become one of the old wives?

What Faith Looks Like For Me

Having faith and trusting God is a theme for me lately. When I asked Rick how I could grow this year, that's what he said. And then on Sunday one of the points in the message was to use this economic recession to see our own helplessness and trust in God's provision.

See, we've been looking for a house. With the low interest rates, a buyer's market, sisters buying houses and a baby on the way, it has seemed like the perfect time. To me. We've put offers in on two houses but both have been rejected (even though one was the highest offer they had). Sometimes this makes no sense to me. And that's how I know that I am where God wants me to be. Rick and I are completely helpless...we are waiting on God's provision. Who knows what it will be, but I'm sure it will be absolutely amazing. I waited for a little while for God to provide a husband, and I got the best one out there. He has been faithful and He will be again.

So in our family devotions last night Rick asked me what it looks like to grow in faith, particularly when it comes to house hunting. Here is my list:

1. Pray expectantly, believing that God will provide.
2. Have joy (and ignore the Eeyore mentality I can adopt so easily).
3. Know God more. Packer says that you can't trust God if you don't know Him. I'm making it my business to know Him.

And you can pray for us too. That we would trust Him, obey Him, have wisdom, and find a house within our means. And if a house isn't the answer, then we would know what to do this coming year.

i love you more than

Today I discovered this site and I'm officially addicted. All day I've been trying to think of something to fill in that blank. I love you more than...bacon, sleeping in on Saturdays, french fries, Jane Austen on snowy days.

What about you?

Roles and Goals

I spent some time reading the posts on CJ Mahaney's blog on biblical productivity. There is some really good stuff in there. He helps you to see that you need to identify your roles in life so that you can assign goals to each and then organize your schedule so that you accomplish the goals. It makes sense.

So first you figure out your roles (it's not rocket science). Mine are:
1. Christian
2. Wife
3. Mom
4. Daughter
5. Sister
6. Administrative Assistant
7. Friend
8. Church member

Next, you assign goals to each role. Important: do not assign more than three! Or you will never get them done. CJ's goals are 1) how can I serve others? and 2) how can I surprise others? Surprise is just a fun way to say honor and bless. So a goal might be:

Daughter - have lunch with my mom this week

That is all I know so far. He hasn't gotten to the scheduling part, but it's probably just a matter of putting that lunch with my mom into my calendar. And I think he must re-evaluate his goals every week.

You should definitely read the posts. I feel like this could help me to focus on what's important and what God wants me to do instead of whatever is most appealing at the time (aka. American Idol).

Having a Baby

I'm 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant...just getting to the end of my first trimester and my pants are getting too tight (which may just mean I'm eating too much). But I'm starting to get that bump.

You hear lots of things about pregnancy but you don't really know how it will affect you. I haven't had it too rough and am glad that I have 9 months to process all this. Usually I don't like to wait, but right now, I'm just fine.

Best parts of pregnancy: imagining what the kid looks like now (this week he is the size of a shrimp), visits to the doctor with Rick along, getting books from Nikki, starting baby traditions (like going to McDonald's every time I go to the OB), hearing Rick talk to the kid.

Worst part: sickness (not just nausea but my colds have been intense), prenatal vitamins, crying over silly things (seriously), having to go to the bathroom all the time.

Best advice (so far): a friend told me it's important to exercise...that the baby weight comes off a lot easier. I need to do a lot better at this.

Scariest part: becoming a mom and having to take care (physically and spiritually) of another person. Are you ever ready for that?

Most looking forward to part: holding him/her for the first time, watching Rick as a dad (he will be the best dad in the whole world).

What I tell the baby: whether you want me or not, I am going to be your best friend in the whole wide world.