O Christmas Tree

It's hard to believe, but this is our third Christmas together as husband and wife. We are still working on making our own traditions, so each year has been a little different but lots of fun. One of the traditions we have established is buying a new ornament for our tree each year. We try to find an ornament that represents something we enjoyed over the last year. Last year we found a polar bear ornament that represented our trip to the Tulsa Zoo (they had the most incredible polar bear there.) We have yet to go looking for one for this year, but it is on the list of things to do.

Another tradition is turning on the Christmas music and setting up the tree together. We love decorating the tree together, but I have to admit, this year I wasn't feeling so great, so I was kind of a bum. Our first year married I strung popcorn and cranberries, and we LOVED it! I fully intended to do that this year, but I never did work up the energy for that task. Maybe next year.

Another tradition we established/copied is making pizza after decorating the tree. This is a Palmer family tradition that we carried over to our marriage. You can't go wrong with pizza! And lastly, we go to look at Christmas lights each year. Here in our city we have a huge park that you can drive through that is all lit up beautifully. We grab us some Starbucks (which is always a treat to us) and we just drive around, listening to music, talking about whatever, enjoying the lights and each others company. This year we couldn't help but be excited that we will have a little toddler to share all of our traditions with next year! Surely with a child we will add more traditions, and some of our current ones may change.

Here is our little tree

Nesting

"The nesting instinct is the name given to the distinctive urge to clean, tidy, and organize that occurs during pregnancy."

While Aaron was home for lunch today I was sharing with him all the things I want to clean before the baby comes. We decided that I must be "nesting" because my list is really quite ridiculous. Do the couches really need vacuumed under the cushions? Are the windows and blinds really that dirty? And the fridge...yes, I plan to clean it out as well. The baseboards need dusted, and the tops of the washer and dryer need wiped down. I even made a list for Aaron. He cleaned the ceiling fans for me, and still has to wash the top of the fridge and vacuum the air conditioning vent. He always says, "you aren't going to over-do it today, are you? You need to be very careful!" He has been so sweet to help me out, and he is also good at reminding me that cleaning can wait. Each day that I feel up to it, I tackle one project that I want done before baby arrives. I don't think I will be disappointed if the list isn't complete before baby arrives, but I sure am glad each time I check something off the list.

Only a few more weeks to go!! We are looking forward to meeting out little gift from God!

Thanksgiving

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Lord has blessed me richly! I have a never ending list of things that I am thankful for, and would like to share a few of those things with you today.

I am thankful for:

-a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am thankful for His great love for me, and that He intercedes on my behalf.

-my sweet husband. He loves me and takes such wonderful care of me. God has truly blessed me.

-our little baby. We prayed for the blessing of a child in our lives, and God answered that prayer for us. I am thankful that baby Palmer is about to be born, and that so far he/she is healthy.

-my family, both mine and Aaron's. I am thankful for believing parents, who raised me up in the Word of God. I am thankful for all my brothers and sisters, for their spouses and all of my sweet nieces and nephews.

-my best friend. I am thankful for Andrea Snow! She is a faithful and godly friend, and I am truly blessed to have her friendship.

-all my friends. The Lord has blessed me with many wonderful friends.

-our house, vehicles, clothing, food, Aaron's job etc... I am so thankful for the Lord's provision in our lives.

-BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). Though I have had to miss a good portion of this years study due to pregnancy complications, I am thankful for the opportunity to keep up with the study of Isaiah. I am also thankful for all the leaders who have been faithfully praying for us, and who have been such an encouragement to us.

-There is so much more for which I am thankful, but these are some of the things that top the list.

Aaron and I spent Thanksgiving with my family this year. We drove down Wednesday night and were able to stay until Sunday. All but my oldest brother and his family were able to be there this year, so it was great to all be together again. We enjoyed our time there, and look forward to next year with our little one added to the crowd. My grandparents joined us for dinner on Thursday, along with 2 different families from my parents church. Over the weekend, the girls enjoyed a nice breakfast out one morning, we played a few different games (Farkle, Monopoly, Risk...), we did lots of sitting around and talking, and of course had really great food. Aaron and I were able to visit our "old" church in Texas. We were so glad to be able to see all of our friends there, and to worship the Lord with them. We are thankful for each one of them. My personal favorite thing I did over the weekend was spend time with my niece and nephews. I sure do love them all! Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite holiday!

Camping

The town of Ozark, Arkansas

Cherry Cobbler over the fire

A beautiful stream we found

Enjoying the view

Aaron and I took a little camping trip several weeks back, just to get away for a bit of relaxation. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, enjoyed being away from everyday distractions, and just being together. We went to the Ozark mountains just across the border in Arkansas. They were absolutely beautiful, and we imagine that as the colors change they are even more stunning. Having never been there before, we chose a camping site blindly, and though it was okay, we found MANY nicer sites as we drove through the mountains in the following days. Now we are better informed if we ever choose to camp there in the future.

While there we enjoyed mostly nice weather (it rained the entire first day). We spent a lot of time driving around, walking, playing card games, sitting by the fire talking and reading, sleeping, and eating campfire food. Some of the things we didn't enjoy so much were the nasty, HUGE spiders in the bathrooms, wild hogs snorting and keeping us awake at night, and an air mattress that decided to spring a leak. All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and one we were so grateful to be able to take together.

Cajun Roasted Pork Loin

Here is a new recipe I tried this week that was delicious and worthy enough to pass along. I've made some adjustments to the original recipe.

Cajun Roasted Pork Loin

2 T. margarine
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or less if you don't like spicy)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
2 garlic cloves minced
1 (3-4 lb.) boneless pork loin roast
salt and pepper to taste
1T. olive oil
6-8 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
You can use green peppers, celery etc...also if desired

Optional Gravy:

Pan juices
3 T. flour
1/2 c. chicken broth


Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.) Melt the margarine in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cayenne, oregano, pepper, thyme, mustard, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Use a knife to make several slits in pork loin. Stuff the slits with the spices mix. rub the remaining mix over the surface of the roast. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper.
3.) Heat the olive oil in a roasting pan over medium heat. Put roast in the pan, and surround with carrots and onion. Lightly salt and pepper the veggies. Place roast in the oven and cook for 1-1/2 hours, or until roast is done.
4.) If desired make the gravy. Remove the roast and veggies from the pan. Whisk flour and chicken broth into the pan juices, and cook for 3 minutes. Serve with the roast.

Fall

Fall has arrived and the box of fall decorations has come out of hiding. Today I have been putting out the decorations, spreading fall cheer throughout our home. Fall is my favorite of the four seasons. I enjoy the cool, crisp air that comes breezing through the open windows, the smell of the fall scented candles burning in our home, and the little splashes of fall color placed throughout our home. I also enjoy the smell of apple pie baking, the changing of the leaves outdoors, and the times spent with my sweet husband snuggling and drinking apple cider. So many things about fall make me happy!

going to the dentist

Going to the dentist is one of my favorite things to do, and today I went to the dentist. I love the sraping, the buffing, and the clean feeling after the cleaning is complete. The best part is when the dentist says "Rebekah, you have beautiful, strong and very healthy teeth, and I don't get to tell many people that. Keep up the good work." Ahhhhh!!! Those words are like music to my ears. If the dentist were to say to me, you have a cavity, I am quite sure I wouldn't be so fond of going to the dentist anymore.

BSF

The new BSF year has begun, and this year we are studying the book of Isaiah. My Tuesday and Wednesday mornings couldn't be better spent. On Wednesday's I have the privilege of teaching the young 2's, along with my sweet co-leader. All the children are studying Isaiah just like their moms.
One thing I am super excited about is the infant/toddler program that was added last year. I am so excited to Lord-willing be able to bring our little baby this coming Winter to BSF. Yes!! Even the little ones are taught from Isaiah, and taught a verse from Isaiah, and they hear the BSF hymns sung to them. What a joy and blessing it will be to learn Isaiah along with my little one!

The Craziest Puzzle EVER!!

Today I finished a puzzle that was given to me by my brother-in-law, Juan quite some time back. Several weeks ago I decided to brave this puzzle, and I never turned back. While I enjoy the challenge of a good puzzle, this was by far the most challenging I've ever done. I enjoyed working on it for many reasons, the biggest reason being, I spent hours praying for Juan, Ashley and baby Janette while I put it together.

Labor Day Weekend

Our Labor Day weekend was spent with Aaron's brother Adam and his family. We were able to spend time talking, the guys played some video games, we went out to breakfast Sunday morning, and we played with our nieces and nephew. We thouroughly enjoyed their visit!

Catherine

Adam & Emily

Clare

The whole Palmer clan as we tested out the new surround sound.

Uncle Aaron doing a puzzle with Catherine

Curtis - he is such a happy guy!

Playing video games

Playing the Wii

Playing soccer (aka...kick the ball over the fence)

Day Trip

It is a rare occasion when Aaron has a Saturday off, so when he does, we try to do something special. He was off this past Saturday so we took an hour and a half car ride to the Chickasaw National Recreation Area/Arbuckle Mountains. We had camped there almost a year ago with Aaron's family and had discovered there are many things to do there. It was such a fun day, so enjoyable, and we were able to talk and just be together. We loved it!

We have been told by so many people how delicious the fried pies at exit 51 are, and that we HAD to try one sometime. Finally, after driving past the exit on our many trips back and forth to Texas, we decided to make this a part of our day. We stopped in for fried pies and they were delicious. Aaron had apple and I had cherry.

We went swimming in this lake, the water was quite refreshing.

We also stopped at the Turner Falls look-out.

Dinner Tonight

Shepherds Pie

6 med. potatoes

4 carrots (I've also used green beans, corn, peas or mixed veggies)

1 lb. ground beef

1 med. onion

1 - 12 oz. jar beef gravy

1 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 tsp. ground sage

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 C. milk

1 tbls. butter

2 tbls. parmesan cheese

1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

1.) Peel and cube potatoes; place in large pan and cover with water. Cover and cook about 20 minutes.

2.) Peel and slice carrots; place in pan and cook until crisp/tender.

3.) In a large skillet, cook beef and onion. Drain grease off meat. Stir in carrots, jar of gravy, 1/2 tsp. of salt, sage, thyme, rosemary and pepper. Transfer to a shallow 3 qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4.) Mash potatoes with milk, butter and remaining salt. Spread over top of the meat mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Top with cheddar cheese if desired.

5.) Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees, for 40-45 minutes, or until heated through.



*Serves around 6

This is Aaron's favorite meal! It seems like a lot of work to make, but since I've made it many times in 2 years, I can make it in about 20 minutes. The longest part is the mashed potatoes. I half the recipe for the 2 of us.

Psalm 139:13-16

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my

soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Memories

Today I was reading through something I made for Aaron that I gave to him as a wedding gift. In it was a memory I had forgotten temporarily, and reading it again made me smile and laugh. This is a memory from December of 2006, Aaron was completely interested in me at this time and I was clueless. I really didn't know who he was at this point, though I had figured out recently that he was a Palmer (I saw his picture on the wall at the Palmer household.)

We had both been invited to Tim and Emily's (along with many others) for a gift exchange/Christmas party. Aaron and I arrived at the same time, so when I got out of my car, I asked him if he knew where their apartment was. He assured me he did as he had been there before. So we climbed the stairs and proceeded to knock on the door. Not long after our knock, a lady started screaming at us through her door that we better leave because she didn't know us. Aaron was like "Emily is playing a joke on us." So he knocked again and the lady screamed at us again. At that time, some other friends arrived and saw us up there knocking on the door. They informed us that we were in fact knocking on the wrong door, and Emily wasn't really the one screaming at us.

Aaron later informed me that he was sure he blew any chances with me after that embarrassing episode. Little did he know that it would crack me up years later, and it played a small role in getting him to talk to me more. Just 3 months later we began our courtship.

I can't stop laughing!! I love little memories like this!

Rising while it is still night

This past Friday morning, at precisely 8:02 am I was startled awake by the doorbell. I've never jumped out of bed so fast in my life. Aaron had to leave early for work, so I didn't wake up with him like I usually do. The night before I was exhausted, so I went to bed at 7:30 pm and "set" my alarm before climbing into bed, or did I??? This is the big question. Did I set the alarm? If I did, I must have gotten out of bed to turn it off without knowing it. I'm pretty sure I made a mistake and thought I set the alarm, but actually didn't. Anyways, it took only seconds for me to realize that the little guy I watch everyday was here, and I wasn't even remotely ready to answer the door. I couldn't just not answer the door though, his mommy had to get to work. So I quickly threw on some clothes, smoothed my hair with my fingers, and slapped my cheeks trying to wake up. I answered the door at 8:04 am, and apparently I didn't slap my cheeks hard enough, because Leslie said to me "are you okay Rebekah?" I was so embarrassed to have to tell her that I just woke up to the sound of the doorbell. She was so sweet and understanding, and chalked it up to me being pregnant. Lately we've had much on our minds, and that combined with a precious human being growing inside of me sure wiped me out!


For those who know me, you know I'm not a morning person at all! Aaron can roll out of bed and be perfectly fine, but I need my space in the early morning hours. A few years ago, a woman I respect very much challenged me to rise early in the morning like the portrait of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 did. Ever since she challenged me on this, I've really been working hard at "rising while it is still night." I had been praying that this challenge wouldn't be a chore for me, but rather a blessing. Last year I volunteered my Tuesday mornings at BSF to watch the leaders children during leaders meeting, and then I committed to attend BSF on Wednesdays. I knew what I was committing to was going to be difficult as far as my sleep patterns were concerned, but the Lord really blessed my commitment, and the rising early was not a challenge anymore. I would be up in time to have some quiet time with the Lord, get some household chores done, and still be on time for BSF. I was in such a routine with BSF, that it has just carried over into the Summer, and will continue to carry on into the Fall when I begin BSF again. I may not be as cheerful as I could be in the mornings, but when I rise early, so much more is accomplished throughout the day, and I tend to enjoy the day more.

"She riseth also while it is yet night..." - Proverbs 31:15

This is why...

This picture should explain why I dislike having my blood drawn. On the 4th attempt, and the 3rd nurse, they were able to get the minimum amount they needed. They had to be creative with location to get it out of me. That piece of cotton on my left wrist is where they finally got the blood from. 2 days later I recieved a call telling me that since my blood came out so slow it clotted, and they needed me to come in again. So not cool!

I have to explain the smile on my face though. It was this bloodwork that confirmed that I was expecting a baby! It made the whole process much more bearable!

Boy OR Girl???

The most popular question by far during my pregnancy has been, "will you find out if it is a boy or a girl?" My newest way to answer this question is, "we absolutely will!!!" I had been saying "no, we aren't going to find out," but the truth of the matter is...we will find out boy/girl when our baby arrives!

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

In this Palmer home, I am constantly looking for and trying out new recipes. I thouroughly enjoy reading through my many cookbooks, searching for yummy recipes, and I almost always have about 5 new ones marked and ready to try out. There have been some rare dissapointments along the way, some recipes that sound delicious and turn out to be anything but delightful to the taste buds. More often than not though, I have have success. Last night, I had success!! Aaron and I loved this recipe, and it will be added to my recipe box!

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches

1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/4 C. soy sauce
3 TBLS. honey
2 TBLS. white vinegar
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 rolls or hamburger buns
1 C. shredded lettuce
4 tomato slices
mayonnaise (optional)

Combine the first six ingredients and whisk together. Reserve 1/4 cup. Pour remaining sauce in a large resealable bag. Add chicken, seal, and marinate for atleast 5 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Broil chicken 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. On the bottom half of each roll/bun, layer lettuce, tomato and chicken. Drissle with reserved sauce. Spread mayo on top if desired.
NOTE: Chicken may be grilled, covered, over low heat for 10-12 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Rebekah's Notes:
I definately recommend using the grill. I went the broiling route, and when I saw smoke, I had Aaron open the oven to check on them, and there was a huge flame going from all the grease. Next time we will be using our grill! :) We didn't have lettuce on hand, so we just used tomato and mayo. We both really enjoyed this recipe!

My latest project

A year and a half ago I began cross stitching a baby boy sampler thing (not sure what to call it), and figured by the time I finished it, I would have a new nephew to give it to. I "faithfully" worked on it for about a week, and then it just sat around on our coffee table. 2 months ago I picked it up again because my sister-in-law Emily was due any day, and I decided if she had a boy, it would be a perfect gift for him. So I picked up the project, and was able to complete it, and guess what, Emily had a boy!

While cross stitching, I discovered it really isn't one of my favorite things to do as far as crafts go. It had been awhile since I had cross stitched anything, and I am pretty sure it will be awhile again. I didn't enjoy untangling threads, and I made many mistakes, but it was made with love for my sweet nephew Curtis. I also learned (compliments of my brother David) that cross stitching is 2 seperate words, not the 1 word I always thought it was. I looked it up and it is a fact.

Pancakes and Gift Card

When Aaron and I married 2 years ago, we were blessed in so many ways, but one of the more practical ways was the gifts. To this day I can remember who gave us what, and when I use or see these items, I remember to pray for those who gave us the gifts. We were given 1 gift however that we haven't used yet. It is a Macy's gift card!! We never knew what to spend it on until just the other day. Aaron's sister Aleyna came up for a visit, and she made us delicious pancakes. I rarely make pancakes because I can only make 3 at a time in my largest frying pan, and that just isn't time efficient. I would make them more often if I could just have a faster way of cooking them. A few nights after the delicious pancakes, a Macy's commercial came on tv, and it was for several items, one of them being an electric griddle. Ah!! This is just what we need to make pancake cooking more efficient and frequent. So tonight, while Aaron is setting up the new DTC store till 9pm, I have decided to take a trip to the mall, and purchase a griddle from Macy's. This works out well for all of us. Aaron won't feel bad for having to work so late, I won't be at home wondering what to do without him, and we will both benefit (or not benefit) from the more frequent pancake meals around here. Goodbye Macy's giftcard, Hello griddle!!

Ready or not, bad grammer and all, here I...start blogging!

My summer has been rather mellow so far this year. It is too hot to do much outdoors, and when I do venture out, it isn't for long. During the week I am babysitting a sweet little 1 year old boy, he has been so much fun to have around. He keeps my days pretty busy. Weeknights are spent with my sweet husband, we usually play games, talk, watch movies or go to bed at insanely early hours. Weekend activities, well, they vary. The last 2 weekends Aaron has had Saturday off, and since that rarely happens, we didn't know what to do. As of late I have been spending many of my Saturday's going to garage sales, searching for great deals on baby things and scrapbooking items. I can't say I've had much success, but occassionally I find a treasure worth purchasing. We now own a wooden highchair, a bouncy seat, and 2 little board books.

This past weekend was the 4th of July, and we had plans to head to the Freedom Fest celebration here in Yukon. Wouldn't you know, it rained for the better part of the weekend, making our plans a no go. In the 3 years we have been together, Aaron and I have never gone to see 4th of July fireworks together, so I was rather bummed to have to wait 1 more year. Well, the rain subsided before the fireworks were to begin, so we decided to drive to the grocery store parking lot and watch them from our car. Was it worth it? YES!! The show may have been small townish, but it wasn't too shabby, plus, now I can say we have seen a fireworks show together.