Work Baby Shower

Some girls from Mike's work had a baby shower for us yesterday. They were so generous and it was fun for me to meet some of the people he works with. Girl stuff is just to cute!

These were to cute not to photograph!

Spring Time and Company

Irises

African Violet

Gabriel and Mike

This week my irises started to go wild. I just love seeing them every year. Also, we have an African Lilac vine that didn't do anything last year, but is now starting to climb and look beautiful. The little purple flowers are so cute. I'm glad I didn't give up on it last year and yank it out of the ground.

We also had a pastor, Gabriel, from the Congo stay with us this week. It was great to hear his stories, see his generosity towards others and sense his love for Jesus. We hope to have him back here in the future.

Valentines Day with "My Girls"

This year we celebrated Valentines day on the 13th so that we could avoid the crowds on the 14th. Mike brought home presents for "his girls" before we went out on a date. Sophia got some cute pacifiers and I got flowers and chocolate. I thought it was pretty cute that Mike thought of her. My husband is the best.

That evening we went downtown to an Afghan restaurant. I splurged and got scallops and shrimp. The atmosphere was great and it was nice to go somewhere a little more fancy than we normally do. We topped off the evening by sharing a sundae at Baskin Robbins. Yum!

Sophia's present

My pretty flowers

Out for dinner downtown

31 Weeks

Here's me at 31 weeks for those who are interested. I am mostly posting these for the child that is yet to be born and so I can remember my weight progression. I'm assuming no one is really that interested in watching my midsection grow.

Weekend Update...

This weekend was really busy. The weather was beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside doing yard work, mountain biking (don't worry, I didn't do this), and hiking with friends. We also went to our friend, Ann's, b-day party, a church BBQ, and a Super Bowl party. As much fun as it all was, I'm pretty sure I overdid it. Today I feel pretty terrible and am trying to learn what it means to "pace myself." Any thoughts on how to do this?


29 week mug shot


Made yummy BBQ chicken pizza after Mike went on a bike ride and I went on a hike with friends


Ann's 26th birthday party!

28 Weeks

Ok friends...here are the updated pictures of my lovely tummy that you have been asking for! The first one looks sort of funny since my head is cut off and I was standing against a white background.

So Easy and So Good

The recipe below is so easy to make and so tasty. I grilled boneless pork chops instead of using the pork tenderloin. You can get boneless pork chops for a good price at Costco and they are so thick that you can cut them in half and freeze them for later use. Also, to make it a little spicy, I added red pepper flakes to the onion mixture. I served it over jasmine rice. Enjoy!

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Apricot and Caramelized Onion Sauce

2 pork tenderloins, (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds total weight)
2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 medium onions
2 Tbsp. apricot jelly
zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In an oven-safe skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Brown pork loins in the skillet on all sides, about five minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork loins reaches 145 to 150 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow the pork loins to rest for 10 minutes. This will bring the temperature of the pork up to 155 to 160 degrees.


Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions 1 to 2 minutes, then reduce the temperature to medium-low. Allow the onions to cook 15 to 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally, to make sure they don't burn. Add the apricot jelly and orange zest to the caramelized onions. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the jelly melts. Slice the pork loin diagonally and serve with the apricot onion sauce.
Serves 6.