Keeping the spark in marriage even amidst the busy days

It's been awhile since I've been able to set up a date night "in" for us since the past few months have been rough health-wise.  However, now that I'm feeling better, I knew we were overdue for some quality time.  Zenith has been so great with helping me around the house through everything and has picked up on a lot of my slack so he deserved a relaxing, romantic evening at home.  This time I decided that the theme would be wine and cheese tasting and picked up a few different cheeses to try with apple slices, crackers, wine, and chocolate dipped strawberries after dinner.

We started out with a dinner of grilled steaks, potatoes and salad, complimented by a pinot noir that would also pair well with the cheese.  To make it different, I set it up in the living room (as I usually do with our home date nights), put on some relaxing music and lit some candles.  We had a lovely evening together, the best part always being the chance to really reconnect and talk.  We always talk during dinner, but there's something about setting up a nice, romantic dinner that sets the stage for in depth conversation to really reconnect.

Dinner (with my new china!)

Post-dinner/dessert

Big News(!!):

It's been difficult to fit much else into our schedule these days because guess what?!  We're moving!  Yup, we finally found a new apartment (or more correctly, God found us one).  On day 8 of our novena to the Holy Ghost, we were officially offered an apartment that we had seen a couple days previously and really liked.  We knew that we would be moving to a busier area and were ready (though a little reluctant) to say goodbye to our quite neighborhood and beautiful country surroundings.  With our landlords selling this place, it was time to look for something new and we took this as an opportunity to decrease Zenith's driving time by moving closer to the areas where he usually works.  I found the new apartment on craigslist and we were able to set up a time to go see it the next day.  It's in the Bradford side of Haverhill MA which is the quieter side and I was pretty sold just from what I'd seen online.

It's a first floor (yay!), owner occupied 2 family house, with a lovely little backyard, and is just a bit bigger than the place we're in now (might get a little tight soon, but it'll definitely work!).  We both liked it right away and since I was pretty sure this was our new home before even going to see it, I typed up a renter's resume and had all the info we'd need to apply for it straight away.  I wanted to make sure they knew we were responsible and serious about the apartment and our current landlords gave us a great recommendation that really helped.  

God has been so good to us and we feel so blessed to be guided by Him.  We move in next Saturday so everyday has been a marathon of how many boxes I can pack up and how many things I can throw away.  We did a yard sale on Saturday and were able to sell a few things and the rest made it's way to either the dump or donation center.  I must admit, it feels great to be cleaning out at the same time and know that clutter will not be coming with us.

Here's a picture of William at the park a few weeks ago. (Photo credit to my sister Kaite)

The latest:

I have been very negligent in taking pictures whenever we go and do something so I apologise for the lack of posts and pictures.  We had a lovely get together with my family and grandparents when they came up to visit this past weekend.  I hope to steal some pictures from my parents and sister and will hopefully post a few soon.  

Every weekend has been filled with something and with Tess leaving soon (she has finished her year tutoring the family in the area), we've been trying to take advantage of spending as much time with her as possible.  I had an awesome girl's day out a couple Saturdays ago with Tess while Zenith watched William.  We went to a really cool cafe and talked for a long time, and then sat in Barnes and Nobles to look through magazines to get some decorating tips for the new place.  I didn't realize how overdue I was for a "baby-less" girl's day out.  I felt recharged afterwards and realized how much of a better mother I can be when I step out for just a little while.

William:

Not that I have much to complain about with William being such a great baby toddler (can't believe he's not a baby anymore!).  Now that he's walking, he's into everything and definitely needs lots more attention to keep him entertained.  But despite that, he does very well with quite time in the pack  'n play in the morning or afternoon and keeps himself busy (most of the time).  He still snuggles with me from time to time, but I must say, I am so ready for another baby!  What a relief it is to know I have another little one on the way and I don't have to lament every time I notice how old William is getting.  It's exciting to see him entering new stages, but how I miss those baby stages.  He has two molars, and 8 other teeth that I can see.  His favorite words are "more," "Dada," and "hi," which he says to every person we pass in the grocery store now while waving at them.  His vocabulary hasn't expanded much beyond those and "ah da" (all done), "ah-sye" (outside), "ah-sat?" (what's that? or I see it?), and of course he is still signing.

Pregnancy:

At 18 weeks today (woohoo!), and I am feeling pretty good.  If I've had too much sugar or caffeine, I'll make myself feel yucky, but as long as I'm careful to get enough sleep and not to have any refined sugar, caffeine or gluten, I will actually feel pretty normal!  I started feeling the baby at 14 weeks and by 15 weeks I could see the tiny bumping from the outside.  Zenith felt the baby kick last week which was pretty exciting.  This baby is so wiggly, which makes me think I'm going to have a much more active baby this time. *gulp*  

I'm finally starting to show though I'm still in that "you can't tell if I'm getting fat or if I'm pregnant" stage.  I love seeing my "bump" grow and watching Baby WiggleBug move around.  I don't have any particular cravings and not many aversions left.  It feels great to be eating much more "whole food" this time around and know I'm doing something great for both of us.

Well, it's time to put William down for a nap and then get some packing done so I must be off.  Not sure if I'll be writing again before we move in so the next post might be awhile.

Happy Hump Day!

~Lindsay

Picnic time!

Yesterday we had our church picnic at a local park after Mass. What a joy it was to see everyone come together to share values, good conversation, and a whole lot of just plain fun.  Everyone pitched in with food, drinks and games, making it quite a special event.  Praise God we had beautiful weather, if not a bit hot but I'm not complaining!  

"Come on Dad, lets go throw some football!"

Cousins playing

The guys had a game going with the nerf ball

"Ooo, did they just put out dessert?"

It was great to have the parish come together and it'll be nice to do something like this again.  It's been so nice to watch the parish growing with young families and have everyone come together to unite in Faith and a some good, Catholic, wholesome fun.  

We all share that fundamental desire to better know and serve Our Lord and after many years of not having a lot of access to the sacraments due to being at a mission chapel, we all appreciate how far we've come.  Our parish leaders have put a lot of work into making the chapel come together, and with such a zealous priest to guide us, we're finally making progress.  We at the chapel know what it's like to be without a community you can relate to in matters of the Faith and it's made us treasure what we have and work to keep it going.  There's something so beautiful in witnessing it come together in this early stage and I feel blessed to be a part of it.

We are all soldiers in God's army, fighting for the Kingship of Christ here on earth amidst the turmoil going on around us.  We may just be employees, employers, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters going about our daily life, sometimes just trying to keep our heads above water and feeling helpless in the fight around us.  But we are armed with the best weapons as we kneel at night in front of the crucifix to say the family rosary, holding something stronger than the heaviest artillery.  Our pleas at Mass, offered Communions, prayers, and sacrifices are what is going to make the difference and give us the strength to keep going.  It is through those tools, handed down to us by Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, that we will receive the graces that give us direction in life and help us better serve God.

Viva Cristo Rey!  Long live Christ the King!

~Lindsay

Yard sale finds, Mother's Day, and sunshine...it's Spring!

The sun has finally been making an appearance and things are warming up.  Now that I'm feeling better, we've actually been able to get out more!  Saturday we went out to look at yard sales and made out quite well.  We found a few decorative items for the apartment, a couple dresses and other clothes items in excellent condition, some newborn clothes, and a china set that I mostly bought for its beautiful tea set.

Dessert (fruit salad with cream) and a cuppa last night

Sunday being mother's day, we enjoyed a nice day out after Mass.  I love starting mother's day with Mass and receiving Our Lord.  It is He who has blessed me with this beautiful vocation of motherhood and what better way to thank Him for it than to venerate Him at Mass?  It also reminds us to honor His Blessed Mother whom He has given to all of us from the cross in John 19: 26, 27 as the Mother of mankind.

After Mass, we went to view an apartment in MA, and then had a nice lunch at a little cafe.  It was good to take it easy and spent the day leisurely.

I had my 15 week appointment in the afternoon and everything is going well.  Most of my food aversions have gone away at this point (except cinnamon in certain things) and I haven't really had any major cravings yet.  I've started some prenatal exercises, which feels great to be able to do.  I've been modifying it a bit since I'm so out of shape from being out of commission the first trimester, but I'm slowly working my way up.

William is as hammy as ever.  He keeps getting cuter every day and I don't know how much more we'll be able to take before we go into cuteness overload. :P  He likes to be outside and play and is really growing into a little boy and becoming more active.

This is what happens when Mommy turns around for a second, not realizing he stuck his hand in the yogurt.

Face painting!

Walking the leash

That's about all from our neck of the woods.  I need to remember to get our camera out more and take more pictures.  I promise I'll try to be better. :)

Happy Feast of the Ascension!

"And he led them out as far as Bethania: and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. And it came to pass, whilst he blessed them, he departed from them, and was carried up to heaven. And they adoring went back into Jerusalem with great joy. And they were always in the temple, praising and blessing God." - Luke 24:50-53

~Lindsay

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have to share a recipe that I found the other day.  I was browsing through some Paleo blogs and came across this...

The recipe is here over at Tessa the Domestic Diva

When I first saw them, I thought there was no way they would come out tasting as good as they looked.  They only contain bananas, natural peanut butter (or any nut butter), honey (or stevia), baking soda, vanilla, eggs, and chocolate chips (optional...pff yeah right).  They're actually really good for you!

So how do you get this??

I have a bit of an aversion to the texture of almond flour and other grain-free flour in baked goods so I was wary of this recipe.  But it was 9:45pm, Zenith and I were hungry, I had the ingredients, and then pictures were too tempting (not to mention the fact that they only take 13 mins total to put together and make!).  So I threw it together and 15 mins later, Zenith and I were thoroughly enjoying them with a cuppa.  

I thought there was one problem though...I didn't know if I could stop!  But after 2, I felt very satisfied and filled (it has a really good amount of protein in them) and my sweet craving was gone.  Don't know how they are so good, but I'd make them again!

And a few videos to leave you with.

Not to much longer until the weekend!

~Lindsay

It's official...Spring is here!

The sun is shining, buds are on the trees, blossoms have burst forth in soft pastel colors, and flowers are beginning to peek cautiously through the ground as if to make sure this new weather isn't just a joke before another snowstorm cruelly enslaves them again.  Ahhh yes, Spring is here!  Best part, I just hung my nappies out on the line for the first time this year!

Now it's official!

Friday and Saturday, both Zenith and I had some sort of stomach virus so we just stuck to home.  Sunday we were feeling better so in the afternoon, we met up with our friend Tess for a tennis match (between Zenith and her...William and I were content on the sidelines).  It was in the 50s so perfect for the players, but William and I had to be rugged up.  However, I'll take that over 20s and 30s any day!

He quite enjoyed watching the match.

William now walks around everywhere and loves it.  He has molars coming in on both sides so the poor guy has been in a bit a pain.  He has what looks like an eruption cyst on one side so I'm hoping that clears up on its own so we don't have to take him in.  But that can't be very comfortable.  I'm feeling much better (besides the stomach virus) and able to do much more.  I've been getting the vacuum out, mopping, doing nappies again, cooking, and it all feels great.  Time for some Spring cleaning!

Zenith's night classes have ended for the summer (yay!) and he'll have to do some make-up classes in the fall again, but at least he's done with the big stuff.  It's been great having him home for dinner in the evening and he's enjoying the freedom.  

Hope you all are having a great week.

~Lindsay

Mountain getaway

This past weekend we joined my parents and sister Kaite and her family who had rented a house up in the mountains for a little getaway.  It was great to get out of the old routine and enjoy good times with great company.  Games in the evening, good conversations, fresh mountain air, bonfires, Wii competitions, and watching the kids have a great time playing and interacting made it a wonderful weekend.  The house was in Conway NH, overlooking the White Mountains.

The loft, our "room" for the weekend.

View from the loft

This is zooming in through the window...we had an awesome view!

More pictures from outside

Bonfire

Now THIS is a s'more! Brownie, roasted marshmallow, cookie, and chocolate. I'm sad to say I didn't eat it...Zenith quite enjoyed it though.

Fellow photographer

Kaite and Dan

Sling shot practice

Aiiiiiiiim.....

FIRE! (it literally plopped about 10 feet in front of me...fail.)

Since Monday was our anniversary, Zenith took the day off and Mom and Dad took William home with them so we could have a day out together.  (Thank you Mom and Dad!!) We headed up further north into North Conway where we did some shopping at the outlets up there, and had lunch at a cute cafe.  It was on the second floor above little shops and they used mainly local and organic produce.

We also stopped at the Bavarian Chocolate Haus (!!) where they make their own chocolate and fudge right there.  Of course we couldn't leave without buying a sample. ;)  We then headed along Route 302 over the mountains where it went from 40 degrees to 31 degrees in a matter of minutes and the rain turned into a snow storm.

We had been thinking of getting out at some point and doing some hiking, but as you can see from the pictures it wasn't really walking weather.  We enjoyed the drive (which would have been better had we been able to see the mountains) and then stopped at the Common Man for dinner before picking up William.  We had a nice dinner upstairs in the lounge, tucked away in a little corner where they have comfy couches and tables to sit at.  The atmosphere is rustic and country and the food is delicious!

I can't believe it's been 2 years since Zenith and I received the sacrament which has fused our souls together in marriage.  In a way it feels like just yesterday, but in another way I can't believe that we've only been together as husband and wife for 2 years.  He's such a part of me now that I can't imagine a time where he wasn't in my life.  If 2 years has already brought this much joy to us and love for each other, then I can't wait to see where 5, 10 or 15 years will take us.  I wouldn't have it any other way, and can't imagine my life without him at my side.  With all that we've been through, he's been my rock, my loving support, reminding me everyday what our goal in life is and keeping me focused on this journey to Heaven.  He inspires me to try harder to be a faith-filled, strong, and loving wife to him and mother to our children, and I pray that God will always give him the strength and prudence to guide our family, and me the grace to help him when needed and the faith to follow and support him always.

My first and forever love <3

I'm feeling much better this week.  Still have to take it slow or I'll end up unconscious on the ground, but the midwife wasn't concerned since it's pretty common with the increased blood volume to feel like you're going to pass out.  12 weeks today, praise God!  I'm still proceeding cautiously since the miscarriage with Gabriel happened in week 12 of pregnancy.  I'll feel much better when I reach week 13 and 14 and then I can stop holding my breath and start letting it sink in that I have another little one growing inside me and I can allow myself to get more excited.

Hope you all have a great week and happy Hump Day!  

~Lindsay

(Just realized I have no pictures of the little guy from this weekend!  My camera battery died so I wasn't able to get many shots, but I'll make up for it in the next post.  He's walking much more confidently and has taken 9 steps at a time!  Not much longer and he'll be running.) :)