Merry Christmas from Texas!

Merry Christmas from Texas! With our official first home purchase this year, one of the many things I was excited about was putting out Christmas lights! I didn't go crazy this year, especially with baby Rhodes on the way. Just did the front bushes. It really looks much prettier in person.

Kyle & I both worked on Christmas Eve. We then had Billy, Paula, Brett, Amanda, & the Herd Grandparents over for a Christmas Eve dinner. I made mom's recipe for beef burgundy (yum-O!), rice, broccoli, salad, homemade monkey bread, with Christmas cookies for dessert.

Here is a group pic of everyone before we started to chow down. Don't we make a cute crew? After dinner, we went into the living room to exchange gifts & had lots of fun.

Paula with her parents on Christmas Eve. Grandma & Grandpa Herd had just celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on this same day! Amazing! God has been good...what a blessing their marriage has been!

On Christmas morning, Kyle & I woke up in our own house, which was really fun! For the past 5.5 years we have been married, we have woken up on Christmas morning at either one parent's house or the others. So we actually felt like real "adults" waking up in our own house this year. Don't get us wrong, moms, we love you, but were also happy to have our own time together on Christmas morning this year. Here is a pic of us in our PJ's on Christmas morning before opening our gifts.

Mom even sent some special surprise gifts for us to open from Ohio. A few of them were our first few items for baby! We got a baby name book, some bibs, and an ocean sound machine. The sound machine is from Doug & Vicki, the preacher I grew up with in Ohio, who performed our wedding, & who we have shared several great memories at Norris Lake with over the years. Thanks so much, guys!

We then celebrated Christmas with the Rhodes side of the family at Billy & Paula's for dinner on Christmas. Paula had all kinds of good stuff on the menu: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, squash, salad, homemade rolls, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pie, raspberry pie, thumbprint cookies, etc. (I'm sure I left something out). She cooked ALL day and it was delicious! Don't worry, my contributions were corn casserole, a relish tray, a cookie tray, & a tray of homemade fudge. We definitely didn't eat "calorie-free!"

After dinner, everyone got together & attempted to sing a karaoke version of the 12 days of Christmas, which I got on video. I may try to upload it if it will work within the next day or so. Let's just say it's pretty funny, especially Paula!

We then had a "white elephant" gift exchange. Even the kids took part. What we discovered is that the saying "one man's junk is another man's treasure" really can apply, especially when kids like cousin Alaina are involved.

Overall, we had a great Christmas day. We did miss Grandmother Rhodes at our get togethers, as she was sick with the flu. We also missed our Ohio family....it's tough to be in two places at once!

We look forward to celebrating more holidays with our families in the future. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Yum, Yum...sausage balls!

Ok, so sorry if my last post was kind of depressing. You will have to excuse my mood these days. After a crazy trip to the mall last night, I'm feeling less overwhelmed. This is my first time working through Christmas (I work everyday next week but Christmas day), so I'm a little overwhelmed trying to get what I need done with working full time. But I am thankful for this job.

I just got done making sausage balls, as I'm about to go out the door to a Christmas party with some ladies from church. This recipe is super easy, delicious. I thought I'd share it with you.

1# sausage
4oz shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups Bisquick

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy! (Note: I just made a double recipe, which made about 80 sausage balls that were about 1-1.5 inches). They don't look the prettiest, but they are super yummy!

Happy eating, everyone! (And, no, this recipe is not a typical dietitian recipe. But, it's the holidays. So enjoy!)

Christmas Shopping Isn't For Me...

I'm in a Christmas shopping funk. Usually I'm so on top of having everything purchased by this time of the year, a week before Christmas. For some reason, I just can't decide what to do for people this year.

I just got back from Kohl's, hoping I would get inspired & see ideas for the people on my list. Instead, I just feel cheap. I know, I know. "It's the thought that counts" and "the best gifts in life are free", right? But still. When I look at the budget I have available to spend per person, I really wish I could do something more & give something nicer. It's part of who I am, and right now, I'm frustrated because I just can't give the way I want to give. I'm to the stage in life that finding something thoughtful & meaningful is hard to come by. I also HATE to give a giftcard.....if we are going to do that, why doesn't everyone just save their money & forget gifts altogether?

I'm hoping that after dinner I will get more inspired, not discouraged, at the mall. Wish me luck. It's a madhouse out there right now, and it's a Wednesday night!

Any ideas for thoughtful, inexpensive gifts? I'd love to hear your secret!

12 weeks pregnant...

I'm almost 12.5 weeks pregnant....it's crazy to think about how fast time has flown by! I can tell I'm already turning into a mom who is going to think that my kids have grown up so fast.

A few facts about what I'm learning is going on this week from my subscription to babycenter.com:

1.) The baby is about 2-3 inches long.
2.) Reflexes are being developed this week.
3.) Kidneys begin excreting urine. (does this mean I will have to pee more?)
4.) baby weight is about 1/2 an ounce.

Right now I'm still in normal clothes, especially since this is my first baby and I can still get away with it. However, my normal clothes are the clothes I had labeled in my head as my "fat" clothes. The jeans I am now wearing are jeans I haven't worn in a few years after I got more in shape. I won't tell you what size my "fat" clothes are, because it would still probably make most of you sick. But I guess I'm learning that "fat" is a relative term...

At work today we had our Christmas party for transplant. Forgot to bring my camera, so I don't have any pics. HOwever, a few co-workers said that they noticed a little bit of a bump. I think it was more of the outfit I was wearing, as I don't see a bump yet. But I'm guessing it won't be too much longer. We'll have to see.

I'm still feeling good, which I'm thankful. Just really hungry around mealtimes & need snacks often. I had to raid the nourishment room on the transplant floor this morning for some graham crackers to tide me over until our Christmas lunch! Thankfully, everyone understands.

Thanks for all of your continued prayers for me, Kyle, & our little blessing!

Praise God for organ transplants!

I just wanted to take a moment to praise God for the opportunity that many people have with a second chance at life through organ transplants. Now that I've been in my current job of working with liver,kidney, & pancreas transplant patients for almost a year, I have come to appreciate this even more than when I first started.

It's awesome to see a patient who desperately needs a new organ get one. There is a patient who just this weekend got a new liver who has been sick in the hospital the past 2 weeks. I have come to know this patient & his family pretty well. What a praise it was to walk in this morning & see that he now has a new liver! Even though his road to recovery will be long, I find it such a joy to see the happiness in the eyes of the family, for the way this family has thanked everyone on the transplant team for their support & kindness.

This is just one of the reasons I do what I do. I love to see answered prayers. This patient & his family are one such answered prayer. In the words of his daughter, who is probably in her 40s, "this is a Christmas wish come true and an answered prayer." God is good! I couldn't agree with her more!