Nursery - Before and After

On (possibly) the eve of becoming a Mom, I thought I would post some photos of the bedroom we changed into Harley's nursery. Enjoy!

Before:

During:After:

We're still missing some items for the walls (a mirror that Mom and Dad are painting, some more branches & birds to put around the "harley" letters), but isn't it cute? :)

Baby Update

I'm 36 weeks. On Sunday, I'll be 37 weeks, which is technically full term. Went to the doc yesterday & my amniotic fluid is too low. SO, there is a high probability that Harley will be making her arrival on Monday. Whoa! Flood of emotions...happy, worried, excited, scared, anxious, did I say excited? Much to do now...gotta go work on some websites. And finish cleaning. And packing my hospital bag. And give some major loving to Abbie & Ezra. :) Keep us all in your thoughts & prayers, please. More updates later!

Good Times and Bad Times

Bad times first...my heart goes out to my brother-in-law, Lane, my sister, Lori, and the entire Lynchard Family. Lane's father passed away on January 18th after a 6 month battle with cancer. He was a wonderful man and will be greatly missed. From Lane: "My dad taught me that success is not found in what you have, it is found in being a good husband, father and friend. Well done dad, your life was one success after another and I could not be more proud of you."

Also, Coach Moore's wife, Charlotte, passed away on January 17th. Even though she's had Alzheimer's and hasn't recognized Coach Moore for years, he visited her every day and he still has a picture of the two of them as a young married couple in a heart-shaped frame on his desk.

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Good times next...Bama won the National Championship. My hubby went to the game with my Roll Tidings. This is one of the souvenirs he brought back for me:

While he was gone, it actually snowed for a minute in Bham. Our lake half froze...not sure if you can tell, but it was pretty cool. After a few below freezing days, it completely froze but you couldn't tell on camera. Probably one of the few times we'll ever see a completely frozen lake in central Alabama!

Finally, I'm 35 weeks now! Harley will be here SOON!

Exciting day today...

Several events have occurred or are occurring today that elicited my excitement. First, it snowed. Well, kind of. I saw snow flakes come down. They didn't really stick, but it was pretty for a little while.

Next, I made a website live that I've been working on since July. I love this site design, I love the products the site features, and I love the gal who creates these beautiful items!

Check it out: http://www.carysrosedesigns.com!

Finally, tonight Bama plays in the BCS National Championship Game! Hubby is there and I couldn't be happier for him. As for me, I'm having a few friends over & cooking a big pot of chili.

ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!

Black-Eyed Pea Stew

Yummy stew that I made today for the New Year. I substituted collard greens for mustard greens since you're supposed to eat collards on New Year's Day. I also used canned black-eyed peas instead of dried...because it's easier.

Black-Eyed Pea Stew from CookingLight
This stew is a cousin of hoppin' John, a Southern dish made with black-eyed peas and rice traditionally served on New Year's Day. We use mustard greens in this rendition, but kale or collard greens would also work well. Serve with hot pepper sauce and corn bread. Beer pairs well with this dish.

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
8 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) bag prewashed mustard greens

Sort and wash peas; set aside.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender.
Add sausage; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in broth; bring to a simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in peas, salt, peppers, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until peas begin to soften.
Uncover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.
Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, and mustard greens; simmer 10 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)