Maternity Photos by Kim Bee

We just received some of our maternity photos taken by the much admired, Kimberly Bee. Didn't she do an amazing job? Here's just a sneak peek of some of the great photos she took....

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Steph's Pick - a little craft project

One of the very first projects I created for our little gals room was the butterfly shadowbox shown above. I was inspired by a friend's sister-in-law's blog and wanted to try my hand at making something similar for our nursery. It seemed easy.... and it was! Even for those of you who wouldn't consider yourselves crafty - you could easily do this (and in less than 30 or so minutes)!

Here's how to make your own:
- Gather Supplies: a shadow box (mine was from Michael's - be sure to collect their 40% coupons), an assortment of papers, a butterfly punch (mine was from the Martha Stewart line from Michael's) and some mini glue dots.
- Mark the back of the shadowbox with a pencil every 1 1/2 inches...leaving a 3 inch border around the edge.
- Punch out the butterflies
- Lay out your pattern and then attached butterflies to the paper with the glue dots
- While attaching, slightly bend the butterfly wings up

That's it!! Happy Crafting!

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a Murder Mystery Party

About a month ago our small group decided to do something different for a social activity. After throwing around a bunch of idea's we settled on doing a Murder Mystery Party - Murder in Margaritaville. Although very few of us had ever taken part in a Murder Mystery Party, we were all eager to get our first taste of it.
So invitations and casting lots went out a couple weeks prior (thanks Michelle for taking the lead on this). Alan was casted as Father Nick (note his costume in top picture - Hilarious!) and I was Rhonda (I think that's what her name was), the gypsy.
As the night progressed we had some incredible food (all Margaritaville-ish) and more information was revealed about the murder.
Finally at the conclusion of the evening the murderer was revealed - and it was ME! The pregnant gypsy! Everytime I look at the above group picture I get a good chuckle.
So next time you're looking for a group activity - do consider hosting a Murder Mystery Party. It's something outside of the usual and proved to be a lot of fun.

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A Belly Update - 38 weeks

Here's 5 Random Pregnancy Facts for all of you who might be interested....

5) I never knew I had enough skin to stretch this far :)
4) Doing regular (well - girl style) push-up's is just not possible when your belly touches the ground before you feel much of anything in your chest or arms. On to wall push-ups I guess.
3) God sure knows how to prepare a woman for motherhood when He placed the bladder so close to the uterus. Getting up 4-5x a night to use the restroom supposedly is great preparation for once the baby arrives. We'll see...
2) Make sure to get yourself a self-less husband - anyone who is willing to paint your toe nails is ready for ANYTHING! Thanks honey.
1) 112 degree's while pregnant is NEVER a good idea! Ugh....

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Steph's Pick - Strawberry Margarita Pie

All across the country this week it seems like it's been what I would call "smokin' HOT." So I thought in light of this heat wave I'd choose a refreshing dessert recipe for Steph's Pick. We made this about a month ago and loved it (note: I only had a couple bites)

Strawberry Margarita Pie Recipe
from Manchester Highlands Inn (via *Pie)

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries
2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 Tbsp tequila
4 Tbsp triple sec
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Toss strawberries with 4 Tbsp sugar and set aside. Blend graham cracker crumbs, rest of sugar and butter in food processor. Press into bottom and up sides of buttered 9 inch springform pan.
Next, puree strawberries and sugar with condensed milk, tequila, triple sec and lime juice in processor or blender. Transfer to a large bowl.
Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of cream into puree. Gently fold in remaining cream. Pour filling into pie crust, cover and freeze until form, preferably overnight.
To serve, run hot, sharp knife around the sides of pan, remove dies and cut into wedges. Garnish with mint leaves and fresh strawberries.

* Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie

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A Baby Shower for Joy

This past weekend I co-hosted a baby shower for a good friend of mine, Joy. She is due 6 weeks after our little girl and she's also having a girl :) We're so excited for them to grow up together.

We had a couple different themes going on - one of which is fairly obvious from the photos - the colors, black, white and red. These are the colors of her nursery so we thought we'd incorporate them into the shower. We also asked each guest to bring a children's book. Joy and daddy-to-be, Kevin, love to read and so we thought we'd help them start Reagan's library nice and early.

It was such an incredible time of fellowship, encouragement and celebration as we anticipate Joy's journey into motherhood and the little girl, Reagan, who is due to arrive come late August.

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nursery (check)

We were finally able to put some of the finishing touches on our nursery/guest room over the past couple of weekends. Prior to that it seemed like we were traveling a ton and just didn't have the time. So both of us went to work putting everything together.
Although it's not a huge space, and I admittedly would probably already change a few things (I'm weird like that) - I think it turned out pretty great! And it's pretty much ready for our guest of honor.
Now all we need is the baby... and who knows when she'll make her appearance :)

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Steph's Pick - My new Toy

One of my "must-have" purchases once discovering we were going to have a baby was a nice camera. Although we had a great camera, I wanted to be able to capture our little punkin with a specific camera of my choosing that I'd had my heart set on for years. After much discussion with some other expert and amateur photographers (as well as some $ saved in the bank), I decided to purchase the Nikon D90. Let me tell you - I am in LOVE with this camera and can't wait to use it each and every day.
I feel like my relationship with my camera is like any new relationship. You just aren't sure of one another at first, and frankly are a little nervous to interact. But the more I spend time with it the more I fall in love with it. Below you'll find just a sample of photos I've taken of people with my camera.

My FAVORITE niece - Adelyn!

A dear friend, Nealy and her baby Callie.

Some other friends' engagement photos - Michael and Katie will be wed this coming winter.

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the belly project update...

Wow! I can't believe how quickly time flies. One would think getting an opportunity to snap one quick belly photo wouldn't be such an ordeal but for some reason it just slips our mind weekend after weekend. However, for those of you who have been eager to see how mom and baby are growing.... here you go!
And again, for those visual learners - up until the end of this week our little lady's size is compared to a honeydew (starting next week - a watermelon!)

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Steph's Pick - Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter

Just this week we had made arrangements to have some friends over for dinner. Like my usual self I was insistant on trying some sort of new recipe on them. I don't know why I do this as most hosts would suggest to prepare a recipe you're confident will turn out (ie: something you've made before). But I don't usually like to do the "normal" thing.
We quickly settled on making grilled filet and needed a side. We've only grilled vegetables a handful of times in the past and thought this fire-seared antipasto platter sounded great. And it surely rose to the occassion!! It's a new recipe I found in my June 2009 Cooking Light magazine. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
Dressing:
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetables:
3 plum tomatoes, halved
2 red bell peppers, quartered and seeded
2 yellow bell peppers, quartered and seeded
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (1 1/2-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
Garnishes:
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 ounce capocollo, thinly sliced
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons capers
6 green olives, sliced
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3. To prepare vegetables, brush 1/4 cup dressing evenly over tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onion, and eggplant. Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred. Arrange vegetables on platter; brush with remaining dressing. Arrange prosciutto, capocollo, and cheese on platter. Sprinkle platter with basil, capers, olives, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Enjoy!

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a Triggs wedding

On May 30th, 2009, we had the priviledge of standing up for my brother and Amy on their wedding day. It was such an incredible celebration of their commitment first to God and then to one another. I couldn't believe how quickly the day came and went! Amy and everyone who helped with all of the details (and anyone who has planned a wedding know's there are a ridiculous amount of details involved) did an incredible job and the day went so smoothly. We were so happy to be asked to play a small part in it.
The newlywed's return from the honeymoon today - we can't wait to hear what they thought about the wedding day and how things in the Dominican Republic went.

More photos of our time in the midwest to come....

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Steph's Pick - a Pregnancy Tip

Now I fully realize that I'm not yet through with this pregnancy thing but I have learned a couple of important tips over the past 35 weeks.
One of them came a couple weeks back when I started waking up every morning with severe leg cramps. Now this is a standard third trimester pregnancy symptom. I figured I would just have to live with it over the next few months, but after a conversation with a friend (thanks Joy!) she suggested despite the strangeness of the suggestion, she had heard that putting a bar of soap under the fitted sheet at the end of the your bed can help prevent these cramps.
So - because I was so desperate, I tried it. (don't laugh - you'd do it as well if this happened to you every nigtht!) And it worked!!!! I couldn't believe it so I obviously kept the bar of soap at the bottom of my bed just praying it would continue to pry off this horrible intruder.
A couple of weeks passed with no cramping and we made our way to Omaha for my brother's wedding (more pictures to come later). I forgot about this lovely tip and believe it or not, I woke up that first morning in the hotel room with crazy cramping again!! I couldn't believe that this wise tale actually seemed to work on me.
Needless to say, we're currently in Minneapolis staying with Alan's family and one of the first things I asked my mother in law upon arriving at her place was where her extra bar soap was :) I just hope I can remember to remove it when we leave on Sunday.
I'm not much of a believer in things like this but wanted to at least share this story for those of you who may also be experiencing the same thing.

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Steph's Pick - DIY Fabric Headboard

Like most first time mom's - I've spent a decent amount of time thinking through what I'd like the nursery (and in our case nursery/guest room) to look like. Early on in my pregnancy I started formulating a list of things that needed to be done before our little peanut comes into this world.
In April we were fortunate enough to have my parents come down for a week to visit AND they were eager to help us with all of our projects around the house. They were so helpful - thanks Mom and Dad!!!
One of the projects we completed while they were in town is a fabric headboard for our guest bed. This isn't the best picture of it - but it will give you an idea of what it looks like. The best part about this project is that is was sooooo easy!! Some DIY (do-it-yourself) projects aren't all that easy, but this one really was. So I thought I'd share my step-by-step instructions so you can do this yourself.

1. Assemble Tools and Materials.
Here’s what you’ll need:
8-foot tape measure
plywood for the main fabric-covered area (the cheapest grade is fine since no wood shows)
plywood for 2 legs: about 30” x 4”
roll of upholstery batting or cotton batting
a beautiful piece of fabric for the cover
a power drill (if you have one)
a staple gun (preferably an electric one!)
Optional: cording, braid, or other trim

2. Decide on the shape and size.
First measure the width of your bed and decide how high to make the headboard. Remember that the box spring, mattress, and decorative pillows will cover up part of the headboard, so you may want to add more height to compensate. I recommend having the bottom of the fabric-covered wood headboard start at the top of the box spring Total height of this top section (not counting the legs) will be about 36 inches.

3. Cut the wood for the headboard and legs.
If you don’t want to cut it to size at home then ask the salesperson to cut it to your measurements. At less than a dollar per cut it’s money well spent. Also have them cut 2 pieces about 30” long by 4” wide. These will be attached as legs at the end of the project.
If your headboard will be rectangular then you can proceed to covering it with batting.

4. Cover the wood with batting.
Lay the batting over the wood frame, adding 2" all the way around. Staple the batting to the back of the frame where it won’t show.

5. Secure fabric with staples.
Iron your decorative fabric and smooth it face-down on the work area. Set the covered headboard, face down on top of it. Cut the fabric the same size and shape, adding about 4” extra to wrap around the back of the headboard.
Starting at the center top, begin stapling the fabric to the back, making sure that any pattern on the fabric is properly centered and straight. Pull it just enough to get a smooth front side, but not so much that it puckers.
Once you have about 12” of the top stapled, switch to the bottom edge. Smooth the fabric around the wood and staple several places on the bottom edge. Continue working in sections along the top and bottom. This might be a good time to lift up the headboard and check your progress before stapling the sides.
If everything looks good, set it down and begin to secure the fabric to the sides, folding over the outer sides and staple the fabric to the back. Make sure the corners (if you have any) look neat and tidy from the front.
Staple lining fabric onto the back of the headboard, covering all the raw edges of fabric and batting.

6. Attach the legs and secure to the bedframe.
Cover the 2 leg pieces of wood with lining or decorative fabric, stapling to the back of the leg.
Place the headboard, face down, on a flat surface. Determine the desired height of the finished headboard, and attach the legs to the headboard, about 2” in from the side edge.
Now drill holes in the legs and attach them to the frame of the bed.

That's it!!! It's a great (and cheap) way to add another great decorative dimension to any bedroom.

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my AZ baby shower

Like I said in my previous post - it was a weekend of showers!!! Nine of my closest friends hosted a baby shower for me this past Saturday and I couldn't have been more thrilled with how everything went. From the moment I walked through the front door to the second I got into my car, I felt so loved and so honored. And I know baby Flies did too!
Long before this weekend, the invites were designed by my friend Laura and sent out to a handful of potential guests. Then when Saturday afternoon finally rolled around, it started off with scrumptuous food (thanks Michelle, Denise and Becky) and super creative decorations (hats off to you, Brittany and Joy), was followed by an inspiring devotional by Joy, then games by Amy, opening of gifts and finally everyone departed with a super cute favor (Zee and Amy - you're the best!). My mentor, Laurie, hosted the party at her house and the setting couldn't have been better for the group in attendance. Seriously - everything was just so perfect. I feel humbled all over again as I write out the specifics of that day.
Thanks to all of your ladies who attended - it meant so much to me to have you there and to ultimately have you as a part of our lives. We can't wait for little Ms. Flies to meet all of you!

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Laura's "Something Blue" Bridal Shower

This was officially the weekend of showers (well - there were only two of them but it felt like a lot). On Friday evening I was blessed to be able to host a shower for my dear friend, Laura. She and her fiance, Phil, are getting married in South Dakota on July 18th. Because we won't be able to be there (baby due on the 12th) I knew I had to throw a great party to celebrate their upcoming wedding for all of her friends and family here in AZ.
Laura's "Something Blue" bridal shower was full of blue, blue and more blue! I was able to get my hands on a few Tiffany's boxes, a handful of giant diamond rings and loads of other great decorations. Her aunt, Michele, hosted the shower at her beautiful house and did all of the food and beverages (note: blue martini's in top left corner). Everything went so well. I hope Laura felt loved and honored by it all.

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Steph's Pick - a NEW(ish) product

Alright - I'll admit it - I have no idea how long these have even been on the market. However, they are new to our household which makes them worthy of being called a NEW(ish) product!
I bought a packet of Ziploc's Zip'n Steam bags awhile back and have just gotten in the habit of using them a couple times a week. Let me tell you - they are the BEST!!!! Seriously - they've made making side vegetables so much easier and healthier. I'm a huge advocate of cooking a main dish and having a couple of sides (veggie and starch generally). Now there's nothing that specifically says I have to do this - it's just something I do. Although cooking veggies (and starches for that matter) other ways (boiling, broiling, baking, grilling, etc) is not all that time consuming, the Zip'n Steam bags have cut the time in half in some cases, which for a busy woman is so helpful.
For example - the other day I put a bunch of broccoli florets in a bag - consulted the outside of the bag for how long I needed to cook them - 5 minutes - stuck them in the microwave - did a couple other things while they were cooking - and BAM! (as Emeril would say) - they were done. Cooked to perfection and sooooo good!!!
I would strongly suggest picking up just one pack today. Try it out! I guarantee, you won't regret it!

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a few more pictures

This is the last post of photo updates. Like I mentioned at the beginning of last week, I've had so many pictures to upload but just no time to do it. So - this officially marks my last photo update. Going forward we should be fairly well up to date.
The above picture is a quick snapshot we took in front of the Washington Memorial in DC just a couple weekends back. My co-workers, Sharla, Ken and I had a night free where we were able to see a good amount of the memorials in DC. Not often on work trips are we able to go sight-seeing but when we were given a couple hours of free time before catching an early morning flight the next day we had to take advantage of the opportunity. DC really is a beautiful city! I hope to be able to go back again.
And below are a few more pictures from my best friend's wedding. I got my hands on a couple of the photographers pictures and just had to post them as they turned out so great!

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Steph's Pick - a Grilling Cheat Sheet

Grilling has always been one of our favorite ways to cook our meals. While growing up the summer months brought night after night of delicious meals from the grill. After moving to AZ we now spend most of the year grilling and actually try and avoid the grill as much as possible during the summer (imagine 100+ degree heat and an extremely hot grill - not too much fun).
Regardless, about a year back in my Real Simple magazine I came across a "Grilling Cheat Sheet" that we've found to be extremely helpful when trying to determine how long to grill a specific item. Just this weekend I bought some incredible filet's from Costco and we obviously wanted to cook them to perfection. We consulted our handy-dandy cheat sheet and they turned out perfect!
Download yours today from http://www.realsimple.com/static/pdfs/grillcheatsheet.pdf. It's a life-saver.

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an upcoming wedding...

As I believe I've mentioned on a couple of different occassions, my brother is getting married at the end of this month! We couldn't be more thrilled to be able to join him and Amy as they celebrate their new lives together.
It's been so fun being able to play a small part in the planning processes of the wedding. It makes me want to have a wedding again! Amy is such a sweetheart and even let me try out my new camera (Nikon D90 - the best! - happy "you're having a baby" present to me) on them a couple weekends back. The above picture is just one of the few I took.
We're counting down the days till we head to Lincoln, NE at the end of the month!!!

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baby Flies update

She keeps growing and growing and growing... For those of you who are always asking for more belly pictures - here you go! Here's me at 30 weeks - only 10 (ish) more to go.

And below you'll find a picture I'm sure I'll treasure forever - the going to be 5 generations of Triggs family members. To the far left is my grandmother and next to her my great-grandmother, then me and baby and lastly my dad to the far right. Note: My great-grandmother just turned 98 a couple weeks back! It was so fun to be able to see her while I was in Iowa.

And lastly - I just couldn't resist a "What size is our baby" photo. I'm a visual learner so these sorts of things help to put my uncomfortability into perspective :)

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Crossfit Moms

One of the things I've been able to squeeze into my schedule over the past month is a few workouts at our friend's business, North Scottsdale Crossfit. For those of you who know me, I've always been quite active. However, I will tell you the truth, with some of the random health issues I've had going on throughout my pregnancy, I'm probably in the worst shape I've ever been in. Regardless, I'm turning over a new leaf! What better time to do it - at the beginning of the 3rd trimester!!! :)
Kevin and Joy started their business awhile back and have been progressively seeing the business grow. It's been so fun to be a part of it.

And - just a little plug for Crossfit Moms - it's such a great way to increase muscular endurance and strength. I'm hoping in the long run it will help prepare my body for labor (ughh - I don't like to think about that) as well as the physical act of lugging a baby around after our little girl is born.

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a week of photo updates

Wow!!! It has been quite the past couple of months. Thanks to all of you who prayed for my travels this past weekend. Things went very well and suprisingly enough, the flights were fairly bearable.

So thank you!
I thought in an effort to try and make up some time I'm going to do "A Week of Photo Updates" as there have been so many things I just haven't had time to post about over the past few months.

This first update is two-fold (but involves one of my favorite people). A couple weeks back I was able to travel to the Midwest to spend some time with both my in-laws in Minneapolis as well as my family in Mt. Vernon. During that time I attended a bridal shower for my brother's fiance (pictures to come later this week) and also hosted a baby shower for one of my best friends - Liz. Below are a few photos (and the invite) for Liz's shower. We did a "Sprinkle" theme where everything was either umbrella/rain or candy sprinkles. It turned out great and Baby Reasland and Liz were blessed with some great encouragement from other mom's and received some super cute gifts.

The next photo was taken in mid-March when Liz and her husband, Aaron, came to spend a week of fun in the sun with us. As with so many of our friends who live far away, although their visits are so much fun, it makes us wish we lived close to them! This group photo was taken at on our favorite Mexican restaraunts in Phoenix - Los Sombreros.

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on the road to....DC

whirl*wind [hwurl-wind, wurl-]
verb (used without object)
to move or travel quickly

It's official - I feel like I've been in a bit of a whirlwind lately. Not only am I preparing to head to DC tomorrow for a Raising Truly Great Kids Event, but I just returned from another event in Minneapolis on Tuesday. That's a 3 day turn around (and I still managed to go to the grocery store!)
Regardless of the pace of the past couple weeks, I'm really thankful for God's provision during it. I feel like we're still moving forward in our preparations for our little lady to come into the world and I'm getting to be a part of an incredible work God is doing through our parenting conferences. What more could I ask for?
If you think of me this weekend, please do pray for safe/comfortable travels this weekend. Although this isn't my last trip while pregnant (my brother is getting married at the end of the month), it is my last work trip.

Note: For those of you who may have thought that the above picture might possibly be me - think again!
Here's the top 5 reasons why it definetly is not me.
5) I don't travel that lightly. One carry on bag - seriously!? For those of you who know me, I have enough hair product to fill a carry on.
4) My mid-section does not look that good (ever). I'm 7.5 months pregnant in case you forgot.
3) I've pretty much officially moved to flats for my footwear. Although those shoes are quite cute!
2) I don't own a pair of red heels. Much to my husband's surprise I'm sure.
1) When traveling I NEVER look that cute. EVER. Although I wish :)

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the belly project...

Growing, growing and growing some more. Sorry it's taken me nearly 7 or so weeks to post another belly photo. One would think that it doesn't take all that much effort to take them but for some reason between being in the hospital, having guests in our home and flying to Iowa I've been a bit preoccupied. So, here's for all of you who have been wondering how she's growing...
Update on Mom - other than the very common pregnancy pains I'm feeling great! So much better than I was a couple of weeks back. Thanks to all of your prayer warriors out there. God really did do a miracle and we're all so thankful!

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Steph's Pick - White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

I came across this AWESOME recipe awhile back on a friend of a friend's blog (yes - I realize that tags me as a blog staulker) and can't get enough of these little treats. I figured it was time to spread the love and share the recipe with ya'll.

Raspberrry-White Chocolate Scones
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. firm butter or margarine
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 c. whipping cream
Additional whipping cream
Sugar
3/4 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
2/3 cup white baking chips

Directions:
- Heat oven to 400 F.
- In a large bowl, mix flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter, using pastry blender until mixture looks like fine crumbs.
- In a smaller bowl beat the eggs. Stir in whipping cream and extract.
- Add raspberries and white chips to the dry ingredients.
- Stir in wet ingredients to dry until mixed.
- Place dough on ungreased cookie sheet. Roll or pat dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Brush with whipping cream and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 18-23 min. or until golden brown. Allow to cool for a short time. Carefully seperate wedges and remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

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steph's pick - hanky pankys

Alright - I'll admit, this might be a strange "Steph's Pick" choice considering the fact that it's Good Friday :) But it's actually something that I've been contemplating posting over the past year or so but always wondered if it was appropriate. As I was watching Regis and Kelly this morning Kelly started talking about her favorite kind of underwear and sure enough - it was Hanky Pankys. She went on and on about how much she loves them and even had Regis put on a pair. So - that put me over the edge.
All that to say - my Steph's Pick this week is my favorite kind of underwear - Hanky Pankys. Now some might wonder how someone could love a certain kind of underwear so much - but believe me when I say - they are well worth the hype (and the price tag). I've found them in various boutiques around Phoenix but I also know that they're available at Nordstrom's (Nordstrom's Rack - half price) as well as Costco on special occassions.
They really are the best. I personally like their thongs the best - I was never a thong lover before finding these. The Hanky Panky thong is the most comfortable (one-size fits all) pair of underwear you could ever own. And they're pretty sexy too! Pick up a pair (or two) today.

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on the road to Iowa...and an update...

I apologize for the lack of blogging I've done lately. I'm hoping that you can give me a little grace as we've had a couple tough weeks in our home. Regardless, I wanted to send an update on the previous weeks happenings - hopefully this is a final update on all my fun medical problems :)
Last Wednesday, after a combination of chiropractic appointments and God's hand (obviously more God) I woke up with virtually no pain in my low right back. It was amazing. I didn't quite even know what to think so I took one more pain pill just to hopefully prevent the pain from coming back. But it hasn't!!! Although I have definetly had some uncomfortable times over the past few days it has been nothing in comparison to what the pain was like a week ago. Praise God!
Needless to say I left Phoenix on Thursday morning and traveled to Iowa. My best friends wedding went extremely well and I was so thankful to be there and be a part of it. Congrats to the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Nate Eagles! We love you!
I was blessed to be able to spend the night with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and our new niece, Adelyn, on Saturday night and on Sunday morning we got up and made our way to Mt. Vernon for my first baby shower. My mom and going to be sister-in-law, Amy, hosted the shower for me and it went by flawlessly. It was so fun to be able to celebrate this incredible gift God has blessed Alan and I with. It made me even more excited to meet our little one come this summer.
I'm now back in Phoenix and back at work.
Thank you for all of your concern and prayers! I'm so grateful for each one of you.

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a rough week

One might say that we've had a fairly rough week around the Flies household. After returning from a great conference in Lancaster, PA, last Sunday my back started to ache a bit and this small pain quickly turned into a debilitating pain that has launched us into a roller coaster of a ride.
After taking a couple days off from work I finally made my way to my OB's for some medication for the pain. After taking this medication for awhile with no luck we had no choice but to head into the ER on Tuesday evening for a more extensive look into what might be causing my pain. After spending the night in the hospital it was concluded that I was more than likely passing a kidney stone. They dismissed me and asked me to wait until it passed.
On Thursday I had another appointment with my doctor. After discussing my situation further with him he suggested I see an urologist which would only happen if I were admitted into the hospital. I was admitted on Thursday afternoon and just discharged last night. Throughout our time in the hospital we had a MRI done which concluded that it wasn't kidney stones after all but my uterus was sitting on one of my ureters which was causing my low right back considerable amount of pain.
So that's the story of my first hospital experience. I thought for sure I wouldn't be visiting the Family Birthing Center until our precious little girl came into this world, but my plans were obviously not God's. Right now we're praying for a small miracle and would ask that you would also do the same. My pain is still quite strong and I'm on heavy medication. Please join with us in praying for my uterus to lift off my ureter and the pain to go away.

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Steph's Pick - a Clothing Swap

Attention all you ladies who like a good bargain for new(ish) clothing! If you haven't participated in a Clothing Swap party, now is the time to host one! Some of my friends and I hosted our very first clothing swap party this past weekend and it was a blast! There's nothing better than getting rid of some of the clothes you have sitting around and getting some "new" clothes for FREE!
To give you a better idea of what a clothing swap is read the text I included on the evite we sent out:

You have a closet full of clothes but can't ever seem to find anything to wear. Before you hit the mall and spend a lot of money, try a clothes swap party! You and your friends can exchange used clothing and adopt great new looks without opening a wallet. Come join a group of Phoenix area gals for tea time and our first official Clothing Swap.
In order for the Clothing Swap to be a success here are a couple of logistics:
- Go through your own closet to pull out the clothes/accessories (no shoes please) you no longer wear. Include only clothing that someone can still wear in your clothes swap pile (if an item is questionable it probably means you shouldn't bring it). Please limit the amount of clothing/accessories you bring to 8 items.
- Wash, press and hang the garments so everyone can easily see the clothes for swapping.
- Arrange to have your items dropped off at Steph's House the weekend of March 7th. Whether it's you or a friend who invited you who drops them off, this will give us some time to organize everything for the party.

Looking forward to it!! We hope you can join us.

Try a Clothing Swap this spring! I can guarantee you won't leave empty-handed. For more specific info of how to organize a party of your own feel free to contact me.

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Steph's Pick - Menu Planning

Upon getting married and moving to Arizona I started getting in the habit of going to the grocery store at least 4-5x a week. I'd decide each day what I wanted to make that evening and I'd stop by Basha's to pick everything up. Although the grocery store was literally across the street from our first apartment I felt like I spent more time at the grocery store than doing things that I loved to do. After about 6 months of this and a thorough analysis of our budget I knew I needed to make some changes to my grocery shopping plans.

Since then I go to the grocery store once a week (generally on Sundays) and I always bring my list in hand. My list is formulated as I sit down that day and plan my menu for the week. This has helped me tremendously in multiple ways. First, I spend far much less time going to and from the grocery store (you know time=money). Second, I feel more prepared to cook for our family when I know what I've planned for that evening's meal. Finally, we are saving way more money - and in these economic times that is something to celebrate!

So ladies, it's as simple as that! I realize this may not be revolutionary to many of you - but it was to me! I'm appreciating the benefits of this specific home-tip more than I'll probably ever know.

For the very cute Menu Planning document shown below Click Here.

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Shiloh & Ian's Wedding

This past Saturday I got to play a small role in a local wedding. I was technically Ian and Shiloh's wedding coordinator - although as many of you know, I certainly don't do that for a living. Regardless, what an honor that they would entrust their big day into my hands.
What an incredible day it turned out to be! The love Ian and Shiloh have for one another and for the Lord Almighty is such an inspiration for all who know them. I know I personally felt very privileged to be able to witness the unification of these two and their families.
I just couldn't resist posting some of the photos that both photographers have posted on their blogs. Jeanette LeBlanc and Maggie McDonald - you girls hit it out of the ballpark! You captured the day so beautifully. These photos will help Ian and Shiloh and their families remember this day for the next 50+ years. Thank you!

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growing...

I know... can you believe it? Two Posts in one day!! I'm getting a little too carried away. Well - last week was incredibly busy as I was the wedding coordinator for a local wedding here. I'll be sure to post more about that later. Needless to say, I haven't gotten around to posting much.
Nevertheless, here is a 22 week belly update. I'm still trying to figure out if I like the photos with the belly uncovered or covered. For this week it will be covered :) The baby is growing.... along with her mom! This months fruit that resembles how big Baby Flies is = papaya!

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Steph's Pick - My GoodReads

Amidst all of the busyness in our lives I've gotten a chance to read some great books and thought it was time to bring back another "Steph's Goodreads" list. In no particular order...

1. The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy by Erika Lenkert. Hilarious pregnancy book! I just can't get enough of reading it. Although maybe not the most exhaustive in its information, it's a light-hearted read for any woman going through the fantastic 40-ish weeks called "pregnancy."
2. Escape by Carolyn Jessup. Although quite disturbing, this is one of the most interesting books I've read in awhile. It's Carolyn's personal and touching story of escaping the FLDS radical sect.
3. Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Some might disagree with the fact that I'm even reading these teenybopper, vampire sucking tales but as much as I hate to admit it, they're pretty good!
4. The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. Alright, I'll admit it, I have yet to even read this book - but it would be Alan's top pick if he were doing an "Alan's Goodreads." It's on my list of books to read and I'm really hoping to get to it sooner than later.
5. Deliver This by Marisa Cohen. Again, another very informative pregnancy book on the deliver options available. Not only does it give a closer glimpse into all techniques, it also dives into why the author suggests women choose the option they do. Super intriguing.

As the sun becomes warmer in AZ I'm sure I'll have another Goodreads list in a couple of months as one of my favorite things to do in the summer is to sit by the pool with an ice-cold margarita (this summer my drink of choice will be water) and a good book in hand. Cheers to great-reads!

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it's a....

Well - it's as official as it's going to be at this stage :) We recently had a couple ultrasounds with a friend and had our ultrasound at the doctors office this week and all predictions have come back the same - Baby Flies is a GIRL! Now I realize that this can certainly change over the next months but right now I'm dreaming of all of the cute pink things for our little baby girl.
I've already bought a couple things for the nursery. We can't wait!!

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our Babymoon

This past Tuesday evening we returned from our 6-day Babymoon in Oahu (for those unfamiliar with the term babymoon - think honeymoon - just before the baby). We both knew we wanted to do one last trip, just the two of us, before this little baby comes into the world. What better place than Hawaii?! Neither of us had ever been so we looked into our best options and settled on Oahu.
During our time on this beautiful island we spent time on Waikiki, Alan had a private surf lesson (thanks George!), we ate some incredible food, we toured the Polynesian Cultural Center, soaked in the sun on Kailua Beach, visited Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, hiked Diamond Head, explored the North Shore and snorkeled in Haunauma Bay. Just to name a few things. We also stayed at this unbelievable hotel called the Hotel Renew. If you're looking to go to the Waikiki area anytime soon we'd highly recommend it.
It really was a very restful yet fun time for the two of us as we celebrated what God has in store for our family in the next year.

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on the road to...Hawaii!!

We're off to Hawaii for our Babymoon tomorrow morning and couldn't be more excited! Alan just finished a trimester of classes and so it's time to celebrate! We'll take plenty of pictures and will be sure to post about our time away.

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