Week 29: Butternut Squash (weightwise, 2 1/2 lbs.)

A Name for Baby

Finally, a baby name decision has been made. Most of our family and friends know the first name will be Asher (But we are planning on spelling it Ashyr. This is my hubby's idea which he LOVES, so it's a done deal). It was so easy to pick the first name. We instantly agreed upon Ashyr long before we were expecting. But the middle name is a different story. Instead of searching through baby name websites any longer (which felt too overwhelming), we decided we needed a system to use to narrow it down. We came up with this: We will use simple Bible names for middle names when it's a boy, and simple names from nature when it's a girl (Dawn, Rose, etc). This will compliment the more unique first names we chose. Since this one is a boy, the Bible name we are going with is Jacob. I was listing off Bible names while Grant gave his opinion the other day. When I said Jacob we both paused, looked at each other, and immediately knew it was the one. Ashyr Jacob Yost...I can't wait to meet him. :)

Christmas Cracker Candy

This Christmas, Grant decided we should start some holiday food traditions that we can continue every year, and eventually with our children. I LOVED that part of Christmas growing up-associating certain foods with the holiday. So, I was more than happy to whip up some tasty treats even though it is just the two of us to enjoy them for now. Last night I was up late getting groceries (last minute of course) and cooking. I decided to use many of the yummy recipes my mom made for us growing up. So far, I have successfully made my first cheese ball, garlic oyster crackers, sausage and cheese balls, confetti dip, frosted sugar cookies, and chocolate toffee bars (aka Cracker Candy). I have never had the Cracker Candy before, but when I stumbled upon the recipe, it easily caught my eye-only 5 ingredints and no candy thermometer!

Ingredients:

Saltine crackers
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
12 oz chocolate chips
Pecans or Heath toffee chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line 9 x 13 casserole dish with saltines, salted side down.



3. In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Bring to boil.

4. Quickly pour and smooth over crackers before it cools.

5. Bake for 10 minutes until bubbly or golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips on top. Let set 3 minutes, then smooth melted chocolate over the crackers.

7. Top with Heath chips or pecans.

8. Freeze or refrigerate for at least 2 hours

9. Break apart, serve, and try not to get addicted.

Two Down, One to Go!

I remember when we found out we were expecting back in June, that the 3rd trimester seemed ages away. But here it is, the home stretch! I gladly welcome it. The 2nd trimester was pretty nice (other than fatigue, aches, and pains). I have enjoyed feeling the baby kick a lot, no morning sickness, and a bump to sport without looking like a barn (yet).

So, what's with the Chinese cabbage? Apparently, that's how big the baby is at week 28! Each week I look up information about the week I am currently in. One website I use compares the baby's growth to a vegetable/fruit week by week. When I go to the store, I waddle my way over to the produce section for a visual. I just stare at it wondering how on earth that thing fits inside of me. I am a little concerned about week 39's picture-it's a mini watermelon! Thank you, Jen, for the tummy cream!

On Thanksgiving, my grandma gave me an antique cookie press and cutters. I used it for the first time yesterday to take cookies to a Christmas party. After 4 hours of working on them, I thought they deserved a picture. Nothing fancy, but they were SO good-I won't say how many I ate. Thanks Mom for the recipe :)

Singing the Scriptures

Recently Grant and I made a goal to listen only to music that is set to scripture while we're driving in the car. We are finding it is a great way to memorize portions of the Bible. It is also the perfect way to have scripture running through your head during the day. Our church does an excellent job of teaching the children verses set to songs. We thought it would be just as good for us too, and have already learned quite a few passages from all parts of the Bible using this method. We have another goal of writing some music on the piano and guitar together that is set to scripture, so we can then teach our family someday.

I highly recommend coming up with just a simple tune (or any tune you already know) and put some verses to it. It is super easy and totally worth it.

The song below is currently our favorite song (we hit replay constantly). It is directly from Micah 7:1-9.

Hope you enjoy :)

25 Weeks

Here I am at 25 weeks. He is getting bigger all the time and kicking up a storm (I'm loving that part!). I have also come to the point where finding something to wear is no fun at all.

Grant and I just completed a full day of very informative birthing classes. One was about labor and delivery and one was for water birth which is the route we are choosing to take. I am so glad we went, because it helped relieve some of the scary unknowns about giving birth. It is hard for me to believe that I will actually be going through it in just 3 months! Until then, I have much to prepare myself for both mentally and physically. I think even spiritually in that I must purpose it in my heart to trust God no matter what happens-good or bad. Grant has been a big help to me in all these areas, so I know I will be ready when the day finally comes.

A Very Happy Thanksgiving

It was a great holiday weekend-just wish it had lasted longer! We went to Emporia and Lawrence on Thanksgiving day with my family. Then we spent Friday through Sunday in Moundridge with Grant's family. Went shopping, watched a couple movies, saw some friends, and ate too much. Grant's 26th birthday was on Thanksgiving day, so we celebrated that on top of everything else!

So good to see you Mom, miss you!

Next Thanksgiving we will both have an addition to the family :)

Loved the table setting at my uncle's house!

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High" -Psalm 92:1

Deep Cleansing Action

Ahh, I feel so good right now. I cleaned out all the junk in our guest room and an embarrassing amount of clothes from my closet. (This picture is only half of it!) That knocks out two things from my "To Do" list: Clean guest room and take junk to Goodwill. It feels like I am actually making headway towards getting everything ready for the baby. Funny how after I wrote a "To Do" list and shared it with the world that it motivated me to take action!

It amazes me how fast stuff can pile up-and it's just Grant and me! I can't imagine what it will be like with a big family. And wow, how can one person accumulate so many clothes? I got rid of almost all of my summer and dress clothes and shoes. After today, in order to prevent this from happening again I have resolved to only buy clothes that are:

1) Not trendy
2) Higher quality
3) A perfect fit (that means less thrift store finds, but will help eliminate a lot!)

Don't you love the feeling of getting rid of unnecessary stuff?

We have a Winner!

After I had four different trustworthy people give me feedback, I feel confident that I am going with something like this nursery. I completely agree-it's soothing, simplistic, and according to my amazing mother at 3:00 a.m. I will want a soothing atmosphere with a fussy baby. Very good point. My husband liked it too, so we are set. The others are too busy (good call Laura), and would eventually drive me nuts without a doubt. And Jen, I love your honesty, "It's a nursery, not a formal dining room for the Prince of Persia." Lol, that was awesome.

Whew. With that settled, now I just have to tackle the To Do List:

• Clean guest room out
• Move piano and desk to another room (well, that's Grant's job)
• Take junk to Goodwill
• Organize baby stuff
• Set a budget
• Sew bedding
• Have a baby!

And the fun part. The Shopping List:

• Crib
• Mattress
• Fabric
• Dresser
• Lamp, picture frames, other decorative items (or supplies to make my own)
• Something to organize baby toys, books, etc.

I was dreading all of this, but now that I have a plan I am ready to get started.

Thanks for your help!

decisions...decisions...

I suffer from extreme procrastination, but now I am starting to feel a sense of urgency about things needing to be done before our baby boy gets here. With the holidays coming up soon, I know the next couple of months are going to fly by. When Christmas is over, I am going to be so huge that I doubt I will feel up to tackling the "To Do" list. Our guest room, which will be the nursery currently is full of boxes, a piano, a messy desk, and random odds and ends. I would post a picture but I'm ashamed of it. So, I am trying to knock it out now while I am in the "honeymoon" phase of pregnancy (a.k.a. the 2nd trimester). But my biggest problem next to overcoming procrastination is that I simply cannot decide on how to decorate and arrange the nursery. I know I want neutral neutral neutral (with maybe a tad bit of color), as I have never been a fan of the pinks and blues, or themed nurseries.

Now that I have that figured out, do I get a white crib or a wood crib? Do I use grays and green/yellow? Or tans, creams, and browns? What about splashes of color, will they annoy me after awhile?(I tend to get annoyed by too much color, weird I know) How do I arrange the nursery and how much are we going to spend? Do I want a modern, earthy, or classic look? I am leaning towards making my own crib bedding and then the decision of picking the fabrics comes into play which has already been a nightmare in itself. Plus, I basically hate everything in stores, so I have to be original and come up with all the decorations on my own.

I don't want to be completely ridiculous about this(especially since the baby won't know the difference!) and Grant and I tend to like things simple. Here are a few pictures I found online of things I like. I realize these are straight from like designer websites and I won't even come close to them, but whatever. I was happy to find some ideas I liked, but unfortunately they are all so different that I don't feel like I narrowed anything down.

Feedback please? Jen-I know you are reading this to distract you from school, so I need your opinion since you are my personal baby attendant :)

Love ya, Nate!

This weekend was the last time seeing my brother Nathan before he deploys to Iraq again. We celebrated with an early Thanksgiving meal and a cake for his birthday along with family and friends. Praying for you daily and see you next year! Love ya!

It's a....

Today was my first sonogram. IT was AMAZING! Here are some of the pictures of our little...BOY! The technician said he looks perfectly healthy and his measurements were exactly where they should be. When I saw his little feet, I cried! We weren't able to get a great picture of his head, but Grant was satisfied with that because he hates pictures. So he thinks our baby takes after him, avoiding having his picture taken :) Can't wait to meet our little boy in person!

ἅγιον

ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν καλέσαντα ὑμᾶς ἅγιον καὶ αὐτοὶ ἅγιοι ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ γενήθητε,

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct..." 1 Peter 1:15

While studying the book of 1 Peter for a ladies Bible study yesterday, I was struck by the word "holy" which Peter uses six times throughout the letter. He earnestly exhorts Christians to live a holy life, continually die to sin and this world, and to be obedient to the truth. I decided to look into the word holy a bit more. The word holy in the book of 1 Peter comes from the Greek word "hagios" (pronouced hag'-ee-os, and in greek letters ἅγιον). It is an adjective meaning sanctified one for a special purpose, supernaturally seperate, and that which is anti-secular. I loved these definitions because what better way to describe a true believer? I especially liked "sanctified one for a special purpose." Obviously as Christians, that purpose is to worship, serve, and obey Christ. I realize that this is nothing too profound, but actually quite simple. But for some reason it has really made an impact on my heart. It has given me a greater longing to live as one who is set apart for Him. A.W. Tozer has a quote on holiness that I found. It has stuck with me and I wanted to share:

“The whole purpose of God in redemption is to make us holy and to restore us to the image of God. To accomplish this He disengages us from earthly ambitions and draws us away from the cheap and unworthy prizes that worldly men set their hearts upon. The true Christian ideal is not to be happy but to be holy. When your holiness becomes tarnished, let your joy become dim. Ask Him to make you holy whether you are happy or not. Be assured that in the end you will be as happy as you are holy; but for the time being let your whole ambition be to serve God and be Christlike.” -A.W. Tozer

20 weeks

halfway there :)

A Quick Trip to Manhattan

Yesterday we made a quick trip to Manhattan to visit my brother and his family. He is deploying for his 3rd time back to Iraq in a month, so we wanted to visit while we can. It was a great seeing their new home, baby Noah, and a surprise visit from my best friend from college! I was so confused when their doorbell rang and they said it was for me. I went to answer it and it was Charisa! They invited her over for me which was AWESOME. It was a lovely time with friends and family, just wish it had lasted longer.

Here's me with my nephew Noah (decked out in KSU)! I can't believe how fast he is growing-we still praise the Lord for the miracle!

My cute nieces :)

Yep, it's true. Grant and I are expecting an addition to our family. I am in my 2nd trimester and due in March. We are of course thrilled about this, but it does bring a lot to think about along with it. Not to mention the morning sickness..ugh! So glad it is finally starting to slow down and I hear you get your energy back in 2nd trimester. I hope so, because I don't get much done by sleeping 15 to 20 hours a day! I still don't have my obvious baby bump yet (just a little pooch!), but I've been told to be patient, because soon enough I will feel huge. Everyone keeps asking if we want a boy or girl. Doesn't matter to us, just a healthy baby. But I will be honest, the wait to find out pink or blue is killing me! Oh March hurry up...

Noah Daniel Hunt

Exciting news. My nephew Noah was born 7.15.10 around 6 am at KU Med! I got to watch my nieces and newphews in the waiting room-for 18 hours straight. Thankfully Aaron, Jen, and Grant were all there at times to help out or else I wouldn't have survived. Keeping kids in a room that small for 18 hours is a challenge! Even though the night was long, it was well worth it when Noah was born completely healthy and totally cute! He was a huge answer to prayer. My parents came to visit and we all celebrated at Fogo de Chao on the plaza. It was a blessed time with family and big reason for celebration.

Precious baby Noah in NICU

Playing dress up in the waiting room

Happy parents to a healthy baby boy!

Great having my parents visiting!

Very proud aunties and uncles!

Wheat Harvest

Grant and I have been in Moundridge, KS the past five days to help his dad with wheat harvest. It was a learning experience for me since I didn't grow up on a farm. We had a really good time despite the 12-15 hour days in the field and blistering 90 degree weather. Thankfully the combine was air conditioned which is where we spent most of the time. Of course being a girl got me out of some of the work. I took full advantage of that at times and hung out with my mother-in-law instead. Now that wheat harvest is over, I can proudly say that I have driven a combine and a diesel truck, learned a lot about wheat and other crops, and have grown a sincere appreciation for agriculture and small scale farming. Although I enjoyed the time there, I am most definitely a city girl at heart and couldn't wait to see downtown KC on our way home!

Daniel: Integrity and Prophecy

A couple of girlfriends and I just completed a 12 week study on the incredible book of Daniel. We went through a Beth Moore dvd series and workbook which I found to be quite challenging , but so worthwhile. Here is a brief synopsis of the valuable truths I have taken from the book of Daniel.

1. God's sovereignty. To miss God's sovereignty in the book of Daniel is to miss the point entirely!

2. To be resolved like Daniel and full of integrity in such an enticing, Babylonian-like world. The Babylon mentality and motto "I am and there is no one besides me" (Isaiah 47:8) is still the heart cry of our excessive, self-seeking culture today. As Christians, we must never grow accustomed to the decaying morals and standards around us.

3. We can be deliverd from the fiery trials in life. The dividend? Our faith is refined. We must seek Him for help in times of trouble for His arm is not too short to save.

4. God has and will continue to fulfill every prophecy in the book of Daniel. The finale of all the foretold events will be the Ancient of Days judging in favor of all believers. Daniel 7:18 "The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever."

Isn't God amazing?!

One Year

I can't believe our one year anniversary has come and gone. I am thankful for the year I've been married to Grant and for the ways our relationship has developed in a such a short time together. Looking forward to many more years! Our celebration was simple, yet memorable. It included several bike rides, a lovely pink rose, ice cream at Crown Center, a visit to Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and dinner on the plaza.

A Bittersweet Goodbye

I know I have been silent for almost a month on here, but I have been working close to 50 hours a week since the beginning of May for HealthFitness. And then every weekend in May has been spent in Emporia helping my parents with their move to Springfield, MO. Although I am extremely excited for their new life, it has been a bittersweet change at the same time. It was hard saying goodbye for good to the house I grew up in and realizing the fact that I won't be visiting friends and family in Emporia anymore. Of course I have been away during college and since being married, but I could always slip down to Emporia for a relaxing and refreshing weekend at home with the folks. On the other hand I am thrilled for them and admire them as they have been called into the missions field at this point in their lives. They have been a real example of following the Lord's leading and trusting Him through it all. While in Springfield, they will be attending Baptist Bible College for a year then missions work likely in India. I can't wait to see how God works in their lives during this new adventure. Love you both and good luck in college :)

Texas

Grant and I headed south last week to Texas. Our first stop was in Austin for 1 1/2 days to visit Grant's sister and her husband. It was an interesting stay-quirky eclectic shops, food served from trailors, and deep fried doughnuts topped with brownie chunks and hot fudge at 11pm. The food in Austin is certainly a reflection of the creative people who live there. Check out this hot dog we got!

Next we headed to Dallas for a NAA conference. Friday night was family fun night including lots of junk food and bowling at Dallas 300 with other members of NAA. Saturday was the actual conference from 7:30 am to midnight (sorry no pics). It was a really long day, but we learned a lot, ate like royalty, and met some spectacular people.

The trip was busy and exhausting after driving through the night twice, but well worth it. Now looking forward to North Carolina in July for the next conference!

An Honor from You Say Tomato

Today Grant and I went to one of our favorite spots in Kansas City called You Say Tomato. It is a charming little coffee shop and breakfast/lunch place straight from the 1930s. We love it because it's very unique, only 2 blocks away, and has great food/coffee/service. Grant was setting up the computer while I ordered. As I approached the counter, the worker said, "Yost?" I was a little taken back but replied very confused, "Uhhhh yeah." He said, "Yeah we put your article on a plaque over there. It was good, we liked it. I've been waiting for you to come in so I could tell you!"

I had written an article (my very first one in fact) about You Say Tomato for examiner.com and they apparently found it-then made a plaque out of it! That made my day. If my face and article is going to be anywhere in Kansas City, I'd choose You Say Tomato in a heartbeat! I'm honored.

You can read what I wrote about You Say Tomato here!

Resurrection Reflection

Yesterday was the first Easter for me in 24 years not spent with my family in Emporia at the church I grew up in (you know, since getting married changes all those things). However, this Resurrection Day was probably the most meaningful and it is great to now be a part of Christ Fellowship. Three days prior we had gone to a debate at the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary here in KC. It was between a Christian apologist and an atheist claiming the resurrection never happened. After witnessing the debate and everything the atheist said, I was dismayed. It was heart wrenching to hear someone say that God isn’t real, Jesus was not the son of God, and he certainly did not raise from the dead. I was saddened by this upon leaving the seminary to go home, yet at the same time I had so much joy knowing that Christ IS risen and will return with the victory one day. My heart has been so stirred with excitement and longing for his return since Thursday.

As if that isn't enough to make for a perfect Easter Sunday, it was also nice having Aaron and Jen at church, lunch with Christ Fellowship people was a blessing, took a nice little nap, and the weather was incredible so Grant and I went on a walk in the evening through the beautiful neighborhoods around our apartment and then back for some brownies and milk. Plus Sunday was the perfect opportunity to wear the skirt I found at Goodwill last week for only $1.50! See below :) Yesterday was just one of those days where everything in life was sweet, but still knowing the best thing is yet to come some day was even better!

Jehovah-Jireh

Today has been a good day. Grant and I were at a business meeting for the job he and I will be working on together from home. As I was sitting in the conference room all day wondering if we will be able to make money, all I could think of was something my wonderful mom wrote in an email yesterday. Jehovah-Jireh. The God who provides. She was reminding me that no matter how tight finances are now or how hard things seem, God provides. Grant just got the call that he will be laid off tomorrow. My job with HealthFitness only provides work on-call which basically=no work (which is great when our backs aren't against the wall). So we are taking a risk trying to get a business going with no income and bills to pay. But praise be to God-the God who provides. Whether we are waiting tables soon or successfully running a business, He is the only God named Jehovah-Jireh.

Thank you mom.