Eating through the pantry...

My life lessons.... just being real.

So when funds get a little tight we start to cut back. A couple of weeks ago things got really tight. Our budget only allowed for about$20 worth of groceries, what can you buy for with $20 worth of groceries.... not a whole lot. We started to eat through the cupboards. I was surprised what I could make with the food that I already had (note: it wasn't always the healthiest or tastiest but it worked). And the bonus was that we stuck to our little budget buying only fresh foods.

It is amazing how creative we have been with our finances since having Hannah. We have stopping taking the Toll Roads, cut out our Out to Eat budget, I started making all of Hannah's food, and I even temporally wearing makeup (I ran out and it was out of the budget). One thing that I did also cut out, was our tithe. I am not proud that I did this. When push came to shove, my faith was too small, and I had bills to pay. I had my tithe check written, but when I forgot to give it, I used the money in the account to pay another bill. That was not wise. It got pretty bad... we had to eat through our cupboards. I was evident that our fiancees were not blessed. After hearing an amazing testimony from Life Group on Tuesday, I got paid on Wednesday, and the first thing that I did was tithe, thank you to online giving.

Malachi 3:10
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Boy is God Faithful!!!! I think it went right up to him.. :) He did bless the rest of what we have, and even gave Jacob a little extra in commission.

I don't know why sometimes I have to learn the same principles over and over again. I did graduate from High School with honors and straight A's. But it seems to be the life stuff that I just don't get some times. I guess that is where testing comes in, and GOD is ALWAYS FAITHFUL. He always has and always will be.

Even when Jacob was diagnosed with Diabetes and we had so many medical bills that we were sent to collections and before we got our first collection served to us, God provided us with a $10,000 check from Jacob winning a sales contest.

The bottom line, he knows our needs and knows what I can handle, and it is a daily thing being brought back into alignment with him.

Money aside. Happy Fall! I am so excited for this season. Here is my list why.

pumpkin bread

hot chocolate

sweaters

scarfs

boots

cuddling in bed

watching the rain

candles

baking

thanksgiving

and best of all

celebrating Hannah!

I love the change of seasons. It is like being able to have a new start. New chapter. Here is making the most of the Fall.

Story of Hannah

I have been wanting to get a journal and write a on-going letter to Hannah. I still have not found the right one yet, and worried that I might forget some of the milestones that she has accomplished, I am going to start it on my blog, and then journal to her will soon follow.

Dear Hannah,

You became a you. The day that I found out that I had you in my tummy, was one of the happiest days of my life. And God has been richly blessing me ever sense. I have prayed for you and over you for three long years. And through loss and heart ache, I longed for you. I knew that my life would not be complete without you. You will always hold a special place in my heart, you are my first child and you made me a mom.

So the short story of the pregnancy. I found out I was pregnant with you on March 17, 2009, St. Patrick's Day. I told Daddy that we were pregnant and we both were so excited. I went to the doctors the next day. He said I was very early but you were in there. After lots of waiting, and blood work, the Dr. put me on hormones and the sickness began. For the record I still cannot eat pork, that was the last thing that made me horribly sick, and I want to gag just thinking of pork right now.....When we found out you were going to be a Hannah, we were so excited! We went to Don Joses to celebrate, and talk names. I had a pretty normal pregnacy until about week, 29-30, when you decided that you wanted come out....well kinda. I had early labor, and regular contractions every 10-30 mins for the next 6 weeks until you were born. This was so stinky, I was on bed rest and had to take medication that made me jittery. Anytime I would get up and walk or move, they would get worst, and I would feel sick. I did have lots of company while I was bed rest and was forced to skip the whole nesting thing too. I pre

tty much just got to eat and gain weight, which Lauren encouraged by bringing me KFC and Taco Bell almost every other day.

Your arrival. At 36 weeks the Dr. said it would be safe if you were born, so I was able to come off bed rest and stop taking the medication. I went in for an exam November 5 and you checked out ok. After being off the medication I was exhausted, I was having contractions every 7-10 mins, but still no Hannah. At 440 am November 6, I woke up and went to the couch to try to

get more sleep because of all regular contractions, when I noticed that you were not moving. I did the stress test as the Dr. said to, and still nothing. Finally I got one little move from you, but by then I had already called the Dr. and he said to go to the hospital. We arrived at 5am, without calling anyone. I was a wreck, I cried the entire way to the hospital thinking that something had happened to you. The ER guy wheeled me up to the Labor and Delivery, and I was soon hooked up to the monitors. BUMB BUMB..... I heard your heart beating. It was the single most perfect sound I have ever heard and I will never forget that moment. After being watched by the nurses, my Dr finally came and checked all the readings on the machines and said well, you are going to have a baby and broke my water. Labor had begun. I did the epidural , but had a rear reaction to it, where it pretty much didn't work. After being in labor for 16 hours, and 2 long hours of pushing, you had made your arrival.

LIFE. You made it into the world, but not breathing. The hospital had the NICU staff waiting for you, I guess they knew that something was wrong after all the stress that you had been under. It took about 20 mins after you were born, but you were finally breathing on your own. Thankfully they did all the work on you in the room, and your little cry, the sweetest thing. It was about two hours after were born you were placed in my arms, I was complete. It is amazing how fragile life really is, and what a miracle you really are. If there is ever a question if God answers prayers, I can say with confidence YES. You are my living miracle, my answer to prayer.

The Now. I love every moment that we share together. I love all your Hannah' isms... that you love to PLAY, PLAY, PLAY. and that you love to explore and touch walls. That your Daddy can make you laugh like nobody can. You love to climb, and touch our head board in our bed. You love to be outdoors. Your scrunched nose and cheese face. That you babble on all day and call yourself Nana. You love feet.. and shoes and putting your hands in peoples mouths...yuck. That you love taking a bath, though you haven't always. You took forever to sit up, but less than a month and a half later you started crawling, and just last week you took your first two steps. Time has truly flown by.

I feel this is a good start for now.

Love,

Mommy

I'm back.....maybe

Well, after looking at my blog, I am not a very good blogger. It looks like I only update it once a year or so. I will try to work on that.

In a nutshell..... this last year has truly been the best year of my life! I am a mommy! And love every second of it. Hannah Grace Masciave was born last November 6th at 8:59pm. It was a rough pregnancy with lots of medication and bed-rest, and an even harder delivery, (she was sunny side up, with the cord around her neck twice). After lots of work from the amazing doctors and nursing at Mission Hospital she was breathing on her own and thankfully did not have to go to ICU. It took a while to get used to, and try to figure out this whole mom thing. But 10 months later here we are, we are surviving and I think doing pretty good. She is just so amazing, she has such a little personality, a perfect blend of Jacob and I. I love seeing what she is going to learn or do, everyday it is something new. She is now crawling and attempting to walk, she has already taken two steps on two separate occasions. Jacob love it too, he is such an amazing daddy! It is the highlight of my day when he gets home from work and rushes to give her kisses and plays with her. I am so fortunate to work from home full time. It is sometimes hard to find time to do everything in one day, but I just get up early and utilize nap time for work time. So that is us in the last year.

More recently, I am so excited to get back into the fall routine. It is my favorite time of the year. I can't wait for temperatures to cool back down, and start burning candles and having hot tea. It makes me want to bake and decorate too. Awww... I can't wait!

Life groups start soon, which has been such a great adventure. I love seeing what God is doing in the lives of others. It is so unique to come along together and encourage each other outside of the "church", but to just be one as a body. I have been desiring to be more kingdom minded lately. In this time of the new season, it has truly been unlike any other, Jacob and I have been stretched, in our marriage, finances, and with work, not to mention the whole parenthood thing. But the only way to grow is to be stretched, so I am praying for some enormous growth.

Well here is a taste.... hopefully I will keep up on this.... but we'll see.