23rd Birthday {Post No.2}

This could also be titled 'Pregnancy Tears From Mild Sorrow to Extreme Joy' or 'I Have An Awesome Brother' or many other variations.

It all started about 3 weeks ago....

I was at my family's and went with siblings for a walk down the road..

Actually... It all started about 3 years ago. When Wesley and I got married my grandma gave us an old couch of hers to help us start furnishing our home. It was one of those couches you find in, well, a lot of grandma's houses.

These are not blog worthy pictures but they're all I could find of the couches pattern

We were very grateful for it and it has served us but for a while now I have been looking to replace it with something that matches my decorations, other furniture, and is a little newer.

Back to the three weeks ago.

I was walking down the road, and there on the side next to a house who's previous owner we'd met and I'd have trusted to take furniture from, was a couch with a 'FREE' sign on it. I sat on it and although the pattern wasn't perfect it was closer to what I wanted, it was exactly what I wanted in shape and size and best of all, it was free. A quick call to Daniel and he was there with his truck. Daddy and he threw it in the bed and we all ended up back at my parents, waiting on Wesley to finish a run so he could help Daniel unload it at our home...

Wesley arrived... they left.. and a few minutes later they were back with a broken couch to throw on the burn pile..

I know it was mostly pregnancy hormones at play but I actually teared up. It must have been pregnancy because who, in a matter of an hour, becomes so attached to a free couch that one would cry over its loss.
I was pretty upset though because, it was perfect and free and lost only because of my brother's recklessness, at least that is what I assumed because, I've seen him drive.
So I was sad, I cried, and I avoided him because I truly knew it was an accident and that there was no reason for me to take it out in anger on him.

Later my mom told me he said to let me know he'd buy me a couch if I picked one out. Ever since then I've kept my eye out on yard sale sites for couches that met my criteria thinking I would take him up on it but I never found one.

So yesterday, on my birthday, he showed up with this lovely couch strapped into his truck. He bought it for me new and so, because I'm pregnant, I teared up again  ;)

This couch, next to the crib and changing table, is the third piece of new, store bought furniture, in our little home. And I'm sure it greatly exceeds those in value..

Although when Jerusha first woke up this morning she held her palms in the air and asked "Where's my couch?" she sat on the new one, patted it and said "don't like my new new couch, where's mine?" but then quickly warmed up as I told her how much I liked it and she was especially eager to accept it and sit on it when I told her I needed to take its picture.

I feel very special at the lengths and expense Daniel went through to make up for what truly was an honest accident. Thank you - love you!

~Haley

23rd Birthday {Post No.1}

I acknowledge that I'm a tad bit behind on blogging... I haven't posted that Teriyaki recipe I promised, we've gone on a vacation and no pictures or details have made the blog.. but here I am skipping ahead and recapping yesterday because, well, it was an especially awesome birthday.

The morning didn't start all that great, the girls weren't getting along, the house was a mess, and I'm pregnant so dealing with nausea and lack of energy. I spent many years of my life hating birthdays but as I've gotten older, wiser, and have been receiving the best things in life throughout the years I have come to have a better attitude about them; so, in spite of the rough start I pressed on and little by little started overcoming the day.

Wesley is working out of town this week; too far to commute but not too far for a drive home to celebrate my birthday. He made it home at 4 and took me and the girls over to my family's where he had already stopped in to deliver my birthday presents, first of which he gave me right away; doughnuts for Titus Bakery, a shop we've heard good reviews from and happened to be on his route home. They were indeed yummy.


For awhile we just hung out and visited, waiting for more siblings to arrive home from work. One of my brother-in-law's was in the area ending his shift so we invited him to stay for dinner and cake, as well.

Eventually nearly everyone had arrived so we ate a delicious dinner of Italian Basil Toss, I really should make this and put it on the blog; it has been a life long favorite spaghetti style dinner, and that is coming from this spaghetti, pasta hater.

People swam, people visited, we ate, and waited Daniel to get home from work so we could do cake. When he pulled in the driveway it was immediately noted that there was a couch in the bed of his truck. In my next post I will share the importance of this item, it was unnecessary of him but oh, so very appreciated (and I currently sit on it as I write this post). I was very excited to check the couch out and was pretty overwhelmed that he was willing to spend so much on "fixing" what had been an accident. More on that to come.

Once Daniel and Shay had arrived my family sang 'Happy Birthday' to me, only made me blow out two candles as mommy chose to go with the numbers '2' and '3', and we all enjoyed (at least I know I did) my traditional mint chocolate chip ice cream cake.

It was present time as everyone enjoyed cake and although I know birthday's should be most remembered and appreciated for the people you spend them with I certainly felt extra special as I had already received a couch and continued to open gift after thoughtful gift.

From my parents I received an elegant pair of gold and ruby earrings, along with a beautiful string of colored fresh water pearls, AND more photo paper for Wesley's gift to me last year of the fuji insta max camera.

My little sister, Monta, gifted me with many of the special rocks she had collected last week on our trip to the Upper Peninsula as well as a lovely drawing.

And last, but not least, Wesley gave me a set of pearls and earrings as well as a new sewing machine.

The pearls are beautiful and I will love having both the traditional and colored versions, I find it special that my mom and husband both are in sync with things I'm wishing for ;)

The sewing machine is a bit bitter sweet. I am so very excited to have it and learn to use it but find it hard to finally admit it is time to let my old one go. I've had a very old incredibly heavy Pfaff since my second year in 4-H and I knew all its settings, its quirks and secrets. In the past couple years though it has had to go to the shop for the same repair over, and over, and always came back only to putt along on a few projects then have to head back: the time had come to replace it and I'm very glad for a husband who was willing to put in the research and pick me out one as I would have had too hard of a time letting go and choosing change. It is thrust upon me now and I am relieved and excited. I have soooo many projects now only waiting on me to read the manual and start in on :D

And there you have it, the first installment of how awesome and special this birthday was. I have finally learned how to age gracefully and enjoy birthday's, for which I am sure my family is very grateful, am I right, Mommy? Shelby? :P

{Foodie Post No.10} Honey Mustard Chicken

This past week I made two fairly healthy chicken dinners and I took pictures so I could put them on the blog!
Growing up these were two of my most favorite meals.

I have a vivid memory of Honey Mustard Chicken, I don't know if my mom made it often or if this particular time just imprinted on me but, one evening, when I was probably no older than 6, I remember my mom was working on dinner and I was laying on the living room floor entertaining my baby brother with blocks (aka duplo's). At some point in my efforts I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember was waking up to the sun having set and finding my mom cleaning the kitchen up, everyone else having eaten. She uncovered my plate, a divided winnie the pooh plastic plate and on it was a piece of chicken, rice soaking up the honey mustard juices, and peas, not those nasty mushy canned kind, either, no, my mom fixed the frozen ones that still have life to them.

And that is it, that is my memory of eating Honey Mustard Chicken as a kid and I don't know if that's the first time I had it but I have loved it ever since. And, to this day, it is best served with rice and pea's.

all the ingredients

melting the butter in the baking dish and adding everything else saves dishes ;)

Jerusha is my ever enthusiastic helper :)

Dip the skin side 

turn it over for baking

four chicken thighs ready to go in the oven

I failed to take a picture of the finished product :(. It was thoroughly enjoyed even though I served it with brown rice and sauted zucchini.


Honey Mustard Chicken
1-3 Pounds Chicken Pieces
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 cup Mustard
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Curry Powder

Melt butter in 9x13 dish. Stir in remaining ingredients. Roll chicken in mixture to coat. Arrange in pan. Bake at 375 for 1 hour uncovered. Use sauce over chicken, rice, and vegetables.

I cut the recipe in half when fixing it for us.